May 2011 Budget Roundup -($11,230.19)

By
FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com
 – May 13, 2011Posted in: Money

GOING ON VACATION FOR 5 WEEKS!!

I am doing this post mid-month because I am leaving for a month.

I’ve booked all my flights, hotel and converted cash, so I have a rough idea of what I will be spending for the rest of May and June.

We try NOT to use our credit or debit cards overseas because of identity theft (plus we won’t be really checking our accounts when we travel, so…). Therefore, we convert all the money we think we’ll need beforehand and then have some backup USD just in case.

Check out our money that we exchanged JUST for China (Beijing and Shanghai). It’s a mix of $1, $5, $20, $50 and $100 bills.

It is a serious stack of money, and the smaller the bill, the smaller the size of it.

Here are the other two countries:

Singapore:

Hong Kong:

PURE AND SIMPLE BIRTHDAY TREAT

As for the month of May itself, as a birthday treat I went in for my second Pure and Simple facial.

They had a sale on for the Clear Complexion Facial for only $99 when it’s normally $150!! 🙂

Sold.

I really wanted that LED facial again, so I’m thrilled to get it again.

My skin looks even better and the scars have really faded.

I also bought a little bottle of (eeep!) expensive Lactic Acid for about $50 and I am hoping it will fade out my scars and give me silky, smooth, scar-free skin 🙂

I smooth it on my face every other night (I don’t feel ANY tingling or burning, my skin loves it), wait 10 minutes and then spread on some argan oil over top.

Actually I think this Lactic Acid is working SO WELL I may not need to buy facials any more.

MMMMMM MANGO!

Also, I made this yummy mango smoothie with my KitchenAid Immersion Blender.

I just tossed in some ripe mangoes (peel and seed removed), some milk to the consistency I like and that’s it. I pureed it all and drank every last delicious drop.

I’ve also made it with strawberries, pineapple.. you name it.

INCOME = $0

  • Not working for the rest of the year because I’m calling this my Year of Travel!
  • When I say not working, I mean not for my full-time freelancing job 🙂
  • Blog income and side freelancing writing is never included
  • Going on vacation for most of the year, so I’m going to really assume I won’t be able to write or blog much

EXPENSES = $7880.51

  • Yeaaaaaaaah.

 

Note 1: Why my rent is $0

My parents have generously allowed us to stay the home for free in between our trips.

My parents only charge me rent if I stay for more than 2 months in a consecutive stretch.

Sooo yeah. FREE RENT! WOO HOO! Finally!!!! 🙂 For the first time in 19 years. I should mention that we aren’t being total parasites (we feel guilty..).

BF is cooking up a storm for my parents each week we’re here (groceries paid for!), and I’m helping my mom clean and organize the house, water the plants, do laundry…

Note 2: Why our groceries are so low at $26.38

By the magic of PC points, we’ve had to pay MINIMALLY for groceries. I think we’ve spent about $186.38 in real dollars, but paid only $26.38 in hard cash, because the rest was covered by points 😀

Check it out! (Click on the image to make it larger)

In this receipt for $57 of groceries, we paid $7.78

Note 3: Why we paid around $8000 for travel this month per person ($16,000 for both of us)

We booked 12 weeks of travel in total so far including hotel and flights.

What is NOT included in that $8000 budget is entertainment and food, which I am pricing to be another $2000 per person or so (at the max).

We are going to Asia for 5 weeks, then we’re coming back for 3 weeks to “relax”.

Then we’re off again to Portugal and Spain for 7 weeks.

So yes.. LOTS of PC points from booking all of that on my PC Mastercard 🙂

NET WORTH = $176,567.83 or a decrease of $11,230.19 or about 6%

  • Cash = $1507.60
  • Emergency Fund = $110,336.64
  • Savings = $8073.33
  • Retirement = $56,650.26

The extra $3000 drop above and beyond my expenses are my investments. *grumble kick kick*

Anyway.

Since Networth IQ doesn’t want me as a member any more (they’ve blocked my email address probably because they think I’m a spammer or a liar), here’s my net worth chart from when I was $60,000 in debt up until now.

The year started around the end of 2006 (when my debt and the 6-month “interest free” student loans expired), and is all the way until May 2011.

It’s about 4 years and 5 months of net worth tracking right there.

Click on the image to make it uber large.

I use my budgeting and tracking tool every single time I spend money and it gives me great pleasure to know where I stand in terms of my budget goals for the month or the year.

All right folks! I’m off to finish packing, making sure my lists are all checked off and getting ready to experience China FULL BLAST!

Have an awesome May and see you in June! I’ll update (if I can and when I can), and I’ll post pictures upon my return.

 

 

Tags: , , , ,

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.