My Frugal Miser - August 2021 Expenses

My expenses for the month of August were reasonable.

• I drove to Jacksonville to work a meeting, so gas expenses were high.  I received a reimbursement for travel expenses which will show up in the "reimbursed job expense" numbers.  While in Jacksonville my car battery died and I had to replace it.
• Food was expensive.  We went on a weeklong vacation in Hawaii.  We were carless the first 3 days which limited our options on an already expensive island.  Our breakfast alone one day was $90.  Fortunately we found less expensive options after that, but it was still pricey! 
• Our 15 month old Maytag washing machine stopped working.  I had to pay $276 for the repair.  Since I was under the impression Maytag was a high quality brand, I may contact Whirlpool (had no idea they owned the Maytag name!) to see about reimbursement.  There was only a 12 month warranty but we shall see.
• I had to buy some new work clothes since my pre-pandemic outfits are too big.
• Each month I allocate funds toward future home improvements.  This expense takes the place of rent or a mortgage since I own the house outright.  I allocated twice as much in August as I intend to.

Fun

We love adventures.  Spending on experiences makes us better humans.  

• Hawaii makes up the bulk of our spending on fun.  Since the hotel and rental car were prepaid, expenses last month weren't too bad.
• I made a payment towards a future cruise to take advantage of a cashback option on one of my credit cards.
• While in Hawaii I bought a one year National Park pass for $80.  I hope to incorporate more national parks into our future vacations.

August Expenses:  $4,954

$500 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$85 Bank Fees (annual fee on Marriott card)
$125 Clothing/ Personal Care
$488 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$1,071 Food

$73 Health and Dental

$2,444 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($265) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$65 Miscellaneous

$218 Taxes

$149 Utilities