Erin tackles the budget.

Not the nation's, just the Kent Family Budget, but this is still revolutionary.

There’s a perverse pleasure that comes with accounting. This I have now realized after completing a month as the new family accountant. For the three years plus of our marriage, the number one thing Mike and I always (politely) struggled over was the Kent Family budget. He saves, I spend, ‘nough said. He would take time every Saturday, for an hour or so, quietly (and in a sinister way) pouring over the “books” (i.e. Wells Fargo online activity statements) calculating how much we (really, me) had spent that past week, compared to our estimations for the month. I’d hear a “what’s this $80 spent at xyz?” or “you really spent that much at Whole Foods?” I’d get defensive in any number of ways, explaining to him that (a) it’s more expensive to be a girl than a boy, (b) Michael Pollan would defend my choice of quality over bulk in the food department, because after all we aMERicuns spend less of our household budget on food than every before, and (c) why am I always the villain?

Oh, readers, maybe some of you can relate, I mean isn’t this the oldest marital argument since the dawn of capitalism? And I say “marital,” but there’s got to be one accountant and one social chair in every partnership. For us it didn’t happen until marriage because we didn’t “blend” our finances until then, i.e. I got away with purchasing freedom and zero accountability.

So fastforward to the end of August 2010. I’m feeling a little more settled at work, moved in at home, and the calm of having finished grad school is finally kicking in. Meanwhile I’m hunkering for a one-last-getaway before Baby K arrives, and I want to go on a weekender trip over Labor Day and stay in a nice hotel. So when M asks me if I would like to take a shot at the budget for the month to find the money to go on said vaca, I surprise myself by saying yes. And when I open his spreadsheet of estimated monthly expenses, it hits me: why have I been shying away from this for so long? I *HEART* Excel and have for a long time. I have what some may call religious feelings about it. Why make a list, for example, when you can put it in a spreadsheet? The power of sorting? Of formulas, particularly my fave, concatenating? Doing the budget Erin-style allows for all this and so much more, and puts me in the financial driving seat. Of course we have money for that this month! I made it a line-item! Hey hon, I noticed you went to Starbucks three times this month; are we overdoing it, just a little?

Now I still have some challenges, like my “miscellaneous” category, which is way too big. As the months go on (oh yes, this is not an interim position - I love it too much!), I may incorporate a little more post-hoc anaylsis to try to figure out how we can save more in the “small stuff” category. And, as M can attest, I might be a bit obnoxious in my revelry of this new found financial prowess. But here’s the take home: it’s empowering. AND enlightening. So calling all of you social chairs and spenders out there - you know you are. Take over the family budget; try it on for a month. I *highly* recommend using Excel, Google Spreadsheets, or if you’re really inclined, some program like Quicken. It just might make you look like the good guy.

So what should M take on now? I’m thinking of having him take on role as breast-feeder for while... oh wait...

PS: I am more than happy to provide guidance with Excel - it's one my favorite things to help people with. Let me know!