April Budget

April will be an interesting and busy month for us. I'm teaching another lifeguard course in 2 weeks, we have  Easter right around the corner, we need to find a new dentist to finish the last bit of work left for South County Boy... and we have his Birthday at the end of the month!

I also desperately need to replace my running shoes after the LA Marathon.

While we hope to be able to continue to cash flow our expenses with overtime (I'll have 22 hours on my last paycheck of the month from working the first Lifeguard class alone), but we may have to use some of the slush fund for help.

We have decided to spend a small amount of money (around $30) on an Easter basket for SCB. Last month I really wanted a new dress that I could wear to both work and church, so for my "Easter Basket" I got the dress. (We bought it last month and I'm not allowed to wear it until Easter so its still in the closet with the tags on it so it will still feel like a present on Easter morning.) This was a win for me since I'm not a big candy gal. Plus SCB said I could pick at his chocolate and share a Robbin egg or two.

As I mentioned, we also have a Birthday this month and now that we have our birthday savings account set up, we already have money set aside to get SCB a good birthday present. Since my birthday is 9 days after his, we won't have enough in the birthday fund for 2 birthday dinners and 2 sets of presents so we are thinking we won't do an elaborate dinner out for either of our birthdays. Instead SCB wants to go to the movies and his favorite burger joint, so that's what we will do instead (and cash flow the "outting" with the slush fund since its still at $2,600). We are also purposefully celebrating his actual birthday with just the two of us (no family members allowed). I'm not even sure my family will celebrate his birthday, so who knows there. (Last year I had to say we would throw a joint birthday-- mine and his so it wouldn't cause drama)...

But for now, here's our budget for March:

Paycheck #1:

• Mortgage (P&I, Property taxes, MIP): $805.27
• HOA: $262.50
• Christmas Fund: $50.00
• Date Night/Spending Money: $64.32
• Prescriptions: $15.00
• Extra Mortgage Money: $2.91

Paycheck #2:

• Birthday Fund: $50.00
• Prescriptions: $15.00
• Date Night/Spending Money: $55.00
• Gasoline/Car: $237.00 (Any Extra Money to Car EF Fund)
• Groceries: $250.00
• Insurance (2 Autos, earthquake, homeowners) $143.00
• Utility Bills (2 Cell Phones, Electricity, Internet): $230.00
• Roth IRA $220.00

You may have noticed that our budget still doesn't include any "giving" or charitable contributions. Until SCB is able to bring in a paycheck we will be donating our time, talents, and energies instead of our dollars. 

• I participated in the LA Marathon again on behalf of Child Share (Click here to donate) and raised $2,711.00 to find a child a home.
• I'm also crocheting some blankets for a cancer ward and an assisted living facility through my husbands church.--- and teaching others to do the same. 
• I'm also the 2012 chair for Relay for Life for a local city so i'm fundraising and planning events and hoping to get my city up to $150,000.00 for the American Cancer Society.

How we spent our Money Last Month:

• Groceries/House Supplies: $256.65
• Eating Out: $107.51
• Gasoline: $166.77
• Car Repairs/Other: $120.82
• Giving: $265
• Prescriptions: $24
• Housing: $1,070.68
• Re-occurring Bills (Cell, Electricity, Internet): $220.31
• SCB's Wood Turning: $60.60
• Gifts: $30.00
• Clothes: $115.63
• Other: $3.22
• Medical/Dental/Vision: $0.00
• Vacation: $0.00

How we spent our Money thus far in 2012: 

• Groceries/House Supplies: $749.80
• Eating Out: $387.92
• Cars
• Gasoline: $492.02
• Car Repairs/Smog/Reg/INS: $236.91
• Giving: $388.84
• Prescriptions: $48.00
• Housing: $3,211.63
• Re-occurring Bills 
• Cell: $409.66
• Electricity: $116.68
• Internet: $120.82
• SCB's Wood Turning: $167.51
• Gifts: $44.57
• Medical/Dental/Vision: $288.95
• Vacation: $374.38
• $85.52 Shopping
• $168.88 Gasoline / Tolls / Transportation
• $119.98 Food/Eating Out
• Other: $325.28