Last night Papa and I sat down for an early 'end of month' meeting. We started having these meetings as we approached the new financial year, and it's been great to share the responsibility. Isn't it funny how a couple can look at the whole budgeting picture differently, though? I like to make sure I go through the budget at least once a week, tallying everything spent and checking we're keeping to our monthly limit. Everything is set out on the computer in Excel. Papa likes to see the whole total for the year mapped out per category and deduct the amount spent in an account book. We both have a laugh at how the other works it out ... but it still works out, and we both know what's going on rather only one of us keeping an eye on the family finances.
Our early meeting last night was to give us an idea of how much we could spend on more home maintenance projects. The back pergola is coming along. Papa's using the poles and beams we moved to make a semi detached pergola to the back of the house (ie: the pergola will go up freestanding, but with brackets attaching it securely to the wall). However, before it finally goes up, we need to replace the back window with a sliding door.
The sliding door ... is going to be costly. Sigh! There's no way around it. We can't buy anything pre-made due to the dimensions, so we've had someone come to measure it up and give us a quote for a 'made-to-measure' door.
What are we doing to get that extra amount together? Well, we've had a few options. The first was to cut our spending.
- I'm being more diligent with our fortnightly menu planning and shopping. It's meant we have to be creative, but it works. We've pulled the budget back and using more unprocessed foods (ie: cooking from scratch), which has already given me another $300/month from the usual amount spent. Take away meals have been completely ruled out! The children have been challenged to help make the meals as interesting as possible, so home-made pizzas, baked chips, frozen fruit and yoghurt 'ice cream' are on the menu a few times.
- We're also being very strict with car trips. Checking out the prices at the pump and trying to anticipate the next price rise is tricky, but we've managed to get it a few times before the 16 cent price rise. Dear me! Buying petrol is like buying shares these days! Once filled, we have to make it last as long as possible.
- I took advantage of a second-hand curriculum sale yesterday. Calculating that I did have to travel in the car to get there, with road tolls, made the decision to do this a little risky. I could hope to break even at best, but it ended up we came out ahead. We moved a heap of things from the bookshelf and only brought back a fraction of what I took. Well worth it!
- Finallly, we're carefully considering all the educational costs we plan for next year. We'll have to cut back on the more expensive excursions (except those already paid for). It's true, I do allow a fair bit of money toward the children's education, and I don't regret it at all. It's still a LOT less than private schooling. Most of it's been on books though, and I think we're pretty much set up for the next few years bar Maestro's new math books for next year. So, we're being a bit brutal and aiming to cut costs by 1/3 for 2013. This is the only way we can pull a bulk of our savings in to account for the purchase of that back sliding door.
Well, that's the plan. If anyone has other suggestions on cutting a tight budget back, I'd love to hear from you!
I'll leave you all with this great article I read just recently, called "The Simpler Way" (downloaded as pdf at that link). It was recommended on Rhonda's blog: Down to Earth. It's a great read, with food for thought on what we choose to spend our money on, and HEAPS of tips about simpler living. (Follow Rhonda's link: A Simpler Way to a Greener Future).
Until next post!
Catherine
Catherine
2 comments:
While we have a budget and live fairly frugally, I admire your commitment. We find saving very hard and often end up dipping into the small nest egg for the unexpected. It's an area I appreciate tips in.
Budgeting is one of those 'love/hate' things, isn't it? I like knowing that we can learn to do things better, or we have to do without, but wish we could do more if we had the finances.
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