Already the New Year is one week old! The days do go by fast, don't they? I had another busy day at the office and came home tired. So, a quiet evening, resting and enjoying being with daughter.
Daughter will be home one more week and then she'll return to university. Neither of us is looking forward to her going away again. We've both become too accustomed to her being home.
I am keeping track of my spending and today I logged in my spending for the first week in January. So far, I have paid for the gardener, a new pair of boots for me, some candy and a box of cinnamon buns, December's gas bill, for my medications, a birthday gift, and daughter's spring semester tuition. All expenses are planned expenses, but I want to closely monitor this month's spending.
How was your first week of the New Year?
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
On the Eleventh and Twelfth Days of Christmas
On the eleventh day of Christmas, daughter and I went shopping and I bought myself a pair of ankle boots, redeemed a gift certificate for a box of chocolates (with our favorite marzipan filling!) and bought some yummy cinnamon buns! Then, we took a short nap to recover from all that shopping. Later, I watered the front garden, took the trash cans to the curb, and ran the dish washer.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, I returned to the office after being off since Christmas! Daughter went out to dinner with two of her neighborhood friends who came over to exchange gifts and I took down the holiday decorations. It probably took no more than 10 seconds! What a change from other years!
And so, Christmas is finally come to an end. It's been a lovely 12 days of holidays for me. Hope it was a good holiday season for you, too.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, I returned to the office after being off since Christmas! Daughter went out to dinner with two of her neighborhood friends who came over to exchange gifts and I took down the holiday decorations. It probably took no more than 10 seconds! What a change from other years!
And so, Christmas is finally come to an end. It's been a lovely 12 days of holidays for me. Hope it was a good holiday season for you, too.
Monday, January 5, 2015
On the Ninth and Tenth Days of Christmas
On the ninth day of Christmas (Saturday, January 3), daughter celebrated the day by going out with friends she's known from childhood. I did some much needed paperwork and caught up on my filing during the day and then, celebrated in the evening by going to a cousin's birthday dinner party.
On the tenth day of Christmas (Sunday, January 4), more long-time friends of my daughter came over to have their annual holiday potluck lunch, something they've been doing since high school. I did a bit of housework before they came and cleaned out some of my files while they were here. Later in the evening, I enjoyed a phone call with a friend and I did two loads of laundry, which are hanging up to dry overnight, inside the house. As mentioned earlier, in previous posts, hanging laundry to air dry is both frugal and environmentally friendly.
The weekend went by quickly, but it was a fun, relaxed weekend on one hand and a productive one, too. I am happy since there was a nice balance between housework and relaxing, between family and friends and alone time.
How was your weekend? Did you enjoy the first weekend of 2015?
On the tenth day of Christmas (Sunday, January 4), more long-time friends of my daughter came over to have their annual holiday potluck lunch, something they've been doing since high school. I did a bit of housework before they came and cleaned out some of my files while they were here. Later in the evening, I enjoyed a phone call with a friend and I did two loads of laundry, which are hanging up to dry overnight, inside the house. As mentioned earlier, in previous posts, hanging laundry to air dry is both frugal and environmentally friendly.
The weekend went by quickly, but it was a fun, relaxed weekend on one hand and a productive one, too. I am happy since there was a nice balance between housework and relaxing, between family and friends and alone time.
How was your weekend? Did you enjoy the first weekend of 2015?
Saturday, January 3, 2015
2015 Financial Goals and Budget
One of my New Year's Goals is to continue to manage my finances in a manner that allows me to remain debt-free, while putting daughter through university.
How will I achieve my financial goals? I set myself a budget or "spending plan". I base my budget on my take-home pay, after deductions. Ideally, one's expenses should be less than one's income. Or, at least, equal it. If the expenses are greater, then, one can try to increase the income or decrease the expenses (or both). For several years, I tried to limit my spending to 70% of my take-home income (not always successful) in order to save the remaining 30% (again, with varying degrees of success). Now, however, because I am paying for daughter's tuition and rent, my monthly expenses amount to more than my monthly income and those savings are proving to be a blessing.
One can't set up a budget without knowing the current expenses. When I set up my initial budget, several years ago, I kept a spending log for 1 month and kept track of all my expenses and I went through my check book and statements for the past year to get an idea of one-time yearly payments and monthly averages for things like utilities.
When setting up my budget, I started with the fixed expenses. These are the expenses that remain the same from month to month - such as mortgage, property taxes, car payments, auto insurance, etc. One can always try to reduce them by refinancing, switching insurance companies or making changes to policies, etc., but usually, these are one time changes.
Then, I deducted all the fixed expenses from the income and that is what I had to spend on all the other, "discretionary", expenses, such as food, clothing, utilities, savings, etc. As I said earlier, ideally, this amount should be sufficient to meet all other expenses. If it wasn't sufficient, then, I needed to make some adjustments to make sure that they do come out even.
I allocate a set amount each month for my utilities: water, gas, electricity, phone, etc. Even though my gas (heating, cooking) varies from nearly $300 in the coldest of winter months (Jan/Feb for us) to under $20 in the heat of summer, I average it out and keep what I don't spend during the summer in the account to help pay the higher bills in winter. For items that are paid quarterly, yearly, etc., I take the cost and divide by 3 or 12 and put aside that money monthly, either in my checking account or in my savings account until needed.
When I look at my budget with an eye towards trimming costs, all my variable expenses are fair game. I analyze each and every expense to see what can be eliminated and what can be reduced to cover only the bare essentials. One might say, "But I've already cut out all the extras". Maybe. Maybe not. Depends what one considers to be extras and what one considers to be essentials. But each expense ought to be examined and considered.
I think of it as a challenge!
For me, my budget is truly a spending plan for it gives me the boundaries within which I am free to spend! For me, that is a truly liberating concept. I don't have to worry if I spent too much or feel guilty about how much I spent - it was no more than what I had planned to spend.
My current budget consists of nearly 30 categories (some are sub-categories; for example, under the category of "Utilities", I have subcategories of water/electricity, gas, telephones, internet, etc.) This works for me, because I like this level of detail.
My categories include House & Garden (sub-categories: Property Taxes, Home/Earthquake Insurance, Home Maintenance, Garden Care, Household Products), Utilities (sub-categories: Water & Power, Gas, Telephones, Internet/Cable, Car (Gas, Insurance, Maintenance, Registration), Daughter (Tuition/Fees, Text Books,Rent & Utilities, Health Care), Self (Health Care, Personal), Groceries, Pet Care, Entertainment, Donations, Holiday/Gifts, Taxes & Dues, and the all important "Miscellaneous"!
What are your financial goals for 2015? How are you planning to meet those goals?
How will I achieve my financial goals? I set myself a budget or "spending plan". I base my budget on my take-home pay, after deductions. Ideally, one's expenses should be less than one's income. Or, at least, equal it. If the expenses are greater, then, one can try to increase the income or decrease the expenses (or both). For several years, I tried to limit my spending to 70% of my take-home income (not always successful) in order to save the remaining 30% (again, with varying degrees of success). Now, however, because I am paying for daughter's tuition and rent, my monthly expenses amount to more than my monthly income and those savings are proving to be a blessing.
One can't set up a budget without knowing the current expenses. When I set up my initial budget, several years ago, I kept a spending log for 1 month and kept track of all my expenses and I went through my check book and statements for the past year to get an idea of one-time yearly payments and monthly averages for things like utilities.
When setting up my budget, I started with the fixed expenses. These are the expenses that remain the same from month to month - such as mortgage, property taxes, car payments, auto insurance, etc. One can always try to reduce them by refinancing, switching insurance companies or making changes to policies, etc., but usually, these are one time changes.
Then, I deducted all the fixed expenses from the income and that is what I had to spend on all the other, "discretionary", expenses, such as food, clothing, utilities, savings, etc. As I said earlier, ideally, this amount should be sufficient to meet all other expenses. If it wasn't sufficient, then, I needed to make some adjustments to make sure that they do come out even.
I allocate a set amount each month for my utilities: water, gas, electricity, phone, etc. Even though my gas (heating, cooking) varies from nearly $300 in the coldest of winter months (Jan/Feb for us) to under $20 in the heat of summer, I average it out and keep what I don't spend during the summer in the account to help pay the higher bills in winter. For items that are paid quarterly, yearly, etc., I take the cost and divide by 3 or 12 and put aside that money monthly, either in my checking account or in my savings account until needed.
When I look at my budget with an eye towards trimming costs, all my variable expenses are fair game. I analyze each and every expense to see what can be eliminated and what can be reduced to cover only the bare essentials. One might say, "But I've already cut out all the extras". Maybe. Maybe not. Depends what one considers to be extras and what one considers to be essentials. But each expense ought to be examined and considered.
I think of it as a challenge!
For me, my budget is truly a spending plan for it gives me the boundaries within which I am free to spend! For me, that is a truly liberating concept. I don't have to worry if I spent too much or feel guilty about how much I spent - it was no more than what I had planned to spend.
My current budget consists of nearly 30 categories (some are sub-categories; for example, under the category of "Utilities", I have subcategories of water/electricity, gas, telephones, internet, etc.) This works for me, because I like this level of detail.
My categories include House & Garden (sub-categories: Property Taxes, Home/Earthquake Insurance, Home Maintenance, Garden Care, Household Products), Utilities (sub-categories: Water & Power, Gas, Telephones, Internet/Cable, Car (Gas, Insurance, Maintenance, Registration), Daughter (Tuition/Fees, Text Books,Rent & Utilities, Health Care), Self (Health Care, Personal), Groceries, Pet Care, Entertainment, Donations, Holiday/Gifts, Taxes & Dues, and the all important "Miscellaneous"!
What are your financial goals for 2015? How are you planning to meet those goals?
Friday, January 2, 2015
On the Eighth Day of Christmas
And the second day of the new year...it's time to get a few things done around the house!
I spent the day relaxing, yesterday, savoring the pleasure of being able to do so. I did tidy up one kitchen cabinet, which is a project I had been meaning to do for some time. Later, I spent the evening knitting a sweater which is one of many "works-in-progress". I finished knitting the front, last night, and started on one of the sleeves. I'm making it with yarn leftover from knitting this sweater for daughter:
Quite possibly, it might end up being a short-sleeved top, instead of a full sweater, depending how much yarn I have left!
Today, I am expecting a friend to lunch, so the holiday celebrations continue. But I also want to get some stuff done, so I've made myself a "to do" list:
- Do dishes
- cook chicken
- clean out fridge
- clear kitchen counters
- have gardener take window a/c to garage (I was able to take it down from the window, but too heavy to carry it out to the garage)
- do PAPERWORK!
What are your plans for the day?
I spent the day relaxing, yesterday, savoring the pleasure of being able to do so. I did tidy up one kitchen cabinet, which is a project I had been meaning to do for some time. Later, I spent the evening knitting a sweater which is one of many "works-in-progress". I finished knitting the front, last night, and started on one of the sleeves. I'm making it with yarn leftover from knitting this sweater for daughter:
Quite possibly, it might end up being a short-sleeved top, instead of a full sweater, depending how much yarn I have left!
Today, I am expecting a friend to lunch, so the holiday celebrations continue. But I also want to get some stuff done, so I've made myself a "to do" list:
- Do dishes
- cook chicken
- clean out fridge
- clear kitchen counters
- have gardener take window a/c to garage (I was able to take it down from the window, but too heavy to carry it out to the garage)
- do PAPERWORK!
What are your plans for the day?
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Master Lists
A "master list" is a list of items one wants to get done during the course of the year. It's a way to accomplish those New Year's goals. One takes a few items from the master list and incorporates them into the monthly goals and works on them throughout the year, until they are done or, occasionally, changed, if necessary.
I am putting together a "master list" of tasks I wish to accomplish for the new year. I was able to get quite a bit checked off my master list in 2014, but others are going to be carried over to next year. The list is not complete, and I am sure to be adding and subtracting as I go, but here's the list as it stands now:
GARDEN:
- Landscape the front garden, with drought tolerant & edible plants
- Trim the eucalyptus tree
- Plant a replacement peach tree
- Beautify back garden
- Landscape side yard
HOUSE:
- Replace window screens, throughout
- New drapery rods and/or drapes (living room, dining area)
- Replace fire place screen
- Kitchen floor refinishing
- Fix water damaged wall and ceiling
- Paint hallway, kitchen, family room, bathrooms
- Get clothes dryer repaired/replaced
- Electrical repairs (door bell, front porch light, ceiling fans, closet light, bathroom space heater)
- Get closet and laundry room doors repaired or replaced
- Get sliding glass door repaired or replaced
- Get bathroom cabinet door hinge fixed
- Clean out garage
- Clean out shed
Will start chipping away at the list in the new year. Some of it is stuff I can do, myself. But a lot of it is stuff that I need to get others to do for me. Just the thought of finding people to do the work, getting estimates, etc., tends to be overwhelming. But if I take just one or two items each month and work on them, then, perhaps the list will get whittled down as the year progresses.
How about you? Do you have a master list? Will you be making a new one for the new year? Is it as long as mine?
I am putting together a "master list" of tasks I wish to accomplish for the new year. I was able to get quite a bit checked off my master list in 2014, but others are going to be carried over to next year. The list is not complete, and I am sure to be adding and subtracting as I go, but here's the list as it stands now:
GARDEN:
- Landscape the front garden, with drought tolerant & edible plants
- Trim the eucalyptus tree
- Plant a replacement peach tree
- Beautify back garden
- Landscape side yard
HOUSE:
- Replace window screens, throughout
- New drapery rods and/or drapes (living room, dining area)
- Replace fire place screen
- Kitchen floor refinishing
- Fix water damaged wall and ceiling
- Paint hallway, kitchen, family room, bathrooms
- Get clothes dryer repaired/replaced
- Electrical repairs (door bell, front porch light, ceiling fans, closet light, bathroom space heater)
- Get closet and laundry room doors repaired or replaced
- Get sliding glass door repaired or replaced
- Get bathroom cabinet door hinge fixed
- Clean out garage
- Clean out shed
Will start chipping away at the list in the new year. Some of it is stuff I can do, myself. But a lot of it is stuff that I need to get others to do for me. Just the thought of finding people to do the work, getting estimates, etc., tends to be overwhelming. But if I take just one or two items each month and work on them, then, perhaps the list will get whittled down as the year progresses.
How about you? Do you have a master list? Will you be making a new one for the new year? Is it as long as mine?
Happy New Year and New Year's Goals
Happy New Year! May 2015 be a blessed year of good health, prosperity, joy, and peace.
Daughter and I celebrated New Year's Eve in the company of long-time friends. Today, we had been invited to a family friend's annual open house, but we chose to stay home and just relax.
As for New Year's Goals, I have several goals I'd like to accomplish this year. Attaining better health is one of them; I've several long-term health conditions which can be better managed through better diet and more exercise. Less procrastination is another; I've a serious tendency to procrastinate which leads to bigger problems - my goal is to stop putting things off and just do them. To that end, I started off the year well with tidying one kitchen cabinet that I had been intending to tidy for several weeks now! Other goals include continuing to manage finances in a manner that allows me to remain debt-free, even while putting daughter through university.
Have you made any New Year's goals?
Daughter and I celebrated New Year's Eve in the company of long-time friends. Today, we had been invited to a family friend's annual open house, but we chose to stay home and just relax.
As for New Year's Goals, I have several goals I'd like to accomplish this year. Attaining better health is one of them; I've several long-term health conditions which can be better managed through better diet and more exercise. Less procrastination is another; I've a serious tendency to procrastinate which leads to bigger problems - my goal is to stop putting things off and just do them. To that end, I started off the year well with tidying one kitchen cabinet that I had been intending to tidy for several weeks now! Other goals include continuing to manage finances in a manner that allows me to remain debt-free, even while putting daughter through university.
Have you made any New Year's goals?
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