I dug out some blank old budget analysis sheets that I got from a financial counselor at my credit union a long time ago and plugged in the numbers from last year from what I tracked in Quicken. It turns out the life I lived last year required me to spend about $1,914.58 per month (and I don't even pay rent or utilities)!
Yikes! I really had no idea, because I have a good emergency fund cushion and many months I made extra money (sometimes a lot) from my jewelry sales. So much so that for the first time I will actually owe federal taxes. It is good to look at this and regroup a little and pay more attention to things. I have so much more medical debt that I didn't have before; probably close to $300 per month. I pay my monthly health insurance premium, and am also making monthly payments on two different payment plans.
When I look back on how I lived my life in Michigan and how I live my life out here, it is very different. I was SUCH a TIGHTWAD back there, because I had to be. Plus I was single and could really control everything to do with my money. Now that I am in a relationship with a spendthrift things are a bit different - I am much easier with myself about spending money; I don't agonize about every little purchase, or grabbing a snack while I am in town running errands, or going out for dinner every once in a while. I still buy most of my clothes at the thrift store but I realized last year I spent $852 in clothing! In my defense I did finally buy a really nice (but used) beautiful brown sheepskin winter coat that I absolutely LOVE and is very warm. I really needed a new winter coat because this winter has been so much colder than the previous two, so I don't feel bad spending $200 on it. I also bought a very nice, sturdy pair of lug sole boots, another $200 but also something I really needed for the climate and terrain out here. Both of these items will last for years and years.
However, my employment stint out here may last just another two years so I feel like I need to be more conscience about how I am spending my money. I never know how much my jewelry business is going to bring in so I always count that as "extra" and not something I can totally count on from month-to-month. There are just a lot of little things I can do to not spend so much, like making more meals from scratch (doing pretty good on that front) and taking snacks with me when I go to town to run errands. I could spend less on booze too. That's a hard one in this town. I have been a hermit this winter with the two surgeries so I haven't been going out nearly as much but when the weather gets warm, that's when it gets hard. It is so much fun to hang out and listen to music on the outdoor deck at the bar. Even just two drinks three or four times a week sure adds up...what I need to do is start playing my guitar for tips and get some gigs; the money I make doing that is my "fun" money.
So, I need to start making some adjustments in my day-to-day life. I also want to come up with a savings goal for this year - I want to add several thousand dollars to my savings/emergency fund account for the year. I also should have the accountant take out a little more in taxes from my day job so I don't have to pay the feds next year.
Plus, my car is getting old. I have a paid-for 2003 Honda Accord and it has around 150,000 miles on it. Other than a weird little glitch in the transmission that is too expensive to get fixed on a car that old, it is doing pretty good. I always keep it well-maintained, but it's not going to last forever...I hope to get at least another two to four years out of it.
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