Lets Close Out This Budget !

[@pitita585]

It could be beneficial to have a separate budget for eating out/restaurants, because although it is all food, they are not the same. Food is a huge problem area for me. If I don’t create and stick to food prep/planning/budgeting, my budget will be busted every single month without fail. I used to spend $650+ every month (single person living in NJ) between takeout, groceries and Starbucks. Now it’s under $350 and that makes the times that I do order out way more of a treat and enjoyable. You’ve got this girl 👏🏼

[@cherieluschkapaesch6285]

Yes i did not had a seperate budget for outing, i do it now because i realize that i spend more that i want to. Thank you

[@pitita585]

@@cherieluschkapaesch6285 we’re all just doing what we can amiright? 😅 Happy for you!!

[@ghillist]

From someone who has watched you since the legal pad days, hopefully no negative comments will steer you away from sharing your journey. Someone will benefit from seeing that s**t happens, it’s life, and you can start from scratch tomorrow. You got this! ❤

[@erikalifevlogs]

Awww thank you 😭♥️

[@onajourneylife2242]

Judge you? I 100% admire your transparency and whoever has anything negative to see should can it!

[@erikalifevlogs]

♥️♥️ you’re the best !

[@angelicavasquez3870]

Girl you are doing fine! You paid your bills and did what you needed to do. You are doing the best you can and it’s just you doing it yourself so pat yourself on the back for that at least. I know you can do better next month and you will! Happy birthday!

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you!

[@n2wabbit]

I hope February will be better for you, just do the best you can and hold on tight. I wish we could all live like the old I love Lucy episode where her system was throwing the bills in the air and whichever ones landed face up were the ones that got paid. Just remember you're not alone with the struggle.

[@erikalifevlogs]

😂😂 I know exactly the episode you just described. I need a Ricky to take over my budget lol

[@stacyhodge1996]

I love how honest you are! No judgement here!! We all have our days (or months) we take a step back. But then we just gotta bounce back the next! February will be your month!

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you! ♥️

[@pjlacey3990]

No worries. Have some grace. February WILL be better! You got this!

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you ♥️

[@jgonz741]

The kitty is big yawn then grooming! I’m easily distracted by pets! I feel like I’m failing bad at budgeting. I had a food budget where we ended up going way over. My bf and I are both emotional spenders and I’m trying to reel that in. Also Random stuff keeps coming up. We saved a kitten that needed an amputation and ended costing $$$ My nieces 15 was this weekend and there I am pulling $100 to gift when I’m unemployed :( So I feel your struggle! I was better with $ when I had a job. I don’t want to burn through my savings so def making Feb a better month! My bf takes care of a lot and I feel like I get side eye about it even though I did the same for him when he lost his job years ago!

[@mariaborisuk6856]

You got this! No judgement.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you! ♥️

[@hugskissesxoxoashley9925]

I also have food and eating out in one category for the budget. It works best for me and easier to keep track. If we want a fancy dinner then we make it work for eating at home. Gives more motivation to get creative with leftovers and grocery costs! And I’ve said this from day 1 but your transparency is what makes you my favorite budget to watch and the most relatable. You’ve got this and I can’t wait for PayPal to no longer be mentioned again haha. ⚡️⚡️⚡️

[@ceciliajohnson8812]

Love Bean doing her cameo in the background.....so cute!

[@Julie-jh3lm]

My January was a mess too. I feel ya!

[@noelledayhoff4752]

GURL - you are amazing and I love your transparency. I can totally relate to your YOLO moment, I've had several over the years. I'm 53 and still struggle with the whole "debt is just a part of life - I want to live a good life" then I get down on myself for overspending. I just put my big girl panties on and move forward. Sorry you are catching grief on here, but know that your courage is seen and I totally appreciate your journey and how we just strife to do better. Kuddos to you for figuring this out young. Look forward to your posts!

[@estellaharris3263]

ErikA Just continue to do you! Don't feed into what some other people are thinking and saying about you. After all " this channel is about you and your journey" that is what really matters here. 🥰

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you ♥️♥️

[@BrandiJanei]

It’s the laugh to keep from crying moments for me. You’ll get it all back together soon. We believe in you.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Omg 😆 yes ! ♥️

[@violettefemme21]

Girl, budgeting and money and spending are so much more than numbers. We can’t expect for things to always go as planned but as long as we’re reflecting and learning from mistakes or missteps and making progress then that’s the main thing. I know you aren’t asking for YNAB as a suggestion but one thing I love about YNAB is the philosophy behind it. And rolling with the punches. But it also has great calculation tools for showing how much you can save in interest with different debt payoff amounts, etc. The main issue is it’s quite a steep learning curve but once it’s set up it’s so amazing. I’m going into my 4th year of budgeting with it and I can’t imagine living without it for my finances.

[@melissarodriguez4531]

Love your videos and honesty. We are all struggling 😳 February will be better 🙏

[@erikalifevlogs]

I need February to go down smoothly 😅

[@mochacondulce]

You got this boo!! ❤️ I trust that you'll get it done. Keep going and refresh in February. 🙏🏼

[@erikalifevlogs]

I’m so ready and excited for February! 🥰

[@peacebeteal]

Don’t “fade out”. This is life. I’ve been watching you for a while. I love the content and realness of your channel. Believe it or not your rawness is a big help.

[@Craftytrini8778]

Mint is free and awesome! Been using it for over 10 years. You got this!!

[@bobbiekolb381]

Similiar circumstances here, trust me no judgement! January went off the rails for a lot of us.

[@erikalifevlogs]

😅 I know for sure that food category had me giving a double take !

[@aserrano36]

Thank you for being honest. This is real life no matter who doesn’t like.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Amen to that ♥️

[@thislovelylife23]

Let’s keep pushing forward mama! Let your gift to yourself for your birthday be keeping most of your money! I’m rooting for you doll! You got this!❤

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you!! ♥️

[@tyresseferguson2462]

I love that for the past 2 years my commute has been 5-10 minutes to and from work. I love how honest you are with your numbers. I have had a few Yolo moments and it's good to see at least 1 creator I watch say they have had Yolo moments as well. I went hard in December and January buying planners, journals, stickers, and pens.

[@notebooksandlife]

You reminded me to add a yolo category to the budget lol My account has been in the negative before like oops....Don't let weird comments get you off track in your feelings. People love to comment what they would do bla bla bla, but it's easier said than done. And I agree it's a journey!

[@donnaeye8781]

February will be better.. all you can do is a day at a time..

[@erikalifevlogs]

So true ☺️

[@mommytoaxel]

Was watching yt on my phone had to play you on the big screen! Glad to see your upload.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you ♥️

[@lindacee2893]

It's ok to tell your family and friends the truth that you just don't have the money to spend right now.

[@charlottecritchfield4800]

Stop guilting yourself for the splurge. It’s not going to bring the money back and you don’t have a time machine to undo those credit card purchases. You closed out the month, time to move forward with your goals. If people have nothing nice to say then your videos probably are not for them. Don’t let a stranger behind a keyboard shame you, it’s your life and you’re the only one that can live it. Chin up! Tomorrow is a new day, a new month, and all we can do is move forward. Don’t get so busy with planning out your life that you forget to live it. Paying down debt is great, having an emergency fund is responsible, and allowing yourself the grace to have a night out with your sister for a fancy meal guilt-free is necessary. When you take too much away or limit yourself excessively you’re more likely to throw in the towel and have those YOLO months. It was very insightful adding in a spending category. You’re doing great, don’t let anyone dull your shine!

[@The14thNight]

January is my birthday month. So I know how all the birthday spending and shenanigans go. But February is new and you got this. 😁😁

[@daedrenashay4947]

You can use brigitI love it. It automatically breaks it down for you

[@erikalifevlogs]

Will definitely look into it 😊

[@briannanight8395]

I appreciate the honest follow-up. Hoping next month will be better for you. The I deserve this and that hit me hard. We are still sleeping on the floor with our box frame also. 🤣🤣🤣 I hated buying extra furniture because we moved and always did it ourselves which results in more things to move. We just bought a house but i imagine it will be 3 years before i buy i frame. I am looking for a job. Had a baby last year and have been home with him for the past 5 months. I am excited to pay off my credit cards and have a bigger savings.

[@erikalifevlogs]

It’s the building it myself that I hate ! 😂 won’t lie I miss the box springs they made no noise and now there’s a squeak I can’t stop no matter what I do 😆

[@ladybutterflynicole]

Hey Ericka ❤ Thanks for your transparency! I am in the same boat as you, spending way too much on unbudgeted items. February will be better for us both! Anyway 😂😂 I use Daily Budget app (piggy bank icon). However I use it differently then how it’s set up. I’m a digital girl (I don’t like touching cash). I open the menu in the app and go to transactions, click the plus sign on the correct day and it gives access to 4 catergories. I use them as my “cash envelope” system. I have Gasoline, Food (eating out and groceries), Household and Unbudgeted. This works amazingly well for me. When I’m intentional, I never skip transactions because my phone is 99% of the time, in my hand 😂 Then for my weekly checkins all my transactions are easily accessible, all I do is add them up and write them down. Hope this helps ❤❤ Btw I love my budget stickers from your shop!

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you so much for the suggestion, I’m adding it to the list to check out ! :)

[@ruthiecarlson1917]

I have moved to electronic spending for my cash envelopes last year. I use the app envelope envy. You create the envelopes and just make put all your transactions in each envelope. It has worked really well for me.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you will definitely check it out !

[@veronicaluna7369]

Sounds like impulse spending is derailing your progress. It's good to pay attention to what is triggering it. What about that week set you on the YOLO moment? Next time you have that YOLO feeling, what can you do instead? Go to the gym, find a friend, do something else you enjoy that is free/low cost? Maybe you need to give yourself more slack in your budget to allow for fun/misc spending while you continue to pay off your debt? Your pay off may be slower, but maybe not, if it prevents your YOLO moments from erasing your progress. I'm cheering you on from afar.

[@estellaharris3263]

Heyyy Erika gurl!! 😊 I really love your channel! Don't you dare leave KZbin. You're beautiful, funny and witty. You keep things real here with your budgeting style. You are inspirational and uplifting to me. I eagerly await your future postings. I know you got this and it's a new year and a new beginning for us all. I'm definitely on the struggle bus too but you know....gurl I get my hope from you. Thank you for being here friend. Smiles from Stella 😊👍👍

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you so much for your kind words. They really do mean so much to me ♥️ it keeps me going for sure !

[@organizedbykat]

💙 listening while I do my skin care. Hey little Bean!

[@maira1rodriguez]

I use my journal for the plan with my husband at beginning of the month. I then move it to Quicken. So that at the end of the month Quicken gives me all the data that I need. So helpful since sometimes I get stuff for my family that they pay back. So easy to keep track.

[@erikalifevlogs]

I will look into it. Thank you for the suggestion! :)

[@blissfullyag]

I am screaming inside ! Have you considered a birthday sinking fund since that tends to be your trigger spending ? Girl you can do this just say no to outings bc you know it will lead you regretting later ! I’ve had to do that multiple times and I’m okay missing out on drinks or girl night out , I’d rather have food to eat at home or for necessities rather than blow it on a one time experience. I’d also close all the cc you have bc that’s also getting you in trouble for the constant feel for impulse buying :/

[@kayhutson7577]

January felt like such a long month. Glad today is the last day. February should be better since it is a shorter month. 41 cents is better than 0 cents.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Honesty same. I felt like January just kept going !

[@phe5760]

Mint is a great app to use. I've been using it for about 5 years now. It allows you to see all of your bills, checking, savings, credit, loan and investment accounts, etc. You can see each account's purchases, payments, etc. It has a budgeting system, you can create budgets and categorize all of your purchases I mostly use it for tracking my checking/savings and credit card accounts. I literally have 20+ accounts so it lets me see everything at once.

[@idiadiaana]

I like rocket money, it will track monthly payments and it lets you connect your cards to see where you have made purchases and you can categorize them accordingly

[@alwaysemilia]

You’re doing great girl! I use Mint to track my expenses in conjunction with my annual spreadsheet (or in your case the paper trackers). I don’t like writing every expense down because that seems way too time consuming, so I like that Mint will combine all my cards and accounts into my own categories. I do change the category amounts every month, and it’s been easy to add my own categories, like doggy daycare. 😊

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you for the suggestion!

[@BlessedKaliGurl]

It’s ok Erika. We’re going to be Debt Free AGAIN 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾🤩

[@erikalifevlogs]

Yes we will!!

[@midlifekhrissy]

Keeping it real. That's why I can relate

[@S58885]

No need to criticize! You are human and we are all trying to get our life together. It’s hard to look at the truth and you’re honest with everything! It’s better than going 3 months an then getting real 😂 harder to clean up I know! You’re doing great and we are proud of you for sticking around through the uncomfortable ❤

[@mommytoaxel]

I use the easy budgets spread sheet it was free idk if she still has it for free- this is my third year using it. You input it in and it does the math for you.

[@SaraHartman09]

You’re trying to live the way you were when debt free….sweetie it’s not going to work, I’ve been there…there goes your savings…family needs to understand your income has changed…..I’m sorry….😊

[@DreadDoll]

I wish I could say $1400 was too expensive for my rent🥴 Here in south Florida my rent went from $1599-$2000. For a small 2/2 apartment

[@erikalifevlogs]

Rent is just ridiculous!

[@happpymesss]

I’m on the same page, bought myself some things to celebrate my graduation. Not too mad it tho 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@erikalifevlogs]

I ain’t mad either just having to put it out there on the internet gives a second layer of guilt ! Lol

[@almarosa154]

I think your budget numbers are "always" going to be high for some of us because of where you live. California had always had a reputation of being expensive to live so with how the economy is know I cannot imagine how high priced things are.

[@theropesofrenovation]

Don't be too hard on yourself.

[@tsmart211]

I use simple budget! It's 99 cents but you can add envelopes and it's just simple to put the transaction and how much you spent.

[@erikalifevlogs]

Thank you , will have to check it out !

[@aprildovali7015]

Please don’t stop sharing real numbers. It helps! Block mean people 😂 we all have our weaknesses. What you “over spend” on food other do in coffee clothes make up, etc. Dont listen to them!

[@erikalifevlogs]

😘 I won’t stop for now

[@yelitzaaraujo1496]

@erika You should look into that Buy me a coffee slink, where viewers can tip you.

[@erikalifevlogs]

I’ve heard of it but never researched it but when someone told me that PayPal had the same theory I created a link just incase I would get asked and now I just keep it in the description box :) it’s always nice to see how randomly out of the blue someone sends a message “for Starbucks” 😭

[@helenbrown8661]

Think there were a lot of nervous laughs in your video. You have tracked your spending, overspending especially in your entertainment/ eating out. Need to set up sinking fund and if the money’s not there , you don’t go. You remind me of myself years ago. Overspending on credit cards as if i were spending someone else’s money. Think you have seen the light. You are on the right path. Good luck 🤞

[@theropesofrenovation]

Try Mint!!

[@carolynx6]

does your store help you out at all ?

[@carolynx6]

never mind just listening to the end =)

[@symone2179]

When I seen your video I clicked fast your so real to show us the good and of bad budgeting ❤ can you help me I’m willing to pay

[@amyfletcher4749]

Eek...for a week for me and my boyfriend $160.00. Girl...behave!!!!

[@erikalifevlogs]

I know ! Lol

[@mikayla2903]

hi erika, i use an app called moneyflow. i was having trouble with excessive spending and i wasnt able to visualize where my money was going. this app works great for me because its a way for me to log where my money goes. every time i spend anything i log it in the app and i can actually see where my money goes and how much i have left

[@erikalifevlogs]

Ooo! Thank you for the suggestion!