January 2011 Budget Roundup -$(8154.88)

Let me just say that this kitten has clearly done more yoga than I have in January 2011.

Cute kitten originally seen on Never Niche!

To be fair to myself, I’m not a cute little kitten, so how can I expect to be able to do that? 😉

Maybe I should hire him/her to motivate me.

Seriously though, it is a tough sell to my 5:30 a.m. self to do 15 – 30 minutes of yoga. I did it for 70% of the month but that’s just pathetic. I’ll never develop a habit being so lazy.

Bah.

This is the internal struggle I go through every morning with myself:

5:30 AM FB: *yawn* Good night’s sleep. I think I’ll just mosey over to my laptop and check my..

Yoga FB: STOP RIGHT THERE.

5:35 AM FB: Wha..?

Yoga FB: Don’t you think you’re missing something? Like the main reason why you get up at 5:30 AM instead of 6 AM?

5:40 AM FB: I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just wanted to go check my emails quickly, then I’ll start.

Yoga FB: That’s what you said yesterday.

5:45 AM FB: Fine. I’m going to go start some tea and then I’ll start.

Yoga FB: Nooo, because then you’re going to say you can’t exactly do Downward Dog with liquid in your belly.

5:50 AM FB: Good point. How about I just go and start up some music…

Yoga FB: No. Get on the mat. Pull out the iPod Touch, set the timer and start stretching.

5:55 AM FB: No seriously!!!! I’ll do yoga right after I get home instead. Pinky promise.

Yoga FB: You said that the day before yesterday!!! LIAR!!!

6:00 AM FB: Wait, just look at the time! I have to get ready for work. Tomorrow, okay?

Yoga FB: *facepalm*

Yeah. February will be better, but perhaps not financially, as I am heading back to Montreal for a while and I have missed some major treats there. Nom nom nom.

On to financials!

INCOME: $18,660

  • Regular job
  • Blog income not included
  • No found money included (I found $0.05 this month! LOL)

TOTAL EXPENSES: $3389.17

  • Can’t wait for this to be over. 🙂
  • I like the convenience of a hotel, but the expenses pain me.

PERSONAL EXPENSES: $1269.79

  • Last month I’ll pay so much in “rent” at a hotel
  • “Basic” expenses (hotel and parking) came up to $931 already
  • Impossible to stay under $1000 with that, unless I deprived myself
  • Leaving for another mini project in another city

BUSINESS EXPENSES: $2119.38

  • Last month. LAST MONTH FOR PAYING FOR THIS HOTEL! 😀
  • I’m also eating out a lot more. People are leaving the project.
  • Bought some packing cubes/pouches. I –love– them (see below)

I  bought packing cubes almost exactly like these:

I pack rolled up underwear and anything that is fiddly and tiny.

A lot easier to move with because if a suitcase gets jostled, or I pull out something, it won’t get messy and make my OCD self re-pack and re-fold every little item.

NET WORTH: $177,200

Decrease of ($8154.88) or 4.4%

  • Drop due to charitable contributions*
  • Stock market wasn’t so hot this month
  • Will be working for another 2 more months somewhere else
*as noted in my Year 2010 Roundup.

ASSETS: $177,200.76

  • Cash: $67.83
  • Savings: $8021.68
  • Retirement: $49,337.42
  • Emergency Fund: $29,194.45
  • Business: $90,579.38

DEBTS:

None.

BEST POSTS OF JANUARY 2011

RANDOM STUFF

You can stop reading now if you were only here for the $$$$$.

BONJOUR MONTREAL! T’AI JE MANQUE?

Update: Hahah! Asked a real Frenchman 😉 — Translation: “Hello Montreal! Did you miss me?”

Heading back to Montreal for a while for work. Not for long.

Come to me my pretties!

On my list to do:

  • Eat macarons from La Maison du Macaron (See above. I know they’ve just changed the flavours.)
  • Eat Montreal smoked meat from Schwartzs (sadly, for the first time!)
  • Gain 10 pounds from eating pastries (seriously, there is a lack of decent pain au chocolats here..)
  • … wait a minute, everything on my list to do has to do with eating 😛 😛

Soak up Montreal-ness? I dunno. I only miss a few foods. Shopping may be out of the question, it’s a bit cold there.

WE JUST CAN’T SHARE BLANKETS

This might be TMI (too much information), but BF likes to hog the whole blanket, and I do too.

When we shared a comforter (also known as a ‘duvet’), I would either end up with everything wrapped around me, sleeping like a log wrapped in a cocoon of blissful warmth, and BF would be freezing to my side, with just a scrap he managed to wrench from my iron-fisted grip.

Or vice versa.

Our solution? We each have our own comforter now.

We both like to hog the blanket, so we hog our own.

We just can’t share and it’s the key to a happy, well-rested relationship.

Since it is January, I leave you with this inspiring photo:

Credit

Doesn’t this photo make you just feel like you’re about to start on some grand adventure?

Ready to do anything, start anew, refreshed and looking forward to whatever comes next?

That’s the way it makes me feel. I can’t wait for the next adventures coming up in my life!

About the Author

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 my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.