(Financial Friday) reigning it in during December

I have to admit something. I have not been great on the financial train for a few months. I haven’t been budgeting and I’ve been spending right and left – especially these last few weeks.

Just in the past week, I’ve spent a couple hundred dollars on random Christmas gifts. (The boxes are piling up in our guest room. I haven’t even opened them yet.) Then I bought a car. I had to pay for everything to be transferred on said car, and the taxes and fees were another $240.

I’m lucky I had the money to make all of these purchases, but I reached the end of my rope checking account yesterday. I have to do something about this. I’m reigning it in starting now (actually, starting yesterday.) The spreadsheet has been dragged back out and I’ll document most things here. (You really don’t need to see my mortgage, daycare and other standing bills that don’t change each month!) So without further ado….the breakdown.

Housing
I saved money here because our electric bill was lower this month (next month may be a different story.) Any “leftover” money I had was moved to other categories. Just know that this won’t change any more this month because it’s our mortgage, electric and cable bills. They either don’t change or have already been paid.

Daycare
Again. Already taken into account for the entire month. It’s kind of like our mortgage. It doesn’t change.

Transportation ~ $255 budgeted

This would have been good in November, right? Taxes, gas, NEW CAR. I have a full tank of gas, taxes have been paid and I’m starting off December on the right foot.

Food ~ $330 budgeted
My goal is to get my portion of the grocery bills to less than $200. That’ll help me put money back in our money market account and/or Christmas gifts.

Social ~ $150 budgeted
I’m not even sure what we’re doing on the social scheme of things this month. This might be where I spend for Christmas gifts.

Personal ~ $230 budgeted
I need things like contacts, solution, etc. This category will be put to great use, for sure.

Home ~ $115 budgeted
Things for the house. I don’t know what we need, but at least I have some money dedicated to the home.

Clothes ~ $94 budgeted
This is the most randomly budgeted category. It actually starts out larger if you look at Dave Ramsey’s breakdown, but I borrow from this category to allow for more in other categories (like daycare.) I’m hoping to not need this one in December. I’ll use it in January.

And there it. All typed out, so it must happen….right? Are you on a budget this month? Any advice, besides reign in the gift-buying?