All Moved

I am all moved into the new place. It's different being here. There are pros and cons just like with anything in life. I love that I am saving a ton of money on rent. I plan to save a large portion of this each month. I increased my 401k contributions from 8% to 10%. I just reached $10,000 in my 401k. I am very excited about this. Including my employer match I now have 15% going into my 401k. I did increase my food budget slightly to allow for more fruits and veggies. Once I get a better feeling for where expenses will be every month, I will post my new budget.

It's weird to have a roommate again. It's nice at times and not so great at other times. I like having someone around to talk to and split the bills with. I don't like that I have to make sure to put my food and items which I want for myself in certain cupboards so she knows they are just for me. I also have to share everything. I just have to think about all of the money I am saving if I get frustrated.

My new salary for the new job should be on my paycheck this week. That is also very exciting. This money will also be going to savings. I am still hoping to pay my car off in January. I would like to pay a good chunk in September in order to cut down on interest costs. I love the new job so far. The department has a great group of people.

The moving went okay. My family and friends were great. The movers did the large furniture items. They made good time and came in a little under what I had budgeted, but they damaged two items. I am not impressed with that. I filed claims for the items and am currently waiting to hear back from them. They better call soon!

My plans for the next few weeks are to finish getting settled into the new apt, study lots, catch up on sleep, and spend as little as possible. I have to pay off moving and my trip the weekend before.

Miscellaneous Updates

What a week! I am exhausted and it's only Wednesday! I have managed to pack up a lot of my apartment. Most of what I have left is stuff that's harder to pack. Books, movies, pillows, etc. are all easy to pack. I wish I had more of those things. I am getting anxious to just move and get settled in my new place. I have been throwing and donating as much as I can. I gave a bag of clothes to someone I work with. I am going to see if my brother wants some kitchen items I don't use anymore. It feels good to get rid of things. I just wish I could part with more!

I have been putting a lot of time in at work this week. I am heading home for a long weekend, so I need to be caught up prior to that. I am starting to train people on my work in anticipation for switching departments in a little under two weeks. I am ready for a change!

I have been trying not to spend money, but it's hard sometimes. I went to a baseball game last weekend. We sat in the cheap section though. I am traveling with a friend this weekend, so we will be able to split the gas costs for going home. That helps since I have to travel for a wedding next weekend and moving the next. I am trying out mint.com. I am not sure what I think yet. I would like to simplify my budgeting an money management, but I can't seem to find a way to do that yet. Maybe once July comes and I have more time to devote to things like this I will be able to figure something out.

I am trying to fit working out and studying in, but it's so hard right now. I am thinking about pushing my test date out a week or two.

Update

I have been awful at keeping up my blog lately. Sometimes I wish there was more time in the day. I am swamped at work right now. In addition to work I have been spending time with some of my best friends, working out, randomly dating, and working some more. I am also trying to fit in studying and some me time. I have stayed within my budget.

I have also started the process of rebuilding my wardrobe after cleaning out my closet and giving away all of my clothes which no longer fit. I was able to get some good deals last week. I made a list of everything I want/need clothing wise and how much I can spend on each item. Everything I bought last weekend was on my list and under budget. You can't beat that since I have a pretty big list.

I know a lot of the blogs I read have been mentioning date lately. I have not dated since college. This is for a variety of reasons. I am just feeling better overall now that I am working out 4-5 times a week, so I have been more social. I met a guy who was cute, but he ended up keeping some things about his personal life from me. So, I am not planning to see him again. And then there is a friend of a friend. Not such a great idea either. And now there is one other one. We'll see how this goes.

I have been considering moving in with some friends when my lease is up in order to save some time/money. I spend a lot of time driving to meet up with them (disadvantages of living in a bigger metro area). I am just concerned about going from living alone to having roommates again. I did live with one of them a few years ago and it worked out just fine.

We got more snow this today. I am not impressed. I really wanted spring to come. I have been itching to go on vacation. Somewhere with a beach, no shoes, and a book sounds amazing right now.

October Review . . . Thinking about November

I can't believe it's November 1st already. My net worth increased in October, but not by as much as it should have. My net worth is currently at $7,562. That's increase of about $784 over last month. Considering that this was an extra payment month for that's not a very good increase. My 401k took a good sized hit this month. That hurt.

I spent more money than I wanted to in October, but it was mainly due to my certification exam. I registered to take one of the parts, so that cost $190. I also ordered additional study materials for this section. I am hoping to take this part of the exam prior to Christmas, but I have until the end of February is something happens and am not take to take it as planned. Once I schedule a date though, no going back. I am hoping to really increase my studying time starting this weekend.

I was under budget in all categories, so that was great. I hope I can manage that in November as well with Thanksgiving in there. My family is coming to visit me for Thanksgiving, so I increased my food budget for the month to account for this. I have a little bit set aside for shopping that weekend, but not much. I really don't need anything, but I am sure I will find something that I want.

As far as goals go for November, I am hoping to stay under budget in each category as mentioned above. I would also like to limit spending as much as possible to only items I think I really need. I am hoping to make a large extra payment on my car in December. I need to save as much as I can now to make that happen. I also need to study lots in November. This should promote savings.

My mom is coming to town today, so I am meeting her at the mall. I hope to spend no more than $50 this weekend for everything. I have a full tank of gas so that helps! My mom said that she would treat me to lunch out today. We usually split a meal which helps save money. She is looking for some dress pants, so I will be concentrated on helping her find clothes which will limit my looking at things I don't need. I am hoping to finally find a scarf today. It's going to start getting cold again next week.

I will let you know how my spending goes this weekend. Lets hope I keep it under control!

October

I have been meaning to post for almost a week now, but I just haven't gotten a chance. I am trying really hard not to watch too much about the economy or worry about my retirement money. The biggest reason I worry is because I want to be paying extra on my car to get it paid off, but I am not sure if that's a great idea right now. I feel like I should be putting all of my extra money into savings for the time being. I am planning to put it all in savings and make larger extra payments every few months. I think I will have enough set aside to pay around $1,500 extra in December.

I am not sure how I will do at meeting my net worth goals over the next few months. I hope things will turn around so that I can meet, or exceed, them.

For October my goals are simple . . . Study, Save, and Sleep! I have been exhausted lately, so more sleep is in my plans. I need to really work on my food budget. I can't afford to go over this month with the holidays coming up. I am hoping to go under if anything since I am hosting Thanksgiving next month, so I will need some extra for that. Due to my family traveling 250 miles, they are somewhat limited as to what they can bring. They will be supplying some things which helps.

I also need to work on my budget this month. I need to find somewhere to move money from to put towards extra doctor bills. I am not sure where this is going to come from yet.

When I had my performance review at work back in June, I was told that I would probably be getting an equity adjustment at the very end of October when I hit my one year mark in my current position. I feel this is warranted since I am making less than the other people in the same position as me in my department. With things going the way they are in the economy though, I am not sure if I will be getting this. Is it right to ask about this? Or should I wait until they bring it up? I would love to hear what you think!!

Food Budget

I think I may need to increase my food budget. I have a restricted diet due to food allergies. This causes me to eat mainly non-processed foods. A lot of the foods I eat have been increasing in price. In order to offset this, I have been eating the same 10 food items each week. It's not very exciting and it's getting old. I think I need to increase my budget in order to due a larger variety of foods as well as eat a littler healthier. I have also been buying less fruits than I should be. We will see how much more I spend this weekend when i try to buy a larger variety of food!

Have a great Friday tomorrow!!

This Weekend

It sounds like it's going to be a gorgeous weekend here after another storm filled week. I really wish the severe weather was done for awhile. I have a few things I am hoping to do this weekend, so money will be spent. It is all budgeted for though which is great.

1) Dinner with my mom. She is in town for the weekend, so I will be seeing her tonight for dinner. It's nice to see her even if it's only for a short time since we don't live in the same state.

2) Black sweatpants. I have been wanting another pair of sweats for awhile now. I love sweats!!! I wasn't planning to buy these until the fall (they are in my clothing budget for Sept), but I have a coupon and a gift card. I have a hard time finding clothes that I like and/or fit, so I decided to just get them now. As long as I am going out to see my mom later, I figure it works out great since it's not an extra trip.

3) Groceries. I am hoping not to buy too much. I will make my list prior to going. I have some leftovers from yesterday, but I need fruits and veggies for the week. I also may stop at a specialty store if there's time later when I see my mom. This would eliminate a trip there in a few weeks, but I don't know it will work out today.

4) Gas. This one may hurt. gas prices inched up here again yesterday. I was hoping they wouldn't since I am waiting until after I see my mom to get gas. I put everything on my credit card and pay it off twice a month. Right now I am getting 5% cashback on gas, so that helps with these high prices.

5) Other. I have a few other coupons for stores I love. I am hoping that I won't be tempted to buy anything, but I do have about $35 extra budgeted in July just in case I find something that I want. Since I have a hard time finding clothes that fit me, I usually go to the mall and come home with nothing. I have a coupon for a bookstore though. That could be dangerous!! I also need another pair of dress pants, but I am hoping to wait until September to buy these. They will be replacing a pair that are not looking so great. I will be waiting until I get more coupons for my favorite stores and then I will head to the mall to search for a pair.

I hope everyone has a safe and great weekend.

PS - I did really well 4th of July weekend with my spending. I went out with friends and only spent $5. I bought groceries, but kept it within my weekly budget.

Holiday Weekend

I am so glad that it's a holiday weekend. I am looking forward to having tomorrow off and not having to use a vacation day. I am hoping to have a quiet weekend to get a few things done that I have been putting off for awhile now. This should help me resist the urge to spend any money that I don't need to. I bought groceries today after work so I should be set for the next week. I spent $25 and came home with one bag. That's never a good sign!

With the start of the new month comes my final numbers for the last month. June was not a good month for my net worth. While it did increase, it was a much smaller increase than in the past. This was due to my 401k not doing so hot with the way the market was over the past month. I was able to stay within my budget in each of my categories. I put a little extra into my car payoff fund since I didn't use all of my spending money. I hope that I can continue to control my spending and save! I also hope that my 401k turns around soon.

Looking ahead . . . I should be able to save in July. I don't have anything big planned. My mom is in town for a meeting one weekend, so I will be driving to see her and go out to dinner. I need to save up for August. I am planning to go home to visit my family. I always end up spending more than planned when I go home.

I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend!!

My Budget

As promised here is a look at my current budget (which includes my merit increase) and the details behind it.

Category Amount Notes
Rent $1,080.00 **For my area, this is normal since I live alone. I wish it was lower!
Student Loans 90.56
Car Loan 368.50
Extra on Car Pmt 35.00 **I take any extra from other categories to apply here each month.
Insurance 68.12 **Car insurance and renter's insurance
Gas 140.00
Oil Change 8.00
Car Registration 9.19
Gas Bill 17.81 **Budget monthly average instead of actuals by month
Electric Bill 30.00 **Budget monthly average instead of actuals by month
Internet 45.95
Cable 40.00
Food 120.00 **This includes groceries and eating out
Monthly Spending 77.00
Apt/PHP Items 15.50 **Items needed for personal hygiene and my apartment
Doc Appts 10.00
Medications 7.00
Haircut 9.00
Clothes 25.00
Golf 10.00
Gifts 25.00
Savings for Taxes 8.33
Savings 400.00

Total 2571.84

All of the items highlighted in blue are those which do not occur monthly. They may be once per quarter or annually. I budget for them each month though. This makes me feel better so that I don't have to all of the sudden find money for one of them at the end of the year. I buy gifts throughout the year, but I budget $25.00 each month so that I don't have to come up with extra money around Christmas time to buy gifts for my family.

My monthly spending category is for going out with friends, renting movies, and anything else that I would want to do during the month.

My food budget may seem rather low to some people, but it works for me. I do not buy any premade items, so all of my meals require cooking. I try to cook on Sunday, so that I have leftovers for the rest of the week. I also do my grocery shopping on Sunday once I look through the ads and make my list based on those ads.

The savings category is used for a number of things. I divide it out each month based on where I need/want it to go the most at that time. Some of the categories which it ends up in are my emergency fund, travel fund, car repair/emergency, extra towards my car loan, new technology fund, moving fund, etc. This works best for me because then I can evaluate each month where I might need the money most since of these funds are ones which I may not need to add too unless I take money out or they are not used that often.

I know that this budget may seem rather long and odd to some, but it works for me. I think that's the most important part. I have been budgeting like this for a number of years now. I try to avoid surprises, so it works for me to budget for the annual items all year long. I have thought about combining some of the smaller items (like car registration, savings for taxes, and gifts) into my larger savings amount, but so far I have not done that.

I am saving for retirement through my 401k. Between what I am contributing and the company match, I have a total of 14% of my salary going towards retirement each year. I would like to start an IRA in the near future, but I have other things that I am concentrating on right now.

I am not putting an extra towards my student loans until my car is paid off. The interest rate on my student loans is less than what I am making on my savings each month, so I am not too worried about those right now.

I would love to hear your thoughts on my budget!!

This Past Week

It's been a little bit since I have updated on the happenings in my life. It's been a busy week.

First, we have been having a number of storms in the area. My car was severely damaged by hail last weekend. I was told by the auto body shop that they should be able to fix it. They will have to replace a number of the parts though. Luckily, I have insurance to cover hail damage. It does mean that I will have to pay my deductible though. I do have a certain portion of my savings account set aside for car related repairs/emergencies, so that helps. It's very time consuming taking care of getting your car fixed, dealing with the insurance company, and getting a rental car. They said that it will take a couple of weeks to repair my car. I take very good care of my car, so it's hard to be without it and have a rental. I can't wait to get my car back. I just hope it turns out looking like it did prior to the hail damage.

Second, I received my annual review and merit increase at work this week. Even though I knew it was coming up, it's still makes me nervous. The review went really well, and the merit increase was what I expected. There are days where I feel that I deserve to be paid more, but when I consider benefits and flexibility at my company, I like where I am at for pay. The merit increase resulted in having to re-work my monthly budget. Part of the increase is going to my grocery fund due to rising food prices. The rest is going towards debt in order to pay that off sooner.

Last, I increased by 401k contributions this week. I decided to put more in my 401k since I don't feel that I can fully fund an IRA at this point in my life. I thought that putting more in my 401k was better than doing nothing right now. It's a nice feeling to know that I am saving for retirement, but it also makes me nervous when I come home and hear about how bad the stock markets did today. At least I am young and have time for things to turn around.

I will try to post my budget this weekend so that everyone can see how I budget things out each month. I will explain the details of it soon!

Shopping Trip

I made my monthly shopping trip to Trader Joe's today. I go once per month and buy everything I want for the next month. I stuck exactly to my list today and only spent $20.52. It was exactly what I thought that total would be. That's always a great feeling to be right on with no surprises.

My monthly food budget is $120. This includes eating out and groceries. I very rarely eat out, so it's not an issue that they are combined into one amount. I spend between $20 and $25 at Trader Joe's each month. The rest is my weekly shopping trip to a regular grocery store or Super Target depending on where the better sales are. I usually go grocery shopping on Sundays and plan my list based on the new sale ads for the week. I don't think that my food budget is excessive based on what I have seen other people have budgeted each month. I bring my lunch to work every day, so this saves a lot of money.