If the rest of 2010 is as good as January was, I’ll be a happy camper. Tutoring really gave my discretionary income a sexy little boost and I also brought home some blogging income. These side hustles are turning out to be a wonderful thing. Here’s where my money went last month…
My Income:
Blog: I don’t plan to become an advertising whore, my primary focus for blogging is on not sucking, but I’m not gonna lie and say a little income doesn’t hurt.
Salary: This income is after tax. I’m only a few paychecks away from my $12,000 pay raise! I bring home just under $1,400 every two weeks, but it should be closer to $1,650 once that raise comes.
Tutoring: January is finals week for all my high school kids, so they are desperate for some tutoring. Being knowledgeable in Algebra and Geometry is pretty much awesome. Tutoring is the easiest money I’ve ever made.
My Expenses:
Auto: How much do you spend on gas each month? I bet it’s not under $41, like I was able to get away with. Having a work vehicle is simply amazing.
Dining/Groceries: Eating is freakin’ expensive. I have a goal to spend no more than $250 and am proud to say I managed to stay under budget. I’ve always wondered how much I would spend each month if I was girl?
Interest expense: I have been making only minimum payments on this pesky loan for the last couple months. With a wedding and honeymoon pending I’m hoarding cash and holding off on the student loan accelerated payment schedule. I do plan to pay this beast off soon, but that time has not yet come.
Travel/Reimbursement: I have an airlines credit card that I get double rewards points on when I buy airfare. Last month I bought quite a bit of airfare for my family members and so that is what the reimbursements are. I wish I was planning on going somewhere, but I’m not, I just buy tickets for other people 🙂
The other categories were too unimportant or self explanatory so that is why I didn’t cover them. The overall total at the bottom is the cash I had leftover after all my expenses. I walked away with +$1,814 in January, and that kinda turns me on. I hope I can stay in the green once I get married.
* Are you wondering why I post the previous month’s expenses a couple weeks late? I use quicken to track my spending and I have to wait until the end of the billing cycle before I can download these transactions. I know I could manually add each expense as it comes, but I am entirely too lazy for that. Thanks for checking in and if you got any comments, tips, or advice I’d be more than happy to hear it. *
Oh yeah? I spend NOTHING on gas. Even when I had my 12mpg truck, I was averaging about $40/mo in gas expenses. And when the snow finally melts in the alley and I can get my scooter back out on the road, the $10/mo I have budgeted for gas will probably still be too much.
So HAH! 😛
We spent $26 and change on a single tank of gas.
As for girlie groceries, it depends on if you're a home ec friendly lady or a foodie fashionista. I know women who get by on $100 a week for a small family and some who easily spend $800-900 a month on just themselves. I'm the big grocery spender out of DH and I (our budget is $400), but that's because I'm a bit of a frugal foodie and love things like interesting cheeses, spices and exotic produce. I'd rather eat like a queen and have an ancient cell phone, ratty clothes, etc.
$0 spent on gas here too for us. Hubby drives transport for a gas company so free gas is a perk with his job.
My guy and I budget $400/month total. That includes all the things you would buy at a grocery store – not just food (cleaners, hygeine products etc).
I have budgeted$150 a month for "food." I'm still doing gravy in that field. But that's also because I bring my food to work! Are you assuming that girls pay less because they eat less/pay less for food? I
I wasn't assuming anything 🙂 Just asking a question
I have budgeted$150 a month for "food." I'm still doing gravy in that field. But that's also because I bring my food to work! Are you assuming that girls pay less because they eat less/pay less for food? I
I thought he was saying that girls don't spend much on dining, because their SO usually covers it.
What is your Percentage of Savings? Is it 15% and then that 15% is divided among your IRA, Savings, and Student Loan Payment?
I can't wait to see your posts after your married. 😀
Dang! A $12,000 pay raise? That's awesome. Is your income posted after tax? (Not sure how it works in the US because I'm from up north=P ) AND you have a work vehicle?? =)
I usually split dinner with my boyfriend, e.g. I treat one time, he treats the next. Is that what you do? Or do you pay for Future Mrs. Ninja dinners?
The income is after taxes and 401k contributions.
Is $2,785 for salary before or after taxes?
I'm sure you can't wait for your pay raise =o …savings galore (for your wedding)!
I think for what a female may not spend on food (whether she eats less or someone else is covering the cost of her meals), she can make up for it on spending it in other areas, such as toiletries, personal care, and clothing.