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Money stuff
May. 4th, 2005 12:19 amI've started keeping track of my expenses again, logging everything down to the penny. That's how I know that my weekend cost me $169.87. I log expenses a couple of times a year, generally for two or three months at a time. I always peter out at some point, but it still gives me an awareness of my spending habits.
For instance, I know that the hardest spending for me to control is dining out with my friends. I love to go out, sit down, and have somebody else take care of everything while we just enjoy each other's company.
I also like to dine out by myself. I suppose I just enjoy having somebody else do all the work! :-)
Tracking expenses is especially important right now, because I'm waiting for my next paycheck again. I won't commit the dollar amounts to this account, but I have to be careful not to spend on anything that I don't absolutely require.
I have my rent and my insurance paid for the month, along with my cable account. The cable account has become critical now that I'm working at home most days. I require that internet connection to get my work done. Because I'm meeting the boss in DC no more than once a week, I've decided not to buy the commuter pass this month.
I'll have to see how that affects my socializing, because now I'll have to pay full fare on Amtrak if I want to go to DC on the weekend. Still, I expect that my travel expenses will be lower than the cost of the commuter pass. I'll be logging everything, so I'll have the totals at the end of the month.
I've had to teach myself all of my cooking skills. I really didn't get that sort of skill set from my parents when I was growing up. I mostly learned how to zap things in the microwave. So I'm continually amazed at how cheaply someone can eat when they prepare all of their own meals. I spent about $15 on groceries today, and I fully expect that to feed me through the end of the week.
For instance, I spent about $3 on chicken breasts. For dinner, I pounded them flat and breaded them in a mix of bread crumbs, italian seasonings and parmesan cheese, then fried them in olive oil. One of them made a nice meal with some mashed potatoes. Now I have three more portions for the rest of the week, and another portion of mashed potatoes as well.
I also made brownies this afternoon, storing them in the tin that the cookies that![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kenny73 gave me. It's a box mix that I had sitting in the cupboard. I remember that it cost less than $2, but I'll have chocolate brownies until I'm sick of them. I'll have to give a few of them away. Much cheaper than other ways of satisfying my sweet tooth.
Hm. I think I need a brownie now.
Once upon a time, I fed Russell and myself for a week on $35. We weren't hurting for money (I had the well-paying job at the time), but I had realized how much money we were spending on carry out and delivery. And these were well-balanced meals, with enough variety to keep him satisfied. I was extremely proud of myself.
For instance, I know that the hardest spending for me to control is dining out with my friends. I love to go out, sit down, and have somebody else take care of everything while we just enjoy each other's company.
I also like to dine out by myself. I suppose I just enjoy having somebody else do all the work! :-)
Tracking expenses is especially important right now, because I'm waiting for my next paycheck again. I won't commit the dollar amounts to this account, but I have to be careful not to spend on anything that I don't absolutely require.
I have my rent and my insurance paid for the month, along with my cable account. The cable account has become critical now that I'm working at home most days. I require that internet connection to get my work done. Because I'm meeting the boss in DC no more than once a week, I've decided not to buy the commuter pass this month.
I'll have to see how that affects my socializing, because now I'll have to pay full fare on Amtrak if I want to go to DC on the weekend. Still, I expect that my travel expenses will be lower than the cost of the commuter pass. I'll be logging everything, so I'll have the totals at the end of the month.
I've had to teach myself all of my cooking skills. I really didn't get that sort of skill set from my parents when I was growing up. I mostly learned how to zap things in the microwave. So I'm continually amazed at how cheaply someone can eat when they prepare all of their own meals. I spent about $15 on groceries today, and I fully expect that to feed me through the end of the week.
For instance, I spent about $3 on chicken breasts. For dinner, I pounded them flat and breaded them in a mix of bread crumbs, italian seasonings and parmesan cheese, then fried them in olive oil. One of them made a nice meal with some mashed potatoes. Now I have three more portions for the rest of the week, and another portion of mashed potatoes as well.
I also made brownies this afternoon, storing them in the tin that the cookies that
kenny73 gave me. It's a box mix that I had sitting in the cupboard. I remember that it cost less than $2, but I'll have chocolate brownies until I'm sick of them. I'll have to give a few of them away. Much cheaper than other ways of satisfying my sweet tooth.Hm. I think I need a brownie now.
Once upon a time, I fed Russell and myself for a week on $35. We weren't hurting for money (I had the well-paying job at the time), but I had realized how much money we were spending on carry out and delivery. And these were well-balanced meals, with enough variety to keep him satisfied. I was extremely proud of myself.
