2016 financial resolutions.

[Frugalbigmama]

The rest of the week/weekend should be spend-free since I have lots of cleaning/purging to do at home. I have 2 special people in the hospital this week for surgery but will buy cards and vases at $store and flowers at RCSS to keep costs down.
On a mission to get the spare room cleaned out so need to get posting stuff for sale. Will start tomorrow night. Will put all money from stuff sold aside (as I usually do). Still have money from last year for hockey season so will count it up and put aside and start collecting for the 2016/2017 season (for gate fees, spending money at canteen etc)
So much I want to do and so little time....

[jasperandchar]

Trying to find a better excel spreadsheet for our budget and can't seem to find one I enjoy. Anyone have a great one they would like to share?

google sheets - you can customize or use their templates

[Frugalbigmama]

Payday so budget clean up. Not much to clean up because I put $ on my credit card before going away last week and still have a credit. Then I misplaced it on my return so canceled it and requested new one to be sent. Of course I found it in my car lol. But the good news is it has stopped me from shopping which is good. I don't expect it till next week so will keep me from shopping this weekend too.
Have my yearly bonus added on this pay so have to figure out what I am doing with it. Usually I am boring and just save it. This year I think I will top up my vacation account (next trip is for the adults- somewhere hot- next year Feb we are hoping that my honey can get away from new job) so will top that off so I am ready. Then most in TFSA I think and a few hundred on credit card for Costco shopping spree (gotta have some fun) Saving is great but I'm at a point where I need to enjoy life too!

Not needing much in groceries this week so that will help the budget with an amount to carry over to the next period. My one PC pts card is at $30 so will use that next weekend I think so I don't touch the grocery money so it can carry over till the next period. Will see how this week goes

[Frugalbigmama]

Well I am going to have to re-jig the budget before the fall for Hydro and Enbridge. Rates are/have been going up and the amount I have budgeted for years just isn't going to cut it anymore. I will leave as is at the moment since the gas bill should be going right down now and have put $100 on my hydro bill from my bonus to give me a credit and hope it keeps me as is till fall. Now with the nice weather and daylight the lights are off longer and we are outside more instead of watching tv in the evening. And I can hang laundry outside to dry so that helps. Money money money

[saundyl]

I need to revamp my budget...I'm noticing with the new job that paydays don't quite match a monthly buget the same way getting paid on the 15th and the 30th did.

Good news though is bf is back to work so we can start rebuilding our savings that we had to tap into.

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[wimbly11]

Redoing our budget as well. Dishing out money now monthly for braces which was unexpected (the joys of being a step parent and having someone else make financial decisions that affect you! Rant over lol). We are going to allocate funds a little differently this coming month and try and save a little more. Created a new budget and spreadsheet to give it a fresh new feel lol

[jasperandchar]

Everyone is doing awesome, we all have hiccups along the way and need to revamp our budgets BUT the key is to not get discouraged and revamp the budgets as many have said.

___________________

We have saved up funds and have a contractor coming in April to make our old bedroom and youngest son`s old bedroom 1 open concept master with sitting area, super excited and it`s uplifting to know that we saved up and won`t incur any debt.

We are still allocating so much a month into a truck maintenance account as dh`s truck still needs repairs (grr still cheaper than buying a new truck or 2nd hand) oh well that`s life atleast it`s doable and we will be hopefully prepared once another repair is needed.

Next month I am changing gears and I will be putting my grocery $ in an account, it will be so much easier for me to keep track of what I have spent vs. having to check online and do a tally

Going to work on April`s budget next week as there are so many obligations (taxes, renewals etc) going through I don`t want to miss any on my budget

[Frugalbigmama]

Yearly bills ( property taxes, house and car insurance) I put the money aside each month then just pay the bill when due.

[beckie.c]

Everyone is doing great on their goals! Way to go!

Late-March Update....

#1. Catch up from DH's Sick Leave - Juggled around some "emergency" cash savings to catch up on this goal. Tripled automatic contributions back into that savings account so that by the mid-year that savings will be back to the same level. That way I don't have to wait to start saving the cash for our house renos and we still have a good chunk set aside for emergencies.

#2. Knock off remaining student loan balance - Starting to work on this, along with saving for goal #3

#3. Home Upgrades - Replaced Dishwasher (Jan/Feb) Replaced Toilet (March - My plumber DH decided that we just had to have a new toilet. Its sitting in my living room ready to be installed this weekend.) Started saving for new Flooring, hopefully before Summer, I'm looking at that luxury vinyl tile. Garage Siding/Eves on the list for the summer/early fall. Windows pushed into 2017.

#4. Purchased plane tickets on seat sale for our fall Europe trip, and have been watching and purchasing good hotel deals as the savings builds. I put together a budget for this trip based on a bunch of research I did into hotel/plane/activities before I started planning and so far I'm well under what I thought it would cost on the pieces I've purchased.

#5. Falling behind on my goal of taking my lunch and coffee. Will be getting this back on track because it makes such a difference in our budget.

[jasperandchar]

Yearly bills ( property taxes, house and car insurance) I put the money aside each month then just pay the bill when due.

I do the same

[jasperandchar]

Everyone is doing great on their goals! Way to go!

Late-March Update....

#1. Catch up from DH's Sick Leave - Juggled around some "emergency" cash savings to catch up on this goal. Tripled automatic contributions back into that savings account so that by the mid-year that savings will be back to the same level. That way I don't have to wait to start saving the cash for our house renos and we still have a good chunk set aside for emergencies.

#2. Knock off remaining student loan balance - Starting to work on this, along with saving for goal #3

#3. Home Upgrades - Replaced Dishwasher (Jan/Feb) Replaced Toilet (March - My plumber DH decided that we just had to have a new toilet. Its sitting in my living room ready to be installed this weekend.) Started saving for new Flooring, hopefully before Summer, I'm looking at that luxury vinyl tile. Garage Siding/Eves on the list for the summer/early fall. Windows pushed into 2017.

#4. Purchased plane tickets on seat sale for our fall Europe trip, and have been watching and purchasing good hotel deals as the savings builds. I put together a budget for this trip based on a bunch of research I did into hotel/plane/activities before I started planning and so far I'm well under what I thought it would cost on the pieces I've purchased.

#5. Falling behind on my goal of taking my lunch and coffee. Will be getting this back on track because it makes such a difference in our budget.

You're doing excellent, great job, I can sense the passion in your goals especially as you conquer on and meet them

[beckie.c]

You're doing excellent, great job, I can sense the passion in your goals especially as you conquer on and meet them

Thanks. The first year or two being in our house, we weren't really budgeting/tracking effectively and it was so disappointing to not get ahead. Now, with tracking our spending and planning I feel like we have our $$ working hard for us now, instead of the other way around.

[saundyl]

Redoing our budget as well. Dishing out money now monthly for braces which was unexpected (the joys of being a step parent and having someone else make financial decisions that affect you! Rant over lol). We are going to allocate funds a little differently this coming month and try and save a little more. Created a new budget and spreadsheet to give it a fresh new feel lol

I understand those joys. Gets frustrating when the bio parent can't take we can't afford that this year and registers kids for extra camps and such and expects half the money anyways .

We are finally lucky enough to have bfs and my health insurance over the boys so dental and glasses will be less of an issue now.

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[Frugalbigmama]

Payday this week and have a healthy balance to transfer forward for groceries, misc. and $30 for Gas (for car)

Both credit cards have credit balances.

I am going to try to make the next 2 weeks a "no spend" period. Will only buy fresh stuff for groceries to make good healthy meals. Post stuff for sale to start building the summer fun $. Keep going at organizing the house.

[Frugalbigmama]

Moved forward $ in budget for the next period since payday is tomorrow.
Gas (car) $30
Groceries $121.88 (redeemed $130 PC PTS for steak, roasts, ground pork and pork roasts last week)
Misc. $458.32 (will be over the $500 mark this next budget period- saving for bathroom reno)

Thinking about buying the CT GC's at SDM (10% off) Will use for gas again. Will pay credit card from savings and then transfer budgeted gas money to savings. (will also get 3x the PC PTS since its at SDM and will use PC MC elite )

Other then that should be a pretty non-spending period. Hoping!!