Blogging Away Debt

Where are you spending your money – October, 2021

I posted my spending plan/budget for September last month and then constantly read in the comments that I don’t have a budget. While my budget may not look like yours, I do have a budget. I’ve got a plan for every cent of money I anticipate making through the end of May, 2022 right now.

It may not be the traditional budget, but it works for me. And let’s me see very quickly how any discrepancy in income and/or spending affects me in the next 8 months.

Here’s my spending/savings plan for October:

Auto – Gas	10/1/2021	-30
Groceries	10/1/2021	-100
Princess – monthly allowance	10/1/2021	-150
Giving	10/1/2021	-300
Saving – EF	10/1/2021	-300
Pandora (Apple)	10/4/2021	-5
Utilities – Gas, Water, Trash	10/4/2021	-150
Utilities – Electric	10/5/2021	-250
State Fair?	10/7/2021	-500
Auto – Gas	10/8/2021	-30
Work – Internet	10/9/2021	-67
Mortgage	10/13/2021	-350
Student Loans	10/14/2021	-300
Parents Weekend?	10/14/2021	-300
Auto – Gas	10/15/2021	-30
Auto – Maintenance	10/15/2021	-75
Groceries	10/15/2021	-100
Princess – monthly allowance	10/15/2021	-150
Work – Cell Phones	10/15/2021	-160
Princess – clothing	10/15/2021	-300
Auto Insurance	10/16/2021	-457
College Savings	10/16/2021	-500
Auto – Gas	10/22/2021	-30
Hearing Aids	10/25/2021	-110
Mortgage	10/27/2021	-350
Twins Birthday	10/27/2021	-400
Gym	10/28/2021	-50
Auto – Gas	10/29/2021	-30
Netflix	10/30/2021	-18
Work – Adobe	10/30/2021	-20
Christmas Savings	10/30/2021	-500
Amazon	10/31/2021	-150
House?

The Details

Most of these are standard expenditures with a couple of exceptions and I want to explain some of my “extra” spending.

Work – first you will see a couple of expenses that you typically do not see here. For the first time since I began the corporate job, my consulting income is really low. So low, in fact, that I must pay a few of my business expenses from my personal account. I don’t anticipate this being a long term thing, but had to happen this month.

State Fair and Parents Weekend – these are things I am hoping to do and not really sure what to expect cost wise. I can cover them with my “slush” fund (all those $5 I never spend and change jar savings) so they won’t be coming out of my regular income. But I’m also not really sure they will happen with COVID, etc. But have it as a line item in case.

Auto Maintenance – I have this amount budgeted every 3 months to cover oil changes/tire rotations. Thanks to having a newer car, I don’t typically need any other work. And some days I go longer, depending on how much the car has been driven.

Princess Clothing – this was actually in last month’s budget but she wanted to wait until it got cooler. So the plan is for her to get it this month.

No more office visits

by Hope

I was slated to visit the office again this coming week. But with the rise of COVID and frankly, my nerves, I have decided to forego anymore office visits for the time being. It just seems safer and I am definitely most comfortable just being home – no more clothes dilemma.

This takes a load off mentally. But it also saves me about a tank of gas and four hours in the car. And as you know…time = money! And before anyone expresses anything about job security and responsibilities, it is written into my job offer that my role is 100% remote irregardless of what COVID did/does. It was never the expectation that I would work from the office on a regular basis or ever really.

We did sell Princess’ car this past weekend. It sold for $2,000 and I was very upfront with known issues, work that had been done and the wreck she had. That money is being put into a savings account for another car down the road.

Being cautious

While our tiny town continues to be mostly unaffected by regulations and mandates, we and by we now, I mean, I continue to be careful with grocery delivery pick up or delivery only. And, as always, limited outside excursions. I must admit that I am less cautious then I would be elsewhere, but I am being careful.

Our school district issued all students computers this past week. Thoughts abound that they are preparing for another lockdown. They also sent out an email letting parents know where they could get access to free internet if they didn’t have it at home. But we are also seeing a rise in “free internet” offers from local providers. Are you seeing this in your area as well?

Side note: Did I tell ya’ll that both the twins had COVID a couple of weeks ago? History Buff got tested and was positive. Sea Cadet assumed he was positive as he started feeling icky a few days later and treated it accordingly. Sea Cadet’s girlfriend also tested positive as she has been here for several days earlier that week.

We did a couple of supply runs for them and they had Walmart delivery, but they both recovered quickly. We watched Princess closely as she worked at the bowling alley with them both the weekend before they got sick, but she never had any symptoms. Before she left, we stocked up on the medicines she might need should she get sick and she is taking the immune boosting vitamins and minerals on a daily basis. This was important to me since she is in a much more congested area now.