Well, here we go. Last month of the year!

Income: ($2976.40)
Job #1: $880.00
Job #2: $1564.60
Other: $153.30
Taken From Savings: $378.50 (gift fund)

Savings: $430.00

Expenses: ($2574.60)
Rent: $506.68
Groceries: $180.81
Petrol: $87.97
Loan Payments: $148.00
Extra Loan Payments: $20.00
Skin Care: $29.95
Health, Beauty & Grooming: $100.15
Gifts: $106.50
Bank Fees: $20.95 (ARGH)
(Bills)
Phone & Internet: $28.00
Car Insurance: $474.86
Electricity: $96.58
Mobile Phone: $96.58 (1st bill)
(Fun)
Alcohol: $54.09
Takeaway Beverages: $86.00
Takeaway Food/Dining Out: $137.80
Magazines/Books: $22.20
Clothes & Shoes: $115.54
Entertainment: $59.57
Staff Lotto: $8.00
House/Appliance/Tech: $16.87
Accomodation: $152.50 (for 2 nights in Jan)


I am not exactly sure how I should be working this. Any suggestions are welcome:
I automatically transfer $65 per week into a bills account, and then I pay all my bills on CC then transfer the money over at the end of each cycle. I don't keep a running tally of my bills account though because I buy EVERYTHING on CC and transfer that amount each day into the bills account. So I have two totals in my bills account: CC balance and yearly bills. Ideally I should have enough money at any given time in my Bills Ac, as well as whatever I charge on my CC, for car repairs, car insurance, rego, racq, electricity, phone & internet etc etc etc.

Does that make any sense? So I am thinking I should be keeping a running tally of how much is there for bills as well. Hmm... I might start a few new spreadsheets and tinker around with tracking systems so I have a new system for 2009. Exciting, but dreary at the same time...

Ok, so an analysis of my December spending leads me to the realisation that I hate bank fees. And no, before you suggest, I am not changing banks to a fee free account. It's a bit too tricky to do that right now.

Petrol: Good. Under budget.
Groceries: Good. Under budget.
Bills: well, all bills were higher than expected. car insurance went up $80 because I no longer get the discount my friend organised for me. SHUCKS! (I got it a year longer than I meant to get it though so I am happy!)
Made some small, extra payments on my loan which I am happy about. I don't want to do anything drastic because, even though I'll get people breathing down my neck about it here, it's not my main priority at the moment.
Savings I am quite happy about.
Grooming, well, not thrilled about that. $74 for a haircut? bah.
Fun categories: *sigh* Not too bad but not great either. Somehow spent $54 on alcohol even though I hardly ever DRINK! bah.

Anyway.
There's my totals for December!

January Goal:
-No alcohol expenses.
-No makeup expenses.
-No magazine or book purchases.
-Limit takeaway food/dining out to $150.
-Clothes and shoes... oooh... can I do it??? goal: under $80 for January.

I have been thinking about my 2009 goals lately, and reading everyone else's on here too. Everyone has done such a good job. The one problem with me is that I set too many. I'm SUCH a list-freak that I have to itemise every. single. detail. And then I get to February and I forget half the stuff I need to do. So this is what I have come up with. I plan to live next year by commonsense. There. That is my goal. Because when you think about it, alot of us set goals to motivate us to do something we really should be doing anyway.

And, because I'm a list freak, I get to itemise my 'common sense' rules anyway. (mwahahaha...!)


Health & Body
- goal weight loss 1: 3kg
- goal weight loss 2: 6kg
- goal weight loss 3: 8kg
- final goal: 10kg
- continue to eat vegetarian, withe the exception of occasional fish meals.
- buy organic as much as possible
- incorporate natural cleaning products into the household
- walk/run/cycle 4 days a week for 30 min or more.
- some muscle definition work each day (10 min atleast!)
- swim atleast once per week (goal 3 times)
- limit sugar/white flour intake
- 1-2 L water every day
- regular (3 monthly) haircuts
- bi yearly dentist appointment
- yearly doctors visit
- visit a naturopath
- 1 hour each week body care (nails, eyebrows, body brush, foot soak, pamper etc)
- use sunscreen!

Money:
- $1000 EF
- $500 Gift Fund
- $1000 Holiday Fund.
- Begin making extra payments again on loan
- Save as much as I can for house deposit.
- Cut down expenses in areas of: dining out, takeaway beverages, entertainment, groceries, clothes.
- Spend a set amount for 2009 on clothes and shoes.
- Plan weekly meals and eat smaller portions.
- Maintain a freezer stock of meals for lazy nights.

Relationship:
- keep things going the way they are!
- try to have one date night a month
- maybe once every three months have a weekend away or a massage together
- begin to plan our future (combining incomes, declaring partnership, house, children)

House:
- use environmental cleaning products
- sort out my filing and paperwork neatly (and stick to the system!)
- Sort through old boxes and establish a ‘sell pile’
- Have a garage sale?
- Begin to actively watch the property market
- research the steps of buying a house

Friends:
- Take a good hard look at those I count as my ‘friends’.
- Shed the friendships that have a negative impact on my life or that do not contribute to my happiness.
- Pursue friendships that are fulfilling.
- Make an effort to get out more with those I want to spend time with.

Spiritual/Education
- Read a book once a month.
- Make myself speak up more often when something annoys me.
- Try to be more outgoing and approachable.
- Try to not watch a lot of television.

Car:
- Try to drive less and walk more.
- Get regular services for my car.
- Fix the dent that someone made running into my car with a trolley!
- Fix the broken Taillight.
- Fix the chip in the windscreen.
- Regularly vaccuum and wash my car.
- Maintain the logbook for work trips.

I thought I should update my savings and debt totals, seeing as it is a new month and all:

Debt: $3678.51 (personal loan @ 14.74%)
CC1: $0
CC2: $590.00

Savings:
Home Loan Deposit Account: $2281.76
Holiday Account: $206.46
Emergency Fund: $338.93

Bills Account: $1041.10 (less $590 for CC2)
Everyday Account: $231.07

I have $220 coming in tomorrow, and $126.67 in rent coming out. Seeing as I have $231.07 left over (technically) from last pay week, I will be transferring $150 into my Home Loan Deposit Account.

I have to do a small spot of shopping this afternoon, which should get us through until next week. I will be transferring that amount to my Bills Account (to then go to my CC when due).

Just thought I would post my new savings balances - just because I am a little excited about them! I feel like I am actually getting somewhere!

Savings
Cash: $100.00 (in purse)
Everyday Account: $257.45
Bills Account: $1023.83*
Emergency Fund: $277.15
Holiday/Gifts Account: $160.63
Home Loan Deposit Account: $1858.64

Debt
CC1: $0
CC2: $625.39*
Personal Loan: $3741.82

*Amount owed on CC's is deposited into Bills Account as soon as purchase is made to earn interest.

All that I have to pay out of my everyday account is $20 for my home loan savings automatic deposit, and any groceries we might need. I withdrew $100 yesterday for the weekend - I am hoping that should be enough. We are only really going out for dinner and maybe breakfast.

I am hoping to transfer the remaining money next week into my home loan deposit account. This will be when my pay goes through for job # 1 on Tuesday. I will aim for atleast $100. I am hoping to have enough to deposit to make it up to my Goal #2 of $2000. Wish me luck!

Just thought I'd share some updates for you guys - I've been lurking but haven't had the chance to post a decent entry for a few days.

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The festival was great - like I mentioned in my previous post, we spent a lot on drinks (water for me). I didn't actually spend much else though that weekend:
Breakfast (BF & I) $10.78
Tolls: $5.80
Water: $35
Bus: $5.80
Lunch: $9.35

BF's friend paid for our breakfast which was nice of him (actually - we forgot to give him the money - we will next time!) and another girl paid for my cab fare home and was gone in the morning so I couldn't give her any $$. It would have been $6.

Unfortunately they blocked off the stage that Diplo and Goldfrapp were playing at, so we didn't get to see them. Dizzee Rascal was dangerously packed and we got squashed, then pushed to the back so we left (and this was OUTSIDE, in a botanic garden area!)
Peaches was great fun. She can be a bit... forward... sometimes... just not the way I would be myself (even though of course I believe in female empowerment and all that), but I think she's great for what she does anyway.

Everyone else was great too, too many to mention!

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We have a house inspection next Tuesday. Everything should be fine, but I am a little annoyed because flatmate is going away today, and also on the weekend, so she won't be around to help - although she is unemployed so will be home on Monday and the day of the inspection, Tuesday - so she should be able to do some cleaning then. It worries me at the moment because she is moving in a few months to her BF's property that he owns. I hope that she doesn't not put in effort because she knows she won't have to deal with real estates for (the foreseeable) future. That would really suck, because what if BF and I did decide to stay on here? I don't want her to **** up our plans just because she's lazy and doesn't give a crap.

*sorry - venting*

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I have noticed lately (actually, for months) that even though I eat muesli or, in winter, porridge for breakfast, as well as a piece of fruit and a coffee, I am nearly starving in two-three hours. What does that mean? I thought porridge and muesli were low gi, shouldn't they be keeping me fuller for longer?
It's not too bad now because it's the beginning of summer and it's starting to heat up, so instead of feeling hungry, I am just too hot and sweaty to be thinking about eating anything other than ice-cold water. (working in a bakery does that to you). But I just wonder, why does that seem to happen to me? My metabolism isn't THAT great, well, I don't think. I'm not overweight, but I have a couple of extra kilos I'd like to shift (doesn't most?). It's not like I'm skin and bones, lol.

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I just checked my home deposit account, and I earnt $9.73 in interest last month, on $1668.00!!! yay!

I also just transferred $500 from my bills account to my loan account, to save a couple of bucks in interest fees. I also checked my interest on that account, and I earnt $1.95. I think I will probably be saving about that much on my loan too. I guess every little bit helps, huh?

In two days I will transfer the $500 back into my bills account.

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I have approx $90 left over from last payday this week (I get paid tomorrow, then again on thursday). Once my pay goes in tomorrow I will transfer $50 into my home loan deposit account, and an extra $40 into my Holidays account, to save up for some clothes I would like to buy soon.

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This week I am going to make myself phone the doctors to make an appointment for a checkup. I haven't been eating meat now for nearly 5 months, and I was told that your iron levels start depleting around 2-3 months, so if I haven't been eating healthily, they should be nicely depleted by now (or if I am as healthy as I think I am - they should be good, which is what I'm aiming for of course!).

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Well that's all my updates for now!