Note: This is a spending report, so I’m only talking about money I spent after it hit my bank account. Don’t expect to see anything about my 401k, FSA, health insurance, etc.
Bills (42.9% | ↓ 2.9% from February): Same ole, same ole. The percentage is a little lower because of my shopping category, which I’ll discuss next! This category comprises all of my bills, including rent, utilities, Internet, phone, gym, electric, my school loan, and my car payment.
Shopping (19.7% | ↑ 11.4% from February): Shopping got a big workout in March, and that’s because I got my annual bonus and decided to invest in a new dining room table and outdoor couch. I also bought some books (duh) and decided to add a few new shirts to my wardrobe because my clothes were starting to bore me. My highest spend categories were home ($1,137), books ($121), and clothes ($83).
Food (11.1% | ↓ 2.4% from February): I’m so proud of myself, you guys! I came in right at $100 for Ubereats orders, which means I can treat myself to a bougie pedicure this month! I’m honestly shocked I met this goal—maybe all I needed was a really good incentive?! I also came under-budget in my groceries category, so it was a good month for the food category.
Savings (5.9% | ↑ .2% from February): Not a huge improvement from February, but there should be a bigger difference in the April spending report. While I did say I was going to put most of my bonus away in savings, I did not do that. Part of me just likes logging onto my bank account and seeing a nice, big number in my checking account that ensures I am not going to be overdrafting anytime soon! But I also know I need to be a good financial steward, so I’ll be shoveling money bit by bit into my emergency savings account in April.
Pets (5.8% | ↑ 1.8% from February): Gosh, the girls were expensive in March! For one, there was Lila’s vet appointment, which entailed putting her on their wellness plan (which included a setup fee). I also bought them some new things, like a scratcher and food bowls, and replaced some boring things like Litter Genie bags.
Entertainment (3.8% | ↑ .5% from February): This category mostly comprises dinners out, either with my mom or with friends.
Car (3.5% | ↓ 2.6% from February): I got gas twice (before it went bonkers, sigh) and two car washes. I also put money away for my eventual car insurance payment.
Gifts/Donations (2.2% | ↓ .7% from February): My apartment complex was collecting items for a local animal shelter, so I spent over $100 at PetSmart because why not?! I got some dog and cat treats, puppy pads, and some toys.
Medical (1.9% | ↓ .7% from February): I ended up spending over $100 on medical items in March, but I’m not exactly sure what I spent so much money on! I know I had to replenish some supplements, but I didn’t take great notes about what else I spent money on in March! Oops.
Beauty (1.8% | ↑ 1.2% from February): I paid for my massage membership and replenished my makeup wipes and tinted moisturizer.
Subscriptions (1.3% | ↓ .6% from February): No change here. Same subscriptions, just shakes out a bit differently.
Household Supplies (.1% | ↓ .7% from February): The only supply I needed in March was new toothpaste! (Don’t worry – I am definitely making up for it in April, as I’ve already spent almost $100 on household supplies…)
Travel (0% | ↓ 9.1% from February): I didn’t spend any money on travel in March!
Overall Thoughts
This was a pretty spendy month for me, but that’s because I got my bonus and put that money toward some home purchases I’ve been wanting. Things should settle down from here on out. I’m interested in replacing my couch at some point, but that’ll be a 2027 goal.
What went well?
- I only spent $100 on Ubereats orders in March! I can’t believe it. I’ve earned myself a bougie pedicure. Let’s see if I can make it happen again in April!
- I met my food budget goal ($800), and that’s really heartening to see. It’s a big budget for one person, but I hate cooking and like ordering food, so it works for my lifestyle.
- I spent well below my means! Of course, it was much easier to do that this month when one of my paychecks was way, way higher than usual, but I’m still counting it!
Where can I improve?
- Savings. I should have put more money in savings, but I didn’t because I’m enjoying a really flush bank account. I know this isn’t a good reason not to put money away in savings, but alas. I am who I am. I promise I will do better in April!
- My pets were expensive once again. And now that I’m feeding them wet food twice a day, instead of once a day, they are probably going to continue to be expensive, especially because Eloise seems to enjoy the pricier food (she’s so fancy!).
- I went overbudget in my entertainment category—not terribly so, but I would like to keep my entertainment spending under $200 monthly.
What was your last food purchase?
My last “food” purchase was a portable refrigerator for road trips! It’s going to take a bit of time to get payback on it, but now I won’t have to worry about my coffee creamer going bad and I can take more meals with me instead of eating out all the time. Don’t get me wrong, there will still be plenty of eating out on road trips, but now I have more options.
For most of my adult life I always had my paycheck deposited into my checking account and moved money over to savings as I was able, but if I had it to do all over again I would have set up my direct deposit to have some of it go directly into savings to start with. The only time that I did that was toward the end when I was chasing new checking account bonuses, and I noticed that that the money that I was putting in the new accounts piled up pretty fast and that I wasn’t missing it.
A portable refrigerator is a GREAT investment for all of your road trips! I’m glad you treated yourself to that.
I do have a recurring weekly savings deposit set up that goes directly to my emergency savings, but I really should have sat down and planned out how I wanted to spend this bonus. Oh well – I’m putting the money away now!
Great job on the UberEats!
My last food purchase was groceries last week ($450!!!!), and today will be spending more as I’m hitting up Costco and Superstore. Last week was expensive as I bought some household cleaning supplies, which are spendy.
I spent over $100 on household cleaning supplies last week so I GET IT. And I’m just one person with a not-too-big apartment. I hate when everything suddenly needs to be replaced at the same time!
Yay UberEats!! I overspent on books this month, but is that really a thing?
Overspending on books… hmm. I’m not sure I understand! IS that a thing?!?! 😉
Congratulations on your Uber Eats win! You have DEFINITELY earned that pedicure. $800 doesn’t sound like a lot to me for groceries, with prices these days. Could you cut back? Probably, and so could I, but I think it’s reasonable.
Do you get decent interest on your Savings Account? It might motivate you more to put cash over there if you were earning interest. I have High Interest Savings Accounts with Apple and Synchrony Bank (both online) and the interest rates are about 3.5% right now. And Birchie’s idea of having money deposited there automatically is a great one. I should probably do that.
I don’t feel like the interest in my savings account is so impressive that it’s going to motivate me to deposit more money. But maybe that means I should look into a different savings account. (Okay, I checked… it’s 1%. Yikes.)
I bought two potatoes at the grocery store today. We did a big shop on Monday night and the potatoes did not look great, so we went to the smaller, more $$$ grocery store for potatoes after work today. I will not tell you what I paid for two potatoes, but it is more than I should have spent, that’s for sure!
Ughhhh… I’m sorry you had to go to the fancy grocery store for expensive potatoes!
Nice job! I mean… no one’s perfect, and you’re aware of where you would like to improve, which is half the battle. You met your Ubereats challenge, which is great.
My last food purchase was a grocery run to Sprouts. I always go on Wednesday to get $5 sushi for my daughter.
That’s sweet of you to go on Wednesdays so you can get sushi for your daughter! <3
The last food I bought was at the grocery store. We don’t eat out much, and when we drove to Florida we only ate one meal out. I cook meals in the crockpot overnight and then packed them in a huge crockpot to eat in the car while we were driving.
Oh wow! We lead completely different lives (I mean, duh). HA. I almost NEVER eat in on vacation. But I also don’t have multiple mouths to feed!
Congrats on hitting your uber eats goal! It’s great to have a bougie spa service to look forward to! And you also came under your grocery budget, too! You shouldn’t feel bad about spending your bonus. You invested in some great items for your home!
The last food item I bought was some peanut butter m&ms at the airport as I was craving something sweet. Before that, I had a really good salmon meal at a restaurant in the airport.
Mmm… peanut butter M&Ms. That’s a great sweet treat!