This was a fun spending report to put together! Even though I did not spend within my means (sigh), part of that was due to taking care of some very annoying medical bills (that I will slowly be able to submit to my HSA for reimbursement). I was around $219 over my means, which is not great but I’m chalking it up to getting those medical bills off my plate. If I didn’t have to deal with those, I would be in a much better spot!

Let’s review my goals for April:

• Reduce my shopping budget by half – Complete! I mean, almost. I needed to spend $316 or less to meet this goal and I spent $333. Close enough?!
• Meet my online ordering goal – Not complete. But I got closer to that goal in April than I was in February or March, so I feel good about that.
• Cancel Amazon Prime – Not complete. Ugh! I just keep forgetting to do this!

And here’s how things shook out this month. As a reminder, this is a spending report, which means I am only talking about the money I spent after it hits my bank account. You will not see anything related to my 401k, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, etc.

Categories That Increased

MEDICAL ($549 | ↑ $422)

Ughhhh. The worst way to spend money! I needed to take care of a large bill for my CPAP equipment ($303) and pay a large bill to my therapist ($210) since my insurance company had been under-billing me for a few months. I also paid for some medication. The good news is that I’ve met my deductible for 2025 so now my therapy appointments are $0! Sweet relief.

CAR ($263 | ↑ 48)

A small increase, mostly needing to get gas twice this month, paying some tolls, and getting a car wash.

TRAVEL ($662 | ↑ $42) 

I bought a round-trip flight to London and I also categorized anything I spent for my staycation at the VRBO with the cats (food, litter, and the disposable litter box I ordered).

SUBSCRIPTIONS ($129  | ↑ $21)

I did not cancel Amazon Prime (ugh) but I did buy a year’s subscription to Emily in Your Phone’s Substack, which accounts for the increase.

FOOD ($780 | ↑ $11) 

My food budget increased just a tiny bit from April, so I’m really happy that things stayed relatively stable. I’m still not meeting my Ubereats goal (>$100 per month), but this month, I was only over by $32 (as opposed to $73 in March and $105 in February), so I’m doing much better than I was. I’m getting there! (I’m trying to give myself a rule that I can only order Ubereats when I’m on my period since that’s when my energy is the lowest. It’s a little silly, but it’s working!) My grocery budget was nearly identical to March, too.

Categories That Decreased

BILLS ($2,352 | ↓ $3,520)

This number is a little misleading because I accounted for paying off my LASIK bill ($3,049) in March. Everything else was pretty normal and even my electric bill was a smidge lower in April than March, so hooray for that! We’re definitely entering the season where my AC is going to be working overtime so I expect some large electric bills soon.

SHOPPING ($333 | ↓ $349)

I am really happy with this number! I’d like to reduce my shopping budget further, but we’re making progress. Here were my highest categories:

• Books: $95.21
• Accessories (reading stand and a belt bag): $57.40
• Clothing (a t-shirt from Etsy and a new pair of sandals): $51.52
• Beauty: $35

MISC ($52 | ↓ $205)

Nothing too crazy for my miscellaneous category in April, just a few blog-related expenses like renewing my spam protection. Last month, I had to pay too much money for my taxes (not really, but felt like it to me!) so that’s why the decrease is so drastic.

SUPPLIES ($32  | ↓ $164)

This was a startlingly low number for my household supplies/toiletries. But I spent a lot of money replenishing my supplies in March so it makes sense that I’d have a lower-than-average month. I needed a few CPAP supplies (distilled water and gentle dish soap for cleaning the parts) as well as the usual suspects: mouthwash, conditioner, paper towels, etc.

GIFTS ($0  | ↓ $143)

I’m so surprised that I didn’t spend any money on gifts in April! Don’t worry, though, May is already turning out to be a spendy month for gifts.

ENTERTAINMENT ($168  | ↓ $115)

There weren’t a ton of things happening in April, it seems! Most of this total comprises dinners with friends/my mom ($116) and the rest covers book club and some miscellaneous items.

SPA ($128 | ↓ $104)

No hair appointment this month, but I did spend $84 to get my underarms waxed and then my brows waxed and dyed, which feels crazy. I don’t think I’ll be doing the dye again—it doesn’t last very long so it really feels like I’m just throwing money away. And my brows don’t really need to be waxed that frequently. I also got a pedicure, which felt so nice.

CATS ($88 | ↓ $97)

A pretty low-key month for the girls! I bought food, Litter Genie refills, and a new scratching pad.

Categories That Held Steady

SAVINGS ($125)

I am actually upset about this one because I really need to put more money in savings than I do. UGH.

Overall Thoughts

This was a good month with a lot of decreased categories. And while I’m proud of nearly halving my shopping spending, I still have some work to do there. I have gotten into the habit of just buying things whenever I think about them, rather than waiting and making sure I really want to buy said thing. Maybe instead, I could make a note of it in my phone, and at the end of every month, I could review this list and decide if any of these items are things I still want. And if they are, and it fits into my budget, then I can buy the thing. I feel a lot more “free” with my money right now because I have a lot of disposable income, but that extra money should really be going to things like a travel fund or a savings account for my upcoming move. Plus, starting in November, my rent will be increasing drastically (by at least $500) if I find a reasonably priced two-bedroom apartment, so I need to start living like I have a lot less money now so it doesn’t feel like such a dramatic change at the end of the year.

It’s also going to be imperative to spend below my means. And that comes with being a lot more mindful of how much money I’m spending on a weekly basis. I’ve gotten better about tracking my spending every Sunday, but I think I also need to make a stronger budget that I actually stick to. That’s hard for me because there’s a scarcity mindset that comes with budgeting (at least for me, because of my upbringing), but I know it will be a beneficial practice for me in the long run. Something for me to think about!

To close out this post, here are my goals for May: spend below my means by $250, cancel Amazon Prime, and meet my online ordering goal (less than $100 spent on Ubereats orders).

What’s the last travel purchase you spent money on?

My February spending report isn’t going to be quite as nice as January, but there were some bright spots. I’ve broken this post down into five sections:

• Spending Breakdown: Categories That Increased
• Spending Breakdown: Categories That Decreased
• What Went Well
• What Didn’t Go Well
• Goals for Next Month

Let’s get into it!

Spending Breakdown

Categories That Increased

MEDICAL ($445 | ↑ $411)

This was an unavoidable increase, as I had to deal with a CPAP bill from my insurance company. I had hoped I would be able to use the last of my 2024 FSA funds to cover the bill (that was over $400!) but apparently, I spent more than I thought with my FSA so I could only use it for a portion of the bill. The rest had to come out of my own pocket. Annoying!

FOOD ($945 | ↑ $253)

There are two reasons this category increased so much from January to February. The first is that I revamped my categories a bit and added a “Food with Friends” line. I would normally put this in my Entertainment category, but I’m moving it into this area to better understand how much I spend on food, even when I’m out with friends or my mom. I may move this back to entertainment at some point, but we’ll see. The second reason this category increased is those damnable Ubereats orders. UGH. I spent over $200 this month and it’s mostly because I didn’t meal plan very well and some nights I just didn’t have anything at home for dinner. Instead of going through the arduous task of driving to the grocery store, I ordered takeout. After doing that too many times, I decided I needed to have some extra meals on hand for those kinds of nights so I loaded up on freezer meals and ready-made dinners at Trader Joe’s! Let’s hope March is a much better month in this department.

CATS ($249 | ↑ $162)

The majority of this overage is due to Lila’s vet appointment. She needed an updated vaccine so it was around $154 for that appointment. I also spent nearly $30 on restocking treats, if I’m wondering why Lila gains a pound a year.

GIFTS ($87 | ↑ $54)

I had to purchase a few more gifts in February than January – Galentine’s, a gift for a colleague, and a gift for my nephew.

CAR ($251 | ↑ $17)

This month, I had to fill up my car with gas twice (shocked face) so that’s the reason for the increase.

ENTERTAINMENT ($201 | ↑ $12)

It’s impressive that I still managed to increase my entertainment category, even though I took out a major part of this category (food). But there were some important purchases here, such as a ticket to see Ben Schwartz & Friends when he’s here in July and my Galentine’s date with Bri.

Categories That Decreased

BILLS ($2,047 | ↓ $385)

The only reason this category decreased is because I was a few days late with my car payment (I thought I had set up automatic withdrawals, but apparently not!). So this category will increase in March for sure.

CREDIT CARD ($741 | ↓ $509)

I paid off my credit card in February, which was such a good feeling! This amount equals the payoff.

SHOPPING ($382 | ↓ $132)

Hooray! My goal in February was to reduce my shopping spending and I did that. I was hoping to spend under $350, which didn’t happen, but I feel good about this total. I bought a lot of books in February (11), bought some yoga accessories, and replaced my purse.

SUBSCRIPTIONS ($101 | ↓ $14)

I cancelled Netflix in February – woop! Next up is cancelling Amazon Prime.

SUPPLIES ($48 | ↓ $36)

Not much to see here – I just didn’t need to replenish as many supplies in February. Boring stuff: mouthwash, toothpaste, a new toothbrush, Q-tips, conditioner, aluminum foil. Blah.

No change categories

Savings ($125) and my miscellaneous category ($78 – this was my nose piercing).

What Went Well

• Paying off my credit card – It felt so good to pay off my credit card at the beginning of February! I had been chasing after that accomplishment for all of 2024 and just couldn’t get my act together. But now I feel inspired to keep paying it off so I’m never in that situation again.
• A reduced shopping category – Honestly, while I’m proud that I spent less money shopping than I did in January, I didn’t actively track my shopping spending throughout the month and felt like I spent more money than I should have, so it wasn’t a conscious effort. I hope to make this effort a lot more conscious in March.
• Cancelling Netflix – I was very tired of paying so much money for Netflix and they just kept raising the prices. After their latest price hike, I called it quits and that felt really good.

What Didn’t Go Well

• Medical bills – These large medical bills are killing me. I haven’t built up any sort of savings in my HSA yet (since I haven’t had an HSA for a few years), so all of this is coming out of pocket. I’m hoping the HSA will be worth it in the end, but right now, I’m just annoyed by healthcare expenses.
• Not checking on my budget regularly – This was a problem in January and it remained a problem in February. I need to figure out how to make this a part of my daily habits, whether that means combining it with another routine I have, setting an alarm on my phone, or something.
• Spending too much on Ubereats – My goal is to to spend less than $100 a month on online takeout orders and in February, I spent more than $200. Not good! I hope that my new plan of having more freezer/ready-made meals on hand will ensure I don’t reach for that Ubereats app as much as I did last month.

March Goals

• A full boycott of Amazon and Target – It’s time. I use Target for toiletries, beauty products, and household supplies but I’m hoping I can make the switch to Aldi for some of that. For the rest, I’m still deciding. Amazon will be harder but I’ll figure it out!
• Switch from Publix to Aldi – I was supposed to do this last month but I chickened out. I am just so entrenched in my Publix grocery routine, but that’s no excuse for giving a Republican-supported company my money.
• Reduce my shopping budget further – My shopping budget reduced by $132 in February and I’d like to keep that trend going. If I can get it under $300, that would be amazing! I think boycotting Amazon and Target will definitely help with this goal.

When was the last time you ordered food from an app like Ubereats or Door Dash?

I wanted to take a different approach to my monthly spending reports this year. I still need to write this post every month because they are oh-so-helpful for me. I understand that they are not everyone’s jam, but I am an Obliger through and through, and it helps me to put it all out there.

This year, I’ll do a quick run-down on my spending (using actual numbers this time!) and then dive into what went well and what didn’t go well. I’ll end with some money-related goals!

As a reminder, this is a spending report, which means I am only talking about the money I spent after it hits my bank account. You will not see anything related to my 401k, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, etc. We’re just talking about the money I spend once it’s, well, mine.

Spending Breakdown

• Bills (rent, phone, car payment, electric, student loans, gym, internet, Care Credit): $2,432
• Credit card: $1,250
• Food: $692
• Shopping: $514
• Car (car insurance, gas, tolls): $234
• Entertainment: $189
• Savings (cat fund, Christmas fund): $125
• Subscriptions (Patreon, Netflix, Paramount+, Spotify, Canva, Book of the Month, Prime): $115
• Cats (food, new scratcher): $87
• Medical: $34
• Gifts: $33

What Went Well

• Food budget – I brought my food budget down to $700/month (from $800), and I was excited to see that I came under budget in January! What helped the most was fewer Ubereats orders. I spent just $78 on Ubereats orders, which may seem high to some, but last year, I averaged nearly $200/mo in this category so this is a startling improvement! My goal is to spend less than $100 on online ordering every month, and I am well on my way to that goal.
• Paying off my credit card every two weeks – Okay, this is going to be embarrassing to admit as a functional adult, but I’m going to be open and honest about this: I have been carrying a balance on my credit card for many many months. Probably for all of 2024. The problem is that every month, I would send a huge chunk of money to my credit card to bring down the balance but then I would use the credit card, so I was really only chipping away at the balance by a couple hundred dollars every month. But on January 31st, I was able to fully pay off my credit card (this will show up on my next spending report) and that’s because throughout January, I made sure to pay off any credit card purchases every two weeks. This allowed me to keep my balance at a reasonable number and then, thanks to January being a three-paycheck month for me, pay it off in full at the end of the month. What a friggin relief this is!
• Spending less than I make – Last year, there were many months when I spent above and beyond my income, which is the biggest no-no. But it happens and if there’s anything I can do with these spending reports, it’s to make those of us who are not great with our finances feel a little better. In January, I spent just about $360 less than I made, which isn’t a TON of money, but it does keep me in the green, and that’s all I care about.

What Didn’t Go Well

• Shopping – My shopping budget was a bit out of control in January, as I spent over $500. Eeks! My top three categories were beauty ($141), clothing ($128), and tech ($77). Most of the beauty purchases were replacement products so hopefully next month I’ll spend a lot less. I am allowing myself to purchase new clothes once a quarter so I took advantage of a sale at Lane Bryant where I got a new pair of boots, jeans, and a bra for $128. And my biggest tech purchase was my hand massager. I’m going to try to see if my wellness reimbursement will cover that, so stay tuned! I also spent $61 on books and $58 on home organization purchases, so January was just a very spendy month for me and hopefully I’ll do better in February.
• Savings – I was hoping to put more money in savings, but I prioritized my credit card this month. Now that the credit card is paid off, I can focus my attention on my savings goals!
• Not keeping up with my spending – My goal was to check in on my bank account every other day to categorize my spending and see what adjustments I needed to make for the rest of the month, but ugh, I did not do that. I probably logged in once a week and then had to play catch-up.

Goals for February

• Spend less money shopping – If I can get my shopping category down to $350, I’ll be a happy gal.
• Do a budget check-in every other day – If I’m checking in on my budget more frequently, I think I can definitely get my shopping category down to a reasonable number.
• Switch from Publix to Aldi – I am intimidated by the prospect of going to another grocery store but I know this will be beneficial in many ways, both financially and making a bigger impact with my dollars.

What was something you were happy to spend money on this month? For me, I was happy to purchase a spot at the cat cafe Jenny and I went to last month! I’m always happy to give money to a good cause.