So, as I said before, I'm having a bit of a problem making ends meet right now. Apparently I didn't put enough aside for the unexpected. Part of the problem stems from not living within our means, but this was sort of a necessity in order to be able to make money on the house.

Most middle class people do not renovate their kitchen, bathroom, and den in the same year that they put in new bedroom carpets, build a deck, landscape the yard, and re-roof the house. Especially not off one income while also paying for one person's university tuition.

Hahahahhahahahahhahhahahaa.

And then the Pathfinder needed a new timing belt, water pump, block heater, rear universal joint, alternator, starter AND clutch.

That's where the laughing ends.

And then we got invited to a wedding in February that we are obligated to attend which requires $600 in flights.

As a result, our spending has been reduced to as near to zero as possible. I've been making thin meals from the pantry and the freezer, and we've been combining trips and taking the bus to save gas. I even turned down the thermostat. I refuse to carry a balance on my credit card, so we have to make ends meet. The challenge is practically 'fun'.

Anyhow, I decided to have a look at how our annual expenses stack up to averages. I found a US goverment site that listed average household spending in 2007 by percent of income. Here's how we stack up:

Item Average US Ours
Housing 34% 34%
Transportation 18% 18%
Food 12% 15%

Here's to being average! I'm pleased with the food percentage, because we tend use food as a hobby and as entertainment. Granted the averages are probably different in Canada, and the economy was slightly different in 2007. Nevertheless, it's still useful to compare with a benchmark.

Soo.. happy new year?