January 6th, 2008
This year has definitely started off better than last year. I finally have some goals set. I have given myself some parameters within which to operate. Watching Jane4girls and her $800 a year grocery budget really made me start to think about setting goals and how to reach them. So, for this year, I have made some goals. I will not call them resolutions, those are just made to be broken, kind of like diets.
First and foremost, each month I will have a written budget for that month before the month begins! Ala Dave Ramsey, spending every dime on paper. Sticking to that budget 100% and if something has to change, knowing that I will have to move it from somewhere else (another category). Any money left over at the end of the month will be moved to savings.
I have started a savings category for bills that will come occasionally, like car insurance and property taxes and will take them out monthly so there is not a problem (read:panic) when they are due.
Things like car maintenance and clothes and furniture replacement....these all need to be funded, but just a little at a time. And, I will keep an emergency fund that is truly designated just for that. A true emergency.
Now on to the food budget. Right now, I'll admit, I am a little chicken. I have it set higher than I think I need it. I set it at $300 a month for our family of four. (2 teenage sons, dh and myself) We do have a fair amount of things stockpiled, but I have not been keeping track of anything for the last 2 1/2 months and I want to make sure we are in good shape before I lower it. Does that mean I will spend that much? I sure hope not! :shrug7: I am aiming a lot lower. I just have to get dh back in the habit of not running to Walmart and overpaying for cokes.
This year has definitely started off better than last year. I finally have some goals set. I have given myself some parameters within which to operate. Watching Jane4girls and her $800 a year grocery budget really made me start to think about setting goals and how to reach them. So, for this year, I have made some goals. I will not call them resolutions, those are just made to be broken, kind of like diets.
First and foremost, each month I will have a written budget for that month before the month begins! Ala Dave Ramsey, spending every dime on paper. Sticking to that budget 100% and if something has to change, knowing that I will have to move it from somewhere else (another category). Any money left over at the end of the month will be moved to savings.
I have started a savings category for bills that will come occasionally, like car insurance and property taxes and will take them out monthly so there is not a problem (read:panic) when they are due.
Things like car maintenance and clothes and furniture replacement....these all need to be funded, but just a little at a time. And, I will keep an emergency fund that is truly designated just for that. A true emergency.
Now on to the food budget. Right now, I'll admit, I am a little chicken. I have it set higher than I think I need it. I set it at $300 a month for our family of four. (2 teenage sons, dh and myself) We do have a fair amount of things stockpiled, but I have not been keeping track of anything for the last 2 1/2 months and I want to make sure we are in good shape before I lower it. Does that mean I will spend that much? I sure hope not! :shrug7: I am aiming a lot lower. I just have to get dh back in the habit of not running to Walmart and overpaying for cokes.
Day 2
Posted 01-02-2009 at 03:05:58 AM by kmmmom
So, the first day of the year is done. How did it go?
Well, on the home organization front, I washed, dryed and put away 3 loads of clothes and shined my sink. (flylady would be proud)
I cooked dinner at home, even though it was a holiday and my dh's birthday. We had a ham that I had bought in order to send in for a rebate. So, big savings there since basically we were eating free ham.
The only exercise I got was playing Guitar Hero with the kids. Tomorrow, I will work more on that. I am posting on another site and we are doing a virtual walk to Washington D.C. We go on each day and log our miles. From our starting point it is over 600 miles. But, we have a year to do it in. It's quite a goal for me since walking down the block has been foreign to me. One day at a time, one step at a time.
As far as the budgeting goes: I spent $0 today. I love these days.
I finished pulling out all of my expired coupons from my coupon box.
My menu is planned for tomorrow. It's taco night. The kid's favorite. All in all, today has been a success.
Well, on the home organization front, I washed, dryed and put away 3 loads of clothes and shined my sink. (flylady would be proud)
I cooked dinner at home, even though it was a holiday and my dh's birthday. We had a ham that I had bought in order to send in for a rebate. So, big savings there since basically we were eating free ham.
The only exercise I got was playing Guitar Hero with the kids. Tomorrow, I will work more on that. I am posting on another site and we are doing a virtual walk to Washington D.C. We go on each day and log our miles. From our starting point it is over 600 miles. But, we have a year to do it in. It's quite a goal for me since walking down the block has been foreign to me. One day at a time, one step at a time.
As far as the budgeting goes: I spent $0 today. I love these days.
I finished pulling out all of my expired coupons from my coupon box.
My menu is planned for tomorrow. It's taco night. The kid's favorite. All in all, today has been a success.
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