Financial Friday - The "What Happens When You Fail to Plan" Edition

Howdy folks! Its time for another round of "how is the cheapest couple in the world mis-managing their money?!"

This month we never sat down to formulate a real plan for our money.  Proving the old saying "if you fail to plan you plan to fail." 

We're actually not doing that bad on the personal spending categories, but either of us will go over if we spend anything in the next 4 days.  The eating out budget and the grocery budget have exploded out of control though.

First there was the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, then Mother's day weekend (that included travel and food for us as well as taking his mom out), then my Dad's birthday.  We've spent a lot on eating out this month.  The upside is that very little of it is actual due to laziness on my part.

Eating out: Budgeted ???? (we normally shoot for $75)/Actual $142.59.

We're going to Cades Cove for the first time this spring, so I'm sure we'll stop by the Phillips 66 and get a few of the best chili dogs around.  Tomorrow is the Sam's Club visit, and like good cheapos we'll buy the jumbo cokes and eat free samples.  Depending on Monday's plans we might make it out of this month under $150.

Grocery: Budgeted $200/Actual $261.09

Jay likes to keep a stockpile.  That costs money.  There were good sales this month.  The good news is that we have a full pantry.  Did I mention Sam's tomorrow?  I full expect to break $300 by the end of the month. 

Sadly we are currently out of frozen stir-fry veggies.  For shame!  And the 3 pepper and onion blend is dwindling.

The good news?  Jay finally got our peach trees sprayed.  My mom said that its slightly late in the year for it, so they won't be as pretty as they could have been.  We should get enough for a good crop any way, but we might not have as many to freeze/give away.

Brooke's personal spending: Budgeted $125/Actual $124.51

I don't have any plans for shopping or eating lunch out between now and the end of the month, so I should be okay.  Maybe.  Possibly.  If not any overage comes off my budgeted amount next month.

Jay's personal spending: Budgeted $85/Actual $84.93

Not sure if that amount includes any extra cans purchased for the next few days or not.  If not then he's going over.  I think we're out of the BP gift cards, so next month his spending will be bumped back up to $125. 


We just bought a rental cabin, so we've had some remodel costs this month (our little work-in-progress) so more is going out than makes me comfortable.  Time to batten down the hatches and really get focused on this money thing!

How have yall done this month?  Getting closer to those goals??