A Little Bit of Shopping

While I avoid "Black Friday" like the plague that it metaphorically is, I did get out on Saturday and did my part to boost the economy (snort!). I had to go to Target for toilet paper, but since the damn parking lot was so packed I was forced to park near the Old Navy. However, needing new jeans anyway (my size 2's and 4's truthfully no longer fit me anymore and I need to quit pretending they do!) I thought I'd peek inside and see what kinds of excellent deals these stores were supposedly running. Well, I ended up buying a pair of jeans for $9.99, 4 shirts for $5 each, 2 lacy camisole shirts for $5 each, and 2 cardigans for work for $10 each. Yep, that was not a bad deal at all!

$800 on average? I don't THINK so.

They say the average U.S. family spends roughly $800 on holiday gifts. The recommendation is to spend no more than 1% of your annual income on your holiday gifts. I spend waaaaayyy less than that. Part of it is b/c I am a great bargain shopper; part of it is b/c S and I simply do not really spend very much $ on each other or the baby, considering; and part of it is b/c I do not have that many people to buy for in the first place. I really only buy for me, S, the baby, 1 aunt, 1 uncle, 1 cousin, and my mom, though her present counts as a combination b-day/Xmas present (she is NOT big on holidays anyway). Lately 2 small kids belonging to my aunt's granddaughter have been added to the list as well, since we spent Xmas Day at her house last year. Sometimes I'll get something for 1-2 friends, depending on if I'll see them right around the holidays. So less than 10-11 people, that's not too bad! And that's how I like it.

Gas Prices and Debt Free Friends

Today gas is $1.74 near my house. Praise Jesus. This is SO helping our household budget. Please God please let this keep up until after the holidays.

One of my dear friends and her hubby are going to be debt free before this year is out! I am so excited for them, although I can't help but point out that they make well into the 6 figures. Still, they've been working hard and it shows.

I have done our household budget into August 2009. S and I will not be totally debt free until early to mid 2010. But come August we'll be sitting a hell of a lot prettier than we are now, thanks to my personal finance strategies. (Patting myself big-time on the back.)

The Holidays Are Coming

I bought my 1st 3 Xmas gifts today: 1 for Mudflap, 1 for S, and 1 for me! They were bought online, so no tax and no gas money spent going shopping. This year our holiday budget is once again completely part of our household budget, meaning nothing will be bought on credit and once the holidays are over, we are completely DONE for the year with no loose ends to wrap up on anything.

I have to say something about these lower gas prices: they have completely saved our ass. I paid $1.79 for gas today in Pasadena. I have been able to lower our weekly gas budget by 50% and again, being able to do so has allowed us to not worry about the holidays as well as keep a regular schedule with our marriage counselor, since my FSA was all spent up in October. Now any medical expenses beyond that are just having to be paid "full price" for, unfortunately.

HOWEVER--I have only lowered our weekly gas budget through December b/c I fear that once the holidays get closer, gas prices will shoot back up. If this does not happen, then we will be sitting even more pretty as the New Year starts, which we will also need b/c I got our property tax bill last week and come its due date of Jan. 31, we will be a couple of hundred bucks short so any gains we make in December will only go to help our property tax situation. And if gas prices do shoot back up like I'm fearing they might, then it's in the budget and planned for.