October 2011 Budget Challenge

[Valiant]

Hi everyone,
For those who are participating in our Monthly Budget Challenge, please post your October 2011 Budget Challenge on this thread.
Thanks.

PS: And think of the money we'll save in October!

[Valiant]

October Budget 2011

Rent (includes utilities): PAID (as per rate)
Phone & Internet: $56.91 (includes 3-month discount plan, ending Nov.; will be contacting MTS soon to find out the best internet cut-off date, since they bill for 1 extra month; will have lots of long-distance phone charges on my next phone bill, due to family emergency requiring lots of phone calls)
Water: $10.00 (reverse osmosis cooking/drinking) Spent $6.93
Food: Spent $52.51 (beef roast, lettuce, eggs, apples, bananas, milk, orange juice, potatoes, oranges, carrots)
Stockpile: Spent $86.60 (2 club packs ground beef, 2 x 4kg sugar, 10 x Heinz beans, vanilla, popping corn, lubriderm lotion, Peak Freans cookies GONE, Oasis, Cafe Inspirations GONE, Woolite Dk. Wash LD, eggs, Chapman's ice-cream GONE, potatoes, 5 x Carnation hot chocolate (with 5 x Bistro Sliders FPC's on pkgs.)
Pharmacy: 0
Hardware: $1.56 (clock batteries)
Miscellaneous: $11.20 (socks)
Other: $23.00 (transportation)

Christmas Fund: $19.87/$20.00 (for parcel-postage/stamps; will be making some of my Christmas gifts)
Winter Boots: 0/$20.00
Emergency Fund Addition: 0/$20.00


TOTAL OCTOBER EXPENSES to date: $238.71 (plus Rent)
This does not include the balance of + $19.87 at month's end, which was applied to the Christmas Fund)

COUPONS USED: $96.34; and a few nice freebies in the mail

Money Found: $0.40 (coins found), GST Rebate: $63.25

SPEND DAYS to date: 13/31

NO SPEND DAYS to date: 18/31


GOALS:
- work (had more work & income this month)
- essential expenses: rent (w/utilities), phone, internet (plan to discontinue it), reverse osmosis water
- to cut spending on all other things this month
- exceptions: stockpile additions (lots this month), unforeseen expenses/emergencies
- save up to $20.00 for Christmas ($5.15/$20.00 saved in Sept. + $19.87/$20.00 saved in Oct. = $25.02 Total)
- save up to $20.00 for new winter boots (0/$20.00)
- save up to $20.00 to add to Emergency Fund (0/$20.00)
- catch up on the To-Do List (that's coming along with more cleaning and de-cluttering; must do outdoor work asap!)
- lifeskills applications to save money: baked muffins & banana bread for stockpile in freezer, baked for fridge & counter, lots of homemade cooking for meals and freezer.
- soul and body restoration with the beauty of autumn (didn't get out much, but enjoyed the autumn when I did, and also had a few cuppas by the window looking out at the scenery)


COMMENTS:

* Oct.1 was a no-spend challenge for me due to our town-wide yard sales, but I resisted temptation and walked past them all without looking or spending. I spent money only for groceries, including stockpile.

* My salary is higher this month, though my employment is down this quarter from last spring work-term. No work/income during summer, except $53/month from 55 Plus Benefits. I'm investing the extra time in my usual home-made cooking & baking, plus working on things on my To-Do List, including Christmas gifts. My garden failed. Serious health problems worsening, so extra time to do anything is now absolutely necessary.
During every good month of earnings, I want to top up my Emergency Fund (just for Rent); in saving for that goal, I play a mental game of calculating the dollars saved as a percentage of a month's rent. I also sing the song "On My Way to Town" a lot. LOL.

* At times, it happens that forces converge to overthrow one's best plans and endeavours. When that happens, I find comfort and resolution in this:

"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed, His Truth to triumph through us."

And so I can go on, in faith and action.

* Oct.15/11: Gave myself a haircut today (a nice, shoulder-length bob, side-parted), and saved $20 - $35; haven't had it pro-cut for 13 years or more. It took me 4 hours this time because of limited mobility; but it's done now, and should do for awhile.

* Oct.21/11: Lots of stockpiling this month because it's much easier to bring it home now in my medical walker than on the snowy roads later; also got enough potatoes for a few months while the weather is warm enough to transport them home without frost damage, so didn't need to get them delivered and saved delivery costs; used lots of coupons on great sale deals.

* Oct.23-29/11: Lots of home cooking and baking this week, some for the stockpile in freezer. Have been gradually using up small bags of frozen berries and nuts in the freezer for baking, and replacing the empty spaces with home-baked goodies.
Got patterns together for rug-making for Christmas gifts, crochetted some sample pieces for rugs; organizing other items for gifts & wrappings.
Put the fridge in order by clearing out unusables (horrible expired Ranch dressing), and using up other small bits of things. Saved a lot that would have been wasted otherwise; but tossed a few rotten lettuce leaves. Everything in my fridge is now edible!!!
Washing and drying my doilies, room by room (got the kitchen & bathroom ones done up); makes a room look so much fresher and nicer.
Sewed a pillow by taking apart a new one and re-winding the polyester batting to a smaller & flatter size. Also used a roll of 1" foam I salvaged from my old couch to make 2 single-mattress toppers for my bed. Sleeping much more comfortably now, and that's one less thing cluttering my spare room. Also salvaged some slipper soles to be used for insoles.


OCTOBER 31, 2011 BUDGET BALANCE & UPDATE: + $19.87, applied to Christmas Fund

[Ashley01]

I love reading about other peoples budgets! I finished mine up for the month on Friday here it is:

Rent: 500 (Actually only owe 450 per month but I leave the extra 50 in the envolope for a buffer)
Bank Fee: 12.95
Car Ins: 31.75
Tenant: 21.83
Cell/Int: 137
Life: 48.38
TFSA: 75
Dds education account: 25
Weekend: 260 (ends up being 60$ per week/weekend for things like eating out, activites, etc)
Clothes: 50
Babysitter: 25 (hardly ever use this)
Night out: 50
Gift: 50
Grocery: 300 (trying to stick to 300 this month, might be hard)
Gas: 100
Car: 50 (I put 50$/month away for car maintance only use it when needed)
Christmas Fund: 75 (have been putting away since January)
Hair: 40 (I get my hair highlighted and it usually costs around 80-90 so I put 40/month away for it)
House: 40 (For I may need around the house, gets kept in an envolope until i need it)
Halloween: 50 (treats for treat bags/costumes)
Extra Save: 100

Then at the end of the month I make sure I leave 150$ in my account for a buffer for the month and anything extra I make will be split into savings and christmas fund!!

[Valiant]

Back on track again; thank-you to my SC friends!
Budget update.

[theweave]

Since Chris had to declare bankruptcy after his car accident, he is starting to budget his money. He just used Build A Budget That Works and just worked out his first budget. Now he has to set up his "jars" which are really just envelopes and try and stick to them!! We'll see how it goes!!

You can also do an Excel Spreadsheet if that is easier for you to do, it is all automated and does all the calculations for you!

He also just opened up a savings account (should he have gotten a TFSA? Did not see one on RBC?)... he plans to put $200.00 per month in savings/ emergency fund...

I am going to do one too to try and figure out where all money is going and see if selling the house and moving to an apartment would make more sense or not!

Will report back!

ETA: Apprantly Chris should not work on budgets when dead tired. He was telling me the numbers he had as he prepared his "money envelopes" and was surprised when he did not have enough to go around! I looked at it and quickly realized that was because he was running a DEFICIT!! OOPS!

Now he trying to figure out what to cut to make it balance, but it is no easy task with his limited imcome!!! Thank god he lives with me, don't know how he would survive on his own place!

[Valiant]

For many years now, I have saved all of my receipts so I can keep track of how I spend my money. If a receipt isn't issued, I write the amount, item & date on a piece of paper. I keep a few bits of notepaper behind my bills in my wallet and a pen in my purse. I regularly empty my receipts into a Kleenex box by my desk, and every week or so I tally them all up in my account notebook, under the various categories that work for my own budget.

I also put a clear plastic envelope sheet at the back of my account book, into which go various receipts which I use for income tax, or even sometimes product receipts which I may have to use if the product is defective, etc. I even save some grocery receipts, make sure that nothing is spoiled or unusable, but if there's a problem, then I can return the goods with the receipt.

This has helped at various times: a bad jug of milk, spoiled meat, one time the ice-cream had a burnt taste, sometimes I had allergic reactions to bath & beauty items, so I was able to call the company and had the receipt to prove it, and almost always got a refund or coupons back. Once in a while, the cashier made an error on my receipt, so I could go back to the store for a refund.
However, last month, I bought several boxes of regular juice at one store, and the young cashier charged me both taxes. I saved the receipt, and later told the manager about it. She told me that I shouldn't have been charged the taxes, but to bring the receipt in for a refund. Unfortunately, I had already gone through my accounts, had forgotten to make a note on that receipt, and had thrown it away.

[marstec]

My mother in law throws her receipts out before she exits the store! This was alright when stores gave you the benefit of the doubt, but even Walmart asks for a receipt nowadays.

You never know when you need to provide proof of purchase. I have my current ones in a pile, and once a week I go through and sort. I put them in specifically labeled envelopes, that way it's easier to locate for warranty purposes. I also write down what I spent and where in a 12-month calendar. It's crazy how much paper accumulates in your everyday living....

[Valiant]

Yes, and the receipts don't lie.
How many times I've thought I had or didn't have money, only to stand corrected by adding up those receipts.
Reward: a reality check; and once I got the facts straight, I could better plan the next decision involving money.

[Dancemommadance]

I want in!!

[Valiant]

Then you're in!!!

Hope to see you posting your own budget here soon.

[Dancemommadance]

Okay. I just through out a ton of receipts that I had been collecting since I started couponing in January. I wonder if I should get them out of the recycling box now...
I am going to create a budget and share it shortly. I have never created and followed a budget so this should be really good for me!

[lovelikewinter3]

BUDGET:
Rent: 1110.41/1110.41 (0)
Daycare: 156.24/180 (+23.76)
Loan repayment: 518.22/823.82 (+305.60)
Savings (ING): 200/200 (automatic)
Utilities: 240/240 (internet, cell phones)
Car Insurance: 141.52/175 (+33.48)
Life insurance: 44.96/65 (+20.04)
Renter's Insurance: 181.44/0 (once per year)
Total difference of non variable (aka bills): +201.44

Cat: 37.28/15 (bought mice) (-22.28)
Car(gas): 113.62/150 (+36.38)
Groceries: 399.14/400 (+0.86) CLOSE CALL!
Household: 215.37/50 (-165.37)
Clothing/entertainment: 413.99/100 (-313.99) Winter boots >_<
Smokes/quitting aids: 68.95/60 (-8.95)
Eating out: 150.67/100 (-50.67)
Gifts: 74.04/0
Other 308.21/0 (includes DD's Beaver's registration fee and school fees)
Bank fees: 11.37/11 (got dinged some interest on the CC this month)
Total variable difference: -906.64 OUCH

Coupon amount used: 76.37$

No Spend Days: 2/10; 4/10; 6/10; 10/10;

TOTAL OCTOBER EXPENSES to date: 4388.02 (including rent & non-variable expenses, and not-mentioned expenses)

TOTAL OCTOBER INCOME to date: 4283.29
DIFFERENCE to date: -104.73

Needless to say that this was not a great month, but not the worst either (last month was -300$ and change). But I really need to get on top of this overspending. At least it's not on groceries anymore, but it's getting a bit ridiculous. Thankfully this forum has helped me to realize that I can't keep spending the way that I am. Onwards to November!

[hudsam]

BUDGET:
Mortgage: 764/1528
Savings (ING): 100/100
Fixed Expenses: /2530(Utilities,bank fees,vehicle insurance ect)
Variable Expenses:
Groceries 549/800
Gas 385/400
Eating Out 222/150 (friend came into town and we bought dinner )
Other 513/200 (Truck acted up, need new alternator, batteries and more )
(clothes/parking ect)

Coupon amount used: $127

TOTAL OCTOBER EXPENSES to date: 1669/1530 (including rent & non-variable expenses, and not-mentioned expenses)

TOTAL OCTOBER INCOME to date: 3000 (sold some stuff & DH working OT)

**Saving to pay down vehicle**

[Valiant]

Hi people!
Whew, how time flies, and October is almost gone!
And here we are, with either too few dollars or some dollars left in our various budgets.
Please update your October Budget within the next few days, and then we'll begin our November Budget on a new thread; thanks everyone!

[Shwa Girl]

We don't have the details as you great SCs have posted in your budgets - not that organized, yet.

Just can't wait for October to be over.
Three big hits to our budget - Car insurance, tuition and brakes for the car.

We didn't abuse our credit card. We took from our ING and PC accounts. In November, December and January, we hope to rebuild these accounts that are hurting.