I’m tying up budgets and whatnot for last year so I can close off my 2010 spreadsheet (don't laugh) and...
Last year we spent R60,148.67 on the babies.
This is over 12 months so basically R5,000 a month, which includes V’s salary and the two bonuses we gave her.
Compare that to 2009 when in a mere 6 months we spent a whopping R52,500.
Don't ask me how - I only know we weren't paying for IVFs so that's probably how. That and our work bonuses.
Things are indeed looking up.
Although this is the last year we'll have a small baby budget as the intention is to send them to preschool next year.
I'm hoping that we can start them in mid-2012 (they will be 3 in July. 3!) as every 6 months of savings helps.
What are you guys doing about pre-school?
When do you want to send your kid (s)?
Am I the only nerd thinking and planning the money?
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I'm also a budgeter. But this year I haven't had a chance for that pedanticness yet. And yes, I also "close off the spreadsheet for the year"!
ReplyDeleteI always admire people who have money spreadsheets and wish that I had the discipline.I am doing a spreadsheet (and a budget) for the first time ever!
ReplyDeleteThings simply cannot go on the way that they have been going on.
I hope that things will look up within the next 3 months.
x
I was doing our budgets today...but just for Jan...eeeek!
ReplyDeleteOkay I need to ask..do you record every single purchase you make on a spread sheet..item by item?
I just added "research Mother's Day Out / preschool programs" to my list for the week. There are a couple in town that I want to explore, and I need to do that early this spring. I'd like to get our girls signed up for the fall. Most programs are two days a week, for about three hours, which I think will be a great introduction for them...and me. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd we just confirmed a financial planner to speak at our Mothers of Multiples meeting this month.
We're on the same page!
We don't budget at all. I wouldn't have any clue what I spend on anything. How bad is that? Well, I can go online on Investec and could download our statement but Chris gets paid a lot of cash for cosmetic procedures which I use for all sorts of stuff, so wouldn't have any clue where that money has gone. I know that I should budget and if I really analysed things the results would be scary but at the moment there is enough for anything we need (well, not quite enough for a Discovery :( so I'll have to stick with my Scenic for now). We put anything extra into our bond and all Chris's private practice money goes into the bond/building fund, which means that technically we save at least half his income and I don't think that's bad going.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of play school, Zoe started when she was just over 2 - 2 x week from 9-12pm and loved it from day 1. It is a very small school (2 classes of about 10 kids/class between the ages of 2 and 4) and is very much a play school. They do just over an hour of structured stuff and the rest is playing or things like dancing, gymini kids, music, clay play, etc. She now goes 4 x week and Ava goes with to drop her off and gets to play a little bit. A lot of the children in Zoe's class now have siblings Ava's age, so she knows a lot of the kids from playdates. Most of the other moms are at home or work part-time and the school is next to our church so a lot of the children are all together at childrens church as well. Ava will start in the 3rd term just after she turns 2, probably for 2 mornings a week.
I am hoping to do a little better with our money this year. I am just appalled at the amount we waste on NOTHING when I stop to think about it.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, our girls are in MDO, which is three days a week and five hours a day. It has been SO good for them...except for the runny noses, but even that is worth it in the long run (gotta build the immunity sometime!). It is VERY affordable ($240/month total for the two of them), so it really hasn't hurt all that much to put it in the budget.
BUT, we have agreed that there will be NO talk of another child until the girls are almost ready for kindergarten, as I don't think we can handle anything else (financially or otherwise!).
No, you are not a nerd at all!! In fact, I think you're being very wise and responsible to track your money as closely as you are. Let me give you an example...when Garrett and Landon finally got potty trained, I said to Tim, "We're gonna save about $150 not having to buy diapers anymore". Okay, so where is that extra $150/month we're saving? I have no idea. Because I don't track our budget.
ReplyDeleteSo, see....you're already soooo ahead of me in terms of knowing exactly where you're money's going!
We are fortunate where we are to have free state preschool for the little twins. It's only 3 hours each morning, 5 days a week, but it's FREE so I'll take it!!!
Oh the budget, that is on my to do list. I am still recooping so this year has started off painfully slow for me. I don't label the girls expenses separately so I have no idea what we specifically spend on them, it's better that way for my sanity. I hope by the end of this week to have a better idea of just how poor I truly am!
ReplyDeleteWhere I live, childcare(at any decent establishment) for any amount of time is CRAZY! I believe the last figures I was quoted was roughly $40 per day per child. I only budget $80 for food each week for the 4 of us. So I honestly think the girls will not go to preschool. Maybe my standards are too high and my pursestrings too tight? I do agree that 3 is a wonderful age to start though, old enough to communicate effectively and learn from/enjoy the interaction.
I'll be working on our budget soon. I'm looking to start sending the boys to preschool either later this year or early next year. The boys will be two years old in May, so that seems to sound good around two or almost three.
ReplyDeleteThe Crazies are in there right now and it's money well spent. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteYou're not a nerd...you're an advanced planner (more people should be like that...for serious)!