Budgeting...Argh!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 by Amy
I'm making a budget for next month, as Rudi's unemployment compensation has run out. Which means we need to trim $900/month out of our spending while factoring in birthdays and Christmas and saving for our move. Fun times. I tell you, it's nearly impossible.
Our biggest issues are the grocery bill, random spending on family outings, and Rudi's personal spending. For example, if we all go to Barnes and Noble and if we all get drinks and a snack, that comes out to about $11-$13 each time. That's got to stop. I'm going to try to make pumpkin or banana bread and freeze the slices so we can bring snacks with us if needed. Rudi seriously needs to start using the library. He goes every single week with the girls, so it's not like he doesn't have the opportunity. Geez.
I'm trying to factor in $200 next month for birthdays and Christmas. I don't know how we'll get the money together for Riley's party, though. Poor girl deserves a party for once. She wants to go to ArtSports trampoline gym for her birthday, and although it's affordable as far as birthday events go, it's still $160 not including cake. That needs to be paid for either in November or December at the latest.
The grocery bill needs to be AT MOST $500/month. I would rather it be around $450, but I doubt that's possible. This includes household goods too; trash bags, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, bar soap, toilet paper, everything for under $500/month.
The worst part of it is, that sticking to the budget is my thing. I have to be on Rudi's back every single day of the month to compensate for his totally lack of awareness of what he's spending. It makes me the bad guy, the stick-in-the-mud, the killjoy, the penny-pincher. I really wish Rudi would meet me somewhere, not even half-way, maybe a quarter of the way, that way I don't always have to be the responsible one. I mean, it's no FUN being the cheapskate! I deserve to have fun too, to have a day off from watching the budget like a hawk!
Oh, and Rudi wants an iPod. Tell me where THAT money is going to come from! He acts like we can "just get things" at the beginning of the month when all of our money comes in, but fails to see that the things he bought on the 1st of the month make us fall way short on the 23rd of the month.
I'll post pictures some day. All three of our cameras have dead batteries and Riley scavenged the ones from my camera so I don't even know where they are.
Our biggest issues are the grocery bill, random spending on family outings, and Rudi's personal spending. For example, if we all go to Barnes and Noble and if we all get drinks and a snack, that comes out to about $11-$13 each time. That's got to stop. I'm going to try to make pumpkin or banana bread and freeze the slices so we can bring snacks with us if needed. Rudi seriously needs to start using the library. He goes every single week with the girls, so it's not like he doesn't have the opportunity. Geez.
I'm trying to factor in $200 next month for birthdays and Christmas. I don't know how we'll get the money together for Riley's party, though. Poor girl deserves a party for once. She wants to go to ArtSports trampoline gym for her birthday, and although it's affordable as far as birthday events go, it's still $160 not including cake. That needs to be paid for either in November or December at the latest.
The grocery bill needs to be AT MOST $500/month. I would rather it be around $450, but I doubt that's possible. This includes household goods too; trash bags, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, bar soap, toilet paper, everything for under $500/month.
The worst part of it is, that sticking to the budget is my thing. I have to be on Rudi's back every single day of the month to compensate for his totally lack of awareness of what he's spending. It makes me the bad guy, the stick-in-the-mud, the killjoy, the penny-pincher. I really wish Rudi would meet me somewhere, not even half-way, maybe a quarter of the way, that way I don't always have to be the responsible one. I mean, it's no FUN being the cheapskate! I deserve to have fun too, to have a day off from watching the budget like a hawk!
Oh, and Rudi wants an iPod. Tell me where THAT money is going to come from! He acts like we can "just get things" at the beginning of the month when all of our money comes in, but fails to see that the things he bought on the 1st of the month make us fall way short on the 23rd of the month.
I'll post pictures some day. All three of our cameras have dead batteries and Riley scavenged the ones from my camera so I don't even know where they are.
