Friday, November 20, 2009

Swinging Back Into Savings

My monster project this week (which I can now cross off my list!!) revealed to me how lax I have been in the savings department. It's kinda embarrassing. Especially when I think about the many times I've ranted and raved over the importance of always, Always, ALWAYS putting some money into savings regardless of good or bad times. I guess I got a little starry-eyed since things have been going ok for us this summer and fall. Which means... all the time that I could've been socking away even more, I wasn't. And now it's gone one way or the other.

Kindof. I did just now remember that over the summer we created a nest egg for the baby (supplies, extra medical expenses, maybe even the start of a savings account?), and that money would've gone into savings otherwise. It's just not showing up in the savings, that's all.

This week I jumped firmly back onto the "put something in savings every week" wagon. I might've put some Gorilla Glue under my feet this time, too, just as an added precaution. This morning I promptly entered Daniel's paycheck into the budget and immediately moved some of it over into our savings account. Now that I have the budget and checkbook all balanced, I am determined to keep up with it. And the bill paying. *sweat dots the brow* I'm going to "keep it real" and say that more than a few times this summer I've just barely squeaked in under the wire on getting some bills paid on time. Like so close I could smell it. And it stinks, lemme tell ya that! It is NOT frugal one bit when you have to pay an extra fee to pay a certain bill online because you forgot to mail it and it's due TODAY. To my "Get A Good Habit Going" project, I think I should add "writing bill due dates on the calendar so I get them paid in plenty of time." I've done that before, I can do it again. I know several of you probably have your bills automatically withdrawn from your accounts. I just can't. It's not against my religion or anything; we could and the only reason we don't is because I simply don't want to. It's a control thing, probably. I want to say when and who our money goes to, not some robot. I'm weird like that.

I'm really tickled pink to have this week's project (getting the checkbook and budget caught up and balanced) finished. I have quite a bit of other things I have to do today anyway, so it worked out just in time. And I'm happy to have jumped back on to the savings wagon. Especially since we're planning to build an addition, it is more important than ever that we keep a good grip on the money reigns!

Stay tuned for next week's Monster Project!!

3 comments:

Sally said... [Reply to comment]

I am staying tuned. I love your "monster projects"! Maybe I should have some going, but I'm into sewing right now.

About bills, I pay them the minute they come through the door (the ones that aren't automatically done online), even if they aren't due for a mo. We've gotten in trouble once or twice when we didn't pay one immediately and then it got misplaced and forgotten---and then late fees!! They bite! Now, I will say that if it doesn't suit me to pay it that day, I keep it right in the middle of my sight until I get it paid--like on the counter, on microwave, etc., somewhere that I see many times a day. I figure that our checking account doesn't earn any interest, so if the money goes out 30 days sooner it really doesn't matter. Now, if it's a huge one, like the property tax, I do check on the account balance and think of what all will be whizzing out of there before I just write the check and put it in the mail. So, there's my fancy-shmancy bill-paying system. (It's really not fancy.)

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

we write the due date and the bill amt. on the putside of the envelope and than put the in a holder on the desk in the order theyare due. That works pretty good for us. I usually pay the personal ones as soon as they come, its the farm ones that are for humongous amts. that have to wait till we have enough $ to cover them

Meghan said... [Reply to comment]

Um yeah...I have to run to town 30 minutes away to pay a bill after work because its due today. Yuck. I can't afford to have late fees, etc so I need to give myself a kick in the butt because this is not acceptable.

You'll do great! There are so many things this time of year to prepare for it just gets out of control.