Hrm. The Wench requested a specific birthday present. I was helpless before the image of her wear… you know what, you don’t really want that part. It was expensive.
So was the Jefferson Ocean whiskey I bought.
Le ‘oh well.’
6 Likes
Hello, I’m very late to the challenge, but I heard there were stickers.
I shall:
-Allow takeaway spending (we’re not feeling safe about actual restaurants yet) only on local small businesses that we want to support.
-Give $100 more than our monthly average
-Not buy anything else on Amazon for the rest of the month unless it’s Christmas gifts (i.e… only things for others, not myself or the child).
-Be in bed by 9:30pm every night.
8 Likes
I love the addition of non-monetary goals 
5 Likes
Second week:
Groceries: $217.11/300.00. Exciting items like coffee, bread, butter, vanilla extract. We’re definitely getting a bit too close to the limit for my liking, and my husband is making noises about increasing the budget. I think we can do it, though.
Retirement: $500.00/500.00. DONE. Finally accepted that the stock market is completely illogical and just put my $500 into my tIRA. I might even put more in this month if I’m feeling rich.
9 Likes
Super Late Actual Week 1 Check-In
So those $30/week payments? Going away. I have two more coming my way, and then it’s over. I plan to still put $30/week away in my “Me Spending” category, but I definitely failed to be intentional with it in Week 1 of Budgetober.
I was actually avoiding doing my budgeting until today. I’ve been overspending on eating out, but it’s not as bad as it could be. Time to refocus.
9 Likes
I have done nothing since next week. I still plan to but 
3 Likes
Week 2
So far groceries:eating out is a great ratio. I always run into trouble with wanting to eat out later in the month, though, when I feel like I’ve been restricting myself and want all the things.
Groceries: $154
- $30 Instacart
- $73 HEB
- $51 Jeni’s (yes, this is “groceries” AND I DON’T REGRET IT)
Eating out: $43
- $23 hot chicken
- $20 samosas
6 Likes
Update: Due to lost power yesterday I had to spend money on dinner but limited it to $8. Also sold a dog crate for $20. Really enjoying this challenge so far!
4 Likes
6ish hours of reading about tax efficiency, it looks like we are now in the lucky space that we’ve outgrown the standard suggestions, and I’ve decided it isn’t worth it to run the custom calculations. Plus Canadian Couch Potato replied to a person back in April and said that it isn’t worth worrying about at this level. I argue this is budget related because it helps determine where the invested money goes each pay.
Not strictly budget, but activity was being tracked here: asset allocation calculations and decisions are ready for when the shadowy one has their work RRSP money shifted to QT.
And this weekend we’ll need to actually look at what we’ve spent on these bits and bob home improvements the past three months and face some music.
4 Likes
Waiting for Friday for the official report, but this week we’ve spent just under $50 on prescription meds (prednisone is dirt cheap, rescue inhaler is not). I think husband bought fuel yesterday, but if not he’ll have to tomorrow. That may be all for the week or he may go get PVC pipes for the mini greenhouse on Friday. I counted at least 35 bell peppers in various stages of development and the plants are still setting fruit, so well worth saving and we should get several years out of the thing.
Given recent billing fuck ups, we may be billed for my Covid test or telemedicine appointment to determine I need a Covid test, but we won’t be playing any such bill. Anthem will be paying it. I can fight the same time I fight the unlawful bill we just got for his covid antibody test.
6 Likes
I don’t know how to quote, but I went to bed at 8:30 two nights ago, and then at 9:55 last night. Can I average the two and say I’m on track?
Also, can someone please tell me how to quote a thing?
5 Likes
You highlight the text and “quote” should be a little pop-up next to the text.
3 Likes
It’s a pain in the ass on a phone, but it’s possible, as this post proves.
2 Likes
Almost at the point where I’ve done another 17th - 17th month without the overdraft-panic. This feels good. Still also checking my banking apps every day. Have also resisted numerous occasions of being tempted by the little ‘pick me up’ spends I tend to do when there’s any money leftover at all. So it feels like the plane is kind of pulling up just a bit more off the ground here. Phew. 
Also: Late to the Budgetober challenge bcos funeral, but am hoping this still counts…
14 Likes
There it is! Brilliant, thank you! I…never would have found that.
6 Likes
I’m really late, it’s October 15th, but I’ve been L-A-Z-Y. It’s my birthday month, but that’s no excuse. What’s the best way to get started?
7 Likes
Do you currently have a budget?
3 Likes
I am tracking 2 categories for Budgetober, groceries & baby stuff.
Week 2 update:
- Grocery: $405/800
- Baby: $1,573/$600
Why the budget exploded
The baby came 6 weeks early! Sitting in the intake room after they told me my water had broken, I panic-bought everything that was sitting in my Amazon cart. It had been an easy place to keep a wishlist while I gradually found used/ethical sources. If there were ever a time to give in to overnight shipping and the Bezos monopoly, though, this was it.
Funny enough the small stuff (bottles, perinatal supplies, etc.) all added up to almost exactly my planned spending for Oct. Two big-ticket things pushed it way over: the $500 balance for our virtual doula which I was expecting to pay in Nov, and a $400 pump once I found out I’d need to start pumping right away due to the baby staying in hospital.
OTOH our grocery spending is going well. It includes this coming week’s shop and with all the food friends/fam have dropped off, we should easily meet the target.
I’m gonna invoke that magic wand now and change the baby budget to $2,000 for this month.
11 Likes
Week 2
I ordered the fabric for patio blinds.
5 Likes
Oh my gosh!
Summary
Congratulations!!!
5 Likes