Let's just cut to the chase. DH and I had more ambition and wants this year than we had earning power or discipline to save. There, my BS meter that I have been writing my monthly wrap up has gone all haywire and so I am coming clean. 2018 has been amazing. We did wonderful things with our money and I'm going to relish in that.I'll write three more posts just so those of you that have been watching this fairy tale can see where we end up.
Below is the recap in terms of our annual spending priorities.
1. Fully fund the
Roth
$13,000
2. Once in a lifetime family
vacation
$15,552 ($3,000 added +$552 overage)
3. College
Fund
$12,000
4. College and Show Choir Road Trips
$ 1,500
5. All State Camp
$ 650
6. Home
Upgrades $
9,000 $51,702
Annual Savings
Goal $38,702 ($51,702 priority budget-$13,000 from savings)
Roth $13,000
Taken from
Savings -$13,000
Vacation expenses
paid $15,552
College/Show Choir
trips paid $ 1,354
All State Payments
$ 650
Cash Savings
Increase $ 1,000
Total Savings achieved
$18,556
Balance to save:
$20,146 (I'm laughing just seeing that number)
October was not horrible, but it was greatly aided by the award bonus I received. I'm trying to go lean for Christmas for my immediate family since the trip was enjoyed by all. I'd like to skip the extended family gift exchanges, but not ready to feel the impact to buck family tradition on either side, so just will try and skinny down the budget as best I can. Considering what I wrote about on Saturday, I'm not even going to venture to guess what we "should' be able to get to by January 1. I just know I will carefully think about each expense I make, decide if it is taking care of a need or at least giving optimal joy, before I plunk money down on it. Stay tuned next month to see where this fairy tale will lead.
Hmmm, saving $20K in 2 months? Ain't happening unless you hit the lottery. lolz
ReplyDeleteI suppose the home improvements are the first to drop off your spending priorities? Besides the new door you talked about getting.
We've had a tight financial Oct. as well but it is a combination of A-not taking a quarterly 401K withdrawal and B-c/c bills coming due that bridged parts of two different trips(ME and NC)which will be paid in full this month. I am hoping that I can staunch the financial bleeding that's called Christmas. The food thing for Dec. is in hand already.
I love the "fairytale" sarcasm thing you've got going on in this post.....
Since I don't play the lottery unless I throw a dollar or two into the group mega ones at work, no chance to win. Still, I'm not gong to shy away from setting goals. Little things could have been different along the way and we would have been much closer.
DeleteHA! It happens to the best of us. I cry a bit on the inside every time we pay the draw for our new construction. It is still less than purchasing an existing home, but lean times are upon us. I suppose I could be thankful that my senior really wants to stay at the local two-year college to earn an Associate's and transfer in to a four-year school as a junior. I wish he felt differently, but, in your spirit of cutting the BS, his going away to college would be a HUGE mistake. He is simply not ready, and no amount of cajoling by me will make him ready. I don't need to spend 30K for a kid to flunk out, do I?
ReplyDeleteWe've always been pretty lean about Christmas, and this year will be no different. The kids know the house is a priority, (we need 1 story) as is college. As far as your respective extended families, I don't think there's EVER a good time in terms of fallout to buck the trend! I would just do it, if I were you, unless you really feel you can't face the backlash.
I'm not ready this year for the fall out, but I have a set time in my head when I will buck the extended family gift giving. Until then, it's just not a battle I want. It will come along with foregoing the all day Christmas day as well. Your house though is going to give you a lifetime of enjoyment.
DeleteBest of plans. . . We are hemorrhaging money right now, but I knew these two months would be brutal. As soon as I get the house ready, I am going to sit back and enjoy the festivities and not worry about the costs. I figure I am buying experiences this month.
ReplyDeleteYou are gaining a wonderful daughter and what better use of money than to celebrate their wedding. I hope to do that as well someday.
DeleteYou took the trip. You loved the trip. You bought a wonderful experience and now You have to adjust and that is okay. You cannot buy good family time and you will have those memories forever. Move on and find joy in your experience.
ReplyDeleteYes, for sure. I wouldn't do it differently, but trying to keep my posts honest.
DeleteI will have no problem living on my pension come January but where I can't yet work out the figures are on the "stuff" that needs doing paid for from the lump sum, I can only guess. New heating is an absolute must come spring - the engineer told me a couple of years ago and my son (the heating engineer) agrees with him, so I've "eyeballed" a figure for that. I also want my son to do the work with his former boss because it will not only be cheaper but then he will get the cash. For the other things, they will have to wait until I know where I stand with the conflicting info I'm getting on the tax on the lump sum. I hate not knowing that info but there's not much I can do about it until I actually retire. But I also agree, that trip you took was still so worth it!
ReplyDeleteThe tax situation is confusing-I hope you get the right advice. For the heater, you would know the workmanship would be superior and that is worth a lot if your son can fit this in.
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