Not the most exciting title for an update, but it's the truth! I could have sworn though that I posted in August. Anyway, the market is on fire, which is good and bad. I have a bunch of cash that I want to invest, but I don't want to invest now, for fear I will be investing at the high. I know October is usually a not very promising month for the market, so I'll be on the watch for any downturn, no matter how slight, to invest. I saw my Learnvest adviser (or talked to her) recently and we mostly talked about a strategy for investing the cash. We'll see. Overall, I"m about 40% in cash, which would be fine if I were 80, but since I am not, I need to put my money to work so it will grow.
The real estate market in my hood is also on fire. There's a place similar to mine on the market for $150K more than I bought mine for a little more than a year ago. So in theory if I could sell my place for that amount, I'd have to bring about 100K less to the closing to give to the bank to pay off the mortgage. Which is nice, but irrelevant because I have no plans to sell.
I've been pretty good on my expenses lately. I haven't bought a stitch of clothing, any electronics, any furnishings or any sporting goods this month, and there's only 10 days left. Would kind of like to keep it that way. My food budget is somewhat under control. Took lunch all but one day this week.
Yawn, sorry for the boring update! But I guess slow and steady wins the race.
Showing posts with label food budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food budget. Show all posts
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
What do you spend money on?
There is an article in the New York Times Today about how spending money on experiences makes you happier than spending money on stuff (including real estate). I feel like I've known this instinctively all along. In my 20s, when I didn't save outside of my 401K, I spent all of my money on traveling and going out to dinner with my friends. I had no fancy clothes, purses, furniture or shoes. Just a lot of fun. This used to depress me. In my early 30s I thought, "I spent all this money and I literally have nothing to show for it." But now I look back fondly on that time and I know I always will savor those memories of early adulthood freedom in NYC.
I've continued the trend (well, not spending all my money luckily) but spending on experiences. I just took a look at my spending for the year so far. The top categories (outside of the mortgage) are Travel and Food and Dining, with Health Care in 3rd. Health Care expenses for me are seeing a therapist I really love and learn from and my acupuncturist which makes me feel amazing and helps me keep a chronic illness under control. When I do buy stuff, it's mostly sporting goods I need to practice my favorite sports/hobbies with my friends.
So yay to not spending on stuff, but yay to spending on fun experiences with friends and family and really enjoying life.
I've continued the trend (well, not spending all my money luckily) but spending on experiences. I just took a look at my spending for the year so far. The top categories (outside of the mortgage) are Travel and Food and Dining, with Health Care in 3rd. Health Care expenses for me are seeing a therapist I really love and learn from and my acupuncturist which makes me feel amazing and helps me keep a chronic illness under control. When I do buy stuff, it's mostly sporting goods I need to practice my favorite sports/hobbies with my friends.
So yay to not spending on stuff, but yay to spending on fun experiences with friends and family and really enjoying life.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Spending Reduction Success
I'm so happy I've finally gotten my restaurant/out of home dining budget down! For the last two months I've spent about half of what I normally spend.
March = $642
April = $787
May = $478
June = $380
I did it by making my lunch and making a big pot of something that I can eat all week for dinner. I also cut back on going out to dinner as much. In June, I was traveling so much for work that a lot of my food expense was covered, so I was able to have a nice sushi night out ($100). If I hadn't done that, I would have spent barely anything at all on eating out.
It feels so good to get my spending in this category under control.
I also did my net worth update for the quarter. Even with the recent market dip I'm pretty much on track for where I want to be. I like to increase my net worth by $25K a quarter. Of course that's not always possible, but that's the goal.
One thing I do not do is include any price appreciation from my apt. in my net worth. Although I paid $450,000 for my apartment one year ago, the same unit in a different building just sold for $600,000!!!! Which I think is the sign that we're in a bubble, but the good news is I don't care I'm just going to keep my head down and keep paying off my mortgage.
March = $642
April = $787
May = $478
June = $380
I did it by making my lunch and making a big pot of something that I can eat all week for dinner. I also cut back on going out to dinner as much. In June, I was traveling so much for work that a lot of my food expense was covered, so I was able to have a nice sushi night out ($100). If I hadn't done that, I would have spent barely anything at all on eating out.
It feels so good to get my spending in this category under control.
I also did my net worth update for the quarter. Even with the recent market dip I'm pretty much on track for where I want to be. I like to increase my net worth by $25K a quarter. Of course that's not always possible, but that's the goal.
One thing I do not do is include any price appreciation from my apt. in my net worth. Although I paid $450,000 for my apartment one year ago, the same unit in a different building just sold for $600,000!!!! Which I think is the sign that we're in a bubble, but the good news is I don't care I'm just going to keep my head down and keep paying off my mortgage.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
How much do you save?
I've been reading Mr. Money Moustache a lot lately. I love his blog and feel like it's really the only PF blog where I am actually learning new things. Anyway, as his readers know, he advocates saving like 50% of your pay. Um, wow. And I thought I was an aggressive saver!
I've never actually added up about how much I save each month, so I wanted to see what % I save. In various ways (pre-pay mortgage principal, cash direct deposited to my trading account, and cash deposited to my checking account) I save about 15-20% of my monthly income. It's not bad, but it's not great. The only thing that makes me a super saver is my bonus. I usually get a bonus in December (praise be to the Gods) and it's a good chuck of my income. Last year 50% of my gross was paid out in that one check. And I save the whole thing (except when I spent it on my downpayment for the apartment last year). So in reality I save a lot more than 20%, but I want to try to get better at saving on the day-to-day level. I guess it's just more challenging because so much of my compensation is paid out at the end of the year. It's good practice though for if I ever had to take a lower-paying job. I know I can successfully live on half of my salary and still save 20%.
This month I've been traveling a ton for work which means I save a lot on food expenses. My monthly spending for June had been very low, until I booked an international vacation for December. But the saving wasn't for naught, because I was able to pay for it all out of my salary and not have to touch savings.
I'm curious about doing my networth update for Q2. The stock market was humming until about June. Unfortunately I think I'm going to end up down or flat on my investments for the quarter, and I haven't saved a ton of cash, so I think I'll be below average on my quarterly networth increase, but we'll see.
I've never actually added up about how much I save each month, so I wanted to see what % I save. In various ways (pre-pay mortgage principal, cash direct deposited to my trading account, and cash deposited to my checking account) I save about 15-20% of my monthly income. It's not bad, but it's not great. The only thing that makes me a super saver is my bonus. I usually get a bonus in December (praise be to the Gods) and it's a good chuck of my income. Last year 50% of my gross was paid out in that one check. And I save the whole thing (except when I spent it on my downpayment for the apartment last year). So in reality I save a lot more than 20%, but I want to try to get better at saving on the day-to-day level. I guess it's just more challenging because so much of my compensation is paid out at the end of the year. It's good practice though for if I ever had to take a lower-paying job. I know I can successfully live on half of my salary and still save 20%.
This month I've been traveling a ton for work which means I save a lot on food expenses. My monthly spending for June had been very low, until I booked an international vacation for December. But the saving wasn't for naught, because I was able to pay for it all out of my salary and not have to touch savings.
I'm curious about doing my networth update for Q2. The stock market was humming until about June. Unfortunately I think I'm going to end up down or flat on my investments for the quarter, and I haven't saved a ton of cash, so I think I'll be below average on my quarterly networth increase, but we'll see.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Boring
I haven't posted in a bit because things have been moving along. Nothing spectacular, except the performance of the stock market. I held out investing my bonus in January, now I wish I had dumped it all into the market and ridden this high. I'm still waiting to see if there's any kind of dip and will invest then.
I'm still spending too much money on food, but did cut down on lunch spending by going to the grocery store 1x a week and making lunch at work instead of buying it every day. I think that helped offset some food expenses.
I worked out I've been spending about $500 a month on healthcare expenses, in addition to the $200 I put aside in my flex spending. I don't really feel like there are ways to reduce this expense. I'd rather reduce in other areas if I need to.
To date this year I have barely spent anything on clothes. As a result, I feel a kind of pent up demand. I fully anticipate increasing spending in this area in the rest of the year. I had consciously held off on clothing purchases to try to offset my significant healthcare spending.
I'll do a mid-year budget update in early July, along with a networth update.
I'm still spending too much money on food, but did cut down on lunch spending by going to the grocery store 1x a week and making lunch at work instead of buying it every day. I think that helped offset some food expenses.
I worked out I've been spending about $500 a month on healthcare expenses, in addition to the $200 I put aside in my flex spending. I don't really feel like there are ways to reduce this expense. I'd rather reduce in other areas if I need to.
To date this year I have barely spent anything on clothes. As a result, I feel a kind of pent up demand. I fully anticipate increasing spending in this area in the rest of the year. I had consciously held off on clothing purchases to try to offset my significant healthcare spending.
I'll do a mid-year budget update in early July, along with a networth update.
Monday, September 3, 2012
OOC Food Budget
I like to dine out. In NYC, it is normal (work long hours, small apartments) for dining out with friends to be the primary social activity. So I view dining out as my entertainment as well as food budget. I barely spend any money on groceries, but I buy lunch every day (usually a salad for about $7-$8). I make breakfast at work. But I dine out with friends several times a week. Well, it's really starting to add up. I checked out my average Restaurant/Dining Out spend (this includes lunches and any bars/alcohol I buy as well) and it's crept up.
In 2010 I spent an average of $485 a month on this category
In 2011 I spent an average of $511 a month on this category
In 2012 to date I have spent an average of $535 on this category
That is an increase of 5% and 4.7% (if I did that right), so a 10% increase over 2 years.
In 2010 I was probably still paying for my ex along with myself (don't ask), but as a result of ex living with me, we went out to dinner less I think. Anyway, between this year and last year I don't think I go out to dinner more. I think that this is inflation in action. I know food costs have gone up.
Either way, I am going to really try to rein this in this month.
I've been really good in other areas this year, cutting back on clothing, travel and personal care. Of course the expenses relating to the apt. are off the charts.
Oh well. Bon Appetit!
In 2010 I spent an average of $485 a month on this category
In 2011 I spent an average of $511 a month on this category
In 2012 to date I have spent an average of $535 on this category
That is an increase of 5% and 4.7% (if I did that right), so a 10% increase over 2 years.
In 2010 I was probably still paying for my ex along with myself (don't ask), but as a result of ex living with me, we went out to dinner less I think. Anyway, between this year and last year I don't think I go out to dinner more. I think that this is inflation in action. I know food costs have gone up.
Either way, I am going to really try to rein this in this month.
I've been really good in other areas this year, cutting back on clothing, travel and personal care. Of course the expenses relating to the apt. are off the charts.
Oh well. Bon Appetit!
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