Tuesday, April 11, 2023
I decided to do my third month of tracking my expenses. Even if you don’t enjoy being a financial voyeur, this has really been good for me. I have started one for April, but I’m not sure I will publish anymore. Let me know in the comments what you think!
March 1 – $0 spend day
March 2 – $167 Kroger, $160 Olukai mules
March 3 – $21 Goodwill, $11 Subway, $52 Mexican dinner out, $20 Amazon jewelry replacement for lost Pavoi earring :(, new necklace, new star burst earrings, ring, another new necklace, pack of necklace extenders to wear multiple lengths ($30 of this was from a survey I took for an education phd candidate?) so that is how I got it down to $20!
March 4 – $14 Target groceries – a few things I forgot that I just picked up there while doing an online return
March 5 – $59 Captain’s Quarters, $120 Venmo for bachelorette cabin weekend trip
March 6 – $100 Kroger, $20 pedicure/polish change
March 7 – $0 Spend Day
March 8 – $0 Spend Day
March 9 – $160 Kroger pick up
March 10 -Joes Older than Dirt with Eliz $18
March 11 – $33 clothes mentor, $20 pre parade drinks (paid for my friend and she paid for my dinner which was just a sandwich we split)
March 12 – $8 Old Navy socks, $68 dinner out with Jack at The Eagle after hearing his guitar teacher play, did a $40 Old Navy return (don’t ask), a $55 Athleta return (the leggings), and a $65 Target return (the black and white striped sweater and the black pants) so I actually MADE money – haha
March 13 – $0 Spend Day – did 3 Amazon returns at the UPS store totaling $80 so I actually MADE money – haha again
March 14 – $0 Spend Day
March 15 – $114 Kroger pick up, $25 wine shop, $25 in store
March 16 – $50 Red Hog, $50 Etsy gift card Kate for her birthday
March 17-18- bachelorette weekend (expenses paid ahead of time or after)
March 19- $0 Spend Day
March 20-$99 Kroger
March 21-$54 Amazon – needed a refresh of my vitamins, vitamin D, and Jordan’s Skinny Syrup, $70 fresh market
March 22-$0 Spend Day
March 23- $33 Noche, $50 birthday gift cards for niece and nephew
March 24-$40 Frankfort Ave Liquors
March 25-$114 Walmart neighborhood grocery, $1 unfreeze at SunTan City
March 26 – $26 Dollar Tree
March 27 – $0 Spend Day
March 28- $25 gift card nephew, $66 Venmo for the Bachelorette food and drink
March 29- $177 Kroger pick up
March 30-$6 Boombozz Spring Break celebratory drink with Erica, $25 gift card niece
March 31 -$30 Brunch with Victoria, $35 Walmart grocery
Totals:
No Spend Days: 7
Bachelorette Weekend: $203
Grocery: $1065 (this includes the food we feed Ernie – boiled chicken, canned green beans, canned carrots, canned pumpkin – and pretty much all of our toiletries, too. We also have household supplies in this amount.
Meals Out with Tom, family, Happy Hours: $387
Clothing: $242 (some for Jack and some for the Bachelorette thrift exchange)
Gifts: $150
Pedicure: $20
Notes: It felt like a long month! Some of the grocery expense was for the Bachelorette weekend – the things I made ahead of time.
Also, I could have forgotten a few things as I wasn’t as careful as I had been in January and February.
Here is how I did in February and January!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I did pretty great with spending in March but April is turning out to be a real doozy!
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Oh gosh! It happens. Sometimes we just have a more expensive month. Good job with March, though, and maybe April will even out by the end.
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I am not sure how things are where you live but groceries are out of this world in PA. I bought the kids some fishing worms and they were $5.23. I told them they will be digging them up; the same way I did when I was a kid.
I am curious…do you find great deals at the Dollar Tree? We have one but the staff is rude so I don’t venture in too often.
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Yes! I am sure our cost of living is a bit lower, but the increase in prices has been crazy.
I think you have to be careful with Dollar Tree. I go there for my school stuff and candy for my students, but I think we can get carried away and buy junk we don’t need. So, no, I really try not to use it too much. It is my go to for tissue paper, cards, and gift bags but I also try to recycle those things, too.
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I applaud your efforts in doing this, just tracking clothing expenses last year was exhausting! It really is helpful to see how you spend and I know remembering that I was tracking really made a difference in my decision to spend too!
xo,
Kellyann
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Thank you! I bet it was! You did it for a whole year!
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Still a great job!
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Thank you!
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It’s very interesting your break down of what you spend. I think that if we all did this ice would see where our money goes.
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Thank you! I agree – it has really helped me to think about my spending.
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I love seeing your spending breakdown. It’s very eye opening as I watch what I’m doing from month to month. Question: What do you use the Jordan Skinny Syrups for? I’m always looking for new ideas.
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Oh good! I will try to post for April, too!
I only use Jordan’s in my hot coffee.
Actually right now I am using liquid stevia with fat free half and half because I ran out. I am really trying to be frugal!
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March 12 & 13 are my kind of thinking 😆 you had a great month! Been thinking about the Louisville community ❤️
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Girl math!
I know so sad!
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Good for you to know where all your money is going to and from! I have not ever done one of these and I think I would be appalled to see how much I actually spend in a month. YIKES. But….this has gotten me to thinking that maybe I should do one. Just to see. May would have to be it so I will make a reminder to myself to keep track. Happy Tuesday!
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I am not happy with some of my amounts, but it’s been a good exercise for me. Tom and I should have more money – it looks like we would on paper – but where does it all go? Ha! I do think it’s just more expensive to live these days. I think it would be interesting for you to do for a month?
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