Oil prices down, mortgage payments up.

Just because you get a break at the pumps or with the furnace oil, it doesn't mean you can spend more.

We've taken the difference and just tacked it onto the mortgage to pay down the principal faster. Same budget as last year, only this year, we've increased our mortgage payments as our heating/transportation bills have dramatically decreased.

Don't let this temporary decrease in fuel prices make you complacent about your budget. Make sure you pay down debt, as it is one step closer to being financially independent. Just because you have more 'cash flow', doesn't mean you have to spend it.