This is what my...

brain looks like:

Sorta pretty isn't it? A pretty little muddle of random thoughts, random and disorganized thoughts...random, disorganized and overflowing thoughts...you get the picture. Those of you who also have an ADD brain will understand.


It's as if Christmas were only 11 (almost 10) days away and I still had a million things to do and no time to do them in. Oh, wait a minute...that's real...rats.


Ok, focus Jane...


I thought I would do a financial update since almost 2 weeks of December has gone by in the blink of an eye but to do that I'd have to be organized and to be organized I'd have to feign an illness and stay home from work for the next 8 days and THAT ain't gonna happen so neither is the financial update!


Basically it all boils down to one very significant number this month - I call it the BUFFER amount. (I kinda like this strategy - I might use it every month!) I like having just ONE number to think about - sure makes budgeting a much more streamlined process. 


My BUFFER amount is the amount of $$ I have left after everything else is paid (I used estimates for all the gifts I needed to buy, the cost of the Xmas tree, dinner out, wine, groceries, savings, debt repayment, baking supplies and a million other expenses particular to this month).  On Dec. 1st my buffer amount was $245. Over the past 13 days I have added and subtracted from that amount about 100 times. If my hydro bill was less than my estimate I added the overage to the BUFFER. If a gift cost more than my estimate I subtracted from the BUFFER.  


This is the ONLY number that matters this month - and right now it stands at.....$220!! Not bad eh? BUT, still 2.5 weeks left to the month! I am highly motivated because whatever is left in the BUFFER zone goes into my iPad envelope which right now only contains $15 (I found $5 in a coat pocket and saved $10 in change). Once I have $600 saved I will buy my iPad!! It's going to take a few months to come up with $600 as I do zero-based budgeting and my pay goes way down Jan. 1st due to certain payroll deductions starting up again. But that's ok, it's worth waiting and saving for. 


Hey - see how well I can focus when it's something I'm interested in? Typical ADD!