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 ($2,683 | ↑ $301 from April): This includes rent, phone, electric, Internet, gym, car payment, and school loan. The only surprise here was that I had an extra payment from my gym that I completely forgot about. We have to pay an annual fee ($64), and I wish I had remembered that because cancelling my gym membership before the fee came out would have been ideal.
Food ($871 | ↑ $77 from April): Oy vey. I went over my food budget in April, and that’s mostly because of online takeout. It’s a vice, you guys! I did not meet my goal of spending less than $100 on Uber Eats orders, so no bougie pedicure for me. This month, it was a very hefty $211. Eeps!
Savings ($660 | ↓ $710 from April): Another good money for savings! I can’t put away four figures into my savings every month (what a world I’d be living in if I could!), but I still put away a bit more than I typically do. Yay!
Shopping ($484 | ↓ $156 from April): Yay, my shopping category came down a bit! Last month, I stated that I’d really like my shopping category to stay under $500 and look at me go! And how did I decrease my shopping budget? This is going to come as much as a surprise to you as it did to me, but I spend ZERO DOLLARS ON BOOKS. ZERO. DOLLARS. NO BOOKS PURCHASED. I’m still trying to recover from this news. Am I okay? Did I have a fever in May? WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? I guess every book hoarder can have a zero month. My highest categories this month were home ($204 – new pillows, a throw, organizational baskets, and a handy jar opener) and clothes ($127 – a new bralette, a new nightgown, a few pairs of shorts, and some underwear).
Spa ($380 | ↑ $276 from April): I had a hair appointment (color/cut/style) as well as a waxing appointment in May, which accounts for most of the overage this month. I also got a very bougie pedicure (which was a lot more expensive than I thought it would be, oof), and paid for my massage membership.
Entertainment ($336 | ↑ $210 from April): The theme of my month was “The Introverted Social Butterfly,” and that tracks with how much money I spent in my entertainment category in May. A lot of this covered meals with friends and my mom, and some of it was experiences, such as our escape room for book club.
Car ($286 | ↑ $3 from April): Things stayed pretty stable! I got gas twice, paid for my car wash membership, and put money away for car insurance.
Pets ($245 | ↓ $61 from April): I’m excited to see this number continue to decrease (it was also lower in April). I spent $100 at the beginning of the month on food (wet + dry) and then also paid for their wellness plans.
Travel ($203 | ↓ $408 from April): I paid my friend for the Airbnb she reserved for us for book club weekend!
Gifts ($167 | ↓ $56 from April): I bought birthday gifts for two friends and also paid for our pottery for Mother’s Day. (I love it when I can surprise my mom by paying for something she expected to pay for herself. Muahaha.)
Household Supplies ($146 | ↑ $38 from April): Another pricey month for household supplies! I bought a pack of special, rodent-repellant trash bags (that do not repel rodents, FYI) and stuff I don’t replace all too often, like dishwasher pods, Clorox wipes, and all-purpose cleaner.
Subscriptions ($105 | ↑ $12 from April): I paid for another year of Emily in Your Phone’s Substack (I think it was $30, totally reasonable!). The increase is less than expected this month, though, because I did not use my Book of the Month credit in April, so it rolled over into May.
Medical ($21 | ↑ $21 from April): One of my supplements ran out, so I had to replace it!
Overall Thoughts
I’m pretty happy with my spending in May. I can pinpoint some problem areas, but for the most part, my spending was aligned with my values.
What went well?
- Spending below my means – My spending was just over $200 less than my total take-home income, so I’m continuing to spend below my means. Since I was consistently overspending last year, I’m taking this as a huge win, especially given that my expenses have increased significantly in 2026.
- Meeting my shopping goal – I continue to reduce my spending in this category. I didn’t spend any money on books in May (!!!), and I spent a good amount of money on purchases for my home. Creating a beautiful, well-organized home is important to me!
- Investing in creators that I care about – No, I probably don’t need to spend $30 a year to access Emily in Your Phone’s premium substack, but she’s a creator who is doing good work that deeply aligns with my values, and I am happy to be able to support her in this small way.
Where can I improve?
- Ubereats – I went way overbudget in this category. I’m hoping that my new routine of grocery shopping twice a week is going to help keep my Ubereats spending in check. We’ll see how it goes in June!
- Entertainment – This one is hard because I want to be social and do fun things with the people I love! But it’s definitely a category I need to be mindful of, as it can quickly get out of hand.
What’s something you spent money on recently that brought you joy?
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