Budget Recap/ Where'd My Money Go? 10/1 - 10/12

Bills/ Fixed Payments
Rent: $944.18 (increase due to resigning lease)
Cable: $205.93
Phone: $90.00
Transportation: $299.00
Groceries: $300.00
Netflix: $5.34
Credit Report: $16.95 (I've decided to keep this as I found an error recently and want to track it)
Loan Repayment 1: $125.00
Loan Repayment 2: $40.00
Savings: $240.00


Other
Eating Out: $50.00
Shopping: $60.00
Entertainment: $25.00/week
Beauty/Wellness: $30.00/ month
Miscellany: $200.00/month

Where'd My Money Go?

Bills/Fixed Payments
Rent: $944.18
Cable: $205.93
Phone: $90.00
Transportation: -- (transitchek deducted from pay)
Groceries: $40.00
Netflix: $5.34
Loan Repayment 1: $125.00
Loan Repayment 2: $40.00
Total: $1450.45

Shopping
Charlotte Russe: $60.00
Cardigans Online: $56.00
CVS: $13.00
Total: $129.00

Miscellany
Wedding Present: $100.00
Hotel for Wedding: $130.00
Fantasy Football Fee: $50.00
Total: $280.00
Eating Out
Fatty Crab: $44.00
Popeyes: $10.00
Lobster Rolls: $20.00
People's Cafe: $15.00?
Corner Cafe: $17.00?
Drinks: 20.00??
Total: $126.00

Entertainment
The Breakers Mansion Admission: $22.50


This is a very loose interpretation of my expenses lately. We went to Rhode Island for a friend's wedding, and I wasn't very good at tracking my monies. You can see where I went over budget in red.
I think I have to re-think/re-calculate my budget, especially in the areas of eating out/entertainment/shopping. I'm not sure what's a "good amount" to set aside!

I think I should try the Envelope Method. Dave Ramsey says that using cash instead of cards is best to track spending, but when I use cash I forget exactly what I spend! In The Envelope Method, you put whatever you budgeted for the week in specially marked envelopes, one for each category...so in my current budget, I would have one envelope labeled "eating out" with $50.00 cash, and another labeled "entertainment" with $25.00 cash, and so on. I think I would be better at tracking that way. And once the envelope is empty,...no more spending in that category!

I'm going to start doing this on Friday. Also, I will try to do better with holding myself accountable with weekly budget recaps!

I can do it!!

Do you have any other budgeting tips or ideas?