Balancing the Cash

I am real bad at budgeting. I mean, yeah, I set aside x amount for this and that and then have a goal of this for that ... but seriously? Not so much in the end!

For instance, I have $300 in my checking account and $70 cash in my wallet AND a "few" dollars here and there scattered around the house and a couple of bucks in the 2 savings accounts.

I have a "free money" jar that is for the Animals, hubby and/or me when we need something, be it gas in the car or a pizza or a quick drive to McD's (Animals and friends, not ME!). The free money jar is just singles and whatever is left over from the grocery shopping of the week. And I try, on the last day of the month, to take the free money and move it to the backup stash container.

The backup stash container is a plastic shoebox. Seriously, it weighs probably 20 lbs. The amount of change in there is NOT even funny. But there are also paper bills in there and I try, try, TRY not to touch it. This would be the In House savings account ...

Then I have a WAMU (now known as CHASE) Savings account (which is suppose to be my No Touch savings) and my ST savings account, which is just the savings account I move money into from my checking to "fool" myself into thinking that I don't have any extra money for the month.

Technically, what I should be doing is moving the ST savings to the Chase savings at the end of every month and really be piling up the savings, but sadly, it doesn't work that way (and just now, Sonny Boy is asking if he can tap into the free money jar for McD's after school - mid terms today and out at noon)...

So. Back to balancing the cash.

I know I have x amount to pay every month.  I also know that the home owners insurance (and wind and flood) come around every year in May and June. And car insurance (gag!) comes around every February and August. And then property taxes (gag!) comes around every November. You would THINK I have these in my budget, but I don't. Well, sort of, I do. But not really. Not enough so.

Which is why I have the dilemma I have of $300 in my checking account, $70 in my wallet, a few dollars here and there and then the savings accounts. The saving accounts have no where near as much as they SHOULD which is disappointing. This would be the result of NOT moving the cash from the checking account to the savings account to fake me out. This would also be the result of feeling generous and sharing my wealth with one whom is not as fortunate as I am BUT should be. That would be for another post all together.

Anyways....back to budgeting the cash (I know, I'm getting off track) ... I have $70 in my wallet. That will be used for this evenings trip to the grocery store. I have a fairly detailed list with all my coupons matched up ... will need to redo my list as I've mentally removed some items and added others. I should have money left over which will go in the free money jar before I sit down for the evening.

The $300 in my checking account will be spent today to pay the water bill, sprinkler bill, phone bill and cable bill. That there is about $250 or so.

The good news in any of this is that I get paid on Friday and still have my $140 check from last week to deposit. So figure about $1300 to go back in the checking account on Friday, or Monday. BUT, I still have bills to pay for upcoming November. Electric (about $400), cell phone $150, cap1 $150 (forced myself to pay this to pay down this last credit card), American Express will be around $500 I think (princess classes) and then of course, water, cable, sprinklers, house bill, bug man, food, TAXES and so on.

So, what is the Moral of THIS story you ask?  Cash is king baby. IF I didn't have that cash in my wallet, I wouldn't be going to the grocery store this evening.  But at the end of this post, I just sort of reminded myself of my suggestion to do a No Spend November. What do you think? Should I or shouldn't I?