Frugal Month Update: June 2018

I haven’t spent rashly but somehow we’re halfway through the month and I only have $33 left in the budget. As I’ve paid all bills and contributed to savings this isn’t as awful as it sounds. Here’s what’s coming up:

1. Beach Date with my sister
2. Bubble tea date with former bandmate
3. Coffee visit with girl friends
4. My favourite kid is coming for a sleepover

I’m not sure how $33 is going to stretch that far and I don’t want to cancel any of these events.

I’m taking snacks to share for the beach date but if we end up stopping for dinner there is no way I can opt out of the that activity.  The 2 visits with friends can be kept, I believe, to a total of $15.

The kid may be my biggest challenge. He eats like crazy so having him over is going to require a grocery run. I’m going to have to fill up on fruits, vegetables, cheese, deli meat and crackers.

How’s your monthly budget coming?

 

Day at the Spa (DIY Edition)

I was on vacation this week and I desperately wanted a spa day. However, I don’t want to spend $250 on a spa package. Instead I took Thursday and did all my prep so that I could treat myself at home.

My first step was to do all my prep so that I could move easily from moment to moment without feeling like I was losing the relaxed feeling.

I used 2 bananas, 1 tbsp. of honey, 1 tbsp. of coconut oil for the hair mask and 1 tbsp. each of coconut oil, coffee grounds and brown sugar for the exfoliation kit.

The 30 minutes to let the hair mask sit was used to complete a mindfulness meditation I found on YouTube.

Once I washed the mask out and exfoliated in the shower with a scrub that I had, I moved to my face. I applied a portion of the coffee scrub to my face and hands then moved to give myself a steam. I’m lucky as I received this as a gift in my teens. I then shaped my brows and used a mask.

Once my face was done I took a spa break to enjoy lunch. When I had gone to the sp alast time, my package had included lunch which I recreated.

The veggies were sautéed with steak seasoning and made into a veggie pita with avocado and tomato.

Next up was my manicure and pedicure.

One of the things I love about the spa is the music that I never listen to any other time but really does the trick! YouTube once again came to the rescue with one of the long calming playlists.

I was a little concerned that my DIY version may not be as restful or I’d get distracted. I was pleased that I focused and was able to make clean up a seamless part of the process. Having soft light throughout definitely helped the experience!

What’s your favourite way to pamper yourself at home?

Frugal Month July 2018

This month is supposed to be a frugal spend month. While usually this means that I’m going to spend less than I budgeted, based on my recent spending, I’ll be aiming to stick to my budget.

I’m just one week in  and I already know this month is going to be super tough! I’ve already spent the gas money and most of the grocery money. Here’s what I’ve got left:

• Grocery – $35
• Bunny – $14 (needs hay and possibly kibble)
• Eating out – $36 (monthly dinner date; have been trying to meet a friend for sushi)
• Entertainment  – $45 (parking at concert; tickets for upcoming wine tour)
• Misc – $30

My hope is to keep to these figures and I’ll use savings to fund our anniversary party that’s going to be hosted the first weekend in August.

Monthly Debrief: June 20118

 

TRACKING

•  # Buy nothing days :13
• # times ate out/purchased take out: 6
• # activities with loved ones: 10 (I’ve gotten bad at tracking this)
• $ saved at Costco: ?
• % over or under budget:7% over budget (best  since February!)

CELEBRATE:

• This  is the closest I’ve come to sticking to my budget in the year
• I haven’t felt pressed or as though I’ve been missing out

DIP INTO SAVINGS/CREDIT

• Our 10th anniversary  party is getting expensive! I’ve been able to use savings so far to cover the costs
• Final kitchen purchases of a curtain rod and bumpers to protect cabinet corners

KEEP IN MIND

June is usually my crazy month of overspending. I’m pleased that the overspending isn’t crazy. The places I went overboard were groceries and entertainment. The entertainment was for Father’s Day.

OVERALL

This month was fantastic! I’m aiming to make July a frugal month, while ML & I make some healthier choices. Our goal is to drop a couple pounds each this month and tone up.