September Wrap Up and October Goals

I don't know about you but when we turn the corner in to September I am ready for my "New Year". A change in the weather and one of my favorite holidays is in October.


Income - $4116.19 (paychecks)
Coffee - $127.67 (up $26.98 and $77.67 over budget)
Eating Out - $36.65 (down $100.65)
Groceries - $397.91 (down $8.81 and $197.91 over budget)
Gas - $152.79 (down $60.30 and $12.79 over budget)
Save $50 ($150 under budget)

The goals we had for September were...

• Pay off major CC's from August usage - epic failure
  
• Save $200 - nope 1/4 of that
  
• Follow grocery ($200), coffee ($50) and gas ($140) budget - epic fail
  
• Start working out two more days a week with Wii fit and Jillian Michaels - epic fail
  
• Drink at least four glasses of water a day - fail
  
• Continue on eating at least five servings of fruits/veggies a day - check
  
• Start taking a multi vitimin - fail
• Finish baseboard molding in main part of house (purchased without using CC's) - check (and I used power tools to install it too!)
• Paint living room - fail
• Install tile on hearth - fail
• Finish SD's Tabi Socks for Christmas - check
• Complete at least five knitted ornaments - completed one
• Refinance condo - in process
  

So goals for October....

• Reduce CC balances by $336 (minimums plus extra)
  
• Save $150
  
• Follow grocery ($200), coffee ($50) and gas ($140) budget
  
• Add one more workout day a week using Wii fit or Jillian Michaels DVD
  
• Make better effort on drinking four glasses of water a day
• Limit coffee (Starbucks) purchases to Sundays only
  
• Continue on eating at least five servings of fruits/veggies a day
• Actually take a daily multi vitimin
  
• Paint living room
• Install tile on hearth & possible mantle
  
• Start SS's fingerless gloves
  
• Complete at least three knitted ornaments
  
• Finish refinancing condo
• Blog at least fifteen times this month
  

What I have discovered with goal setting is that if you don't have your goals in front of you it's so easy NOT to achieve them. Every day when I head out to work I have a couple instances when I am tempted to swing in to a Starbucks. Its such a habit I have to make a conscious effort NOT to go. Even when I get to work I can easily walk to a Starbucks for my coffee. I know that if I make it past 11 o'clock I am probably good.

I admit it. I am a coffee snob and I am not a fan of drip which we have in endless supply at work. I do have a couple canisters of flavored international coffees in my desk that I just need to add water too and I have been trying to stick to that instead. Today was the first day of a new month and NO STARBUCKS WAS HAD!