Yo yo yo.....wsup, peeps?
Some bad habits....that is what is up around here.
1) Floating money. We had gotten really good about NOT doing this, and it has happened more and more. The majority of it goes back, but not all. That means our savings (not our EF), is not at the level where it should be. With potential budget changes due to the government (possible furlough), this is about the worst time to get into this habit. Need to break it immediately.
2) Grocery shopping. What is that??? Because G-man WORKS at the store part time, it is soooo easy to pick up things as we go. But that means more entries in the check book. And losing track of what we are spending. AND laziness.
3) Manual labor. I used to use our bank bill-pay system to pay the majority of the bills. One stop shopping. For some reason, I got into the habit of going into each website and paying the bill. I think I was checking the balances, and figured I would just pay the bill while I was there. This also means that HOW I am budgeting for things ultimately changed, which I think is also contributing to problem #1.
I get paid this week, and it should be a bulky check. Now that I am going in a wee bit earlier, my weekly hours have increased. I am hoping to pretend that we don't have the extra, so I can bring the savings account back up to par. And looking ahead to the October bills, set up the bill pay to pay for the first half of the month.
And my nemesis.....groceries. Really have to figure this out. It isn't just about meal planning. It is about figuring out how to get out of the habit!
Yay for your bulky check. Groceries are my weakness. I have a weakness for either stocking up or just stopping for a couple things and ending up with half a cart. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI am famous for the half cart thing.....
DeleteI don't stock up the way I used to because we don't have the money to do it. I think that plays into the high grocery trips as well.
my grocery habits have been way off too. It has gotten ridiculous. I actually paid full price for some stuff at Target yesterday because I didn't feel like going to other stores too.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who has just started buying everything at the grocery store because she finds if she goes to Target, she spends more on other stuff.
DeleteGroceries were (ah, heck ARE) my weak point. We are good about shopping loss leaders, which means some weeks we hit some stores 5 times to stock up...llike when flour us 1.88/5lb bag. Other weeks, we may not shop at all. What happens is that when IN the store, I will remember I am low on say, paprika. Not knowing when we will return, I pick up a jar. Or, because we git a late start, we eat lunch out. Or worse, when we hit Costco, 25 miles away, we figure we will "throw it in the cart ' only to fnd said item be loss leader the following week at the store 12 mikes away! Also, I find buying Costco size things like, say paper towels, means I am far less conserving of how much I use. Bad habits happen. Now that I have seen mine in print,, I REALLY want to stop. (But whole chickens are 59¢ / pound at one store today...let's see if that is wok I buy! It is hard when the nearest store is so far away.) Good luck!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why groceries are so hard!! We just did a small stock up on canned tomatoes (we make our own sauce). They were $0.67 a can (usually $2 a can!!!), so we bought 3 cases.
DeleteWe eat out too when we are getting a late start, or out later than expected. Or we pick up a sandwich to bring home. Naughty us!
I am funny with groceries... unless I am doing a planned big trip, I always pick the basket vs the cart. That way I really can't load up on things I wasn't meaning to buy. I also put in the heavier items first (like juices or meats), which take up most of the basket's space. Wait, this sounds a lot like how people divide dinner plates... oh well.
ReplyDeleteI am too paranoid for automatic bill-pay. Since I pay bills on my own schedule (vs when the bill is actually due), I prefer to do it myself than to have the money sit until the bank thinks its time to withdraw it. The sooner my bank account can hit 0, the better I will feel.
I don't do auto pay where the company withdraws from my account. But I will set up an auto pay from the bank to pay something every pay period.
DeleteI am really trying to get to "one month ahead" so I can just pay it all once a month.
I have to say that you are one of my bad habits. :) You don't cost me a thing and bring me joy. But groceries are ridiculous here. I would like to give up eating.
ReplyDeleteSome times your postings make me giggle. I can't help it. Thanks for posting and lifting my spirits.
DeleteGlad I could help you both! :)
DeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I just spend 4x more than I normally would, in order to recover from my mullet hair cut I got yesterday. And honestly, best money I've spent in a LONG TIME. I actually look like a normal person with short hair now (vs someone with an awkward mullet). Still not what I wanted, but a drastic improvement.
ReplyDeleteWe've spent over $700 on groceries this month, due to the move, having to dump things & restock, etc. It's painful!
Yay for the overtime pay cheque. Glad so see so many others also have Groceries as their nemesis! I just delay the dread chore of doing the weekly shop...then end up having to buy the milk or something at the corner store (much pricier.) I'm also not caught up on balancing the books.
ReplyDelete