Somethings gotta give with our budget looking back on our last year the best month we had was January when I did the FTJ spending freeze.
Thought I would share my plan for October.

So This month I wrote down our Income
3400 this month
and all our expences 3398
to find we are $2 in the black
I added up all our regualar bills
The Budget for Groceries and Gas
I looked at my activity calendar and created a daily budget based on what I am doing. For example I plan for $5 if I am having coffee with the gals or $100 if I am going to a Holiday Bazaar with my mom. So I have enough to cover all the activites I have planned.

So now my goal is to spend less on my Budgeted items and make my $2 in the black grow. I am hoping this will help us cap our out of control spending. Eating out has always been a huge problem for us. We do Have some eat out nights but they are planned and accounted for.

I am hoping that the plan will work for us without us feeling deprived.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006 &

Organizer of the Coupon Clippers of Tacoma

I understand how you feel. Its hard for me to control my spending also, and when I look at how much I spend on stupid little stuff, nickle and diming myself to death I get so upset. Especially since I spend so much time doing coupons and getting my grocery and hygiene budget down to a min. Then on the way back from the store I stop at Mcdonalds and spend all the money I have just saved. Keep posting about your progress, just having someone to tell about your progress helps sometimes I think. Good Luck!

Good for you! You have a plan and are going to stick to it...Question...do you write things down as you spend them too? I write it down when I spend it but don't plan out all activities in advance (I have a "just incase" entry for things that come up).

Let us know how October turns out!

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That's a great idea, Kimberly. Maybe we all could get on board with your challenge, by writing down income, expenses, then seeing how much we can get the black to grow (or the red to shrink). Would anyone else be up for that?

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Kimberely...great idea. I know our checkbook has been hit hard with back to school. It wasn't so much the clothes for the kids...I had a that planned & budgeted out well. It's all the fundraisers/fall sports equipment/pictures that happen this time of year. It doesn't help that 2 of my 3 kids' birthdays are in the fall also. I'm definately going to cut back on my spending also. I could use a spending freeze month!

I am doing something similar. Unless it's a household item (groceries, diapers, toiletries, dog food, etc) or a Christmas Gift (most of that is done and a budget is set up for the rest)...I will not buy it! Basically, no impulse buys until after Christmas (unless it's on my list of exceptions) that I said above!

So..the extra money goes in my "stash of cash." It's hidden somewhere in my home..it's not that much but I feel like you always should have cash around in case of an emergency, like an evacuation or such. It could also turn into part of a vacation fund or something like that...haven't gotten that far.

Anyhow, I hadn't been adding to it for awhile, and with the way the economy is right now...no one knows what is happening, so it wouldn't hurt to see how much cash I can put in my "stash" by the end of the year.

Now I did budget things in are misc. fund like...taking the dog to the vet. for her annual shots and other things that I know about. I also planned a date night each month, the next three months. Also, I know we are going to visit family in a couple weeks..planned for that...etc.

I'm really talking about IMPULSE buys! So many deals this time of year..hard to pass up. Unless I find a deal on a WAY awesome Christmas gift for someone...or something like...shampoo at 70% off somewhere or something like that...I won't be buying it! Wish my luck! I may need it!

*The perk is that...after the election..and after the Christmas shopping season..I can see where our economy is at. If it's doing well..I can totally take full advantage of all of the huge sales that happen in January when the stores clean-out for the new year!!

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Bekah
Co-founder and CEO of the NOVITZKE FAMILY INC.

I organize a moms group so my Calendar books up fast so yes I have the budget modeled after my planned activities. For example Monday we are going to a b-day party at one of those pay to play places so I have budgeted $10 that will get us in and lunch. Tuesday's we go out for coffee so I have $5 budgeted (not giving up our weekly coffee night but we are switching to drip) I have activities planned the rest of the week but they are free (playdate at my house, Breakfast at a friends house, and a walk on friday. I plan all my weeks out a month in advance.

As to Progress the $2 has already started growing. We are at $21 and its only been 5 days. Our gas bill came in lower then I had thougt and a few other things. I also need to figure out the extra income into the equation. DH just got a raise yesterday

A big goal if this works for me is to keep it up. I did plan for Christmas but I have a christmas shopping day in my budget and $100 planned for it. I will be taking cash because when it is gone it is gone. My city has a huge holiday food and gift festival in October.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006 &

Organizer of the Coupon Clippers of Tacoma