The "Get Out Of Your Car!" Fund

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Preparing for a budget with real housing expenses

Nov 28, 2015

The year is almost over. I've taken a long break from gazelle intensity although I still have debt. I don't want to be in debt forever and never want to go back to where I was (hungry and penniless at times).

So, here we go again. 2016 will be a different year because I want to get my own apartment again, mainly because I plan to get my dog back and finding a room/basement to rent with a dog is almost impossible. So, I'll have to manage the money with less going towards debt because I will housing expenses.

Sooo....

I'm making my December budget in Every dollar and updating my finances.
1. I got everything out of storage saving 110 a month.
2. I am canceling the gym membership.
3. I am contributing to the car fund again.
4. I am tithing this month.
5. I am simplifying the envelopes to just 4 (I had 6) - food (reduced by $100), clothing, gas, everything else (used to be fun, household, hair). Instead of thinking about them in terms of how much I spend each week, I think in terms of the month.
6. I will eat simply and start cooking at home more starting this month to save money on food.
7. It looks like the student loan is not moving at all. Let's pay off the personal loan then throw money at the student loan until it becomes a tamer monster.
8. I haven't finished paying off the HOA loans, but I will. It's not priority right now.
9. I'd like to buy a newer car in December. The heat and defrost have stopped working in my Honda - just in time for winter.

I was looking over old bank statements and they tell a story that only I can decipher. Like the two storage units I had for a time because I suddenly lost a job and needed a place to keep all the items from my classroom. Or the first time I opened my po box account and gym membership.