Hi friends and happy Monday. It’s Martin Luther King, Jr., day here in the U.S. and I am very grateful that my company gives us the day off. (I’m planning on doing my January 5K today with my mom and the dogs!)
Today, I’m here to wrap up my 2021 budget with some final numbers. For the past few years, I’ve been keeping a detailed spreadsheet about my spending and while it can be a lot to keep up with, I’ve gotten into a habit of inputting my numbers once a week. I used to be so bad at keeping track of my spending, so I am proof that you can change your ways. 🙂
Overall Bills (40%; -1.1% from 2020) – I spent $12,810 on rent (+$1,637 from 2020), $1,329 on electric (+$296 from 2020), $553 on water and utilities (-$37 from 2020), $960 on Internet (no change), $1,302 on my phone bill (-$94 from 2020), and $1,260 on my student loan (+$100 from 2020).
Food (14.9%; +.6% from 2020) – My food spending was right about on par with what I spent in 2020, so it’s good to know that the food budget I set for myself ($600 per month) is my sweet spot. Ideally, I’d like to bring down this number but it’s not something I’m too worried about. This year, I spent $3,184 on restaurants/Ubereats orders/fast food (+$197), $3,503 on groceries (-$168), and $175 at Starbucks (-$49).
Savings (8.9%; +2.8% from 2020) – Just as I did in 2020, I stopped adding to my savings in the latter half of the year. While I should have an automatic savings fund set up, there’s something I like about manually moving money into my savings. I saved a little bit more this year than last (+$674) with an average of $301 per month.
Home (5.3%; +2.7% from 2020) – My home purchases took up a bigger slice of the pie this year, mainly because I bought a sectional at the beginning of the year ($1,124). This category is also comprised of home decor ($352), things for my home office ($312, which includes my comfy new office chair), home goods ($136), accessories ($102), and tech ($405, which includes a new TV).
Auto (4.9%; +1.5% from 2020) – I spent a little more on gas (+$48) and car repairs (+$102). I spent less on car insurance (-$16). And I also spent money on a car down payment. I had saved some money for the down payment but also had to pull $500 out of my account to ensure I could put $4,000 down. I expect this area of my budget to be a much bigger piece of the pie in 2022.
Shopping (4.7%; +.7% from 2020) – I’m still trying to figure out how to properly categorize and track my shopping habits. I spent $853 on clothing (+$415), $601 on books (+$189), $243 on accessories (+$154), and $107 on hobbies (+$21). Workout accessories ($126), kitchen tools ($77), and other ($134) round out this category.
Spa (4.4%; +2.2% from 2020) – This category comprises massages ($896), hair appointments ($677), and pedicures ($477).
Beauty (2.1%; +1.4% from 2020) – My beauty category definitely grew in 2021, which I was expecting. I didn’t itemize my beauty spending, which I’ll probably do in 2022, but this category comprises my skincare products (I use Paula’s Choice), makeup, and face masks (the skincare kind).
Pets (2.1%; +.1% from 2020) – This category remained stable from 2020 to 2021, woohoo! I spent $256 on vet appointments (+$108), $180 on litter (+$33), $146 on food (-$52), $128 on treats (+$13), $91 on toys (+$5), and $159 on supplies like a new water fountain and new beds.
Travel (2%; +1.1% from 2020) – Last year, the only travel expense I had was a plane ticket that had to be canceled. I was able to use my plane credit this year for a fun trip to Chicago with my mom. Our biggest expense that trip was on our adventures, with food a close second.
Supplies/Toiletries (2%; +.2% from 2020) – I budget $100 per month for supplies/toiletries and usually come well under budget. In 2021, I averaged $75 a month.
Subscriptions (2%; +.6% from 2020) – Another category that increased a bit from 2020, but not by too much. This category comprises Patreon subscriptions, Netflix, Spotify, an air filter subscription, and other streaming services. I averaged $78 per month on subscriptions.
Entertainment (2%; +1.6% from 2020) – My entertainment budget was definitely up in 2021, as expected. I spent $508 on adventuring with friends, $262 on dates, and $147 on in-app purchases.
Christmas (1.7%; -.2% from 2020) – I spent a little less on Christmas this year, although I still feel like I spent so. much. money. I spent $164 less, but last year’s budget also included buying a new Christmas tree so I’m guessing I need to budget around $700-$800 every year.
Health (1.4%; +1% from 2020) – I spent 1% more on health purchases in 2021, but the majority of this category comprises the spin bike I bought in early 2021.
Gifts (1.3%; +.3% from 2020) – In 2021, I averaged around $50 per month on gifts.
Charity (.3%; -.4% from 2020) – My goal at the beginning of 2021 was to pick one charity a month and donate $25. I quickly fell off the bandwagon, though. Ugh.
And there you have it! I really love writing these quarterly budget posts, so I plan to continue them throughout 2022. This year, I’m making some changes to how I track my spending—mostly, itemizing all of my shopping/home purchases so that I have a better idea of what I’m spending my discretionary money on. I am also going to break up my food purchases into 5 categories: groceries, fast food, restaurants, Starbucks, Uber Eats (with a separate category for tips).
