October Budget Results

October seemed like a long month.  Maybe it was because I worked a lot more at my part-time job than I should have but all that extra money has gone into the travel fund, so no regrets.  Today we washed all the mildew and bugs off the outside of the house and put away all the lawn furniture cushions and pots that still had a few dead plants in them.  Although we only get snow once or twice a year in our Valley there definitely was a large amount of white dusting the Mountains around our town this morning. Hubby will mow the lawn for the final time this year sometime this week and then it will just go dormant until late February or March when we start mowing again.  

Anyway, good news!  I hit the grocery budget this month with $2.12 to spare!

October Grocery Budget 
$425 - Actual Spent was $422.88.  This category includes all over the counter medications, personal grooming items, soaps, cleaners and household items for two adults who eat at home 99% of the time.
Previous 2013 year to date overage $407.36 less this month underage of $2.12 = $405.24 year to date overage.  Coupons used  - $13.45.   This month my cupboards and freezer are looking pretty full.  I really only need to buy a box of Skinless Boneless Chicken breasts and what do you know, they are on sale at rock bottom prices on Tuesday according to the flyers.  I might just get two boxes (4kg per box) if I can rearrange things enough in the freezer to fit it all.  Last month's stock-up of cheap over the counter medications sure made it a lot easier this month to stay on budget while at the same time stock up on bargain meat.  My freezer is full of pink stickered meat - I rarely buy it if it isn't on sale.

Hair Budget
Annual budget $250 -  Left in Budget $136.98
Zero spent this month - but I need to get the mop cut in the first week of November and color.
$118.33 left in the budget which will definitely cover any of the clothing overage and possibly some of the grocery overage at the end of the year.  Woohoo!


Clothing Budget
Annual Budget $200 - $223.94 spent year to date - over budget by $23.94 (due to September)
Spent this month?  Zero!  I am trying to make it to the end of the year without buying any more clothing or accessories.  I do have a Christmas party to attend in early December but have all the clothes I need for that so should be set barring any unforeseen emergencies.

Christmas 2013
All the money has been saved for this Christmas!  I ordered a couple presents off Amazon to add to the ones I picked up in Oregon and Washington last month.  This Christmas we will be giving more gift cards and cash as we will be flying to Alberta again and the kids are at an age where it is nearly impossible to buy something they like and physically take it with us on the plane. Cash and giftcards seem to make teenagers and young adults happy every time.

Losing Weight Challenge
Starting weight June 1, 2013 = 150 lbs.  Weight July 1 was  145.6 lbs.  August 1 was 144.4 lbs.  Sept 1 143.0 lbs.  Oct 1 144 lbs.  Today? 140.8 pounds.  Twice this month I dipped below 140 but still would like to drop another couple pounds as my ideal weight is 135 pounds.

Travel
This weekend I booked our air tickets and paid for the insurance for our trip to Portugal (8nts)  in April.  We are also stopping over for 3 nights in Amsterdam, Holland on the way back.   I have travelled extensively but never been to either of these countries.  Hubby has never been overseas so we are both really looking forward to exploring together.   It is so exciting now that the time has been booked off and the tickets are booked and paid for (*put them on credit card for points then immediately paid it off out of the travel fund).  The money is in the bank for the hotels but I need to save quite a bit more spending money.  As the trip is just over five months away there will be time.  Our flights to Alberta at Christmas have been booked with points for several months and the taxes long paid for.  There will be a car rental expense along with a single night in a hotel that I need to make sure we have the money for as well.  In our busy life, one must plan and save ahead for these things or they just don't happen!

And how did you do this month?