My budget for September is $513.62
Spending: This month I need to purchase a new pan. I have a teflon one that is starting to get tiny little chips in it and I hear, and can reasonably assume that is very unhealthy. I'd kind of like to get a jump on things and purchase two or three Christmas present for the nieces and nephews this month (we have 8 nieces and nephews). I don't think I'll be needing dog food or cat food but I think in order to spare a triple purchase in October I should try and purchase at least one bag of pet food this month. At present those are all of the bigger financial purchases I can think of for the upcoming month.
Health: I'm still going to the chiropractor pretty regularly but the pain in my back is getting worse lately. I know it's partly to do with stress at work and also because I've been working a bit more hours. I NEED to stretch every single day. I don't know why I can't get in the habit of doing that but I know I need to. Stretching every single day is absolutely a September goal. I also need to up my water intake. I'd like to go for at least one long walk each week and at least one other shorter brisk walk each week. These aren't just things I should be doing: stretching, drinking more water, and going for walks, these are things I need to do.
My little Abe: We haven't been reading as much over the past month as we had been and I keep forgetting to write the books we do read down in his book log. I want to be on it this month with the book log for 1000 books before Kindergarten. My goal is to read 125 books with him in September. That would get us past 300 books read. I also want to read a Bible story with him each day. We need to work on counting up to 40 and learning a few more letters (I'm going to shoot for learning 4 more letters with him this month). With as much as we're trying to get outside we haven't been doing much crafting. I really want to do something crafty with him each week, even if it's just coloring or cutting with scissors. Also he and I need to make and mail a thank-you to my brother for the fun time at the Amusement park. I need to sign him up for swimming lessons and ideally a sport as well. I'd also like to take him on some sort of "field trip" (just a sort of fun learning outing). Maybe to another farm or blue berry picking if there are any places still open for the season. *Please don't go thinking this is a lot to load in one month. Reading through it, it sounds like it could be a lot but truthfully we could accomplish everything I've listed here in under 20 minutes a day throughout the month. That is NOT a lot.
Hubby: Go out to eat with him once. Okay, so I've gotten GREAT at not eating out and honestly not even wanting to eat out but my husband still goes out to eat with friends almost weekly. As crazy as it may seem I think it would bless him a lot if we as a family made an effort to go out to eat once a month or so (I do not want to go out to eat more than that). It's a goal for me to budget in a dinner out as a family this month. I also want to very consciously work on little extra ways to show him how much he means to me. I'm not about to brainstorm plans for that goal right now but I'm putting it out there.
Random: Pay attention to the cat. Groom the dogs. Mail out five cards/ letters. No grumbling at work. Make/ sew one Christmas present (at least get it started). Cut facebook down to 10 minutes a day. Make the compost bin. Cook two new meals. Hang out with a friend. Make chocolate truffles. Keep on de-cluttering the house. Keep working on getting in quite time in the morning... yep, that's enough!
Re-cap (as if this post isn't long enough already):
$513.62 spending budget
Need to buy new pan
Need to buy dog or cat food
Hope to buy some Christmas presents
Stretch daily
Drink lots of water
Go for one long walk and one shorter walk each week
125 books
Count to 40
Learn 4 new letters
Sign up for swimming and a sport
At least one craft a week
Make&mail thank-you
Go on a field trip
Plan a family night out
Work on lots of little ways to show appreciation to hubby
Pay attention to cat
Groom dogs
Mail out 5 cards
No grumbling at work
Sew Christmas present
10 min. a day on facebook (MAX)
Make compost bin
Cook two new meals
Hang out with a friend
Make truffles
De-clutter house more
Quite time each morning
That's a long list. I suppose if I check off half the things on it I'll have a very good September.
Average daily spending for 2015: $17.99
Ok, I can wipe 2 things off your budget at one time - come hang out with me and make chocolate truffles - it would be AWESOME :)
ReplyDeleteHave you given a lot of thought to Christmas? I had grandiose plans to make lap afghans for each of the kids.....yea, too bad I STINK at knitting and mess up all the time. I might, MIGHT be able to get 1 done, but certainly not 3. So....I'm looking for ideas - most of the gifts I give are homemade (I cross-stitch a LOT) and I want to make a scarf for both Steph & Zack, but I need new ideas. I do make blank cards for some friends because they send out a lot of greeting/thank you cards, but I'm looking for something new....any ideas?
I'll pass you some of the craft projects we work on in the classroom - some of them are absolutely adorable and YOU don't mind getting sticky!!!
YES PLEASE! I suppose travel costs though... haha!
DeleteI have not given much thought to Christmas but there are two things I need to make (I've made them for my nieces and now need to make them for my nephew) and I've actually started budgeting for Christmas already. I'm proud of myself on that one. I think you and me both need ideas. I actually think "gift giving" is my strongest love language and yet Christmas has been REALLY overwhelming the past several years. and sigh...
And yes, any project ideas welcome. We don't mind sticky at all! LOL
Great list! I find following a plan and staying organized makes a big difference. Eating out can really zap a budget fast. Perhaps the recipes that you want to try new can mimic takeout in some way? Or invite friends for a cookout on the weekend or evening to curb eating out? Libraries are great for craft classes and other activities for little ones. We spend a lot of time at ours. How old is Abe? Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jill
Awe, thanks for all the great ideas. My hubby is a tough cookie though. I love him to bits but we are not on the same wave length. He's SLOWLY getting better and better with spending habits but it's taking a good deal of time that I've finally learned to accept. A new recipe at home would NEVER mimic takeout for him. As for me, I'm actually to the point of totally preferring to eat at home (It was NOT like that a few years ago). I don't think the cook out would work either because we're not big on having people over and also because his dinners out with friends are "the guys" meeting at a restaurant I think to talk about work.
DeleteOur library does some neat stuff though. I really need to start paying closer attention to things going on there. I'm not so sure about crafts but they do fun stuff with like bringing animals in or fun story times. There was a "truck petting zoo" a few months ago that was really neat. The kids got to climb in and all over fire trucks, police cars, trucks, motorcycles, Coast Guard boats, a giant city snow plow, there were others. It was really cool!
Little Abe is not quite 3 and 1/2 now. I cannot believe how old he is getting though! ahhhh! Time really does fly.
How about I come over and stretch with you and then eat truffles? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI need to come up with some more money for Christmas. UGH, it is creeping up on us again. I did hit the stores in January so I have about half of what I need but still UGH!
Come on over! I kind of want to make a caramel sea salt chocolate truffle but a regular old dark chocolate truffle sounds pretty good too.
DeleteIt IS creeping up on us again! How does it do that? However I don't usually start thinking about it this soon so I'm in a better place this year then ever before.