Trim the Fat Tuesday: The Entertainment Budget, Part 2

Sorry if this is super lame, but I'm going to repeat myself.

Cut back the entertainment budget by (another) $40 per month.

 It's true, we've already done this. But that's no reason not to do it again.

Now our entertainment budget is actually $80 per month less than it was at the beginning of 2014 ($40 cut in January, and another $40 cut now). And I have to say, just like we never really felt that tiny trim back in January, I don't think we're going to notice this one in April, either.


So our battered "Entertainment Envelope" is a little thinner, but that's a good thing. (As I mentioned before, we are on a cash-only basis with eating out and going to movies, so that we stay squarely within the budget we've allowed ourselves. This envelope stays on a desk in the living room where everyone can easily see what's left to spend, which helps us plan ahead and make decisions together.)

And even though this is a repeat, I think it goes to show that if you're really trying to cut back on spending and/or saving up towards a goal, you can always do more. If I had done $80 all at once, we would've been grumbling about it, but doing it in two small bites was a piece of cake. 

The lesson here: keep checking out that budget, and re-evaluate your spending on a regular basis. You might be surprised what you find to cut that you once thought you couldn't live without!

Savings per month: $40

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