September Budget Breakdown and Life Updates

In case you haven't heard, we're totally moving. We put our house on the market last week and began our adventures in house hunting.

This article may contain references to some of our advertising partners. Should you click on these links, we may be compensated. For more about our advertising policies, read our full disclosure statement here.

Good morning, Club Thrifty enthusiasts.  I seriously cannot believe that it’s September already.  I don’t know about you, but it seems like summer really flew by quick.  Thankfully, I love me some freakin’ fall.  I love the leaves, the crisp air, and the pumpkin patches that spring up all over town.  Oh, and I absolutely love Halloween…especially now that I have kids.  It’s still almost two months away but I’m already trying to decide what my four-year-old is going to be.  She totally wants to be a princess but I totally don’t want to buy a princess outfit, so we’ll see who wins that battle.  (SPOILER ALERT: It will be me.)  Anyway, I’m sad that summer is wrapping up but I have a ton of stuff to look forward to in the coming months.  We’ll get to that in a minute….

Since it’s a new month, it’s time for me to share my September budget breakdown.  So, without further adieu, here it is:

September 2013 Budget

  • Mortgage: $1426
  • Electric: $200
  • Gas: $25
  • Groceries: $500
  • Daycare: $500
  • Internet: $35
  • College Lydia: $25
  • College Vivian: $25
  • Gas/Misc.: $200
  • Cell Phone: $35
  • Life Insurance (Holly): $77.31
  • Trash: $56.25
  • Health Insurance: $377

Total: $3481.56

August Sucked

August was an awful month for our budget for reasons that were entirely out of our control.  In case you didn’t read about it, Greg’s Prius started acting crazy and we ended up stranded on the side of the road.  And although the part that failed was covered by a Toyota recall, we ended up replacing his almost bald tires and having a few small repairs done.  When all was said and done, we went about $800 over budget last month.  And this, my friends, is why I’m glad I have an emergency fund.

August was also a crazy month career-wise.  After ten years in the mortuary business, my husband began a new career in sales.  Shortly after starting, he realized that it was not going to work….at all.  He’s spent the last few weeks looking for a new job and was fortunate to having several interviews lined up within the first week.

The Good News

I’m happy to report that my husband accepted a very attractive job offer this weekend.  I’m super excited that he’ll be back at it, working for the man.  Being a one income family, even for a short time, was no fun at all.  I absolutely love money too much to go that route, so I’m thrilled that he’ll start bringing in a paycheck in the next few weeks.  Hooray!

The Bad News

Although I’m excited about Greg’s new job offer, I’m a little sad.  His new job requires that he live within a 20 minute radius of work which means that we have to move.  It’s bittersweet, I suppose.  Although I’m not in love with my house at all, it is my house.  It’s where I found out I was pregnant. It’s where I brought my kids home from the hospital.  And even though there are a ton of things that drive me crazy about this house, I’m going to miss it.

The Exciting News

Although I’m sad to move, I’m also super stoked!  Our new hometown is only about 30 minutes away and it’s way nicer than where we live now.  It has one of the highest rated school systems in the state and  tons of parks and natural beauty.  Another crazy coincidence is that my brother and sister both live there with their families!  Although I’m sad to leave my house, I’m SO EXCITED to go house shopping.  We are actually looking at ten houses on Wednesday and I cannot wait to find something that we love!  As I’ve written about many times, I’m absolutely obsessed with real estate and I think that house shopping is so much fun.  I will definitely be updating everyone as the whole situation progresses.  Our house just went on the market today and we think we priced it to sell quick.  We shall see!

So, that’s what is up with us.  How was your holiday weekend?  Anything new and exciting going on in your neck of the woods?

Similar Posts

Disclaimer: Comments, responses, and other user-generated content is not provided or commissioned by this site or our advertisers. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by this website or our advertisers. It is not the responsibility of our advertisers or this website to ensure that all comments and/or questions are answered. Club Thrifty has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Club Thrifty and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

84 Comments

  1. Hi Holly,
    I know you own two rentals but would you consider turning this house into a third one. If it cash flows that might be a great investment. What is the average home prices in the neighborhood you are looking at?

    1. We have definitely thought about that….but it’s just way too nice to be a rental. Plus, it’s a 2400 sq. ft. home and I shudder at the thought of repainting it every two years or replacing the carpet. It also wouldn’t have good cash flow unless we refinanced it.

      1. You are totally right! Don’t do it!

        1. Haha, thanks Meghan!

          Our two other rentals are small, around 1,000 feet. I could repaint them in a few days if needed and replace all the carpet for $1500. The house we’re living in would be a nightmare to remodel!

  2. Congrats on the new job Greg! But can’t you make sure the job is solid before moving? Like have a trial period, etc. it is huge to sell a house if they can lay you off after a couple of months.

    1. He’s going back to the mortuary business so there is zero percent chance of getting laid off! Plus, he took a job at the place he did his internship 8 years ago so he already knows the people and has a good idea of what it will be like.

  3. Congratulations Greg! You both sound like you have been super busy and for good reason. I guess the next little while will be hectic until you are all sorted out but it will be worth it. I posted our August Budget on the blog yesterday and it sucked too lol. We spent WAY too much money but sometimes a splurge is worth it. Have a great week you two 🙂 CBB

  4. Wow, a lot of change in August!!

    Congratulations to Greg and have fun with the house hunting – ten houses on Wednesday will be fun!! 🙂

    1. I have a feeling that I’m not going to like any of them!

  5. Congrats to Greg on the new job! I know you were talking about being addicted to searching home listings so looking for a new home should be a fun time for you. Having bought my current house less than a year ago and thinking of all the things we will change before we move, I can’t imagine how hard it will be (emotionally) to sell it down the road.

    1. I think I’ve made my peace with it. Our memories are here but we’ll make new ones at the new house!

  6. That sounds good and congratulations to Greg on his new job. Yeah, it is true that you feel sad when you are attached to your home but I hope you will find more fun in your new house with your sister and brother’s family around you.

  7. Ha! I love house shopping too! The whole thing: different house styles, décor, pricing, it all intrigues the heck out of me! FYI, we left our house of 11 years last year, so I know what you mean about the sentimental aspect of it. We do kind of miss our old house, but not much at all, simply because we are building so many great memories here. Another thing we did when we moved was to do a video of the old house, talking about each room, etc. It will be a great thing for the kids to watch later. Good luck with everything, Holly. So excited for you guys!

    1. Taking video of the house is a great idea! Greg takes a ton of video anyway so I’ll make sure that he does that.

  8. Congrats on the new job and the move! It’s awesome to be closer to family. We live about 1-2hrs from most of our immediate family and hope to move closer in the near future. Happy house hunting!

    1. Well, we’re moving away from my parents and closer to my brother and sister. But, we will still only be about 30 minutes away from my parents!

  9. Wow Holly those are all such great developments! Good luck house shopping, I’m like you, completely obsessed with real estate, I check listings all of the time.

    1. Yep! I usually do it just for fun but now it got real!

  10. Yay! And you’ll get to do lots of blogposts on selling and buying a house. You can talk about price ranges and mortgages and all sorts of fun stuff.

    1. Yes!

      We’ve never sold before, only bought, so this will definitely be a learning experience. I’m already tired of keeping my house spotless and it just went on the market today!

  11. Congrats to Greg on the job! Like others have said, that is one change – filled month, but one that ended up good in the long run. I couldn’t imagine leaving our house right now as we feel the same way, but I think that time is going to come very soon for us to start thinking of moving elsewhere.

    1. Well, we certainly didn’t plan on moving at the moment. But, now seems as good a time as any. My daughter starts kindergarten next year so we might as well move school systems before she starts school.

  12. I’m so happy that it’s September. I love Fall weather!

    Congrats on the new job and I’m hoping it all works out awesome for him! I hope you guys find the perfect house 🙂

    1. Me too.

      We are looking at ten on Wednesday and I’m not that impressed with any of them.

  13. The only part about moving that I don’t like is all the crap you have to move. It’s crazy how much stuff you can accumulate in a house.

    1. I know!

      We have so much more stuff this time around because we have kids now. I’m so glad I had monster garage sale this summer!

  14. Wow, talk about big news! Congrats on the new job for Greg. That was crazy fast. Sounds like you guys are going to be moving to a great new area. Good luck with everything!

    1. I know! I didn’t think he would have any trouble finding a job.

  15. That is perfect timing to move before the girls start school. We live less than a mile from the “good” school district border, but luckily we were able to get out daughter in there. You don’t think about those things if you buy a house before you have kids. Best of luck with everything.

  16. Well, these are some updates. Are they helping pay for the relocation expenses since they require you live within a certain area?

    1. No. That would certainly be nice but that’s not the way it works.

  17. Holly! Congrats to Greg on the job offer and I look forward to the posts regarding the new home and neighborhood. With your writing skills and flare, it ought to be a very entertaining go for your readers! Happy House Hunting!!!

  18. Wow, those are some life changing events going on for you, Holly. It’s pretty amazing how your husband’s attempted foray into sales crashed and burned yet turned into something much better overall. It’s funny how life often works out like that. Plus, now you can visit open houses for more than just entertainment. Exciting times…

  19. Congrats to Greg on the new job. I guess things worked out pretty well…I think it’s a good time to move since your kids haven’t started school yet (I wouldn’t want to change schools on the kids). And you have family in that neighborhood already. I might be looking for a place also…well in NYC, I don’t think I can afford a house so we may be looking into a co-op.

    1. It really is a good time to move, although this isn’t exactly how I thought things would pan out!

  20. Wow, some big changes for you guys with Greg’s new gig. Does his new gig give you any assistance package to help with moving expenses since they required you live closer?

    1. No.
      That may be common in some industries but not in the mortuary business. And unfortunately, you can’t really *commute* to a mortuary job. Since you’re on call part of the time, you have to be nearby.

      1. Well if the new job doesn’t provide financial assistance for the move…the moving expenses still might be tax deductible…

  21. Wow that’s huge news! But what a bonus to be living in the same town as some of your family. I’m curious to know what the job is that would require him living so close. I know that moving for me always makes me feel really nostalgic…even if I never really liked the place. Hope you have better luck with spending in Sept. I love Halloween too!

    1. Greg’s a mortician and most mortuaries require that you live within a 20 minute radius of the funeral home. He’ll be on call part of the time and when people die in the middle of the night you have to get there fast to take care of everything.

  22. Wow, thats big news! Congrats to Greg on the new job. At least you will be close to your hometown. I’m sure you will find a house that you will love!

  23. Wow. I thought I had a crazy August! Congrats to Greg on his new job. Relocating to a different city with a better school district right before your daughter starts school couldn’t be better timing. Sometimes change is good. 🙂

    P.S. I really dislike house shopping LOL

    1. You had a terrible experience. Glad it’s over with!

  24. August was definitely a crazy money for you but it sounds like it all worked out for the best! Congratulations to Greg on his new job!! That’s wonderful he found something so quickly! I enjoy house shopping too but am less in love with the actual moving part. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing all the details of your house hunt – good luck!!

    1. We haven’t moved since we had kids. We have A LOT more stuff now. It’s gonna suck!

  25. Congratulation to Greg! Hope this job works out better. Have fun shopping for a new house.

  26. A new job, moving, and a new house? awesome news! and how exciting that you´ve got family there as well:-)
    btw, I can seriously understand not wanting to spend money on a princess costume, buuut, please don´t scar her for life by forcing her into a crazy costume that she hates, reason for mentioning it is because my mom did that with me.. I had to be a clown, which I absolutely hated/detested/abhorred (whatever awful word you can imagine). I was so miserable that my dad had to come get me way before the school carnival was over… yikes… I can still remember that scratchy horrible orange clown wig… I get chills just by thinking about it! :-p

    1. I WILL NOT make her be a clown, I promise! Haha!

  27. I love fall and looking forward to the new season! I can’t wait to read about your house shopping and selling your current home…that’s good news you are moving to an area that you like!

    1. I know, right? Hopefully it isn’t a nightmare!

  28. I’ve been reading a lot of people share about August being a difficult month but I saw a few who claims that August have been great for them. Looking on the bright side it seems that things are looking up for you. Yes, you’re going to miss your old house but at the same time it must be really exciting to create new memories with your husband and kids once you’ve moved to a new place. Happy house hunting!

  29. Congrats to Greg on the new job and good luck with the house hunting, Holly! 🙂

  30. Congrats on the new job! Glad to hear that things are picking up after what was — for many, it seems — a rough August 🙂

  31. Two big congrats : 1) the husband’s new job & 2) the new home prospects (aka fresh start)

    We are currently in a single income situation which sucks. Making it work is fine but looking to increase the number of revenue streams is difficult with a 6 month old.

    I said fresh start when it came to the new home prospect as I always view moving as a reboot. Whether in a good or bad position, I tend to come out in an even better position after moving. I guess it’s just a new outlook, new approach, and tons of reevaluating that leads to that “step up”.

    Good luck with the house hunting (and selling)!

    The Warrior
    NetWorthWarrior.com

    1. I am seeing it as a way to reboot as well. I’m ready for a fresh start somewhere new!

  32. I’m totally going to stalk your house…

    Just kidding!

    Good luck to you and Greg on this new adventure!

  33. Wow Holly. Some amazing changes coming your way 🙂 And it’s kind of fitting given that this time of year is all about change and shaking off the old to welcome in the new (ie: Autumn leaves falling to be replaced by new leaves)…or somethign like that 🙂 Whatever, it is an exciting time for you and Greg and wish you both all the best!!

    Take care.

    Lyle

  34. Congrats to your hubby and good luck with the move!

  35. Huge congrats to you and Greg! I can’t wait to hear all about your home buying adventures!!

  36. I have boys so I like to see princesses at my door on Halloween. And fairies and angels and good witches and all the other girlie costumes that I didn’t have here.

    That was a bit off your topic of how was your long weekend but my long weekend was not great. I had an emergency visit from the plumber on Labour Day and my youngest son (often dressed as a spider or a ninja on Halloween) left for university in a city several hours from here. I am very proud of him and pleased that he is pursuing his dreams but the years from wanting to dress like a ninja to moving away for school seem to have flown by like minutes.

  37. Congratulations to Greg and the excitement permeates your post. I am highly fascinated when I hear someone say they love real estate and can’t wait to hear your process!

    I’m amazed at how low some of the items on your budget are. I wish our health insurance (combined) was that low! Oh it is my one dream…ok, hyperbole! Thank you so much for sharing so honestly.

  38. Congrats on the new job! I know that it’s hard to leave your house behind, but moving should be considered a new adventure and you have all the reasons to be excited about it. I can’t wait to move lol.

    August was a pretty crappy month for me too, but I really hope that things will get better soon.

  39. Sounds like lots of exciting stuff going on for you! Moving can be seen as an opportunity (after the actual chore of moving your stuff is out of the way!). Also, you have to pay to have your trash taken? I’m shocked!

  40. Congrats to you and Greg on the new job offer and also all the best in your house hunting.

  41. Congrats Greg! Sounds like there are a lot of good things about the move-good school district, closer to family etc. I’m excited to see what you guys chose for the new house. I love looking at real estate too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.