When reviewing my finances for 2018, I mentioned my desire to look at them on a monthly basis in 2019. Justin and I spent a little too much in 2018 and let our finances get the best of us. Maybe by looking at our finances monthly (and let you guys/gals keep me in check), we will do better this year.
That's the goal anyway.Here's month #9 for 2020:
Spending:
Compared to Last Year –
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| green = this year, yellow = last |
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| green = this year, yellow = last |
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| green = this year, yellow = last |
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| dotted line = last month, green line = this month |
Where We Spent Our Money:
Top 10 Merchants:
1. Instacart (groceries)
2. Rent
3. Free People (Mandy clothes, need to make returns)
4. Anthropologie (hammock, Mandy clothes, need to make returns)
5. Amazon (kitchen supplies, groceries, car parts, sewing tape, use of windows system, Halloween candy)
6. Toco Giant (alcohol)
7. Nordstrom (Mandy clothes)
8. Haute Look (more Mandy clothes)
9. Saal Digital (photo book)
10. Dropbox
Top 10 Categories:
1. Shopping (clothing, photo book, photos, kitchen supplies, server supplies, ebay shipping)
2. Food & Dining (Instacart)
4. Rent
5. Bills & Utilities
6. Gifts & Donations (Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, donations)
7. Auto & Transportation
How Did I Do On My Financial Goals for September?
8. Fees & Charges (interest, Delta Amex renewal fee)
9. Life Insurance
Budgeting:
✓ Restaurants – under
✓ Hair Appointments - under
✓ Gas & Fuel – under
✗ Groceries – over✓ Restaurants – under
✓ Hair Appointments - under
✗ Everything Else – over
Net Income:
Debt:
student loans
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| credit cards |
How Did I Do On My Financial Goals for September?
✓ List 5 items on Poshmark or ebay.
✓ Check on my $500 check and find out where it is.
✓ Submit my work for a free photo book.
✗ FIX AMAZON.
Returns:
✓ Anthropologie
✓ Von Maur
✗Forever 21
✗Express
✓Bath & Body Works
Numbers:
Overview of the Biggest Impacts This Month:
1. Buying clothes.
This past month most of my focus has been on creating a photo book, so I've spent less energy on finances. The biggest issues I'm seeing are my clothing purchases and grocery purchases. I've also been taking part in Weight Watchers which has me seeking out and trying new recipes; that's not always helpful when you are trying to watch your grocery budget.
* Loan Payoff Date 5/1/24
* Credit Card Payoff Date 11/1/21 (+ 1 month)
* Emergency Funds: $6,720• 401K $56,504.53
• investments $56,506
• Credit Scores: 757 (Justin, down), 774, 778 (me, up)
Overview of the Biggest Impacts This Month:
1. Buying clothes.
2. Using Instacart solely. We are still working out the kinks.
3. Corrected loans showing as duplicate in Mint, so now our finances look like they are supposed to there.
4. Paying rent for the year.
5. Buying stocks with Justin's company. (Big drop in savings.)
What went wrong this month?
1. Birthday gifts + shipping.
2. Kitchen supplies broke/got lost so we had to replace them.
3. Bath & Body Works return and sanitizer spilled all over a shirt we were going to return to Express. SO now I have to wash it and can't return it. :-/
4. Unexpected expenses.
5. Making a bigger photo book than my voucher would cover and having to pay out for it.
What went right this month?
1. A few items I bought at sale price went on further sale.
2. Finishing my book and getting to use my voucher.
3. Sold my camera and listed a few items on Poshmark.
4. I'm ahead on Christmas shopping.
5. My credit score went up! Yay!
Financial plans/goals for November
1. Make returns to Anthropologie, decide on returns for Free People/Nordstrom
2. Fix Amazon.
3. Decide on Mindspring. (Year or cancel?)
4. Spend less on groceries.
5. Finish Christmas shopping. Ship some gifts.
This past month most of my focus has been on creating a photo book, so I've spent less energy on finances. The biggest issues I'm seeing are my clothing purchases and grocery purchases. I've also been taking part in Weight Watchers which has me seeking out and trying new recipes; that's not always helpful when you are trying to watch your grocery budget.
November will be yet another month on Weight Watchers and creating a photo book with a second company + buying and shipping Christmas gifts. I suspect Thanksgiving will be a bit cheaper this year due to coronavirus, so maybe that will help with grocery expenses.
What do you expect for November? Do you expect higher or lower expenses due to corona?
Financial Resolution Goals 2020
