You know how when you buy one item, it opens the floodgates of spending, and suddenly you’re spending like a rockstar?
Then at the end of the month your eyes pop when you see your spending and you say:
HOLY MOTHER OF#$*@&!
What the HELL did I do/eat/buy!?
Yes. That.
That is exactly how I feel about how my November 2010 has gone.
In Japanese mochi* expenditures alone I must have spent $40 this month and this is what they look like to me when I go snacking:
Evil little tasty temptresses.
*Note: Mochi = Japanese rice snacks filled with a paste inside. Can be sweet or savoury. I chose sweet.
So here we go. Brace yourselves
INCOME: $20,546
- Regular hours, no overtime charged this month
- Freelanced on the side (consulting, writing, designing)
- Sold some stuff on consignment
SPENDING: $4109.84
- Business: $1915.47
- Personal: $2194.37
I’ll say it right now, the instigator was none other than that iPod Touch I bought at the start of this month for getting that spending ball rolling.
I should have waited until the end or something, but I have never been very good at delaying purchases that I know are inevitable.
I don’t see the point of waiting 30 days when I know I have the money, I want it, I’ve thought about it, and have researched it for weeks.
That iPod Touch led me, singing and dancing down the path of spending, and before I knew it the month ended with a big bill.
This is no excuse at all, of course.
I’m still in love with my budget and tracking my expenses.
I just shouldn’t let my belly make all of the decisions about what to eat any more. She is not to be trusted.
BUSINESS = $1915.47
Update: Thanks to sharp-eyed Louise with her OCD compulsion to add things up, it’s really $1915.47 I spent on ‘business’.
Must’ve screwed up somewhere in my haste to put up the numbers! Thanks Louise.
PERSONAL = $2194.37
Bye bye $1000/month budget. November thumbed its nose at you 😛
December will be good though. Less chances (read: motivation) to trudge out in the snow, ice and cold weather to buy food.
NET WORTH = $165,000.06
Increase of +$18,933.63 or 11%
ASSETS: $165,000.06
Car not included in my assets but I’m sure I can sell for $500 at the end.
No house, not counting my things (laptop and so on).
- Cash = $72.78
- Savings = $8704
- Emergency Fund = $34,091.44
- Retirement = $64,707
- Business = $57,424.84
DEBTS: $0
None.
NOTES:
- At least I ended in the positive this month. 😛
- Retirement investments went up
- Average return on my portfolio is about a 7% return this year after fees
- Savings rate is at 1.5%
SUMMARY
I am not really annoyed that I spent so much.
I know it’s not the end of the world, especially since I didn’t go into debt for the craving of some snacks.
….but at least $200 could have been avoided this month, had I just kept my belly under control and not allowed her to do the thinking and the purchasing for the two of us this month.
There were also some other unavoidable things, as my hard drives started to worry me with their hacking noises and I had to buy a new internet cable (RJ45 for you geeks out there).
That $800 electronics spend this month made my eyes pop.
Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks they think they have everything under control all the time:
Sometimes the floodgates of spending opens and your other devilish side takes over and you’re held prisoner to the whims of the singing mochi.
*resolve renewed to do better for December*
10 out of 11 months so far kept around the $1000 range isn’t so bad in my opinion.
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
How exactly do you manage to bring in $20k/month or anywhere near that? What exactly are you doing as freelance work?
No, I think you did good hun! When you say consulting, what exactly do you mean?
I mean business consulting 🙂 I’m a consultant. They ask me to solve business problems.
Hi FB! I have a compulsive tendency to calculate things in my head, and your business expenses don’t add up! Should be around 2 grand, not 3.
I do love getting a peak into your financial life! 🙂
Goodness you are right!!!
I wonder how I screwed that up in Excel. I placed the numbers and did a “SUM ()”…. Thank you for checking!
Woohoo! We were definitely on the same wavelength in November. Back to reality for both of us.
The fun is over!
Love the cartoons 🙂
My recent post The 6 Day Weekend
Danke! 🙂
Ohhhh.. those Ipods are EVIL! 😉 My husband got a new Ipod Touch this month too (early xmas gift) and he loves it to bits! For now i'm sticking with my "old" 2nd Gen Ipod Touch… lol! But your net worth went up 11% which is nothing to sneeze at!! Awesome!
They ARE evil. Accessories, new cases, a screen cover. ARG.
I love my iPod Touch however. It\’s really made a difference in my organization. I think I\’ll keep it until it dies.
And yes, my net worth went up, which is something I\’m thrilled about!
You rock! I want to go and hang myself now. Or eat a whole box of mochi.
My recent post Fridge therapy III
Eat mochi! Don\’t hang yourself 🙂
Girl you are killing it! Let the good times roll.
p.s. your cartoons are very funny 🙂
Coming from the main cartoon man, that\’s a high compliment 😀
Um that's EXACTLY how I feel as well, and I have a feeling December will be similar. Unlike you, however, I do not sit down and break down where my money went. So depressing!
My recent post Bad Run
I thought you were going to budget and track your spending?
Spending is a gateway to more spending. It’s so easy, so addictive… I had my splurge last weekend with my first real taste of online shopping and bought things I needed anyway, but all at once…it ain’t pretty.
I need to do some very exact budgeting like you do instead of jotting down all of the carnage. But no matter how you spin it, it ain’t a pretty sight for those us with buyer’s remorse.
P.S: Mmm…mochi…
Well.. 🙂 I don\’t really have buyer\’s remorse more than I look down at my belly and think: how could you have eaten so much?
More surprise than anything.
November was the first month where I was almost dead-on with my budget ($5.59 surplus). Then again my budgeted expenses are $500 more than your high spending month. The way I look at it is that I'm still making decent progress with paying down debt and am also able to use controlled spending on eating out and entertainment to have fun without setting myself back financially. December's going to hurt because of presents and needing new tires for my car but it's also a five paycheck month.
November was the first month where I was almost dead-on with my budget ($5.59 surplus). Then again my budgeted expenses are $500 more than your high spending month. The way I look at it is that I'm still making decent progress with paying down debt and am also able to use controlled spending on eating out and entertainment to have fun without setting myself back financially. December's going to hurt because of presents and needing new tires for my car but it's also a five paycheck month.
And it's the little things in life that make it awesome. Like that the first word in my head upon seeing your excel pie charts was "hot".
Wow! $5.59 is really on the money (no pun intended), and a surplus is much more preferable to a deficit.
I think paying down debt as your main priority is the #1 thing I\’d be most proud of 🙂 You also do need some fun money budgeted into your life or else you\’ll go crazy.
Sounds like you\’re planning your budget pretty perfectly.
*LAUGH* I LOVE doing pie charts and looking at my spending visually. I too, find it hot 🙂 Hence why I do it.
When you are making $20k a month, you can afford to "waste" $200 (it's only 1%). Don't be so hard on yourself. You've worked your butt off and you are still saving a ton of money.
My recent post She Didn’t Want a Promotion
Well $200 at $20,000/month or $2000/month is still $200 🙂
The absolute amount of wastage is not lost on me. It\’s still a lot of money to me, regardless of my income.
I just have to watch my eating this month. No more crazy snacking in the $200 range.
Thanks though 😀
It must be in the air, since my November was the same. I'm kind of afraid to tally up my total spending at Home Depot this month. But, we didn't spend more than we made, so at least there is that. I find the months I loosen up a little help me for the months I need to buckle down. It all balances out.
My recent post Zillow- We Must Quit Meeting Like This
Balance, for sure. I think I like knowing all the nasty numbers because then I can make changes, keep in mind what I did for the last month to make me feel so bad, and to be smarter going forward.
The end of the year 12 month totals usually make me go: what? really?
You did amazing! I think you deserved it with all that hard work… mochi, a nice haircut, an ipod touch and fixing your computer is worth it. And you are still in the positive =)
My recent post November 2010 Budget Recap
That\’s true, at least I am still in the positive. Still, it\’s just FOOD. I shouldn\’t overindulge so often.
Okay, I just want to say, if you need an assistant or something, you can totally hire me because half of your spending for the month was my total income for the month. Sigh. To be under-employed.
My recent post On The First Day of Christmas
*laugh*
I\’ll keep your resume on file 😉
I like the sweet ice cream style version of Mochi too, but i almost always end up getting a slight brain freeze every time i eat one 🙂
I\’ve never tried ice cream style mochi but it sounds good.
Haha Mochi are SOOO GOOD! I love what you did with the Mochi & the Iphone touch! I was tired at work and it made me laugh!
My recent post Nov Goal Recap & Dec Monthly Goals
I am so happy it made your day 🙂
I think I would have traded that shirt for the Mochi, I,m not a big fan sweet or savoury.
Is the reason for getting out of debt and budgeting and working so hard, not so you can have the occasional splurge ??
My recent post PF Bloggers Christmas Cutbacks
*LAUGH*
Almost all desserts are delicious.
And the reason for being out of debt, budgeting and working hard is definitely to splurge. I guess I wanted to end the year with just spending $1000/month as a budget. Like a mini challenge.
Hahaha, love what you did with the mochi and the iPod Touch!
I know what you mean about those floodgates…ugh.
My recent post Happy Thanksgiving!
One buy .. and then it\’s downhill from there.
Devilish stick figures are awesome! Definitely wouldn't want my iPod to grow horns and yell at me, so hopefully you've found your motivation you need!
To echo the other sentiments above – $20k in a month is not too shabby, nor is sticking to around $1k/month for so long. A net worth jump of $18k too? That's over 10% – not many businesses achieve that kind of growth. Enjoy a little, live a little – you raked it in this month and deserve it. Then get back on track for next month ;-). Great post!
Haha thanks Adam. 🙂
I like the $1k/month thing because I know it\’s all I really need, with my rent usually being around $300/month, food at $150/month and the rest is up in the air (gas, and so on). I find that it\’s more than enough for my lifestyle.
As for the net worth jump, when you put it into that perspective that\’s true. Growth in general savings = always outweighs the bad of spending. I\’m just glad I didn\’t shell out $20k this month.
Have you done a post about why you live in a hotel? You are the only person I "know" that lives in a hotel and its very curious to me. I think that you did very well by only breaking your $1000 monthly budget once in 11 months. Give yourself a pat on the back.
Your stick figures are awesome and I suggest you start a t-shirt line to make up for the treats. Treating yourself every once in awhile is no bad thing as long as you dont do it every day to excess. Everything in moderation. Dont feel so bad.
I\’m not feeling TOO bad, just kind of annoyed I let my belly do the thinking. 😛
I\’ll have to do more stick figures!
Uck! I know this EXACT feeling, as this was my November as well. Not the end of the world, but certainly frustrating!
My recent post A Woman’s Weakness- Gourmet Kitchen Cookwares
I think November is one of those tricky months. Black Friday for the US folks, but also that Christmas is coming up so.. spending..
I have no excuse of course. I don\’t buy presents, I just eat and buy electronics.
LOVED this post! Did you bring in over $20,000 for one month?? Wow, you went 10 months with only spending $1000 a month????? You are my hero!
And when you figure out how to control your belly, will you let me know? Mine’s been way out of control!
Yes over $20,000 for one month. That\’s generally what I earn as a freelancer if I work. Hence why I save like mad, because there are times when I don\’t work at all.
I spend around $1000/month for personal expenses or just a little over for once-a-year things like car registrations. This is the first month in 2010 that I\’ve doubled.
Love your little devils–just like in some of the literature I teach (Doctor Faustus, for instance). It's true about the floodgates. But you didn't buy that shirt.
My recent post Peanut Corn Chowder- To take Your Mind Off Stressful Things
Yes. I can cling to that I didn\’t buy $88 worth of a shirt to make that spending even worse than it was.
Oh girl…you said it, 11 out of 12 months of $1K budgeting is phenomenal! When you make so much, too, it really isn't a big deal to splurge on things that you deem worthy. You spent WAY less than you made this month, which is the take-home story here. You could have easily made your $1K budget, but what is money for, if not to spend on the things that you get the most pleasure out of? You're not a saving machine, you're a human. 🙂 (I think…you do seem to churn out a lot of quality posts in very short time spans sometimes!!)
Gah. I just feel bad you know. 10 month streak only to break it in November near the end. *sigh*
It was a personal challenge less than a financial one. 🙂 Thanks
Oh and I am human. I just.. write a lot. I can\’t help it. My brain never shuts off.
Good Morning FB!
Yes, you do draw a mean stick figure!! You do a great job with your budget, one month of treating yourself is certainly okay. Enjoy your ipod!
My recent post Monday Morning
Aww thank you 🙂