But still, you do have to begin at some point and that will indeed make you a novice.
So, things to cut...just some thoughts probably not in a resonable order because my brain does not work in a normal order.
1) Cut out avoiding facing facts.
Figure out ACTUAL income (the paycheck, no the hourly wage. You don't take home the hourly wage, the gubment, insurance company, retirement fund, union etc etc etc take their cuts first).
To do that take a look at your auto deposited paychecks or whatever (or, if your pay amount varies take as many as you can find and make and average and subtract 10% as a precaution). Make a note of how many hours are on that check.
A fulltime job is 2080 hours per year. Just keep that number in your brain pocket
NOW, look at your spending records. If you use a credit and/or debit card or online, virtual venmoy type stuff...look at those records online. If like me you rock it like it's 1826 and pay cash, then gather receipts. Figure out about how much you have been spending. Use that info to estimate a budget for the next month. WRITE THIS ALL DOWN.
This won't happen in a day. Baby steps. START recording everything you spend in real time or like me (because I'm awesome) at the end of the day on graph paper with a pencil (for real). Be honest. EVERY spend. It's in pencil so I can got back and put in things I forgot. The top line on the sheet is "income" so if I find a dollar on the street, that goes into "income". In a month or 2 you will figure out categories (rent, electric, phone, streaming services (don't worry...you won't need that one for long)), beer, weed, coffee. WHATEVER. Just be honest and record everything.
Now that you've started to face facts...
2) Quit buying lunch out if you can bring lunch with you.
Left overs ARE lunch. So is a bag of nuts and an apple. It doesn't have to be "lunch" but whatever meals you are buying out and about, STOP IT. Again, baby steps.
Also, do not buy equipment to bring lunch in or a fancy warmer for your lunch that plugs into the USB. NO. You have that giant bag of bags under the sink. Use one of those bags. Bring the whole loaf of bread going stale on the counter and jar of peanut butter from the cupboard to the office, or throw it in the work truck. TA DA! You packed lunch for the week. Good job.
No...do not buy a fancy set of bamboo carbon neutral cutlery to spread the disgusting palmoil based peanut "spread" on your indestructible 99cent loaf of industrial bread shaped product. Grab a spoon or knife from the drawer at home. Find that plastic spoon from one of the last 2000 to-go meals you got at a drive-thru and throw that in the vehicle or office drawer. I dedicate one cupboard at work to the "office pantry" and keep a bowl, bit of silverware and salt and pepper in there along with the food. No one cares. If there is a shared fridge, embrace it and be polite (each monday or friday throw out the crap you forgot to eat).
3) STOP with the Unplanned purchases.
STOP and think first. Do you really need a new outfit for the concert (which will be your last because...seriously, if money is tight do not buy concert tickets, sing to yourself while you ar packing your lunch, that's your concert now). Check the closet. Shop the hoard! Think about borrowing or swapping with a friend.
Do you really need a countertop mixer? No, you do not. If you needed one, you would have one. Move on.
Do not run to the store for a shallot when you have an onion sitting right there on the counter. No onion? Leave it out of the recipe. Find a recipe that uses what you have. New subscription to a streaming service...NO. NO NO NO. NO unplanned purchases and DEFINITELY no new subscriptions.
4) No More Buying coffee out.
Make it at home. You will save on the coffee, the health care needed due to constant consumption of liquid candy bars (Seriously saw a "Snickers Latte"...EW!), they cost a mint and are not that great.
You also save on the gas burned idling in the line to the coffee hut. I set my coffee up the night before so it's ready to go. I have a couple of really nice travel coffee cups that I found at thrift and/or was given as presents. Use a cup you have. Don't have one? Use a portable water bottle, a thermos bottle, or like an old colleague of mine...just a mug from the cupboard, though his car carpet was indeed the thing of nightmares with the crust of years of dried coffee spills. But he did not care so it worked for him.
5) Put and End to Grocery shopping without a plan.
NOT a meal plan necessarily. That is advanced thrifting, we're talking beginner cuts.
Here's how to make a basic plan for grocery shopping. First 2 things...
A) look at the food you have on hand. Do you really need to shop? Fresh salad greens are not a necessity so maybe you can wait a bit. Can you make 2 or 3 days of meals from what you have? If the answer is no, get more creative and think again. Still no? OK, you're a beginner. But by now you know what you have and probably have some "I can almsost make that" things in mind.
B) MAKE A LIST. Really. If you can ALMOST make soup and grilled cheese sandwiches but don't have the "right" veg. Search for a recipe that will use up that 1 cup of chopped kale you were DEFINITELY going to eat but now it's limp, that lone can of diced tomatoes with the dusty top in the back of the tupperware cupboard, and 2 half peppers in the veggie drawer (Hint...all you need is an onion). So, "onion" goes on the list. Those keep pretty well so knock yourself out and get a couple. You will use them in the next "stuff about to go off soup" aka "friday night dinner from here on out". Figure out work lunches (bag of bread, jar of peanut butter).
Great list! onion, bread, peanutbutter. Good first list. I would add "cheapest fruit I like to eat" on there. Remember that the "cheapest" is determined by the PER POUND price, not the per piece price. If there is a cheap price on a 3# bag of apples ...divide it by 3, compare it to the loose apples. If it is equal or close...here is your first advanced savings tip....weigh a few of the bags. Some will be a half to a full pound over. That cuts the cost even more.
As noted...veg about to go bad is good for soup. But you noticed there is no "broth" on the shopping list. You do not "need" broth. Do you know what is in broth? BOILED VEG (and/or meat). How do you make soup? YOU BOIL VEG (and/or meat). If you want it to be even tastier, fry some of the veg first. ...oh, sorry...I mean "saute' in oil heated to a shimmer"...Just fry it a bit. When it smells good, pour in water. Boil/simmer till the veg is the texture you like or the meat is cooked enough to be safe. TA DA!!! You made soup AND broth. If you sing to yourself while you do it you just saved the price of a concert ticket too. Way to go!
Now.. Keep up with the income/outgo tracking. Facing facts is hard but gets easier with practice.
Later I might to a post on what to stop immediately if you have a sudden money crisis. This is more longer range planning by shaving down the budget and knowing where you are at financially. Good luck!
