I did 5 weeks in a row....then haven't done one in a month! So much for consistency.
The Good:
- "Bought" a car (although it won't be home until Tuesday)
- Bought our Thanksgiving Turkey for $8
- Opted to put a book on hold at the library instead of buying it (I am #23 on the hold list...it is going to be a while, but that is ok)
- Christmas shopping is going well, and while I saved $1150, we are on target to be under $900...maybe even $800.
The Bad:
- G-man didn't get the job
- Realization of what the car loan is going to do to our debt numbers
- Water bill was higher than we thought it would be (darn pool!!!!!)
- The stupid power outage messed up our plans to pay down the retirement loan
- My pink hair will probably have to go
The Ugly:
- Black Friday Temptations as the ads are starting to come out
- Our savings is pretty much depleted if I make the retirement loan extra payment we planned
- My anxiety about our savings and our EF is very high
Lack of discipline....birthday.....power outage.....an insanely busy schedule....all have caught up. And now, we have spent money like it was going out of style, and it is time to pay the piper. I am working on the plan for this. Extra debt payment is not part of the current equation. I need to get EF and our savings account back where I feel comfortable.
I think the next 6 weeks will purely be a regrouping effort. One thing I realized (which will be a separate post) is that I changed how I paid bills and it isn't working for me. Time to go back to the "old" way.
I think the next 6 weeks will purely be a regrouping effort. One thing I realized (which will be a separate post) is that I changed how I paid bills and it isn't working for me. Time to go back to the "old" way.
At least you will now have a reliable car and will be paying out for a car payment each month, rather than never ending repair bills. The car payment will be part of your planned budget each month instead of unexpected repair bills.
ReplyDeleteI agree with OneFamily, at least you know that it'll be reliable.
ReplyDeleteGood job on the Christmas budget!
Good - some bills came in UNDER estimate YAY!!
ReplyDeleteBad - overspent on daughter's birthday gift BOO!
Ugly - have ordered 2 more pairs of Blundstone boots now knowing how on earth I'm going to pay for them! Grrrr!
Jane
I agree with OneFamily... sure, repair bills are not the same as a steady monthly car payment, but it is dangerous to be driving a car that is in constant need of repairs. At least you should get some peace of mind with a car that you know works. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteWell, I ate out today even though I originally said I wouldn't. It was only at Wendy's, though, so it was under $10. Still, it all adds up.
ReplyDeleteWith two children in college and a mom who lives with us, expenses add up.
Our kids are working their way through college, but we help out a little monthly if we can, as scholarships only cover so much. My mom's money only stretches so far, too.
By "my mom's money" I mean that she pays a lot for medicine and other things, so we usually have to pay for some things for her each month too.
ReplyDeleteYou will have a reliable car!! Yippee this will really take away a lot of stress you have endured. Good: Husband had a shotsky ring in esophagus and not cancer. Bad: way off budget on debt payoff this month. Ugly: still owed $712.00 to US Bank. Oh well we will endure and eventually get out. You are coming with me!
ReplyDeleteGood: I survived two weeks of nonstop work and volunteerism without a nervous breakdown.
ReplyDeleteBad: My house is still showing the effects of those two weeks!
Ugly: Lack of a kitchen sink has necessitated takeout and such! Can't wait for the plumber to get here!
Good: we didn't eat out at all over our vacation!
ReplyDeleteBad: I spent money on replacing a few things the kids needed, & it wasn't in the budget
Ugly: I grossly overspent our liquor (wine) budget. Yeah, I think that qualifies as a want, not a need. ;-)