Where it Went 1/19 - 2/01

I'm Sallie's Niece and I like clothes. This is actually a new thing. An inspiration to lose weight. Turning 31. The doldrums of winter. Anyway, I hate most of my wardrobe and have been working to systematically replace all of it. If only the budget were limitless.

So with that small caveat in mind, here's how I did with my money compared to the budget I set:

Budgeted/Actual

Perkins Loan - 200/200

Mexico Trip - 630/630

Credit Card - 200/300*

Health - 85/46

Groceries - 0/22

Misc. - 153/168

This spending includes $58 in half.com payments from my decluttering project.

*So yes I sent $300 to the credit card but that was basically the amount I charged on it. :-(

I had this business idea to bring in more money so I spent $35 on exploratory costs for that. It's on hold now as I'm too busy and broke to devote to it what it needs.

I also spent $90 on my new niece, $30 of which I will be paid back for. Damn cute baby clothes.

The rest was spent on clothes for me, which sounds like a lot but since I was at the outlets I got some great deals. And it's all clothes for work pretty much so I can get a lot of use out of them.

Anyway, since the credit card balance didn't go down I sent another $300 to it today, which will be detailed in my upcoming budget post.

Budget 11/10 - 11/23

It's a girl!!!!!!!!!!! Sallie's Niece is now an aunt. This morning my niece arrived safely into the world, a few days late but healthy as can be. I get to meet her in a couple of days - the beginning of three weekends in a row away from home, but I won't focus on that just yet.

So here's the budget for the next two weeks. I will finally make it to the grocery store, even though DH will be out of town next week, so we'll barely be home together for the next couple of weeks. I still need to eat and we're running out of things I can make dinner out of!

Starting Balance = $1271*

Sallie Mae - 407

Defaulted Student Loan - 260

Sprint - 74

Groceries - 150

Professional Fee** - 155

Health - 45

Misc. - 180

*I upped my 457 contribution again. I'm a little schizophrenic about that sometimes, but I know I won't miss the $14 every two weeks and my retirement savings could definitely use a boost. I also started a FSA finally, but that won't kick in until the beginning of next year.

**As much as I would love to go out and buy Christmas presents or get my hair highlighted, I am spending some money to increase my professional certifications. I am hoping I eventually see some outside income which makes this expense worthwhile. And if not, it can't hurt on a resume.

And since I've mentioned Christmas....DH and I decided we're not going to spend a lot of money on gifts this year. We have savings that he's been putting aside all year for presents and we have a couple of things picked out for people...and that's it. No more overspending on the holidays! (Except maybe adorable baby things for my new niece.)

Where it Went 915 - 9/28

Good morning! Isn't pay day great? :-)

Time to see how I spent my last paycheck before I go on a flurry of bill paying and budgeting. So here is where my money went compared to the budget I set:

Budgeted/Actual

Sallie Mae - 407/407

Defaulted Student Loan - 260/260

Credit Card - 200/200

Sprint - 74/74

Gift - 40/40

Health - 25/25

Clothes - 100/50

Charity - 20/20

Groceries - 0/30

Misc. - 152/155

Still working dilligently to get rid of our new and unwelcome consumer debt. I'm gonna pay off a bulk of it in a few minutes - that's gonna feel good - and next week I have a legal one time gig that is going to bring in some money too.

I didn't do a big clothes shopping excursion yet - just picked up a few things from Walmart which were suprisingly not cheap but I still need to soon as the weather gets warmer. Moths ate FOUR of my sweaters. I've never had moths before and I don't like them one bit.

Stay tuned for a new budget post!

Where it Went 6/23 - 7/06

Oh man, I NEED to write a budget post. With the wedding right around the corner I have to make sure everything is on track as today is my last payday of my single life.

Luckily just sorting through the last pay period's expenses it seems I didn't get too far off track - save for maybe giving my little sister a $200 graduation present (cash) but I'd have given her $2000 if I had it so there's no trying to talk sense into me after the fact.

So here's where my money went for the past two weeks, just for accountability purposes since I didn't bother to post a budget in the first place. :-(

Starting Balance = $1416

Wedding Savings - 500
Gift - 200
Credit Card - 150
Perkins Loan -93
Law School Loan - 80
Clothes - 60
Health - 40
Wedding Spending - 32
Misc. - 120

I got some clothes to wear on the honeymoon at Old Navy - yay for $5 t-shirts!

Budget 12/09 - 12/22

And finally I have a free moment on this cold snowy day to post my new budget. We finally got some groceries!

I'm happy to report that most of our Christmas shopping has been completed. We managed to snag one present while at the supermarket and my fiance used his Christmas savings to buy most of the rest, minus a present I got for my parents.

Still have a little more to do...plus an office grab bag ($20), supplies for the office holiday party, a bottle of wine for a group holiday party, and materials for a Cookie Swap. Don't you just love the holidays?

Anyway, so here's where my money will be going over the next two weeks.

Starting Balance = $1267
Groceries! - 100
Sallie Mae - 407
Defaulted Student Loan - 260
Nice Collection Agency - 125
Sprint - 74
Holiday Shopping & Parties - 200
Misc. - 101

We got some less than good news about our refinance, but I'm waiting on more details before I post about that.

Wedding savings is on hold most likely until the new year due to yet another recent development but some wedding spending will be going on very soon too (time to pay those installment payments!).

For those of you in cold regions of the world, stay warm, and for those of you in the warmer areas, count your blessings!

Where it Went 11/25-12/08

It's snowing! Lots and lots of snow is blanketing my fine city and as someone with a five minute walking commute I can enjoy the good things about snow; i.e. it's pretty, and better than rain. Also it's a Ghost Town at work since everyone with kids or a long commute called out.

I've been slowly getting into the Holiday Spirit, first with Thanksgiving and then last weekend we had another family get together with merriment and hot apple cider. Alas, there are some stressors in my life right now that are interfering with fully embracing the holiday, but today's snow fall has me in a good mood so that's a start.

Budgeted/Actual

Credit Card - 200/200
Wedding Savings - 500/500

Wedding Spending - 0/600
Groceries - 75/0
Christmas - 150/156*
Law School Loan - 136/136
Perkins Loan - 93/93
Misc. - 126/280

*Technically I only spent half this amount but one of my siblings owes me the other half.

Once again we failed to do any grocery shopping so both my fiance and I spent money on dining out. This is something we have to work on, even if it's cold out and there's snow on the road.

I bought my wedding dress with money I have been saving for this very purchase. I will pay the remaining balance of $754 in about four months when the dress comes in.

Budget 4/01 - 4/14

Very grateful for the three paycheck month in order to finance my wardrobe upgrades for my new job and some other goals. I'm still sort of working on this budget (and having some blog problems) but here it is:

Starting Balance = 1,253

Rent - 725
Credit Card - 275
Clothes - 100
Groceries - 50
Misc. - 125

I still have to pay for most of the clothes I bought last week and unfortunately need to buy some more but luckily the extra paycheck has given me some leeway.

I will have lots of news to report about the new job but little time to do it so here's the rough outline of a budget in the meantime.

It's Spring!

I apologize for the lack of posts. Work has been really depressing. I haven't told anyone that I have a new job because I feel so bad that most of my co-workers are being laid off. In the meantime everyone (like me) who has no more personal time left comes into work everyday and does little to no work.

I only have to last two more days. I feel really bad and anti-social. Everyone wants to commiserate but I just stay out of it. Today they removed our vending machines which just sucks in so many ways.

On a lighter note, I've been picking up some new work clothes. My parents said they would send me some money for this cause but no luck yet, my budget will have to be adjusted to reflect this change. My new position is more formal and requires me to be more visible than I'm used to. Instead of the person on the phone or sending emails I get to meet with live people...yay for my career, bad for my budget.

I'm going to the season's first bbq tommorow which makes me infinitely happy. It's not warm out just yet but it's getting there. Makes me realize how much I need a new light jacket, something like this one. It's not in the budget just yet but hopefully soon. I'm very grateful to have a new job to look foward to.

Have a nice weekend!

A Trip To The Grocery Store

A while back I posted that Boyfriend and I needed a grocery budget. Since then we have been trying to stick to a plan in terms of buying things on sale and in bulk to cut expenses. We also engage in meal planning which is fun and helps us avoid impulse buys at the grocery store. Typically I would say that, excluding beer which can be a real Budget Buster, we spend about $300 a month on groceries. Of that I try to kick in about $100 but I don't always. [Note: Boyfriend if you are reading this correct me if I'm wrong about these numbers because I know you are hooked on Quicken.]

Last night we headed out to the Grocery Store to engage in some big shopping since our fridge was running on empty and I am getting sick of pork chops [Note: one disadvantage to buying in bulk is if your money and food run out you will be eating the same thing every night.] We put into effect our pro-rata grocery contributions and here's how we did:

I bought:

Smart Food Popcorn Snack Pack (on sale) - $3.50

Iceberg Lettuce - $1.99

Gorgonzola Cheese - $3.49

Diet Pepsi Six Pack (2) @ $3.99 + deposit of $0.30

Store Brand Sausage - $3.68

1% Milk Half Gallon - $1.57

Dannon Yogurt Six Pack - $4.99

Grapes 4.18 lbs @ $1.99/lb = $8.32

1 Can Peeled Tomato - $1.79
2 cans tomato Sauce @ $1 each

1 can Crushed Pineapple - $0.99

Macintosh apples 2.46 lbs @ $1.69/lb = $4.16

Something I can't decipher on receipt (2) - $0.99 each

(non-grocery) Wrapping Paper - $0.99

Grand Total (less $5 off coupon) = $45.08 (under Budget!!!)

Boyfriend Bought:

1lb Russets Potatoes - $2.99

Lite Cream Cheese - $2.59

Pepperoni - $3.59

Rye Bread BOGO - $3.29 for two loaves

Pre-grated Low fat Mozzarella Cheese - $4.29

Pizza Dough - $1.79

Granny Smith Apples - 2.08 lbs @$1.29/lb = $2.68

Scallops (about 1.5 pounds) - $6.89

Root Beer - $0.88 plus $0.5 deposit

Chicken Breasts - $10.96

1 lb White American Cheese - $6.11

1/2 lb Honey Ham - $3.74

1/2 Hard Salami - $2.77

Tomata Sauce (2) - $1 each

Crackers - $3.39

Something I can't decipher - $1.00

Big Ass Turkey - $29.70

Grand Total (Less $5 off coupon) = $85.17

So did you notice that we got a Big Ass Turkey? Boyfriend really really wants to cook his own turkey. I didn't get to eat any turkey leftovers this Thanksgiving so I'm down with the plan. Besides the thing is frozen as a rock and can stay in our freezer forever, right? We're having company over on New Year's so maybe that's the way to go.

I consider this shopping mission a success because (not counting the turkey) we spent less than $100 and we have lots of yummy food to eat, including scallops which I've never cooked before. We have lunch meat to last well into next week (especially since Boyfriend is going out of town). And we have easy things I can make myself while he's away (read: chicken breasts). We also have my bottles of soda so I don't fall victim to the vending machine and yogurts so I start the morning off right.

Yay for food. So how do you think we did?

Budget 12/10 - 12/23

Because I didn't plan my gift-giving in advance this year (or any other) I only have a small amount left over for The Holiday That Shall Not Be Named spending. First I gotta pay the bills. So here's where my money is going for the next two weeks:

Starting Balance = 1090 (Boo for overdrafts)

Credit Card - 100

Aunt Sallie Mae - 406

Defaulted Student Loan - 260

Nice Collection Agency - 125

Prescription Co-Pay - 15

Hobby Fee - 35

Shopping - 45+

Groceries - 50

I decided to bite the bullet and pay $100 to my credit card even though I am currently disputing the goddamn late/finance fees they say I owe. This unplanned event means less holiday shopping for me.

Luckily I passed by a Craft Fair today at work and scored some excellent gifts for under $50. I saw another gift that would be excellent for Sister and Brother In Law but decided to hold off until I see how my budget pans out. The show will be going on for a while luckily. And it helps me participate in the Buy Local Pledge which many communities have. By giving my money to local artisans I ensure that most of it stays in the community. Cool!

I'm determined not to get bummed about Christmas presents this year. Every year I put enormous pressure on myself to think of the "perfect" gift for everyone. And I like to find unique and useful things. But really my economic reality is more "it's the thought that counts" kind of presents. I've already gotten things for 6 of the people on my list of 8 which is pretty good considering I've spent so little (okay well I did allow Boyfriend to purchase some nice socks I plan on giving away so maybe that doesn't count).

Since I probably won't be buying anything else during this entire two week period (unless I see something pretty awesome for less than $10) I have to literally be a Christmas Eve Shopper once again this year as December 24th is my next payday. Braving the stores on Christmas Eve when I don't even like going to the stores on a regular day? Awesome.

Where It Went 11/26-12/09

This budgeting period started out pretty great. As I hoped, going home for Thanksgiving was a real money saver, since I was fed and entertained for so long. When I got back into town I decided I had $50 to devote to shopping for The Holiday That Shall Not Be Named. As I've explained earlier, every time I want to buy something online, I have to physically walk to my secondary bank and deposit money. So I did. Here's what happened next in consecutive order:

Monday - deposit money in secondary bank. Realize I have misplaced said debit card. Search and search in vain (note: I suspect it will still be found but since I don't use it that often it is M.I.A.)

Tuesday - continue to search for debit card but then discover the wonders of my infrequently used Paypal account. Purchase $45 worth of presents.

Wednesday - wonder why my $20 payment to my credit card has still not processed through my bank account one week later. Log into my account and discover the credit card company isn't showing my payment and instead is charging me a $35 late fee/finance charge. Wonderful. Email them to see what's up.

Friday - go out of town to see my parents (yet again). Have fun and spend no money.

Sunday - log into my bank account and discover that the group that was running my hobby trip cashed a $15 check they made me write "just in case" they didn't find my earlier payment to them. Since I only had $11 in my account at the time I was hit once again with the Evil Overdraft Monster. I'm still trying to resolve this issue but in the meantime I am out $53 because of their screw-up.

So yeah this budgeting period has sucked and I'm so glad it's over. But here are the numbers so you can see in detail where my money went compared to the Budget I set two weeks ago:

Rent - 725/725
Water - 50/50
Credit Card - 20/0
Sprint - 65/64
Utilities - 105/105

School Loan - 80/80

Presents - 0/45

Misc. ?/100

My other problem was I decided I was too poor/tired to buy groceries when Boyfriend and I were at the store so I only picked up about $10 worth of stuff. What resulted in me buying lunches out (at least four that I can recall) and buying overpriced stuff at the local bodega. I've decided to revisit my old lunctime staple of PB&J for a while to attone for this behavior.

So that's my story. Still no clarification of the future of my employment. Still no Emergency Fund to deal with it. And yes still more presents that need to be purchased. Excuse me for being slightly discouraged.

Christmas Club Account - What I Should Have Done

Most responsible PF bloggers have set up lined items in their montly budgets for gift giving, including The Holiday That Shall Not Be Named. I, unfortunately, am not among them. Not yet anyway. I still need to build my Emergency Fund and it is taking an extraordinarly long time. Also, it's kind of hard to think about gift-giving since I'm 50% sure I'm going to lose my job any day now.

Don't worry, I'm not spending a lot of money on Christmas gifts this year....because I, um, don't have much. But had I planned this out in advance I could have started a Christmas Club account with my bank (or manually). By depositing just ten bucks a paycheck at the begining of last year I could have $260 sitting pretty right now to buy gifts for my (slightly) large family and some special friends. Boyfriend had one of these last year and it was a nice end of the year bonus for him.

Since it's too late now and I only have two paychecks left before Christmas (and perhaps...ever) I am just looking for bargains, DIY-ing some gifts, and buying some "it's the thought that counts" items. But next year if (God willing) I still have a job I'm going to set up a Christmas Club account. Has anyone else used them before? It would be good if the bank prevented me from draining it before Christmas but I doubt they do that.

Where It Went 11/12-11/25

So I've noticed a trend in my spending. When I first get paid, I realize I have X amount of dollars left over for everyday expenses. It's not much unfortunately but it's there. So I spend it. I go out to lunch. I buy a bottle of wine. I don't plan very effectively because by the time the second weekend after payday comes, I am flat broke. I guess this is what they call living paycheck to paycheck. It's pretty annoying.

I'm going to try to change my ways and act the most conservatively on payday and the days thereafter so that when that second weekend comes around I can actually afford to go out and get a slice of pizza with my boyfriend and not feel like a miser. It's not going to be hard to do since it's almost Thanksgiving and I don't spend any money when I go home for the holidays.

Anyway, here's where my money went compared to the Budget I set out for it two weeks ago:

Aunt Sallie Mae - 406/406

Defaulted Student Loan - 260/260

Nice Collection Agency - 125/125

Boyfriend - 50/50

Hobby - 35/35

Trip - 55/30

Groceries - 80/50

Boyfriend Gift - 12/0

Xmas Gift - 25/0

New Clothes - 50/20

Contact Lenses - 0/20

I didn't get to the eye doctor because it cost too much money but luckily Boyfriend ordered us new contacts and I paid him $20. Today's my first day of wearing them and they feel so much better!

Since I didn't go to the mall where my eye doctor is located I still didn't get Boyfriend's Anniversary Gift. I did manage to save on clothes by avoiding the mall and hitting up a discount store instead, spending only $20 on two pairs of pants. I really don't like shopping but I really do need to expand on my professional wardrobe and going to a discount store enabled me to get pants very similar to these for $9.99.

And then there's about $130 that's completely unaccounted for. Oh I mean I sorta know where it went. I bought some snacks and a bottle of wine to entertain a friend ($25). I had a couple of lunches. I bought a six pack. It's not like I spent hundreds of dollars but when you are on a tight budget and with the holidays approaching it just seems wasteful now.

I Love Saving Money!

Ok, so today I read in the news that Spam is actually a lot more popular these days because people are trying to cut back on food prices!

I've never had Spam, but I can sympathize, being that I spend ten minutes yesterday trying to find the lunch rolls that were SUPPOSED TO BE $1.99 BUT WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!

So confession: I rarely go to the supermarket. It's a hike without a car so I usually wait until someone can drive me and then wind up getting lots and lots of stuff - terrible, expensive, one time use only things too. Lately I just haven't been able to afford it I tell myself, so I haven't gone.

Then I realized I am actually spending money on food at the bodega quite a bit. The bodega is right around the corner so I'll pop in their for something small - milk, soda, cheese, etc. I usually only spend $5 or so but when you go all the time, it's a waste. I also had to suffer through a lunch yesterday of french fries in raspberry vinegrette and gerkin pickles. Needless to say, I was OUT OF FOOD.

So I proceeded to make a list - you can do this at my supermarket online and see what's on sale.

I needed the following things:

Yogurt (I eat one every morning for breakfast)

Lunch meat preferably ham

Cheese

Ground beef

Something to make Boyfriend for dinner (I settled on Pork Chops and Shake and Bake)

Ketchup

Lunch rolls

I got all the above, plus two marinades for steak Boyfriend has in freezer for $26!!

I have never gone out of the supermarket spending less than $50 so I am a little proud of myself. Sure I had to walk about two miles but hey, excercise is good.

Tomorrow I am going to get a ride so I can buy bottles of soda on sale so I will never pay $1.25 at the vending machine again!

Tracking my expenses makes me feel really good. I've never really made a Grocery List with a budget in mind before.

My Design Skills are Lacking

But I'm going to try to see if I can sell some debt-related apparel on CafePress. I tooled around for a while last night with Photoshop (I used to be SO good at it) but for various reasons my designs are still a little sorry looking. BUT I have lots of ideas and with BF away so often, plenty of time on my hand to work on them on his Photoshop-equipped computer. So I set up a shop and there's already a couple of shirts available:


Despite some initial Photoshop problems, the site is relatively easy to use and if anyone buys them I get a $5 markup, sweet! I know a lot of my friends in school bought funny t-shirts from there so maybe I can make a couple extra bucks!