I have hit a brink wall.
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I have hit a brink wall.
| Mon, 12-29-2008 - 8:07am |
In the last few months it seems like everytime I turn around on our weekly money I am going in the hole. Then I have to
| Mon, 12-29-2008 - 8:07am |
In the last few months it seems like everytime I turn around on our weekly money I am going in the hole. Then I have to
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Hey Maryann:
You know I'm just trying to work out a budget too, so I don't have any great answers but wanted you to know that I see where you're coming from. The way you described keeping everything separate? That's why my personal expense was so big, so I could lump all the usual drugstore stuff in there and my food line is so big because it's all the things I might pick up at the grocery. If I separated out cleaning supplies, personal products, pet supplies, etc. I'd go nuts. I'd never stick to this. It is interesting to track those in a notebook if you're trying to rein in your spending. I have done that before and got a lot out of it.
I think the most important thing is that your budget works for you. Again, we are in the same boat with going overboard on debt repayment and not having enough in savings. It's hard not to get excited about paying these bad boys off; but, I know I need more of a cash cushion.
Good luck with this.
Dee
Hi Mary Ann:
Oh boy, I can relate.
Kate
Kind of sucks doesn't it sometime money that is. Can't live without it .
Another problem I have is when the big things come up I can't charge them any more because my interest is so low. So the 172.00 for the vet and the 250.00 for the roof down at the other house well it all has to come out of the 250.00 we live on
Hey Mary Ann,
I can relate, too.
Hugs Mary Ann!
I have been around long enough and read enough of your posts to know that YOU know what needs to be done and how to do it.
Teresa
http://www.affordingpickles.blogspot.com
Mary Ann,
In Quicken, you can split the expense between several of your categories. Instead of just picking one category in the check register, click on the split button underneath the list of options and you can split it up into as many as you want. Then your total transaction amount is correct so you can match your transactions but your reports reflect the correct information. Let me know if you need more details.
That being said, I think you totally have a 'real' budget. Those percentages are recommendations and you are very close to them and doing the right things. I would encourage you to forget about them because you seem to be getting really frustrated over something that just isn't important. There's no magic there and beating your head against it is only giving you a headache. :)
Peg
Jennifer
Bex -
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift -thats why its called the present."
Bex -
I tackle my budgeting in two ways. The check "register" and my debt spreadsheet.
As for the checking account, I use clearcheckbook.com. I used to use Microsoft Money and couldn't stand the "budgeting tools" because it always showed me in the red and my future projection was always grim. =c) ClearCheckbook is free and you don't input your account numbers so it's risk free, too. I simply keep track of spending with them by setting up categories (mortgage, gas, groceries, electricity, each creditor, etc) and marking each item as it clears. It's very easy to split entries, but I don't often have to because I don't go overboard with categories. For example, I have my bills and creditors all listed but as far as the "other" goes I have the following: clothing, gifts, leisure (includes the kids' sports team fees), magazines & memberships, maintenance/improvements, medical/rx, taxes/licenses, truck/auto parts, cash to me, and cash to DH. Most of what I buy will fall into one of those categories. Household stuff falls in with groceries, and I have animal feed, gas, homeschool items, and eating out in there along with the bills. If I have a transaction that falls into more than one category I'll split it. Even if I just estimate, it gives me an idea. Whether it was $4.05 or $5 doesn't make that much of a difference in terms of record keeping IMO. (Snowflaking, yes, but not in this case, LOL).
My second tool is my debt spreadsheet. It takes seconds a day to update it, and I always have a current snapshot of where I am at any given point. When I get a new statement I update balances and it autocalcs to tell me how much debt I have, my net debt reduction for the year (I keep track of year by year numbers on it too), my total snowflake for the year, my total amount spent per month on debt, on utilities, and on "other" (which would be those categories I listed above).
Between the two of them, I spend less than 5 minutes per day on "money". I reconcile my bank daily, always have an accurate idea of where my money goes, and thanks to the pie charts on clearcheckbook I can see at a glance what's going on with my finances.
I don't worry about percentages. I figure if I'm literally not spending money that I don't HAVE to spend then the percentages will only stress me out. I pay the bills, keep a good idea of what goes where, and snowflake all I can. I can't do much more than that! =c)
Goal #1:
;-)
"Great minds. . . ."
Teresa
http://www.affordingpickles.blogspot.com
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