Just as a quick reminder, my husband and I split the household bills. He handles big things like the mortgage, car payment, and cell phone bill and I buy groceries.
Groceries (33.7%) - This seemed like a crazy number! There was one trip to Costco, but I'm not sure why this was so high. Hmmm.
Clothes (23.4%) - I bought a dress and three pairs of shoes, but I'm only keeping one pair of the shoes, so the credit will be in July's figures. I am finding that my summer wardrobe for the office needs some work if I'm going to be going in five times a week and I need two or three more office appropriate dresses, so clothes will be big in July, as well. I also need to buy new cross trainers and new sandals, so the clothing spending will seem out of control next month, but I assure it's all well considered.
Pets (10.3%) - This isn't too bad, actually. Food for Zelda, some toothpaste and litter, some of Hannah's medications.
Savings (9.5%) - I still need to tweak this and I'd like it to be closer to 25% before the end of the year, but I'm okay with it for now.
Cars (7.7%) - Renewed the registration for one of the cars and got gas a couple of times. BIG CAR NEWS!! We paid off our "new car" last week. So now we have two paid off cars. We're truly living the American dream. I mean, sure our old car can't really go on the highway, doesn't have a working HVAC system, and sometimes when you hit the lock button the trunk opens and we'll inevitably be car shopping in the next few months, but woot woot!
Eating out (3.6%) - I bought lunch with friends once, coffee a few times, a Gatorade when I was on campus (I was trying futilely to get rid of a headache), and ice cream once. I'm satisfied with this.
Entertainment (3.5%) - This is where I classified all of my expenditures from The House on the Rock and Cave of the Mounds adventure.
Gifts (3.4%) - Okay, this was completely MY BAD. I noticed the day of that it was my FIL's wife's birthday and I hadn't sent a card and my beloved SIL's birthday was the next day. Sending cards is my jam, but I was so insane with work in June that I just forgot. I texted Dr. BB and told him to pull out cards from the greeting card box while I was at work and I'd sign them when I got home and we could send them out ASAP. He reported back that there were NO CARDS FOR ADULT BIRTHDAYS. How had I let my box get into this shape? We sent blank cards to the birthday people with birthday wishes and then I ordered a couple of dozen birthday cards from a couple of Etsy shops.
Fitness (3%) - I paid for some classes that will be on Tuesdays from September through December.
Personal care (1.9%) - Pedicure. No regrets.
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My new dress is my favorite thing I bought this month. What's your favorite new thing?
Savings is great, IMO— I am tracking my saving INCREASE for a few months to make me feel better about how small the actual percentage is.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's smart. The percentage is laughable in my case and I really need to do better!
DeleteI have lately also been keeping a birthday card...well, not box, but I have a few kept for upcoming needs. I haven't thought of getting them off Etsy but now I am going to!
ReplyDeleteI buy a lot of cards from Etsy! There are a lot of great Canadian sellers on Etsy, too!
Delete9.5% savings is excellent. Sigh the grocery bill is what it is.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing that I spent money on last month was my trip. Yeah yeah it's not exactly a thing, it's an experience, but still. It was epic.
Yes, experiences always trump things. You did so much on that trip!
DeleteI am so bad about sending out birthday cards, but I try to send birthday texts. Sigh. Maybe I'll be better next year?
ReplyDeleteFavourite "new" thing? My thrifted romper. $5.75 at a thrift store yesterday. My summer wardrobe is SAD, and I've been wanting a black romper. Seek and ye shall find, apparently.
Yay! What a great thrifting find!
DeleteMy favorite spend was splurging on a Thai dinner when my friend was visiting. Also among the ranks, a crochet top I got at a thrift store--it looks so summery, and I can't wait to wear it.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the best money being dinner with a friend. It seems so lovely.
DeleteSo interesting always! How do you track your spending exactly? Do you just look at whatever you charged June 1-30 on your cc statements/bank accounts etc and tally up on a spreadsheet, do it on paper, or do you use software/website of some kind?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did I ever thank you for the House on the Rock postcard?! THANK YOU!! So fun and made my day!! :)
I track my spending on a Google sheet. Nothing fancy. Every night I just enter in what I spent. I suppose I should be fancier, but I only have the skills and free software that I have.
DeleteCongrats on paying off the new car. That's always a relief. I bought some new cloth napkins in the prettiest patterns and blue colors. That was my financial splurge of the month.
ReplyDeleteCloth napkins! That is pretty fancy.
DeleteI love that you buy cards from Etsy! That's very cool. I also have a box of cards for all occasions, and I love to send snail mail cards.
ReplyDeleteYes, I don't know how people operate without a box of cards. Like...do people go to Hallmark regularly?! I guess the truth is most people don't send as many birthday cards as I do, but I don't like to think that way.
DeleteHooray for having two paid-off cars!!! We've been in that situation and it feels so good- doesn't last long enough though.
ReplyDeleteYour eating out expenses are astonishingly low. I think my Starbucks alone would be that much, plus we get takeout (usually Chipotle) once a week. When my sister and BIL were here, we took them out for a really nice dinner, and that was the best money I spent last month.
My eating out expenses are low because I rarely eat out. But our grocery budget is insane, so that makes up for it, I guess. I do enjoy not cooking once in a while!
DeleteWe paid off both of our cars in 2008, and LOVE IT. Of course, that means that we have two old cars (2005 and 2008), and we are starting to think there is a car payment in our future. :( For now I'm in denial. Congrats on your savings, that is actually pretty great. Your 25% goal would be even better, of course, but the reality is that SOMETHING comes up almost every month, especially with old cars and pets (of any age).
ReplyDeleteWe were a one-car household for a long time, but I don't think we can go back to those days. Our "old" car is a 2010 and we're going to have to replace it. *sigh* I think it may only be months that we have no car payment - I'm so impressed by your YEARS!!!
DeleteShow us your dress!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for sharing your budget... it's a big deal to have your cars paid off (when everybody seems to lease these days). Which one of the two cars is the VW?
Oh, huh. Once I'm done with my spending spree, maybe I'll do a post with everything I've purchased.
DeleteThe VW is the "new" car - a 2019 VW Golf Sportwagen. The "old" car is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. I mean, I know there are people out there driving cars from the 1990s, so I feel weird about calling either of them old, but the Elantra is at the end of her life. *sad face*
I finally got our spending tracking figured out. Mint went away at the end of the year and the replacement was terrible (Credit Karma) so we got everything set up on Phil's Fidelity account so now I will be able to write our annual spending post. Phew. In July I bought a couple of work dresses because I needed more dresses for work travel. They were kind of expensive ($189/each) but I have another dress by the same company and it travels super well and is very comfy so I figured I would just rip the band aid off and buy more.
ReplyDelete$189 for a dress that travels well and is comfortable is worth it! You'll get so much use out of it!
DeleteCongratulations on paying off your car===having no payments is always the best!
ReplyDeleteWell, now we need to see the new dress. :)
When I am finished buying all these millions of things, I'll post photos of all of them, I promise.
DeleteGreat job at having TWO paid-off cars. Hopefully, you can enjoy that no-car payment feeling for a while!
ReplyDeleteI need to buy some cards on Etsy - I'm always buying cards at the last minute and they're so expensive at Target!
Yeah, I think we'll be car shopping soon, but there's a feeling of lightness right now. We just got the title for the car in the mail today! Woot!
DeleteI don't even know if the cards on Etsy are cheaper, but they are certainly more original. I won't be sending the exact same card as someone else, that's for sure.
Your breakdowns are fascinating! And I think having a back stock of cards is some serious adulting - it's SOOO annoying to have to buy a card when needed!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on paying off the car. As long as the trunk doesn't open when you're driving I think it sounds like a perfectly reasonable ride...?
I hope no one ever regrets a pedicure!
I really love my card box and it makes me happy to be the person that people can count on for snail mail.
DeleteHmmm...the car is okay as long as you don't need to accelerate fast. The biggest issue with it is that merging on highways isn't safe because it just can't get up to speed as fast as it needs to. Also, not having a working defrost is dangerous in the winter and when it rains in the summer. But we mostly just drive it around town, so it's okay for now.
I resorted to Amazon for a new bathing suit (yes I am suitable ashamed). I had to return a few (I try not to do this) but I'm happy with the final result.
ReplyDelete