How did the month of April go for you?
I think I didn't do as great this month as last. No credit card usage which is great but I do think we overspent in categories and May will be just as hard with lots of traveling.
Goals for 2009 were:
1. Spend $100 or less on groceries. I didn't pay attention as much on a weekly basis but kept track for the month. I did go a tad over in the grocery budget - budget is $500 - spent $517 including a BJ's trip. Lots of coupons kept bringing me back! I had planned to only go to HT for the month but couldn't resist the Safeway deals.
Side note on Safeway - talked to corporate and I was supposed to have gotten $12 back on my last trip - they are mailing me my coupons but they won't arrive in time for me to use them on the current promotion so I can either go back and start over or just move on and let it go :) Mostly depends on how well I do with triple coupons at HT.
Side note on HT - thanks to a reader I was alerted that Teri put the list up early at the Grocery Game so head over there before you head to HT. She did promise to put up an updated list on Sunday. Since we're heading out of town soon for a while I need less and will just focus on the best deals.
2. Pay $10 or less for dinner. Again I didn't pay as much attention this month because I didn't have to buy much for my dinners. One week only $4 of my weekly grocery budget went to making my actual dinner so that was slightly harder to calculate. Basically I'd say this goal is met since I have so much stocked up cheaply that I'm really not paying much at all for meals.
3. Pay down debt. Still working on it - essentially not adding to it is the best way to pay it down! Paying for my writing trip to Colorado in cash - it's been tough but the Lord has provided the funds in multiple ways and that has been so cool. Once I get back from my long trip I will begin selling off stuff to pay more off. The big key is not to get in any more debt while I'm gone!
4. Continue to buy brand name clothes but pay cash. Still doing this! I'm also finding that lots of places are more expensive then Gymboree - the coupons and deals there are too good to pass up. I did find a few good deals at a consignment sale this month - got a brand new Gymboree shirt for Caleb for $4 but otherwise great deals there have been hard to come by. Instead I'll be using the money made on my own sales to buy clothes from Gymboree. Using stuff I have to buy the stuff I need is the best kind of recycling around!
5. No more credit cards. Check!
I hope you have a wonderful May and come out financially stronger then you went in! The beauty of the changing months is like the changing years - you can start over - wipe the slate clean.
I'd say the number one thing that keeps me going is that if I screw up today doesn't mean I've screwed up forever. I can start over and that's okay. What's not okay is falling off the wagon completely.
You are doing a great job! I agree, not adding to the debt is definitely a good way to keep it from going up.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing what you are doing--you're well on you're way! :)