Stuck on a spending spree???

[wildmonkeys]

Lately (for at least 5 months) I feel like we are always spending more than we want to. We have been very frugal for YEARS and aren't ones to go out and just shop, or eat out or anything like that; however, it just seems like every month we get hit with a few bit unavoidable expenses and I keep thinking that the next month will be better and it is the same. We aren't in debt and are putting away into dhs 401K, my Roth IRA & the kids 529 so it isn't a crisis it is just bugging me. Has anybody had a stretch like this?

It is stuff like needing new glasses or dental work, Christmas, the kids getting invited to a ton of birthdays, out of town guests, a death in the family, throwing the kids a modest birthday party that is just draining us. We haven't been buying extra things (I am expecting and every last piece of my maternity wardrobe is borrowed except for two pieces I bought at a thrift store and I haven't bought one new thing for the baby) OTH - we will spend money on birth announcements & an infant carseat (though I am hoping my parents come through with the infant seat as a gift...) DS1 would really like to play baseball this spring ($80 plus team pictures) & do swim team this summer & it is about time to get my little guy in swimming lessons...

Anyway, does anybody else feel this way? Have you had a stretch like this just stop? Or has anybody been able to just plug it somehow that I am missing?

BJ
Barney, Ben & soon to be #3!!!

[Vanessa]

Well IMO, those all seem like regular expenses. I know we have to do without them sometimes when things are tight, but none of them seem out of whack or crazy to me.

Is it upsetting you because you can't budget for them very well? I know it can be hard because they seem to just pop up. We just leave a little wiggle room in our budget to cover things like that.

[Mama2-4]

It sounds like normal expenses to me as well. Things just creep up on you sometimes and you just have to spend money. My dd had to get braces this fall, that was a $3000 downpayment and now monthly payments of $175, our refridgerator broke last month, another chunk of money for the repair man to come....it is always something! It never seems to happen at a time when you have a little extra money either!

I think it sounds like you are very wise with your money!

[mightymoo]

Yeah, the past nine months or so has been tough for us, mostly because we moved into our new house, which meant buying little things we didn't have before or paint or furniture or whatnot. Stupid dental bills were the worst. I was getting frustrated because spending wise we were in the red from May to September But we manged to do better more recently.