Payoff: Month 8

July

cc 1,2,3,4,5: 0

Loan 1: 1961.64
Loan 2: 10111.85
Loan 3: 11171.67

Debt:23245.16
Paid: 2399.61



August:

cc 1,2,3,4,5: 0

Loan 1: 0
Loan 2: 11100.83
Loan 3: 9551.85

Debt: 20652.68
Paid: 2592.48

Total Paid: 23255.20

All credit cards are done. We paid off the small student loan. I readjusted the loan to my dad back to the full length payoff amount. Will readjust when we know better when it will be paid. Excited to start hitting the student loan hard. Passed the halfway mark!! Just shy of the $20,000 mark.

August Budget

Revenue:

I had an extra paycheck this month.

Fixed Expenses:

I was being ridiculously optimistic about power. Termite due this month.

Debt Repayment:

Pay off Student loan #1! Minimum payments to #2 and my dad.

Variable Expenses:

I gave us raises on our personal amounts this month. I put in a clothing budget (finally!!). I am desperate for new underwear. My panties all have holes and are unravelling. My underwire has popped out of my bra and is giving my bruises in my arm. Also, as we approach fall and winter, I desperately need work appropriate winter clothes. I wore the same four sweaters from November - March last year.

Funds:

Lowered our repair amount to help cover our trip and the clothing. I wanted to put all of my extra paycheck into savings, but gave some of it to cover other things.

Trip Summary

Back from our trip.

While we didn't meet the individual budget goals, we came out under overall.

There was $415 in the travel fund in August. We added $100 of the August grocery money to that. I budgeted that money as above for gas, groceries, eating out, and a buffer.

Our stay was free, as it is a family home. We had to clean the place before we left and do some minor repairs and checking while there. We did spend some of our money (grocery) on these tasks. We only ate out once, at my favorite restaurant. Other spending in the restaurant category was for food on the road to and from. I grossly overestimated the gas spending. I think the last time I drove down there was when the gas prices were really high, and I was going off what I remembered spending that time. I also expected us to putter around more while there and need a fillup during the week. We only had to fill up at the beginning and midway each way, for under $50 each direction. I had to mail some packages while there, and that is my "other" expense. (Most of these are rounded up, by the way).

The big hit was groceries. I was shocked at the prices there, and almost no sales. We had to shop Publix, and it was freaking expensive, and like I said, no good sales. I think all the prices were inflated. Even with coupons, it was painful. Later in the week we went out to Walmart (which is much further away) but the deals there were so much better.

We still came in under budget, though I do feel I was a bit of a tightwad about it, but I don't think we suffered for it. We aren't big eater-outters anyway. $74 back into the travel jar.

Plugging others~

This is a fellow blogger on a TTC message board I am on. She is giving away a care package including a really cool cup and some ic's. She also makes beautiful graphics. Check her out.

In related news.... We are on our 5th anniversary (non-Hawaiian) trip. I am relaxing and enjoying some time away from work drama. I love my job, but there is some petty juvenile I'm-not-your-friend stuff going on that is wearing on me, so I am glad to be away. Additionally, I should be ovulating next week, so I am hoping to give this my undivided attention this month. It would be really cool to come back with a little anniversary souvenir. I hope the stress free relaxation and copious free time will be good for our mission.

I have all my budget stuff with me. I do not have a scanner here, so posting will have to wait til I get back. We have our August budget and also a trip budget for our trip. I am going to work on the June income statement (which is mostly done) and have that ready to post when I get home. By then I should have what I need to do July too. We will be paying off the little student loan next week, so I am in a really good place with getting pregnant now. The last two loans are going to take a while, but will be doable even if we do get pregnant at this point.