rearranging finances

Just spent several hours figuring out how we are going to pay for the next few weeks expenses.

Being prepared for different expenses in advance is great, but things still get difficult when your emergency and expense money is depleted and when you get a couple of unexpected big expenses at once.... or even just when a lot of expected expenses arrive together.

Xmas time shouldn't really be one of those unexpected expenses but I think it is impossible to fathom just how much Xmas really costs each year! I have decreased the allocated amount to be spent on each person this Xmas because our family has expanded significantly in the last few years and at the old rate we used to spend (before I had a specific budget organized)we tended to go overboard and we just can't do this anymore.

I am also trying to ask for presents from others that cost less too, as I think everyone else is in a similar predicament.

Either putting all of their money towards a mortgage or for those without a mortgage (or a more manageable one) putting their money towards holiday plans. Jeff and Jill are heading off to America in March next year and Grandma Pat has decided to go back to London and Paris in September of next year. We will have a baby next year and many associated expenses resulting from that and of course my mum and sister both have large mortgages and nice houses.

Anyway things are sorted for the moment and it looks like bella may get her vaccination this month, plus my car got serviced and the tail light will be able to be fixed.

This month we also dealt with rates and rego ... all big expenses.

But NO MORE expenses please and NO MORE suprises.