Extra Expenses

Husband had surgery earlier this week, so we've incurred quite a few extra expenses this week. It was an outpatient procedure, and had been planned for some time now. 

We had some out of town visitors come for the surgery, to offer support, so we bought dinner on the night of surgery. I ate at the hospital for lunch, and had planned to just grab a snack for dinner at home, but our guests were hungry and in a hurry. 

We had a few copays for prescription drugs, and Husband requested some personal care items and over-the-counter drugs to help him after surgery. He also asked for several "comfort" foods from the grocery store. 

I normally wouldn't have bought most of these items, or at the very least would have only bought them on sale and/or with coupons, but it was unusual circumstances and I wanted to do whatever possible to help him be more comfortable. I ended up spending nearly $100, between the groceries, prescriptions, and meals. 

Later in the week we went to the grocery store for more food, and spend another $50. We also ordered pizza ($25), and saw a movie ($20). 

We both took most of the week off, him for surgery and me to help him. This means that I haven't been able to work any overtime, so my pay will be less on the next paycheck. 

College Costs

I've decided to quit grad school, for a variety of personal reasons. I feel a bit disappointed, but I think it's the best decision overall. Financially, not having to worry about two of us in college at the same time will be a huge relief. 

I had set aside $2000 for fall tuition, which would have been due mid-August. I've already paid $1100 of that straight to one of the credit cards, and plan to add the remaining $900 to this month's payment. 

For some reason, I hadn't thought about budgeting for tuition hikes (the fiscal year for most public universities changes on July 1st, with tuition increases being finalized at some point during the summer). The actual percent increase was just announced, and would have amounted to $120 extra for the upcoming term. Mid-year tuition increases are also possible, so the December tuition bill may have been even more. 

I knew I'd have to buy books, but I didn't budget that in either. Afterall, it's a nominal amount (at least, compared to the cost of tuition!)... and I figured I could pick up a used book online. Turns out that textbooks and course materials would have been about $150. 

I'd also have to increase the amount that I budget for gas, to cover the additional expense for commuting to class. At current gas prices (about $2.50/gal), that would be an increase of $60/mo. Plus the "cost" of wear & tear on my vehicle, of additional maintenance (oil changes, tires, etc). And our food budget would have to increase, because I won't have time to shop for all the best deals, and we'll undoubtedly end up buying more convenience foods or eating out. 

August - blown already!

Although it hasn't even been twelve hours since I posted our projected budget, we're already way over on miscellaneous spending. 

We spent most of the day working around the house, and so we ended up eating out for lunch ($20, Coney Island) and dinner ($10, Taco Bell). We went to Home Depot to pick up some replacement work gloves ($11), and also decided to browse around Lowe's. We did swing by the grocery store for a few other items ($21), but I'm considering that part of our regular grocery budget. 

I had a 10% off coupon for Lowe's, and we found a ton of stuff for around the house. Some lighting fixtures, bathroom exhaust fan, flowers/shrubbery, landscaping supplies. They had a great deal on some of the perennial flowers that I couldn't pass up, and we also decided to pick up some lights that we've been needing to replace for quite awhile. After the coupon, we spent $133. 

So in all, we spent almost $200 today... with only $21 having been budgeted. Oops! 

August Budget

Projected Income: 

Salary: $5971

Projected Expenses:

Mortgage: $1450

Electric: $150

Gas: $40

Cable/Web: $155

Cell Phones: $200

Groceries: $250

Car Payments: $792

Gas (for cars): $300

Student Loans: $281

Credit Cards: $2350

TOTAL: $5968

This will leave us only $3 of "wiggle" room for the month, so it's essentially a zero-based budget. I think we should be able to come in pretty close to the budget for August. I've included some assumed overtime pay in the income, but I think we might be able to scrounge up some extra (by selling items online). The minimum credit card payments are much less (around $1000/mo), so if we need extra money we can always reduce the amount we pay. 

Potential budget busters this month: we will probably go out to eat a few times, which isn't really accounted for, and I will need to pick up some miscellaneous items (clothing, school supplies, etc.). Home improvements/repairs are a constant item, though nothing (I hope!) is critical for this month.