Quarterly Budget Recap | Q2 of 2021

Hi, friends! Happy Wednesday. It’s that time—my quarterly budget update! I’m still keeping meticulous track of my spending, though it can get a bit annoying, especially if I forget to check in after a week and have so many transactions to categorize! But it’s good for me, even if I’m not doing as well with my budgeting limits as I’d hoped (looking at you, food budget). There weren’t any huge surprises or purchases in Q2, which is always nice! Q3 will hold a vet appointment for Eloise, my trip to Chicago, and tooooons of birthdays. So it should be an eventful quarter!

Here’s how Q2 broke down for my budget:

Overall bills (39.6%) – I spent about the same on bills from Q1 to Q2 (my electric bill went up a bit but my water bill went down). It’s nice that these numbers remain pretty even! Next quarter will include my rent increase, so I expect “overall bills” to be an even bigger part of my budget then.

• Rent ($1,045 per month)
• Electric (averaging $107 per month, an increase of $21 from Q1)
• Water (averaging $37 per month, a decrease of $15 from Q1)
• Internet ($80 per month)
• Phone ($109 per month)
• Student loan ($105 per month)

Food (17.4%) – My food budget remains the biggest struggle for me! I have a very high budget for food ($600) and only came under one month (June, in which I challenged myself to eat 75% of my meals at home). This quarter, I spent $276 more on food than in Q1, eeks.

Savings (13.8%) – I’m continuing to save lots! This quarter, I put away over $1,500 in savings, which feels really good.

Shopping (5.5%) – I definitely got bit by the shopping bug in Q2 and I spent quite a bit more than in Q1. My main shopping categories amounted to:

• Clothes (39.5%) – A dress for a wedding, Stitch Fix, and an Old Navy order.
• Books (29.8%) – I’m embarrassed to admit that I spent $184 on books this quarter. Oops.
• Accessories (11.2%) – Shoes and jewelry.
• Workout accessories (7.5%) – I bought a cadence sensor for my spin bike, a yoga mat, and a heart rate monitor.
• Chatbooks (4.4%) – Self-explanatory.
• Other (2.8%) – I’m not really sure what belongs in this category… but it only amounted to $17 over 3 months.
• Kitchen tools (2.6%) – I bought some tall containers to store pasta noodles and a lemon squeezer.
• Hobbies (2.3%) – Markers and a coloring book. I am a child.

Spa (5%) – I ended up spending nearly $100 less in this category in Q2, which is awesome. This category comprises pedicures ($127), hair appointments ($200 for balayage highlights and a cut), and massages/facials ($235 between my Hand & Stone membership and tips).

Home (3.7%) – This category was much, much lower than Q1 since it didn’t include a sectional purchase! But when I remove that purchase from my Q1 spending, comparing Q1 and Q2 spending is not as pretty, as I spent nearly $200 more this quarter! $268 of that was for my office nook, as I bought a new office chair, an ottoman to rest my feet, and some cable organizational tools. I also bought some home goods, like replacement Wallflower scents from Bath & Body Works and a new 4-cube bookshelf. What can I say? I love decorating my apartment!

Beauty (3.3%) – The majority of this category comprises skincare products. At this point, I’m spending about $100 per month on products, which feels ridiculously high. But the products are working! So, I guess this is just my life now? I also replenished some of my makeup.

Subscriptions (2.4%) – I have $100 budgeted for all of my subscriptions, which include Book of the Month, Second Nature (air filter; bimonthly), Patreon, Netflix, Spotify, Peacock, Ipsy, and Befunky (photo editing app). I also just subscribed to Paramount+ so I can watch Big Brother (and I had to do their Premium subscription so I can watch it live, sigh) so that will be an additional $10 per month over Q3.

Supplies/Toiletries (2%) – I budget $100 per month for supplies/toiletries and came in under budget every month in Q2, woohoo! I spent almost the same amount as in Q1, too, which is nuts.

Pets (1.7%) – A very easy quarter for the girls! I bought litter ($27), food ($36), treats ($38), toys ($26), and supplies ($40 for a brush and a lint roller to remove cat hair from my couch—yes, in both instances, I was coerced by Instagram ads).

Entertainment (1.6%) – I spent $42 funding my Candy Crush habit and then an additional $140 on adventures, which included some dinners out and kayaking with Bri.

Gifts (1.4%) – A few friends had birthdays and there was Mother’s Day.

Travel (.8%) – I bought flights to Chicago for my mom and me (which were very cheap since I had a credit from 2020) as well as travel insurance.

Health (.7%) – This mostly comprises my Peloton membership, although I did buy some medication in April.

Auto (.7%) – An easy quarter here, as my only expense was gas. I’m still only filling up about once a month, which is amazing!

Charity (.4%) – I donated to Val Demings campaign, as she’s running against Marco Rubio for Senate and I am VERY MUCH into that.

Tell me: Have you ever bought something because of an Instagram ad? What was the most expensive thing you bought this quarter? Mine was definitely my office chair, and it was worth every penny!