Money Diaries - Single LCOL

[followyourarrow]

Money Diaries:



Take home after taxes, insurance, and 8% retirement contributions, and auto savings - $2,675.02

Rent $700 for a 2 bed, 1 bath duplex.
 Rent here is high compared to the rest of Kansas, but I'd still say we're LCOL.  
Water/Sewer/Trash $60

Electric $50

Natural Gas for heating $50

No car payment

Cell phone is covered by parents, it’s a long story, but I’ve given up and let them.



Monday:

Took breakfast to work, a homemade muffin and a ham roll-up, along with coffee. I went home for lunch and had left overs. Dinner was leftover ham and potatoes. In the evening I took Arrow to the dog park and we stopped at Starbuck on the way home, cost $ 4.87, but used a gift card.

TOTAL: $0



Tuesday:

I took breakfast to work and it was a repeat of Monday. I went home for lunch and it was a sandwich and chips. I put gas in on my way back to work, $34.92 which included a 20 cent discount. I ordered some kind of fancy coconut litter delivery service for the cats, $15. I was starving mid afternoon and grabbed a snack from the vending machine for $1.25. After work I went to 3 stores looking for a jacket I need for the weekend, no luck on the jacket, but a new toy for Arrow, cost $4.35. Sonic had ½ price cheese burgers, so I stopped there for dinner and got a limeade as well, $4.34. Cleaned out my closet and did laundry in the evening.

TOTAL: $59.86



Wednesday:

Took breakfast to work, muffin, ham rollup and coffee. Canceled all of my Amazon subscribe and save items for the month, I’m still stocked up on everything. Turnpike tolls auto debited $10.87. Went home for lunch and had a sandwich and popcorn, packed a snack after yesterday's vending machine snack. Bought a rain jacket from Amazon, $50.14. Learned you can only make 6 transfers from Savings to checking per month, thankfully this is a rare occurrence, I had put a bunch of money in savings early this month, being hopeful, and then had a few additional things come up. Archery league tonight, contributed $2 to the pot. My range fees are waived because the shop sponsors me, or they would be $10. I took second and won $2.25. Stopped by Walgreen's on the way home because I needed cash, and bought an emergency candy bar for later. $1.07. Gave neighbors $12.50 for lawn mowing, we split the cost.

Total: $74.33



Thursday:

Packed my breakfast and coffee for work. Went home for lunch and had leftovers. After work I ran home and quickly heated up a frozen dinner then headed out to coach archery. When I got home I broke into the emergency candy bar. A parent being unhappy with her child’s score and telling me she doesn’t want her child to embarrass her constituted an emergency. I played with Arrow for an hour or so before heading off to bed.

Total $0



Friday:

Picked up Dunkin Donuts on my way to work, $5.20. Only worked a half day today. $61.07 at Macy’s for an Origins gift set because I needed face lotion and a NYX setting spray, received 3 bonus items which I’ll use. Stopped at the grocery store on my way home, picked up dog food for Arrow and a salad for me, $22.49. Quickly ate lunch then sent Arrow to her babysitter for the weekend. I finished packing then headed out. I stopped at Sprouts to grab 4 red bell peppers for my mom, $2.11. Stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and cookie, $8.69 but used a gift card. Drove 2 1/2 hours and had a great German dinner with my parents and extended family, my parents were kind enough to pay for my dinner and my mom saved me by loaning me a phone charger and a stocking cap which I'd forgotten to pack. Drove another 1/2 hour and checked into my hotel for this weekend's archery tournament. Hotel was prepaid through Hotwire, only $110 for two nights.

Total: $90.87



Saturday:

Archery tournament today! I left the hotel around 7:30. The hotel's version of breakfast was a granola bar, so I stopped to get breakfast pizza, large coffee, and a banana for $5.77. Tournament entry fee was $15. I purchased lunch there, 2 slices of pizza and a water for $5. Finished up around 3. I took 2nd today, which I will gladly take. Stopped by a local bakery on my way back to the hotel, $3.34. I purchased a book for a non-profit daycare $7.38. Out to dinner with a couple other archers $33.08. Stopped and got an adult snow cone, strawberry syrup with mango rum, $11.00

Total: $80.57


Sunday:

Day 2 of the archery tournament. Left the hotel around 7:30 after a cold shower, they said they'd credit me for a night. Stopped for breakfast again and got the same thing, but a medium coffee, $5.56. Tournament entry fee was $15. I bought lunch from their concession stand, $5 for a cheeseburger, beans, chips, and a water. We finished up around 3 pm and I again took 2nd. I did break an arrow today and they cost me $13.50 each, full price would be closer to $20, but I shouldn't need to replace it until next summer. Needed to buy gas before heading home, $26.20. Stopped for peanut butter cup ice cream and a bottle of water from my favorite ice cream place, $3.48. Drove about 2 hours before deciding I needed to stop and grabbed another water, $1.59. I need a better cooler that can keep water cold for 3 days. Picked up prescriptions $10.80 and groceries $44.31 before heading home. I used curbside pickup for the groceries and ordered them this morning, genius! Arrow's babysitter returned her and I paid him $60.

TOTAL: $171.94

TOTAL for the week: $477.57

Expenses were a little high because I traveled this weekend, but I do travel for archery tournaments 12 times a year.  I shoot 35 competitions per year, with the rest being local.  Groceries were pretty normal for me.  

[jayhawkbecca]

Congrats on your good tournament scores! Your diary makes me miss my time in your city!

[sadlebred]

I am glad to see someone else spends money on a sport! I love reading about your archery competitions!

[Roc A Bee]

You're expenses seem similar to mine. I really should go home for lunch. I like only taking a 30 minute lunch and getting home early though.

[flatlan]

I love reading these! Thanks for sharing!