TheFinanceLift Lift Your Finances, One Step at a Time
Let’s be honest—managing family expenses feels like fighting a battle you can never win.
Groceries. Electricity bills. School fees. Online subscriptions. Suddenly, half the salary is gone… and the month isn’t even halfway through.
I used to live that way.
Until one day, it hit me hard:
“If I don’t take control of our spending, we’ll always be stuck in survival mode.”
This is the story of how I reduced our monthly family expenses by over 30% in just 3 months—without sacrificing comfort.
💔 The Breaking Point: Why I Had to Make a Change
We are a family of four—me, my wife, and two school-going kids.
Back then, my monthly income was decent ($1200), but we had no savings, and credit card debt was rising.
One afternoon, I realized we had just $20 left for the week. Groceries were running low, and rent was due in 10 days.
That was my wake-up call.
📊 Step 1: I Tracked Every Taka/Dollar for 30 Days
Before cutting costs, I had to understand where the money was going.
I used a free expense tracker app and noted:
- Rent: $400
- Food & groceries: $320
- Utilities: $90
- Subscriptions (Netflix, Disney+, etc.): $45
- School transport & tuition: $200
- Dining out + snacks: $100
- Others (gifts, mobile top-up, etc.): $75
That added up to $1,230 — more than my income.
✂️ Step 2: The Cuts That Changed Everything
Here’s what I cut, changed, or optimized:
✅ Groceries – Saved $60/month
- Switched from supermarkets to local bazaars
- Stopped buying pre-packed snacks; made homemade
- Planned meals weekly to avoid waste
🛠 Tool used: Google Sheets for meal planning
📌 Extra Tip: Avoid grocery shopping when hungry 😅
✅ Utilities – Saved $25/month
- Switched to LED bulbs
- Used fans instead of AC during cooler nights
- Washed clothes in bulk
- Negotiated a cheaper internet package
✅ Dining Out – Saved $80/month
We used to order food 3–4 times/week. Now it’s just once a week, max.
Instead:
- Made special meals at home on Fridays
- Packed lunch for work
🍱 Bonus: Kids love cooking with us now!
✅ Subscriptions – Saved $30/month
- Canceled 2 unused subscriptions
- Kept just one shared Netflix account
- Switched to YouTube free content for kids
✅ “Other” Spending – Saved $40/month
This included unplanned impulse buys:
- Mobile games
- Online flash sales
- Gifts & extra treats
📲 Fix: I now keep a weekly cash allowance only—no more card swipes for random stuff.
📉 The Result: 30% Expense Drop in 90 Days
| Expense Category | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Total Monthly Expense | $1230 | $860 |
| Savings | $0 | $340/month |
| % Reduced | – | ~30% Cut |
💡 What I Learned Along the Way
- Tracking is powerful – What you track, you can change
- Subscriptions drain silently
- Cash envelopes work – We now separate money into envelopes per category
- Meal planning = magic
- Budgeting doesn’t mean sacrifice—it means control
🧠 You Can Do It Too – Start Here:
👉 Step 1: Track all spending for 30 days
👉 Step 2: List essential vs. non-essential expenses
👉 Step 3: Set a monthly budget target (aim to reduce by 20–30%)
👉 Step 4: Review weekly & tweak as needed
👉 Step 5: Celebrate your progress!
🎁 Bonus: Free Download
📥 Grab my “Monthly Family Budget Tracker” Sheet (Google Sheets + PDF)
This is the exact tool I used to cut costs.
🔚 Final Thoughts: It’s Not About Earning More—It’s About Spending Smarter
You don’t need to wait for a bigger salary to fix your financial stress.
You need to get smart with what you already earn.
Cutting 30% of our expenses was life-changing. We now:
- Save for vacations
- Have a small emergency fund
- Feel confident with every paycheck
If I can do it, you can too.
Start with small steps. Your future self—and your family—will thank you.
