Here it is: the second November paycheck budget. I’m late posting due to some family issues, so this one has some amounts already showing as paid. Same principles as last time though.
As you can see, I’m projected to be short by almost $35. What am I going to do? A few things spring to mind immediately:
- I can not spend as much in gas because I didn’t spend all of my gas allotment last check, so there’s room there.
- I will have to reduce my personal allowance some. This category includes things like getting my eyebrows waxed. I could stretch it a couple of more weeks without looking like an Ewok if absolutely necessary, so savings there.
- Due to a mixup with my allergist, I’m actually going to miss a week of allergy shots, so I won’t spend as much there this check.
- I drive (Uber & Lyft) occasionally, so this would be a time where I could ramp it up a little to cover the shortfall. This also comes with additional fuel expenses also, so if you’re considering this, you have to keep that in mind. Also, I need to look and see how much time (approximately) I’ve got before my next oil change, because I’ll need to budget for that as well, and see if driving even makes sense.
This is all part of the process. And while some people are able to really pare down to eating grass and nuts and stay in the house in order to make a bigger dent in paying down debt, I still need to live a part of my best life for mental health.
Baby steps.