Staying Ahead on My Budget

      

Photo from pexel.com free photos.
Love a good pen, paper, and calculator experience. 

     I feel I'm back to using this blog as a personal finance/ thrifty living blog. Of course within that vein and in alignment with priorities there will be travel, retirement, and life updates/figuring things out as these all impact how I use money. I want to see money as a tool to support a good quality of life, not monetary acquisition as the goal. I've read too many blogs where keeping more money in hand, with very little joy reported as a reminder to this. Of course, I only read and see what they share and may well be completely satisfied and happy. 

     I've an expensive life budget the next 9 months, much due to a significant negative variance between my HSA and health insurance premiums. I knew this for 2026 going into retirement, but that doesn't make seeing the impact less jarring each month especially when premiums went up 17%. Add to just the increases in every spending category with little to no changes in what I'm buying, and no wonder I'm feeling the pinch like everyone else. I'm not miserable though as the expensive year in part is for some good things for my family. Also, I'm in a better position than many to absorb the financial strain and still enjoy life. I like a good challenge so am harnessing my inner frugal soul to act on strategies that hopefully help me ride things out.

• Deposit sinking, emergency, and long term savings immediately into the high yield new account I set up the end of February. While cash flow will be tighter, seeing actual dollars rather than pennies in interest at the end of the month is encouraging. 
• Turn off the discretionary "faucet" and divert funds to basic needs. The cash for entertainment is finite and requires thoughtful rather than immediate spending. If there's anything leftover, I won't roll forward but subtract from what I take for cash the next month. I'm really looking forward to warmer evenings, a good bottle of ros`e, and having company at home. Walks that end with perhaps a coffee or pint of beer/ hard seltzer will fill up my social needs.
• Reduce spending target on all non-fixed line items, groceries and household primarily, but also clothing, gifts, and entertainment. Use up everything purchased. I hate wasting resources period as more production is needed to replace what will essentially be put in landfills. Challenge myself to tweak by 10-20% and see how creative, while still living well, I can be.
• Cut emotional, boredom, and people pleasing spending. I don't need or want and neither do family and friends, trinkets and doo dads, single purpose impulse items, or anything that just creates clutter. If gift giving, think needs, consumable treats like specialty food, beverage,  preferred toiletries, or experiences.
• Review the month ahead for opportunities to both not spend (community activities, best prices on necessities, etc.)and earn bits of money/ rewards towards budget lines. Example, use the $5 Kohls reward mailed to buy Godiva chocolate for my MIL as part of her Mother's Day gift of a patio plant, which I'll buy at the school horticulture sale ( which are always gorgeous.) 
• Assess gift card collection and those rewards earned to offset entertainment and gift giving for the rest of the year. Some are several years old. 
• Incorporate any side earnings or windfalls as part of spending plan, not a free for all. Use these to cushion the rest of 2026.
• Set target goals for future purchases, vacations, home maintenance and other high ticket spends and visually track against progress. 

     You all are probably face palming at the simplicity of my list...of course I should be doing these things. Writing out a list helps me reference ideas as the month goes on and money runs low as it doesn't always come to the forefront without prompts.