We’re halfway done with 2017 and this year is flying by. Let’s check in on my goal to decrease my spending from $22,491.86 last year by $4,491.86 to $18,000 this year. These are my averages for the first half of 2017:
- Monthly Bills: (including Rent, Utilities, Internet, Phone and Transit)
- January: $861.70
- February: $937.38 – Our large utilities are paid in alternating months
- March: $873.78
- April: $961.44
- May: $880.77
- June: 993.92
- Average: $918.16 – This is slightly above last year due to our rent increasing $3 :). This year it is increasing $25 a person in August so this will go up slightly.
- Groceries:
- January: $155.99
- February: $69.80
- March: $112.97
- April: $155.53
- May: $166.98
- June: $127.48
- Average: $131.81 – This is way above the $39.54 average for 2016, but I completely expected that. My job last year offered a lot of free (but unfortunately unhealthy) food which I totally took advantage of. I’ve increased my target grocery budget to $150 a month and decreased by eating out and alcohol budgets to make up for it. It looks like it’s working!
- Eating Out :
- January: $12.34 – All time low!
- February: $70.05 – Though I was in Thailand 1/2 the month
- March: $95.40 – This includes an old credit card reconciliation of $31 so I actually spent $64.40 this month
- April: $61.20
- May: $54.30
- June: $95.16 – My NYC bestie moved to Seattle so we’ve been showing her around
- Average: $59.51 – So far way below the 2016 average of $138.73 per month. WOAH! We’ll see if this is sustainable as the weather gets better and I want to explore more, but that’s very cool!
- Alcohol:
- January: $12.41 – All time low!
- February: $19.62
- March: $38.22 – I went out to drinks twice, the rest is alcohol and chaser for home
- April: $80.24 – I drank out twice and that added up quickly. I also bought lots of alcohol for our house that was shared
- May: $42.03
- June: $93.23 – Same deal as eating out: NYC bestie moved to Seattle and we’ve been exploring happy hours and taking her to parties. I also had a few networking happy hours
- Average: $49.19 – Way below the 2016 average of $78.38! Let’s see if I can keep it up. So far doing great on my goal of spending less on alcohol
- Parties:
- January: $0!
- February: $0!
- March: $29.97 – This includes two networking lunches I had with colleagues, wine we brought to a house party and steak we bought for a dinner party. Frugal get-togethers for the win!
- April: $4
- May: $25.44
- June: $48.41 – Same deal: showing NYC bestie around, buying steak to make on a boat, drinking alcohol to parties etc.
- Average: $17.97 – Wonderful for all the fun hang outs we’ve had and below the $22.17 per month of last year
- Giving
- January: $240.02 – Disneyland Bachelorette. Don’t ask.
- February: $0
- March: $8.21 – Also associated with the above bachelorette/wedding
- April: $0
- May: $0
- June: $0
- Average: $41.37 – We’re getting closer to the $34.37 average of last year!
- Household Goods
- January: $7.99 – Lightbulbs
- February: $3.83 – TP
- March: $8.60 – Compost Bags and Seran Wrap…so detailed! Maybe too detailed…
- April: $13.88
- May: $4.59
- June: $38.64 – a new non-stick pan that will save me a million years of time and bug killing spray
- Average: $12.92 – Slightly over the $8.39 from last year
- Personal Products
- January: $0!
- February: $0!
- March: $2.72 – Lotion
- April: $0!
- May: $0!
- June: $5
- Average: $1.29 – Way below the average of $12.65 last year!
- Entertainment
- January: $11.81 – Netflix and Moana matinee
- February: $11.81 – Netflix and John Wick 2 matinee
- March: $6.64 – Netflix + 1 Redbox
- April: $5
- May: $13.15 – Netflix + Guardians of the Galaxy 2 matinee
- June: $17 – Netflix + Wonder Woman at fancy theater with a bar in it
- Average: $10.90 – Below last year’s average of $18.48
- Vacation Spending
- January: $183.34 – Disneyland Bachelorette all in
- February: $0
- March: $163.36 – May Maine Wedding Accommodations for 3 nights, a moorage fee for a weekend of sailing and spending around another wedding weekend
- April: $72.50 – Vancouver weekend
- May: $269.35 – Maine Wedding, Vancouver, Friend Visit
- June: $0
- Average: $114.52 – Despite having a trip every month I’m below the $122.07 average from last year. Woohoo!
- Travel
- January: $0
- February: $934.90 – May Wedding and Christmas Flights (SEA to BOS RT, SEA to ATL, ATL to ALB, NYC to SEA)
- March: $818.82 – Flight to Singapore in Feb 2018, an Amtrak ticket for that May wedding, the $11.20 fee for booking a travel hacked flight home this summer
- April: $0!
- May: $0!
- June: $0!
- Average: $289.70– Under the $407.17 a month I spent last year and done buying all tickets through February 2018!
H1 AVERAGE MONTHLY SPENDING: $1,680.40
– Minus flights: $1,100.99
Well look a that. Despite me thinking I wasn’t doing very well the numbers don’t lie. I’m done buying flights through February 2018, but even if I was going to keep up this level of vacation spending I would only spend $20,164.8 this year. That’s awesome. But since I’m done with flight purchases and will just be taking small weekend trips for the rest of the year I’m confident I can spend $1,200-$1,300 a month for the rest of the year and end up hitting my goal of spending $18,000 this year, a decrease of almost $4,500 from last year. Overall I’m super proud of myself and curious how the beautiful summer weather and associated activities will effect my budget. Let’s see!