It was only the 2nd and I spent over $400.00. This is why I can't get any where. Actually it is kind of funny because, my goal yesterday was to go to the studio and clean out the costume loft. This is a huge room that is up on a mezzanine section of the building. I have not cleaned it for the last 4 shows!
Anyway B and I are on the way there and she want's to go to McD's for breakfast. Okay why not she is helping me after all and this is a a big nasty hard job. So we go and I spend $7.10, as I am putting the deliriousness to my mouth I remember (I CAN'T SPEND ANY MONEY). I told her here it is the morning of the second and I already broke my challenge. ^&%$#@#
So off we go and we pull every box out and start to go through boxes one by one. It was 3:00 and we still were not done. B says, "Mom, how does this get so messed up?" I thought about it. Many of the costumes are put in bins that are not labeled, also many items and groups are in cardboard boxes. So B counted how many clear boxes we would need and then she went a got a large sharpie and labeled the bins. Soldier costumes, Lords a leaping, etc. Then she said, "Mom, we need at least 10 more storage containers so we can get rid of all these cardboard boxes I know you did not come up here and pull all this stuff out and rifle through it and leave this huge mess." She is right I did not, it happened over a period of a year and it was students. So off we go to Wal-mart and $71.25 we have everything in see through containers and labeled. I mean the rose petals are in their own box. Flowers in another. Every box is see through. If you need white basics, you look at the boxes and grab the basic box. These boxes take up an entire wall floor to ceiling. So nice..... but I spent $71.25 out of the business account on boxes.
Now I get home from cleaning the bank. B points out that I have not purchased any groceries since before Christmas. Yes, before! I had stocked up and there was so much leftover food. We had, no milk, dog food, cat food, fruit, veggies, yogurt, nothing for Hubbies lunches. During the break I would get up and cook pancakes, or waffles, or eggs and hashbrowns , then we would graze on leftover cheese and crackers. We would have cheese sandwiches at night and left over deli meats etc. Well the fridge was empty. So off we go (again) and when I got to Wal-mart for the second time, I remembered that today I need to clean out the files and desk and x-fer everything to a new year for tax purposes. To make a long story short. I bought milk, yogurt, apples, bananas, oranges, cauliflower, broccoli, baby cucumbers, pickled veggies (husbands diet) large bag of dog food, large bag of cat food (good brands), then went to office supplies and purchased 50 new file covers, for home, shop, and studio and a large plastic bin to store old files in, just in case I am audited everything is at my fingertips in order. I spent $124.54!
On the way home from Wal-mart daughter #2 calls and says, "Mom,I wrote a check to C.C. for $230.00." This is for continuing studio education. But right now? Also the sewer clean out people will be here this week. $180.00, but do I want that new bedroom covered with sewage? This is a yearly maintenance procedure that I know had saved us tons of trouble. Since I have implemented this program, I have not had a back up issue. I will have to pay the accountant this month also. I just forgot how expensive January is. Rats! I also rec'd a bill from the storage facility(remember I eliminated this, but daughter stored her furniture in there until she finds an apartment) She had not paid the bill in November or December and January is due, so $135.00. Which I will take out of her account, thank you very much.
Okay enough whining!
Good things about yesterday.
The studio is clean!
The costume storage is clean!
I have tax files ready to purge!
I was able to work all day with my youngest daughter and she worked hard!
Bad things about yesterday!
It was expensive!
I am really going to have to assess the budget this month
Ugly thing!
What budget, I haven't even done one yet! Grrrrr....
Out My Window: Hubby cleaned garage yesterday, while I was at the studio and I can get my car in there. It was full of wood scraps and set up to build set pieces for the show. He also cleaned out all the green black berry from the backyard. No easy task, as this is invasive and takes over and is terrible in the spring to get rid off. Last year I was a mess for two weeks after I dug out the blackberry. He also let the chickens out while he worked in the yard. They just love him.. Follow him like dogs, Where ever he is they are all around him. So Cute!
Well today, I must balance books, make a deposit, go to the school district and get my payroll figured out. Stop at the Jr. High with a bill. Take some costumes to the green room at he High School that I found in my stuff. Try to set up a budget for January and a tentative one for the New Year, teach, clean, drop with exhaustion. I will not sew today. I need to start new routines with all my kids for the St. Patrick's Day show on March 17th. So tonight that means 4 new routines are started along with solos assigned and all music selected.
Have a great and productive day!
Carla, I am starting over on the 3rd!
Kim
What an expensive day for you!
ReplyDeleteOooh! That did add up fast! Hope the month gets better (read:cheaper) for you!! lol!
ReplyDeleteExpensive day, but I'd say your only slip-up was the McDonald's...everything else seems good for your business and important! And you have to have groceries! Hopefully most of the big spending for this month is done and you can get some no spend days in there!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you made more investments in your sanity/organization/preventitive maintainence than wild spending. I agree that the only crazy spending was Mc D's ;)
ReplyDeleteCan't you hopefully write off most of those purchases as business expenses on your taxes?!?
Run, run, jete! Run, run, jete! (See I remember my routines!)
I think the no/low spend challenge was for personal stuff, not business. I also am fairly confident that you have to buy the essentials to live - so food is a must. The McDonald's seems to be the only thing that wasn't an essential [read: could have chosen not to spend that money and still been ok.
ReplyDeleteBusiness expenses are separate from personal = ALWAYS.
I think if you keep looking at the positive things, this month will start moving in the right direction!
I wouldn't worry about the food spending or the business purchases or any bills you have to pay.
ReplyDeleteIt's that Mickey D's food I suspect......jk!lol
Just brush yourself off and keep on keepin on. ;-)
I would agree with LBC...some stuff is just important so challenge or no challenge you have to spend but the McDonalds...well...if the challenge was easy it wouldn't be a challenge. Im doing great with the no spend challenge but am DYING for some junk food about right now (Paleo challenge)...so I might have to start over on the 4th!! Hope the rest of your week is much cheaper for you!
ReplyDeleteI smiled reading your post because that is something that usually happens to me. In fact, this Spend Less month finds me with NO toilet paper, shampoo or conditioner, soap, propane....well you get the jist. I am trying to save for some spending cash for the weekend!
ReplyDeleteThere's always tomorrow, right?
Sounds like something that would happen to me. At least there's always a new day. Good luck with the rest of the challenge.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like my life! Spent the 31st car shopping with DD2 and of course stopped at Wal Mart and 170+later thought I had what I needed for 2 weeks! Was doing good since that was in December, then no spend on the 1st. The 2nd back car shopping, found a car, needed to kill time, off to Mcd's for lunch (even though we brought food) so 32+ there, then got her car deal done, back to walmart, 40+ for what I forgot on the 31st. oh and 50. gas to go car shopping, it never ends...today woo hoo no spend!!!!!!!!oh except honey needed gas at 40.!
ReplyDeleteWhat a day you had - I'm worn out!
ReplyDeleteIt may have been an expensive one, but it sounds like you're organized, which will be a huge saver in the future... starting NOW!
Jenny
Why is it our daughters who always have the practical solutions?? Thank goodness we listen to them (what choice do we have?) It's getting expensive around here too but I'm classifying the flood as an emergency so my EF will take the hit which sucks as building it up was my NO spend goal this month. What's that saying about the best laid plans??
ReplyDelete