How did I do on my October Goals?
- close on Rental Property #7 DONE!
- $500 in mystery shopping income SURPASSED!
- maximum food expenses of $100; maximum fuel expenses of $100 FAILED.
I grossly underestimated my mystery shopping income. In October I earned $1,564 from mystery shopping fees plus an additional $474 in reimbursements for everything from gasoline to food to gifts.
I did exceed my food and fuel expense goals. I spent $93 more for gas and $93 (not a typo) more for food than I had budgeted. Not to minimize this failure, but I can justify the fuel overage: as I did way more mystery shopping than I thought I would do, I drove a lot more. One of the companies I shop with only reimburses for a $1 gas purchase for the fuel shops, and I inevitably buy more (one would think buying just $1 in gas on a credit card might give myself away as a mystery shopper!). The other company that offers the fuel shops reimburses a much more reasonable $5.00. As for the food, I decided during the Florida trip to splurge a little. Sure, we could have bought inexpensive meals at the grocery store or frequented the dollar menu, but that's not the kind of miser I want to be. Every now and then, I think it's okay to eat at a decent restaurant. I'm still going to order water as my drink and stay away from the most expensive entrees, but I want to enjoy myself from time to time. Still... how many people do you know can say their food budget for a month was less than $200?
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