Gayle's Frugal-Attempts Journal

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gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Gayle's Frugal-Attempts Journal

Post by gaylejackson2 »

I want to jump on the journaling wagon too. I find that I do better if I can write money-related things down.

I want to save $10/week again in 2018, plus sock away any extra little bit that comes my way. We don't have any retirement funds set up (well dh might have a small 401k with work), and I want to work on that.

I might still do my envelopes for medical expenses, emergency fund, gas money -- or perhaps I'll start savings accounts for these... on my checking account, I can have up to 50 seperate savings accounts (I can move money from checking into them, but they won't be pulled from if checking gets overdrawn :shock: accidentally).

This is what I'm currently thinking about (usually at night when I can't sleep).

Separate savings accounts for:
*Medical
*Gasoline?? or maybe will just keep this in envelope
*Groceries?? or maybe will just keep this in envelope
*Emergency fund
*Heloc-- I want to do a direct pull from this account for our HELOC (this is the main reason I started working again, to pay off more on it) -- when working out monthly payments I frequently forget to allow $$ for HELOC, then my budget is messed up.
*Christmas
*Vacation -- I want to go somewhere for mine & dh 20th wedding anniversary -- have just over 2 years, to save for that date.
*Retirement

Estimated Amounts for each account/envelope by month:
*Medical- $20-30/month
*Gasoline- $50-60/month
*Groceries- $300-400/month
*Emergency- $20-30/month plus 10% of my income; once I reach $10,000 (its a GIGANTIC number right now, but its 4 months expenses), I'll toss extra money at retirement fund.
*HELOC- $120 (current payment is $88, but that will change in March or April)
*Christmas- $20/month
*Vacation- $20/month
**Retirement- 10% of My monthly income, plus $20-40/month from paychecks from hubby (once I reach $1000-2000, I will put it in something bigger than this micro-yield savings account).
Last edited by gaylejackson2 on Tue Mar 03, 2020 12:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Gayle's Spend-less & save more

Post by gaylejackson2 »

Regarding the Spend-less, I did horrible in January (well okay at beginning of month, but really bad after Jan 14th), an dI blame it on pre-Italy-trip preparations.
...
I'm reposting my recent post here from no-spend challenge, & and going to try to do better at spending less in Feb.
gaylejackson2 wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:53 am Well I'm hoping to spend less now that my Italy trip is out of the way, however dh has changed how I'm being paid from him (his job now pays weekly, so I get paid weekly too), and I'm struggling with adjusting, but I will be fine.

Thus far for Feb No Grocery/sundry spending:

I spent on the 1st and 2nd, no spend on 3rd & 4th, spent on 5th, no spend on 6th, 7th, & 8th, spent on 9th & 10th (because of AWESOME butter prices), no spend on 11th & 12th, spent on 13th, no-spend on 14th & 15th.

So thus far:
Spend: 6
No-spend: 9

I'll be spending tomorrow (Friday the 16th), and maybe on Saturday (17th), then no-spend on Sunday & Monday, then spend again on Tuesday.

I want 15 no-spend days for Feb -- Subbing is helping me to NOT spend, as I come home too tired to do much besides make dinner & go to bed. :o
I think that I really need to track my spending again too... to see where the money is going. I might just do a paper tracking book (I have LOTS of notebooks I could repurpose), but I almost wish I had a computer-type tracker too, but I don't know how I'd get one set up (any readers have suggestions for me?).
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Gayle's Spend-less & save more

Post by Dgflorida »

Welcome to the journals. I like journals so I can easily refer to whatever idea my brain came up with overnight. I must admit that your budget style is overwhelming to me. I gave up on setting a no spend number because it was too stressful and the bargains came and I didn't have the flexibility to take advantage of them. But I am reading it and following it to the best of my ability. ;) Good luck.
gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Gayle's Spend-less & save more

Post by gaylejackson2 »

Am reposting from the 2018 spend-less thread again, anything to help keep me accountable.
--------
Continuing with my February No-spend plans (I want 15 no-spend days):

I did spend on both Friday and Saturday (I was at my knitting retreat on Friday & Saturday and I knew I'd be buying fiber and Yarn), then Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (today) were no-spend days.

So thus far:
Spend: 8
No-spend: 12

Ordinarily, I'd be spending the day after Tuesday, but I plan to see just how long I can make the milk & bread last, I'm hoping for Thursday at the least. That would give me Wednesday as another no-spend day this week.
gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Gayle's Spend-less & save more

Post by gaylejackson2 »

Dgflorida wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:05 am Welcome to the journals. I like journals so I can easily refer to whatever idea my brain came up with overnight. I must admit that your budget style is overwhelming to me. I gave up on setting a no spend number because it was too stressful and the bargains came and I didn't have the flexibility to take advantage of them. But I am reading it and following it to the best of my ability. ;) Good luck.
:lol: :lol: I need that luck!

Actually I find that I do best with a set amount, and the longer I follow it, then it becomes a habit, and I'm trying to keep it as a good habit.

I suspect that my amounts may change from time to time, but am trying to avoid spending over-much on "bargains." Except for maybe clothes for my children, and since our Kmart here closed a year ago, clothing bargains are harder for me to find... or perhaps they are still around, but I just need to hunt harder for them -- and I'm an impatient clothing shopper at best.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Gayle's Spend-less & save more

Post by Dgflorida »

Most of my kids clothes came from thrift shops. They never knew that, but they did enjoy the nice clothes. ;)
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