OMG! In spite of $708 worth of vet bills, I’m still in the black this month!

How did this marvel happen?

Because I was frugal and stayed out of Costco, I ended up $75 in the black for the first week of this month’s billing cycle.

The following week I was $283 in the hole against that week’s $375 budget, leaving $92 to live on in the cycle’s third week. However, when I carried the first week’s $75 forward into the third week, it gave me $167 for that week. By keeping a grip on spending and returning a couple of items to Costco, I came out $33 in the black at the end of the third week. Carrying forward again meant I started the fourth week with $408.

The second giant vet bill struck in the fourth week, which is this week―it ends on the 20th. However, so far this week I’ve only had two expenditures above and beyond the second vet bill. So I have $23.57 to last for four days: until Wednesday morning.

The car still has a third of a tank of gas. One trip to the office takes a quarter of a tank. If I telecommute on Tuesday and leave my car in the garage today, Saturday, Sunday, and next Tuesday, I shouldn’t need to buy more gas.

I’ve got plenty of groceries to last for four days.

So, barring a catastrophe, not only am I not headed for bankruptcy, I actually may make it to the end of this billing cycle in the black! The checking account used to pay these charges has a $500 cushion, so even if I go a few bucks over budget, my credit card payments won’t bounce.

Whew! Thank goodness for penny-pinching habits! No snowflakes this month, but no meltdown, either.

categories: frugality, budgeting