Fighting that Urge

It was horrible yesterday, let me tell you. Not in a long agonizing sort of way. It hits you rather in that out of the blue impulsivity sort of way.

It's that feeling of "ooooo let's buy/let's get" that hits me in the darndest places. Like at the checkout when I see the little crack US and Star Magazines and I have to fight my urge to pick them up and put them in my pile. It's like going to the drugstore and just WANTING something...that need to walk out of there with something you didn't plan on getting...something pretty or scented. It's the "ohhhh what to have for supper. Hey let's order pizza! I HAVE money set aside for dining out/take out"

What it is, my friends, is a habit. A habit of just buying things without even thinking. Granted it isn't as expensive a habit as some people out there. It could be alcohol or cigarettes...VLTs or expensive clothes. It's small stuff but then again, it's often and I am living on a smaller amount than some (more than others)

I truly could hear the 'awww come on!!' inside me as I fought off the urges.

This probably would be easier if I did everything out of money envelopes/jars but I don't. Only my spending money goes that route.

I did say no. Yeah me. But that is just one day of about 10 out of the blue temptations, and it is only the beginning of the month.

eeep

October Goals

Looking back I did so so on my September Goals. I am getting into the groove of both being back at work and keeping at this debt project of mine so hopefully things go better for October. A couple are absolutely reruns as I didn't do a complete job last time.

Here is my plan for October:

• Completely pay off balance on Mastercard
• Plan out how long (given nothing OMG happens in my life) it will take to max out the small emergency fund and paying off Bank of Mom
• Document expenditures in detail for the following categories: my allowance, groceries, household and dining out.
• Investigate comparative costs for 10 frequently purchased grocery items to see where they should be purchased.
• Preplan menus to allow for larger, more infrequent shopping trips and reduce impulse grocery buying.
• Track how many no spend days I can achieve. (particularily effective for groceries)

Bring on October!!

Unplanned Expenses this Month

There always are. I mean if one had a less rigid criteria list for emergency fund, that account would be sucked dryer than the sahara. I look forward to the day when I have money set aside for the non emergency yet still unplanned expenses that pop up, and they don't throw the whole budget into whack.

For this past month we had:

• a new power cord for my laptop $75
• a referee course for my son which has father was going to pay for then didn't $90
• a new piece of equipment for my son as he hit yet another growth spurt $74.90
• an evil laundry mishap ruined two pieces of my work clothes which needed to be replaced as they were essential staples $120

Total for this month of things which popped out to say BOO - $359.90

OUCH

Where did the money for this come from....the fuel category, the household category, a bit from my spending money.

Pay Day

Part of me wishes on pay day we could get the actual cheque, as they did not so far away in the past. At least then one could feel and touch and hold that cash before it goes into the land of electronic existence.

The best I could do was check my online account and see it there for a bit before I start parcelling it out to the various agencies in my life.

I had written out my plan of attack last night, even then, not totally sure of the amount of my cheque. I have maxed out on a couple of the gov't required deductions so from now until the end of the calendar year, that is bonus money..."merit pay" as the inside joke goes. Also, we have a 4% raise in effect but to figure out the actual 'take home' difference is hard as often it bumps you up into a higher rate of deductions. In January I'll know LOL Things are normal then until the end of June.

So I visited the bank and took out my spending money for the month to dutifully put in the envelopes at home. I paid my satellite bill and the VISA, which does not carry a balance...paid off in full each month (I use it for groceries, to get the reward points).

In the next couple of days I will pay Mastercard, utilities, consolidated loan, phone and cell etc.

Every play solitare online and win....remember the dancing of the cards once you win? Wouldn't it be great if we could have our money do that....just for a few moments...when we get paid?

It would be fun at any rate.

Here's to another month and making the best choices I can.

Subscribing/Feeding

As Per a request, I have attempted to add a 'subscribe to this' at the bottom of my blog. I have NO clue if I've done this correctly LOL

Isn't it great there are always new things to learn?