Dear Friends and Family,
If November was tough, December was ridiculous. It was a five week month (which I made the executive decision to shorten to a four week month), there are a lot of holiday chip ins at work, there's the end of year tip for my hair cutter, Mr. mouse spent $66.51 on socks and underwear for me (13% of my budget right there!) and when he ordered the Kill a Watt Meter, he got next day shipping which tacked on another $20 to my budget unexpectedly. But, in the end, I made it.
I switched to a four week month not to make the budget (I would have made the five week budget), but because that way, my budgetary months align with my travel months making both calendars easier to track. Really, this is all a voluntary thing, so it all comes down to what I'm comfortable with, after all.
There's a list of things, that after careful consideration, I decided not to count. There's my multi-vitamins. The folic acid and omega 3s make them my current proxy for prenatal vitamins. And, I decided not to count anything I need to do for Small in my budget. When the time comes, she'll get her own budget. For now, it's just not that important. I also didn't include some tea we bought. I was torn, because we bought it in a boutique, but I don't normally include food items unless it's prepared food. So, I didn't count it. Glasses and contacts - seems a little weird to count something medically required. Maybe, some day in the future I will. And, last but not least, my toothbrush heads. Didn't count them. I don't count toothpaste, detergent, etc. so figured I wouldn't count tooth brush heads either. I've tried to be precise, but I could go crazy doing this.
I think this whole exercise is a good thing. It's really helped me curtail excess unnecessary spending and helped me focus on what's important to me. It helps me build torwards retirement and reduces my carbon footprint. So, for now, I'll continue with my tracking exercise.
Cheers!
mouse
If November was tough, December was ridiculous. It was a five week month (which I made the executive decision to shorten to a four week month), there are a lot of holiday chip ins at work, there's the end of year tip for my hair cutter, Mr. mouse spent $66.51 on socks and underwear for me (13% of my budget right there!) and when he ordered the Kill a Watt Meter, he got next day shipping which tacked on another $20 to my budget unexpectedly. But, in the end, I made it.
I switched to a four week month not to make the budget (I would have made the five week budget), but because that way, my budgetary months align with my travel months making both calendars easier to track. Really, this is all a voluntary thing, so it all comes down to what I'm comfortable with, after all.
There's a list of things, that after careful consideration, I decided not to count. There's my multi-vitamins. The folic acid and omega 3s make them my current proxy for prenatal vitamins. And, I decided not to count anything I need to do for Small in my budget. When the time comes, she'll get her own budget. For now, it's just not that important. I also didn't include some tea we bought. I was torn, because we bought it in a boutique, but I don't normally include food items unless it's prepared food. So, I didn't count it. Glasses and contacts - seems a little weird to count something medically required. Maybe, some day in the future I will. And, last but not least, my toothbrush heads. Didn't count them. I don't count toothpaste, detergent, etc. so figured I wouldn't count tooth brush heads either. I've tried to be precise, but I could go crazy doing this.
I think this whole exercise is a good thing. It's really helped me curtail excess unnecessary spending and helped me focus on what's important to me. It helps me build torwards retirement and reduces my carbon footprint. So, for now, I'll continue with my tracking exercise.
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Haircut & Tip | 125.00 |
| Michael Kors Scarf (buyer's remorse) | 75.78 |
| Socks and Underwear (Mr. mouse bought it for me) | 66.51 |
| Gym | 62.00 |
| Train Pass | 39.40 |
| Kill a Watt Meter | 38.96 |
| Sweater, Banana Republic | 35.79 |
| Work - misc (gifts, etc.) | 34.80 |
| Tailoring | 20.00 |
| Weight Watchers | 16.95 |
| Lotion | 8.96 |
| Snacks, Coffee, Soda, etc. | 8.72 |
| Ice Cream Maker (sale) | -20.00 |
| Sweater (gift card credit) | -27.53 |
| Total | $485.34 |
Cheers!
mouse
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