Holy Hannah folks! April was an expensive month for us; however, it was filled with family gatherings, several restaurant meals, art buying sprees, Easter, our anniversary and the re-opening of the trailer. It was also the month of the lower than usual tax refund, but we made it through!
This month I've included $100 for entertainment in my budget with $$ gained from lower utility bills and lower line of credit interest payments as the principal decreases. As I'm no longer contributing to RSPs I've diverted that money towards saving up the annual trailer fee and property tax/insurance for my house in PEI. I won't be getting any more large tax refunds so it's important that I save up ahead of time for those annual bills.
Now that the trailer is open I can see that it will become much more of a challenge to stick to my budget. Going to the trailer usually includes a couple of nice steaks and a bottle or two of wine, not to mention a shot or two of single malt while sitting cosily around the firepit...oh yes, and the cost of firewood! Oh well, I'm always up for a challenge! Oops, forgot about the cost of all the extra gas to drive back and forth! I guess this is why I have the trailer up for sale. I'd love to keep it but really, maintaining three different properties is a bit much on one income.
Well, we'll see how it goes...I always find it harder to stick to a budget when summertime comes and "the living is easy"...
Which version of this song do you like the best (there are so many!) but for me no one tops Janis!
Hi Jane: just wondering if you've ever tried making your own wine? One summer we enjoyed a lovely Zinfadel, even Jim liked it..we hoped to get a batch done before we left but didn't happen..I know how you love that trailer so enjoy it until it sells..You do amazingly well kiddo! love sis
ReplyDeleteJanis all the way!
ReplyDeleteApril was spendy for me too. May is going to be our month, I hope.
you know, when I first found your blog it was 'life begins at retirement' and you were ditching clutter and stuff left and right and scrimping and cutting to the bone! Then you were gone(or I had the bookmark opening the blog to the same post LOL!) and came back with a man in your life and changed the title of the blog! :-) and I think it's for the better!
ReplyDeletesure you spent in April but it's like everything you do has more meaning down to the beer after volleyball! I couldn't put a price on sitting around a firepit with someone I love - fixing an Easter basket for someone I love - yet you're doing it and still accounting and staying on the overall path you started intially - just the focus is now on living and enjoying each moment instead of getting rid of stuff and the saving - I mean I still see the goals and saving take place yet there's life now that I can see.
I hope someday I get to where I can relax in the moment without focusing so much on regetting the past and worrying over the future!
those meals were so worth it - and the artwork - priceless! ;-)
Susanna
I agree that you are up to the challenge. I know that you will keep on the tight and narrow!
ReplyDeleteHave a great and cheap week!
Yes April was spendy but boy did you have a good time?! So worth it!!
ReplyDeleteLannie: I've thought about it, just haven't gotten around to investigating it but it would definitely make good economic sense!
ReplyDeleteSusanna - you have been around the longest of anyone and boy do you have me figured out lol! You are right on with your assessment - I changed the name of my blog to Life DOESN'T begin at Retirement after meeting Michael and beginning to live for today, everyday, while still keeping my eye on my goal. Thanks for hanging in there through all of my ups and downs!
ReplyDeleteNiki: I sure hope so, we need a good month or two or three...
ReplyDeleteSonyaAnn: thanks hon for your positive words - I am hoping to keep my spending under wraps for the rest of the month!
Laura - everyone says you don't have to spend money to have a good time, but ya know ? sometimes you DO! And April was my month I guess!
Hi again Jane: When Dorothy visited me in April she brought a white and red wine she'd had made and they were both good..works out to about three dollars a bottle! And I have lots of "free" plants you can have for your place in P.E.I...Lambs' Ears, day lilies, violets for the woods, poppies..and maybe I could get some of mom's crazies and snow drops from you..love L.Dee
ReplyDeleteI don't want to see you sell the trailer. You inspired me to look for my own, here, with a few acres of land on which the kids to run.
ReplyDeleteTake care, m.
I love so many versiosn of this song, it's hard to decide! Regardless, it's a good reminder that summer, will in fact come-though it doesn't feel like it today in our neck of the woods!
ReplyDeleteWe all have a bad month here and there... it seems April was rough on many, me included. I think on some level, it's a step forward to know that it was a bad month-years ago I'd have no idea that we spent more than usual, because we were so out of touch. At least now we can do a true assessment and tighten our belts in May to accomodate for the budget blip.
Jane I really agree with Susanna everything you do is for life today and I really admire that in you. I get rather fixated on the future and the goal and sometimes forget where today is.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing and being and exploring what can happen today.
Jane, you really are an inspiration for all you do on one income. Even in an expensive month you still manage to meet all your expenses.
ReplyDeleteI like the change! :-) you seem to have the perfect balance
ReplyDeleteSusanna
Unto every saver, a little spending must fall.
ReplyDeleteMay for me, will resemble your April. I see the bills flooding in and the squeeze of my chest from the anxiety. I have absolutely no idea why? Especially considering that nothing is a surprise. I guess I just am not a spender...thus the motto above.
I think it was money well spent!
ReplyDeleteBeing the wife of a Jazz musician, I have to go with Ella's version. But I appreciate Janis. :)
Lanniekins: (she's my sister so I can call her Lanniekins) good idea about the flower exchange :) Are those ones you are going to transplant to PEI or are they already there? I'm going to try to take some with me (also have lilies of the valley from mom and dad's) and see how it goes. We certainly both have lots of space to add more! I have a large patch of day lilies just outside my kitchen window so don't need more of those. I will definitely look into the wine idea - afraid I might end of drinking MORE though:)
ReplyDeleteMark - the trailer was where I found peace and restored my soul after a bad marriage so it has served me well. There's nothing like the sounds of birds WITHOUT the constant drone of traffic in the background and listening to the waves crashing on shore while soaking up some sun.
ReplyDeletePS - check out my Little Blue Book post to see to see your previous request about my "wise man". yeah, you must have been into the wine!
psychsarah: that's so true, a couple years ago I would have just hauled out a credit card and charged up the extra expenses and then spent the rest of the year paying down the card (hopefully). At least now I can prepare better for MOST of my expenses. I still get surprised once in awhile when I forget something.
ReplyDeleteJohanna - I can still get fixated on the future too, like sometimes I wonder how I'm going to make it through 3 more years, I feel so tired sometimes. But it's that British stubbornness I guess, we just keep putting one foot in front of the other. It's Michael who has helped me to live in TODAY!
ReplyDeleteMarguerite - me, an inspiration!? I never would have thought that I guess because when you're IN IT, slogging away you don't feel very inspirational, so thanks for that! You've given me a good idea for a future post!
ReplyDeleteSusanna: thanks hon, I appreciate you sticking around as long as you have! There was a while I stopped blogging and then I created a different blog as I wasn't feeling too inspired, so it's nice to know you stuck with me!
Borrower: I like that quote! I was never a big spender, but now I am definitely more of a non-spender, like you. It's like that saying "can't have your cake and eat it too!" It's just finding that balance that you're comfortable with - it's not the same for everyone.
Lindy Mint: a jazz musician, you lucky thing! I used to have a thing for bass players, it all started with Paul McCartney!!
ReplyDelete