Personal Spending Report: January 2011

Currently listening to The Black Brigade Debrief #82.

2010 was finally over. Glad to see that year over. Based off of the months of November and December 2010, I took the average of those two months and set it as a benchmark for how much I would spend on a monthly basis. I set my target goal at $550 a month or less.

With this goal in mind, I would check back on my records to make sure I was staying on track. At the end of the month, I spent at total of $550.86.

I spent $222.75 on car insurance. This was the highest premium I ever paid for full coverage.
I spent $101 on gas. I filled up on fuel four times this month and at this time, I was still using only premium gas. Had I filled up with regular, I would have saved a few dollars.
I spent $81.20 on fast food.
I spent $31.49 on groceries.
I spent $47.38 on weights. I think I either bought a 20 pound weighted vest. I intended to use it while running but the vest was kind of loose and kept bouncing against my chest while running. What I used it mainly for was to add resistance while doing pull ups.
I spent $33 going to a bar/grill with my friends from college/church.

This month was not very eventful. Looking back on my records from years ago, I notice how many blank days I have. There were several days where I didn't buy anything. Back then, I didn't have a habit of going to Krystal's for my lunch break at work. I spent more than $80 on fast food, but I typically kept that to the weekends and usually bought combos. I didn't really purchase from he dollar menu.

This month, I don't remember work being that stressful. Since Christmas passed, the customer weren't as pressed or frustrated about getting their money for Christmas presents.

I noticed that I had the habit of buying things for the sake of buying things. On January 23rd, 2011, I bought some mints. They were Tic Tacs. Typically, I would keep these in my cars and eat them at red lights.

On New Year's Day, I took my mom to a public park when it rained and we went to eat lunch at Moe's Southwest Grill afterwards.