I fell off the budget bandwagon for two months...and it shows. So, this weekend I reworked the facts and figures in the ole budget for another year and today marks the first month. Off we go....

I am so tickled. Hubby got a raise. Before this, it would have been absorbed into our spending. Now, it is being absorbed into debt reduction. I truly have learned a lot. Every bit helps. With a child still in college, we seem to be going around and around with the credit cards, since I charge her tuition over the phone. That is the best way for me to be sure that the payments get there on time. I just haven't incorporated them totally into monthly amounts. So, I make progress on one front and back up on others. I need to really focus on that this year. Costs of college continue to rise and that is just a fact of life. I need to set up a plan and not just go willy nilly with this part of our finances.

I am also beginning to get stubborn. I lived through the oil embargoes, and we just got to the point where we didn't go anywhere or buy anything. I truly understand that costs need to be recouped and transportation covered. That is no surprise. But you get to the point where you get stubborn about not buying too much. When eggs get to the price that I paid for them the other day, it is time to get serious. I have been challenging myself, but not digging in. I need to lose at least ten pounds anyway. Maybe I can cut back on the amount of food bought and eaten and lose weight. And I really need to consider why I think that a 1.50 coke is a good idea. It is just syrup and fizzy water. We bought some ice cream at a shop the other day that was 3.50 apiece. I had a coupon that got one free, but gee whiz...3.50 for a scoop of ice cream? I need to rethink everything. And those treats need to be just that...occasional treats. I am going to enjoy playing with the new figures as I save money and as debts go down. Here's to a new budget and getting back on the straight and narrow....