If you’re a long-time reader of the blog, you know I used to share my monthly budget and spending. There is no real reason why I stopped and decided I wanted to bring it back! Reading over some of those past posts, I saw the growth in how I handle my finances, and I want to keep documenting it.
Not too much has changed since the last time I updated. A few budget items are gone, some have increased, some have deceased and a few budget friends have joined the club.
Monthly Income: 2,500
Rent || $950
The last time I posted a budget breakdown, my rent was $850 and I was in the process of moving BUT I ended up staying when the house sold to a new owner. I will however be moving in June of 2022 because I’ve grown out my space and I’ll be starting that search soon. Really debating if I want to buy or rent for a few more years before I take the plunge.
Savings || $80
Finally created a line item in my budget for savings. I’ve always been a saver but never made it a dedicated part of my budget. I’m getting a raise this month, so this amount will increase.
Car Insurance || $55
The car I’ve been driving for the last few years is my sister’s and she covered the insurance up until last year so this is a new expense since the last time I checked in.
Dominion Power || $133
I’m on a budget plan with my electric bill and this is the monthly payment until my yearly budget recalculation. This normally happens in November and I’m hoping it goes down lol!
AES || $554
A tiny change here from the last time I checked in due to interest and that’s to be expected so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I was able to make a HUGE lump sum payment on my loans due to the pandemic putting them into a mini forbearance and that was a huge help in getting this monster paid off.
Gas || $160
No change here. I do however have massive gas savings from the lack of driving I did in 2020. Every day I’m tempted to dip into it and buy a pair of shoes!
Groceries || $240
This is a BIG change. I needed to increase my grocery budget in 2020 because my teenage son was eating me out of house and home. I fully intended to readjust my budget back to what it was but got used to it and have decided to leave it. The extra cash helps me to stock up on snacks and pantry staples so when I can’t get to the market on my scheduled Sundays, I have something to fall back on. That was not the case when my budget was a bit tighter.
Sprint (now T-Mobile) || $175
While my bill has decreased, I’ve kept the budgeted amount the same to add a bit of a buffer in case I need it. Both my and the kid phones is paid off, so I plan to get rid of the insurance after I take my son’s phone to get fixed after it cracked when he took a tumble off his bike. That will save me $30 per month and I’ll adjust my budgeted amount to $155 putting the excess in savings.
WIFI || $65
Litte increase here. I pay this to my dad who got the wifi for my son as a gift years ago and then I took over the bill.
Hulu || $6
I no longer have Netflix but still, have my Hulu account that I don’t use so I’m trying to decide if I want to keep it.
Misc Expenses (Lou, car, household) || $50
I decided to create a dedicated line item in my budget for those little things that pop up here and there. I found myself dipping into my savings account to cover these expenses when needed so it made sense to just budget for it.
Crunch Fitness || $14.99
I was really diligent about getting to the gym when I was working from home but now that I’m back in the office, I can’t find the time so I will get getting rid of this.
Monthly Expences || $2484.99
Difference || $ 17.01
Before I paused this series, I had plans to share what tools I use for budgeting, tips I’ve learned to budget better, my tips for saving money, and a bunch of other money things that include sharing your stories, so those posts will be coming soon!
XOXO,
Shanna