I almost made it to the end of the month without any snafus… except that I forgot about paying for my cell phone. I got the cell phone last year, since it’s so hard nowadays to find a payphone, but I hardly use it. I’m on one of those plans in which you buy minutes without a monthly plan, but my cell phone company’s policy is that you “top up” every 90 days in order to keep the account active. I’d completely forgotten that I signed up for an automatic payment — it’s a 25% savings this way. Well, I neglected to write down that expense and I didn’t have the money in my checking account. This “savings” cost me double this month because of the overdraft protection fees. See how expensive not being mindful can be!
I did make out better this month in terms of food. I caught a lot of good sales, found some really good bargains, and stocked up my pantry… this is the first month that I’m not eating beans & rice to make ends meet. I’m terribly low on vinegar & baking soda though… I’ve just been using what I already had in the house. I’ll be sure to buy massive quantities of those items (as well as dishwashing liquid & bleach). I also have a better understanding of my consumption habits so that I can plan my purchases. I must admit that my diet doesn’t vary much which makes it easier for me to write my shopping list. I’ve also begun to formulate a pricebook… I want to start keeping tabs on prices in my area. It’s all part of my plan to live deliberately & frugally.
I amazed myself this month — I didn’t eat out at all! This was an area of my budget that I definitely had to reign in. Earlier this year I was spending more on eating out than eating in, and it wasn’t for the sake of convenience. I would allow myself to get so hungry that all I could do was go out to eat. Now that I’m more mindful of my eating, time & money, I find myself having the time to cook and eat before I’m famished. I’d almost forgotten how much I love to cook.
My transformation is progressing!
