Fretting... but at least I have Audrey Hepburn stamps.

[flexagon]

So, continuing my investigations of why I'm saving way too much and thus harshing my vibe more than I'd like, I did some math. I figured out that after savings, rent, tae kwon do and utilities, I'm leaving myself about $800/month to actually live on... which still sounded like plenty to me at first. Going through my last bank statement I found that I had a (very low) $400 Visa bill and (this is the part that shocked me) $400 in ATM cash withdrawals. What the fuck?, said I, there's the 800, but what am I spending that much cash on, aside from my combo pass? I've never been much of a cash spender before, so at some point I must have totally stopped worrying about it entirely. Argh... <gnashes teeth> ...it's so annoying. I checked my current bank/Visa situations online today, and the bank says I withdrew $60 on Monday, which I believe. Today I have $1 in my wallet, and I can only account for $20 of that off the top of my head, so I guess that's proof of bad behavior.

Needless to say, this can stop happening now. :b There's no reason I can't get by on one $60 withdrawal a week; that's plenty for breakfast bagels and so forth, and it's more than I used to spend. And the bank says I did in fact go 13 days between withdrawals before Monday, apparently without pain, so basically, I'm confused. Maybe it's not that bad, and I just need to start being aware of it for things to change. The bad news is that even on a successful cash diet, I'll only be able to have a $540 Visa bill each month, max... again, that can be done and I've been doing it, but it doesn't allow for much flexibility when random things come up. A lot of my bills have been much higher in the last year. Poo, poo, poo... I don't want to save less. I want my raise.

I'd be curious to hear anyone else's "living on" number if anyone knows it. I think I used to leave myself more like $1000 a couple of years ago, but back then all the numbers were different and I can't remember well enough to easily reconstruct what I was doing.

I mailed lots of things at the post office this morning--six more invitations, some (mercifully low) utility bills, and M's bridesmaid dress. Oh, and I bought some Audrey Hepburn stamps. I like the post office... it's so orderly and filled with paper, and I get to use little stickers with my address on them. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. :)

We've decided not to do anything at all special for the 4th tomorrow. Think I'll sit around in a tube top reading a huge chunk of The Skeptical Environmentalist and then actively resisting an urge I've been having. I know it's not the right thing, and I know it's not the good thing, but kinda I want to.... kinda I want to. I am indulging the mood, but it's pretty clear I won't really do it. Part of me is saying damn.

Comments

What do you mean "live-on"?

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

All expenses besides bills, like food, gas (in my case), entertainment?

Re: What do you mean "live-on"?

[flexagon]

Yeah. My 800 was take-home salary minus savings, rent, utilities (approximate) and gym membership. Basically those are my known expenditures.

So what's left covers groceries, transportation, entertainment, wild splurges at amazon, and everything else.

Hmm

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Theoretically I give myself $100/week for entertainment or whatever, $350/month for food, but I usually spend more than that between occassional splurges on clothes or say a bike or whatever. It varies a lot.

I'm extremely impressed with how much you've saved so far.

BTW, so what is this thing you are resisting?

Re: Hmm

[flexagon]

Eh, it's just pigheadedness. :) Food is so hard to budget now that I share grocery expenditures. It's done far more than double since I was going it alone... it was just easier to plan that way.

As for the other, if you really wanna know, it's time to switch forums.