MoviePass: $10/month to see all the movies you want

Last night my partner and I joined MoviePass.  The company lowered their subscription fee to $10/month yesterday.  Since we love to go to the movies, this is a no-brainer:

• You can see one 2D movie every day.
• The company mails you a debit card.  All you do is go to the theater of your choice, and pay for the movie using the debit card.
• It's a flat $10/month.  

MoviePass was founded by one of the co-founders of Netflix.  They've been in business for a while, but I think the monthly cost was $50 before.  I can't imagine this deal will last forever.  Just using it to see one movie a month should pay for the subscription.

Good morning from Caye Caulker, Belize

My Frugal Miser - July Expenses: $8,964

I had two large expenditures in July.  I made the last payment to the contractor who remodeled our bathrooms, and at the end of the month I took the Sonata in for several repairs.  With over 110,000 miles, the cost of upkeep will be higher.

Food spending was high.  We traveled for work, and ate out more than normal.  We also had an unexpected trip to Birmingham to attend a funeral.  I treated my mom to dinner one night, and during the entire trip we were eating in restaurants.

July Expenses:  $8,964

$1,557 Auto ($72 gas, $99 for moped insurance, $1,387 for service)

$52 Bank Fees
$0 Clothing

$0 Computer

$317 Entertainment (movies, gambling, alcohol)

$460 Food

$0 Gifts Given

$4,394 Household/Housing/Home Repair
$0 Homeowner's Insurance (annual payment)

$28 Health and Dental Insurance (prepaid 2017 health insurance premiums in December 2016)

$0 Investment Expense
$1,419 Interest Expense*

$85 Medical/Dental

$0 Miscellaneous

$6 Personal Care

$0 Subscriptions

$0 Taxes
$63 Sharing Economy Expenses (tolls, car washes, etc.)

$438 Utilities

$144 Vacation

*Interest expense includes student loans and the loan on my car.  As both rates are below 2%, I am completely comfortable paying the interest each month and investing the money that I would otherwise use to pay off these loans.  In July, I paid $1,380 to E*Trade for "hard to borrow" interest on a short sale of Sears Holdings stock. 

My Frugal Miser - July Income: $10,802

I worked hard in July.  Meeting jobs were steady in a month that is usually slow.  Between those jobs I completed a number of mystery shops.  Also, I transferred to a new Amazon warehouse.  It is much closer - less than 9 miles from my house, but I deliver packages instead of groceries and restaurant meals.  That means I won't be getting tips, but I should be able to work more.

Rental income looks horrible, but it's not quite as bad as it seems.  One of my management companies made a mistake on my statement, which I didn't catch until a week ago.  I didn't receive any rent from that company, which manages two of my properties.  This means July income is lower, but August income will be higher.  Another management company will deposit my July rents during the first week of August.  It's just a timing of the deposit.  Finally, one of my tenants passed away in July, and I didn't receive rent from her.  The tenant's mother is still in the house, so it's going to take some effort to get her moved out and then ready the property for a new tenant.  This is my most expensive property so it will hurt the most.  All the other rental properties are occupied and current.

July Income: $10,802

$3,979 Mystery Shopping and Hospitality Jobs
$93 Uber
$21 Lyft
$0 Postmates
$492 Amazon Deliveries
$1,920 Rental Income
$1,026 Dividends and Interest (Investment Accounts)
$3,210 Realized Gains (Losses) on Investments

$61 Other Sources

Notes:  

• I don't include transactions in my retirement accounts.  This includes rental income, dividends and capital gains and losses.
• I include merchandising and hospitality work in the mystery shopping category since the companies that I shop for provide this extra side work.