31 Days :: day 4- Spending Tracker & budgets

Day 4:: Spending Tracker

{aka. How To Create A Budget Plan}

So I don't actually budget... well not yet at least- we're working on it. Two months ago I started tracking our spending based on categories that we most frequently use {listed below}. Now our tracking system is super simple- each month it starts out as a blank spreadsheet posted on our fridge with the month scribbled at the top, and we write in the receipt amounts as we spend the money! I also cross-reference with our online statements for any online spending "receipts."

We've already noticed some trends in areas where we need to cut back- for instance, we noticed in August that we eat out a lot. So last month we cut back and we're continuing that trend, or we order smaller portions when we eat out {since half of the time when we get "doggie bags," we end up forgetting about them and throwing out the extra food anyways!}. I'll continue to gather info for a few more months and then create our family budget!

Our categories are as follows...

• Groceries
• Household
• Auto
• Clothing
• Medical
• Media {books, DVDs, movie theatre, etc}
• Eating Out
• Gifts {this includes tithing}
• Bills {insurance, loans, etc}
• Misc.

{printable version}

So here's our simple spending tracker! Please feel free to drop me a line if you'd like me to create a tracker for you with your own categories- but again, it's really nothing more than a fancy spreadsheet ;) This post is almost more of a "How to Create a Budget Plan" than really a "list" post... but that's why I entitled my series "Lists and the Like"... this would fall into the latter category! Enjoy :)

31 days :: day 3- bill paying monthly tracker

Day 3:: Bill Paying Monthly Tracker

Today's topic of lists is that of my BPMT list: Bill Paying Monthly Tracker. This is kept in my "Household 6 Binder" aka. my Home Management Binder. I'll share that in a future post ;) Below is an image of the system I use now (I'll share it as a printable tomorrow... having computer problems tonight!)

Here is how I use my BPMT...

• the tracker is broken down into End Of Month pay, Mid-Month Pay, and extras
• bills due on the 7th-21st of the month come out of EOM pay
• dills due on the 22nd-end of month and 1st-6th of the month come out of MM pay
• "extras" consist of church tithing, charity donations, money transferred into savings, etc.
• first row - the date that the bill is due
• second row - what bill it is
• each month is broken down into two rows... the first row is the date I paid the bill on and the second row is how much the bill was

Tomorrow I'll be sure to post a blank tracker for you to use if you like this method! And now that you've seen how I track bills now, a future post will be about past trackers and how I arrived at this current tracker, which has been working for over a year now- so I think I finally found a keeper!!

31 Days :: day 2- lists o lists

Day 2:: list o' lists

So today I wanted to share with you a lists of lists that I've shared over the past few months on here... it's a good starting point, as I'll be building off of some of these lists in future posts!

.: Holiday Planner Lists :.

Autumn Project Tracker

Thanksgiving Menu

Thankgiving Grocery List

Christmas Budget Planner

Holiday Project Tracker

Christmas Card Tracker

Christmas Menu

Christmas Grocery List

Gift Lists

Room Decor 2010

Room Decor 2011

Thank-You Card Tracker

New Years Eve Menu

New Year's Grocery List

.: Chore Lists :.

Weekly Chores- version 1

Weekly Chores- version 2

Weekly Chores- version 3 {includes blog post}

.: Financial Lists :.

Bill Payments- version 1

Bill Tracking {includes blog post}

31 days of Lists and the Like:: day 1- in the beginning

Day 1:: in the beginning

Hey ya'll! So I know I've let this blog go a bit the past few months, but that's all about to change :) I've decided to take up The Nester's challenge of 31 days of change! Bloggers across blogland are joining in with their own 31 day series, and mine is entitled "31 days of Lists and the Like."

I have lots of lists and the like that I've been wanting to share for some time- lists about...

• organizing
• bills & budgeting
• family life
• vacations
• blogging
• cleaning
• Bible study
• and more!

Some are in the form of planners, some are crafty lists {like lists in the form of bookmarks!}, and all will be printables! I'll be sharing lists I've used in the past and lists I use now. So stay tuned throughout the month because October is 31 days of Lists and the Like :)

31 days of Lists and the Like:: master list

.: master list :.

For those of you following along here, this is the master list of all the 31 days of list sharing this month! If you're new here, start "in the beginning" to learn more about this month long journey!

Day...

1. in the beginning
2. list o' lists
3. Bill Paying Monthly Tracker
4. Spending Tracker {aka. How to Build a Budget Plan}
5. Overnight Guest Prep
6. Monthly Cleaning Chart
7. Daily Chore Chart
8. Weekly Meal List
9. Exercise Tracker
10. Kitchen Tools Tracker
11. Household Appliance Tracker & Service Record
12. Gift Wrapping & Gift Closet Inventory
13. Autumn Project Tracker
14. Thanksgiving Menu
15. Thanksgiving Grocery List
16. Bible Study Bookmarks
17. Gifting List
18. Gift Buying List
19. Thank-You Card List
20. Packing List {with daily plans & small checklist}
21. Packing List {with daily weather}
22. Packing List {with blank checklist}
23. Vacation Budget
24. Vacation To-Do List
25. Vacation Meal Planner
26. Couponing List
27. Pantry Inventory
28. Fridge/Freezer Inventory
29. Full Yearly Cleaning Chart
30. Half Monthly Cleaning Chart
31. Shopping Comparison Chart & Wrap Up

autumn pumpkin decor

WOW! I am so sorry I haven't checked in here for a while! Things have been a bit hectic since moving into our new home down south! I have lots of projects to share, just haven't gotten the time to post them! But, hopefully I'll be back on here more frequently sharing my fun ideas with ya'll! So here we go...

Yay, Autumn!! Again, it doesn't much feel like it down south since it's still pretty hot, so I'm just living off my memories of last fall up north- apple picking, pumpkin picking, jean & sweater weather... :)

Anyhoo, I started putting up my autumn decor and decorating my mantle (because we have a mantle in this house!!!) and here's one of the little projects I came up with! Super simple, I had all the materials on hand, but fun and festive :) Below I've included the material and instructions list for how I made this- they're not the best instructions ever, so just email me or leave a comment if you have a question! It would be perfect decor for any autumn party, decor, or halloween display!

.:. materials .:.

- felt (background & stem colors)*

- orange paper

- circle cutter (or trace a cup and cut out!)

- frame

- wire

- pencil/skewer (or other thin round object)

- glue dots

- hot glue gun

*you could totally use paper or fabric for this too!

.:. instructions .:.

(1) cut background felt to shape of frame

(2) cut pumpkin stem from felt

(3) cut out 4 circles

(4) fold circles in half and glue halves together, leaving the front and back halves without glue

(5) wrap wire around pencil/skewer and slide off, creating corkscrews

(6) using hot glue, attach pumpkin, stem, and wires to background felt

(7) you're done! enjoy :)

linking up to the parties below

Cross-posted on my crafting blog, SK Studios.

Cake USA

Less than 24 hours after I made the cake pictured here... two-thirds of it is gone... and there's only two people in our household :) LOL, that is why I do not make sweets more often- they're gone almost before I even finish making them! hehe... Oh, and if you're wondering why the cake is so short, it's because it's a spelt cake (we're a low/no gluten household) and I'm still playing around with leaveners.

Anyways, DH has been having a rough time at work, so I decided to make him a cake, and dress it up a little! I made the cute little bunting, and after it vacated the cake, it took up residence as part of our patriotic mantel (pictures coming soon!).

I made the super simple twine balls whilst watching a movie. So simple and they are a great "filler" for any decor piece. I chose to put them in a cut-crystal piece that I bought at Disney World a few years ago. The twine was leftover from a wreath I made- tutorial coming soon! :)

.: linking up to :.

new Etsy bookmarks and inventory

Just posted my newest round of inventory on Etsy! The two bookmarks shown below are among some of the items I added today :)

{visit my Etsy shop here}

Don't forget! In honor of my grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

The code will be good through the end of the month!

Etsy Grand Re-Opening Week

Hello all! It's that time of the week... yup, it's my

Etsy Grand Re-Opening!!!

And in honor of my grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

The code will be good through the end of the month!

I've turned this re-opening into a week-long event... each day I'll be adding more goodies to my store... for tomorrow, I already have 7 more cards ready to add and some bookmarks, and who knows what else I might be adding! Check back each day for some new inventory!

USA mini-banner

U-S-A! Hehe, being a military family, patriotic decor is up year-round. This particular piece I made for Memorial Day and will be staying up until 04 July... if not longer ;) Sorry for the delay in posting- I've been away for my baby bro's high school graduation!

It was super simple (and free! since I had all the materials already floating around left over from other projects) to create... find old frame, remove glass, cut fabric to fit in frame, cut mini banner, attach to twine, affix letter, and voila- instant decor! It's currently residing on our mantel (woohoo! our new home has a mantel! be assured there will be many a mantel decorations to come hehe!)... I'll post a pic of the entire mantel once it's completely dressed up for the season! I started decorating it for Memorial Day, and maybe by the 4th of July it'll actually be complete ;)

And don't forget...

June 15th, this Wednesday evening,

my Etsy shop is re-opening!

and a discount code posted on here

just for you, all my lovely blog readers :D

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:: Linking Up To ::

Just Something I Whipped Up