The one with the budget

It's only in the last couple of years that I've had my own personal bank account. Since before being married MrsPdubyah and Me have had a joint bank account. Everything we do is based on a joint income. Seems fair and proper and works really well. We have joint credit cards too. No surprises in our finances.

But I have now got my own personal "stash of cash" in my own bank account. Monthly I pay myself pocket money from my salary. MrsPdubyah approves of this, as one debit means that she knows how much I have taken and does not tsk every time I do something random and buy something on impulse, or frown at the cost of the beer I'm buying. What the eyes can't see the heart can't grieve. Right.

I've added a few extra dollars in to the account, like when I've had a larger than expected commission payment, I give myself a "bonus" and of course there was some money from the estate of the deceased Mother.

And I've been good.

Except that I haven't been good at all. I downloaded the last 12 months of statements and had a set too with the spreadsheet. And then I got all surprised and a little worried about how much I had frittered unwisely.

Sports related things	-2%
Gifts for people	-2%
Online Auctions	-2%
Unfashionable Clothes	-3%
A Writing Pen	-3%
LP Records	-5%
Coffee from one particular café, and the Coffee van man	-9%
Food from specialty stores for the home entertaining	-11%
Takeaway food, and the Café   lifestyle	-11%
Electronic Gadgets I had to have	-12%
Cash that I spent on who knows what	-12%
Beer from Stores	-25%

The "Stash of Cash" isn't a big amount. I chose a number that would allow me to buy some beer without MrsPdubyah having a tizz about the price, and to be fair I drink less, and better beer, on the whole, than I used to. It was also an amount that should have allowed me to accrue some money for a bigger purchase eventually and with carefull management.

The bigger purchase is still a dream, the budget is in tatters. I hadn't realised just how much discretionary money goes on the Coffee purchases, That alone might have gone some way towards a new Tablet. The Takeaway food is a mix between my needy lunches and family take-away nights when it's all too hard to cook, Although that appears to be a lot more than just occasional.

Electronic gadgets oes include an Android phone for the daughter and a DVD player for the house.

The other big ticket was fancy foods for the home entertaining. These are things like expensive cuts of meats and fixings for a special dinner. I'm gad I do that and I will continue to do so, but as out family changes into a 3 adult house we've been buying better quality things in general, and there is less worse food in the house, Bread is a rare treat for instance, and I have a memory of Ice-cream going with fruit.

I've mentioned in passing to MrsPdubyah my findings, to which she said "don't you have anything better to do?" so I might have dodged a bullet. However since she is the Head of Entertainment and Finance my 2013 budget proposal had better be a good one if I'm to seek at least a cost of living rise in my pocket money.