Not much going on around here these days. Halfway through the month, we've spent about $119 on groceries and about $25 on dining and entertainment (excluding Netflix). We went to a potluck on Saturday evening, and I pulled together a dish with things I had on hand. Brought home essentially an empty dish, so I'd say it was a success. 
We went out to breakfast last weekend using a gift certificate, so the three of us had a pleasant, sit-down breakfast for a total of a $12.
Our tile should be in next Monday. I think we're going to buy paint and start on the house this weekend. DD's birthday is in a couple of weeks, and it would be nice to have the painting outside done and the tiling in the bathroom done as well before family comes over to celebrate. If it isn't done, that's fine too, but it's a worthy goal to aim for.
When I first read Your Money or Your Life, I wanted to make a chart like they suggest showing income and expenses and the path towards becoming financially independent. I never did it. I created our savings spreadsheet, showing our savings balances each month, and that is helpful to me in providing feedback about how well we're meeting (or not meeting) our savings goals. It also helps me see how quickly we manage to rebound from big expenses (for example, our dog's surgeries). Now I'm thinking of making the income/expenses chart, as well as an investment income chart (or maybe show that as a separate line?). Might be interesting to see.
Making Charts, Looking for Progress
January 16th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
January 16th, 2007 at 10:29 pm 1168986548
January 16th, 2007 at 11:07 pm 1168988846
January 17th, 2007 at 12:13 am 1168992790