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!
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!
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.Sunday Mornings
Posted 01-18-2009 at 02:47:17 PM by kmmmom
There is just something relaxing about Sunday mornings. It's quiet. I'm usually up before the sun. It's peaceful. No kids yet, the dogs are usually sleeping. (I can hear the gentle snoring of my pug who is curled up on the back of the sofa)
I get up in the morning. I slip on my tennis shoes (they look fantastic with my fluffy light blue robe) and trek out to locate where the paperboy might have hidden my paper for the day. I only have so many trees and bushes he can hide it under, but he does make it a challenge. Days such as today, while my dogs run to the door and stand there watching me, and I was making my way through the snow, I enjoy the game a little less than on warm sunny mornings. But, there it is, hiding under the pine tree! I get my paper, stomp the snow off of my feet and head inside.
Before I sit down to check out the sales and coupons (the only real reason I have for getting the paper) I stick something scrumptious in the crock pot for the afternoon's dinner. Today it's a pork roast. Yummy. I can't wait until it starts filling the house with it's wonderful aroma. Then I fix a glass of ice cold diet coke (my substitute for coffee) and sit down at my computer and pull out all the ads and coupons. I've read what is supposed to be in the ads and what coupons are supposed to be in the paper (although my paper seems to miss some of the good coupons for some reason) but until I hold them in my hand and can touch and feel them and devour them, I can't wrap my head around the sales.
The websites I visit do a great job of pointing out the sales and the coupons that make the sales even better. But I want to see the ads with my own eyes. Kind of like, that sale sounds like it's too good to be true.
While I am perusing the ads and relaxing, my dear sweet husband generally goes out to the bakery and gets us fresh doughnuts. I know, this is an extravagance, but, it's cost is accounted for and everyone loves it and he enjoys doing it. So, it's yummy doughnuts for breakfast.
Once I have eaten my doughnuts and read my paper, I clip my coupons and file them. Then I go to hotcouponworld and compare lists for the sales and the coupons I have. Then I start my day with laundry or whatever household chore I really need to attend to. But the time relaxing and reading just gets me that jump start on the week.
I get up in the morning. I slip on my tennis shoes (they look fantastic with my fluffy light blue robe) and trek out to locate where the paperboy might have hidden my paper for the day. I only have so many trees and bushes he can hide it under, but he does make it a challenge. Days such as today, while my dogs run to the door and stand there watching me, and I was making my way through the snow, I enjoy the game a little less than on warm sunny mornings. But, there it is, hiding under the pine tree! I get my paper, stomp the snow off of my feet and head inside.
Before I sit down to check out the sales and coupons (the only real reason I have for getting the paper) I stick something scrumptious in the crock pot for the afternoon's dinner. Today it's a pork roast. Yummy. I can't wait until it starts filling the house with it's wonderful aroma. Then I fix a glass of ice cold diet coke (my substitute for coffee) and sit down at my computer and pull out all the ads and coupons. I've read what is supposed to be in the ads and what coupons are supposed to be in the paper (although my paper seems to miss some of the good coupons for some reason) but until I hold them in my hand and can touch and feel them and devour them, I can't wrap my head around the sales.
The websites I visit do a great job of pointing out the sales and the coupons that make the sales even better. But I want to see the ads with my own eyes. Kind of like, that sale sounds like it's too good to be true.
While I am perusing the ads and relaxing, my dear sweet husband generally goes out to the bakery and gets us fresh doughnuts. I know, this is an extravagance, but, it's cost is accounted for and everyone loves it and he enjoys doing it. So, it's yummy doughnuts for breakfast.
Once I have eaten my doughnuts and read my paper, I clip my coupons and file them. Then I go to hotcouponworld and compare lists for the sales and the coupons I have. Then I start my day with laundry or whatever household chore I really need to attend to. But the time relaxing and reading just gets me that jump start on the week.
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- Road Trip (01-20-2009)
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