Monday, December 10, 2012

Weekly spending roundup

I used to do this a lot more often, & found it helpful.

Here's what we spent last week:

  • Monday -
    • $2.92 at Rite Aid for cold medicine for the kids.
  • Tuesday -
    • $49.24 - gift (music pass for my Dad).
  • Wednesday -
    • $49.23 - Toys R Us (donation gifts for Giving Tree)
    • $63.88 - Fat Brain Toys - Christmas gift
    • $295 - Alaska Air - Christmas gift (board membership for M, who travels constantly for work)
  • Thursday -
    • $16.69 - lunch out with a friend
    • $19.75 - Amazon (used the bonus Facebook offer). Bought a few running things I needed (glamorous stuff - body glide & energy gels).
    • $3.34 - Safeway, groceries.
    • $20 - charitable donation for Christmas
    • $14.77 - Rite Aid (donation gifts for Giving Tree)
  • Friday -
    • $15.06 - Quizno's. Lunch out on our way to Great Wolf Lodge.
    • $50 - total travel spend for the weekend (the rest was covered via the deposit back in September).
  • Saturday -
    • $127.12 - Groceries at Costco. We were out of chicken & coffee - two big ticket items.
    • $14.99 - household, at Costco. Trash bags.
  • Sunday -
    • $2 at Starbucks. It's my halfway point on my runs, so I bought a water & used the bathroom. 
Total spend for the week = $743.99, with $452.99 of that going towards holiday gifts, leaving $291 from our standard monthly expenses.

In accordance with my plan in December to really dissect our 2013 budget & areas for cutback, I'm posting about one category per day. So far, I've covered mortgage interest (and a potential refi), our grocery budget., & dining out.

Today's topic for discussion is . . . Boys sports/activities


Boys sports/activities. We spent less than expected in this category (average per month was $150). We plan to keep this category as is. With two kids, dropping below $150/month makes it very hard for the kids to each participate in an activity. So far, the boys have: played baseball, soccer, swimming (lessons), & we're looking into karate. They each typically plan one sport per season.

How do you handle lessons for kids (if you have them)? Does it get cheaper as they get older? Please say yes! :-) Do you track your weekly spending?

4 comments:

  1. Can't help you with the kids activities (though I think they get a bit pricier, with uniforms, practice, stuff like that). Hopefully I am wrong.

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    1. Don't even say it, Tanner! Maybe by the time it gets more expensive, the kids can have part-time jobs. ;-)

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  2. I don't track my money like you do but I do have a set amount every week. $100 for food and $100 for gas. I can borrow from one to pay the other. Does it work, sort of. I think that if I tracked it like you, it would work. The problem is CVS calls to me. I blame them.

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    1. I'm like that with Rite Aid. It's an obsession & sluggy makes it worse. ;-) Always posting about her good deals & tempting me.

      I do the majority of our grocery shopping at Costco (typically best prices on produce), which minimizes my impulse to "oh, just buy it because it's a great deal", since they rarely/never have special sales or coupons. When I step foot into Rite Aid or Fred Meyer (a local grocery store), I'm overcome by impulse shopping. :-)

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