13 days

That is all that's left of august, less than 2 weeks. The question I am asking myself is, can I make it without getting into the savings account? I had to get into the Christmas Cash, to cover the doctors visit, meds, and massage. But that didn't come from the savings and that is a big plus!

This month I tried something new. I got all my grocery and non grocery money in cash. I put the checkbook and debit card in the office and left it there. The only money I could use was the cash I had on hand and it was scary. Before when I used the envelope system I would always keep a backup like my checkbook or debit card handy in case I went over with the cash I had on hand.

Not this month! I am down to 3 dollars and about the same in change and its scary! Am I going to have enough money to keep us in milk for the next 12 days? That is the only thing I have to purchase so I think we are good. None the less I don't like how this feels.

On the plus side I am accountable for all my purchased. I will remember how this day felt (12 days left and 6 dollars to my name) when I want to go out to lunch or bye a non essential item (like the tea kettle I bought)

Pleasantly Surprised

The other day I was playing around with the resident 2 yr old and ended up pulling the muscle in my shoulder. The backside, the one that somehow is connected to your lungs. I say this because every time I try to take a deep breath it hurts like crazy. I tried for a week to make it better myself with the heating pad, topical rubs, hot soaks in the tub but nothing worked. I had to face the fact that I was going to need medical intervention.

This scared me because hubby and I don’t have insurance. We have the kids on a program called Healthy Families. Which is a low cost health insurance program subsided by the state. Great program but I went off topic so let me get back to my story…

I went in with the assumption that I was going to get less than average treatment due to lack of insurance and to my surprise I was treated the same if not better than if I had the best coverage money could buy.

This doctor at our local medical center went above and beyond to help me out. She gave me samples of patches to put on my shoulder. She even called to see where the cheapest place to get prescriptions filled was.

In a world where what you see from your fellow human being is narcissistic the majority of the time it was so nice to be pleasantly surprised by the complete opposite.

School Started

I snapped this picture with the cell phone camera and wasn't to surprised to see the under excitement of going back to school...

Yesterday was the first day of school and even I am not excited about going back to the daily grind so early. To make matters even better we are coming into a heatwave and its going to be over 100 for the rest of the week into next.

When we where kids school didn't start until September 1st. August was the best part of summer! The lake had finally got warm, the water in the tire swing was finally evaporated, the peach tree had giant peaches free for the taking. It almost sounds like a Country Time Lemonade commercial.

Redneck Yard Man

Have I mentioned I have a 2 year old???

Well this said 2 yr. old is adamantly protesting the whole concept of potty training. I have been working on it but in all honesty she is more determined to not be potty trained than I am getting her trained. Well that was until last week when I bought another pack of diapers. I am tired of forking out 30.00 bucks or more a month on diapers. I could incorporate that money and put it to a much better use. Back to the subject...

Yesterday morning I put on her undies and I tell her. You're a big kid now. Big kids pee pee and poo poo in the toilet so since your a big kid too you need to use the toilet. Will you please put your poo poo & pee pee in the toilet? This beautiful girl puts her chubby little hand on my cheeks looks me dead in the eye and says.....

NO!

To Many Days left in this month.

Doing the money tracker sure is an eyeopener!

There are 24 days left in this month and I have $83.00 left. that is less than $3.50 a day that can be spent. When you look at it that way it seams totally nuts and cant be done. I know it can be done but I am cutting it pretty close. I have a well stocked pantry and the freezers are full. I do have my WIC and $20.00 in Farmers Market vouchers via WIC.

I should be use to living this way. I have been doing it for more than a year now but is still scary. There is no room for error. There is no time for laziness. I have no option but to cook dinner every night. No meals out because we did that last week.

I need to break that cycle. (Having to much month and not enough money) It is enviable that come the first of the month I will use my Meal Out money right away. If I could discipline myself to hold off till the 15th of the month I am sure it would feel more like a treat.

Just Floating

Have you ever gotten to the point in your life where you are so tired of keeping your head about the financial waters that you finally reach out for help?

What I am talking about is the special programs that are set up to help the needy. I never use to use them. I thought we can do it without help. But times are getting harder than ever and first I found myself signing up for WIC. Next I signed us up for a reduced power bill program, now the newest is the free breakfast / lunch program at school. The girls will be able to have breakfast and lunch at school for free because we make less than the reduced price program.

I use to think I was to proud to sign up for these programs, and in all actually I probably was. But I have come to a place in my life where I accept the things I can not change. I accept the fact that by using these programs I can save money and in turn I will be able to pay more money to the debt .

I know we will not be on these programs forever. I hope and pray that the economy will pick up and we will be able to make the ends meet again. But until then I thank God I live in a country that has programs available for my family so that we can keep our heads above water, even if it is with help from a life jacket.

Every Penny Spent

In my last post I said I was going to track my spending for the month of August so here it is:

Aug. 1
Round Table Pizza - $31.51
Daily Total - $ 31.51
Aug. 2
Willows Vet Clinic - $ 23.00
(Remo’s rabies and vaccinations)
Glenn Co. (dog licence) - $25.00
Willows bakery (coffee and 4 doughnut holes) - $1.50
Mr. Lee's Produce $ 2.50
Barns and Noble $ 20.15
Food Maxx $ 44.42
Wonder Bread Store $20.00
Daily Total - $126.57
Aug. 3
Cinemarx - $ 11.75
JC Penney's - $26.45
Rice Bowl - $ 44.61
Save Mart - $ 11.29
Daily Total - $94.10
Aug. 4
Wal Mart - $65.38
Daily Total - $65.38
Aug. 5
$0.00
Daily Total - $0.00
Aug. 6
Save Mor Foods - $41.33
Dutch Brothers - $5.25
Daily Total - $46.58
Aug. 7
Wal Mart - $5.98
Daily Total - $2557.98
Aug. 8
No Spend Day
Aug. 9
No Spend Day
Aug. 10
WINCO - $31.86
Daily Total - $31.86

Aug. 11
Bargen Babies $ 8.00
City Gates $20.00
Wal Mart $20.00
Daily Total - $48.00

Aug. 12
Zero spend day
Aug. 13
Wal Mart - $11.87
Mc Donalds - $ 4.92
Winco - $ 12.71
Hostest Bread Store - $ 11.96
Daily Total - $ 41.46
Aug. 14
Zero spend day

Aug. 15
Immidat care - $ 65.00
Wal Mart - $ 57.37
Big Lots - $ 16.94
Daily Total - $ 139.31

Aug. 16
Linnins and things - $ 7.71
Massage- $60.00
Daily Toatl - $67.71
Aug. 17
zero spend day
Aug. 18
WINCO - $12.00
Aug. 19
Zero spend day
Aug. 20
Zero spend day
Aug. 21
Zero spend day
Aug. 22
Wal Mart- $4.00
Daily Total - $4.00
Aug. 23
Zero spend day
Aug. 24
Zero spend day
Aug. 25
Immidate care $85.00
Daily Total - $85.00
Aug. 26
zero spend
Aug. 27
wal mart - $4.00
Aug. 28
zero spend
Aug. 29
zero spend
Total Amount spent : $798.47

Plugging the holes in the budget!

From time to time I get way to comfortable with my budget and find myself going over, and having to pull money from the savings just to cover silly things like groceries. This should not happen. What is the purpose of setting a budget if you are not going to stick to it?!?

I ask myself this question all the time and all the only answer I ever get from myself is a bunch of lame excuses. Bottom line, it all comes down to telling myself NO. So I am gong to keep a money tracker log this month.

It’s a pretty simple concept really, just take out your little pocket notebook and write down everything you purchase. This was a HUGE eye opener when I did it the first time and it keep me on the straight and narrow for about a year.

Now that I find myself slipping back into my old habits its time to nip it in the bud so I don’t undo what I have accomplished.

So for the month of August I will keep a log of every purchase made. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.