Money diary - MCOL in Iowa

[Deleted]

I think we're MCOL? I don't think we're low. I'm counting spending for us both, but you'll notice it's almost all me doing the spending lol. He is really good at not buying stuff.

Monthly take home (combined): $4862 - this is after health insurance (I don't pay any premium at all, and H's is very low) and 403b contribution.

Rent: 990, 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment in a 4-plex. 
Electric/gas: 101
Water: 65-75 per month (this is so high, I know!)
Basic cable/internet bundle: 110
Netflix: 10
Phones - on a plan with my parents and sister: 111
Gym - Planet Fitness: 30 combined for both of us
Car/renters insurance: 73, 1 vehicle, we share.
IRA: 500
General savings: 500
My student loan: 334 (he's still in his PhD program so no payments on his)

Total: $2819

The other $2000ish in our budget covers everything else. I'm trying to cut back a bit on spending because that seems like a lot to just fritter away every month. We are potentially moving out of state (and maybe across country) in summer 2018, and if not then in summer 2019, so we need to increase our savings!

Monday, 4-10:

- Got to work a little early since it is a busy day that I needed to do some extra prep for. I have a coffee maker at work (that I bought myself, it's not a perk lol) so I have coffee and hard boiled eggs at my desk $0
- Leftover soup for lunch at work $0
- H has drum lessons ($25) so we have a late dinner of tacos, since they can be cooked quickly at home $0
- We drop by Walgreens because H wants a candy bar and I buy a card for my grandma, who just moved to a new house after close to 60 years in her old one! $10.46

Total: $35.46

Tuesday:
- I grab an iced coffee at the coffeehouse in my building since I have a meeting first thing and then run an event immediately after - no time for making or drinking coffee at my desk $3.45
- I brought leftover chicken and rice for lunch, but mid afternoon I get a sweet tooth and buy a chocolate chip cookie $1.75
- Dinner is shrimp pasta at home. I accidentally poured a ton of red pepper flakes on it, so I thought we might be doing takeout, but I managed to fish most of them out so it was edible   $0

Total: $5.25

Wednesday:
- Repair guy comes over to fix our oven (the igniter wasn't working properly) so I make some eggs at home for breakfast. We rent, so the repair cost was $0 and we have a working oven again - I love renting!
- Leftovers for lunch at work $0
- H texts me mid day and suggests we go out to a bar and watch the first playoff game for his hockey team (the Penguins). He doesn't have to twist my arm. We went straight after work and had dinner and drinks. We were there around 3 hours, but it was "all night happy hour" so total cost $66.77
- Needed a couple of things for dinner the next night, so we stopped at the grocery store on the way home $6.46

Total: $73.23

Thursday: 
- Had to be at work early again, but had coffee and hard boiled eggs at my desk $0
- Leftovers for lunch $0
- Bought a photo book on LivingSocial - I've been meaning to put one together for my in-laws from our wedding $10
- Dinner at home - pulled pork from Costco and oven fries. $0

Total: $10

Friday: 
- Breakfast at my desk $0
- I have a "conversation partner" from China who I meet weekly, so she can practice speaking English. We usually meet for coffee but this week with going to work early a couple of times, we weren't able to. So, I met her for lunch on Friday and let her pick the place. We ended up at an authentic Chinese place I hadn't been to before. I had a really yummy duck and rice meal and a diet Pepsi $15.99
- Another playoff game tonight, so we stopped and bought a 6-pack and another candy bar for H (he's obsessed with sugar) $15.91
- Dinner at home - we actually got a Home Chef deliver this week, which was $35 for 3 meals but I paid for it the week before so it doesn't count! We had a shrimp pasta dish for dinner that was pretty good.

Total: $31.90

Saturday:
- Breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast at home $0
- We run to Walgreens to buy each other candy for Easter baskets. Somehow we spent a combined total of $40.14. Then we grab Jimmy Johns for lunch $19.12
- I attend a baby shower in the afternoon, then run to Costco ($154) and the local grocery store for whatever else we needed ($64.29). We spend so much money on groceries it makes me nuts. I usually go to Costco about every 3-4 weeks so that's not a weekly number at least!
- Fill up my gas tank using my grocery store's fuel saver rewards - I got 60 cents off per gallon! $26.65
- Dinner at home $0

Total:  $304.20

Sunday:
- I make bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese for Easter breakfast. Also bought hot cross buns at the store the day before, so we have one of those and some mimosas for breakfast. $0.
- The rest of the day was spent at home. I made another Home Chef meal for dinner, and we exchanged Easter baskets. 

Total: $0

Total for week: $460.04. I'd say that's around average? 

[laurensmomma]

I love that you guys exchange Easter baskets. So cute.

[agnes]

I know why you spend more on groceries, you eat out way less than I do.

[Deleted]

Apr 18, 2017 10:37:05 GMT -5 agnes said:

I know why you spend more on groceries, you eat out way less than I do.

Ha. I didn't feel like you ate out that much! 

[alleinesein]

I found groceries in Iowa to be a lot more than groceries in my part of CA especially produce prices. I know that part of it is because some things were out of season but $1.89 for a freaking bell pepper at Fareway was insane!

You should buy your DH the big box of assorted candy bars at Costco. It might be cheaper than buying them whenever his sweet tooth strikes.

[Deleted]

Apr 18, 2017 18:11:27 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

I found groceries in Iowa to be a lot more than groceries in my part of CA especially produce prices. I know that part of it is because some things were out of season but $1.89 for a freaking bell pepper at Fareway was insane!

You should buy your DH the big box of assorted candy bars at Costco. It might be cheaper than buying them whenever his sweet tooth strikes.

Yeah, produce can vary so much. I can find green peppers for around $1 most of the time, but sometimes they are 2/$1. Red bell peppers are closer to $2 usually but sometimes you can find them for around $1 too. It's not even always when they are in season, it seems, so IDK what the formula is!

We do eat a ton of fruits and veggies so you're probably right that that drives up our costs. I'm a bit picky about frozen veggies so I don't find them to be a much better deal in a lot of cases (because I tend to buy the ones that are closer to $3 for 2 servings anyway so may as well go with whatever is fresh and on sale!).

H will not eat American chocolate, so it's basically Toblerone and Cadbury dairy milk that he gets And sometimes gummy bears or something like that. The problem is if we have it in the house he'll eat it, so I'd have to find a good hiding method lol. 

[keweenawlove]

I miss the coffee house that's in your building (I think that's the same one anyways). It was such as easy break in the day spot when either me or one of my friends needed a work break.

I always go for the 6 pack of red/yellow/orange bell peppers at Costco. It's usually $6/7

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2017 11:52:39 GMT -5 keweenawlove said:

I miss the coffee house that's in your building (I think that's the same one anyways). It was such as easy break in the day spot when either me or one of my friends needed a work break.

I always go for the 6 pack of red/yellow/orange bell peppers at Costco. It's usually $6/7

It's too bad our paths did not cross working here. We could have met for coffee! 

[keweenawlove]

Apr 19, 2017 12:38:08 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Apr 19, 2017 11:52:39 GMT -5 keweenawlove said:

It's too bad our paths did not cross working here. We could have met for coffee! 

I think we only missed overlapping by about a month too