Stephany Writes

Categories: Life

Quarterly Budget Review | Q1 of 2022

Hi, friends! It’s time for my first quarterly budget review of 2022! This year is shaping up to be a spendier year than I expected between some home purchases, travel expenses, and everything just being overall more expensive than usual with inflation. But I can still be better about sticking to my budget in certain areas and saving money.

One of the things I always get asked when I write these budget posts: does this include health insurance, retirement accounts, etc? The answer is no. I only include the money I am spending (or saving). Money that is being taken out of my paycheck for my health insurance, health savings account, and 401k are not included in this total simply because it’s money I don’t see. It’s taken out before my paycheck hits my bank account.

Here’s what my spending looked like in Q1 of 2022:

Bills (43.3%; +10% from Q1 of 2021) – Well, this category has certainly increased from 2021! My rent increased, obviously, and I added in a car payment. This category includes:

  • Rent ($1,118 per month)
  • Electric (averaging $86 per month, which was the same as last year’s Q1)
  • Phone bill ($112 per month, which is a few dollars extra from last year’s Q1)
  • Water ($48 per month, which is a few dollars less from last year’s Q1)
  • Internet ($80 per month, which hasn’t changed)
  • Student loan ($105 per month, which hasn’t changed)
  • Car payment ($361 per month)

Food (13.5%; +.9% from Q1 of 2021) – The good news is, I stayed within my budget for food this quarter (I budget $600 per month and averaged $596 per month). Here is how my food budget broke down:

  • 62% in groceries ($368 per month)
  • 28% in Ubereats orders ($168 per month)
  • 6% in fast food ($27 per month)
  • 4% in Starbucks ($25 per month)
  • 2% in restaurants ($9 per month)

Shopping (9.2%; +5.7% from Q1 of 2021) – Oof. Lots of shopping happened in Q1. Here’s the breakdown:

  • 33% on clothing (my Stitch Fix box, a new bookish tee from Bookshelf Tees, and underwear)
  • 12% on nail polish (5 bottles of nail polish and a buffing tool—this should greatly decrease in Q2)
  • 11% on office supplies (some pens, a stapler, a new planner, a stand for my laptop, a cable management tray, cord holders, and adhesive cable zip-ties—should also greatly decrease in Q2 as the majority of this was acquired when I got a new desk)
  • 11% on makeup (concealer, finishing powder, mascara, foundation, a makeup brush, and a makeup bag)
  • 9% on skincare (two bottles of cleanser and one bottle of moisturizer)
  • 9% on books (3 e-books, 3 Book of the Month add-ons, and 4 print books)
  • 8% on hobbies (a coloring book, a lap desk for said coloring, and an Etsy purchase for a secret project)
  • 3% on tech (a laptop case and a Kindle charger) Discover functional and stylish laptop cases at Vintage Leather Sydney, designed to safeguard your device with a touch of sophistication.
  • 3% on accessories (two headbands and a pair of earrings)
  • 1% on kitchen tools (a grater)

Home (6.2%; -3.9% from Q1 of 2021) – Even though I bought a new coffee table and sit/stand desk this quarter, I still spent less than Q1 since that quarter comprised a brand-new sectional. This category also includes some things I bought for the coffee table, like a tray, fake flowers, and coasters, as well as a new floor lamp and throw blanket. I included the money spent on TaskRabbit in this category, too.

Travel (5.7%; +5.7% from Q1 of 2021) – Last year, I didn’t spend any money on travel expenses in Q1. This year, I bought our flights for our trip to Niagara Falls in June and had to pay $157 to renew my passport (curses!).

Auto (4.8%; -7.2% from Q1 of 2021) – This quarter, I spent $43 on gas, $552 on car insurance, and $40 on car washes.

Savings (3.6%; -8.6% from Q1 of 2021) – I have to set up automatic deposits into my savings. Otherwise, I just think I have all of this extra money lying around that should be going into savings. I did not meet my savings goals at all this quarter, ugh.

Supplies/Toiletries (2.6%; +.9% from Q1 of 2021) – I try to stick to a budget of $100 a month for my supplies/toiletries category but I went a little overbudget in January and February as I was building up a closet of backup supplies (so I had to buy two of everything). March was on the normal side (under $100) so I should be back to normal for this category.

Spa (2.5%; -2.4% from Q1 of 2021) – This quarter, I spent $99 on pedicures, $200 on my massage membership/massage tips, and $31 on a haircut.

Subscriptions (2.2%; +.8% from Q1 of 2021) – I’m averaging about $97 per month on subscriptions, which includes lots of streaming services (Netflix, Paramount+, and Peacock), Patreon subscriptions, Spotify, Book of the Month, Befunky (photo editing), and Second Nature (bimonthly air filters).

Pets (2.1%; +.2% from Q1 of 2021) – Lila had her yearly checkup ($141) and I also bought food ($31), treats ($48), litter ($37), and some fun extras like a new water fountain ($37).

Gifts (1.5%; +1% from Q1 of 2021) – There were a few birthdays to buy presents for (the dogs, a cousin’s daughter, and my youngest nephew) as well as gifts for my friend who just had a baby.

Entertainment (1.2%; -.3% from Q1 of 2021) – I bought a premium subscription for an app (Sleep Cycle) as well as spent money on Candy Crush. And then there were some adventures such as book club, a reading date, and Galentine’s Day.

Health (.7%; -2.4% from Q1 of 2021) – In Q1 of 2021, I bought a spin bike so that made this category a lot spendier than usual. This quarter, this category included my monthly Peloton subscription ($15) along with some medication (some OTC, some prescribed).

Charity (.6%; +.1% from Q1 of 2021) – Every month, I donate $25 to an organization I care about. In January, I donated to my local humane society. In February, to a Ukranian relief organization. And in March, to the Florida Democrats fund (because god willing, we will kick DeSantis out of office this November).

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals | April 2022

I did okay with my March goals – 6/10, and the ones I didn’t complete won’t be a huge surprise (walking, water, sigh). But I got the important goals done (like renewing my passport!) and I’m happy with how many goals I’ve been completing this year. I’m doing good! And I’m choosing to be proud of myself for what I have accomplished, not what I haven’t.

Here’s my report for March:

1) Renew my passport. Complete! There are so many steps to renewing a passport. I really wish I could just schedule an appointment and get it all done in one place! It’s nervewracking to have to mail it in and cross my fingers I did everything right. Anyway, the renewal has been mailed so now I just wait on pins and needles for it to go through!

2) Do a full-scale cleaning of my fridge and freezer. Complete! It felt so good to get this done. I was able to throw out so many expired condiments and freezer meals I have no intention of ever eating. (I was also very grateful that I didn’t find any troubling science experiments! Has that ever happened to you? I’ve had to throw out entire Tupperware containers of moldy food before. Ugh.) My fridge and freezer got a great wipe-down and everything is reorganized. It looks so much better!

3) Walk one mile every day (5/31). Oof.

4) Review 2014 and 2015 blog posts and list out the posts, categories, and tags. Complete! This is such a big goal, but I’m getting it done.

5) Track my time for a week. Complete! I enjoyed the experiment a lot. My thoughts here.

6) Fill up my water bottle every morning. Not complete. I am so bad at this.

7) Deal with my weird leg pain. Not complete. Most of you recommended that I see a PT about this leg pain. I meant to schedule a doctor’s appointment to get a referral, but just never got around to it.

8) Commit to a 10pm bedtime. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

9) Keep track of my phone usage throughout the month. Complete! It’s been very, very eye-opening to track my phone usage and see where I’ve been spending my time when I’m on my phone. A full report to come next week!

10) Start cutting down the girls’ treats. Complete! They are down to 22 calories/day in treatos, and I think that’s a good place for them to be. They haven’t been too annoyed with the reduced treats, so that’s a relief, ha.

April Goals

1) Have a no-spend month. I’ve decided that I want to challenge myself to a no-spend month once a quarter. I know some people don’t see the point in no-spend months because… when the challenge ends, won’t you just buy the things you put off buying? And maybe some people do, but that’s never something I’ve had to worry about for myself. A no-spend month for me is a lesson in discipline and not buying myself something I want just because I can. Plus, I am not a naturally frugal person and it’s good for me to give my bank account a break from the constant spending every now and then. My no-spend month means not spending money on frivolous purchases (toiletries and supplies are ok, nail polish and earrings are not) and I’m also going to challenge myself to abstain from takeout orders this month. Eeks!

2) Reorganize my Google Drive. I really wish there was a better way to organize my Google Drive. And maybe there is, but I just haven’t found it yet? (Please send me any links to beautifully organized Google Drives!) As it stands, I have a few color-coordinated folders that I forget to use. I have dozens and dozens and dozens of untitled documents and I have no idea what any of them are for. It’s time to dig in and figure out a better categorization system so that my Google Drive doesn’t feel like a digital wasteland anymore.

3) Move my body for 30 minutes every day. I am planning on alternating between Peloton workouts and long walks. I am committing to moving my body in some way every single day in April!

4) Review 2016 and 2017 blog posts and list out the posts, categories, and tags. Another month, another blog categorization goal.

5) Take the dogs to Salty Paws in Dunedin. I’ve been wanting to take Chip and Lucy to this adorable ice cream shop for dogs for a long time now. Making it a goal means I’m much more apt to make it happen!

6) Fill up my water bottle every morning. It’s going on the list until it becomes a habit.

7) Make a doctor’s appointment. I have a few concerns to address with my doctor: the weird leg pain as noted above, this lump on the arch of my foot (pretty sure it’s a fibroma, but my mom wants me to see my doc about it—in my 30s and still doing what my mom tells me to do!), and my hypoglycemia.

8) Eliminate red meat. One of the best ways to lower cholesterol is to eat less red meat and I tend to eat more of it than I should. I want to eliminate it fully from my diet in April and see how I feel.

9) Decide on my tattoo design. I have wanted to get a tattoo to commemorate my grandma for a while now but the pandemic put those plans on hold. I have a vague idea for my tattoo but I need to sketch it out so I at least have something to show the tattoo artist when it’s time to make the appointment.

10) Make an extra car payment. This will be a stretch goal, but I think I can get it done this month especially since it’s a three-paycheck month and I’m doing my no-spending, no-takeout challenge.

Do you have any goals this month?

Categories: Life

My Budgeting Process

My budgeting process has evolved greatly throughout the years, and I’ve tried a whole range of budgeting tools. Spreadsheets, software, budgeting journals—you name it, I’ve probably tried it. And while there are some great apps like Mint and You Need a Budget out there, I’ve returned again and again to my tried and true method of meticulously detailing my spending on a spreadsheet. I know I could automate my budgeting, but it just works best for me to make it a manual process so I can really see where my money is going and how I need to adjust during any given month.

The first thing I want to talk about is why I detail my budgeting and spending this way. I have a very complicated history with personal finance, as I grew up poor and never learned proper budgeting skills. My father struggled with multiple addictions and my mom’s job as a preschool teacher didn’t provide her with enough financial stability to make it on her own (especially with two kids), so we struggled a lot. We were evicted from multiple apartments, depended on cash advances and family support, and lived with my grandparents for a time while my mom got on her feet after leaving my dad. My mom went back to school after the divorce and the school loans she got were how we survived. (Fun side note: My mom recently paid off all of her school loans! She really never thought she would be able to do that, considering at one point they were in the six figures.)

After graduating college, I started working at a job that paid me $28,000 a year, which is not enough to survive on as a single person. Most of my twenties were spent just trying to get by, saving very little and dealing with massive credit card debt. (So much so that one of my credit cards put me on a forgiveness loan.) And my student loans? I deferred them year after year (my income level qualified me for that).

Suffice it to say, I really didn’t think about budgeting until I was in my late twenties when I finally had some semblance of financial stability. Of course, that’s not to say that those who are struggling paycheck to paycheck cannot budget, they absolutely can. But it just wasn’t something I had the wherewithal to think about. And it’s really, really not fun to budget when all of your money goes to bills with maybe $20 leftover for yourself.

But here I am now: much more financially stable, making a great living for myself, and no longer living from paycheck to paycheck. It’s a great feeling, one I do not take for granted.

Once I got to a place where I needed to be much more diligent about budgeting, I started to think about the best system for me to keep track of my income, my bills, and my savings. That’s when I began to dabble in budgeting apps, different spreadsheet systems, and budgeting journals, eventually settling on a simple but effective spreadsheet system that works for my life and my needs.

Step 1: Plan Out My Paychecks

I’ve always struggled with setting a monthly budget; I’d much rather work in two-week sprints, since that’s the cadence of my paychecks. It’s just easier for me to set up my budget for each paycheck than to take a wholesale look at my budget for the month, estimating what I think I’ll spend. I’ll usually try to plan out my next few paychecks, so I’m not hit by any surprises.

Here’s what it looks like:

For each paycheck, I list out what bills will be due and then I have a color-coded section for other expenses: food, toiletries/supplies, savings, and subscriptions. I budget $300 per paycheck for food expenses and $50 per paycheck for toiletries/supplies. Savings and subscriptions vary. Some of my savings I allot to purchasing gold from the best place to buy gold in Brisbane. At the end of the column, I have a formula that subtracts all of my expenses from my paycheck amount to give me an idea of how much “fun money” I have to play with in a given two-week cycle. I don’t really do much with my budget beyond this. I’m not into zero-based budgeting (wherein every dollar gets assigned out). Instead, it gives me an idea of what I can expect from this pay cycle and how much fun money will be available for me.

To the right of these cells, I have two tables: one lists out all of my different subscriptions with due dates and costs, the other lists out all of my different bills with due dates and estimated (in some cases) costs. I use that to ensure I’m remembering to include the right bills into each paycheck cycle.

NOTE: Almost all of my bills are on auto-payment, which is something I just put into practice maybe a year or so ago. There was a time in my life when having bills on auto-payment was more stressful than helpful because I had to be sure I always had enough money in my account to cover the payment. I’ve overdrafted a lot in my life, and it’s one of the worst feelings. So there’s something really heartening to know I can put my bills on auto-payment and not worry about overdrafting! (The only bill that’s not automated is my electric bill because they make it really complicated and I keep forgetting to call the company to set it up.)

Step 2: Itemize My Spending

Itemizing my spending is probably the most time-consuming part of monitoring my budget. I do this once a week (usually while I’m in a meeting where I don’t need to pay too close attention, lol) and I’ll simply open up my budgeting spreadsheet and my bank account. I like doing this on my work computer since I have two screens. I have a tab on my budgeting spreadsheet that I label “Categories” with the month listed and that’s where I will start to itemize what I’m spending. Here’s what the categories tab looks like:

Click to enlarge. 

Each different part of my budget gets its own special box where I can list out what I’ve spent so far. I’ve listed out certain subcategories within the bigger categories, like bills, food, and subscriptions. Everything else just gets listed out one by one. I also have a formula at the top of each box that adds up my purchases so I can keep an eye on how much I’m spending. This is mostly useful for my food spending, since it’s always out of control, sigh. I don’t have every single category listed, just the most popular ones. I keep an “Other” category so I can add purchases that are not as frequent (like my yearly payment to TurboTax to do my taxes!)

It’s really not that difficult to itemize my purchases, especially since I’m doing this weekly. (I get behind on itemizing my spending, though, and it can get a lot more difficult when I have a few weeks to itemize.) Thankfully, so much of what I spend is online (even if I go to Target—since I use their debit card, everything is easily viewed in the Target app) so I can quickly pull up Amazon or Target or Chewy to figure out how much I spent on certain purchases. If I do make a purchase in-store (like if I buy a couple bottles of body wash while shopping for groceries), I’ll just save the receipt and place it on my desk so I can easily review it while I’m itemizing. If I don’t have the receipt on my desk, I’ll know that grocery visit was all for groceries, no supplies.

At the bottom-right corner of this section of my spreadsheet, are two dates with a price and company listed. This just helps me know where I stopped when I last itemized my spending. I itemized my spending yesterday and the last purchase I itemized in my bank account was a $68.90 purchase at Publix while the last purchase I itemized on my credit card was a $21.40 purchase at Second Nature. Now I won’t have to try to figure out where I stopped and which purchases haven’t been itemized yet the next time I do this process.

A new addition to my categories this year is my shopping section:

 

Click to enlarge

I may end up adding to this category section, but these are my top shopping categories. As you can see, February has been a bit on the spendy side but it’s all good! It’s really interesting to see it all laid out like this so I can get a fuller picture of how I’m spending money and where I’m spending money.

Step 3: Organize All Monthly Purchases Into My Yearly Budget

At the end of every month, I take all of the info from my monthly category tab and input it into my yearly category tab. Here’s what it looks like:

Click to enlarge

This is just a portion of the tab, but you get the idea. I list out some of my purchases per month (second row of boxes) and some per quarter (first row of boxes). As the quarters go by, I will add a new column to the first row until there are four columns marking each quarter. I really like seeing how different my spending is from either month-to-month or quarter-to-quarter so I enjoy this process a lot. Plus, it makes putting together my quarterly budget posts so, so easy.

But that’s my budgeting process! I guess it’s less “budgeting” for the purpose of estimating how much money I will spend in different categories and more a function of tracking my spending, but this is the system that works for me and helps me keep tabs on my spending habits. I always feel a little vulnerable to talk about personal finance because my spending habits are not anything like those of personal finance bloggers who are way, way, way more frugal than me. But I also think it’s good to see the other side of things: someone who does spend money because that’s what makes me happy. I have budgeted $600 per month for food (for one person!) because I genuinely enjoy eating out and I don’t want to limit myself. I have budgeted for spa appointments, book shopping, and a ton of subscriptions because they bring be great joy, happiness, and fulfillment. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Be frugal, be spendy. Do what makes you feel good. Pay your bills, try to save some money, maybe donate a little bit to charity if you can, and do what you want with the rest of it. 🙂

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 77)

1) Bloodwork Results

Last Friday, I got bloodwork done. (As expected, they had to bring in their “expert” phlebotomist because I have really deep veins.) I got my results on Wednesday and I was relieved to see that my glucose and A1C levels are normal. I definitely want to improve my numbers (my glucose has remained steady on the high end of normal for two years now), but I’m glad I don’t need to be too concerned about prediabetes. What was super concerning, though, were my triglycerides which were astonishingly high. Triglycerides are part of the cholesterol panel that determines one’s risk for heart disease. While my total cholesterol was normal, my triglycerides were not. Thankfully, all of my other cholesterol numbers improved, even if some of them still aren’t in the normal range (HDL and non-HDL, but they are just a few points away from normal). Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of research about lowering one’s triglycerides levels and I’m trying to come up with a plan where I can work towards healthier cholesterol without putting myself on a strict diet. I know I will need to continue limiting sugar as well as red meat and carbs, and I want to make sure I’m doing so in a way that aligns with my values and isn’t seen as a punishment. Lots more to come on this!

2) Eczema

I am pleased to report that my eczema/dermatitis (whatever this thing is) seems to be improving. I’ve been applying hydrocortisone cream twice a day and I’ve started to notice a real difference in the way my skin looks and feels. Hooray! I’ll keep applying the cream until the flare-up is gone, but I’m hoping I can restart my skincare routine sometime in February. I’ve really missed doing my skincare routine and I’m excited to get back to it.

3) My Backup Supplies Shelf

Look at my new backup supplies shelf in my hall closet! I am so proud of this little area of my home. I was running low on a lot of my supplies—conditioner, mouthwash, tampons, eyeglass wipes, laundry detergent, and the special sensitive laundry detergent I use when I wash my bras—and it was quite scary to see how much money I was going to spend to double-up on everything I needed. And then Target was running a sale—if I bought 3 boxes of tampons, I could get a $5 coupon; and if I bought 4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner, I could get a $5 coupon. Normally, I would say “no way!” Three boxes of tampons?? What am I, the queen of England?! But I took a deep breath and added 3 boxes of tampons, 2 bottles of conditioner, and 2 bottles of shampoo to my cart and pushed the purchase button. It was scary, but I did it! I’m proud of myself and I feel a lot of joy in looking at my shelf filled with supplies. Lisa commented on my post last week where I talked about the under-buyer/over-buyer conundrum, and said she sees herself as a “just-right buyer” and I think that’s what I’m aiming for. I’ve been an under-buyer because spending a lot of money at one time scares me, and my goal is to become a just-right buyer who has backups of her normal supplies and toiletries, but I’m not, like, stockpiling for the end of the world out of panic.

4) Niagara Falls

My mom and I have started planning our 2022 trip! We thought about taking a cruise, but neither of us is totally comfortable going that route just yet. Maybe in 2023? Instead, I did some research and presented her with three options: Arizona to visit Sedona and the Grand Canyon, Canada to visit Niagara Falls, or an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica. I was so pleased when my mom picked Niagara Falls! Of course, it all depends on the COVID situation, but we’re not planning on going until the summer so we should be okay. (Hopefully.) My plan is for us to fly into Buffalo, rent a car and drive over to the Canada side of the Falls, spend a few days in Canada exploring the Falls (and possibly a day trip to Toronto?), and then driving back over to Buffalo to explore the Falls from the U.S. side. I’ve always wanted to visit Niagara Falls, and I’m excited to tick a new state (New York) and a new country (Canada) off my list, too! Seasoned travelers, please let me know if my loose itinerary sounds ridiculous. 🙂

5) Weekend Plans

I don’t have a lot going on this weekend, which I’m taking to be a good thing. This afternoon, I’m meeting up with my mom so that we can take the dogs to go get their paw prints done. One of the artist studios near us is offering this fun event where pets can come into the studio, get a clay impression of their paws, and then the studio will make a custom painting incorporating their paw prints. Isn’t that such a great idea? I can’t wait to see what they do for Chip and Lucy! (And no, I’m not taking my girls because I think it would be way too traumatizing for them, haha.)

Saturday, I have no plans other than getting caught up on blog stuff and work stuff. And then, on Sunday, it’s the AFC/NFC championship games! I am so excited! While my team didn’t even make the playoffs, both my brother’s favorite team (the 49ers) and my nephew’s favorite team (the Chiefs) are playing. A few years ago, the 49ers and the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl, and that got very contentious, so while I want both of their teams to make it back to the Super Bowl, I don’t know if I want another tense game like that! So we’ll see how it goes.

Have you ever been to Niagara Falls? What are your weekend plans?

Categories: Personal Finance

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!