Evaluating our "personal" spending category for 2017

As we prep for 2018, I review all of our spend for 2017 & look for categories where we're over, under, or right on target. Based on those numbers, I determine whether we need to buckle down in a specific category, or increase it, or whether we can cut it down in 2018.

I'll post about a few of the categories as it gets closer to the end of the year.

For our "personal" category, this is all hair cuts, pedicures, etc. In 2016, we spent $1139, and in 2017, we've spent (to date) $357. Woohoo! Another category where we're making great progress. :-) (There are categories where we blew our spending out of the water, so more to come on that side. The picture isn't so rosy on every category.)

Here's what's happened with our personal category:

• Pretty much nothing for the boys. They all got the same number of cuts.
• I had zero hair cuts in 2017. I really, really want to learn to trim it myself, so I wait. :-)
• I also had my hair colored zero times.
• And, got zero pedicures, minus one that I bid on for the school auction. It was a nice social event with other moms, food, drinks, etc. Other than that, I'm doing it myself. 

It feels really, really good to be able to in source (or skip) most of my personal expenditures. I do still need to figure out a hair cut solution for myself. I'm trying to build up to buying shears, watching videos to learn techniques, and starting off with something very tame with my own hair. Over time, I'd love to add in the boys as well, but I want to start slowly. Goal for 2018! :-) 

What about you? How do you spend your money in this category? Have you learned to in source anything that you previously paid for? When I look back at my spending on pedicures, it was mostly a chance to get pampered & get out of the house with young kids. Now that the boys are older, it's just much easier to make time for myself.