11/05/07 - Daily Progress Report

Okay, I have been mia lately. Have not been doing very well with finances over the last couple of weeks. It kind of feels like I have been on a strict diet and I just couldn't take it any more and had a big binge. Well, I didn't exactly go on a spending spree or anything, I just haven't been paying very close attention lately. And that's almost as bad.

I need to go over October and find out exactly where we went wrong. And I need to plan out November. The problem is that I'm not sure when this is going to happen. We are leaving for our Disney World trip on Saturday and I have a lot to do to get ready for that. (This trip was planned prior to Dave Ramsey and the start of our financial journey. We saved up and will pay cash for the whole vacation.)

On a good note, I have already finished a lot of my Christmas shopping, and I was able to buy lots of gifts with the $250 in free gift cards I got for signing up for an American Express Rewards card! I had planned to apply an extra $250 that was budgeted for gifts to debts this month, but I'll have to look at our budget to see if we can swing it.

I'm feeling a little uneasy because our surplus funds in savings is very low. (By surplus funds, I mean the money that I put aside from the high commission months to cover for the low commission months.) Starting with my husband's next paycheck his 20% raise should kick in, so that should help, but I'm still a little uneasy.

On top of all that, my husband has told me that he can no longer bear to live on the "measly" $30 a week blow money that "I allow him". He feels that this low amount is "ridiculous". So, this is very discouraging. I told him that we need to look at the budget together and he can tell me what we can cut to increase his spending money. He wants no part in looking at the budget. He says it just stresses him out and he has enough stress at work and doesn't want more of it at home.

So, lots on my mind today . . .