January - June Expense Budget - 2010

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet I'm exactly on my "revised budget." I mean right to the penny. Doing the revision was easy. Tracking expenditures so that I knew what to revise it to was the tough part.

I am on target with no variance; however like you, I do adjust on a monthly basis, as needed.

Revisions are simple for me. I simply take my budget worksheet, run a report on Quicken for the period, and match my forecast vs. actual.

I just open a new sheet on Excel every year, copy the prior period sheet, and update as needed. That way I can calculate (to the penny), my "personal rate of inflation", year over year.

That's the advantage for me, since I do have a quite anal personality when it comes to "money stuff" ...

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI I haven't added any money, but I've pulled from one area and shoved it in another. I think I'll be pullin' and shovin' until the day I croak. Life happens....

Former gov't employee I see.

I left my budgeting skills behind when I retired. Flying by the seat of my pants now....................

[VaCollector]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 I left my budgeting skills behind when I retired. Flying by the seat of my pants now....................

I like the way you think....ditto here....for 3 years now.....

"Budget.....I don't need no stinkin' budget!" ......well....at least not yet....

[MichaelB]

I track our expenses the same way wall street analysts track corporate profits - based on the most recent guidance and excluding extraordinary items. So, by that measure, we're ahead of plan and the future looks great.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I still don't have no stinkin' budget, ...

+1

No budget here, haven't even updated my NW spreadsheet this year. But the cash balance in the checking account/MM is growing, even though I have a fixed amount transfered in each month, and I have not changed that since I set it up ~ 2004.

Some of the excess is going to be worked off to replace our 18 yo stove and fridge, and granite to replace the 18 yo formica. But we won't need to cut anywhere to do that, its just a build of of cash from spending less than monthly deposits for a while.

BTW, I don't think the granite is such a 'luxury' as it may seem - My FIL and I did the existing formica, and materials for that are cheap, but I designed the kitchen layout with a big peninsula and some odd angles and curves, so there is a lot of labor and a lot of edging. With granite, that is really no big deal - they just program the saw to cut the slab and bevel the edge. No charge for the standard bevels, so really no extra labor hit for all this fancy stuff. I didn't price out formica, but I bet it would be pretty high to get the edging we would want to come close to granite in finished look, and it still wouldn't.

-ERD50

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 BTW, I don't think the granite is such a 'luxury' as it may seem -

We went with laminate when we had our house built 13 years ago and replaced it with granite earlier this year. This might be due to where we live, but I found it interesting that the cost for granite had come down considerably and there were many more available colors/patterns to choose from.

This is also one of the excuses I have for being over budget YTD...

[NW-Bound]

It's refreshing to know other tightwads are loosening up. Heh heh heh...

You can't take it with you. And in addition, the economy needs stimulation. Better we do it than the gummint does it.

Still, I need to spread this out.

[easysurfer]

I'm pretty much even overall. Exceeded in some categories but under in others.

[FIREd]

We are running about 5% over budget YTD but we have started to tighten our spending on July 1st, so hopefully we can end the year below budget.

[Onward]

I'm 13% below, and that includes three months in South America. So far, so good.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Former gov't employee I see.

Nah....but my DH tries to spend like the gummit....

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI So how are you doing on your budget the first half of this year? I'm 2% below....not much, but at least I'm not over.

I put the entire allocation in my checking account, still have a plus balance there but am w*rking very hard to spend up to my PF's potential. Life is good.

[aida2003]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Me either , I checked twice . This is my budget from my investments . I also have a medium sized pension and SS benefits so my investments are the icing on the cake and I am way below budget . My intial yearly investment budget was 60,000 and I spent under $ 5,000

Hmm...I think grandma spent like crazy in the garage sales for her grandson....$5/k for 6 months including a cruise and splurging...super frugal

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aida2003 Hmm...I think grandma spent like crazy in the garage sales for her grandson....$5/k for 6 months including a cruise and splurging...super frugal

Thanks but I am not that thrifty . The $5,000 was only from my investment income . My SS & Pension cover most of my expenses plus I have some ebay income . As for spoiling my grandson only Toys R us will do .