What the Holidays do to the budget!

We went to the grocery stores the day after Thanksgiving.  There were some specials.  And we had made special trips to buy specials even before Thanksgiving, soft drinks, 4 12 packs for $10 which used to be a common price but now not so much!  Now I had resolved to spend $167 per month, having bought three months' meat at the Butcher's Block already.  And despite temptation, we still have enough meat left for another two months, if I'm careful.  But this is Christmas too.  There were some things I knew I wanted to have.  Fruit cake.  Several kinds of cookies. Caramel corn.  Mincemeat pies.  And for Christmas dinner, shrimp cocktail!
We bought some steak too, very marked down.  So between specials and compulsive items, we spent, when it was all added together, $192.65.  So about $25 above budget.  So what, about 14% above estimate?  It's not that I am sorry, exactly but I want to figure out if and when I will need to increase the budget.  All sorts of questions have to be answered including whether we want to increase our standard of living.  Remember, we don't budget because we don't have the money, we do it to prove we can!
Inflation is difficult to measure.  Some commentators estimated that the Thanksgiving feast this year would cost between 13% and 17% more.  But it's not so simple.  A lot depends on how much of the food is prepared before you buy it.  I understand that one week, Meijer's had turkey for $.32 a pound.  Now we don't have a Meijers  here but we do have a Walmart, which will match all sale prices.  Kroger had sweet potatoes for $.19 a pound.  With some travel, We could have bought traditional fare for traditional prices.  If I were going traditional.  We had chicken though, which I had bought at the sale price of $1 a pound.  Potatoes, home canned green beans, home-made fried onion rings and the Halloween pumpkin were very cost effective.  Last month we provided for a Holiday feast without increasing the budget.  But apparently I don't feel the same about Christmas.  Or we shopped when we were hungry.  Or were in an ornery mood?  I assure you, the decision to budget is very fragile!

I have spent money on Christmas decor too.  I bought this tree for the Nuthead dolls at Elegant Options.  I plan to make tiny paper ornaments and mock popcorn strings to go with the apparent poverty that Nutheads nearly always depict.  I only have four, because though they are cheap, they are exceedingly rare.  Tomorrow I plan to refresh the paint on the wooden stars and snowflakes I usually hang from the light fixtures.  But it's not time for the tree yet!  Note the blooming geranium we had on the table for Thanksgiving.  The prospect of some snow this week really sparks my Christmas Spirit!