Monday, June 14, 2010

Examining My Expenses

Well living off of $500 a month or less isn't an option for me. I have a child with Autism, therapy and supplements to help her interact and prevent problems are expensive. There are the regular bills and then all the "extra's" that aren't actually extras for her. I'm gonna start by figuring out how much we spend each month so bear with me as I try and figure out exactly how much it costs us to live.


  1. ABA Therapy - not covered by insurance, financial aid covers the $55 hour rate with a $3 per session co-pay. This is a one a week two hour therapy.
  2. HLC Mindlinx at $37.99 a bottle with her going through approximately three bottles a month is $124.23 with a sales tax of 9% included. (This one is every month to purchase Ouch)
  3. Nordic Naturals Pro-Omega fish oil is $41.99 a bottle with her going through about a bottle and a half each month thanks to the dose. That's still less than she'd use on the full dose recommend which only leaves 24 doses in the bottle total.
  4. Zinc is a choice of a $13-8oz bottle or 100 capsules at $7.50. The capsules are cheaper and last longer. They're both 20mg and she gets 60 mg (1 1/2 tsp or 1 1/2 capsules). 
  5. 250mg vitamin C is $7.50 for 100 capsules, one a day which means a bottle just over every three months.
  6. Multivitamin, not sure how much it is anymore I just know it last a few months. 
  7. Magnesium/Calcium is $10.99 for a bottle of ninety. At four capsules a day it's approximately two bottles a month. 
  8. Vitamin D drops approximately $22 and still trying to figure out how long that tiny bottle is going to last. She gets three drops a day and I bought the bottle over spring break or just after. I've still got a half full bottle. I'm liking the math on that one.
The total of the supplements I'm not sure of at the moment and I've left some off because I'm not sure of the cost. She has to be one  the supplements for a while for me to get used to the dosage and the costs, when the dosage changes so does the cost. Then there is the cost of getting her to therapy, I almost fainted when I saw gas for $2.39 over the weekend. There are a few bills that stay the same each and every month. I bet there are some that can be reduced but not immediately. 

  • Light Bill - $170.00 (thanks to budget billing) Now as long as I don't go over which is kinda hard in triple digit heat it'll be fine. I love it when they owe me money, it's just too hot and humid to open the windows. 
  • Pest Control Service - $33.00 gotta love fire ants and field mice
  • Debt Payment - $20 a month
  • My cell phone - $21.80
  • Husbands Cell phone - $21.80 
  • Internet/cable bundle - $67 approximately (have to work and I was tired of nothing to watch) joke was on me still nothing on. 
Those come to $333.60. Not too bad for the monthly bills but that doesn't include $55 a week of child support which I try to send off once a month instead of spending more money on stamps. Besides when it all goes out the first of the month for the entire month hubbies ex-wife gets it faster especially since it's mailed to the court. That way I know everything is taken care of. Almost. 

We forgot to include groceries which include a number of items tailored to meet special dietary needs. Low sodium (blood pressure issues for hubby), budget restrictions and then the dietary restrictions placed on Theresa in an effort to heal her tiny gut. Gluten/Casein Free and then the foods that set off red flags for her digestive system. So no wheat, barley, rye, oats, milk, milk derivatives, eggs, peanuts, oranges, grapefruit, other citrus fruit and a few other things that are making shopping even more difficult. 

So I think the first thing I'm going to do is figure out exactly how much all this stuff averages out to a month. Then I'm going to read that blog I read the other day from start to finish. It really was interesting. I'm kind of tired of wondering how in the world my expenses got to be so hight. I would love some shade  so I could open the windows and still be comfortable during the summer out here.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Followers