M is for Money

The wheels have come off the wagon. The budget is blown. Somehow we’ve spent a bunch of money in the last few days without noticing it slip away. There’s nothing to do now except juggle the numbers and find room in the budget to pay for it all. We didn’t even buy anything big, just the usual errands and expenses - funny how it adds up so quickly. It all started Friday night.

Friday nights in LA are filled with glitz and glamour. Ours was spent in Home Depot picking up gardening tools - oh the joys of homeownership - followed by a gourmet meal at The Crazy Chicken (aka El Pollo Loco). OK not exactly high society living, but the evening damages totaled $60. Saturday morning we hit Costco early, never a good place to go when you’re on a budget. $200 later and I can’t even tell you what we bought, the place is like a black hole for money – and the day was young. Grocery shopping drained another $230. No wonder our waistlines are expanding. The dogs needed kibble - $55, the car needed gas - $65, and we went back to the Depot for more - $65. It was my uncle’s birthday - $25 towards dinner and a card. Then there was the stolen mailbox we had to replace - $20. Add it all up and that is $720 in everyday expenses over one holiday weekend.

So hard to earn it, so easy to spend it.

Fortunately our budget can absorb the damage, but it wasn’t always this way. My early attempts at budgeting were a failure because I expected myself to be perfect, that nothing unexpected would occur – how unrealistic. These sort of spending bonanzas happen to everyone, so ignore them at your own peril.

We set aside money each month into a so called miscellaneous fund (slush fund, reserve fund etc). It helps pay for the unexpected expenses and for when we go over budget, a cushion you might say. This little spending spree was more than I wanted to take from this fund, but all was not lost. We save so much money each month, both for the future and for goals like a wedding, that we can cover unusual spending by setting aside less. We don’t have to go into debt, but the progress towards our goals is hurt. I find it’s enough motivation to keep our spending (mostly) in check.

The moral of this story – keep a flexible and realistic budget. Also, saving a large portion of your pay allows for the occasional indulgence. Follow this and a little spending spree won’t turn into a big budget disaster.


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