May 2012 Budget Challenge
May 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: ENJOYING SPRING !!! :icon_flower: :happy3: :icon_flower: :rain: :messenger3: :cup: :lightning: :rainbow: :sunny: :icon_flower:
My May 2012 Budget:
Expenses:
Rent (+ utilities): PAID(as per rate)
Phone: $16.56 (with finalized adjustments from last internet bill)
Water: $9.90 (reverse osmosis: cooking/drinking)
Food & Stockpile: $22.00 (tomatoes, milk, milk, margarine, 1 dozen apples, milk)
Other: $19.21 (tomato & impatiens plants from greenhouse = $4.27); (Conservation Fishing License = $13.94; (Metal Dish-Rack from thrift shop = $1.00)
Pharmacare Deductible: $104.76/$106 (meds)
Total May 2012 Expenses to date: $172.43 (plus Rent)
Coupons Used: $
Money Found: $0.12 ; and I should have an adjustment of about $15 refunded for phone & internet on May bill, after discussing 2 errors on my bill with MTS. Yes..adjustment came on this bill, and I'm now done with internet catch-up costs.
SPEND Days to date: 12/31 :cool:
NO SPEND Days to date: 18/31 :smile:
Goals: :smile:
- maximize work
- essential expenses: rent/utilities, basic phone, R.O. water; Pharmacare meds deductible = $106 (use budget surplus from April + some of Income Tax Refund to pay for this.)
- spending cuts on everything else
- exceptions: stockpile additions, emergencies, fishing license
- stay within budget this month
- add to Emergency Fund
To-Do List:
- work
- utilize all my resources:
- spend spare time on crafting for gift-giving: finishing touches on my crochetted articles completed, except for laundering and starching.
- OAMC&B (Once-A-Month-Cooking & Baking): made whipped topping & froze it in Cool Whip tub, still have some cooking/baking left from my big effort last week; made cream cheese frosting & froze it; baked biscuits & 15 turnovers (apple, saskatoon) for freezer; baked 5 loaves of whole-wheat bread, cooked a stockpot of vegetable soup (froze some loaves and soup-tubs; baked large batch of oatmeal-craisin cookies). Baked cornbread, oatbran/craisin muffins.
- get a fishing license this spring: waiting...waiting...; May 13: checked out the river area last weekend, but it's a terrible mess from last year's flooding, so can't access one side at all, park fishing-area also badly affected, so fishing may not be an option, after all. Update: conservation license has gone up to $13.95 + taxes...that's 16 tins of tuna, but still worth it if the fishing runs are good this year...haven't bought one yet, still waiting to check out how good the fishing is. Bought the license at $13.94, and must get my tackle box in order now.
- garden and yard work: moved seedling trays outdoors to harden off (potatoes included); black current bushes now have tiny berries; perennials sprouting out nicely. Mowed both front and back lawns, tilled front borders, tilled back borders, moved a few perennials to keep like plants in clumps, found 2 hollyhock windfalls in the lawn & moved them to borders, now getting ready for final transplants: tomatoes, potatoes, runner beans, morning glories, cucumbers (lots of digging, so must pace myself). Today, got up at 6 AM, gentle rain falling, air sweet and clean, had my cuppa on the patio steps under the roof overhang, so enjoyed the best of both; little sparrow timidly but trustingly scurrying nearby looking for its breakfast in my perennials, chirping happily... a golden moment to treasure in my storehouse.
Just got a notice from landlord that our 4 townhouse units will be completely reshingled, which will cause a big mess in our yards and gardens, plus leave dangerous nails in the grass which could cause injury during lawnmowing. On the plus side, my leaky roof & flashings will finally be fixed. Frost last night, but I protected my garden and flowers by sprinkling them with water from my garden hose, at midnight and again before sunrise, and my garden was saved (no frost), though frost was on the neighbouring tenants vehicles....whew!
- plant lettuce seeds; transplant tomatoes, herbs, flowers, etc.: lettuce & dill planted; tomatoes, basil, cucs, windfalls all planted. Only potatoes and impatiens left to plant out, but am waiting a bit before I plant the potatoes out, due to the upcoming reshingling of our roofs; they'll be throwing the old shingles down onto our yards and my garden...AAAGGHH!!!
Robins pecked out my basil, so have seeded again indoors.
- sewing: mended buttonholes, tried on some pants (now ready for alterations)
- some long visits with Mother Nature: checked out the park and river areas (badly devastated from last year's flood, lots of debris and dead trees, dead grassy-space), but it was wonderful to be communing with nature again!! Managing to get around a bit more outdoors without my cane or walker, which is a challenge, but also just plain wonderful!
Can hardly wait to go fishing now!!!
Living within my Budget: (updates)
- checked out my Pharmacare deductible, so I can plan the payments.
- checked out 2 errors on my MTS bill for April, and should receive a $15 refund adjustment on my May bill.
- need to do more OAMC&B soon to keep the freezer and fridge topped with homemade-prepared foods, saving money and time.
May 11/12: have been spending time on cooking and baking again: baked fluffy biscuits and 15 turnovers (invented recipe for apple, saskatoon) for freezer; also spent a few days laundering doilies, thoroughly dusting my studio, and doing vacuuming & some spring-cleaning throughout my home!
May 19/12: this has been a good, productive week for me. Got lots done in the yard and garden, and also sorted out my summer clothes in my dresser drawers, so I can assemble my clothing outfits immediately. Spent money only for water and milk. Cooked some flatbreads. Am now using my chives regularly, and keep a snatch of them in a glass of water in the fridge, as well as some cress.
May 23/12: neighbour discarded her baby-stroller, so I asked her if I could have it, and got it, for new wheels for my walker (if I can get them off).
May 30/12: budget doing nicely so far; fishing license bought. Re-organized the freezer from top to bottom, and found out what I have, and don't have, so happy to discover many possibilities there.
May 2012 Budget Balance & Update: - $24.14 (Deficit)
This deficit is due to the Pharmacare deductible, now almost entirely paid off. The surplus from April helped with that, and although I have no surplus this month, I'm quite happy with my budget results for May.
May Budget surplus allotted to Emergency Fund: $ 0