Ugh...first month!

**sunray16** · 08-20-2007, 10:13 PM

Well, we've gone and done it. Our first month on a budget and we've already busted it!

And the month's not even over yet! That just irritates me.

Thankfully, we were able to pay all the bills and pay the extra we had planned on our first debt. We were even able to add $300 to the emergency fund. We had some extra money this month from selling things on Ebay, rebates, and medical reimbursement. But we won't have those extras every month.

We blew our grocery and "blow" budgets. I guess this will teach me to either be a little more flexible in my budget for those categories or tighten the reigns so we don't spend more than we should.

Sorry, just venting a little...

**Michelle68** · 08-20-2007, 10:25 PM

It sounds like y'all did well, overall. You should be proud of the amounts you were able to save for your EF and you were able to put toward your debt. Don't beat yourself up too badly over going over budget. Try to determine what pushed you over budget and either adjust your budget a bit or try to keep the spending down next month. Good luck!

--Michelle

**Jskell911** · 08-20-2007, 10:53 PM

I would venture a guess that, although you are all revved up, the first couple of months will be the hardest to maintain the budget.

Give yourself a little slack. If you have never budgeted before, then this is a whole new mindset and way of doing everyday things that would normally go without thought. Of course, the whole adjustment alone leaves it open to a few mishaps.

BUT, it is a huge bonus that you know exactly where you made the errors. You aren't sitting there going OMG where did it all go!

Keep up the great work and it'll get easier as time goes by!

**dcompton** · 08-20-2007, 11:00 PM

I would be surprised if it didn't take several months to get to a really accurate and workable budget. At the beginning some categories are as much guess work as "science," but it will gradually come together. I agree with other posters. It sounds to me like you've done really well. You're looking at individual trees, as you must, but the forest seems to coming along nicely.

**sunray16** · 08-20-2007, 11:18 PM

Thanks. I guess I need to give myself a little slack and realize that this will take some time to adjust to living on a budget.

I will have to juggle things around at the end of each month and rearrange according to where we spend our money. And because our paychecks and bills fluctuate monthly, so will the categories in our budget.

**jinx** · 08-21-2007, 12:37 AM

It may take some time to get used to it. Just think of what you will gain.

**autumnlynn** · 08-21-2007, 01:42 AM

I think it really takes several months to tweak your budget and have it comfortable. You'll get it; just stick with it. The rewards are really great when you have a workable budget.

**Siebrie** · 08-21-2007, 08:07 AM

Is there a minimum amount that comes in for sure every month? Because you say that your income fluctuates. Maybe you can only budget for what you are sure is coming in? Then if anything extra comes in, you can apply it to the EF or debt, or stockpiling.

**frugalfarmwife** · 08-21-2007, 08:18 AM

You're right, give yourself some slack, heck a budget is something that needs learned, even with professional schooling some people never get it

Reminds me of the first time hubby ever welded anything, hmm, it wasn't perfect and he got bunged, I finally told him "for pete's sake, people go to school for two years to learn to weld a straight seam"

Patience, and LOOK AT WHAT YOU achieved already in savings and extra payments!

kj

**sdrjeolsen** · 08-21-2007, 10:08 AM

I think you've done a great job, especially for the first month. Give youself a pat on the back! Don't expect it to be perfect every month, I still blow some of my budget catagories, but without a budget you'd probably have blown them all. So, I'd say you made great progress

**Cricketlegs** · 08-21-2007, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Siebrie

Is there a minimum amount that comes in for sure every month? Because you say that your income fluctuates. Maybe you can only budget for what you are sure is coming in? Then if anything extra comes in, you can apply it to the EF or debt, or stockpiling.

That is what I have to do. Our commission AKA the BIG MONEY can be as much as $500 different depending on the final numbers for the month at Dhs work.

I put the least amount dh will make in my budget and go from there. Then if I have any extra I can put that money on extra debt, savings or EF, on the camper fund, or deal with things that come up like new tires or calling a plumber or getting the animals to the vet.

So far the checks have exceded the amount I use on my budget and I have been able to take care of school and college shopping without messing with my budget, juggling funds, or getting in the EF.

I just don't stockpile. I still don't understand the mechanics of it nor do I have the room but I could FIND room I am sure. I need to figure out why and how it saves money. Dummy me lol!

**Cricketlegs** · 08-21-2007, 12:10 PM

You also need to remember a few things.

1. It is called a WORKING budget. Not because it is working you but because you are working it. It is like a living breathing animal and it is subject to change. If your dd comes home and says she needs $10 for a field trip to the zoo the bugdet CHANGES. YOu just need to give yourself leeway to handle those changes because THEY WILL COME every ding dang dong time.

It does NOT mean YOU have FAILED your budget!

2. It takes about 3-4 months to really get to know your monthly finances.(apart form debt as these tend to be pretty set) If you never tracked your electric bill or your grocery spending then how do you know what to truly budget??? You guess and then after a few months you have some hard set numbers.

Being in the process of LEARNING our budget amounts and making adjustments is part of frugal 101!

Just yesterday I was telling dh I had $250 for his medications down and he said he only spends $150. He just got a new med and I didn't know the cost and I thought he was buying lances and test strips EVERY MONTH and he said no, every THREE MONTHS.

So you can see I am still tweaking on my budget too.

It sounds like you have a plan in place and are making [progress. The first months are HECK! You are sending all your money away when you are used to having fun and blowing it but getting rid of debt and saving gets to be FUN and addictive.

I will be watching for your posts when things really start to happen for you.