Its been an expensive couple of months and I don't really see that easing up yet, so for December we're going to have to keep chugging along and plan on setting up our new budget for January.
A few things have thrown our budget off kilter this month..
1. Morgans glasses. I'm accounting for those and pulling that money out of the next 3 pays just in case we don't get the refund back in time for the 1st of the month. So each week will be just a little bit tighter than usual.
2. ROGERS. Ugh!! Don't even get me started on them. A couple of months ago they promised me a great rate, and now they're saying that they never promised me the rate, don't have it in their records, and are holding me locked into their stupid contract at $30 more a month than they told me! Yes, i've called to complain and its fruitless. I get the run around and they continue to tell me how "wrong" I am. They gave me a $50.00 credit on my account to "make up" for the "misunderstanding" but somehow that $50.00 does NOT make up for the $360.00 more we'll be paying throughout the year because they can't keep their stupid records straight!! I've had horrible service from them over the last couple months, (well longer actually, but they usually make up for it) and we were ready to cancel, but it'll cost us a small fortune to break our "contract" so we're stuck.
3. Sick kids. We're waiting on a few Blue Cross refund chqs from medications etc... but they could take a couple weeks, so until we receive them and see the amount we can't count on them for the month. I figure it'll be a few hundred we get back eventually though. *note: start writing down what we're getting back!
So in the end, I really I need to work out a new budget for January, but for this month i'm just going to wing it, get the bills paid and start fresh at the end of the month. Going through our account we have $300.00 variable for the week, and $65.00 left from our budget last week. So, $365.00 in total. This is a good thing as hubby & I have a date night on Friday night! It's been a while since we've been out so it'll be nice!
One thing i'm making myself do is waiting to grocery shop until I have a menu plan in place for the next week. Our freezer is filled to the brim and we honestly have NO room for a turkey, and since we'll be needing to buy one next week, we have to eat from our freezer and not fill it back up again! lol!
I'm completely done with our Christmas shopping, and other than our date night tomorrow night, we have no other plans for the week, so maybe by a stroke of luck we'll come in under budget! lol!
On my "to do" list today:
Clean living room from top to bottom *declutter, dust, vacuum, tidy.Sew for an hour. *Work on cell phone/ipod case ordersFold laundry from the dryer & put it away.Wash & hang laundry in back room.- Schedule book review post.
- Menu plan for the week & post. *keeps me accountable! lol!
- Bake shortbread cookies.
Prepare gift for Morgan's guitar teacher. *cash& cookies with a thank-you card.Clean out the fridge & wipe it down.Declutter mudroom. *this is apparently a dumping grounds for everyone as "stuff" accumulates in this room crazy fast!
And that about covers everything for today! :)
How is your budget going this month? Any 'surprises' that are making it hard to stay on track?
