november recap & december goals

November was a surprisingly good month for my budget but not such a great one for meeting goals.  I only overspent in two categories, and the money I saved in other areas more than made up for it.   I should note that my monthly budget does not include our Christmas budget, which we set up separately. 

october recap & november goals

October was another month that just flew by.  Did I miss a memo somewhere about time speeding up in 2010?  I can't believe the year is almost over!  Seriously, where did it go?

Budget-wise, I didn't do too badly, but also not as great as I had hoped, either.  I was actually feeling really confident about coming in well below budget all month until a few days ago, when my husband unexpectedly handed me a pile of receipts for purchases he had made during the month.  It was nothing shocking--gas, haircut, auto parts store, pizza, a night out on the town with friends--but it definitely added up!

september recap & october goals

I meant to post this budget recap yesterday but I was so excited about my new couponing series that I decided to put the boring stuff off for a day.  I don't know how it was for you, but September flew by for me.  I actually felt like I blinked and the month was over.  I had a lot of things on my list that I wanted to accomplish, and looking back, perhaps I was a little overly ambitious. (Me? Overly ambitious? No!)  I think I ended up being able to cross off only half my list, but as my 4 year old likes to say, "neh neh, nevermind."  On a brighter note, I did once again come in way under budget for the month and ended up  putting a lot more in savings than I was shooting for.

new beginnings

I have always loved the back-to-school season.  There is something about the hint of fall in the air, new school supplies and school clothes, the idea of a fresh start that just gets me every time.  It has been many years since I was a student, but now, finally, this year I have a child old enough to go "back to school" for the first time.

Today was Maggie's first day of pre-K.  She picked her own outfit (her favorite "zebra-ina" dress, as my husband calls it), was up and dressed before I was this morning, and I watched as my suddenly-very-grown up little girl marched into her classroom, sat down at a table, and got to work with barely a second glance back at me.

As a mom, I am excited for the promise that this new school year brings for my child--the things she will learn, the friends she will make, the new experiences she will have.  

But as a mom, this new school year also means changes for me.  A new schedule, new moms to meet, a new routine to get into.   I have always been a person who likes change, so I'm okay with that.  

I am also a very goal-and-checklist-oriented person, so I thought it only fitting that I use this opportunity to set some new goals for myself this month:

September Goals:

-organize my kitchen cabinets
-plan my master bedroom remodel (to be done in October)--develop an inspiration board & budget.
-begin planning & working on fall/halloween decorations
-baby proof my bathroom cabinets!
-clean & organize my garage--do one thing every day
-start Christmas shopping
-re-organize my coupons
-sell unwanted/unneeded items on craigslist.  If they haven’t sold by the end of the month, donate remaining items to goodwill.
-sort through Maggie’s art projects from the past year.  Keep the good ones and recycle the rest.

Happy back-to-school time to you all!  Here's to a great year!

Tell me, do you have any goals for yourself this month?