April 2012 Budget Challenge
April 2012 Budget Challenge: :money: $ $ :tshirt: $ $ :money:
It's a brand new month to work on our goals! :-)
All participants, please post below, thanks!
:wav:
:toothy4: :icon_sunny: :toothy4: SPRING IS HERE AGAIN !!! :icon_flower: :happy3: :icon_flower:
My April 2012 Budget:
Expenses:
Rent (+ utilities): PAID(as per rate)
Phone & Internet: $74.29 (catching up on the last internet bill)
Water: $ 7.92 (reverse osmosis: cooking/drinking)
Food & Stockpile: $9.98 (milk; milk)
Other: $1.20 (library photocopies...EEEK, I pressed the print button twice, and it printed my free pattern on 4 unnecessary pages each time, instead of condensing it...groan)
Total April 2012 Expenses to date: $93.39 (plus Rent)
Coupons Used: $0.00
Money Found: $0.25; GST Rebate = $63.25
SPEND Days to date: 9/30 :cool:
NO SPEND Days to date: 21/30 :smile:
Goals: :smile:
- maximize work
- essential expenses: rent/utilities, basic phone, R.O. water
- spending cuts on everything else
- exceptions: stockpile additions, emergencies
- stay within budget this month
- add to Emergency Fund
To-Do List:
- work
- utilize all my resources: you just bet I am!
- spend spare time on crafting for gift-giving: getting all my pattern binders organized, 3/5 completed; crafted 4 more bath puffs for gifts (now working on #5), crocheted 10 powder puffs and case, started a doily for displaying an ornament; hauled out the supplies and binders & planning to start slippers & dish scrubbies. Finished #5 bath puffs; crocheted 4 ornament doilies, started crochet on a corn-broom cover to protect the bristles so they don't shed.
Finished corn-broom cover + decorative wool embroidery; crocheted 1 large dish-scrubber.
- OAMC&B (Once-A-Month-Cooking & Baking): ad hoc; made a BIG chili & pasta casserole; prepped & froze cookie dough; cooked a huge stockpot of 'sprouting' potatoes; lots of cooking & baking at end of month (see below).
- get a fishing license this spring: waiting...waiting...
- garden and yard work: picked up the tree branches and trash so far; raked front yard, cleared and hoed front borders; swept leaves away from planters on patio; got a lovely rain the last 2 days to bring down the dust from the prolonged drought; the grass is growing, and I plan to work on the backyard in leisurely fashion...one thing at a time, and just enjoying the time out there. Finished raking the backyard (7 garbage bags full of leaves & tree twigs (saved 2 for composting and growing my potatoes); finished putting the backyard in order; thinned the raspberry patch; cleared out the pebble pond; raked all the flower borders; tidied & renewed the front entrance yard ornaments.
Patio table fell to pieces when I tried to lift it in order to clear up the leaves behind it, so I propped it together, and have to fix it with some spare lumber that I've saved.
- plant lettuce seeds; transplant tomatoes, herbs, flowers, etc.: my indoor seedlings need transplanting soon and some are getting a bit leggy, but still ok. Planting the lettuce into the backyard planters is on the To-Do List, but the weather got very cold again last night (Apr.26; down to -9 degrees)....brrrrr, so I'm holding off on planting more seeds; cress is growing in my last year's planters, pansy seedlings have sprouted, crocus, tulip and daffodil are up, mini-rose is shooting out; everything else is leafing out, and the Nanking Cherries are starting to bloom. Found some lovely violet plants in full-bloom already. Rhubarb's up!
- wardrobe organization, tailoring and alterations: repaired a couple of too-large buttonholes
- some long visits with Mother Nature: :cheesygrin: these are happening during errands and yard-work; I've been attempting to walk with just my walking-cane lately, and have made it downtown 3 times this way; also trying to walk without setting the cane-point down on the ground, and am making wobbly progress; feels so good to swing my arms again, and this is helping to reduce my shoulder/arm pain too. The Canada geese are back at the park, and it won't be long till fishing season (whooopie!)
Living within my Budget: (updates)
- Apr.4/12: Well, with a surplus of $151.08 from March, due to my Income Tax Refund, I will be keeping that money in my emergency fund for my Household Contents Insurance, due in July. Hope to make this a belt-tightening month. Actually, being without home internet has resulted in the loss of 7 lbs. already just from moving around more often, so that was a nice bonus. I've also been getting many things done around home that have been put off for ages. Almost every day I get more things sorted, organized and purged, and this makes for more space and less clutter, and a chance to take mental inventory of my posessions, so I know what I have on hand which can be resourced.
- Apr.12/12: I've been getting so many things done lately...yard work, crafting, de-cluttering, organizing. It's been fun... Another student is finished with music lessons for the year due to sports, so that's less monthly income for me...again. But I'm in pretty good shape to weather the loss, due to my Emergency Fund. Crafting-wise, I'm trying to finish up projects that have accumulated through the years, and it's a good feeling to get to work on them and see results. I've made a list of gift-giving projects to work on this year during spare time, so hope to have a drawer-ful of hand-crafted gifts ready-to-go when needed. I'm really trying hard to keep spending way down this month; so far I've only been to the library and out to buy drinking water. Have also been re-connecting with my favourite musical selectins, playing CD's, radio and practising my musical instruments a bit. It's all good.
Apr.14/12: Getting more handcrafts done; more housework done too. Must get down to some more cooking and baking...made homemade Nutella a couple of days ago...it's so good, and if thickened, can also suffice for a quick homemade peanut-butter chocolate fudge.
Homemade Nutella Recipe: 1 big spoon of peanut butter, 1 big spoon icing sugar, 1 big spoon of cocoa, 1 tsp. boiled water and/or vanilla to make it easier to stir. Stir and enjoy on toast. If wanting fudge, omit the water and make balls, rolling them in icing sugar.
Apr.19/12: Very busy crafting on crochet projects, cleaning and cooking lately; getting quite a bit done and saving a lot of money by keeping out of the stores.
Apr.26/12: So far, I've spent less than 20 dollars this month, plus rent and phone/internet. Hope I can make it to end of month without spending any more than that. This past week, I organized all my music in my studio, binders and books too many to count, and started a thorough dusting of my studio equipment and furnishings (so far, 1/3 completed). Have been playing my CD's a lot, and over-hauling my mind with some inspirational music in order to fight discouragement from all the changes I've had lately; it's always an adjustment, and I have to do the right things in order to win the battle over the negative emotions. So far, so good, though I've had some real downers lately. And that's nothing new...it's just the life of a music teacher...a full range of human experiences and emotions.
To-Do: finish dusting and cleaning studio, cook & bake, continue work on crafting, start digging backyard borders & apply leaf compost; practise some new music pieces.
Last Update:
During the past few days, I've been cooking and baking constantly, plus doing huge piles of dishes, and my fridge and fridge-freezer compartment are again filled to capacity; plus, I've added some baked goods to my freezer. Accomplished as follows: stockpot of vegetable soup, boiled eggs, rice pudding, biscuits, buns, cinnamon buns, apple pie, cooked carrots, potato wedges, mashed potatoes, fried ground beef and gravy, prepped salad fixings, chocolate cake. Have also used up bits and pieces of food basics in order to cook and bake, so my fridge is in order again, with no waste. Must also mention: cookies...peanut butter & choc. chip, oatmeal, pressed cookies.
I am pleasantly surprised to have a budget surplus this month!! Cutting back on the spending really paid off, and my GST Rebate topped up my own deficit. I will be using the surplus of $40.29 towards my Pharmacare medication deductible. In spite of spending very little money, I really lacked nothing. I did neglect regular eating habits for the first couple of weeks in April, but that was due to being preoccupied and focused on other things. Once I got back on track, I just used the foods in my stockpile basics, and when I had a few days to spend on OAMC&B (Once A Month Cooking & Baking), I topped up my fridge again, and am eating as well as usual.
It's been a good month! Next month, I should see a decrease in my MTS bill, and with no Internet it should be only $31.21. I'm looking forward to that!
April 2012 Budget Balance & Update:
Expenses = $93.39 + RENT
Budget Balance =+ $40.29 (surplus)
April Budget surplus allotted to Emergency Fund: $40.29 (!!!!)