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At some point in August I thought about having some sort of “no spend September,” but I never really got around to making plans around that or talking to my husband about it. As a result, it has very much been a spend September. We had to make a few unexpected purchases, but thankfully, we were able to move money around in the budget!
If you don’t have a budget, then you probably will want to start there. See my post on how to start a budget!
If you do have a budget, then here are some things to think about as September comes to a close. Your mileage may vary, but I hope this helps you be more intentional with your money.
End of the Month Budget Questions | September Budget Recap
Did you actually track your spending?
If you did, great job! If not, what kept you from doing it? There are a lot of great programs out there like You Need a Budget and Every Dollar if you’re looking for a digital option.
I recently learned about an app called Honeydue that can be helpful for couples to manage money together. It might be worth checking out!
How much did you spend last month?
I think it can be helpful at this point in the year to look at total spent each month and see how it compares. Overall, September was a lower spending month for us, which I’m not upset about!
One big purchase we did make this month was a new bed frame and mattress. Sleep is so important, and our old bed frame broke and our old mattress was on its last legs. We decided to go ahead and upgrade to a king bed, and while we did get a good deal, it was still not something I had been planning to buy this month.
Will you be planning to spend more or less on a certain category in the coming month?
I’ll talk about this more in the next section, but holiday season is arriving, so that’s something to think about.
Are there any holidays or events coming up that will cause you to spend more?
If you’ve been following along with my budget recaps all year, then hopefully the upcoming holiday season isn’t going to totally sink you. If you don’t have anything set aside for Christmas, now would be a good time to think about more frugal ways to give gifts. Could you hit up yard sales or thrift shops in the next few months? Could you make some things by hand?
Are there new sinking funds that have come to your attention?
I did separate out one category into two categories this month. We used to have a category called “Home Improvement / Repair.” However, it felt like the “repair” section was eating all this up and I didn’t really know how much I could be spending on the “improvement” category. We have some projects like painting that I want to be setting money aside for, but the category kept eating up. Now we’ll put money into two separate categories, one for home improvement and one for home repair, and I can start setting money aside for painting!
Do an inventory check—how are you on groceries, personal care items, household items?
I’m realizing I’ve slacked off on keeping personal care items stocked up, so I will be looking for sales this coming month!
Are there any new categories you need to add to your budget?
Thankfully, no new categories showed up this month!
How are you doing on your financial goals?
One of our current goals is to build up our emergency fund. It’s slow progress, but we’re making movement toward it.
Is there any financial win you can celebrate?
Being able to buy a new bed frame and mattress without breaking the budget was a huge win!
How was your September budget recap? Let us know in the comments!
