We spent a LOT of money yesterday. Especially for a no spend month, can you guess how much?
If you guessed $136, then you would be right.
I know, I know....please wipe that look of shock off your face. :)
You see, we also have another goal for this year: spend money on no more than 100 days. This is proving to be quite the challenge.
So, when Hubs said he wanted to take me to Texas Roadhouse for my birthday dinner, I knew I had to stop at the grocery store and pay the plumber (our water heater broke, and needed to be replaced).
That brings our total to $179/$250.
I knew our expenses would be slightly higher than our previous no spend month because my birthday with thrown in there, but I did not anticipate replacing the water heater.
Oh well, I am still quite hopeful that we will be near our $250 goal. It will be a challenge, but we plan to give it our best shot!
How are you doing on your no spend month? Am I the only one out there?
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Blessings From A No Spend Month
Each and every time my husband and I do a no spend month, I am amazed at how blessed we truly are.
.......and another realization I have is, why don't I utilize this blessing each and every month?
Hubs and I received his paycheck this morning, so I paid/scheduled bills. His paycheck was smaller than normal. Huge bummer, but I began paying bills and was able to pay all our bills AND about $150 in addition debt. AMAZING!
God blesses you in great ways. Please do not waste/ignore the blessings he has showered upon you. I know that I will try my best to use the blessings I have received for Him!
Monday, December 31, 2012
2013 Goals
2012 has been a great year for us. We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams, and are anxious to see what 2013 holds. :)
As the new year begins, most people make resolutions or goals in order to make the most of the upcoming year; I am no different.
One thing I can promise you won't be on my goal list is, wait anxiously for the arrival of little Kimye. Seriously...over it. And it was only announced a few days ago.
Anyway....
My goals are:
1) Spend quality time, individually, with each of my children. Take them on "dates", and make memories. :)
2) Go on more dates with my hubby. I seriously think we only went out twice in 2012. Sad. :(
3) Accomplish 2 no spend months. We have one planned for January, and the next will probably be in July.
4) Stick to our 2013 budget, even more closely than I have in previous years.
5) Purchase at least 50% of our Christmas gifts using Amazon gift cards acquired from Swagbucks (click the icon to the right for more info and to sign up!).
6) Spend money on no more than 100 days for the entire year. Fixed expenses not included.
7) Continue to support my husband to achieve any and all goals he has personally, financially, and career-wise.
8) Keep my blog up to date, and help like-minded people by sharing some tricks I have learned over the years (primarily financially speaking).
9) Try not to cry on Jack and Ady's first day of school in the fall.
10) Take more pictures, and keep images organized on our computer.
Well, those are my goals for 2013. What are yours? Do you have financial goals? Is there anything I can do to help you achieve them?
Happy New Year and many blessings to you and your family!
As the new year begins, most people make resolutions or goals in order to make the most of the upcoming year; I am no different.
One thing I can promise you won't be on my goal list is, wait anxiously for the arrival of little Kimye. Seriously...over it. And it was only announced a few days ago.
Anyway....
My goals are:
1) Spend quality time, individually, with each of my children. Take them on "dates", and make memories. :)
2) Go on more dates with my hubby. I seriously think we only went out twice in 2012. Sad. :(
3) Accomplish 2 no spend months. We have one planned for January, and the next will probably be in July.
4) Stick to our 2013 budget, even more closely than I have in previous years.
5) Purchase at least 50% of our Christmas gifts using Amazon gift cards acquired from Swagbucks (click the icon to the right for more info and to sign up!).
6) Spend money on no more than 100 days for the entire year. Fixed expenses not included.
7) Continue to support my husband to achieve any and all goals he has personally, financially, and career-wise.
8) Keep my blog up to date, and help like-minded people by sharing some tricks I have learned over the years (primarily financially speaking).
9) Try not to cry on Jack and Ady's first day of school in the fall.
10) Take more pictures, and keep images organized on our computer.
Well, those are my goals for 2013. What are yours? Do you have financial goals? Is there anything I can do to help you achieve them?
Happy New Year and many blessings to you and your family!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Plan for Future Repairs
So....today we had a homeowner fatality. Our water heater is no longer working (I am dying for a hot shower).
We quickly called a local plumber, and he was down to our house in 10 minutes (can't bet small town service!). Thankfully, most of the cost for replacing the water heater will be covered under the warrantee (we just have to pay for labor).
But, this "loss" reminded me of a spread sheet I created (I actually made it even before we purchased a house!). This spread sheet lists the average life expectancy of different appliances/structural items within your house (follow the link for an even more detailed list of appliance/home life expectancies), as well as the average cost to replace. Then, I broke the cost down into a yearly total, and finally a monthly total.
Most people don't even think about future costs/repairs...but, you have to be prepared so you do not find yourself turning to a credit card (or worse yet a pay day advance!).
Take the above spread sheet and incorporate this into your budget for 2013. Using the averages (the life expectancy/replacement cost is all based on the average life/cost, your actual cost may be less or more) to help you prepare for the unexpected.
Oh, and don't worry. You don't need to back date for "older appliances". The likely hood of you having to replace all these items according to the life expectancy is rare. Just start saving the monthly total, and you should be pretty well set for when items need to be replaced.
Also, you can easily customize this spread sheet to fit your specific needs. For example, if you have your eye on a particular dishwasher....replace the average price with the cost of your "wish list" item. The total will adjust accordingly, so you will have a better grasp on what you will really be spending when it comes time to replace your appliances.
E-mail me at jennifer.overy@gmail.com if you would like me to send you the spread sheet. :)
Added tip! Check Craigslist or similar sites in your area to find slightly used appliances. You will save a TON!!!!
Also, if you are not yet a home owner, please take these numbers into consideration. Your housing costs should not exceed 35% of your income. That's mortgage, insurance, property taxes, utilities, AND repairs.
We quickly called a local plumber, and he was down to our house in 10 minutes (can't bet small town service!). Thankfully, most of the cost for replacing the water heater will be covered under the warrantee (we just have to pay for labor).
Most people don't even think about future costs/repairs...but, you have to be prepared so you do not find yourself turning to a credit card (or worse yet a pay day advance!).
Take the above spread sheet and incorporate this into your budget for 2013. Using the averages (the life expectancy/replacement cost is all based on the average life/cost, your actual cost may be less or more) to help you prepare for the unexpected.
Oh, and don't worry. You don't need to back date for "older appliances". The likely hood of you having to replace all these items according to the life expectancy is rare. Just start saving the monthly total, and you should be pretty well set for when items need to be replaced.
Also, you can easily customize this spread sheet to fit your specific needs. For example, if you have your eye on a particular dishwasher....replace the average price with the cost of your "wish list" item. The total will adjust accordingly, so you will have a better grasp on what you will really be spending when it comes time to replace your appliances.
E-mail me at jennifer.overy@gmail.com if you would like me to send you the spread sheet. :)
Added tip! Check Craigslist or similar sites in your area to find slightly used appliances. You will save a TON!!!!
Also, if you are not yet a home owner, please take these numbers into consideration. Your housing costs should not exceed 35% of your income. That's mortgage, insurance, property taxes, utilities, AND repairs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
