Ok, here is my April Savings Challenge Update post for 2012.
This post is NOT about bragging or showing off. It's just what we are able to save given our income and being able to hang tough against "unconscious" spending.
On to the April report.....
I have posted my APRIL End of Month $20K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.
I have 2 goals each month.....
The 1st is to actually finish each month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to hit the targeted savings amount of $1,666.67.
I have to report that we finished up April in the black!
The extra cash amount we ended the month of April with?.......$2,574.21!
Income
We had $2565.90 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted.
Add in $6.00 in Rebates applied against the food expenses & $2.31 in interest and you get a total of $2574.21.
Outgo
Traditionally April has been a fairly normal month as far as spending goes. No big tax bills or lump payments.
HERE are the BAD THINGS
* Credit card bill was fairly high at $1400+. A large part of that was the Summer Camp bill for #2 Son. The good news is this is the LAST CAMP BILL WE WILL EVER PAY! #2 Son is in Counselor Training this year so next year he starts working at camp. Yay!!!!
The Food Budget costs for April are in another post, which is located HERE. My stocking-up and overspending in March did help me stay under $230 in food spending for April.
YEAR-TO-DATE GRAND TOTAL.....
With 4 month behind us, our Savings Grand Total for 2012 is $6,590.80.
We hit our monthly goal in April and then some, so now we are only a little behind where we should be for the year at this point, because of our bad March total.
This post is NOT about bragging or showing off. It's just what we are able to save given our income and being able to hang tough against "unconscious" spending.
Just
to update, My Savings Goal for the Year in 2012 is $20,000. It's
well below what I've saved in previous years I know. But we also have
a goal of paying for 4 home improvement projects at Chez Sluggy this year. We plan on cash-flowing these projects with the additional money we save.
On to the April report.....
I have posted my APRIL End of Month $20K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.
I have 2 goals each month.....
The 1st is to actually finish each month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to hit the targeted savings amount of $1,666.67.
I have to report that we finished up April in the black!
The extra cash amount we ended the month of April with?.......$2,574.21!
Income
We had $2565.90 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted.
Add in $6.00 in Rebates applied against the food expenses & $2.31 in interest and you get a total of $2574.21.
Outgo
Traditionally April has been a fairly normal month as far as spending goes. No big tax bills or lump payments.
As for the expenses this April......
HERE are the GOOD THINGS
* The mild winter temps continued, which decreased our heating/electric bill by about $80. I like that...
HERE are the GOOD THINGS
* The mild winter temps continued, which decreased our heating/electric bill by about $80. I like that...
* Hubs decreased his WAM withdrawals this month.
* No car maintenance/repairs bills this month.
* No car maintenance/repairs bills this month.
HERE are the BAD THINGS
* Credit card bill was fairly high at $1400+. A large part of that was the Summer Camp bill for #2 Son. The good news is this is the LAST CAMP BILL WE WILL EVER PAY! #2 Son is in Counselor Training this year so next year he starts working at camp. Yay!!!!
The Food Budget costs for April are in another post, which is located HERE. My stocking-up and overspending in March did help me stay under $230 in food spending for April.
YEAR-TO-DATE GRAND TOTAL.....
With 4 month behind us, our Savings Grand Total for 2012 is $6,590.80.
With 4 months done, we should be at $6,666.67 saved for the year. Only $75.87 to be caught up!
So how much did YOU save in April? Did you spend all your income or did you put something aside?
Do you have an emergency fund of 6-8 months worth of expenses?
Do you have debt?
Start living below your means NOW and put some money away for emergencies and/or start paying down your debt.
And once you get debt-free, continue to throw that debt repayment money into savings. You won't believe how fast you can accumulate wealth once you have no debt!
It is NEVER too early or too late to SAVE SOMETHING.
And the amount you save is NEVER too small!
Anything you can spare will go a long way to make you more financially secure in this crazy unstable world we live in.
So come along and Challenge Yourself to Save Money each Month Toward a Realistic for YOU Savings Goal or Debt Goal!
So how was your April financially?
Did you spend less than you made?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good. Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out? Let us know!
If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out too!
Sluggy
So how much did YOU save in April? Did you spend all your income or did you put something aside?
Do you have an emergency fund of 6-8 months worth of expenses?
Do you have debt?
Start living below your means NOW and put some money away for emergencies and/or start paying down your debt.
And once you get debt-free, continue to throw that debt repayment money into savings. You won't believe how fast you can accumulate wealth once you have no debt!
It is NEVER too early or too late to SAVE SOMETHING.
And the amount you save is NEVER too small!
Anything you can spare will go a long way to make you more financially secure in this crazy unstable world we live in.
Not everyone can shoot for $20K, I fully get that!
But everyone can shoot for some number, right!?
Find a money goal that works for you and put that number out there for everyone to see. Put it into paying down your debt, put it into savings, invest it or put it toward the principle in your home mortgage....just get busy and do this!
It will help keep you accountable to your goal if other eyes are on you.
Put it out there online and let us all stalk your money too. ;-)
But everyone can shoot for some number, right!?
Find a money goal that works for you and put that number out there for everyone to see. Put it into paying down your debt, put it into savings, invest it or put it toward the principle in your home mortgage....just get busy and do this!
It will help keep you accountable to your goal if other eyes are on you.
Put it out there online and let us all stalk your money too. ;-)
So how was your April financially?
Did you spend less than you made?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good. Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out? Let us know!
If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out too!
Sluggy
I think you should feel free to brag and show off. That is a job well done!
ReplyDeleteMy tips will have to wait until later in the month. We are in the red to start out the month, but a vehicle sitting out there unused needs to be sold and that should put us solidly back in the black.
It is so amazing what you are able to save! Marry me?
ReplyDeleteNo kidding?!!! Kids will eventually STOP costing money??!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is so depressing financially here that I am going to pretend I did not hear that question! That's right; money problems cause me to go deaf.
ReplyDelete444--Good luck selling that vehicle! That's one quick way to get into the black tho.
ReplyDeleteSonyaAnn--It would never work between us. You'd hate me because I'd squash your gambling thing. And we'd fight over who gets the wine and who gets the kids....
McVal--Yes, if you train them right they eventually pay their own way. And it never comes soon enough I hear.lol
Practical P--What?? Did I say something?lol Hope it gets better....
Well...I paid off $23,000+ in debt this month so my savings are looking a little anemic, however I still socked away around $1500 and this month will save about $3500 now that I have no debt payments...woo hoo!
ReplyDelete