 |
| Head Wrap - ewww...what happened to her should blades?? |
 |
| Kazi and best friend Courtney on Kazi's 21st birthday:) |
Or this:
No? You still want the numbers? oh poo...
Ok well you'll just have to trust me on this as I haven't put my numbers into Spend Diary since June so have no fancy shmancy charts to dazzle you with their pies and colours and bars. Nope, just dull old black and white.
The Good News: (this will be a short list)
- I over-estimated my Union Gas and London Hydro by a total of $59 which just became more $$ to spend (oops...good news turned into bad news!)
- Increased my Line of Credit payment from $1200 monthly to $1300
- Started saving for: new camera, condo redecoration, PEI home insurance and property taxes & PEI home maintenance & next year's trip to PEI - that's a whole lot more pots to divide my savings amongst!
- came just slightly under my grocery budget and my gasoline budget :)
The Bad News: (hold onto your hats folks!)
- had to buy all new tires which reduced my EF from $2000 to $1350
- both pays were less than I hoped they'd be (but only by $20)
- allowed myself $0.00 for entertainment this month as I knew it would be a tight month - HAH!! who was I kidding (do not have and do not want to know how much I actually spent on movies, coffees, newspapers, restaurants, clothing as it would make me cry)
- cell phone bill higher than budgeted by $10
- made a last minute impulse gift buy for Kazi in the form of a $50.00 Shopper's Drugmart gift card (horrible feeling of old bad habit creeping back in thinking I hadn't SPENT enough on her gifts (fall jacket, Keith Urban concert, dinner out, cupcakes...sigh)
- spent too much on clothing for myself thinking I would enjoy getting up and going to school more if I had some new clothes to wear! WRONG!! I AM ENJOYING going to school VERY MUCH so didn't need to spend that money!! What a maroon!
- I now owe $443 on my President's Choice Mastercard - I haven't had any credit card debt in YEARS!! I'm mortified.
- I also bought just over $100 worth of jewelry to match my back to school clothes at Claire and Aldo's - another unnecessary purchase!
- I need to pay $50 into the Social Fund at school AND I need to contribute $30 for gifts for two staff who left and one who broke his leg just before school started (stupid boys!)
- I have $66 left in discretionary spending and $11.97 left in my wallet (I do have $$ set aside for groceries and gasoline
So there it is. Told ya it wasn't pretty. I guess I'll have to put off the social fund payment til next month but I'll have to fork over the $30 soon. That'll leave me with a grand total of $48 til my next pay on Sept. 30th (without dipping into savings which I absolute abhor!! or going into more debt...so NOT an option!)
Hence my fiscal fast for the next week. I said I was going to start tomorrow but guess what??
I HAVE JUST NEGATIVELY MOTIVATED MYSELF TO START RIGHT NOW!!
For the next two weeks, yes you heard me, for the next 14 days I will only enter the grocery store or the farmer's market (I have $200 for food) or go to the gas station (I put $40 in today leaving me with $60 for gas) and will NOT spend beyond the $48 I have left. I will try to UNDERSPEND on groceries so that I will have a positive balance in my chequing account at the end of the month, even if it's only a couple of dollars.
Think I can do it? Or will I fall flat on my empty wallet?? It'll be quite a challenge that much is sure.
Ouch!!! You have been having a good time haven't you? ;) lol! Kazi Is gorgeous, Jane!! Some girls have all the luck! lol!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll succeed at your fiscal fast, just read this post every morning before you start your day & it'll keep you in line!! lol! ;)
You're like the little engine that could. I know you'll make it!
ReplyDeletem.
Jane, I KNOW you can do it!! I'll be cheering you on the whole way!! (I'll be secretly joining you too!)
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post by the way, Kazi looked stunning on her 21st birthday!
I think you can do it so long as you're not doing volleyball with the beer temptation afterwards LOL! I need to get back in the groove too - I've been having 'fabric/quilting major meltdowns' a LOT..and eating out meltdowns...
ReplyDeleteSometimes you need to do a little spending I think...looks like you got a lot of fun for what you spent!
Susanna
I'd feel really bad for you, Jane if you didn't have a job to go to... like me, who had a melt down (again) and up and quit. Yup. I up and quit and NO income. EI is still deciding and the 4 weeks is up as of today. Talk about stress.
ReplyDeleteI thought my daughters were beautiful! But yours is over the top. You will pull it together, I know I had/have to.
ReplyDeleteJane,
ReplyDeleteYou can do anything you put your mind too!
Sounds as if you had a great time shopping and I love the jewelery finds.
Kazi looks beautiful all dressed up for her 21 Birthday. You can never over spend on a milestone as her Birthday. She will remember this time forever. What a great Mom she has.
But all of the purchases are so pretty..as is your daughter. Good luck I know you can make it!
ReplyDeleteJudy
Thanks everyone for your encouragement, even Mark believes in me lol!
ReplyDelete@ Judy - I know! Pretty sparkly things are a weakness but they are so worth it! :)
@the Witch - yes, 21 is a major milestone and I want her to remember it always - and thanks, that helps to justify my spending in my mind too:)
@Kim - thanks, I think she's beautiful too, and she still has the most kissable plump cheeks that she had as a baby!
@Michelle - don't you know you're supposed to have another job in the wings before you quit your present one...oh...you do? And you quit anyways? Well, there is obviously quite a story behind this major move. And I sense it's not a happy one. Duh...I have a gift for the obvious sometimes lol! I hope EI comes through for you, I really do. Is your Etsy site generating any income yet? Good luck my friend!
@Susanna - no more volleyball for me, last year just wasn't as much fun as previous years - the men are becoming so aggressive with their serves and their spikes so I decided to hang up my knee pads...so no more beer to buy:)
@Sharon - thanks for your support, you've always been one of my most staunch supporters:) I am hoping for the best but two weeks is a looooong time to spread a measly $60 over. I'll give it the old "Harrison try" as my dad used to say:)
@Mark - I can't believe you called me "little" - I love you!
@Carla - that's actually very good advice Carla - I will keep the topic of this post at the forefront of my thoughts over the next two, very long, weeks!
Well isn't that what the school year is all about? Starting over, and getting on task, and hoping there are cute new kids this year...er, something like that.
ReplyDeleteI totally relate to your distractions. I've been creating several of my own these days too.
PS: Your daughter is so beautiful! Good job :)
It wasn't that bad. I think that you will get back on track. Now that you are back at school you will have less time to spend.
ReplyDeleteAnd your daughter is beautiful!!!!
I have every faith that you will bring the budget back in line. Acknowledging the numbers is half the battle!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is gorgeous!! (just like her mom :-)). The stuff you bought is really nice, love the bracelet and the ring! And the treats look good too !
ReplyDelete