The answer is obviously to re-budget. I mean, they say that tracking your expenses for three months will then yield what you really spend. If that's true, I spent too much! (Don't we all.) With that in mind, I have adjusted my "real" budget accordingly. I upped my dining out number, as it's unrealistic that I'll eat in more, or bother to cook. I mean, I'm in New York, I need to try everything. Since I flew over the dining out budget in spectacular fashion for January, February, and March, I'll just keep it rolling. I did lop off more play and transportation money. As spring finally arrives, there will be free activities everywhere and I anticipate an uptick in outside hanging out, which is good for both playing and not having to take taxis. I read that NYC is finally getting their much delayed bike sharing program up soon, which could be fun.
Oh, our bills came home to roost. For awhile we hadn't been getting our bills or anything, and then they all hit at once, and we questioned how our heating bill was so much. At the end of the day, Mary and I aren't about squabbling over some gas and electricity, even though we were mystified why it was so high if we're both rarely here. But she had to jaunt off to Africa so we just paid that sucker in full, no questions asked. Keep that heat coming ConEd, pipe that hot air right in.
An unexpected expense was a trip to Costco. Yes, glorious Costco! JMZ called me up and said that he was gonna do a quick run and asked if I wanted in. Um, heck yah. With visions of hot dogs and chicken bakes and gooey pizza in my head, we went in and emerged an hour or so later down almost two hundred dollars each.
I got the biggest toilet paper and paper towel stacks, snacks for days, cans of life sustaining soup, cleaning supplies, detergent, some towels that came in a pack of ten but we only wanted the four with this (awesome) bird pattern. You know how it goes. You've all been to Costco before. JMZ convinced me that it was better to buy in bulk than to keep getting small things one at a time, and since my apartment has the storage space, why not? So my household bill blew up, to the tune of an 1150% increase. That number sounds high, but it was really just because I had it set super low and the bills and Costco combined to take it to record heights.
Fellow budget clubbers, how do you guys track/prepare for vacations and getaways? I'm basically chalking it up as alternate expenses and deducting it from my savings. I mean, what I call my savings aka my bank account. Perhaps this would be best given its own category and an amount is built up in a fund over time? Please tell me oh wise ones. We're hitting up Puerto Rico on the cheap at the end of the month, and I just took the expenses out as uncategorized. More summer travels await so an effective plan now would be ideal.
I almost decided to fly to England and France for a sec, but decided that was ultimately probably not a prudent financial choice, as it would have been only for a week. The trouble I'm having with traveling is that people only want to go places for a few days. By "people" I mean those with normal jobs. My friend asked if I wanted to go to Belgium in June but it would only be for four days. Just to get over there would be about a grand and then to leave in four days? Never! Free lodging though. Perhaps I need to readjust my idea of what a proper length of time away should be.
Also, my regular pay got cut in half starting April so it's time to look for other income. Some website monies are rolling in but I should probably try to get more of that. Actually, I just found out about some incoming book money, which is unexpected and will go straight into those aforementioned savings. Glorious day. Also upcoming in April will be a true tightening of the belt and maybe I'll dare answer the question: Is it time to get a bed frame?
- ATM Visits: Five times, no fees
- Dining out: Thirty three times, high of $83
- Cabs: Eleven
- Bobas: So many I didn't even count
- Cigarettes: None
- Shopping: Fanny pack, earplugs, travel duffel bag, four books
- Play: Three movies, a musical, symphony at Carnegie Hall, Starcraft 2 expansion pack, approx five nights out, two karaoke sessions
- Biggest expenses: Household bills ($355), karaoke ($100), bus ride to D.C. ($160), Costco ($160), Dinner ($83)
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