I don't know how it happened but we are officially in the last month of the summer. Which also means that there are only three weeks left until my oldest is back to school (yeah, I might be quietly wiping some tears here...). He's been such a huge help with his younger brother, especially when I wasn't feeling like moving - other than to go hug the toilet... His brother will really miss their play time together.
My little one will be starting a local free online preschool program. We actually enrolled him in an actual preschool but had some issues with the schedule. The lady that teaches it has been doing it for more than 20 years and was absolutely amazing with the Kid but we just couldn't work out the schedule that would satisfy all of us, for a few reasons. The online program is pretty cool too but it lacks the social factor, so it's a bit of a bummer. But at least we will save $65 a month (that will undoubtedly go towards an enormous amount of diapers that we'll need...).
And surprisingly, we are pretty much ready for school shopping-wise. The Kid still needs a new backpack, some socks and a winter coat but other than that we are done and done!! It feels nice that I don't have to fight the crowds for the phantom deals. Probably, 75% of his new season clothes came either from thrift stores or were hand-me-downs, and I'm fine with that. I don't see the point of spending a ton of money on nice pieces at the regular store when I can get the same quality for a fracture of a price, especially because he'll outgrow most of it in six months or less anyway. We do always buy new shoes, socks and undies. And a few splurges that he really wants here and there but rarely.
So August will be all about staying within a budget and the pregnancy/babies for us. Twin pregnancy is very unpredictable but, I hope, we won''t accumulate any extra doctor's bills and such. We will also go on a mini-vacation to our favorite Bear Lake mid-month with Hubby's family, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's the only vacation we are going to have as a family this year, and the kids are super-excited about it!
My FIL again is paying for most of it, so we should have just small expenses (like my favorite Cherry Chocolate shake that I've been craving for weeks now... yum!! Or the famous Bear Lake raspberries...). So our goal in August is to stay within a budget or come in under. I will be/am working on my decluttering goal too and I hope to sell a few things this month. Our goal in July was to sell some things too. We didn't sell as many as I hoped for but we made an extra $50 that we are putting towards the babies' expenses. I hope to add as much to it this month too.
But, mostly, I'm just hoping for a quiet and uneventful month... And what are your plans and frugal goals for August?
August will be awesome around here. Mid month our last kid goes off to college. This will mean a reduction in food costs, as well as water and electricity costs. I am anxious to see just how much our reg. household bills go down when he leaves. And Sept. will be the first full month of our new "nut" expenses so we can plan more about when Hubs can retire.
ReplyDeleteGoing into a new phase in life is exciting whether it's expanding your family or leaving the child rearing days behind. 8-)
Sounds like you have a great August planned! I have a couple of trips coming up - one is our yearly family (i.e. my parents, sister & nephews) trip to the beach. Should be relatively inexpensive, as the flights are already paid for & the house is ours. :-) I'm also flying in for a big relay that I'm running with my family. It's definitely a splurge, but I'm excited about it. I'll need to contribute to: gas, snacks, & we'll be eating a few meals out.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting for you! Bear Lake should be a lot of fun! We ended up going no-where this summer, so I've been a bit bummed about that. Hopefully a future trip we are thinking about will all work out and we will have a wonderful vacation next year.
ReplyDeleteI still have to go shopping with my son for back to school stuff. I thought I would wait until my daughter is off and settled in college. This is my last child and my last dealing with high school. WooHoo! :)! Hopefully I can keep expenses to a minimum!
By the way, I'm hoping for an uneventful expense month too!
Hope you have a fun trip! Nothing big planned for August, getting things set up and ready for our new baby girl in Oct., and I am trying to make a pass through all areas of our house to find things to get rid of and organize. Currently I am in the process of making a list of things we will need to buy, and things to stock up on before baby comes, but as we have a 3 year old daughter it isn't a terribly long list! I am soooo glad I saved all of her baby wipe containers because I am using them a lot! Storing small toys and I pull the lids off and use them in cupboards to hold container seals and in the freezer to hold baggies of this and that so I can remember to use it up! -Jen
ReplyDeleteMy kids are in their 20's and I'm still using baby wipe containers from when they were babies. They are very handy.
DeleteYour vacation sounds fun, it's nice that the boys are so excited about it! :) Hope you're able to earn that extra $$ this month for baby expenses! My goal is to make enough to cover my hydro bill so I don't have to pull from the slush fund... i'm stubborn that way! lol!
ReplyDeleteAfter a cool week at the end of July, I think I can make it through the hot days of August now. Your vacation sounds like fun. I love going on vacation with extended family, especially when the kids were little.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure we have any plans for the month. No vacation this year for us unless you count the weekend we went to St. Louis to buy a pickup last month. My personal goal is to get my doctor appointments in before we lose insurance and hopefully, find a job.
I am hoping beyond hope that I sell my PEI home in August and that I can begin a regular budget in September based on my pension. I will be trying to be as frugal as YOU!!
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