I had a very expensive weekend. Friday night I treated T to a nice dinner at his favorite restaurant, then last night I went out to dinner with friends at another upscale place. I haven’t been out to dinner two nights in a row in a really long time, so it was fun, just expensive. The food itself was not too pricey at either place – the killer is always the alcohol. I’m ashamed to say that I spent almost $25 on my drinks alone last night. I think I’m going to create a new spending rule for myself: only one drink when out to dinner. Not only will I save myself quite a bit of money, I’ll also be saving calories and preventing the dreaded hangover.
I also got a new cell phone yesterday – the new iPhone. Ah! I know! Before I lose any frugal street cred I ever may have had, it will only be costing me $60 per month. How? I’m going to stay on my family plan and send my dad a check every month for the voice and data plan. I considered striking out on my own and going over to Verizon, but even with my employer discount, I would have had to spend about $65-$70 per month to get a decent amount of minutes. Since I’ve been ogling the iPhone for 2 years and I’m pretty much breaking even financially, I went for it. And I love, love, LOVE the phone. It’s the best purchase I’ve made in a really long time.
Which brings me to my finalized version of my new budget. A few weeks ago I posted a draft of my new (personal loan-free!) budget, and I took your comments into account when creating my final budget. Please, PLEASE leave me comments and let me know what you think!
Net Monthly Pay – $2600
Rent – $959
Car Payment – $249
Car Insurance – $63
Stafford Loan – $219
Private Student Loan – $75
Cable/Internet – $85
Cell Phone – $60
Netflix – $15
Down Payment Fund – $100*
Roth IRA – $100**
Incidentals Fund – $75
Groceries – $280
Gas – $120
“Fun” Money – $200
*In order to keep from spreading myself too thin, I reduced my monthly contribution to my down payment fund. However, I get two “extra” paychecks every year, both of which I plan to funnel into this account. So my total yearly contribution to this account will be around $3200
** Again, I was going to be spreading myself too thin by contributing $150 to my Roth every month, so I reduced it to $100. After I have purchased a home, I will be putting my two “extra” paychecks into this account also. Until then, I plan to put my yearly tax refunds into my Roth
Thoughts?!
