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Home > Category: Gazelles in Envelopes
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Viewing the 'Gazelles in Envelopes' Category
October 17th, 2021 at 11:24 pm
1 As a reminder, I run a zero based budget, which means that every penny of the paycheck has a home. I don't run a zero-based checking acount, however. I have an $800 cushion in there, I just pretend it isn't there. This week neither DD or I have spending money budgeted for because we both made game purchases. The same will be true for next payday. We did both have the money saved for it, but couldn't make it to the credit union at the time we charged them, due to illness and DH being too busy with work to run there during open hours. I decided it would be easier to charge it and then just pay it back over the next two paychecks. No interest will incur.
As for the Citi card, we are still paying back some of the paycheck and then most of the adjustable bed frame we bought for DD. So no EF contributions this week. I also cut the household envelope as I have enough money in there for now and the same with the car maintenance envelope as there is over $1000 in there. That money went to the Citi card as well. We are still paying off that month of take out, but due to the closing period we've paid off the card for that time period without interest. Some of the next paycheck will go towards that, too. I will be working on the next billing cycle early, but I just want it gone again. As of this week I am functionally able to cook again with some help with the fetch and carry of ingredients. It is never good when the main cook goes down as you can see from how much we've been paying Citi because of it.
$277.33 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_100.00 Gas Money Envelope
__50.00 DH Spending Money
__30.00 DS Allowance
1415.95 Citi Card (Adjustable Bed Frame for DD, plus takeout)
----------------------------
2773.28 Total Money Out asdf123
As a reminder, I run a zero based budget, which means that every penny of the paycheck has a home. I don't run a zero-based checking acount, however. I have an $800 cushion in there, I just pretend it isn't there. This week neither DD or I have spending money budgeted for because we both made game purchases. The same will be true for next payday. We did both have the money saved for it, but couldn't make it to the credit union at the time we charged them, due to illness and DH being too busy with work to run there during open hours. I decided it would be easier to charge it and then just pay it back over the next two paychecks. No interest will incur.
As for the Citi card, we are still paying back some of the paycheck and then most of the adjustable bed frame we bought for DD. So no EF contributions this week. I also cut the household envelope as I have enough money in there for now and the same with the car maintenance envelope as there is over $1000 in there. That money went to the Citi card as well. We are still paying off that month of take out, but due to the closing period we've paid off the card for that time period without interest. Some of the next paycheck will go towards that, too. I will be working on the next billing cycle early, but I just want it gone again. As of this week I am functionally able to cook again with some help with the fetch and carry of ingredients. It is never good when the main cook goes down as you can see from how much we've been paying Citi because of it.
$277.33 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_100.00 Gas Money Envelope
__50.00 DH Spending Money
__30.00 DS Allowance
1415.95 Citi Card (Adjustable Bed Frame for DD, plus takeout)
----------------------------
2773.28 Total Money Out
Posted in
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Paying the Bills,
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Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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October 2nd, 2021 at 03:39 am
1 $277.23 Tithe
_132.00 Grocery Envelope
_310.00 Monthly Family Chiropractic Plan
_118.18 Internet
__36.00 Garbage Fund
_167.00 Car Insurance Fund
__50.00 DH's Spending Money
__50.00 My Spending Money
__30.00 DS's Spending Money
1601.98 Citi
---------------
2772.39
We had a lot of money in the grocery envelope still from last payday, mostly because DH keeps forgetting to grab it before he goes to the store and uses the credit card again, so I just made up the difference of what I usually put in there and put the rest of this payday's grocery budget towards the Citi card. DD doesn't get spending money this payday or next because I didn't make it over to the credit union today so I let her use the credit card to make her planned purchase and to pay me back she just won't get any until the 29th.
Since DD's new adjustable full size bed frame was charged, and she needed it for medical reasons, the $500 I usually put towards medical each payday also went to the Citi card, since we charged that. Next payday's will, too. I also put the household money towards it, since I still have money in the household fund to meet needs in that category and we have enough toilet paper, shampoo, soap, dish soap, dishwasher soap, and laundry detergent for about two months.
The monthly family chiropractic plan went up by $30 a month. It has been five years since he has raised that, so it was not unexpected, especially since he warned me a few months ago it would be, he just wasn't sure at the time by how much. Internet has gone up by a penny the last few times, so I finally adjusted the budget template to take that into account.
We still have quite a bit left on the credit card, but we have paid more than the amount we needed to not have interest charged and it will be paid off by the end of this month, also before any interest is charged. It's just been such a rough month with me not being able to cook, but today we ate leftovers and I am trying again to cook tomorrow. My sacral illiac joint has finally decided to stay in place, so a lot of the excruciating pain has subsided.
I still have no stamina from having Covid again, and I hope the exhaustion I had the first time lifts sooner this time than last time. Every day is a little better, but no day is really good yet. I have to wonder how much worse it might have been if I hadn't been vaccinated. And had antibodies of my own. Even though I can go out in public now, I don't think I could make it through a grocery trip yet. So I just keep sending DH for necessities and we keep getting take out.
Tomorrow I will try something easy, though, which is pot roast and baked potatoes in the Instant Pot and green beans in the microwave. That is very little hands on time, other than seasoning the roast, washing the potatoes, and adding butter and salt to the green beans.
DH did buy me salad ingredients and the missing ingredients I needed to make Italian dressing, too. So tonight I will try to get the lettuce cut up, the carrots peeled and sliced, the radishes sliced, the red onion sliced, the red bell pepper sliced, and the cucumbers peeled and sliced. The cheese is already shredded and so is the chicken and I have cherry tomatoes from the garden that are washed. I did manage to put a chicken in the Instant Pot last night to make broth, but DH had to add the filtered water since carrying that much from the filter in the laundry room was still too much for me. Anyway, then I can easily throw a salad together. I'll make the dressing tomorrow. I think it is just trying to do it all in one go, which will be bad for me.
But I have to stop getting take out, not just for financial reasons. I've put on fifteen pounds since I got really, really sick in late July. It makes everything hurt so much more. And the soda I've been drinking to get some caffeine to counter the exhaustion also has been bad. So real, homemade food, and healthier food is a must now. I've just got to pull it together and force myself to do this.
DD had her ultrasound today and the results also came back today through the patient portal. I am surprised how fast they are sometimes there. She does not have a hernia or a limpoma or hematoma or a surface tumor, so no one really knows why there is a big round lump pushing her skin out there. One other possibility is there might be a tumor too deep for the ultrasound pushing it forward, but that should have showed up on her liver MRI in the beginning of August if that were the case, I would think, unless it was too far away, but considering where her liver tumor was located, I don't think it is. I'm not sure what the next step will be. We won't hear from the gastro place until next week some time when they review it. But the technician confirmed that she could see the bulge and it wasn't just our imagination. Or it could have just grown since that MRI in the last two months, which it definitely has, but what the heck is it?
I did get some good news, though. A disabled child can stay on DH's insurance after age 26, so we need to fill out some paperwork and so does her main doctor, but since she has all of the things, she'll qualify. That is such a major relief. She doesn't turn 26 until August of next year, but it has been something I have been worrying about for the last couple of years as diagnosis after diagnosis has come in. We will start the ball rolling to see if she can get on disability, too. That will help in paying the medical bills that aren't covered by insurance and give her a small income, too, so she doesn't have to rely on us for every little thing she needs.
She has at least 3 things that will qualify her for that, possibly five, but the secondary adreanal insufficiency is the big one that alone should qualify her for it. It's really just a matter of filling out the paperwork, being automatically denied, appealing once or twice, and then she should be able to get it. She's way worse off than the BIL who is on disability is, he only has the same disc issue she has, and none of the diseases.
The insurance was the real issue for us. Disability would just be nice for her. It would be enough to set aside for the electric wheelchair she will likely need in the next couple of years. Not sure how we'll transport it, though. Not sure we could afford a used wheelchair van. But that's a worry for future me to deal with. asdf123
$277.23 Tithe
_132.00 Grocery Envelope
_310.00 Monthly Family Chiropractic Plan
_118.18 Internet
__36.00 Garbage Fund
_167.00 Car Insurance Fund
__50.00 DH's Spending Money
__50.00 My Spending Money
__30.00 DS's Spending Money
1601.98 Citi
---------------
2772.39
We had a lot of money in the grocery envelope still from last payday, mostly because DH keeps forgetting to grab it before he goes to the store and uses the credit card again, so I just made up the difference of what I usually put in there and put the rest of this payday's grocery budget towards the Citi card. DD doesn't get spending money this payday or next because I didn't make it over to the credit union today so I let her use the credit card to make her planned purchase and to pay me back she just won't get any until the 29th.
Since DD's new adjustable full size bed frame was charged, and she needed it for medical reasons, the $500 I usually put towards medical each payday also went to the Citi card, since we charged that. Next payday's will, too. I also put the household money towards it, since I still have money in the household fund to meet needs in that category and we have enough toilet paper, shampoo, soap, dish soap, dishwasher soap, and laundry detergent for about two months.
The monthly family chiropractic plan went up by $30 a month. It has been five years since he has raised that, so it was not unexpected, especially since he warned me a few months ago it would be, he just wasn't sure at the time by how much. Internet has gone up by a penny the last few times, so I finally adjusted the budget template to take that into account.
We still have quite a bit left on the credit card, but we have paid more than the amount we needed to not have interest charged and it will be paid off by the end of this month, also before any interest is charged. It's just been such a rough month with me not being able to cook, but today we ate leftovers and I am trying again to cook tomorrow. My sacral illiac joint has finally decided to stay in place, so a lot of the excruciating pain has subsided.
I still have no stamina from having Covid again, and I hope the exhaustion I had the first time lifts sooner this time than last time. Every day is a little better, but no day is really good yet. I have to wonder how much worse it might have been if I hadn't been vaccinated. And had antibodies of my own. Even though I can go out in public now, I don't think I could make it through a grocery trip yet. So I just keep sending DH for necessities and we keep getting take out.
Tomorrow I will try something easy, though, which is pot roast and baked potatoes in the Instant Pot and green beans in the microwave. That is very little hands on time, other than seasoning the roast, washing the potatoes, and adding butter and salt to the green beans.
DH did buy me salad ingredients and the missing ingredients I needed to make Italian dressing, too. So tonight I will try to get the lettuce cut up, the carrots peeled and sliced, the radishes sliced, the red onion sliced, the red bell pepper sliced, and the cucumbers peeled and sliced. The cheese is already shredded and so is the chicken and I have cherry tomatoes from the garden that are washed. I did manage to put a chicken in the Instant Pot last night to make broth, but DH had to add the filtered water since carrying that much from the filter in the laundry room was still too much for me. Anyway, then I can easily throw a salad together. I'll make the dressing tomorrow. I think it is just trying to do it all in one go, which will be bad for me.
But I have to stop getting take out, not just for financial reasons. I've put on fifteen pounds since I got really, really sick in late July. It makes everything hurt so much more. And the soda I've been drinking to get some caffeine to counter the exhaustion also has been bad. So real, homemade food, and healthier food is a must now. I've just got to pull it together and force myself to do this.
DD had her ultrasound today and the results also came back today through the patient portal. I am surprised how fast they are sometimes there. She does not have a hernia or a limpoma or hematoma or a surface tumor, so no one really knows why there is a big round lump pushing her skin out there. One other possibility is there might be a tumor too deep for the ultrasound pushing it forward, but that should have showed up on her liver MRI in the beginning of August if that were the case, I would think, unless it was too far away, but considering where her liver tumor was located, I don't think it is. I'm not sure what the next step will be. We won't hear from the gastro place until next week some time when they review it. But the technician confirmed that she could see the bulge and it wasn't just our imagination. Or it could have just grown since that MRI in the last two months, which it definitely has, but what the heck is it?
I did get some good news, though. A disabled child can stay on DH's insurance after age 26, so we need to fill out some paperwork and so does her main doctor, but since she has all of the things, she'll qualify. That is such a major relief. She doesn't turn 26 until August of next year, but it has been something I have been worrying about for the last couple of years as diagnosis after diagnosis has come in. We will start the ball rolling to see if she can get on disability, too. That will help in paying the medical bills that aren't covered by insurance and give her a small income, too, so she doesn't have to rely on us for every little thing she needs.
She has at least 3 things that will qualify her for that, possibly five, but the secondary adreanal insufficiency is the big one that alone should qualify her for it. It's really just a matter of filling out the paperwork, being automatically denied, appealing once or twice, and then she should be able to get it. She's way worse off than the BIL who is on disability is, he only has the same disc issue she has, and none of the diseases.
The insurance was the real issue for us. Disability would just be nice for her. It would be enough to set aside for the electric wheelchair she will likely need in the next couple of years. Not sure how we'll transport it, though. Not sure we could afford a used wheelchair van. But that's a worry for future me to deal with.
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Off on a Tangent,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Medical Issues and Spending,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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2 Comments »
September 23rd, 2021 at 06:57 pm
1 $281.04 Tithe
_325.00 Groceries Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
1181.34 Citi
_100.00 Gas Money
__78.82 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
__48.71 Long Term Care Insurance
__50.00 DH Spending Money
__50.00 Me Spending Money
__30.00 DD Allowance
__30.00 DS Allowance
------------------
2810.37 Total Money Out
I run a zero based budget, so that brings the paycheck down to $0.00 left.
Additional Bills that were paid out of short term sinking funds, were the 6 month car insurance bill at $965.00 and the 2 month garbage bill at $86.79. I set money aside monthly for these things in savings and then pay them when they come due. It allows me to easily pay for bills that are irregular instead of monthly without having to worry about it at all.
I will be glad when the garden season is over and the last of the yard waste can go to the green dump for composting, as we've had that on top of regular carbage can fees each month as well. It's $12 for a dump load of green waste, which isn't bad if you fill the whole truck, which we do. I usually compost most things, but not tree trimmings, rose bush trimmings, or tomato and potato plants, which can carry blight. So while I haven't budgeted monthly for green waste, I did drop some money into a sinking fund early last spring to deal with it. We can probably do two more dump loads and then it will be gone. So I may or may not have to budget more.
I did have to raise the amount I was setting aside for car insurance in the budget template. I had saved $900 and their was an additional $65. I had guesstimated how much more it would cost with DS as a licensed driver and was a little short because he is not getting the student discount this time as he is not a student right now. Once he buys his car, he will pay for his own insurance (or the difference in ours) and we can go back to only paying $600 every six months. Anyway, I am now saving $167 a month instead of 150 going forward. asdf123
$281.04 Tithe
_325.00 Groceries Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
1181.34 Citi
_100.00 Gas Money
__78.82 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
__48.71 Long Term Care Insurance
__50.00 DH Spending Money
__50.00 Me Spending Money
__30.00 DD Allowance
__30.00 DS Allowance
------------------
2810.37 Total Money Out
I run a zero based budget, so that brings the paycheck down to $0.00 left.
Additional Bills that were paid out of short term sinking funds, were the 6 month car insurance bill at $965.00 and the 2 month garbage bill at $86.79. I set money aside monthly for these things in savings and then pay them when they come due. It allows me to easily pay for bills that are irregular instead of monthly without having to worry about it at all.
I will be glad when the garden season is over and the last of the yard waste can go to the green dump for composting, as we've had that on top of regular carbage can fees each month as well. It's $12 for a dump load of green waste, which isn't bad if you fill the whole truck, which we do. I usually compost most things, but not tree trimmings, rose bush trimmings, or tomato and potato plants, which can carry blight. So while I haven't budgeted monthly for green waste, I did drop some money into a sinking fund early last spring to deal with it. We can probably do two more dump loads and then it will be gone. So I may or may not have to budget more.
I did have to raise the amount I was setting aside for car insurance in the budget template. I had saved $900 and their was an additional $65. I had guesstimated how much more it would cost with DS as a licensed driver and was a little short because he is not getting the student discount this time as he is not a student right now. Once he buys his car, he will pay for his own insurance (or the difference in ours) and we can go back to only paying $600 every six months. Anyway, I am now saving $167 a month instead of 150 going forward.
Posted in
Gardening Organically,
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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September 9th, 2021 at 03:12 am
1 I continue to save money to the medical fund at a rapid rate. I need to save enough for orthodontia, plus enough for next year's medical deductible and out of pocket max.
I owed DS $9.59 because he picked stuff up from the store where he works for me, so I just added that to how much he got for his allowance. He has $57.04 left to complete his $1000 emergency fund, so that will be met with his next paycheck. At that point his allowance will drop from $60 every two weeks to $30 every two weeks, which is what we give his sister. That will occur on our next payday, since he gets paid weekly.
I wanted to allow him to have spending money so he could put all his wages that didn't go to tithe or IRA, but since that is over, and he isn't doing as much around the house with his job, he can get the minimal amount we give DD, who is incapable of doing much due to her disabilities. When he goes to full time that allowance will be gone completely. He will be saving up for a car next and after that he will start saving for school. He want to be an electrician.
Anyway, here's the payday report. Every dollar is accounted for as we run a zero based budget.
$277.27 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_200.00 Groceries Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.18 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_716.73 Citi
__50.00 DH spending money
__50.00 My spending money
__65.59 DS Allowance plus money owed him
__30.00 DD Allowance
--------------------------
2772.77 Total Money Out asdf123
I continue to save money to the medical fund at a rapid rate. I need to save enough for orthodontia, plus enough for next year's medical deductible and out of pocket max.
I owed DS $9.59 because he picked stuff up from the store where he works for me, so I just added that to how much he got for his allowance. He has $57.04 left to complete his $1000 emergency fund, so that will be met with his next paycheck. At that point his allowance will drop from $60 every two weeks to $30 every two weeks, which is what we give his sister. That will occur on our next payday, since he gets paid weekly.
I wanted to allow him to have spending money so he could put all his wages that didn't go to tithe or IRA, but since that is over, and he isn't doing as much around the house with his job, he can get the minimal amount we give DD, who is incapable of doing much due to her disabilities. When he goes to full time that allowance will be gone completely. He will be saving up for a car next and after that he will start saving for school. He want to be an electrician.
Anyway, here's the payday report. Every dollar is accounted for as we run a zero based budget.
$277.27 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_200.00 Groceries Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.18 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_716.73 Citi
__50.00 DH spending money
__50.00 My spending money
__65.59 DS Allowance plus money owed him
__30.00 DD Allowance
--------------------------
2772.77 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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1 Comments »
August 7th, 2021 at 01:19 am
1 In addition to it being payday we had a tiny dividend check for 51¢ and a check from MIL for $120.00, so I just added that in to the budget. I used part of it for a new envelope system and part for a small EF deposit. Hopefully they will actually send me the red envelope system that I ordered this time. My son will be taking the green one they mistakenly sent if they actually send me the red one, otherwise I am going to have to try to deal with their customer service, which I would rather avoid. I hate dealing with online customer service. Anyway, here's what went out today:
$277.23 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_200.00 Grocery Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.18 Internet
__36.00 Garbage Fund (paid every 2 months)
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money
__50.00 DH Blow Money
__50.00 My Blow Money
__90.00 Kids' Allowances
__87.92 Emergency Fund
_625.93 Citi
__32.56 Red Envelope System
I usually do $400 a month for groceries, but since DH could only go to the store with me yesterday I charged the shop to the Citi card and the left the other $200 that would have gone to the grocery fund to go to the Citi payment today. We should be able to have a little more to add to the emergency fund this month if we keep our take out issue under control. There is currently $477.22 left on the Citi card and some of the autopays have yet to be charged. We will bring that down to zero by month's end. I never carry a balance, but if we don't stop this, it could happen and I never want it to happen again. It may not be much, but I didn't think I'd be able to add anything to the EF this week so I'm glad I could.
Next month I think I will increase the grocery budget to $500 like I talked about. It may not be necessary with DD's dietary issues, but I want that cushion if it is.
asdf123
In addition to it being payday we had a tiny dividend check for 51¢ and a check from MIL for $120.00, so I just added that in to the budget. I used part of it for a new envelope system and part for a small EF deposit. Hopefully they will actually send me the red envelope system that I ordered this time. My son will be taking the green one they mistakenly sent if they actually send me the red one, otherwise I am going to have to try to deal with their customer service, which I would rather avoid. I hate dealing with online customer service. Anyway, here's what went out today:
$277.23 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_200.00 Grocery Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.18 Internet
__36.00 Garbage Fund (paid every 2 months)
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money
__50.00 DH Blow Money
__50.00 My Blow Money
__90.00 Kids' Allowances
__87.92 Emergency Fund
_625.93 Citi
__32.56 Red Envelope System
I usually do $400 a month for groceries, but since DH could only go to the store with me yesterday I charged the shop to the Citi card and the left the other $200 that would have gone to the grocery fund to go to the Citi payment today. We should be able to have a little more to add to the emergency fund this month if we keep our take out issue under control. There is currently $477.22 left on the Citi card and some of the autopays have yet to be charged. We will bring that down to zero by month's end. I never carry a balance, but if we don't stop this, it could happen and I never want it to happen again. It may not be much, but I didn't think I'd be able to add anything to the EF this week so I'm glad I could.
Next month I think I will increase the grocery budget to $500 like I talked about. It may not be necessary with DD's dietary issues, but I want that cushion if it is.
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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June 18th, 2021 at 12:37 am
1 I'm almost a week late in getting this up, but I've been kind of lax about it, so figured I'd go back to it. There was quite a bit of overtime on DH's paycheck.
$383.50 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.17 Internet
_280.00 Monthly Family Chiropractic Plan
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money Envelope
_100.00 Adults' Spending Money
_120.00 Kids' Allowances
_142.00 Hog Fund
_800.30 Citi
--------------------
3834.97 Total Money Out asdf123
I'm almost a week late in getting this up, but I've been kind of lax about it, so figured I'd go back to it. There was quite a bit of overtime on DH's paycheck.
$383.50 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.17 Internet
_280.00 Monthly Family Chiropractic Plan
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money Envelope
_100.00 Adults' Spending Money
_120.00 Kids' Allowances
_142.00 Hog Fund
_800.30 Citi
--------------------
3834.97 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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June 16th, 2021 at 12:23 am
1 Our retirement accounts now total $56,864.42, a difference in total of $2,689.12 in the last 17 days. Most of that is from contributions from us and work, but about $400 was profit. DH worked a lot of overtime on the last two paychecks so close to $1940 was what we contributed. I hope one day work will go back to contributing 5% instead of 2.5%.
As for the Hog Fund, after I met my goal with the Beef Fund I had $29, so I transferred that to a new envelope and on payday I had $192 left in the grocery envelope, so that moved to the Hog Fund envelope. Then I added $172 to that, so there is $393 in that enveope now. The goal is $1000, so $607 to go. I have reserved a whole hog for October. It should dress out somewhere around 220 pounds max.
After that my goal will be to start stocking up on chicken. I probably won't buy it bulk off the farm, though, as I prefer to just buy thighs and legs. Unless we can find a source for that, we will just go with grocery sales. I'm not sure if DH is going to get much fishing in this summer with the amount of overtime he's been clocking. If he can go we will stock up on whatever he catches.
I just feel a really strong need to be prepared for 2022. Either way, we'll have food. asdf123
Our retirement accounts now total $56,864.42, a difference in total of $2,689.12 in the last 17 days. Most of that is from contributions from us and work, but about $400 was profit. DH worked a lot of overtime on the last two paychecks so close to $1940 was what we contributed. I hope one day work will go back to contributing 5% instead of 2.5%.
As for the Hog Fund, after I met my goal with the Beef Fund I had $29, so I transferred that to a new envelope and on payday I had $192 left in the grocery envelope, so that moved to the Hog Fund envelope. Then I added $172 to that, so there is $393 in that enveope now. The goal is $1000, so $607 to go. I have reserved a whole hog for October. It should dress out somewhere around 220 pounds max.
After that my goal will be to start stocking up on chicken. I probably won't buy it bulk off the farm, though, as I prefer to just buy thighs and legs. Unless we can find a source for that, we will just go with grocery sales. I'm not sure if DH is going to get much fishing in this summer with the amount of overtime he's been clocking. If he can go we will stock up on whatever he catches.
I just feel a really strong need to be prepared for 2022. Either way, we'll have food.
Posted in
Retirement,
Emergency Living and Preperations,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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0 Comments »
June 3rd, 2021 at 09:55 pm
1 We took the van in for a 5000 mile check up yesterday. It was basically an oil change and fluid fill up and an inspection to see what else needed to be done now that the car has reached ten years of age. They do have things they rec at either 10 years or 100,000 miles. Well, we only have 51,000 miles, but we bought the van in June of 2021 so we are going with getting the work done that is recommended. We paid $94.69 for that appointment.
Because we want to drive this van until it dies, maintenance if very important to us. Vehicles, even used ones, are super expensive, so we take as good of care as possible of our vehicles. They want to flush the transmission at $315, flush the coolant at $200, do an induction (cleaning the build up off the inside of the engine) at $170, and something to do with the electonic fuel injection at $170. That's a total of $855 worth of work. I only have $708 in my car maintenance envelope after paying for the other. That's a shortfall of $147.00.
Since DH will get quite a bit of overtime on the next paycheck, I will take out $200 for car maintenance, which will cover the shortfall and leave a little left in the envelope. I set aside $100 a month generally in this envelope. I will set aside an additional $100 the following payday, too. I don't like to run that envelope so close to bone.
I didn't end up planting any seeds yesterday, but we did get the wire hoops cut to size and put into the bed and then measured out and fitted the netting to the hoops. We hand watered, too. It was still pretty hot and it just sapped your strength. Today is 68 and much cooler so we will try to get it done. My soaker hose is supposed to arrive today. I got it for the bed that has the tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash in it, because those don't like to get their leaves wet and will get blight if they are wet too much. This way I can water at the base and not have to worry about that.
If I like the way the soaker hose works I will order them for the other beds, too. I want to see how great the coverage is with it. A soaker is the type that beads out water droplets not sprays them out. That's a drip hose. People get them confused, understandably, and then complain on Amazon reviews because it doesn't work the way they thought it would because they ordered the wrong thing. A simple reading of the description would tell them. But the whiney reveiws were actually helpful because I knew for sure it would do what I wanted it to do.
Tomorrow is my MRI on my back. Since the 20 weeks of physical therapy did nothing to improve things, they are now looking for disc issues, most likely a slipped disc. It would be nice to have an answer and maybe a better course of treatment. I really don't want to be on pain killers the rest of my life. It addles my mind. asdf123
We took the van in for a 5000 mile check up yesterday. It was basically an oil change and fluid fill up and an inspection to see what else needed to be done now that the car has reached ten years of age. They do have things they rec at either 10 years or 100,000 miles. Well, we only have 51,000 miles, but we bought the van in June of 2021 so we are going with getting the work done that is recommended. We paid $94.69 for that appointment.
Because we want to drive this van until it dies, maintenance if very important to us. Vehicles, even used ones, are super expensive, so we take as good of care as possible of our vehicles. They want to flush the transmission at $315, flush the coolant at $200, do an induction (cleaning the build up off the inside of the engine) at $170, and something to do with the electonic fuel injection at $170. That's a total of $855 worth of work. I only have $708 in my car maintenance envelope after paying for the other. That's a shortfall of $147.00.
Since DH will get quite a bit of overtime on the next paycheck, I will take out $200 for car maintenance, which will cover the shortfall and leave a little left in the envelope. I set aside $100 a month generally in this envelope. I will set aside an additional $100 the following payday, too. I don't like to run that envelope so close to bone.
I didn't end up planting any seeds yesterday, but we did get the wire hoops cut to size and put into the bed and then measured out and fitted the netting to the hoops. We hand watered, too. It was still pretty hot and it just sapped your strength. Today is 68 and much cooler so we will try to get it done. My soaker hose is supposed to arrive today. I got it for the bed that has the tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash in it, because those don't like to get their leaves wet and will get blight if they are wet too much. This way I can water at the base and not have to worry about that.
If I like the way the soaker hose works I will order them for the other beds, too. I want to see how great the coverage is with it. A soaker is the type that beads out water droplets not sprays them out. That's a drip hose. People get them confused, understandably, and then complain on Amazon reviews because it doesn't work the way they thought it would because they ordered the wrong thing. A simple reading of the description would tell them. But the whiney reveiws were actually helpful because I knew for sure it would do what I wanted it to do.
Tomorrow is my MRI on my back. Since the 20 weeks of physical therapy did nothing to improve things, they are now looking for disc issues, most likely a slipped disc. It would be nice to have an answer and maybe a better course of treatment. I really don't want to be on pain killers the rest of my life. It addles my mind.
Posted in
Gardening Organically,
Vehicle Expenses,
Medical Issues and Spending,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
1 Comments »
May 14th, 2021 at 05:58 pm
1 $285.83 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
_100.00 Household Envelope
_118.17 Internet
_280.00 Monthly Chiropractic Family Plan
__65.90 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance
_300.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money for Adults
135.00 Allowances for Kids
_116.93 Citi
-----------------------
2851.83 Total Money Out asdf123
$285.83 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
_100.00 Household Envelope
_118.17 Internet
_280.00 Monthly Chiropractic Family Plan
__65.90 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance
_300.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money for Adults
135.00 Allowances for Kids
_116.93 Citi
-----------------------
2851.83 Total Money Out
Posted in
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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0 Comments »
April 17th, 2021 at 01:58 am
1 I rolled my coins and was able to deposit $10.50 into the Emegency Fund. It's not a lot and it is most likely all we are going to be putting in this month, what with all the outlay for building the new garden. I should be able to start making more regular deposits into the EF starting in May.
$15,363.73 Previous Balance
+__,_10.50 Rolled Coin
--------------------
$15,374.23 New Balance
As for the Beef Fund, there was $63 left in the grocery envelope when I re-funded it today, so that was transferred to the Beef Fund envelope.
$1161.00 Previous Balance
+__63.00 Amount Added
-----------------
$1224.00 New Balance
I do have an extra $1000 set aside just in case I don't meet my Beef Fund goal in time to buy a full steer by the end of the summer, but I really want to try to meet it by doing what I am doing so that maybe that can be allocated elsewhere.
asdf123
I rolled my coins and was able to deposit $10.50 into the Emegency Fund. It's not a lot and it is most likely all we are going to be putting in this month, what with all the outlay for building the new garden. I should be able to start making more regular deposits into the EF starting in May.
$15,363.73 Previous Balance
+__,_10.50 Rolled Coin
--------------------
$15,374.23 New Balance
As for the Beef Fund, there was $63 left in the grocery envelope when I re-funded it today, so that was transferred to the Beef Fund envelope.
$1161.00 Previous Balance
+__63.00 Amount Added
-----------------
$1224.00 New Balance
I do have an extra $1000 set aside just in case I don't meet my Beef Fund goal in time to buy a full steer by the end of the summer, but I really want to try to meet it by doing what I am doing so that maybe that can be allocated elsewhere.
Posted in
Emergency Fund/Coin Jar,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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1 Comments »
February 6th, 2021 at 06:21 am
1 It hasn't been too bad getting used to less money coming in. We are definitely being more disciplined with the budget and still not eating out, but we have adapted okay to having 15% taken out for retirement instead of 5%. I honestly thought it would be harder than this, especially with so much more coming out for medical this year.
$271.23 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_300.00 Grocery Envelope
_100.00 Beef Fund
_300.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
__90.00 Allowances Kids
_100.00 Clothing Envelope
_100.00 Gift/Christmas Envelope
_400.00 Handicapped Ramp Fund
__71.96 Emergency Fund
-----------------
2712.36 Total Money Out asdf123
It hasn't been too bad getting used to less money coming in. We are definitely being more disciplined with the budget and still not eating out, but we have adapted okay to having 15% taken out for retirement instead of 5%. I honestly thought it would be harder than this, especially with so much more coming out for medical this year.
$271.23 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_300.00 Grocery Envelope
_100.00 Beef Fund
_300.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_118.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
__90.00 Allowances Kids
_100.00 Clothing Envelope
_100.00 Gift/Christmas Envelope
_400.00 Handicapped Ramp Fund
__71.96 Emergency Fund
-----------------
2712.36 Total Money Out
Posted in
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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1 Comments »
January 22nd, 2021 at 08:55 pm
1 I did get my Google/AdSense payment this week so I added that into the regular budget. 10% of that went to the tithe and the rest to the Emergency Fund. I did buy some garden stuff with the Citi card, but the rest of that was monthly charges for Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Sirius Satellite for the van (that includes the up to date GPS information), and Ting (our cell phone service).
I know I'm not meant to be using that card for anything but the subscriptions, but I did. And I'll be transparent about it, because that is what this blog is about. The seed catalogues online are selling out already and I didn't want to wait until today. I'm glad I didn't, or I would have missed out on the onion plant variety I wanted, the thornless blackberry plants, and multiple varieties of seeds that are very hard to get. As of today they were sold out. I checked. I have made all of my seed orders now. I will still have to order the seed potatoes I want, but if I miss out on those I'll just get some locally of a different variety. The shipping will get you on the seed potatoes, because 25 pounds is heavy to ship, so I probably won't order those until next payday, but on my debit card this time.
$281.47 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_556.56 Autopays/Citi
__71.99 Life Insurance--DH
__60.46 Life Insruance--Me
_300.00 Taxes Fund
_100.00 Spending Money--Adults
__90.00 Allowances--Kids
_479.25 Emergency Fund
_100.00 Car Maintenance Envelope
-------------------------
2814.73 Total Money Out asdf123
I did get my Google/AdSense payment this week so I added that into the regular budget. 10% of that went to the tithe and the rest to the Emergency Fund. I did buy some garden stuff with the Citi card, but the rest of that was monthly charges for Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Sirius Satellite for the van (that includes the up to date GPS information), and Ting (our cell phone service).
I know I'm not meant to be using that card for anything but the subscriptions, but I did. And I'll be transparent about it, because that is what this blog is about. The seed catalogues online are selling out already and I didn't want to wait until today. I'm glad I didn't, or I would have missed out on the onion plant variety I wanted, the thornless blackberry plants, and multiple varieties of seeds that are very hard to get. As of today they were sold out. I checked. I have made all of my seed orders now. I will still have to order the seed potatoes I want, but if I miss out on those I'll just get some locally of a different variety. The shipping will get you on the seed potatoes, because 25 pounds is heavy to ship, so I probably won't order those until next payday, but on my debit card this time.
$281.47 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_556.56 Autopays/Citi
__71.99 Life Insurance--DH
__60.46 Life Insruance--Me
_300.00 Taxes Fund
_100.00 Spending Money--Adults
__90.00 Allowances--Kids
_479.25 Emergency Fund
_100.00 Car Maintenance Envelope
-------------------------
2814.73 Total Money Out
Posted in
Gardening Organically,
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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5 Comments »
January 20th, 2021 at 02:42 am
1 I didn't get my debit card back in my wallet last week when I made my second seed order. I noticed it was missing last night when I went to place my third seed order. It scared me quite a bit at first and then I realized there was no way I had taken it out of the house. I completely dumped out my purse and went through everything. It was not there, although I did have $1.37 in change at the bottom that I put in the coin jar.
So I ended up organizing my desk, mostly. It had gotten ridiculous with papers that needed to be filed, shredded, or recycled. It's still a little cluttered, but ten times better. I did not find my debit card on my desk, but I did find a $5 bill and then about a half an hour later a $50 bill. The $5 was just loose, but the $50 was in an envelope system that was battered and I had replaced, but not thrown out. It was in the restaurant envelope, if anyone was curious.
I am glad I decided last minute to check all the envelopes. I was thrilled. I took that $55 and added it to the Beef Envelope, so there is now $120 in there. I can't believe I almost threw that $50 away. If it wasn't for that little voice that said check it, check it, check it, I would have.
Finally I cleaned out underneath my desk. It wasn't bad, just a few papers that had slipped between the wall and my desk and ended up on the floor. It was not there, either. So then I picked up my foot board. All of my height is in my back so in order to be comfortable in a computer chair, DH made me a two foot long by one foot wide foot board at the right height for me to be comfortable. And that is where it was. It had slipped down the back of the desk and wiggled its way under there.
I was so relieved to have found it. Tomorrow I will work on my desk some more, but tonight I need to shred papers. I don't want to build up again like I did and have to do a massive shred fest like I did a couple years ago. I've been generally good at staying on top of that, but when you pull muscles in your back, you don't worry about your paper pile getting larger. You do the bare minimum until you can function again. Which is about where I am now.
I am feeling the bug to organize, to clean, and to work out in the garden. We have had lovely sunny days without ran in the middle 40's. It would be perfect weather to go out and pull the corn stalks and the dead bean vines and get the posts dug out. We are totally revamping the garden and everything has to be cleared away so we can build the new beds. I don't want the growing season to get away from me. I think it would be good to get outside and move my body and it would be good for DS, as well. He's feeling quite the large amount of cabin fever right now. Being outside does help mitigate that. asdf123
I didn't get my debit card back in my wallet last week when I made my second seed order. I noticed it was missing last night when I went to place my third seed order. It scared me quite a bit at first and then I realized there was no way I had taken it out of the house. I completely dumped out my purse and went through everything. It was not there, although I did have $1.37 in change at the bottom that I put in the coin jar.
So I ended up organizing my desk, mostly. It had gotten ridiculous with papers that needed to be filed, shredded, or recycled. It's still a little cluttered, but ten times better. I did not find my debit card on my desk, but I did find a $5 bill and then about a half an hour later a $50 bill. The $5 was just loose, but the $50 was in an envelope system that was battered and I had replaced, but not thrown out. It was in the restaurant envelope, if anyone was curious.
I am glad I decided last minute to check all the envelopes. I was thrilled. I took that $55 and added it to the Beef Envelope, so there is now $120 in there. I can't believe I almost threw that $50 away. If it wasn't for that little voice that said check it, check it, check it, I would have.
Finally I cleaned out underneath my desk. It wasn't bad, just a few papers that had slipped between the wall and my desk and ended up on the floor. It was not there, either. So then I picked up my foot board. All of my height is in my back so in order to be comfortable in a computer chair, DH made me a two foot long by one foot wide foot board at the right height for me to be comfortable. And that is where it was. It had slipped down the back of the desk and wiggled its way under there.
I was so relieved to have found it. Tomorrow I will work on my desk some more, but tonight I need to shred papers. I don't want to build up again like I did and have to do a massive shred fest like I did a couple years ago. I've been generally good at staying on top of that, but when you pull muscles in your back, you don't worry about your paper pile getting larger. You do the bare minimum until you can function again. Which is about where I am now.
I am feeling the bug to organize, to clean, and to work out in the garden. We have had lovely sunny days without ran in the middle 40's. It would be perfect weather to go out and pull the corn stalks and the dead bean vines and get the posts dug out. We are totally revamping the garden and everything has to be cleared away so we can build the new beds. I don't want the growing season to get away from me. I think it would be good to get outside and move my body and it would be good for DS, as well. He's feeling quite the large amount of cabin fever right now. Being outside does help mitigate that.
Posted in
Extra Income Sources,
Organize My Life,
Emergency Fund/Coin Jar,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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0 Comments »
December 28th, 2020 at 11:53 pm
1 I started the Beef Fund by putting $48 in leftover grocery money into an envelope. I will hopefully be able to continue to fund it this way by being tight on the grocery budget. And also since next month is the Eat from the Pantry Challenge, I hope to spend very, very little. I will still buy a few items of fresh produce like lettuce, celery, scallions, maybe bread if I can't keep up with making it, and milk in January, but hope to come away with at least 3/4 of the grocery budget for January.
I will be doing a stock up haul before the 1st to get enough eggs to last through the month and a bunch of long-lasting fruit, like oranges, lemons, and bananas, and then the regular amount of short lasting fruit, like bananas, grapes, and a couple of pineapples. Also I will make sure I have enough tortillas, onions, potatoes, and carrots to last all month.
Our freezer arrived today. It came in earlier than expected after being delayed from earlier this month. I am not complaining. I have to wait 24 hours before I can put anything in it and then I will start making freezer meals and soups I can't can. asdf123
I started the Beef Fund by putting $48 in leftover grocery money into an envelope. I will hopefully be able to continue to fund it this way by being tight on the grocery budget. And also since next month is the Eat from the Pantry Challenge, I hope to spend very, very little. I will still buy a few items of fresh produce like lettuce, celery, scallions, maybe bread if I can't keep up with making it, and milk in January, but hope to come away with at least 3/4 of the grocery budget for January.
I will be doing a stock up haul before the 1st to get enough eggs to last through the month and a bunch of long-lasting fruit, like oranges, lemons, and bananas, and then the regular amount of short lasting fruit, like bananas, grapes, and a couple of pineapples. Also I will make sure I have enough tortillas, onions, potatoes, and carrots to last all month.
Our freezer arrived today. It came in earlier than expected after being delayed from earlier this month. I am not complaining. I have to wait 24 hours before I can put anything in it and then I will start making freezer meals and soups I can't can.
Posted in
Appliance Antics and Household Purchases,
Meal Planning,
Gazelles in Envelopes
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1 Comments »
December 13th, 2020 at 04:40 am
1 $318.58 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
_280.00 Chriopractor Monthly Family Plan
_115.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances
_200.00 Gift Fund
_200.00 Clothing Fund
_450.00 Citi
-----------------------
3169.75 Total Money Out
asdf123
$318.58 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
_280.00 Chriopractor Monthly Family Plan
_115.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_150.00 Car Insurance
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances
_200.00 Gift Fund
_200.00 Clothing Fund
_450.00 Citi
-----------------------
3169.75 Total Money Out
Posted in
Paying the Bills,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
0 Comments »
November 14th, 2020 at 01:42 am
1 Sorry, the column line breaks are going to be obnoxious on this one since there is no way to take them out. The website is annoying me to no end today, especially since they have somehow disabled my AdSense on here and didn't care to respond to me when I asked them about it. I bring in a lot of traffic to this site, look at my hit count, and now I'm not even getting my tiny fraction of ad revenue from it. I really want a viable alternative to here, but I hate the idea of having to build my base up all over again from scratch. I've built it since 2006 and I've worked pretty hard at it.
$318.49 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
__82.82 Garbage
_200.00 Car Insurance Fund (Includes catch up amount)
_261.50 Car Insurance (Policy change with third driver)
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_200.00 Christmas/Gift Fund
_100.00 Clothing Fund
_436.00 Emergency Fund
--------------
$3172.98 Total Money Out asdf123
Sorry, the column line breaks are going to be obnoxious on this one since there is no way to take them out. The website is annoying me to no end today, especially since they have somehow disabled my AdSense on here and didn't care to respond to me when I asked them about it. I bring in a lot of traffic to this site, look at my hit count, and now I'm not even getting my tiny fraction of ad revenue from it. I really want a viable alternative to here, but I hate the idea of having to build my base up all over again from scratch. I've built it since 2006 and I've worked pretty hard at it.
$318.49 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
__82.82 Garbage
_200.00 Car Insurance Fund (Includes catch up amount)
_261.50 Car Insurance (Policy change with third driver)
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_200.00 Christmas/Gift Fund
_100.00 Clothing Fund
_436.00 Emergency Fund
--------------
$3172.98 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
1 Comments »
October 30th, 2020 at 07:12 pm
1 I got my Google AdSense payment this week and that, along with it being a third paycheck month for DH, brought our income around $300 higher this pay period. Citi is so high because DS owes me some money for an order he made, which he will pay me later, but I wanted to pay it off before the due date hit so no interest. When he pays me back I will put that money into the Emergency Fund. Another reason Citi was so high was we got a lot of takeout due to my being sick. Nearly every day for 2 weeks. Ouch. But I believe in tracking honestly so there you go.
$352.44 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
__71.99 DH Life Insurance
__60.46 Me Life Insurance
_100.00 Adult Spending Money
_120.00 Kid Spending Money
_100.00 Gas Money
2203.29 Citi
----------------
3483.18 Total Money Out asdf123
I got my Google AdSense payment this week and that, along with it being a third paycheck month for DH, brought our income around $300 higher this pay period. Citi is so high because DS owes me some money for an order he made, which he will pay me later, but I wanted to pay it off before the due date hit so no interest. When he pays me back I will put that money into the Emergency Fund. Another reason Citi was so high was we got a lot of takeout due to my being sick. Nearly every day for 2 weeks. Ouch. But I believe in tracking honestly so there you go.
$352.44 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
__71.99 DH Life Insurance
__60.46 Me Life Insurance
_100.00 Adult Spending Money
_120.00 Kid Spending Money
_100.00 Gas Money
2203.29 Citi
----------------
3483.18 Total Money Out
Posted in
Extra Income Sources,
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
1 Comments »
October 21st, 2020 at 07:09 am
1 $324.12 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_280.00 Monthly chiropractor family plan
_600.00 Autopays
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Adult Spending Money
_120.00 Kid Allowances
1000.00 Mattress Fund
_100.00 Car Maintenance Fund
------------------------------------------
$3149.57 Total Money Out asdf123
$324.12 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_280.00 Monthly chiropractor family plan
_600.00 Autopays
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Adult Spending Money
_120.00 Kid Allowances
1000.00 Mattress Fund
_100.00 Car Maintenance Fund
------------------------------------------
$3149.57 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
2 Comments »
October 2nd, 2020 at 11:46 pm
0$318.49 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_700.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_100.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_200.00 Christmas/Gift Fund
_100.00 Clothing Envelope
_300.00 Cell Phone Fund
--------------
3164.66 Total Money Out
The Christmas/Gift Fund is now up to $900. I will definitely meet my goal of $1200 by Christmas (one of the things DH and I are getting is a propane BBQ so that is why that amount is so high. I want to get a good one. And part of that is for Christmas dinner, too. We get a prime rib roast for that, a new tradition we started last year, because I didn't feel like making another turkey and stuffing so soon after Thanksgiving. It was nice not to have to.
asdf123
$318.49 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_700.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_100.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_200.00 Christmas/Gift Fund
_100.00 Clothing Envelope
_300.00 Cell Phone Fund
--------------
3164.66 Total Money Out
The Christmas/Gift Fund is now up to $900. I will definitely meet my goal of $1200 by Christmas (one of the things DH and I are getting is a propane BBQ so that is why that amount is so high. I want to get a good one. And part of that is for Christmas dinner, too. We get a prime rib roast for that, a new tradition we started last year, because I didn't feel like making another turkey and stuffing so soon after Thanksgiving. It was nice not to have to.
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Holiday Planning and Purchasing,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
4 Comments »
September 19th, 2020 at 07:47 pm
0$318.52 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_500.00 Handicapped Ramp (finished paying)
1050.00 New Mattress for DS (delivered and old mattress removal
_280.00 Monthly Chiropractor Family Plan
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_100.00 Car Maintenance
------------
3175.19 Total Money Out
I also paid the six month's car insurance bill from the Car Insurance Fund. I set aside so much every month and then pay it for the discount. There is a ten dollar a month fee to pay in installments and I haven't done that in years. I highly recommend doing it this way. Find a time when you can set the amount of the initial payment aside, like tax refund time, and then save 1/6 of the cost each month until it comes due again. For me it saves $120 a year, which may not seem like much in the long run, but why waste it when I can save it?
asdf123
$318.52 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_500.00 Handicapped Ramp (finished paying)
1050.00 New Mattress for DS (delivered and old mattress removal
_280.00 Monthly Chiropractor Family Plan
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_100.00 Car Maintenance
------------
3175.19 Total Money Out
I also paid the six month's car insurance bill from the Car Insurance Fund. I set aside so much every month and then pay it for the discount. There is a ten dollar a month fee to pay in installments and I haven't done that in years. I highly recommend doing it this way. Find a time when you can set the amount of the initial payment aside, like tax refund time, and then save 1/6 of the cost each month until it comes due again. For me it saves $120 a year, which may not seem like much in the long run, but why waste it when I can save it?
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
0 Comments »
September 4th, 2020 at 08:20 pm
0$318.47 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_100.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Adult Spending Money
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_200.00 Christmas/Gift Envelope
_100.00 Clothing Fund Envelope
_500.00 Handicapped Ramp
-----------
3164.64 Total Money Out
asdf123
$318.47 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
__36.00 Garbage
_100.00 Car Insurance Fund
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Adult Spending Money
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_200.00 Christmas/Gift Envelope
_100.00 Clothing Fund Envelope
_500.00 Handicapped Ramp
-----------
3164.64 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
3 Comments »
August 21st, 2020 at 09:56 pm
0$318.47 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
1814.44 Citi
_280.00 Chiropractor Monthly Family Plan
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Adult Spending Mone
__50.00 Car Maintenance Fund
_120.00 Allowances Kids
-------------
3290.36 Total Money Out asdf123
$318.47 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
1814.44 Citi
_280.00 Chiropractor Monthly Family Plan
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Adult Spending Mone
__50.00 Car Maintenance Fund
_120.00 Allowances Kids
-------------
3290.36 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
1 Comments »
July 24th, 2020 at 11:05 pm
0My Google AdSense Payment hit this week so I combined that with DH's pay and upped the tithe accordingly. I also had some money left in the checking account. No money went into the EF this time as we replaced some items and upgraded others that I was holding off on when we were still in debt and DH needed new boots.
We also got take out more than we should have as I tripped over a floor fan and banged myself into the bedroom door and then as I stumbled forward got my other side on the door jamb. Not fun. I am doing better today, but the last week was really rough. I am still pretty stiff and sore when I wake up, but at least I can dress myself again and walk around without my cane.
I did not spend all of the grocery money from last payday, though, so that went into a new fund, the Freezer Fund. So that envelope was started with $179. I want to get a good freezer, not from Lowe's or Home Depot, so we will have to go to the actual appliance store and price what I want, which is a freezer with a temperature display on the outside and that beeps if the door is open too long. Frost free would be nice as well.
Here's how the paycheck broke down today.
$328.70 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
1608.60 Citi
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_100.00 Car Insurance Fund
-------------
3364.75 Total Money Out asdf123
My Google AdSense Payment hit this week so I combined that with DH's pay and upped the tithe accordingly. I also had some money left in the checking account. No money went into the EF this time as we replaced some items and upgraded others that I was holding off on when we were still in debt and DH needed new boots.
We also got take out more than we should have as I tripped over a floor fan and banged myself into the bedroom door and then as I stumbled forward got my other side on the door jamb. Not fun. I am doing better today, but the last week was really rough. I am still pretty stiff and sore when I wake up, but at least I can dress myself again and walk around without my cane.
I did not spend all of the grocery money from last payday, though, so that went into a new fund, the Freezer Fund. So that envelope was started with $179. I want to get a good freezer, not from Lowe's or Home Depot, so we will have to go to the actual appliance store and price what I want, which is a freezer with a temperature display on the outside and that beeps if the door is open too long. Frost free would be nice as well.
Here's how the paycheck broke down today.
$328.70 Tithe
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
__75.00 Household Envelope
_500.00 Medical Fund
1608.60 Citi
__71.99 Life Insurance DH
__60.46 Life Insurance Me
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_100.00 Car Insurance Fund
-------------
3364.75 Total Money Out
Posted in
Spending Journal,
Paying the Bills,
Organize My Life,
Medical Issues and Spending,
Is Budget a Four Letter Word?,
Gazelles in Envelopes
|
3 Comments »
July 15th, 2020 at 03:35 am
0Friday was a normal payday for us, no overtime. I have started contributing to the medical fund again because we have dental and glasses to pay for and it was getting really low. After those things are paid for I need to start thinking about saving for next year's deductible. So that may end up being a priority over the Emergency Fund. All it takes is one ER visit in January and we get slammed with almost the full deductible in one go. Since January ER visits have happened the last three years running, it is best to just plan for it.
$318.52 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
_280.00 Monthly Chiropractic Family Plan
_36.00 Garbage
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_800.00 DS's Driving Lessons
-------------
3144.69 Total Money Out
I also have enough money set aside for DS to renew his driving permit, but that wasn't budgeted for, I just knew I had extra in the checking account that could go for it. asdf123
Friday was a normal payday for us, no overtime. I have started contributing to the medical fund again because we have dental and glasses to pay for and it was getting really low. After those things are paid for I need to start thinking about saving for next year's deductible. So that may end up being a priority over the Emergency Fund. All it takes is one ER visit in January and we get slammed with almost the full deductible in one go. Since January ER visits have happened the last three years running, it is best to just plan for it.
$318.52 Tithe
_500.00 Utilities
_400.00 Grocery Envelope
_300.00 Medical Fund
__75.00 Household Envelope
_115.17 Internet
_280.00 Monthly Chiropractic Family Plan
_36.00 Garbage
_100.00 Gas Money
_100.00 Spending Money Adults
_120.00 Allowances Kids
_800.00 DS's Driving Lessons
-------------
3144.69 Total Money Out
I also have enough money set aside for DS to renew his driving permit, but that wasn't budgeted for, I just knew I had extra in the checking account that could go for it. |
I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 26 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 82-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!