So July is one of the 2 months this year when I get paid three times instead of twice.... yippee !

So what have I done with the 3rd paycheck ?

500 to my current account to act as a "buffer" or "overdraft".
200 towards my film-making course in September.
160 towards Julys budget (I went over 160).
90 to Christmas/Gift Fund
90 to Travel Fund
90 to New Runners Fund (havn't bought them yet).

The 500 obviously hurts the most. I would love to just add it to my Opportunity Fund so that it would jump to 43 %. But I know having a buffer is the sensible thing to do. 500 is plenty so I won't add anything to it..

Ah well, its done now....

I know what I've done is right but it doesn't FEEL good.... uuummmpphh !! :-)

So last month was pretty good budget-wise...

This month I've being recording my expenditure as per usual but I didn't add it all up until yesterday and guess what:

I'm already over-budget in the 3 discretionary categories I have and it's only July 21st ! 10 days to go.... ooompph..

My food budget is 150 and I'm at 170 already... and last month I had a bit of money to spare !

My Entertainment budget is about 45 overbudget already but I know why - kayaking and horse-riding which I have recently taken up - I'll have to increase the Ents budget to allow for them...

My General spending budget is maxed out (well 15 cent over but we won't worry about that :-) )due to just stuff that came up - having to get my bike fixed when a car knocked me off it (I'm not injured thank God).. and havn't to go to Dublin unexpectedly with my father...

I'm getting paid 3 times this month (as opposed to the usual 2 times) so I'm not too worried but I don't want to put too much of that 3rd paycheck to non-medium term stuff...

Have also been giving some thought to my accommodation situation... am currently renting a 2 bed apartment for myself... am thinking about how much money I would save if I just rented a room in a house... but I do LUV having my own little oasis at this point... I'll probably post about that soon...

Anyways going to work soon... (am really appreaciative that I have a job in these times....)

Took up two hobbies recently - kayaking and horse-riding... will have to make room for them in my budget..

The film course that I want to do is starting in September !! (I thought the next one was Spring 2010) .I've already paid the deposit and will have to get 525 more before then... It's over 7 weekends in a city on the West Coast - I'm thinking about camping down there for the 7 weekends - will be cheaper than hotels and I get to keep the tent/mattress/sleeping bag etc... I will have to buy the tent/mattress/sleeping bag first though... not sure how much it will come to in total.... but it could open a whole new camping way of seeeing the world for me...

There may be some major financial news coming down the track - in relation to helping my father out of his own finanicial issues.... its very complicated but it may involve my taking on some debt... we'll see...

Check-in over for now... :-)