As you can see, I did not do very well with my October budget. Most of where I went over was because of vacation but I also didn’t budget enough for pet food and supplies, alcohol, and service and parts. Last time I had my oil changed I paid $80 for them to use synthetic oil. It was more than I usually pay for an oil change but on the bright side it lasted 10 months. I change my oil when it comes up as a notification on my car so its hard to budget for. Since it’s usually only $30 I just pay for it whenever it comes up. So it was $30 extra of unbudgeted spending.
It’s been awhile since I had this many categories in the red on Mint. Sometimes when I get on a roll spending, its hard for me to stop. I’m trying to wind it down in November. I also have a few new categories in the budget this month. This is the first month I’m setting aside $300 for my February vacation. I’m also setting aside $300 for Christmas gifts. I normally do most of my Christmas shopping on Black Friday. I’m already looking forward to it. I’m not sure what I’m getting for anybody at this point so hopefully inspiration will hit when I start getting bombarded with ads.
I’m also considering myself to be up about $100 this month. A and I work out regularly and I’ve been using Bluetooth headphones that I got from work for free for about three years. They still work perfectly fine as far as sound and battery life. However, last month the little piece that helps them stay in your ear up and broke off. Without that little piece, the ear piece will not stay in your ear at all. I was using wired headphones for about two weeks now and was really missing my Bluetooth ones when A suggested I try using the piece that came with his headphones. Long story short, they work and I wont have to buy a new pair of headphones!
For November, I have three goals: don’t go over budget, buy Christmas presents, and pay an additional $1000 to debt. It’s only the 4th and I’ve already paid an additional $1000 to debt so I’m 1/3 of the way there! I’m not feeling good about not going over budget though. I still feel like I’m in ‘treat yo’ self’ mode so there’s no telling how that will end up for me. Below are my November projections. Fingers crossed the month goes well!
Tuck City 