Day	Amount	Place	Category
Monday	$274.85	Plumber	House
Tuesday	$7.69	Lunch	Groceries
Wednesday	$10.98	Lunch	Eating Out
	$14.24	Papa Murphys	Eating Out
	$111.75	FinCon12	Allowance
Thursday	$21.79	Gas	Car
	$500.00	Ins Deductible	Car
Friday	$29.60	Old Spaghetti Factory	Eating Out
	$7.64	Half Price Books	Allowance
	$30.43	Target	School
Saturday	$28.01	Target	Allowance
	$35.53	Bed Bath & Beyond	House
Sunday	$5.00	Starbucks	Allowance
	$30	Gas	Car
	77.18	CostCo	Groceries
	$25.00	Gift	Allowance

Over $1,200 in spending this week. Granted, the $500 of our insurance deductible will be refunded by the other insurance company, so that makes things a little better. And the plumbing bill comes out of the house fund- yay for having a shower that drains again. So that takes us to under $450 in regular spending. That makes me feel better, even if there was a lot of discretionary spending (eating out and allowance).

I had a rough week at work with a major project dumped on me last minute, combined with some continuing medical issues with the MIL, so I know why we spent that way. It was emotional spending pure and simple. And sometimes, I just have to say that’s ok and actually be ok with it. Our grocery spending for the month was way down, so we didn’t go over total budget or anything like that.

I also bought my ticket to FinCon12. I need that to look forward to right now.

 

I have six goals for 2012. As part of the Sunday evening posts, I am tracking those goals, kind of like I do for spending, in order to hold myself accountable.

1)      Be paid for publishing one piece of fiction

Submissions so far: 2

Responses: expected by Feb 14

2)      Make money publishing my next art/fiction book

I haven’t contacted the artist I plan to work with because of the weather. Nor have I started compiling the pet pictures I want for a book. Hopefully I’ll have time to work on it this week. (This hasn’t changed since last week. The last minute work project had me working overtime and work and from home this week.)

3)      Attend FinCon12. Pay for the trip with money from allowance/side projects saved/earned BEFORE the conference starts. Goal: $600

I don’t know that I can give an accurate number this week. I’m in the hole to myself. But I’ve also already bought the ticket to the conference. Next week I’ll have an accurate look.

4)      Become a member of Yakezie (6 month anniversary is Jan 21)

The application for Delta class is up. I looked over it and realized I needed 10 Challenger recommendations and 20 Member recommendations. By my count, I’ve established relationships with 16 members. 10 days is not enough time to establish relationships with 4 more bloggers, so I will wait until the next class.

Still, that will be in about 6 months or so, so it will still happen this year.

5)      Make money from my blogs.

AdSense earnings: $18 (They won’t send me any money until I hit $100)

6)      Be healthier

I’m pretty certain me snacking on pretzels dipped in Nutella this afternoon was not healthy. But other than the pizza, we ate pretty healthily this week- we finished off the chicken corn chowder C had made before the power loss, and then we had jerk chicken and rice for two nights. Tonight J is making fried rice for dinner.

And I didn’t even eat my normal amount at work most days because I was so busy I was forgetting to eat.

I walked the dogs Friday and Saturday and today we took the dogs to the dog park. Not a whole lot of walking there today, as it was very wet. But we did all get out and get some moving around.