|
|
Post by DorothyB on Jan 8, 2005 23:03:29 GMT -5
I'm thinking I won't go. If I'm having this much trouble deciding if this is how I choose to spend my money, then I must not want to go that bad.
It sounded great, but several of the people I'd love to meet won't be able to attend for various reasons. For just the $150 fee (which is very reasonable), I could have 4 extra (meaning 2 per week for 4 weeks) lessons at the barn ($140) or could have the trainer come to my house 4 more times ($160). I was going to take the opportunity to visit my parents at the same time, but it looks like they may not get out of the house here and get it sold before spring - so it might be better to see them a bit later in the year.
We are also converting to new accounting software at work in April, so don't know if things will be running smoothly by then.
It's seeming like most of the people going are younger. However, it does still sound like fun.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mary Ann on Jan 9, 2005 11:13:34 GMT -5
Dorothy, you are so methodical! I can't imagine planning my yearly budget with such detail! I doubt you get caught with many surprises. I need to take a page out of your cash planning book and get down to better forecasting!  Could you give sort of an overview of how you plan your budget? Do you go month by month, or check by check? Do you have just a lump left over, or do you plan entertainment like movie rentals, meals out, etc? Are veterinary, farrier, feed, and tack expenses separate or together under the heading "Horse?" I'm not looking for numbers (that's private!) but just how you set things up. Do you have a junk drawer in your kitchen? How about in your budget?  |
|
|
|
Post by Chrisnstar on Jan 9, 2005 11:24:28 GMT -5
Yes, Dorothy, you are a great number cruncher!
I take a big picture look at my year and just know where most of the money is coming from. I know unless Szybki has a very busy season, I'll have to really pick and choose my endurance rides this year to get the best deal for my money and time.
chris
|
|
|
|
Post by DorothyB on Jan 9, 2005 15:53:00 GMT -5
I'm not sure if it is because I'm single or because of watching my parents "handle" money, but I tend to be very watchful of my money. I use Microsoft Money - not that it is any better than Quicken, but I got it when friends I was helping with their budgeting got it. Once a year (but I actually do it in the fall and tweak it a few times) I do an excel spreadsheet with one column for each month. I list all expenses (of course, I'm detailed - Laara's horse feed is in one row because I pay cash for it quite often, her hay has it's own row because I only buy it about 3 times a year). I list all income (gross, of course, with lines in expenses for the taxes, etc - but I DO lump social security and medicare together  and all projected expenses. I have last year's actuals to go by. I have expenses that I budget by the week (groceries, personal eating out, eating out with others and misc) and yes, I budget personal eating out separately because it is my biggest budget killer. Those expenses will have either 4 or 5 times the budgeted amount each month depending on how many Fridays that month. Most expenses I budget monthly. I also check to be sure that I won't owe much income tax, that my 401K will be maxed out (because my income varies with a bonus in the spring - I think a very large one this year!! - which affects the % I put in), etc. I would tell others to include savings for car replacement, but I don't because I'm paying off my mortgage first and then will be saving mortgage plus extra amount for car replacement. I put in the amount I want each month to pay off the mortgage early. Since I HATE postponing that, I am VERY resistant to reducing this amount to make the budget balance. Then comes the fun part - trying to not spend more than I make. This year, even with my HUGE expected bonus, I budgeted to spend more than I make. Part of this is because I want to catch up on my Roth IRA funding (2004 funded before April and 2005 funded later in the year). Also, my older dog now gets $58 per month of medication to stay relatively pain free. I reduced most of my weekly expense categories, but only be a few dollars. I also cut some other categories and finally ended up with a balanced budget. Then (no, I'm not done yet), I use the "bills" section of Money and enter all planned expenses for the year as bills. I have twelve annual bills for each of my utilities because I actually budget different amounts for each month. I have one bill "various weekly" that has all of my items budgeted weekly. I have a "various monthly" that has the money I set aside monthly for things like auto repair, home repair, gasoline, toll road, clothing, etc - things I expect to spend, but won't get bills and will save up the money if I don't spend it this month. I have an "Available" bill where I list all of the line items that have money available to spend in the types of categories that have weekly or monthly "various" bills. Each time I spend money, I reduce the amount available to spend for that category. Each week / month, I increase the amount available in the various categories. My "available" bill is always "due" on Thursday - each week when I add my weekly spending allotment, I roll it to the next Thursday. Then I can use the cash flow part to "fix" the problems where my checking account would be overdrawn. For instance, I had to move re-finishing the floors to October. My cash flow usually isn't much of a problem except December thru February because I pay my property taxes once a year in December. They are an annual bill so I don't set aside money for them each month. This isn't how I would teach others to budget, but being the total money nerd that I am, this is what I do. Don't you wish you had never asked?? On a side note, this morning I was thinking "if I'm this iffy about going on vacation, maybe I shouldn't even go." This afternoon I'm thinking "if I'm having this much trouble deciding NOT to go, maybe I should send my money and commit to going." I'm almost too good at the delayed gratification thing. |
|
|
|
Post by Chrisnstar on Jan 9, 2005 17:53:27 GMT -5
LOL, Dorothy!
Maybe you should just go for it!
Or maybe we could have a camp EquiFriends closer to Texas
Quite a few of us live in the middle part of the country!
chris
|
|
and all projected expenses. I have last year's actuals to go by. I have expenses that I budget by the week (groceries, personal eating out, eating out with others and misc) and yes, I budget personal eating out separately because it is my biggest budget killer. Those expenses will have either 4 or 5 times the budgeted amount each month depending on how many Fridays that month. Most expenses I budget monthly. I also check to be sure that I won't owe much income tax, that my 401K will be maxed out (because my income varies with a bonus in the spring - I think a very large one this year!! - which affects the % I put in), etc. I would tell others to include savings for car replacement, but I don't because I'm paying off my mortgage first and then will be saving mortgage plus extra amount for car replacement. I put in the amount I want each month to pay off the mortgage early. Since I HATE postponing that, I am VERY resistant to reducing this amount to make the budget balance.