January 2012 Budget Challenge

[sotsuguyou]

Wanna know why I'm doing all this cooking and baking?
1. Because I want to figure out a way to keep my internet.
I need to be able to afford this $40 cost per month. Maybe I can do it by intensive cooking & baking, thereby lowering my food cost budget expenses.
We shall see.
2. Another reason is that I want LOTS of ready-to-eat food on hand. That's because I'm freeing up some big portions of TIME (from food preparation), to be used for other projects I want to tackle (sewing & crafting, home projects).
TIME IS MONEY.

1) I know you can do it!

2) Too bad time is the one commodity we can't buy more of...for that reason, there's no time like the present to get my act together.

[Valiant]

I will try. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

I don't really want to cancel my internet; the library is a mile away, and it's too hard on me to get there and back, and takes me a day to recuperate physically. I also save almost $1,000 per yr. using coupons, so would miss out on lots of quick coupon offers, FPC's, quick trades and things like that; so I'm trying a last-ditch effort at being able to continue to afford the expense of having internet.

However, spending less money is preferable, so as to have more in my Emergency Fund, while using coupons can be negotiable, depending on need vs. want.

[sotsuguyou]

So true. I had to think about the same thing today actually...At the end of the day that $1 item might be really cheap but if you don't need it and don't buy it, it is still $1 you get to keep. What a dilemma XD

[freefreefree]

So true. I had to think about the same thing today actually...At the end of the day that $1 item might be really cheap but if you don't need it and don't buy it, it is still $1 you get to keep. What a dilemma XD

Actually you should have called it "dorlemma" lol. I am just joking. I know what you mean. Sometimes I go to dollar store to buy one thing, and then ended up buying many things because as I walk around, I would see things and thinking hey I want this and it is only $1, lets take it, then after a few months, when I see the things again at home, then I would say to my self, aww, shouldn't have bought it, I don't really need it, should have kept my money in the bank for interest.

[carebearhamm]

I am an emotional eater and spender and there are times that i need to spend - so going to the dollar store with $20.00 (Cash only) it helps and i don't break the bank. The funny thing about doing this for me is that i can go and not buy anything and i get the same feeling - i have been figuring that its the act of window shopping. I'm turning into a window shoppers!!!

[NuCoupon]

I am an emotional eater and spender and there are times that i need to spend - so going to the dollar store with $20.00 (Cash only) it helps and i don't break the bank. The funny thing about doing this for me is that i can go and not buy anything and i get the same feeling - i have been figuring that its the act of window shopping. I'm turning into a window shoppers!!!

Me too! I hate going for a walk/run for the sake of it. I like to go to a store at the halfway point. I found recently I look forward to going to the store even if I don't buy anything! I used to always buy a coffee or something.

[NuCoupon]

My goal is to buy very little until Jan 16th. I know I will have to buy coffee beans, milk and baking supplies for my grandma's birthday cake. But that's it.

I have lots in the pantry/freezer and some fresh veggies in the fridge to last me. I just want to see if hubby & I can do it. I think we can or at least come close

[NuCoupon]

PS - the reason the date is the 16th is because we track spending on our credit card (and pay balance each month) New month starts on the 16th. We have a limit each month and we're way under even with Christmas (small family) and i want to see how far we can go

[Valiant]

It's a new day, people!

Yesterday, I made rice pudding with raisins and froze 2 tubs, and kept 3 portions in the pot for the fridge. I'm running out of steam with the cooking and baking, but still want to bake a big carrot cake, using up the last of the carrots, and the rest of the can of frosting. (when I bought the frosting, it was on sale with coupons, so almost free)

Today's To-Do's:
- check my lettuce again, and see if it is behaving itself
- use up the salad fixings
- bake a carrot cake, frost cake and freeze portions
- a few household chores

Will be getting ready to start work again next Monday. My long Christmas holiday wasn't really a break from working, since I've been slaving over a hot stove for the most part, but they say that a change is as good as a rest, and I do have a lot of prepared food to show for it.

Valentine's Day, and DS's birthday are coming up in February, so I want to finally figure out that slippers pattern, make up the slippers for my grandkids, pack up my DS's gift (already in my gift drawer since last summer), and mail everything in the same parcel. I'll need a few FREE weekends to do this, and the meals are now in place for that.

What's everybody up to today?

[sotsuguyou]

Well today I decided to channel my inner minimalist and go thru the house digging out all sort of random knick knacks that have accumulated over time and put them into "sell", "toss", and "give away" piles. With the "sell" stuff, I took photos of each item and posted them to Kijiji. The "give away" pile is going to Canadian Diabetes and the "toss" pile...well I'm giving that to the garbage man.

There's a possibility that I'm moving half way across the country so I'm starting to think about what I actually want to take with me. The actual list is surprisingly short. It's amazing what you accumulate after living in the same place for 20 years...

Also my GST cheque came in the mail today so I'm off to the bank. (Yes, I'm old school and haven't switched to the whole direct deposit thing...I like to see my bank tellers every once in a while just to make sure they're still human)

[Jasminenicole]

So my DH (we are waiting until after school to get married but calling him "DH" is just so much easier) and I are still in school we are now working close to 40 hrs a week, but there have been times where it has been very much part time. So our budget is probably going to look a little weird. We have decided to use Gail Van Oxlades budget spread sheet and jars method for our budget.

January Budget 2012:

Expenses:
Rent: PAID ($800.00)
Phone & Internet: $35.00
Hydro: $75.00
Food/Stockpile: $200.00 per month ($100 per pay check)
Miscellaneous:
Other:

Still living off of Decembers pay check, tracking for the new year will start next week on pay day.

Coupons Used: $0.00
Change Found: $0.10
Tips Made: $1.50

SPEND Days to date: 4/31

NO SPEND Days to date: 2/31


Goals:
- Start emergency fund
- Start long term savings fund
- Acquire more coupons
-Try doing cooking and baking haul once a week!


To-Do List:
- Get ready for new semester
- Stay organized
- Clean and organize office
- Work more

[Valiant]

WAY TO GO, PEOPLE!!!

To-Do's I did Today:
- baked a large carrot cake, will frost tonight & cool, package & freeze tomorrow
- baked a pan of brownies, will frost tonight & cool, package & freeze tomorrow
- used up my grated carrots, 1 1/2 of my scraped carrots, lettuce OK
- changed linens & did last 2 loads of laundry
- swept floors, took out trash
- collected & refroze 3 small jars of cream from a thawing jug of 2% milk in the fridge
- pile of dishes to do later
- listened to gentle strains of classical guitar throughout
- will do my own homework regarding further reading up about Warren Buffett's 2012 stock investments...the brainiac on other site refused.

[bobbiegirl2010]

PS - the reason the date is the 16th is because we track spending on our credit card (and pay balance each month) New month starts on the 16th. We have a limit each month and we're way under even with Christmas (small family) and i want to see how far we can go

We budget the same way with our credit card so we can earn PC points . I track my cc purchases on a spreadsheet so I know that I am staying within budget for groceries and gas.

[sotsuguyou]

Wow! Way to go, Valiant!

Do you have a time machine over there or what...

[carebearhamm]

I have been sick this week so i have not spent any $$ but not made any either.