Back in November, I downloaded and read Ashley's ebook, A Story of Debt. Inspired by her blog, I am going to document my spending for the year. Because heaven knows, I am shitty with money. Easy come, easy go!
Also, this article from 2006, "Money," by Keith Gessen of n+1 about how much a writer makes is great, and sobering. I have no idea how people are full time writers. It happens, of course, but it seems nigh impossible. Thank goodness I'm not a writer anymore. (My new business cards say "itinerant," although many have already confused it with "intern." Which is about right I guess.)
In January, I went 250% over my budget, but that was to be expected, as there was carryover from a ton of end of year stuff plus some large expenses, as mentioned in my first budgeting post. I figured February would be a true gauge of how much I really spent. After seeing how other people in the budgeting knitting circle went over by just a few hundred dollars, I was ashamed to admit that I'd blown February completely, to the tune of 155% of my estimated budget. Hey at least there was a -100% improvement right? Wait, my math is off.
Anyway, here are the main culprits from February: 175% on dining out, 180% on shopping, 640% on gifts, 300% on public transportation, aka taxis. Also there was a bunch of miscellaneous expenses having to do with passports, visas, and Wifi startup costs. (We still have no Wifi, sigh.)
The good news is that I was under on play money and groceries, 72% and 60% respectively, which means I can dial back next month's budget on those categories. For February, I had lowered my dining out budget by 67%, but clearly that needs to be moved right back up. I don't eat home nearly as much as I aspired to. Play money I'll keep the same, because really, I should be playing more, right?
The big hit last month was public transportation. After careful analysis, I got six MTA refills at $20 each, meaning I spent $120 for the month. Even with the upcoming fare hike, it will be worth it -- just barely -- to purchase a monthly pass. The main transportation cost wasn't MTA though, it was taxis! Part of that was by design, as I resolved to taxis home from the city if it was late. The other reasoning behind all those taxis was the blistering cold. A few dollars to get out of the wind, or to not be late somewhere, super worth it. Spare no expense I say!
As the weather warms up, I anticipate the taxi cost going down as I toughen up and get back to walking and riding the subway more. This will also translate nicely to an uptick in reading, which is highly necessary as I've only finished three books so far. fiftyfifty.me is gonna be a real challenge this year, I can already tell.
Big question for March: Do I get a Movie Pass? My heart says "yes," my inability to commit says "maybe." And while we're talking about money, this track I blogged over at TEST is just killer. I think it should be the official budgeting club anthem.
- ATM Visits: Nine, three times with fees
- Dining out: Thirty times, high of $78
- Cabs: Twenty one, average ride price of $22
- Bobas: Four
- Cigarettes: One pack
- Shopping: Gap 1969 jeans, two pairs of gloves, three Target hoodies, socks, Uniqlo thermals, a tie
- Play: three movies, five nights out, two concerts, no karaoke
- Biggest expenses: Expedited passport ($195), Greyhound ticket ($90), Dinner ($78)
No comments:
Post a Comment