WELP. I now have $4.68 left to spend for the rest of October.
Boyfriend has started going to my hairstylist to get a decent haircut instead of getting butchered at Supercuts. He had an appointment yesterday. She works out of her home, which is an hour away from us each way on public transport. Weeks ago, I ran out of the dry shampoo she sold me (which I REALLY need as a funny-colored-hair person; to preserve the color ideally you wash your hair as infrequently as you can stand. Dry shampoo really helps it not look dirty between washes.) So I had him pick one up for me while he was there, since I won’t have another hair appointment until probably early December. Cost: $20.
This sort of thing trips me up a lot budgetwise. I will buy things that I do need, but that I haven’t budgeted for out of the current pay period, because I find myself near the place where I need to buy it. Since I don’t have a car, I have to weigh my time and energy and willingness to stand outside in horrible weather waiting a long time for a bus against “I really should wait until my next paycheck to do this as I will have cash.” Whereas if I’m out and about and, oh hey, I forgot there is a {store that sells the THING I need} right down the street, I will just grab whatever I need then and there. Which usually goes on the card.
Like, yes, I could have waited 10 days to get the dry shampoo, but that would mean finding 2 hours to travel to her home salon and back, and the trip involves multiple transfers between bus and train which is awful in bad weather, which we’re getting increasingly more of. Whereas Boyfriend was going there anyway so I could just give him some cash, and, done. I could’ve ordered it online but is more expensive online even before the shipping; since my stylist is self-employed I feel like she marks up stuff less than a regular salon would, plus she’s part of our local goth scene so I know she charges people she knows less for stuff.
Anyway, this sort of thing happens a lot to me and I’m wondering if any other car-free people have this same issue and what you all do about it? I know I should just force myself to stand outside in cold/rain/snow/locusts and not think about how much time I’m wasting riding public transit when I have things at home I need done. I’m usually not successful at this though.
On the plus side, I still haven’t had my second budgeted-for restaurant meal, and there’s still plenty of money in the grocery budget.
That is tricky, but I think it makes sense to do what you’ve been doing. You should not have to stand outside in the rain and the cold (the awful weather that is literally the thing you most want to run away from!) just to organize your expenses more neatly into months. In the long run, it doesn’t really make a difference which month you buy your dry shampoo in, right? You’re going to buy it anyway. The only reason it’s tripping you up now is because of this specific month-based challenge.
Suggestion: Specifically track this kind of purchase, the “oh hey, I’m out and near the thing I need, I’ll get it now,” for a few months. See if you’re ending up spending more for convenience (and actually it sounds like you’re often spending less for convenience if you don’t have to pay for the bus trip). If not, you’ll see about how much you’re spending per month on this kind of purchase. Maybe you can make a special budget category for it. I know that doesn’t make the money for the purchases appear, but if you’re buying them anyway, that would help you plan for them.
Using this specific example:
How long does the dry shampoo usually last for you?
How hard is it to tell when the dry shampoo is close to empty (like you have about a week or two supply left)?
How often do you visit your hairdresser?
Is there any other shop close to the hairdresser?
I would call this a lumpy (or semi-lumpy) expense. Something that you need on an infrequent, but semi-regular basis. So I would try to set reminders for myself (in whatever system works for you) - like to buy dry shampoo every 4th visit to the hairdresser.
Or is hairdresser is close to another rarely needed shop, to check whatever else is close by to group several purchases.
Of course, this may make some trips a bit longer (going to a few places in one trip), but overall more intentional.
Also, depending on how fast you use up any given inconvient-to-get item; or the most inconvenient trips - buy 2 of the thing so you are not stuck running out of it and then having to make that onerous trip to re-supply.
Yes - that makes the expense higher initially. And when money is tight that is difficult (buying in bulk is really a luxury some cannot afford).
The bus/train fare is a nonissue; I get an unlimited monthly pass through work so I could ride transport all day every day and not pay more than the $105 pretax that comes out of my check every month.
I think I sometimes pay a little bit more for convenience (i.e., I am right near Jewel so I pick up Food Item I Need instead of forcing myself to get on public transport or take a long walk to Aldi where I know the same thing will be cheaper. Or, I’m at Jewel to buy Item Aldi Doesn’t Carry and while I’m there I also get stuff that Aldi Does Carry because I don’t want to make 2 trips and/or am maxed out on what I can comfortably haul).
Yeah, what I’ve found hard about this entire month is that I’m budgeting using money that does not exist. That’s a problem. Not sure what to do about it.
It lasted not quite 2 months (big can). I could not tell it was empty until it was empty - it is basically like a spray powder, in a metal can, and when you shake it you cannot hear whether there is any product inside or not.
I get my hair done about every 4 months and she lives in a residential neighborhood where there is a Target and a Walgreens nearby but that is about it (and there’s a Target and Walgreens WAY closer to me so that’s not really a draw.)
Yeah, buying in bulk is something I only do when there’s a huge sale or CVS is offering extra bucks for buying more than one. I usually just don’t have the money to spare.
You’re right, though, it is a lumpy expense and I set money aside for my actual appointments in a separate savings account so there is no reason why I couldn’t add a little more to that to cover a few cans of this. (Other than the issue of, where does the money come from.)
Budget report-out:
I have thought about re-casting but so far am leaning against it. I am going to go over some of my earlier predictions. I feel like I re-cast once when I set up YNAB for myself. Right now I still feel it will help me more with future planning if I keep my original predictions versus looking like I nailed it when really, I missed a few things.
Groceries: $237 / $275 stretch, $325 more realistic.
Gas: $49 / $55
Eating Out / Entertainment: $40 / $75
Household: $12/ $75 (took stuff back not needed for a project, got a refund)
Supplements: $59 / $60
Cat: $21 / $60
Therapy: $ 300 / $300
Massage: $71 / $120
Lawn & Garden: $35 / $40
Blinds: $0 / $300
Bus pass: $0 / $20
Gas & Electric: $-1 / $5 (saver’s switch credit drops this month, yay… and THEY owe ME money)
Professional Registration: $94 / $0
Clothing $32 / $0
Total is $949 / $1435
If I don’t get the blinds done, well, I still want to get them done. This is more about procrastination / other things taking precedence.
I will do two more weekly grocery runs, not optimistic about staying under $325. However freezers are pretty well-stocked so it’s remotely possible if I can stay away from bargains, though that’s how the freezers get stocked.
I probably won’t need to buy a bus pass this month. Cat and household spending are hopefully done as well. I know the cat averages $60 per month from tracking and I need to book an appointment for her in January, so I’m likely just going to carry this over to next month in YNAB.
Therapy is going to go over, I added a session.
Found some clothing (warm base layer shirts) on sale, bought four. I will live in them this winter. My re-casted YNAB budget did include $100 for clothing from now till December.
My re-cast when I put stuff in YNAB also covered the professional stuff.
There’s an art class I want to sign up for that would be $53. Most of my eating out is actually socializing with friends. IF there are no more of those outings (no more planned) I may put the rest of this month’s allotment and part of next month’s against the class.
October and November are both low-income months, so I’d rather carry things forward for next month than re-cast I think. I will effectively re-cast when I do the November budget.
How will we be doing the final report-out for October? Monday is the 28th, my final grocery run will be on Wednesday the 30th. Should we report out again on Monday and again on Thursday? Wait until the end of the month? Not consider the last three days (in which case, I have hopes of making the grocery budget).
@TrisPrior that’s what I struggle with, the constant surprise of predictable events. I would have done what you did, choosing to save time over money but I struggle as much or more with time than money.
For some things, I buy two. When the first runs out, I put it on the list, start the second and pick up the next one on my normally scheduled trip. If you know a can of dry shampoo lasts less than two months, I’d probably buy 2-3 the next time you get your hair cut. Unless you are good at remembering when you started the last can (I am not) I’d probably just buy enough each visit to have three full cans on hand after each visit.
I used to make several trips to the grocery store each week. The last few months I’ve designated Wednesdays as grocery day and been pretty disciplined about not going other days. Usually I can figure out a work-around.
As to where the money comes from, that’s the tougher, more structural question. I’m not sure if you track, seeing where money is going right now, figuring out how much you need / want / earn may be enlightening. Do they do case studies over here?
The expense evens out though. It would be lovely if actual weekly/monthly expense = averaged weekly/monthly expense, but it just doesn’t.
Sounds like you need 2 cans / appointment.
If you can stagger when similar expense in another category come due - you can kind of even out cash flow that way (so you don’t have all the lumps in the same time period). You have to decide whether the planning and upfront costs are worth it though. Especially if some of these things just are not as predictable. It may just not be worth the energy.
I hate spray cans, partly for that very reason (how much is left?). That and environmental issue memories (of CFCs).
Food: $233.98/$275. Yeeeeahhhh this is gonna be close. But even if I do go slightly over, this will be the lowest monthly spending on food by far, so that’s cool.
Phone: $31.59/$30. No change.
Transportation: $46.05/$60.
Gym/health: $35.14/$35.14. Done for the month.
Clothes/Personal care: $60.08/$75. Bought materials to make some needed winter accessories. Job-related clothes spending will probably be deferred to next month, cuz no job offers yet.
Household: $97.04/$91.55. No change from last week.
Misc: $52.05/$48.11. Slightly over because I mailed something for Brown Bear
$18.64 Home depot. Theoretically I’m going to be buying compost today…
Gas ($40 budgeted)
$40 used
Utilities ($160 budgeted)
All spent fully paid
Coffee ($60 budgeted)
$58 spent.
Phone ($60 budgeted)
Paid for and used I full.
Health ($100 budgeted)
$30 prescriptions
$60 co-pay from iud consultation
Car Registration ($500 budgeted)
Nothing spent yet. This might be coming next month, not this month?
Gifts ($50 budgeted)
$20 spent.
Flex ($100 budgeted)
$20.24 spent from gas spending overflow.
$30 - Greyman bought us Nerf blasters because WE ARE ADULTS.
This Week’s Anticipated Spending
$500 on compost
Possibly some kind of trash pick-up service or giant bin thing we can put stuff in, as we hope to tear out the old fence and deck very soon. I don’t even know what to google to find prices for this though. Halp?
Probably something that our adopted fish will need.
When I used to try and track categories that happened to me a lot. Or I would be with someone with a car and buy rice a few weeks earlier than planned, or end up at a Costco. Because of where my total financial picture is at, I tend to just reduce my other spending for a few weeks after.
A lot of budget systems are set up with assumptions that don’t fit my life. So I just redo it.
I also build in those lumpy expenses into my overall budget. Damn straight that in November I’ll buy extra of those one-off things, to carry me through until May, for example. I also plan for my spending in winter to be higher, so that I can shop at stores on my train route, or do grocery delivery. I plan for my spending in summer to be lower, because it’s easier to bike to cheap stores that aren’t on a transit route, and because I can spend more time outside instead of spending money on winter-coping-mechanisms.
When my budget over the longer term picture has been short on money coming in, I cut back on savings. There’s no other way for me at my income level to have a life that isn’t miserable when my spending budget is already lean. I’ve done that before, for years at a time, and in the overall scheme of my life I’m not really ahead because of it. In fact, the stress and anxiety of always feeling broke and just stuck caused me health problems, which we all know in our healthcare system cost money.
A couple of years ago I took my tax refund and instead of putting it in savings or paying off debt, I used it to create a buffer in my checking account and therefore in my budget. Since then the lumpy expenses have been no issue, and I’ve gone back to my regular savings rate. My total savings down the road isn’t affected at all by not having diverted that money to long term savings, and the present payoff was huge for both my emotional health around money and my ability to make my budget work for my actual life.
I also change my budget categories pretty regularly - once a year for sure, maybe more often. If I notice tracking a specific thing is causing me stress, I’ll recategorize and lump it into a bigger category or change the name to reflect my actual values instead of reflecting self-criticism.
I admit I’m feeling extra urgency/panic (which I already had TONS of) around saving right now because of the massive layoff.
ETA: I did similar when I had an especially flush August (3-paycheck month plus an art show where I did well). I put money aside for the kitties’ upcoming checkup and for my next hair appointment. The former was spent a week ago, the latter I’m still sitting on, I’m trying to put it off until it looks so bad that I can’t fix it myself, haha. It did help knowing that those expected expenses were covered, but I can’t do that every month.
Now to get some idea of how much space I actually need… I have 0 idea how much space my torn-out fence will occupy. If I get something too big, I overpay. If I get something too small, I have to order another one after the first one, and I overpay even more. I guess the best idea would be to pull the fence out and then call for a dumpster, once I can see how much stuff there is.
Yeah, when we had it done we hired a company (because the homeowners insurance company wouldn’t insure us until we fixed it, the assholes) and the dumpster rental was part of the overall price, so I don’t know how much it was, or how big it was. I think you might pay for how many days (or maybe on a weekly schedule) you keep it, so you definitely don’t want to have it longer than you need to. They put ours on our side yard, because it didn’t have grass anyway (there were big pine trees on the edge of the property so grass didn’t grow on that side). People often put them on driveways though.
A thought - it’s possible your city waste reclamation department might have info as well, so check their website.
I think you can calculate the size needed by estimating the volume (your fence is 6 feet high X 0.5 feet deep X 10 feet long . Then divide by 27 to get cubic yards). Then add a hedging factor because your stuff won’t be perfectly packed in there like a winning Tetris screen. And if you have any big items you want to send to the dump - now is the time.
Current fence is also a weird combo of wood posts & beams + chain link, and I’m not sure how to calculate how densely I can pack chain link. I would think it would take up less space than pure wood because it has less depth?