The Good Life on a Budget

• Posted by JvW on May 27th, 2009 filed in travel, work

My husband and I both travel pretty frequently for work, and it can wreak havoc on our budget. Whether it’s eating fast food or forgetting to file expense reports, the cash flow can be seriously impaired. Here are a few ideas to prevent this from happening when you’re the one still at home:

1. Watch your eating habits. When you’re used to making dinners for two and all of a sudden it’s just you, the drive thru can be very tempting. To prevent making the quick stop, I try to challenge myself and make plans to have dinner with friends. My sister used to make a huge dinner on the weekend and eat the leftovers all week. Whatever works for you, but remember that failing to plan is planning to fail.




2. Don’t go shopping to pass time. I’ve done this. I don;t go shopping very often, but I find it harder to stay away from the store when I’m home alone. The easiest thing to do is avoid the stores at all costs, but, barring that, set yourself some limits.




3. Turn off the TV & lights. If you’re anything like me, sleeping alone in the house is a little freaky. When my husband is away, I always fall asleep to the TV, but I set the sleep timer so it doesn’t burn electricity all night long. I also find I watch more TV when I’m alone.




4. Remember business trips aren’t all fun. Between traveling, lots of work and less-than-perfect colleagues, being on a business trip isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. Even if fancy dinners are being comped by the company, it’s a poor substitute for home. There’s no need to compete.

This is the easy part - home is where the routine is. Stay tuned for money saving tips when you’re the one on the road.