I decided that since most of our money seems to disappear over the weekend, it might be worth my time to start keeping track of all the nickels and dimes we part with. And since I am fairly certain this will be majorly discouraging, it might also be worthwhile to set a few goals for the following week.
Before I start the shameful recap, let me explain a few things about our current budget. T and I have one checking account that serves to fund all of our household expenses, from the mortgage to pug food (and believe you me, there is a LOT of freakin' pug food). We have a savings account which currently houses our EF and new car fund (I am hoping to split the two when I can remember to haul my procrastinating butt into our branch and fill out the paperwork). We contribute 17% of my salary to our 401k, save $400 per month in out EF/car fund, and add about $100 a month to T's IRA.
In addition (and hear me out before you cringe), we each have our own checking account. We allow ourselves $50 a week "allowance" from our take home pay, which is transferred to these accounts. And for the time being, we are allowing any side income/bonuses/etc to stay in our personal accounts. This is our ONLY blow money. The only money we can spend any which way we choose with no (alright, just minimal) judgement from each other. It ain't perfect, but it seems to be keeping the peace.
Weekend Wrap-Up
This weekend was perfect. T had a family obligation saturday, so I was on my own. But not in a bad way. I actually loved every minute of the day. I ran over to the office to finish a few evaluations, met my sweet friend Sara for lunch and shopping (hence the mexican food & Bath and Body Works spluuuurge), cleaned the house and played with my puggies, and met another Sarah for a loooong walk & talk, followed by pedicures. Blissful! T and I made dinner together ( The Pioneer Woman's Pasta With Artichokes), and relaxed on the couch. Sunday we ran some errands, headed out to Dallas to watch the Stars, and spent the evening catching up on Law & Order, CSI, and Criminal Minds. Love us some crime shows!
The Damage:
$106.00- Target (groceries and of course, pug treats)
$35.50- 7-11 (gas)
$34.00- pedicure (much needed after a 5.5 mile walk & talk with one of my favorite friends)
$21.45- Gloria's (isn't mexican food for lunch with a great friend a necessity?!)
$18.00- Haircut for T
$4.34- Starbucks
$15.00- parking at AAC
$7.00- diet Dr. Pepper at the AAC (What. A. Rip)
$30.00- food/ huge beers at the AAC
$23.53- take-out
$27.00- Bath & Body Works
For a grand total of : $321.82
Breaking it down a little more and we spent:
1. $141.50 (our checking account)
2. $117.32 (A's blow money)
3. $63.00 (T's blow money)
The Good: We stayed within (and actually have a few buckaroos leftover) our food budget for the month of February!! We allow for $450. 00 per month. Also, we are right on track for our gas budget for the month....
The Bad: $86.32 on FOOD?!?!? Ugh, and too be totally honest, I felt bloated and guilty after every single junk food treat. Eating out is definitely not helping me save money or drop the last 5 pounds! Lesson learned.
The Ugly: I spent $117.32 in 2 freakin' days. I know it's blow money and it is supposed to guilt-free spending, keep me from feeling deprived and going on an online shopping bender and all that jazz, but seriously. I can do better.
Monday Musings (in effort to eradicate weekend guilt):
Move: Run three times this week with T, and work in a long walk or two on the off days.
Eat: Eliminate daily stops at the grocery store to pick up an item or two. We've created and shopped for a menu for the next 6 days, now I just need to muster up some willpower to stick to it!!
Spend: My weekly blow money purchases shall not exceed $10.00 from now through Friday. They just shall not. No questions asked!
Save: Add and extra $50 to our EF after friday's paycheck
Acknowledge: I am thankful for a wonderful job in a tough economy. Instead of boo-hooing about going back to work tomorrow, I am determined to be thankful for a job to go back to!
Anticipate: So excited for our belated Valentine's date...we have GREAT seats for the Mavs game this saturday night!!!
Organize: My closet gives the appearance that we have recently been robbed. It's time to straighten things up.
Words:
"And the wind may come/and the rain may fall/but we stand together/or we don't stand at all"
Amy Ray
How was your weekend? What do you hope to accomplish this week?
A
I highly recommend keeping track of where your money is going. I can share my spreadsheet with you if you'd like. or you can try budgetsaresexy.com too, he has a whole list of spreadsheets. I decided to make my own to tailor it to our needs. It helps see though where we're making bad choices. I know when we first got married, we were spending hundreds of dollars on eating out, and a lot of it was going on the credit card because we were spending more than we were making. after 3 months, we got serious. it's a big lifestyle change though so i recommend a few small steps at a time : )
ReplyDeleteI would love to take a look at your spreadsheet! Thanks!! We track most of our cashflow, but the "blow money" just gets away from me. You're so right...it is a big change/commitment!! Sometimes I need to slow my budget slashing roll and let T catch up with me...he tends to feel deprived faster than I do! ;-) Love your blog, by the way!!
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