Ways and Means: November

Well, all that excitement from a high achieving October went down the drain. I thought it would be the start of a few months with no excess spending but boy was I wrong. First, the big “winner” for this month was pre-ordained. Mel had moving costs coming in and that was way more than enough to insure that she would take November by a wide margin. Let me tell you, the broker’s fee that many New York apartments require is outrageous. What is this fee for you ask? Basically just for showing the apartment, getting it signed, etc. That fee can be either one month's rent, two month’s rent, or something in the ballpark of 12-15% of the total rent. For an apartment that costs, say, $2000 a month, that broker fee is $3600. That’s an extra $300 per month! Yes, that is why people in New York perk up anytime there is a no-broker fee around.

Anyway, between this and actual moving costs, Mel’s November was shot while George, AMR, and I were free to spend to our heart’s content with no worry that we’d win November. It made for a drama free month but I believe we all stuck to our budgets as close to possible anyway, as the true soul of Budget Club is saving money, not trying to win or lose. That's what they tell me anyway. With Mel's victory, we have all taken our turn at the top of Budget Club and now it'll be a clean race to see who wins for December...

For the month, I went 150% over my budget. How you ask? I mean, last month I declared that my bank account and budget were in lockstep. Well, two words: tax return. I received the almighty gift from the government and then promptly spent it all. That extra money was the only way I survived.

Basically I blasted through 200% for play, 215% on travel, 420% on household stuff (sounds high but the amount was initially set very low), 325% on taxis, and 200% on miscellaneous. That all sounds pretty dire but I am happy to report that I was only 120% on dining out and 80% on snacks, which means my food costs were more or less under control. Now if the rest of my life would just stay put, I'll be okay.

Heading into the final month of Budget Club, I'm excited to do an end-of-year wrap up. How much did I spend in my "richest year ever?" Also, is it time for me to get a credit card? Traditionally I'm awful when extended credit so I've been wary -- I'm sure the feeling is mutual. However, it seems like something I should do so I can make large purchases without automatically having my account depleted. Speaking of account depletion, I noticed that my bank has been charging me for under balance fees. That's all fair and good but c'mon, why exacerbate the problem? Who knows what a credit union is? Should I join one even though it seems like you'd need to be local to belong? Why were there no personal finance classes in high school? That seems like an oversight...

• ATM Visits: Six, twice with fees
• Dining out: Twenty eight times, high of $50, average of $21
• Snacks: Fourteen, high of $8.50, average of $5.50
• Cabs: Eleven, average of $15
• Shopping: Fake glasses, one book, four iOS games
• Play: Book club tea house, Smalls jazz club, three nights out, Haim concert tickets, four movies
• Biggest Expenses: Flight to SD ($200), Amazon household stuff ($85), Home Depot items ($60), bar food and drinks ($50), Chinese food ($40)