"Why yes, please!" I reply, for I am recording all my expenditures!
I've made budgets before, but never had I used one until this month. Even if I didn't "censor" myself too much, I did find myself thinking about money a LOT more. Several times I caught myself thinking, "well I've already spent $26 in this category, and I've only allotted myself $40, so how much is this worth it to me?"
I've had a huge change in my pace of life lately, so my budget this month was a total guesstimate. Now that I'm not commuting 30-40 minutes total from work, how much money on gas should I give myself? I haven't updated my wardrobe in a while, how much can I afford to give myself for a clothing allowance? And the biggest variable was whether I'd get a scholarship or not. Happily, I found out last week that I got a near-full-tuition scholarship, which greatly put my financial worries to rest. I also started out the month of June needing a job, and now I have 3!
So, I budgeted for $400 a month in spending, and I spent over $600. Part of this was a huge underestimation in gas. I gave myself $90 but spent $156. BUT, considering that the first two gas expenditures were coming from CA back to UT, then my estimation turns out to be about right. I allowed myself to have more fun than I previously allotted, banking on the fact that I'll be spending a lot less in July.
All in all, this have been a very empowering experience. I feel responsible. I feel like I know how much I can spend, because I'm keeping track of everything. I plan on keeping my budget even after the three months are over. :)
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