The New and Improved Budget

This should be an improvement, simply because I’ve added in the Boy’s stuff which I failed to do the last time (doh).
The Boy Food                                                  $100
The Boy Bus Pass                                            $50
FPL                                                                     $300
AT&T                                                                 $30
TMobile                                                            $225
Sprinklers                                                          $50
Water                                                                $130
Bug man                                                           $24
Netflix                                                               $22
Comcast                                                           $115
Gym                                                                   $62
Credit cards                                                     $400
Medical                                                             $25
Food                                                                  $350
Gas                                                                    $100
Savings                                                              $400
 
Total Expenses:                                               $2383.00
 
Income should be as follows:
 
Weekly pay:                                                     $572
Bi-weekly pay:                                                 $2162
Monthly Contract:                                          $400
Bonus (average)                                              $300
 
Total Income:                                                  $3434
 
Difference:                                                       $1051
 
This difference really should be divided up into a fun savings account and then the car insurance, house insurance, wind storm insurance, flood insurance, property taxes and other predicted household expenses. And then we still have the college stuff, which I am STILL waiting to see if we qualify for ANY ASSISTANCE. Yeah, it used to be that Hubby paid ALL that stuff but now we sort of split it, not 50/50 but I pick up my share … he obviously saw the $1000 plus that should be floating around at the end of the month. Heh. Then again, more should be applied towards the credit cards too.
 
There are other things that should be factored in, such as date night out (Hubby generally picks up that tab, this is MY budget), miscellaneous things, like clothes, etc., but I am trying to live a Year of Zero (I need to keep reminding myself of that and giving myself a BIG pat on the back when I remember!)  
 
Oddly enough, I just got done doing our taxes and filed them (thankfully!) and we were both shocked at how MUCH money we made, yet again. I think, for starters, we always think: “Not so bad for 2 kids that didn’t finish college and started off dirt poor” which we did, seriously, and then “Really?? Where the heck did all the money go??” This is our second year getting a tax refund only because we both pay in extra on each paycheck (I contribute $150 more a month and he contributes $300 more a month) because we got TIRED of paying at the end of the year, every stinking year, no matter what we did or didn’t do. (BTW, I am all for a flat tax base, trust me, would make life so much simpler instead of having to deal with tax brackets, etc.) …
 
So there you have it, the new and IMPROVED Budget….let’s see how it rolls out in April!

Do you have a pretty strict budget? And if so, do you find yourself tweaking it as necessary? Just curious!

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 31st and February 1st, 2012

Tuesday - Zero Spend Day ... DAY SEVEN! That was a good feeling last night to be in for the night and be able to say that!

Wednesday was ALSO a Zero Spend Day, EIGHT DAYS!!

The Fresh Market opened Wednesday in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Like, I will drive by it every morning IF I don't take the scenic route. Um, like I need to take the scenic route :) I really want to go but I'm holding out only because I know I'll BUY something. Yikes.

I did a DIY lip wax earlier this week. If you want to know (and SEE the results, click over to the other blog). That's pretty impressive that it works AND that it didn't hurt all that bad, not to mention, easy to do. Yes. I saved myself $10. Woohoo. Next up are the eye brows, not so sure how THAT will go.

Mark took me out for dinner Wednesday to the japanese buffet. He paid. So no money out of MY pocket. Hence, it was still a zero spend day. I've had this same $20 in my walled for 9 days now. Wow. It feels good and there isn't anything that I need. I really wanted to get some sparkling water that was on sale but the sale is over, and I'm not dying yet, so it goes to show, missing good deals are not the end of the world.

Need to move the remaining funds from checking to savings (about $500) and start setting up bill pay for those bills that are coming in. After a bleak January, I'm aiming HIGH for February. Need to also get the modified budget up for review.

Friday, January 26th, 2012

It's Friday ... I love Friday's nowadays. Used to be sort of my grocery shopping day, but not any more! I think I prefer that! Besides, I don't believe I could possibly need anything after the Costco trip this week.

Mark hit the gym after work. I came home and cleaned, menu planned, and put together a little mishmash of appetizers for dinner. And had a few beers.
It's another Zero Spend Day. I'd really like to take the truck and get it washed over at the local car wash place. But about $20 ... even though, in MY opinion, it's well worth it. The truck is D. I. R. T. Y. Dusty and wheel cleaner/black stuff splashed on the fenders. And they vacuum and wipe down the interior. PLUS the one manager loves my truck because it's so new looking (1999 Tahoe with 44000 miles, never wrecked, garage kept at night and covered parking during day, it lives a privileged life) so he makes sure it's taken care of.

So 3 days in a row with Zero Spend. There may be hope after all!

On other news, my brother called me Thursday ... dad is back at the hospital, had another stroke (#4?) and now they think it's his blood thinning that's causing problems (well  his sugar starts it and the blood thickness finishes it). He's already on thinner but now they are going to tweak it and he will be borderline danger on thinness, not a good thing for an old guy. Dad was rather cranky when I spoke to him, said they were starving him out. Well, come to find out, when he drank some water, he started choking, rather badly, so they said no food or water til further testing. He doesn't understand that but I think it's because they want to make sure there is no damage from the stroke, so will have to wait til the cat scan is done. D also told me that they got him set up on energy assistance program for electric. Good because it was something I tried to do here but couldn't because too much paperwork and copies of stuff needed that I was unable to do from here. Was just planning to do it when I got there. This shows how much lack of communication there is here. So regardless, his bill should be 12% less, but no one can tell me how much (I did the math, $120 vs $137). (I checked online later, and still see the balance and the same program he was on before so will pay the $137 Tuesday and check again next weekend to see if the program is changed). Dad was better today and they moved him out of ICU and will give PT over the weekend.

**Now I hear that it was NOT a stroke, but a TIA. However, my brother and the wife are requesting a 2nd neurologist to come in as they say it IS a stroke. But Dad sounds better than he has (speech wise) and this would be his 4th incident and I really  think his speech has improved this time around. I kind of, sort of think they want it to be a stroke so he can get further assistance :( Visiting nurse, etc.)

I've still not re-worked the budget and MUST get that done this weekend. Otherwise, February starts and I will feel just clueless yet again. Thinking of a No Spend for the kitchen since it's only 28 days and I'm pretty well stocked ... maybe $20 a week for salad and milk stuff?

**I've went ahead and took the 94 cash in my wallet that I had and divided it up into the 4 food envelopes, $20 in each. The $14 is in the No Touch savings account envelope. I'm committed.

The REAL Budget

About 6 months ago, I started keeping the bills after they were paid.

No, they weren't filed away 'neatly', just put in a folder in a drawer in the desk. Which has come in handy as there have been a few times (damn Comcast) where I had to pull out the previous month bill to find out what the heck they were charging me for differently.

I have a GOOD idea of what the monthly bills are, give or take $15 or so dollars. Everything fluctuates, even though its shouldn't. So I went ahead and made myself a REAL BUDGET and even made them a little higher in the end.

Ready for the REAL DEAL? Here it is:

FPL (electric) $400.00 ($4800 a year!) NOTE: This is hopefully an average. With one kid gone and another only home occasionally, I'll be curious to see how much it changes!

AT&T $35.00 ($420 a year)

Tmobile $200.00 ($2400 a year!)

Sprinklers $45.00 ($540 a year)

Water $125.00 ($1500 a year)

Bugman $24.00 ($288 a year)

Netflix $23.00 ($276 a year)

Gym $43.00 ($516 a year)

Comcast $110.00 ($1320 a year!)

Credit cards (total) $400.00 (applying the snowball effect at the moment. Pay all but the lowest balance cards minimum payment first and remaining balance of $400 is applied to the lowest balance card. Once that balance is zero, that payment is applied to the next lowest balance. This will eliminate a bill periodically and hopefully done by the end of May 2012). ($4800 a year!)

Medical $50.00. This may need to be re-evaluated ($600 a year)

Food $300.00 ($3600 a year)

Gas $80.00. May be too low but will try to do with the figure ($960 a year)

That's a total of $1,835.00 out the door. Should be noted that Mark pays the mortgage, insurances, taxes, etc.

Then we add in the savings of $574.72 (Rule #8) which I suppose SHOULD be above and added in to the total balance which would make it $2,409.72. But this would also equate to a nice savings at the end of the year for $7471.36

Income should be:

$1081 x 2 = $2,162.00

$143.68 x 4 = $574.72

$400.00 x 1 = $400.00 (not sure how long this will be for)

$250 to $500 bonus a month so lets say $350 average

Total income for month is $3,486.72

Which should give me $1,077 left at the end of the month. Hmmm. That would sound about right IF I was to keep my spending under control.

What I really want to be able to do is sweep the account at the end of the month (before the 1^st) to the accessible savings account and start fresh with that paycheck that comes in on the 1^st ($1081) to pay all the bills with. The $574.72 savings is hopefully being deposited directly into the no touch savings account with Chase (out of my way to get to for withdrawals and not an online accessible account).

It really looks completely doable, in my opinion. There’s plenty of wiggle room if needed. Which will be needed as I’ve not included the cost of classes and books for The Boy or Princess as those vary semester to semester and I don’t have anything yet to really budget by. Plus, hopefully they will get some financial aid (not loans!) to help offset some of the cost.

Gosh. Looking at this makes me realize just how much waste there must be in my budget currently. Wow. Makes me scratch my head wondering why I am struggling so much at this very second while I type this.

I would really like to give this a test run for December but it's just not going to work that way. I'm starting the month off borderline negative with the family trip over and property taxes being due (Mark and I split this large bill).

Have you set up your budget yet for 2012?