Budget Friendly

Something a lot of people don't know about Ted and I is that we are budget freaks.  We know where exactly each penny of our incomes goes each month and are crazy about staying within those budgets.

Last year we got rid of our second car, Ted's baby, because we realized how much cheaper it would be to only have one car (no insurance, no upkeep, no gas, no depreciation).  It was a little easier for us to do it because it was when I was being treated for my disease and I couldn't drive for serval months anyway (being bed ridden is the worst!).  So we sold Ted's '66 Karmann Ghia and kept our truck.  

This past year Ted has had about a 20-25 minute commute, not too bad....but our gas bills were adding up!  Every month we spent about $425 just on gas alone...it was driving me nuts!  The past few weeks we have decided to live even more of the simplified life I preach about on here, so we got rid of my baby, our truck yesterday....and got ourselves a Prius!  

Not only is this a fiscally responsible move for our little family, it is also going to use up less of the worlds resources, yes I might be a bit of a tree hugger, and that is something I love as a secondary to our gas solution :)

We were able to sell our truck and buy a year newer Prius with less miles and still get money back!  Thanks to me negotiating the heck out of the salesmen....yep that is right I might look unassuming but I can convince a lot of people to give me a better deal somehow.... ;)

I am not trying to say we always make the best financial decisions....but the more mistakes we have made the more we have learned what is important for our family.  A budget is all about priorities.  So you have to figure out what your families priorities are and budget around that, there are always sacrifices in every budget no matter how much you make....you just have to figure out what is most important to you and what is less important.  I would rather go out to eat more...than pay $450 a month in gas....so I gave up my truck so we can spend the money in different ways.....

So here is the newest member to the Cross Family!   

I am such a negstalic person....so here is a walk down memory lane with our two cars.  I literally cried walking away from my truck yesterday in the car lot...but I know we made the right decision...that car has just been through so much with us.

Our 2 cars in LA together.  We bought our tuck in 2007 and since then it has lived in Arizona, then in Philadelphia, then back in Arizona, then it lived in LA and came back with us to Arizona again.  It was good to us!

Our amazing friends the Abney's came and visited us in LA and their little girls loved playing with Ted's Ghia....I don't think anyone could look cuter in that car...

Well now that I am done walking down memory lane, I hope you have a great weekend and that you party it up on Labor Day!