November is almost gone. I lost my CC and 50000 bucks in one second. That happened almost in mid of the month and then we were very demotivated to save. So we are little over budget this month, minus the loss. Major goof ups from our side:
1) Eating Out and Outing budget is over shoot.
2) Gifts is again high.
3) Bills were high, because we had some pending bills.
4) I had 6 No Spending Days from 8 planned.
I know what all I did wrong, so no point in analyzing.
My Cell phone is 5 years old and in very very bad shape. It switches off automatically every time i am talking to someone. I desperately need a new one. This is shaking my next month's budget too. I wanted to wrap everything in 30000, but it seems I have to goto 32000.
So this is my goal for next month: 32000 for all monthly expenses.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Lost Credit Card and 50000 Rs
Date: 14th November 2008
Time: 5:00 PM
My DH was coming to pick me and he stops to get the petrol. After taking the petrol, he throws his CC at the next seat and in the night when we came back home we realized that CC is missing. Our first reaction was instant, get it blocked. We might have lost it some where. It was 9:00 PM. He was about to call and parallely told me that we might have left it in car. We thought latter is more possible then former as we have many times left our phones in the car only to find them in morning. So we decided to check our car in the morning ( Yes i could have check it right then but my car's internal lighjt is almost non-existent, so it was nearly impossible and my torch is broken). In the morning I got up quite early and checked my car for CC. Alas, it was not there! :(
I told my DH and we called up our CC company immediately to block the card, and the news, someone has already used my CC for 50000 Rs somewhere around 10:00 PM last night. Yes, I have lost Fifty Thousand Rupees in almost a second. :(
I filed the FIR and am still waiting for transaction details to file a dispute with CC bank. I have no clue what to do! Feeling sad and angry like hell even now. Why am I being frugal all the time when someone can steal my money so easily. :( Why should I save for future when every investment is falling like dry leaves from tree. :( Why always me? I am saving from the day I started earning, while all my friends used to spend all at that time. Result after 4 years: They are much better then me today or same as I am. :(
Yes right now I hate everything and I am angry over every thing.
Time: 5:00 PM
My DH was coming to pick me and he stops to get the petrol. After taking the petrol, he throws his CC at the next seat and in the night when we came back home we realized that CC is missing. Our first reaction was instant, get it blocked. We might have lost it some where. It was 9:00 PM. He was about to call and parallely told me that we might have left it in car. We thought latter is more possible then former as we have many times left our phones in the car only to find them in morning. So we decided to check our car in the morning ( Yes i could have check it right then but my car's internal lighjt is almost non-existent, so it was nearly impossible and my torch is broken). In the morning I got up quite early and checked my car for CC. Alas, it was not there! :(
I told my DH and we called up our CC company immediately to block the card, and the news, someone has already used my CC for 50000 Rs somewhere around 10:00 PM last night. Yes, I have lost Fifty Thousand Rupees in almost a second. :(
I filed the FIR and am still waiting for transaction details to file a dispute with CC bank. I have no clue what to do! Feeling sad and angry like hell even now. Why am I being frugal all the time when someone can steal my money so easily. :( Why should I save for future when every investment is falling like dry leaves from tree. :( Why always me? I am saving from the day I started earning, while all my friends used to spend all at that time. Result after 4 years: They are much better then me today or same as I am. :(
Yes right now I hate everything and I am angry over every thing.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tracking - 12 November 2008
Yesterday was my second no spend day. I missed one more no spend day because just in evening I realized that its someone's bday and I hosted him a birthday party.
Well, no matter how much I try, this column of my expense sheet dominates month after month. I am never able to reduce gifts expenses. I love giving gifts and surprises to my near and dear ones. I have tried everything that I can think of to reduce this one but all in vain. I really need to think of some strategy here and put it to work. That should be my next month goal!
Anyhow, by now I have almost finished half of my monthly budget. My new tracking mantra of month seems to be huge hit as of now(Goals for November). Credit Card bill is quite under my control so far. I will try to master this mantra by practicing it for another 3 months and then make my budget more granualar( i.e. will start deciding budget per column as in grocery, etc seperately).
My Numbers updated:
No Spend Days: 2/8
Well, no matter how much I try, this column of my expense sheet dominates month after month. I am never able to reduce gifts expenses. I love giving gifts and surprises to my near and dear ones. I have tried everything that I can think of to reduce this one but all in vain. I really need to think of some strategy here and put it to work. That should be my next month goal!
Anyhow, by now I have almost finished half of my monthly budget. My new tracking mantra of month seems to be huge hit as of now(Goals for November). Credit Card bill is quite under my control so far. I will try to master this mantra by practicing it for another 3 months and then make my budget more granualar( i.e. will start deciding budget per column as in grocery, etc seperately).
My Numbers updated:
No Spend Days: 2/8
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
3rd November 2008
Beginning of the new month always seems tough. I have to pay the bills, buy the stuff needed for this month. This takes up all of mine money and energy. As a trend I generally spend 50% of my money in initial one week. At such a time, it seems impossible that I'll ever have any no spend day :(. But my experience of last month tells me that this is the way it goes. In the first week, no matter how much I plan, I can't have any day without spending.
My plan for achieving this month target is to get 2 no spend days per week. Today is Tuesday and I have to get all the vegetables for week from our weekly market. If I book saturday for other grocery shopping per week, then it seems that I might achieve my target this month. I am sticking to weekly shopping for this month, for 2 reasons:
1) Market is a 2 minutes walk for me.
2) Once in a month grocery shopping some how doesn't work for me.
No matter how granular list I make, I always slip with some items and again have to rush. So I started a new practice, make a list of all the things that I bought last month. In the beginning of new month, I go shopping for all the items that was needed in last month using the list. Once I am done with this one time shopping, I make a weekly list of items that I needed other then those in previous list as and when I remember something or needed something. I have fixed one day per week to shop for this appendix list. And yes then I append these new items to my monthly shopping list. I hope, this method will work for me.
So far I didn't have any no spend day. :(
Will keep you all updated by my progress.
My plan for achieving this month target is to get 2 no spend days per week. Today is Tuesday and I have to get all the vegetables for week from our weekly market. If I book saturday for other grocery shopping per week, then it seems that I might achieve my target this month. I am sticking to weekly shopping for this month, for 2 reasons:
1) Market is a 2 minutes walk for me.
2) Once in a month grocery shopping some how doesn't work for me.
No matter how granular list I make, I always slip with some items and again have to rush. So I started a new practice, make a list of all the things that I bought last month. In the beginning of new month, I go shopping for all the items that was needed in last month using the list. Once I am done with this one time shopping, I make a weekly list of items that I needed other then those in previous list as and when I remember something or needed something. I have fixed one day per week to shop for this appendix list. And yes then I append these new items to my monthly shopping list. I hope, this method will work for me.
So far I didn't have any no spend day. :(
Will keep you all updated by my progress.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
November Goals
So now is the time to set next month goals:
1) Have 8 no spend days. I am reducing the number so that with little planning I can think of getting them.
2) Wrap up all my expenses including all the bills and petrol in Rs. 25000. This time it will also include DH CC spending for the month. I guess I am comfortable with cash expenses by now. Now is the time to take care of stuff that he do thru CC. Again an experiment, lets see how I do.
1) Have 8 no spend days. I am reducing the number so that with little planning I can think of getting them.
2) Wrap up all my expenses including all the bills and petrol in Rs. 25000. This time it will also include DH CC spending for the month. I guess I am comfortable with cash expenses by now. Now is the time to take care of stuff that he do thru CC. Again an experiment, lets see how I do.
October Final Update
October is gone and that was my month. I struggled through out, reasons many:
1) Last month's goof up
2) Inflation increases as an every day phenomenon
3) Tight schedule in office
4) Festival season
But there was the biggest positive that came out of september, this month DH was supporting me rather then questioning me in budgeting. He really helped me in cutting down eating out expenses. My september experiment paid off really well, more then I expected it to. So I am glad with the results.
I spended Rs4000 more then I actually budgeted. Which is 26% more then I wanted to. Quite bad, isn't it. But I guess I should be able to control it as it seems to be in categories like Gift, Home Stuff and Misc.
Out of 10 No spend days that I planned, I got 5. Again only 50%.
Overall, atleast numbers wise, October was a failure. :(
1) Last month's goof up
2) Inflation increases as an every day phenomenon
3) Tight schedule in office
4) Festival season
But there was the biggest positive that came out of september, this month DH was supporting me rather then questioning me in budgeting. He really helped me in cutting down eating out expenses. My september experiment paid off really well, more then I expected it to. So I am glad with the results.
I spended Rs4000 more then I actually budgeted. Which is 26% more then I wanted to. Quite bad, isn't it. But I guess I should be able to control it as it seems to be in categories like Gift, Home Stuff and Misc.
Out of 10 No spend days that I planned, I got 5. Again only 50%.
Overall, atleast numbers wise, October was a failure. :(
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