Congratulations on a great June mamas! We moved last week, so have been offline and have some major catching up to do. Got a wee bit off track (actually felt as though I had fallen from the wagon and was being trampled by the horses at times), though many purchases were "okay", but just not in the budget. Here goes with the update...this is going to hurt...
June 1:
June 2:
$2.50 ATM fee (poor planning),
$39.21 dinner out (so-so food + crummy service)
June 3:
$7.02 pizza,
$4.31 book for DD at airport (had snacks, so pizza was definitely not a need)
June 4:
June 5:
$39.24 groceries (all "real" food - paused in front of a pink cake mix DD likes, arm outstretched, but then kept walking)
June 6:
spent $ today, but all for work, so will be reimbursed
June 7:
$10 paid younger brother to take household trash to the dump for us b/c our schedules were really busy this week + shared transfer station is nearly 30 min. away (thank goodness we will have trash pick-up after moving into our new old house later this month)
June 8:
June 9:
June 10:
June 11:
$125.48 for groceries - trying to spend $100 or less per week - way under last week, so okay for month thus far;
$20 tickets to see Dan Zanes - DD 3 is SO excited, should be a great show + benefits a local soup kitchen, so all good
June 12:
$42.75 for gas (looking forward to HUGE decrease in gas budget when we move downtown in a few weeks),
$3.50 for library fines
June 13:
June 14:
$3 Father's Day gifts for DH + Step-father (EMS socks, LL Bean lunchbag, + LL Bean fleece jacket - used $10 EMS coupon got in mail + $20 LL Bean coupons),
$15-18 dinner out,
$275 at Home Depot (necessary stuff to finish bathroom renovation)
June 15:
June 16:
$142 on labor to assist w/ bathroom renovation
June 17:
June 18:
June 19:
$75.41 on groceries,
$20.34 at Home Depot for primer (bathroom project)
June 20:
$20 gas,
$80 labor for painting barn @ old house,
$2.37 frosted animal crackers @ gas station for 3yo DD + 2yo niece,
$32.68 takeout pizza for lunch (1st day of moving - to share w/ friend who helped make a couple of runs - still within "eating out" budget)
June 21: Kiddie pool
$9.99 (old one broke last year + promised DD we would get a new one), library fines
$8, coffee for DH
$2 (coffee maker left @ old house),
$12.34 processed snacks in Target food section,
$7.99 lamp for DD's room (realized after moving in that new house has very few light fixtures - i.e. none in DD's room),
$2.34 shower liner,
$8.27 shelf paper,
$429 Dyson vacuum (stood in vacuum aisle + went back + forth b/w buying a cheap one that would need t/b replaced soon + buying a quality one that should last - went for what I hope will be quality - new house is almost all carpet; our puny little vacuum from previous all-hardwood house will not cut it)
June 22:
(Walked to the park (loving being "in town") with friends, ran from a microburst + had to seek shelter on the way home, quite an adventure (the story of which our 3yo DD has requested the last 2 nights at bedtime)
June 23:
$148.74 groceries (was excited about being w/in $2 of grocery budget for June, then remembered "groceries" bought at Target which put me over budget by about $30 as of now - this is still progress in the grocery area; just have to avoid buying anything else food-wise for June - should be all set with produce/dairy),
$224 flooring installation for old house bathroom renovation,
$25 CD + cute little canvas bag at Dan Zanes concert,
$32.51 takeout lunch (still within eating out budget - food for another moving helper)
June 24:
$137.53 Home Depot misc. for new house, including indoor/outdoor carpet + threshholds to mitigate lead paint issues,
$17.97 shower curtains (somehow I found liner for $2, but needed multiples to wrap around claw foot tub, DH picked up same curtains for 3x the price)
June 25:
June to date: $116.25
Frugal Progress:
* Walked to work
* Walked downtown this evening with kids to check out fountains
* Hung clothes to dry on rack (although our dryer is technically in the new house, we do not plan to hook it up in an effort to resist temptation)
* Stopped calling the friendly local pizza guy to bring us lunch
* Have been reading "The Automatic Millionaire" (from the library) + become inspired to rededicate efforts on retirement planning - picked up 403(b) paperwork at the office today + will get moving (have not signed up even though I have been there almost a year (there is no matching at this point, but still not a good excuse); had been funding DH's IRA at last position, but need to enroll in his 403(b) at new position
* Ordered phone service for new house without long-distance option; will use cell phones/calling card for LD - was going to try no land-line, but need the fax on occasion + DH is constantly misplacing/forgetting to charge his cell
Kim
: with hubby (includes gluten-free cookies, dark chocolate chips and m&m-like candies - all organic)
:
: I don't consider the 24th a screw up because I only bought exactly what we needed for meals in the next week and I paid with change that I had cashed in at the Coinstar machine. The only place I'm going today is to pick up my CSA share and then for a walk. I have $5 left in my grocery change fund that I may use for some fruit for the kids when I pick up the CSA stuff.
:
, newspaper subscription $22.23 for a year of Fri-Mon- trying to use more coupons!
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