I'm back at home after a really nice Thanksgiving trip to my brother's house. I spent $80 on gas and food, and $5 for a special Christmas card for a friend. When I got home I spent $6 on a car wash and $4 on laundry. I've spent 98% of my variables (my spending allowance.)  But today is my son's birthday, and there are plans afoot to either go out to dinner or get takeout, so I'm not going to be able to stay under 100%. At least I already have his gift.

In two more days, when the month turns, I will start ordering Christmas gifts from Amazon. The house is already decorated, and my dinner is planned, but nothing will be bought until shortly before the dinner (December 17). So I'm in a kind of relaxed mode right now, before the craziness begins!

I'm pausing now as I get ready to travel tomorrow for our family get-together in Michigan. I have promised to bring green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and a dump cake. This morning as I assembled my ingredients, I realized that I forgot to buy the yellow cake mix for the dump cake, so it's back to the store. Yesterday I spent $44 for ingredients. I logged that expenditure in Gifts/Charity. As it is a gift to the family, similar to hosting, just not at my house.

Since my last post I have bought a Christmas tree ($50), birthday gifts ($103), groceries ($37), takeout ($11), and a painter's smock ($4). I have paid the second installment on my property tax ($356). I have spent $13 on donations.  I have spent 85% of my variables, and I still have a trip ahead of me. But 'tis the season. 

I enjoyed the painting class I took at the community center, so I am contemplating taking the next one in December. I am also contemplating buying some paints and brushes and canvases so I can practice at home. The painting I produced in class was pretty bad, but I think I can improve with practice, and I do enjoy the process. Anyway, the next class, if I sign up for it, is $20. I probably won't buy art supplies until after Christmas, and after my trip to North Carolina and Florida in January.

I've had a busy week. I drove down to Indiana to attend a birthday dinner for BFF, then spent another day and a half there. My costs for that little trip were $41 for gas and food. I also had to replenish my tollway pass ($40) and then my AARP subscription renewed ($16). While in Indiana, I went shopping with BFF at Goodwill, where I bought two pairs of jeans and some gift wrap for $18. After coming home, I sent $250 to my Oregon son for my granddaughter's birthday and college fund. (In a few days I'll do the same for one of my local grandsons). I've spent $10 on laundry so far this month, and $9 for a healthy lunch from Farmer's Fridge. And I spent $20 to sign up for a painting class at the community center. So.... I've spent 56% of my variables for the month, and it hasn't even been two weeks. Time to really slow it down.

Well, as I said before, November is going to be challenging. I have already spent 29% of my variables. That included a $30 medical copay, $20 in groceries, $10 for hair conditioner, $38 for deoderant (6-pack from Amazon), and $24 for a haircut. It also includes my medical premium and my streaming expenses, which are actually fixed, but it's just easier this way. Medical and entertainment categories include a lot of true variables and I'd rather not split the categories. Too much explanation, I know, and only meaningful to me.

Tomorrow I will go to a cookout at my ex's house, and I'll buy potato salad to take, and probably a bottle of wine as a late birthday present. On Tuesday I'm going to go down to BFF's house and there I will attend a birthday dinner for her and another friend. I'll spend a day there and come home on Thursday to attend a free Tai Chi class to see if I like it.

My big expenses this month are the second installment of my property tax, birthday presents for my granddaughter, grandson and son, and college fund donations for the two grands having birthdays. And there will be a trip to my brother's house in Michigan for Thanksgiving, and food expenses for that event.

And after that comes Christmas, and a trip to Florida for my nephew's wedding. Which may include a side trip to NC! Whew! A lot going on.