Money Saving Monday #1

I am starting a new weekly topic today -- Money Saving Mondays! I try to share money saving ideas on a regular basis, but thought it would be useful if I made it consistent. The lovely Alexa created my button, and I have a list of things to share over the next few weeks.

I try to live frugally out of necessity. DH works a job that pays him 100% commission. That means no base salary, just a percentage of the sales he makes. Not knowing how much money he'll earn each month can be scary and overwhelming. It requires careful planning to ensure our basics are paid for each month and I confess we don't always meet that goal.

DH owned his own company when I met him, so I got exposed to this lifestyle early in our relationship. It was different than my own experience, since my parents have always held steady jobs, with consistent pay. I also held hourly or salary positions before meeting him. After we met, however, I found myself starting my own small business, then joining him in what became ours. Now I'm mostly a SAHM managing our resources.

We have had some very good years financially, and some very lean years. With the current state of the economy, we're in (what I expect to be) the middle of lean years again. I've started working on a part-time basis, and DH is picking up side jobs when he can to help balance our budget.

I plan to use this weekly post to share different things I'm doing to live frugally and hopefully give my readers some ideas and tips to help their families. Next Monday, I'll talk about meal planning and grocery shopping!