Author Topic: Hold Yourself Openly Accountable for Your Spending in 2021 (Read 7134 times)

philli14 · « **on:** January 02, 2021, 10:20:09 AM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |

Very similar goals to last year. I figured that a further reduction in spending, as per the trend, is eventually going to get a little unrealistic. I found last year was a really healthy balance of frugality and enjoyment. Look forward to challenging myself again to keep my spending low, maintaining a strong foundation for the trip towards FI.

Feel free to join the challenge, update whenever and however you want!

kittykat · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2021, 11:34:14 AM »

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

I am hoping for more stability and consistency this year. With the quarantine and moving adjustments last year there was big swings in grocery spending, so I am hoping to get those leveled off this year and also keep My Shopping habit under control for more of the year then I did in last year.

oneday · « **Reply #2 on:** January 10, 2021, 01:02:36 AM »

Joining! Just wrapped up 2020, need some rest. I'll put a real post in this place soon.

kittykat · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2021, 02:34:08 PM »

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

Revised my budget for Restaurant eating out and Groceries given a bit of an expansion in my home-life population :) and stayed mostly within budget.

As for shopping, I slipped back into my old ways earlier in the month thanks to well targeted instagram ads, but have been wrangling myself back into a no-shopping mode for the rest of the year, so I'm hoping it was my last hurrah before buckling down again...and have been refraining from scrolling around too much on instagram so I don't see the ads and get tempted to shop.

Overall, not off to a great start here but planning to redeem myself in February.

Weisass · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2021, 06:28:50 PM »

Well, this looks like something that would be worth my taking the time to do. I would love to see some of my problem areas go down, spending wise. Groceries are hard to trim in our house (6 mouths to feed, not counting animals), but it is always good to try to keep things realistic.

	\| Gasoline	\| Restaurants	\| Groceries	\| Clothes	\| Hobbies	\| Total
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
AVG 2019	\| $ 96	\| $ 311	\| $ 924	\| $ 136	\| $ 266	\| $ 1733
AVG 2020	\| $ 105	\| $ 189	\| $ 998	\| $ 243	\| $ 235	\| $ 1770
Jan 2021	\| $ 127	\| $ 98	\| $ 779	\| $ 0	\| $ 58	\| $ 1062

philli14 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2021, 02:44:34 PM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |

Solid start to the year. One extra weekend in January that went to groceries so I suspect that number will drop for February. No real big expenses on the horizon so hoping to get off the starting blocks well as I did in 2020.

oneday · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2021, 11:54:09 PM »

January wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595 |

Compared to (not sure what yet):

Getting a slow start to the budget year. I'll be moving at the end of this month, so not as much time to devote to this. Analysis will have to happen later.

But why is the overall expense so high? Entertainment is up ($100 parks membership, $100 passport renew), but groceries are down almost offsetting? Well, $1,000 is my half of the deposit on the new place, $1,000 is BF's half (which he repaid 2/1). I also spent $588 on emergency vet bills, but that was more than offset by the stimulus check.

So what at first blush looks like a crazy month is really nothing to write home about. I'll replace the $1,000 deposit (and more) when I get the deposit back from the current place. Without that or the short term loan to BF, January would have been a much lower than average month...easily able to absorb the vet bills even without the stimulus. I'm glad to have a whole year's worth of numbers (and more) in order to know what is a really odd month and what is just normal fluctuation.

February will be a little spendy, with $360 for the movers and probably some other settling in costs as well. But rent is going down quite a lot. Longer term, I will have to watch Restaurants, as BF likes to eat out. Eating at home will probably go down, as BF has different eating habits from me and we won't share food as much as Room Mate and I have. With a few more months of data, I'll recalibrate for a new normal.

philli14 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2021, 08:11:15 PM »

@kittykat @oneday Welcome back! @Weisass , hope you find this process as helpful for you as it was for me. The data only gets more meaningful as it builds up :)

Weisass · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2021, 08:13:40 PM »

Quote from: philli14 on February 11, 2021, 08:11:15 PM

@kittykat @oneday Welcome back! @Weisass , hope you find this process as helpful for you as it was for me. The data only gets more meaningful as it builds up :)

It has already been meaningful in the sense that I learned a little code to make my chart!

oneday · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2021, 09:34:21 PM »

Quote from: philli14 on February 11, 2021, 08:11:15 PM

@kittykat @oneday Welcome back! @Weisass , hope you find this process as helpful for you as it was for me. The data only gets more meaningful as it builds up :)

Thanks for the warm welcome, @philli14 . Thanks for dreaming up this accountability tool!

SotI · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2021, 08:27:29 AM »

Hi, I thought I already joined this challenge, but seems not.
My aim is to reduce my spend by 10% compared to last year's total spend (didn't quite manage last year, so going to give it another go).

2020 Spend 2021 Spend
Jan 5,379 4,383
Feb 3,876 2,645

kittykat · « **Reply #11 on:** March 03, 2021, 10:16:32 AM »

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
FEB 2021 | $ 31 | $ 319 | $ 757 | $ 1,126 | $ 2,233 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

Basically, February is looking better than usual because I wasn't eating as much and did not have as many guests over (due to relationship break-up, guess there's an upside sigh lol) and I was able to contain my shopping habit for the month. I'd love to reduce my shopping numbers even more on average, but I'll have to see how realistic that is for me.

Quote from: philli14 on February 11, 2021, 08:11:15 PM

@kittykat @oneday Welcome back! @Weisass , hope you find this process as helpful for you as it was for me. The data only gets more meaningful as it builds up :)

Thank you! Happy to keep this going and hold myself openly accountable with you all.

oneday · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2021, 11:28:34 AM »

February wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692 |

Compared to 2020 average:

$360 cost for movers never materialized, because on the day and time they were scheduled to arrive, *they* did not materialize. So they moved me on the following day (Sunday) and waived all charges. Great for my budget.

The big number is the Total. It includes $6K to my IRA, which I keep off YNAB's budget. However, I know I didn't spend only $1692; rent + groceries is a smidge more than that. I was also reimbursed $1049 from BF for last month's deposit plus a bit from Mom for some things I picked up on her behalf. So I guess if we ignore those things, Total should be $2741. That is on the low side. Still, when I add up the spending, that is the number I get so ??? Not really sure how I accomplished that when I also had a $134 vet bill and $386 auto insurance bill (for 6 months).

If somehow I keep expenses at $2800-ish per month, that is $33,600/year. If however they return to 2020 average $3419-ish, that is closer to $41K per year. I like the first number better! Will need to do some projections before the month is over (it's half over already, whoops!).

Weisass · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2021, 01:33:27 PM »

February close out:

	\| Gasoline	\| Restaurants	\| Groceries	\| Clothes	\| Hobbies	\| Total
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
AVG 2019	\| $ 96	\| $ 311	\| $ 924	\| $ 136	\| $ 266	\| $ 1733
AVG 2020	\| $ 105	\| $ 189	\| $ 998	\| $ 243	\| $ 235	\| $ 1770
Jan 2021	\| $ 127	\| $ 98	\| $ 779	\| $ 0	\| $ 58	\| $ 1062
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
feb 2021	\| $ 83	\| $ 259	\| $ 933	\| $ 0	\| $ 201	\| $ 1476

philli14 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2021, 12:51:22 PM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 13 | $ 17 | $ 21 | $ 206 | $ 1320 |

Missed my February update, it has been a couple of hectic months for me. Things are settling down a bit. Got hit with a surprise bill that is going to make my total spending very difficult to hit this year. And as I will update in a week or so, March brought another unexpected expense. Very fortunate to be in the situation where the cost of the expense was not an issue to cover - it will just make my annual goal that much more difficult.

Given that, I will prioritize hitting the categorical goals even if I don't reach my total spend goal.

philli14 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2021, 03:37:06 PM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 19 | $ 29 | $ 69 | $ 213 | $ 1507 |

Grrr the big spend month back to back. This time an "out of network" COVID test required by my employer got me hit with a big unexpected medical bill. Also had a couple of annual expenses pop up so March was nasty.

However, this makes for a fun little challenge the rest of the year. Can I recover from this early setback in my total spend goal? Time will tell..

SotI · « **Reply #16 on:** April 03, 2021, 11:25:50 AM »

Update March.
My aim is to reduce my spend by 10% compared to last year's total spend (didn't quite manage last year, so going to give it another go).

2020 Spend 2021 Spend
Jan 5,379 4,383
Feb 3,876 2,645
March 4,030 3,275

Note: did not count here some voluntary contribution to SS as I see this more as an invest then spend.

oneday · « **Reply #17 on:** April 03, 2021, 11:55:08 AM »

@SotI good luck with your 10% goal! You've got a great start.

March wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595*|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692#|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
MAR 2021 | $ 38 | $ 120 | $ 210 | $ 2483 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
*2645 w/o housing deposit
#2741 w/o IRA contrib or reimbursements

Compared to 2020 average:

It's easy to keep spending on personal/entertainment down when you don't buy fine jewelry! Which I had done in Feb. Only the second time in my life that I've done that "just because" and not for an occasion. This will not become a trend.

Restaurants are $13 higher on average now than they were in 2020, and I'm OK with that; I expected that by moving in with my BF who loves to eat out. Currently we are getting take out once per week and alternating who pays. When things open up, the cost will go up a little since we'll likely go to sit down places, order drinks, etc. Again, I'm OK with that; BF is worth it.

On the flip side, 2021 average groceries are almost $90 lower than 2020 and I expect that to continue. We share less food at home than I did with my prior room mate, so there's more control over costs and I'm also not eating more just to get my dollar's worth of the purchase. Better for my waistline!

Looking at the rest of my spending, trying to figure out how it's gotten so low. Pandemic + reduced rent at then new place is most of it. Nice to see $2400-$2800 per month spending on a regular basis. Of course there needs to be spending on "extraordinary" things from time to time, but my goal is $3300/month, so there's $500-$900 cushion for that. I feel great about my budget right now, but apprehensive about what happens when I'm allowed "out" again when pandemic restrictions are lifted. I will want to increase spending on entertainment for sure. But I guess the trick is to just keep it "reasonable"? I'm worried the lower rent will be an excuse to increase other spending willy-nilly.

kittykat · « **Reply #18 on:** April 09, 2021, 10:57:43 AM »

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
FEB 2021 | $ 31 | $ 319 | $ 757 | $ 1,126 | $ 2,233 |
MAR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 896 | $ 976 | $ 1,352 | $ 3,224 |

|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

I started eating again in March lol, took myself therapy shopping and got me a new man, and also had some family in town for a week and I picked up all the food spend. So my March numbers are up but its cool I guess and I plan to curb my shopping again for April.

For full transparency, I probably should've mentioned before, but I see many of you are including your rent payments and what not in your totals. My totals tracked here are just for these select categories I list, which are totals that can fluctuate month to month depending on my spending habits, and so I am not including my mortgage or other home related expenses etc. which is spending I can not adjust regularly.

oneday · « **Reply #19 on:** April 09, 2021, 11:39:08 AM »

@kittykat I think we are all doing it as suits each of us. I'm tracking total spend so that I can get a feel for it, since I've only been tracking for a year. And I've kept it up because my housing drastically changed in February. So. It's all good (I hope).

philli14 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 30, 2021, 10:45:40 PM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
APR | $ 27 | $ 165 | $ 0 | $ 228 | $ 998 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 21 | $ 63 | $ 52 | $ 217 | $ 1380 |

Solid month I'll say. Unfortunately (yet fortunately) I am anticipating some spending next month, as my SO and I are planning our first "vacation" time off in a while.. a nice little beach trip. Not going to worry too much about the finances, we are doing well and think some enjoyable time off will do a world of good. Will overcompensate for the rest of the month, so we'll see how we end up.

SotI · « **Reply #21 on:** May 01, 2021, 06:31:46 AM »

@oneday : Thank you. I hope your April figures are holding up well, too 😊

Update for April is remarkably low this year.
Maybe due to Easter holidays and shitty weather, or just generally no opportunity to spend.
Most garden related purchases were done in March. Camping stuff and vacation will come in May.
I had expected extra end-of-life care spend for one of my pets, but the little guy hangs in there quite stubbornly. It will only be a matter of 1-2 weeks, though, so May spend will rock higher again.
Still, good, very low-cost April

2020 Spend 2021 Spend
Jan 5,379 4,383
Feb 3,876 2,645
March 4,030 3,275
April 3,774 1,990

I actually had to double-check the numbers to believe them, lol.

oneday · « **Reply #22 on:** May 02, 2021, 09:37:37 PM »

April wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595*|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692#|
MAR 2021 | $ 38 | $ 120 | $ 96 | $ 2483 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
APR 2021 | $ 18 | $ 188 | $ 311 | $ 732^|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
*2645 w/o housing deposit
#2741 w/o IRA contrib or reimbursements
^3556 w/o extraordinary things

Compared to 2020 average:

So many footnotes!

I'm getting whiplash looking at my grocery spend, but this month BF and I finally trued up the spending he's been doing on my behalf for both March and April, as he places all the curbside pickup orders and pays as well. Soon we will both be fully vaccinated, and I may go back to shopping in person for myself. Hoping the sea-saw action in that category calms down.

Overall this was a month with a lot of extraordinary transactions. On the positive side, Sis repaid me almost $700, BF paid for $327 of things in the true-up and the stimulus payment of $1400 was deposited. On the negative side, I paid $1945 taxes.

kittykat · « **Reply #23 on:** May 04, 2021, 12:37:26 PM »

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
FEB 2021 | $ 31 | $ 319 | $ 757 | $ 1,126 | $ 2,233 |
MAR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 896 | $ 976 | $ 1,352 | $ 3,224 |
APR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 754 | $ 912 | $ 1,476 | $ 3,142 |

|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

I wasn't able to curb my spending in April after all. BF and I are planning a big Caribbean trip for May, my first trip in a really long time, and I decided to splurge on some new beachwear, on top of that I received a wine shipment from my subscription.
Still hopeful I can curb shopping in May, but the trip itself is expensive.

@oneday Thanks for that clarification! Glad to hear it.

SotI · « **Reply #24 on:** May 29, 2021, 01:09:34 PM »

Closing my books for May.
Very high spend this month due to a couple of anticipated extras (end of life care for one of my pets, vacation plus some camping gear for DH's post-Corona travel gigs). That's about 2k worth of additional cost this month. Also food/grocery bill was higher, accounting for DH's current craving for BBQs & convenience goods.

I hope to get back on track again for June.

2020 Spend 2021 Spend
Jan 5,379 4,383
Feb 3,876 2,645
March 4,030 3,275
April 3,774 1,990
May 3,437 4,953

philli14 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 31, 2021, 09:59:26 AM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
APR | $ 27 | $ 165 | $ 0 | $ 228 | $ 998 |
MAY | $ 29 | $ 827 | $ 583 | $ 221 | $ 2279 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 22 | $ 216 | $ 158 | $ 217 | $ 1560 |

Sooooo May was a big expensive month for me. I got engaged - purchased the ring, had several celebration get togethers/drinks/etc, and a 5-day beach getaway.. All that said, could have been a lot worse considering the month I had. June should settle down a good bit, but I fear a lot of my goals have been put out of reach. I will do my best to get close, though!

oneday · « **Reply #26 on:** May 31, 2021, 04:22:31 PM »

Congratulations @philli14

Quote from: SotI on May 29, 2021, 01:09:34 PM

Closing my books for May.

Me too!

May wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595*|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692#|
MAR 2021 | $ 38 | $ 120 | $ 96 | $ 2483 |
APR 2021 | $ 18 | $ 188 | $ 311 | $ 732^|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
MAY 2021 | $ 59 | $ 239 | $ 120 | $ 3044 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
*2645 w/o housing deposit
#2741 w/o IRA contrib or reimbursements
^3556 w/o extraordinary things

Compared to 2020 average:

Restaurants! Went to a new restaurant and as many places, they did not have a website. So used the DoorDash menu, thinking those prices a little inflated. Turns out, no they were not. So that was an unexpected $70 meal. I've also spent more at coffee shops this month for Reasons. So this is not unexpected, but I think a unusually high and will be closer to April going forward.

Extraorinary items include $235 state taxes and $120 for prescription glasses.

hounton · « **Reply #27 on:** May 31, 2021, 06:15:55 PM »

Quote from: philli14 on May 31, 2021, 09:59:26 AM

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
APR | $ 27 | $ 165 | $ 0 | $ 228 | $ 998 |
MAY | $ 29 | $ 827 | $ 583 | $ 221 | $ 2279 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 22 | $ 216 | $ 158 | $ 217 | $ 1560 |

Sooooo May was a big expensive month for me. I got engaged - purchased the ring, had several celebration get togethers/drinks/etc, and a 5-day beach getaway.. All that said, could have been a lot worse considering the month I had. June should settle down a good bit, but I fear a lot of my goals have been put out of reach. I will do my best to get close, though!

Congratulations on the engagement. I hope you are enjoying yourself, because that is what all the hard work is for. I've been married form more than 20 years and as long as the two of you are on the same page with respect to money, hopefully this will help your goals. Two minds are better than one.

kittykat · « **Reply #28 on:** June 01, 2021, 05:14:24 PM »

First, congrats to @philli14 !

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
FEB 2021 | $ 31 | $ 319 | $ 757 | $ 1,126 | $ 2,233 |
MAR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 896 | $ 976 | $ 1,352 | $ 3,224 |
APR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 754 | $ 912 | $ 1,476 | $ 3,142 |
MAY 2021 | $ 0 | $ 1,330 | $ 1,012 | $ 1,251 | $ 3,593 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

Uhm, I guess I went to a lot of restaurants in May! Didn't see that coming, but was treating my dad who was visiting and helping me out. I shopped a bit, not crazy, but I keep swearing next month I'm going to curb it.... but I've been off track all year and need to clean up my act for the second half.

Weisass · « **Reply #29 on:** June 05, 2021, 08:57:54 AM »

	\| Gasoline	\| Restaurants	\| Groceries	\| Clothes	\| Hobbies	\| Total
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
AVG 2019	\| $ 96	\| $ 311	\| $ 924	\| $ 136	\| $ 266	\| $ 1733
AVG 2020	\| $ 105	\| $ 189	\| $ 998	\| $ 243	\| $ 235	\| $ 1770
Jan 2021	\| $ 127	\| $ 98	\| $ 779	\| $ 0	\| $ 58	\| $ 1062
feb 2021	\| $ 83	\| $ 259	\| $ 933	\| $ 0	\| $ 201	\| $ 1476
Mar 2021	\| $ 117	\| $ 253	\| $ 1091	\| $ 0	\| $ 195	\| $ 1676
April 2021	\| $ 118	\| $ 238	\| $ 1183	\| $ 0	\| $ 353	\| $ 1892
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
May 2021	\| $ 58	\| $ 323	\| $ 950	\| $ 0	\| $ 670	\| $ 2001
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
Avg 2021	\| $ 101	\| $ 234	\| $ 987	\| $ 0	\| $ 295	\| $ 1621

At this point, I am observing a gradual uptick in certain spending, and I think I am appreciating this exercise because it means I know where I need to pay more attention. This month and next should be much lighter on the budget, but I will definitely be holding the line a bit more.

philli14 · « **Reply #30 on:** July 01, 2021, 12:38:00 PM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
APR | $ 27 | $ 165 | $ 0 | $ 228 | $ 998 |
MAY | $ 29 | $ 827 | $ 583 | $ 221 | $ 2279 |
JUN | $ 0 | $ 170 | $ 180 | $ 226 | $ 1174 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 19 | $ 208 | $ 162 | $ 219 | $ 1496 |

Thanks all! Better month, but still didn't rebound as hard as I was hoping. July needs to be better.

oneday · « **Reply #31 on:** July 03, 2021, 12:48:34 PM »

@kittykat @Weisass hope your June budgets were more agreeable.

@philli14 There is a lot of year left. I know you can do it!

June wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595*|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692#|
MAR 2021 | $ 38 | $ 120 | $ 96 | $ 2483 |
APR 2021 | $ 18 | $ 188 | $ 311 | $ 732^|
MAY 2021 | $ 59 | $ 239 | $ 120 | $ 3044 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
YTD AVG | $ 115 | $ 157 | $ 147 | $ 3709 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JUN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 233 | $ 142 | $ 6352~|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
*2645 w/o housing deposit
#2741 w/o IRA contrib or reimbursements
^3556 w/o extraordinary things
~1967 w/o braces or double paying rent

Compared to 2020 average:

$2400 for braces - now paid off
$1985 double paid rent - June's rent paid 6/3 and July's rent paid 6/30. Had been paying a few days after the 1st, so this is automated and should only be once a month going forward. Also, this includes BF's half of July rent, which he paid me on the 1st or 2nd. Should be normalized going forward.

$0 entertainment is a result of taking the Frugalwoods Uber-Frugal Month challenge. I guess I didn't apply any of that mojo to the other tracked categories! lol

Groceries are a little higher than last month because I stocked up on some staples that were on sale.

Restaurants: spent $70 on Starbucks cards because of a credit card promo that gave 10% back. Still have $38 of this, so it's sorta like stocking up on grocery staples...kinda. I mean, I still spent $32 and that's a bit more than I'd like. Also spent $22 to dine with a coworker at my new job...networking/team building I guess. We just get along pretty well. Worth it. The rest of the spending was my normal spending with BF. Which is on the high side compared to last year's average, but I knew that would happen when I moved in with him. The good news for me is that, outside of the coffee shop, there is no solo dining out. If I'm going to have expensive restaurant food, then I want to get socializing value out of it as well!

Hmm, might be useful to compare current dining+grocery spend to last years dining+grocery spend rather than as separate categories, because my patterns have changed so much with my living situation.

Dec 2019 $590 (baseline of non-mindful spending)
Avg 2020 $332
Avg 2021 $315 Glad I did that! This was instructive. Not as different as I expected. Good to know.

SotI · « **Reply #32 on:** July 04, 2021, 09:56:28 AM »

Yay, back on track in June.

2020 Spend 2021 Spend
Jan 5,379 4,383
Feb 3,876 2,645
March 4,030 3,275
April 3,774 1,990
May 3,437 4,953
June 3,635 2,618

Less camping than planned, so some of the expenses may just be delayed to July or August.
But it was nice to actually stay in budget again ☺

kittykat · « **Reply #33 on:** July 09, 2021, 03:04:51 PM »

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
FEB 2021 | $ 31 | $ 319 | $ 757 | $ 1,126 | $ 2,233 |
MAR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 896 | $ 976 | $ 1,352 | $ 3,224 |
APR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 754 | $ 912 | $ 1,476 | $ 3,142 |
MAY 2021 | $ 0 | $ 1,330 | $ 1,012 | $ 1,251 | $ 3,593 |
JUN 2021 | $ 75 | $ 1,291 | $ 867 | $ 1,098 | $ 3,331 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

Only faired slightly better in Shopping for June.

SotI · « **Reply #34 on:** August 01, 2021, 09:36:37 AM »

Yay, a bit of a unexpected fail this month due to additional charity donations.
Still, it's for a good cause. Without it, I would have been well below last year's figure.
August is going to be spendy, though, as we are investing into some critical house infrastructure.
Weather currently isn't that great for camping.

2020 Spend 2021 Spend
Jan 5,379 4,383
Feb 3,876 2,645
March 4,030 3,275
April 3,774 1,990
May 3,437 4,953
June 3,635 2,618
July 2,938 3,179

philli14 · « **Reply #35 on:** August 01, 2021, 10:36:01 AM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
APR | $ 27 | $ 165 | $ 0 | $ 228 | $ 998 |
MAY | $ 29 | $ 827 | $ 583 | $ 221 | $ 2279 |
JUN | $ 0 | $ 170 | $ 180 | $ 226 | $ 1174 |
JUL | $ 41 | $ 166 | $ 481 | $ 289 | $ 1760 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 22 | $ 202 | $ 207 | $ 229 | $ 1533 |

Rough spending month for me. Big birthday gift present, and invested in a squat rack/bumper plate setup (got it at a steal and will be used a lot). 2021 has not been great in the spending department.. feel like I'm getting a little lax. Here's hoping for some good buckling down to end the year strong.

oneday · « **Reply #36 on:** August 01, 2021, 10:34:41 PM »

I really appreciate this thread as a place not only to post numbers for accountability, but y'all allow me to ramble on with the narrative & nobody complains. Guessing most just skip over XD But it's worthwile to me. :)

July wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595^A|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692^B|
MAR 2021 | $ 38 | $ 120 | $ 96 | $ 2483 |
APR 2021 | $ 18 | $ 188 | $ 311 | $ 732^C|
MAY 2021 | $ 59 | $ 239 | $ 120 | $ 3044 |
JUN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 233 | $ 142 | $ 6352^D|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
YTD AVG | $ 96 | $ 169 | $ 146 | $ 4150 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JUL 2021 | $ 150 | $ 335 | $ 398 | $ 1618^E|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
^A2645 w/o housing deposit
^B2741 w/o IRA contrib or reimbursements
^C3556 w/o extraordinary things
^D1967 w/o braces or double paying rent
^E2718 w/o return of prior apartment deposit

Compared to 2020 average:

Even excluding the $1100 deposit from getting my deposit back from the prior apartment, I am under my trailing 12 month average spend by $700. Which is...fine? OTOH, the trailing 12 month average went down a smidge, but still very much in the ballpark of June's. Which is welcome. Once enough data has accumulated to give stability in the numbers, then I can start feeling comfortable talking about "annual spend". Currently I don't feel like 20 months is enough data to extrapolate off of.

What else was weird this month? Did a little manufactured spending for a credit card bonus: $100 each in gift cards purchased in categories groceries, entertainment and restaurants ($300 total). Even after eliminating that spending, both groceries and restaurants are higher than either this year or prior year average. For August, I'm going to do an Uber-Frugal Month, Lite version. Where I reign in spending on these two categories (the gift cards will see some use!). It will be hard, because BF and I will take a 4-day trip out of town with his folks and will likely try to treat them *at least* once. They are the type that like to pay for everything, though. Makes me feel a little dependent, and I don't like that. Will bring along as much food as practical, too.

Pet food & flea meds needed purchasing this month; I've finally analyzed that spending and as long as prices stay the same, food, meds & litter cost about $55/month. I'm glad I'm no longer paying $50 pet rent on top of that!

$185 to the massage place, but the subscription is over, all massages redeemed and all tips paid. No more of this! At least, not on a subscription basis.

$232 in travel costs: deposits for future travel. One camping trip later this year and one credit card annual fee for international travel at some point in the future.

Despite all this, my monthly spend was lower than the trailing 12 months! There is really a lot more room in my budget than I "feel." Getting rid of the massage subscription hopefully will help me realize or "feel" it, on more days than just these budget reflections posts.

Upcoming:

aforementioned travel
$625 state income tax still owing, due to an error in my part on filing. I will try to get the $20 penalty waived, but the rep I talked to was not too optimistic on my behalf.

kittykat · « **Reply #37 on:** August 03, 2021, 06:55:10 PM »

@oneday I, for one, read what everyone posts. :)

| Fun Out | Restaurants | Groceries | Shopping | Total |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 26 | $ 682 | $ 634 | $ 3,473 | $ 4,815 |
AVG 2020 | $ 42 | $ 227 | $ 948 | $ 953 | $ 2,302 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 445 | $ 1,091 | $ 2,707 | $ 4,243 |
FEB 2021 | $ 31 | $ 319 | $ 757 | $ 1,126 | $ 2,233 |
MAR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 896 | $ 976 | $ 1,352 | $ 3,224 |
APR 2021 | $ 0 | $ 754 | $ 912 | $ 1,476 | $ 3,142 |
MAY 2021 | $ 0 | $ 1,330 | $ 1,012 | $ 1,251 | $ 3,593 |
JUN 2021 | $ 75 | $ 1,291 | $ 867 | $ 1,098 | $ 3,331 |
JUL 2021 | $ 447 | $ 853 | $ 1,291 | $ 2,379 | $ 4,970 |
|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------|-------------|

I mean I'm basically out of control. I went to an upscale outlet mall and lost my sh*t... was feeling lonely and needed to get out of the house; that was an expensive feeling.

oneday · « **Reply #38 on:** August 03, 2021, 10:29:34 PM »

Wow @kittykat you are maybe a glutton for punishment if you continue to read my money ramblings, lol!

Can I ask, what do you include in your Shopping category...mainly I'm curious if you break that into finer detail in your budget/tracking system and just report one lump here for ease of presentation?

Weisass · « **Reply #39 on:** August 04, 2021, 10:44:01 AM »

Well, I fell off the wagon here a bit. Let's see if I can hold myself accountable now. Restaurant spending was a bit high, because we went out for the first time in a year and 3 months, and travelled home to see family for the first time in two years. That adds up to a little extra, but it was worth it.

	\| Gasoline	\| Restaurants	\| Groceries	\| Clothes	\| Hobbies	\| Total
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
AVG 2019	\| $ 96	\| $ 311	\| $ 924	\| $ 136	\| $ 266	\| $ 1733
AVG 2020	\| $ 105	\| $ 189	\| $ 998	\| $ 243	\| $ 235	\| $ 1770
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
Jan 2021	\| $ 127	\| $ 98	\| $ 779	\| $ 0	\| $ 58	\| $ 1062
feb 2021	\| $ 83	\| $ 259	\| $ 933	\| $ 0	\| $ 201	\| $ 1476
Mar 2021	\| $ 117	\| $ 253	\| $ 1091	\| $ 0	\| $ 195	\| $ 1676
April 2021	\| $ 118	\| $ 238	\| $ 1183	\| $ 0	\| $ 353	\| $ 1892
May 2021	\| $ 58	\| $ 323	\| $ 950	\| $ 0	\| $ 670	\| $ 2001
June 2021	\| $ 128	\| $ 471	\| $ 493	\| $ 76	\| $ 147	\| $ 1315
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
July 2021	\| $ 136	\| $ 521	\| $ 823	\| $ 48	\| $ 0	\| $ 1528
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
Avg 2021	\| $ 109	\| $ 309	\| $ 893	\| $ 18	\| $ 232	\| $ 1561

kittykat · « **Reply #40 on:** August 05, 2021, 04:17:39 PM »

Quote from: oneday on August 03, 2021, 10:29:34 PM

Wow @kittykat you are maybe a glutton for punishment if you continue to read my money ramblings, lol!

Can I ask, what do you include in your Shopping category...mainly I'm curious if you break that into finer detail in your budget/tracking system and just report one lump here for ease of presentation?

My shopping category is things I buy for myself that are clearly unnecessary, so for July, and you’re gonna love this, $400 at Gucci, $600 at Burberry, $600 at YSL…. I mean no excuses, it’s excessive. I’ll admit that I make a lot of money and can “afford” to shop like that all the time but I want to FIRE obviously and this spending is counterproductive. Every now and then I’m very focused and have it under control but it feels forced… even though I grew up with very little and made my own way. Keeping detailed tracking, looking at it daily and this forum keeps me from spending even more if you can believe that.

oneday · « **Reply #41 on:** August 05, 2021, 09:50:05 PM »

Quote from: kittykat on August 05, 2021, 04:17:39 PM

Quote from: oneday on August 03, 2021, 10:29:34 PM
Wow @kittykat you are maybe a glutton for punishment if you continue to read my money ramblings, lol!

Can I ask, what do you include in your Shopping category...mainly I'm curious if you break that into finer detail in your budget/tracking system and just report one lump here for ease of presentation?

My shopping category is things I buy for myself that are clearly unnecessary, so for July, and you’re gonna love this, $400 at Gucci, $600 at Burberry, $600 at YSL…. I mean no excuses, it’s excessive. I’ll admit that I make a lot of money and can “afford” to shop like that all the time but I want to FIRE obviously and this spending is counterproductive. Every now and then I’m very focused and have it under control but it feels forced… even though I grew up with very little and made my own way. Keeping detailed tracking, looking at it daily and this forum keeps me from spending even more if you can believe that.

I believe it! I have gotten so much help from the kind words of wise folks on this forum...just knowing I'll have to admit anything to them later keeps me accountable! I do still "slip up", but yeah, it would be a lot more often and a lot more pricey if I didn't have this confessional thread :)

kittykat · « **Reply #42 on:** August 08, 2021, 08:05:02 AM »

Quote from: oneday on August 05, 2021, 09:50:05 PM

I believe it! I have gotten so much help from the kind words of wise folks on this forum...just knowing I'll have to admit anything to them later keeps me accountable! I do still "slip up", but yeah, it would be a lot more often and a lot more pricey if I didn't have this confessional thread :)

Well then I’m thankful we all have each other here!

rebel_quietude · « **Reply #43 on:** August 11, 2021, 11:06:24 PM »

1. I can't believe I haven't seen this thread before.

2. The title alone is making me sweat.

3. @kittykat , I feel you so hard on the lonely mall trips. Last time I brought my dog to the outdoor mall and got ice cream. Ice cream I didn't need, but thank goodness my pup's presence kept me from going in to stores!

4. My graph will have a category called "los dos," (the dog & cat) and it will likely sum to more per month than my groceries. I have a problem. Time to work on the mustache muscles.

5. This is all a meandering way to say posting to follow, and trying to psych myself up to attempt next year. My spending has gotten a little . . . not good.

You guys are inspiring. Thank you!!

oneday · « **Reply #44 on:** August 12, 2021, 07:07:38 PM »

Quote from: rebel_quietude on August 11, 2021, 11:06:24 PM

1. I can't believe I haven't seen this thread before.

2. The title alone is making me sweat.

3. @kittykat , I feel you so hard on the lonely mall trips. Last time I brought my dog to the outdoor mall and got ice cream. Ice cream I didn't need, but thank goodness my pup's presence kept me from going in to stores!

4. My graph will have a category called "los dos," (the dog & cat) and it will likely sum to more per month than my groceries. I have a problem. Time to work on the mustache muscles.

5. This is all a meandering way to say posting to follow, and trying to psych myself up to attempt next year. My spending has gotten a little . . . not good.

You guys are inspiring. Thank you!!

@rebel_quietude welcome! If you're not happy with current spending, February is a long way off. I encourage you to jump in now! We are each doing a slightly different thing (categories, formatting, etc.) So if you don't want to go into the same detail for Jan-July or prior, that's fine. It's not going to disrupt the thread. But no pressure. If you're not ready, jump in when you are.

I could add an "El Uno" category for my cat! Although I just calculated that outside of vet bills, he's about $55/month (food/treats, litter, flea meds & the occasional supply). I don't spend lavishly on him, and somehow he's spoiled anyway!

rebel_quietude · « **Reply #45 on:** August 14, 2021, 11:47:09 AM »

LOL, that was a polite mustachian-call-out if I've ever read one, @oneday , and thanks for the welcome!

I'm expecting about 6k in medical expenses that are going to make my budget really frustrating to look at this month. Better to start with a month that isn't going to make me cry, right? However, please give me grief if I'm not here in September.

Cats are always spoiled - I think it's a base personality trait. They determine how much we value those purr-cuddles and use that knowledge to their decisive advantage.

oneday · « **Reply #46 on:** August 16, 2021, 03:20:26 PM »

@rebel_quietude in that case September does seem like a good time to start. Hope to see your analysis on October!!

I'm not going to pretty into your medical issues, but hope everything's ok.

philli14 · « **Reply #47 on:** September 01, 2021, 01:05:47 PM »

| Gas/Fuel | Restaurants | "Shopping" | Groceries | Total |
2018 AVG | $ 160 | $ 541 | $ 422 | $ 195 | $ 2902 |
2019 AVG | $ 45 | $ 151 | $ 93 | $ 182 | $ 1464 |
2020 AVG | $ 25 | $ 95 | $ 46 | $ 258 | $ 1192 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 GOAL | $ 25 | $ 100 | $ 50 | $ 200 | $ 1100 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
JAN | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 42 | $ 257 | $ 971 |
FEB | $ 26 | $ 34 | $ 0 | $ 155 | $ 1670 |
MAR | $ 30 | $ 52 | $ 164 | $ 226 | $ 1881 |
APR | $ 27 | $ 165 | $ 0 | $ 228 | $ 998 |
MAY | $ 29 | $ 827 | $ 583 | $ 221 | $ 2279 |
JUN | $ 0 | $ 170 | $ 180 | $ 226 | $ 1174 |
JUL | $ 41 | $ 166 | $ 481 | $ 289 | $ 1760 |
AUG | $ 25 | $ 293 | $ 267 | $ 249 | $ 1726 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|
2021 AVG | $ 22 | $ 213 | $ 215 | $ 231 | $ 1557 |

More life events that have given me mental wiggle room to get leaky with my spending. 2021 has been a very different year for me, and I am becoming increasingly aware of the need to adjust my current lifestyle to avoid some creep. Plus, starting next month we have a roommate moving out which will increase rent (an inevitable but necessary life step, no more roommates!). At the end of the day, I am happy healthy and very fortunate to have the life I have right now. Tweaks are more about optimization rather than any large drastic overhauls.

oneday · « **Reply #48 on:** September 06, 2021, 05:19:39 PM »

August wrap up

| Entertain | Restaurants | Groceries | Total |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
DEC 2019 | $ 358 | $ 309 | $ 281 | $ 3553 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AVG 2020 | $ 102 | $ 106 | $ 226 | $ 3419 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
JAN 2021 | $ 290 | $ 94 | $ 91 | $ 4595^A|
FEB 2021 | $ 168 | $ 142 | $ 116 | $ 7692^B|
MAR 2021 | $ 38 | $ 120 | $ 96 | $ 2483 |
APR 2021 | $ 18 | $ 188 | $ 311 | $ 732^C|
MAY 2021 | $ 59 | $ 239 | $ 120 | $ 3044 |
JUN 2021 | $ 0 | $ 233 | $ 142 | $ 6352^D|
JUL 2021 | $ 150 | $ 335 | $ 398 | $ 1618^E|
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
YTD AVG | $ 103 | $ 193 | $ 182 | $ 3788 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
AUG 2021 | $ 66 | $ 109 | $ 254 | $ 3146 |
|------------|-------------|------------|------------|
^A2645 w/o housing deposit
^B2741 w/o IRA contrib or reimbursements
^C3556 w/o extraordinary things
^D1967 w/o braces or double paying rent
^E2718 w/o return of prior apartment deposit

Compared to 2020 average:

Trailing 12 month average spend is still in the ballpark of June and July. Waiting for enough data to accumulate to feel more secure in projections. Trailing 12 month annual spend ranges from $38K to 43K, excluding taxes. I would like a smaller range.

What else was weird this month? For a change, a legitimately low-spend month without caveats. I've started my post-tax savings and count that as an expense for now, that was $840 this month and will vary a bit for months with 3 paychecks. Had to pay mis-calculated taxes plus a small penalty that came to a combined $627. Groceries is the next largest spend (outside of rent), so maybe this month I'll work more on eating from the pantry. I've been chasing deals and this probably has taken the focus off meal planning/using up and placed it on spending/accumulating. It's not wasted money, but I don't want to create too much of a backlog in my pantry.

Last month I wrote:

Quote

There is really a lot more room in my budget than I "feel." Getting rid of the massage subscription hopefully will help me realize or "feel" it, on more days than just these budget reflections posts.

Didn't feel any different this month.

Weisass · « **Reply #49 on:** September 06, 2021, 06:43:02 PM »

	\| Gasoline	\| Restaurants	\| Groceries	\| Clothes	\| Hobbies	\| Total
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
AVG 2019	\| $ 96	\| $ 311	\| $ 924	\| $ 136	\| $ 266	\| $ 1733
AVG 2020	\| $ 105	\| $ 189	\| $ 998	\| $ 243	\| $ 235	\| $ 1770
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
Jan 2021	\| $ 127	\| $ 98	\| $ 779	\| $ 0	\| $ 58	\| $ 1062
feb 2021	\| $ 83	\| $ 259	\| $ 933	\| $ 0	\| $ 201	\| $ 1476
Mar 2021	\| $ 117	\| $ 253	\| $ 1091	\| $ 0	\| $ 195	\| $ 1676
April 2021	\| $ 118	\| $ 238	\| $ 1183	\| $ 0	\| $ 353	\| $ 1892
May 2021	\| $ 58	\| $ 323	\| $ 950	\| $ 0	\| $ 670	\| $ 2001
June 2021	\| $ 128	\| $ 471	\| $ 493	\| $ 76	\| $ 147	\| $ 1315
July 2021	\| $ 136	\| $ 521	\| $ 823	\| $ 48	\| $ 0	\| $ 1528
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
August 2021	\| $ 107	\| $ 269	\| $ 955	\| $ 110	\| $ 385	\| $ 1826
	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| -----------	\| ------------
Avg 2021	\| $ 109	\| $ 304	\| $ 901	\| $ 29	\| $ 251	\| $ 1594

News:

Author Topic: Hold Yourself Openly Accountable for Your Spending in 2021 (Read 7134 times)