Budgeting on a Friday

Is it really Friday already? I’m not really sure where the week went. I’ve been busy with work, and photography and cleaning this dang house. It seems that the list is never-ending.

Without further ado, let’s get down to business, our little Piggy Bank Budget:

This week, I literally didn’t even look at anything to buy, that’s how busy it’s been around here. I usually stop by all of my favorite clothing/shoe website at least once a week if not several times. Instead, this week I spent time going through our income, expenses, bills and debt to see where we really stand. And it really made me want to sell everything I have and pay things off.

In addition my $400+ savings of last week is now gone on an urgent care bill.

Last Friday, I happily reported to my hubs that we had at least one airline ticket covered to Cozumel. Only 10 minutes after that, I went and got the mail to see a note from our insurance that we owe $270 to the urgent care I visited here in Tucson while we were down here closing on our house. I was literally dying, I had bronchitis and a sinus allergy and couldn’t even see straight. And even though we pay over $600 a MONTH for our health insurance apparently they do not cover out of area urgent cares. Our address was still Denver at the time and the urgent care in Tucson was considered out of area, so there’s a deductible on it. ANYWAYS, to make a long story short even thought it was an URGENT CARE and it should be covered by our insurance it’s subject to the deductible which I didn’t even realized we had on something like UC and ER. To say that I am disappointed and a little frustrated is putting it lightly.

Anywho, if you want a good reality check and a motivator to stop spending here is something to look at.

• Calculate your monthly take home income (after taxes)
• Add up your set expenses (rent/mortgage, car payments, bills, savings and so on)
• Add up your financed expenses (for us it’s our fridge and washer/dryer)
• Add up your credit card debit

Once you have all the above added up in set numbers take your monthly income and deduct the set expenses from it. Then deduct the financed items.

The number you have left is what can go towards your credit cards.

BUT there is still things like food to think about, and if you have a pet their food, and other necessities like gas, and cleaning products, and gifts for birthdays and so on.

Let’s just say that even though I didn’t save or spend any money this week, putting numbers on paper really made me realize how much we need a budget, and to budget for little things as well.

What are you budgeting tips, do you do the envelops/cash method? How does that work out? What about rewards on credit cards? I was just able to get about $200 worth of cash from the rewards on our credit cards… so I’d rather use my card and get money back especially since I have to buy food and such.

Thoughts and ideas are welcomed.

Hope you all have a great weekend!