Financial Friday - May kick off!

Jay and I have gotten May off to a wendy-spend start.  He just bought a Droid (working out cheaper for us than for him to keep his air card and carry his computer around), we went on an impromptu mid-week date, and I got my one big grocery trip out of the way.

One thing we've decide with our spending money is that if we go over one month, its taken off the top of next month's.  We're already off to a rough start.

Jay's spending money:  $85 budgeted - $50.75 actuals

We participated in a gas promotion that BP was running a few months ago and received $40 in gift cards from them this past month.  Jay agreed to take those cards for his spending money and reduce his budget line by as much.  He typically spends most of his money on tobacco, purchased at his favorite BP station (because he buys it there almost daily its perpetually fresh), so its not like he's getting shorted.

Stopping in a book store with my mom, he found a book that he wanted badly enough to pay full price for, which put a big hit in his personal spending.  No wonder he stole a couple of my beers last night! 

Brooke's spending money: $125 budgeted - $43.30 actuals

This includes a race registration, so I haven't eaten that much of my spending money yet!  Although I have purchased drive thru food twice already this month.  In my defense I desperately needed that Dunkin coffee for my sore throat on the way to church Sunday morning.  (No comment on the egg & cheese English Muffin that accompanied it.)

Jay and I each have accounts that earn 3.75% interest if we have 12 debits a month.  I'm hoping to restart my CVS/Walgreens bargain shopping.  If I can do that, then I will be able to accomplish most of my debits with those purchases and switch to cash only on my personal spending.

Eating out money: $100? budgeted - $65.45 actuals

We're running a little behind on getting this month's budget done (and last month's reviewed) that we have set a specific amount on this one.  We did, however, spend all $65.45 in one place.  Jay's been promising me for probably 2 years now that he would take me to the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater here in town, but its just never worked out.

At the beginning of the week Jay received an email that a local restaurant was giving away free dinner to celebrate their 20% anniversary.  Jay and I planned to go right after work, but by the time we arrived, there was a 2 hour wait to be seated.  We decided that instead of going home and eating sandwiches, we'd finally go see the dinner theater.  The food wasn't all that great but the show was a lot of fun. 

We normally shoot for a $75 budget.  Since we're only $10 away from that with 3 weeks to go, I suspect we'll have to budget a little more this month.

Grocery money: $200 budgeted - $131.34 actuals

Jay wants to replenish our stockpile, so we upped the budget this month.  As with last month, the plan is to only do 1 big trip, followed by smaller weekly trips.  I've already done the big trip (obviously) and around $25 weekly should be enough to grab fresh fruit, veggies, or milk as needed. 

Also?  I love that my hubby thinks $200 is enough to stockpile groceries.  I also love that in most cases he's right (cause I'm that good at grocery shopping/cooking).

I want to try and clean the freezer out in the coming few months.  I'd really like to buy a whole cow from a local farmer, and we'd have no where to store it with a freezer full of Lean Cuisine entrees and frozen stir fry veggie blends.  Rather than split the cow with someone, I think we'd be better off selling off parts of it to friends and family a few chunks each. 


What are your financial goals for the month?  Working on paying down a debt?  Saving up for a new gadget?