I've spent the past several days shivering. It has been a bit nippy 
in South Dakota, and I've been feeling it — especially at home. Last night the heat of a warm laptop on my legs was the only thing that kept me going...well, that, and the episode of Notes From the Underbelly that I DVR'd while I was snowblowing the driveway (the laughter keeps my body warm, too).
OK, I'm being very melodramatic here. You see, I've turned down the thermostat, and it's taking a while to adjust.
December's gas bill arrived, and with it came some sticker shock. From what I've heard from fellow homeowners, I'm actually getting by pretty cheap, but it was more than I had budgeted.
So what happens when you go over budget? For me, I pull the funds out of a different area like entertainment or eating out. Unfortunately for Staci, this means my lunches lately have been Lean Cuisine , not Jimmy John's .
And to avoid going over budget next month, I made the executive decision to use a little less gas. Hence the thermostat now resting a few degrees lower, which when armed with an oversized hoodie and my Mary Jane Sock Monkey slippers really isn't that bad.
Does your budget have a little give and take? What categories do you cut back when your expenses come in over budget?
I hear you on the sticker shock! Even in an apartment it can be a shock to see. I didn't realize it cost that much to heat such a small space. I really don't like to cut back on my entertainment, because that's already a very small budget; but one thing I do is have $35 from each paycheck auto-transferred into a savings account. I try my very best not to touch it, that way if I do end up needing it for something then viola! It's there for me to use. It doesn't take too much out of my check (so I don't miss it much) and I'm building a fund to have just in case. I guess we could say (in reference to your story)I'm "saving for a snowy day"