December Savings Goals

Today is the last day of November, I thought it would be a perfect day to review November and set some Goals for December.  So here are my December goals:

• $350 for gas for both vehicles: In November we ended up spending $426 on gas!  That is crazy!  We do a lot of driving.  We are going to try and cut back our driving in December and try to make our gas last longer - including trying to drive more efficiently and just driving less/
• $300 for groceries and eating out: Eating out is one of our worst habits and we have cut it down a lot!  In November we spent $231 on groceries and $233 on fast food, restaurants and coffee shops.  The later, I have to say, was mostly me.  I started a new job with a fabulous cafeteria and there was a week or so I was buying lunch everyday and sometimes breakfast.  Hubby is a lot better when it comes to not eating out!
• Renew animal licenses - $80.  Our animals licenses need to be renewed by December 31st.  Luckily, I remember this one was coming and I was able to budget it into the budget!
• $200 Christmas gift budget: This year we decided to not set aside money for Christmas, it was going straight to debt.  Our Christmas money is coming right from our weekly expenses.  I still want to make my Christmas presents this year so I am hoping not to use all of this money, but it's budgeted just in case!  This also includes presents exchanged between hubby and me.
• Buy winter tires:  We need to do this soon! It really is an extra expense but I think it will be worth it from a safety perspective.  I haven't bought winter tires before, but our new car isn't as good in the snow as my last one so I really think I need them this year!
• Pay off the last credit card:  Hubby and I had a goal to have both credit cards paid off by the end of the year.  We have roughly $950 to pay on it.
• Set up automatic savings: We have been good about putting some money in savings, but we want to make it automatic and treat it just like a bill payment.  We will get this set up!

This month is going to be tight financially, we have a lot of big goals! But that will also having us spending more time with each other and less time getting caught up in commercial Christmas.  With the snow and the cold, it will be nice to stay home and watch a movie or play a game, or maybe even clean and organize!