Watch What You Spend or Maybe Save

I listen and follow Lana's Enchanted Skye. She said to watch my spending for the month of May. I listened, and I really watched my spending for May, but it didn't quite turn out the way I expected.

First, May is my birthday month, so I could expect some things to be given to me, but my-oh-my, I was completely flabbergasted about the way my spending went.

The very next day, well, let's back up about a week. I wrote Donors Choose for a project to get some classroom drums and other supplies about a week before. It was COMPLETELY FUNDED, for about $665.

Then, I went out with some friends and had my dinner and drinks paid for, so that was about $25, or so. I'm laughing and smiling as I am coming home, about how I'm supposed to watch my spending, yet here I am watching myself save money or seeing money being sent to me in one form or another.

The following day was my paycheck. Well, that was to be expected, so that counts, but I will forget about telling you what it was. Two weeks later, my next paycheck was about $90 more because some of my regular deductions were not taken out, as expected but I forgot about it.

The rest of the month went pretty normally with my spending until last week. I needed to get some things done on my car, and I remember what Lana said about watching my spending. I called the auto shop and asked about the prices for the repairs. Since I was unsure about all the expenses, I left out the oil change that I needed, but it could wait until the next paycheck. I also said that I would hold off on the transmission flush that we were told it needed in November. I never noticed anything on the transmission, so I thought that could wait until my next paycheck as well.

My daughter went to the shop to get the struts worked on and came home. Over the weekend, she had an issue that sounded like the transmission, and I also noticed that an electrical issue may be a problem as well. I cannot tell you how nervous I was to take the car back to the shop on Tuesday. As I'm driving over there, I'm chanting to myself, "I have the money to fix this. I know it will be fine." And, yes, I was chanting it over and over again to allow myself to feel it more easily.

The guy quoted me $400 for the transmission fluid flush, the oil change, and the electrical diagnostic. I was floored! I thought there was no way it should be this much. I'm panicking a bit, and then I repeat the chant to myself, "I have the money to fix this. I know it will be fine."

While I'm waiting, I get some breakfast and read a book. The service manager comes over to me, and when he's coming over, I hear in my head, "It's going to be less than he quoted you." He then says, "I'm not going to charge you for the electrical diagnostic, but refer you to a stereo professional." So I told my daughter, "This is not a priority, and if she wants to get it fixed, it will come out of her pocket." I paid less than $200 for the car maintenance.

So let's recap how much I "Watched my spending!" or rather how much I saved this month.

$15- Drinks

$665- Donor's Choice Project, not necessarily my personal savings, but for my classroom

$25- Dinner and drinks

$90 -Extra on my paycheck

$200- Savings on the car repair

$330 savings from personal money

$995 with the donations to my classroom project.

Let's just say, May allowed me to watch my spending in a very unique way.