Monthly Financial Update: November 2019


In December, 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 #11:

Spending:

Last Year:
• We spent more on gifts and donations, fees & charges
• We spent less on food & dining, shopping (lots of clothes), travel (plane tickets), auto & transport, bills & utilities, and personal care.


In October
• We spent more on food & dining, auto & transport, personal care, and fees & charges
• We spent less on shopping, travel (plane tickets to Paris), bills & utilities, and gifts & donations (Christmas gifts, niece's birthday gift).

Where We Spent Our Money:

Top 10 Merchants:
1. British Air (flights to France)
2. Costco (car battery, gifts)
3. Kroger (trying Indian food)
4. Electricity
5. Everlane (clothes for Justin)
6. Advance Auto
7. Belk (most will be returned, clothes for me)
8. USPS (gifts to friends)
9. St. Cecilia (restaurant)
10. Free People (clothes for me)

Top 10 Categories:
1. Food & Dining
2. Shopping (clothes)
3. Travel (flights)
4. Auto & Transport
5. Bills & Utilities
6. Gifts & Donations
7. Financial (life insurance)
8. Fees & Charges

Budgeting:
– Gas & Fuel – just at
✗ Groceries – over
✗ Restaurants – over
✓ Hair Appointments – under
✗ Everything Else – over

Net Income:

Debt:

loans
credit cards

How Did I Do On My Financial Goals for October?

✗ Continue to reduce food spending in either restaurant or grocery category.

✓ Go ahead and book a rental car for summer travel. I think I have general dates and can do so without it being an issue.

✓ Ship Christmas gifts.
✓ Buy a few more Christmas gifts. It would be great to be halfway done. BUT watch spending.

Numbers:
* Loan Payoff Date 12/1/22
* Emergency Funds: $16,717
• 401K $48,325.60
• Credit Scores: 739 (Justin), 799, 802 (me)

Overview of the Biggest Impacts This Month:
1. Buying wine.
2. Buying clothes.
3. Replacing brakes on the car and battery on the truck
4. Buying gifts.
5. Shipping gifts.

What went wrong this month?
1. Car repairs.
2. Waiting until the last minute to buy gifts (i.e. a month before Christmas instead of spreading it out throughout the year.)
3. Lots of food purchased which is both good and bad. Fun that we got to try new cuisines, bad in that we spent extra. Also, did we need wine? Probably not.
4. Shopping for clothes. Probably would have been better to not.
5. I feel like our spending is creeping up. :(

What went right this month?
1. Making returns.
2. Getting a lower price for a flight to Paris
3. Not spending more than we made.
4. Not spending extra on gas.
5. I made extra by staying overnight with kids.

Financial plans/goals for December?
1. Finish Christmas shopping. Try to stick to budget.
2. Watch prices on clothes and try to get price adjustments where possible.
3. Try not to spend too much on food.
4. Do at least one thing to prepare for summer travel to Scotland, whether that's book another hotel or do price comparisons for something I know we are interested in doing.
5. Analyze my year-long spending. What went wrong? What went right? Did it help going over my finances monthly? What can I do different/better next year?

One of the things I've learned from doing my monthly financial update is that I tend to spend more when I'm stressed. I also spend more when I'm trying new foods. Like, I can't try a new dish at home during the same month I travel, because then expenses would truly get out of hand. I really have to just focus on one thing at a time. And being an adult? That's hard. Vehicles need repairs. Having new clothing makes it easier to pick something out to wear in the morning before work. Eating out is expensive, but when you are stressed, it's a solution that can make your life easier.

 Overall, my general feeling is just that I need to take life, and finances, one step at a time.



Financial Resolution Goals 2019




December IWSG 2019


November Goals
✓ Finish Christmas present.
✓ Ship 3 Christmas presents.
– Finish Christmas shopping. (7/17 gifts)
– Decide about Christmas travel, if any.
✓ Buy a birthday gift.

Additional Successes
• Watched kids for a week.
• Bought clothes I wanted on sale. (I know, silly, but it's better than buying at full price.)
• Cleaned a bit. Got Egypt lamp up and working. (It's been needing fixing since we brought it home 10 months ago.)
• Rented a car for Scotland.
• Went to a few get-togethers willingly. My confidence has been headed upward. This makes me happy.
• Alternator for the truck has been replaced.
• Gifts to friends abroad have been shipped.

December Goals
– Finish Christmas shopping.
– Research Scotland. Make more decisions.
– Get all of my French notes in one place. Print.

IWSG Question –– Let's play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer's self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?

So there is not only being able to write, but being able to write well. Writing stories and sharing ideas that make people do a double-take. Like "wha?" And not necessarily surprise about the piece, but perhaps being impressed by the way the story was told. I think that would be ideal. Using words in interesting ways.

 I think my ultimate goal is not necessarily to have something published or become a famous author, but just to be able to express myself in the way that I most desire.

If I made enough money to cover that, that goes above and beyond my dream.

Inspiration/Realization

Ira Glass on Storytelling –



Your Turn

November has been about catching up ... and not falling behind! I think I mostly managed ok, even with getting sick at the very end of it.

Did you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving, if you celebrated?

Have you started preparing for Christmas?

Do you expect December to be the month where you get everything done? Right before the new year hits? Or will you struggle to keep up?

Past IWSG posts: February • March • May • June • July • Aug • Sep • Oct • Nov


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November Lookback





The year is quickly coming to a close, and I find myself in a completely different place mentally (and physically) than I was last year ago at this time. I guess that's part of the aging process? I've learned a lot about myself this year putting my heart on the line and trying a bunch of new things, some of which have scared me. Here's where I am now, in anticipation of what's to come in December:

Listening to:

 Interstellar, Pink Panther (animation), Lady Bird, The Pink Panther (movie, 1963)

 music from Henri Mancini

 Remembering:

driving from Boston to NYC to DC to Asheville (NC) in search of leaves two years ago. It was so beautiful and I hope I will get an opportunity like that again in the future. I especially remember going to a jazz club in NYC while not feeling great and just being swept away by the music. The jazz club, Mezzrow, is now a go-to for me every time I find myself in NYC. I just love it so.

Planning:

trying to figure out Christmas presents. Last year at this time I was almost done! Why am I so behind this year?

 Also, travel to Scotland. Very lowkey, but still on my radar.

 Anxious about: 

the holidays with family. It's my niece's first birthday, so the family is coming into town. It's looking to be a little crazy.

 Interested to Know:

if I will one day go to Australia. Met an Australian online and he sent me the cutest video of kangaroos! He and I both want to see NYE fireworks over the Sydney Opera House, so I'm thinking maybe for 2021?

 And at the same time, the kids I watch want to go to Quebec for carnival in 2020. They are concerned their mom won't go, so they asked me to go if they saved up enough money. I agreed. I highly doubt I will go, but I am so happy that they thought of me. And wanted me to go with them! SOOO sweet.

 Keeping A Secret:

I met this guy from the UK in October and he was so nice to talk to. Last I heard, he said he would "endeavor" to make time to talk with me and I haven't heard from him since. It makes me a little sad.

And he's not the only one who has said that. I'm actually beginning to think it's a trend for UK people.

 YES, let's be friends! Except not.

 To be fair though, there's an American guy I've been getting to know that I thought wouldn't stick around and yet every morning without fail he greets me with a text "Good morning ladybug!" and that brings me the utmost joy. And then we chat off and on all day long. I am so grateful for his friendship and distraction. It's always nice having one more person on your side. And because he's Indian, I've been trying all of the Indian food.

 Shopping:

• Free People Lina Lace Top in black and white
• skinny black jeggings from Express

Reading:

yet again, nothing.

 I've been staying busy meeting new people, attending parties, watching movies, and doing research for Scotland. I find all of these things more valuable than reading a book.

 However, a friend affectionately called me an "uncultured swine", so perhaps I need to get back into it?

November IWSG 2019


October Goals
✓ Finish Christmas present.
✓ Put summer 2020 plans into a Google map. Research.
✓ Buy a birthday card.

Additional Successes
• Going out to dinner with a coworker (being social, trying to make friends)
• Went ice skating for the first time in months! (Was afraid to do so.)
• Survived trip to NOLA with friends. (Traveling with others can be hard.)
• Met an awesome guy. He taught me a lot about psychology and was there for me when I needed someone to talk to. <3
• Also, met an amazing woman. She's helped me with my confidence and has been a fantastic listening ear in the process.
• spent 14 hours + working on travel plans
• learning Trello and Slack. I'm the admin for the Slack group, and I don't know what I'm doing. Trello has been pretty intuitive, and it's been interesting to see the different organizational methods I and my friends take when planning travel with Trello. (I think we have different ideas about organization and it takes everything within me not to 'fix' things. lol.)
• Made it through the first session of French!
• Booked flight to Paris for summer 2020 travel
• fixed brakes on car
• Returned an item to the store on time (the little things, right?)

November Goals
– Ship 3 Christmas presents.
– Finish Christmas shopping. (11 gifts needed)
– Decide about Christmas travel, if any.
– Buy a birthday gift.

IWSG Question –– What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?

I can't think of anything strange I've ever googled when researching a story.

Inspiration/Realization

Just my opinion, but if you need help dealing with anxiety, I recommend checking out 7 Cups of Tea. Don't be afraid to chat with others (like I was). Some of the listeners on there are good and know a lot about psychology/neurology, others just want to help, and others should be avoided. Honestly, you never know who you will be talking to. But my husband agrees that since I've been talking to others about my problems, I've been happier and had more confidence.

One of the things I've learned since using 7 Cups is that a lot of people are dealing with so much more than you can ever be aware of – sadness, depression, loneliness, anxiety. It's heartbreaking, really.

But, if you are dealing with any of these things, it's helpful to know that you aren't alone! There are people out there, strangers even, that want to help you be your best self. There are people that care even when you think there is no real reason that they should.

Talking to strangers online is no substitute for speaking to a therapist or psychologist as needed. Please seek help from a doctor or someone trained if you are in a crisis situation. But for those of you that just need a listening ear, 7 Cups can be a great alternative.

Your Turn

Did you overcome any challenges in October? What all will you need to do to get ready for the upcoming holiday season? How do you deal with stress?

Past IWSG posts: February • March • May • June • July • Aug • Sep • Oct


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