13 September 2018

Payday! (Almost!)

The start of the school year is not only like an actual new year, it feels as expensive as Christmas - but with money due sooner and no warning! Course, it doesn't make a lot of sense to say it's 'with no warning' - fall comes at the same time each year, I should be ready for it... Working for the schools, though, means I've reached the end of my summer savings. Yay for payday tomorrow!

What I'm 'Thinking out Loud' this Thursday is that tomorrow is payday, and I've got a list of stuff waiting for money!

Birthday gift
We're going to a 'destination' birthday party this weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, so we certainly need to get a birthday gift for the wonderful one-year-old.

Great Wolf Lodge
Luckily, we paid for our reservation a couple weeks ago, but in looking at their website, it looks like my kids will need a wand or something for some scavenger hunt? If you've been, please clue me in: what's really necessary for the kids? I know I'll be bringing a book or two, and planning a few dollars for tropical drinks in the water park.

Yearbook
My daughter started middle school this year, so pictures were before school started (so they can get their id cards ASAP) and yearbook orders are cheapest (read: $45) before the end of  September.

Stitch Fix
My son got his first kid's Stitch Fix box! And I extended our return date til tomorrow's payday. Luckily for me, they sent me a ridiculous pair of joggers I'd only let him wear as PJs, and some jeans with a button and zipper (gasp - unacceptable to him! LOL). So I think I'll only end up buying about half of the ten items...

Birthday party
My son's birthday party is later this month, so I've got some work to do for that too! I ordered some great invitations based on his favorite tv show - Gravity Falls - from Etsy, but now I need to print and mail them, for starters. Then I still need to browse for some more stuff for party games and cupcakes. Wish me luck on all this!

Dinners
I've also got a box of three dinners coming from Hello Fresh next week, that the charge comes out for tomorrow.

School lunch accounts
The best thing about middle school, it turns out, is the cafeteria. Pizza, pretzels, slushies, fro-yo - EVERYDAY!! I'm teaching her to watch her expenses by depositing a set amount for each day, but that means, you know, money. Hahaha... and the boy-child needs to eat too, even if less of it is at school.

The rest
Once I've got most of that in place, I'll still need our regular groceries, toiletries, and other cleaning/personal care/etc that we need all the time.

Oh, and of course I want to start setting money aside for the actual holidays, so I can still have some walking around money from each check between now and then and not need to panic in mid-December. I'll all work out - I'm grateful to be back at work!


6 comments:

Liz Parker said...

Yay, what 3 meals did you get from Hello Fresh? I had Home Chef this week and will have it next week, and then I have a mix of Hello Fresh, Marley Spoon (only $18 for your first two meals), and Dinnerly.

Also a "destination" birthday party for a 1-year-old seems extravagant, lol. I've heard Great Wolf Lodge is fun though.

Becki said...

Hello Fresh next week is the Dill Chicken, Orzo Italiano (one of our favorites), and a skillet something, maybe? Hahaha... The destination party is because the mom is from Ohio, and that is the closest Great Wolf Lodge anyway ;)

Rachel said...

If only money really grew on trees! We've had a lot of big expenses lately. Hubby got a new truck and mine had to go in for repairs. Makes me wonder how some afford a car. Good luck with your expenses. As you said, it will all work out!

Jenn said...

We really enjoyed our trips to Great Wolf Lodge when the kids were young. We took our daughter and nephew every winter.

Ashley said...

Oh I know what you mean about costs creeping up on you. I only have to buy for myself, husband, and infant and there have still been hundreds of dollars of "have to have it" splurges this month. I thought I was going to manage a "No Spend September" but no. Do you have a strategy to share for how you're going to save for Christmas?

Amy said...

My Pre-Schooler and my 7th Grader both had pictures done before the school year started! They printed out their ids right that night.