When my dad got remarried in July of 2014 our lives got crazy. Our family grew from 2 to 5 people, causing the budget to be modified. My father and stepmom took on this new task with full force; they have certainly lived up to the saying “two heads are better than one”. When we combined families we also combined our budgets, making for some interesting purchases. After talking with the two of them about budgeting, I gained a good understanding of everything that my family has on their plate and how they go about spending their money.
Most families, as expected, go off of a discussed financial plan, whether it be weekly or monthly. According to my father and stepmom, my family does not plan according to a monthly budget, but it is still analyzed …show more content…
When we have five people living under one roof, and three of which are growing teens, we’re bound to eat a lot. The money spent on food items helps myself, stepsister, stepbrother, and stepmom actually save money because we bring our lunches to school/work, avoiding crazy cafeteria prices. Also, my step mom buys a variety of generic and name brand foods, along with price shopping and going to stores such as Aldi. Along with the $600 we spend on groceries, we spend about $250 a month eating out. We eat out often because it is time for us to bond and be with each other, other family members, and our close friends. We may spend a good chunk of our budget on food, but considering the circumstances, I am not surprised, and I actually found this very …show more content…
The three kids in the house are always keeping our parents on their toes due to various sporting events and clubs. My family often pays for entry fees or tickets to come and support each other, and over time these fees really add up. Other forms of entertainment include going on family outings to dinner, going to the races, going to hockey games, and of course, Netflix. Over the summer my family also expands the budget to include camping and boating, and during all times of the year hunting is a valuable thing. The biggest piece of our budget right now is going towards our family trip to Walt Disney World, and I am not surprised by this. We spend money on the things that make us who we are, and it is interesting to see all of the little things add up. Although our budget is discussed often, we can still make things we love to do
Most families, as expected, go off of a discussed financial plan, whether it be weekly or monthly. According to my father and stepmom, my family does not plan according to a monthly budget, but it is still analyzed …show more content…
When we have five people living under one roof, and three of which are growing teens, we’re bound to eat a lot. The money spent on food items helps myself, stepsister, stepbrother, and stepmom actually save money because we bring our lunches to school/work, avoiding crazy cafeteria prices. Also, my step mom buys a variety of generic and name brand foods, along with price shopping and going to stores such as Aldi. Along with the $600 we spend on groceries, we spend about $250 a month eating out. We eat out often because it is time for us to bond and be with each other, other family members, and our close friends. We may spend a good chunk of our budget on food, but considering the circumstances, I am not surprised, and I actually found this very …show more content…
The three kids in the house are always keeping our parents on their toes due to various sporting events and clubs. My family often pays for entry fees or tickets to come and support each other, and over time these fees really add up. Other forms of entertainment include going on family outings to dinner, going to the races, going to hockey games, and of course, Netflix. Over the summer my family also expands the budget to include camping and boating, and during all times of the year hunting is a valuable thing. The biggest piece of our budget right now is going towards our family trip to Walt Disney World, and I am not surprised by this. We spend money on the things that make us who we are, and it is interesting to see all of the little things add up. Although our budget is discussed often, we can still make things we love to do