So with all this talk of the Money Makeover, how'd we do this year when you look at the figures? I admit, this is a post for math nerds and bean counters. But here goes, complete with my analysis of what changes made the difference...good and bad.
 

Our income was up 10% due to pay equity coming into Paul's workplace. My inheritance helped finance our unexpected and large capital expenses. Truth be told, we did okay on the income end of things. Let's see how we spent it all, compared to last year...

By taking vacations closer to home, and driving rather than flying, we saved a lot of money. There were no charges in 'accomodations', for airfare, or for vacation really. That saved us over $3000. When we went to Winnipeg this spring I paid for our accomodations with my inheritance...a treat for Paul from Mom (and me). The museums and other attractions came from our regular entertainment budget.

Entertainment was 20% of last year's figures (yes, a drop of 80%). I attribute this to my attempts to find fun frugal/free things to do locally...especially frugal date nights. Certainly we didn't hold back in Winnipeg! I think we must have seen every museum and art gallery there. Not to mention the quilt show. Family provided entertainment on our trip to Alberta in the fall. Other than a trip to Millwoods Recreation Centre...for a whopping $11 for both Paul and I...and loads of fun in a wave pool and on a waterslide. We have been to a nearby spa a couple of times, but we usually pay for that out of our health budget. As it seems to have the same effect as a massage therapist at half the cost for two of us, we decided it was appropriate to take it out of this category.

Allowances stayed the same, though there has been a suggestion by the girls that we really should increase them. Apparently they feel we are doing without too often!

Bank charges dropped by 10%. Not much, but then we didn't change bank accounts till mid-year. And we've been taking some time to adjust to the changes. Right now I'm happy we were able to do an all cash Christmas and few debit transactions.

Clothing went up 30% to $1300. This was mostly the result of replacing clothes for Paul. This represents quite a hike.  Paul is tall and thin and hard to buy for at the best of times. When I find it, I buy it. Paul really needed an all weather coat for bicycling to work. We were able to pick one up on sale for $200...but it's a good coat and will last him many years.  This is one category I'm going to have to do a detailed analysis of, as it seems rather high for Paul for one year.  I've been buying thrift store stuff, but I really didn't need anything this year...

Dining went up 25%. Again, this is due to traveling and not staying with family...or staying with family who don't like to cook. It simply costs to eat when you travel. We found ourselves more willing to spend in this category on vacation. It motivated us to eat at home when we were in town. We simply grew sick of restaurant food on vacation. Someone suggested ordering in instead of going out to eat when we stay with a particular relative not fond of cooking. I think he likes to go out for the experience and to be around other people though. So I don't really know how to handle this, other than suck it up and pay the shot.

Donations went up because income went up and I asked to double our charitable givings.

Gifts given this year actually went down...until you consider the contributions to the girls' university education. Then it goes wonky. Otherwise it was down 17%. This was due to my efforts to make gifts and to buy on sale, etc. (see Christmas posts), rather than any real decrease in gifts!

Groceries actually went up $350, from $4385 to $4731. I have a few things to say here. One, we are eating healthier. Two, prices have gone up 50-100% at the store. Three, Meghan left home in August. BUT we've been supplying food on the sly to Lisa whenever she'll let us. So I'm not totally unhappy with this figure.

Hobbies are down 50% . This does not count the equipment I bought with my inheritance mid-year. This is for supplies and materials...think thread, fabric, beads, etc.

Household was down 50%. Somehow Paul managed to cut computer expense in half. I think this is because we have been careful about printing things out. We always use draft, always print double sided, and are using up paper I inherited. We've been finding cheaper ways to buy programs. Mostly they are coming as birthday gifts or out of our personal allowance.

Furniture and appliances, which fall under household, is also down 75%. No new bed like we had in 2007! We really don't allow much in this category. I believe we'll have a year coming up in which this particular category will go haywire for awhile, as we replace old broken down furniture and find more suitable furniture. We really need a sinking fund for this...which we don't have.

Miscellaneous was up 15%. Not sure what's going on there. Will have to do a more detailed looking into that one. Household supplies was up too. This would be HBA and cleaning products. Paul has decided to do all his family history photocopying from his allowance, saving us some money there. And postage and delivery was axed over 75% by not sending Christmas cards and parcels this year.

House insurance was up. Property taxes was up. House and yard repair and maintenance was up, but that was planned for...for the most part.

Utilities were all down, a reflection of Meghan leaving for university. Except the Internet, which went up. Meghan used to split the cost with us for a high speed connection. Now we pay the full shot. The utilities were down 20-30%, depending which one we're discussing!

Life insurance was up. Drugs were down 30%...a reflection of my attempts to make do with alternative therapies. Most of these therapies are covered by Paul's work health plan...at least, for the first $200 of treatment. Acupuncture was covered by the inheritance. Medical specialists cost went down 25%. Miscellaneous medical went up tenfold! That will be my Finn Comfort shoes that didn't work in the end. Plus the two trips to the spa. Optometrist was outrageous at $650. I'll be looking for someone more affordable next time. Vitamins, minerals, etc. actually went down...which I find very interesting. I was hardly on anything last year, but what I was on was very expensive. By shopping around, buying on sale, buying bulk, and carefully selecting ones that complement each other, I've been able to reduce the cost AND find more effective results for myself.

Recreations was down 75%. Again this was due to finding affordable fun ways to entertain ourselves this year. It also reflects dropping the gym memberships. I couldn't have used it anyway, the condition my body was in.

Transportation has been a nice surprise. It's dropped over 50%. We actually spent less on fuel, despite two long car trips for vacations. Insurance went down...surprise. Maintenance went down. Registration went up. Total savings this year 40%. Not bad for a year that gas prices went through the roof!

I attribute a lot of this to taking a new approach with regards to driving. Not only is the car going out less, but when it does it is on loop errands. I've learned to make do rather than run to the store every time I run out of things. I am only do one big grocery shop every two weeks. The rest of the time we just make do with what's in the house. If I do need to do an extra shop, I do it when I'm in that part of town for something else. We've also been shopping the Farmer's Market more...which is within walking distance. That, no doubt, has contributed to our increased grocery budget.

We've put some extra money into Paul's bicycle to keep it on the road. It's saved him on car costs and bus fares. Plus he is getting good exercise.

Overall we managed to save 18% of Paul's gross pay this year!!! This is absolutely phenomenal from my perspective. I attribute this to the accountability of the Money Makeover both here and on the Frugal Village site. Also to Gail Vaz-Oxlade and Dave Ramsey - my personal finance heroine/hero - for the example they set. Thanks guys!