This is my first post here on our blog, i could say something like, wow i've never done something like this before, but i'd rather just move on with the blogging. So here is a picture of my adorable baby Katie in the stroller on a walk with me, taken with my new wonderful camera.
Today has been a relatively easy day so far, Katie only took one nap and is now pushing around chairs by the table. Maggie didn't throw any tantrums so that alone makes it a better day than most. And Elaine was helpful and inquisitive as usual.
Katie is sick, has a cold i think, i'm trying not to get too worried over it as we often do with her. She may appear big and healthy but we still can't help but remember not so long ago when a simple cold turned out to be so much more.
I suppose i'll just be posting day to day goings on of our family on here, but if there is a day when i haven't much to say, or maybe if i have a few minutes to spare i'll share some back story on us. Considering Adam and I have been married for nearly 8 years now, there certainly is no absence of interesting things to say.
Next month (February) marks a new way of money management i'll be trying. I know that the first step in fixing a problem is admitting there's a problem, and to be honest i have a spending problem. I often make excuses that most of the things i buy are for other people, which for the most part is a true statement, but that does not excuse my actions when i spend money i know that i shouldn't. Now i don't want to concern people and make them think i've dug us into some kind of a pit because that is not the case at all. But i fear if i don't learn to reign in my spending, it may come to that. As yet our bills still all get paid and on time to boot. And with our tax refund we'll be mostly debt free (aside from the house and minivan payment) so now is a great time to be better about spending so that our excess money may be put toward better use than my shopping enjoyment. I debated whether to talk about this on the blog, but i'll be honest, i dont' think many people will be reading this, and if they are they know be and probably already know i have this problem :) So on to the solution. I do all the grocery shopping for the family, because i love to shop, for anything, including groceries. I am actually pretty good about really planning out what i buy and only spending what needs to be spent on groceries, for our family of 5 i spend on average $300 a month (that is a whole month of food!) So Adam and i decided on an amount of $500 a month that is for grocery and spending needs. This is a tight budget compared to my normal spending. However the main difference will be that i will only be spending cash. Cards have only added to my spending problem. It is so easy to swipe the card and not be concerned with the total amount spent and how that adds to what is already on that card. So my wallet will no longer contain cards for spending, driver's license, library card and the like will still be there, but not even my debit card will be there. The only exception to the $500 is gas money for the van, because that is not a personal expense, it is a family expense, i don't know if any of this makes sense to anyone else but this is something i told Adam i wanted. I want to be clear, this was not his idea, it was mine, in fact he gave a much higher budget than i was willing to give myself so please don't think this is my husband trying to tell me to do this because it is quite the opposite. He so rarely spends money that he doesn't usually mind if i spend extra, but i feel that if i don't fix this problem now, it could get out of control. The other reason i'm telling all of this is because one of the ways i plan to help myself curb spending urges is to write about it. When i feel like i want to spend it is often such a spur of the moment desire, where as if i sit down and write about what i want to spend on and try to analyze why, i'm hoping to get to the root of this addiction. I think that will probably mean i'll be writing a lot :) But if i can make it through the month of Febraury with money left over than i will feel so good! If not, i'll be able to look back and see what my downfall was, by reading my own blogs. February is the best month of the year to be setting a monthly goal, as it's the shortest month, i'm setting myself up for success! Wish me luck....it's not February yet so i got in a few shopping things today so i won't have to spend out of my budget on them next month....it's like binging before a diet (i wouldn't call $30 at wal mart a binge, but close enough)
Any time you feel like spending money, just call me and I'll tell you NO! I'm very good at that!
ReplyDeleteOuch, don't tell Lee Ann about this budget thing, she might get some ideas?^&%&%^ I am usually the out of control spender and have some expensive hobbies and always spend too much when I am out of town which is often altough with the slow economy I have been home every night this year so far so we have saved some money wth me packing my lunch, and yes Beth and other teachers this was probablly a run-on sentence but it's the internet, come on.
ReplyDeleteI've been on this same kind of budgeting system for several years, and it works well for us. Joseph thought it up not long into our marriage because it was obvious I had a spending problem too. The amount changes every so often with our changing needs (growing family, inflation, etc). I used to get my money each time Joseph got paid, but now we've divided it by the number of weeks in the month and I get $160 every Friday instead of a larger amount that I have to make last for 15 days or so. It's much easier now, especially since we're trying to start buying things for the new baby and still afford diapers for Rachy. And we do the same as you - gas doesn't come out of my budget, it goes on the debit card. My $160 has to buy everything: clothes, shoes, food, toiletries, birthday gifts, leisure, library fines, emergency prep, food storage. So I really have to budget carefully and not spend on anything superfluous. This is hard for someone who knits like crazy because there's always a yarn sale somewhere.....
ReplyDeleteOh, and I forgot to mention that Joseph has me keep track of my spending in a check register. It really open my eyes to what I'm doing and where I'm spending the most money most often. I enter the "deposit" every Friday when Joseph gives me my money and then I keep track from there. Hopefully, the balance is the same as what I have in my wallet. And we have a coin jar where all the coins get put when my wallet starts filling up with them. Those coins really add up. I remember that we once went to Disneyland thanks to the coin jar
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I am dying to what kind of camera you got. Photography is my biggest hobby. And second of all, good for you! Way to be so open. I started a blog because I thought it would be nice to share things I normally wouldn't. It became a place I only shared family updates and now it is totally ignored. With the finance thing Josh and I do something very similar. We have a joint checking and then I have my own checking account-cash scares me. From my checking I must purchase groceries, target/costco needs, and gas for the family. Josh makes a monthly deposit into my account so I can do that. That way I am always limited to a certain amount of spending. Also, whenever we get unexepected income it goes into my savings verses our joint account. That pays for school clothes, little trips, something for the house or other things that come up. That way in our joint account stays pretty much the same, but mine goes up and down. Right now it is drained from Christmas! I really look forward to your blogging to get to know you better!
ReplyDeleteStacey Haslem