Have you ever stood in line at the grocery store watching the total go up, up, up? You pay for your groceries and get home and realize you didn’t really buy that much. There is no way your groceries should cost this much?!

It’s true that the cost of food has risen sharply in the past few years. But you can still cut costs at the supermarket and not just eat boxed macaroni. 

Today I wanted to offer a few tips to keep down your grocery costs.

Student loan debt in the U.S. is out of control at an estimated $1.2 trillion. (source) Can your brain even fathom that number??

According to one report, 59 percent of the overall student loan debt is carried by people who didn’t even finish college. Also, student loan debt from those who didn’t finish school is less like to get paid off, which is both a sad and telling statement about the overall student loan “crisis.” 

I hear it all the time "I just can't make a budget work" or "I just can't stick to a budget" or "I feel like it's really unrealistic to stick to a budget."

That last one is my favorite. I have heard it all and to be honest, I have said it all.

Our family lives on a budget. My husband sits down each month and makes that budget. But we haven't always stuck to it. And recently we have wandered away from it, only to find ourselves sprinting back.

I could make you a list of reasons you should be budgeting. But instead, I want to talk about why your budget probably isn't working. And believe me, as the free-spirited spender of my household, I am speaking from experience.

There is certainly nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for hard work, emotional spending can wreck your budget. It can also lead to money fights in your relationships, particularly if you’re hiding your purchases or spending habits from your spouse. 

So how do you curb emotional spending? 

As we continue to run through February in our 28 Days of Better Saving and Spending Habits let's stay motivated. Here are some great frugal reads from around the web. 

I really believe that frugality is a learned behavior. It’s something that’s either taught at a young age by frugal parents and then handed down generation to generation. Or, people have made the conscious to become frugal either through circumstances that changed (such a job loss) or the desire to get out of debt and build savings. 

Have you ever found yourself in Target with a cart full of throw pillows and cardigan sweaters? Nope, me neither... 

Sometimes our emotions and impulses get the better of us when making purchases. That's why it's important to ask yourself a few questions first. 

You see, in order for us to get out of debt, it took some behavior changes. I had to really become intentional in my spending. That was difficult for me. If that's not something you struggle with, great. But for many, it is. 

So I have four questions I ask myself before I make a purchase.

Could you pay off your debt three years faster and save $9,000? 

Have you ever been canoeing with someone? Woah, is that a make it or break it relationship!? If you’re not paddling in sync with your partner it’s hard to get anywhere. And if only one of you is paddling it makes the journey that much harder. 

Trying to budget in a marriage is a lot like paddling a canoe. If you’re not rowing in the same direction you won’t get where you want to go. 

But why are regular budget meetings so important

It's really easy to stand up and say "I want to get out of debt." And I could list 101 reasons why any person would want to get out of debt. But really and truly, until you have your own reasons and your own source of motivation, it's null.