budgeting - how?

[micollh]

one thing i noticed on my spending after being mother, is that i spend more and willing to spend on food than before… before being a parent, i always feel wat for eat so expensive food , ultimately, all these intake will be waste product in a matter of 24 hours… haaa…


so, now with the conscious mind of wanting to give the best food and healthy food for my kids, i dun bat an eyelid when pay for cod fish/salmon… last time i will complaint how expensive they are… haaa…

[ivylow]

MMM,


can u share ur your spreadsheet with me, thanks.

[LOLMum]

micollh:

one thing i noticed on my spending after being mother, is that i spend more and willing to spend on food than before.. before being a parent, i always feel wat for eat so expensive food , ultimately, all these intake will be waste product in a matter of 24 hours.. haaa..


so, now with the conscious mind of wanting to give the best food and healthy food for my kids, i dun bat an eyelid when pay for cod fish/salmon.. last time i will complaint how expensive they are.. haaa..

yes, will go for better quality food and plenty of fruits and vegetables too. usually dh and i would eat the overnite food for lunch and cook a fresh batch for kids.

[Funz]

I tried to save a little. Inspired by this cooking show I saw on cable, I decided to buy whole chicken instead of pre-packed parts, like fillet and breast meat. Showed my helper how to debone the chicken and get the different parts and still have the carcass to make into soup stock.


Lasted me 2 marketing trips and I am back to the convenience of buying pre-packed parts. :razz: My helper went back to the habit of chopping up the whole chicken and cooking it bones and all in 1 dish. And I find it too tedious as well. Moreover, in asian cooking we tend to cook the chicken with bones on.

[Canvas]

Hi all, I just turned a SAHM last month. Let's just say that while I am totally happy to be with my kids (DS 8, DD 21mths old), I am also trying not to miss my salary. Ever since DD started eating solid food, we've been eating at restaurants every weekend because we need a high chair. I dare not calculate how much $ we spent at restaurants but just today, DS, DD & I had lunch at Sushi Tei and easily spent $50


My marketing is still alright. It's the eating out that is the killer. :nailbite:

Will be most grateful if anyone can share if the Home Budget app for iPhone is useful.

[24hr-mum]

u can buy those portable bb high chair that let u carry around when dining out. but yes, when my kids were baby, we dine at restuarants cos want the hi chair and clean environment. but one really bad thing is when my kids esp #1 grew older, like now, she is 8, she will complain if we eat at hawker centre n coffeeshop cos she is so used to the clean and good food at hi end outlets!

[ohdaddy]

24hr-mum:

but one really bad thing is when my kids esp #1 grew older, like now, she is 8, she will complain if we eat at hawker centre n coffeeshop cos she is so used to the clean and good food at hi end outlets!

This I also experiencing as my daughter would frown when we say go hawker centre makan! Sometimes I get upset and want to tell them when-policeman-wear-shorts stories of eating in hawker centres and kopitiams

[patntee]

Canvas:

Hi all, I just turned a SAHM last month. Let's just say that while I am totally happy to be with my kids (DS 8, DD 21mths old), I am also trying not to miss my salary. Ever since DD started eating solid food, we've been eating at restaurants every weekend because we need a high chair. I dare not calculate how much $ we spent at restaurants but just today, DS, DD & I had lunch at Sushi Tei and easily spent $50


My marketing is still alright. It's the eating out that is the killer. :nailbite:

Will be most grateful if anyone can share if the Home Budget app for iPhone is useful.

No one tried the Microsoft Money software? I have used it for years to keep track of my account balances - savings, credit cards, deposits, shares etc. Can set recurring bill payments so that I won't forget to pay any credit card bills. Best of all I can balance all my accounts while keying in the transactions and bill payments. It has features for creating various reports to analyze expenditures, forecast etc.

[Canvas]

I certainly hope I will be disciplined enough to update whatever expenditure I incurred, to small stuff like a cup of bubble tea (3 times a week!) or newspaper.


24hr-mum: Will those portable baby seat fit the normal hawker centre stools? If can, I really don’t mind getting one since DD dislikes sitting in the pram while we eat.

[patntee]

Canvas:

I certainly hope I will be disciplined enough to update whatever expenditure I incurred, to small stuff like a cup of bubble tea (3 times a week!) or newspaper.

Oh no of course not to such extent of details. Will :faint: . For cash items I only keep track of cash withdrawals from ATM. Cash transactions are not big expenses. I charge to credit card wherever possible, eg if I go NTUC, using Maybank credit card gives 5% rebate and I can still earn NTUC link points and 4-5% annual rebate with the NTUC card. Great savings!