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Friday, December 10

My Frugal Miser - November 2021 Expenses

   November was the second month where expenses were really high.

  • I paid the remaining balance on my car deductible for the accident.  I also paid 6 months premium.  I drove to Birmingham for Thanksgiving which meant a hefty bill for gas.
  • Spending on food was lower since our meals are often covered when we travel for work.  
  • One of the meetings in Orlando did not provide a hotel, as they requested "local" staff.  We paid out of pocket.

Fun

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

Spending on "fun" was relatively low in November.  We took a cruise at the end of the month, which I had already paid for.  The spending I did was for excursions.

November Expenses:  $10,694

$3,277 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)
$550 Bank Fees (annual fee on Platinum AMEX card)
$15 Clothing/ Personal Care
$413 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)
$352 Food
$6 Health and Dental
$1,123 Household/Home Repairs
$309 Unreimbursed Job Expense
$119 Reimbursed Job Expense
$0 Interest Expense
$3,899 Miscellaneous
$530 Taxes
$112 Utilities 

Wednesday, December 8

My Frugal Miser - November 2021 Income

 In November I worked two meetings in Orlando and a meeting in Dallas.  

I received an $1,800 settlement from the FTC for tips Amazon stole from drivers between 2016-2019.

The Airbnb sat empty 11 days.  Since we don't have a housekeeper I had to block several days when we were traveling.  I paid the annual property taxes on the Airbnb, making expenses higher than income.

Rental income was outstanding!  I received rent from all three of my rental homes.  I also received a quarterly distribution from 3 of the Realty Mogul investments.  Also, while I don't include transactions from my Self-Directed IRA, there is a bit of good news on a Realty Mogul investment held within my retirement account.  An apartment complex in El Paso that I invested in back in May 2019 was sold at the end of October.  Funds were distributed in November.  The annual return during my hold period was 17.3%.  I'm learning that holding individual rental properties isn't always the most profitable way to own real estate.

Rental expenses were higher than usual.  I had to replace a water heater and the price was outrageous.  I was told the cost of water heaters has risen 48% this year.

November Income: $13,512

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$3,605 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$1,869 Amazon Deliveries
$6,077 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $2,554)
$1,817 Airbnb Income (Airbnb Expenses:  $3,936)
$10 Interest Income
$133 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($7,316)

My investments were down across the board in November.