May was another expensive month. Hopefully soon all this red ink will dry.
- I spent nearly $2,000 on car repairs. The starter and a couple related parts needed replacement - occassionally the car just wouldn't start. And a flying retreaded tire from a truck cracked one of the headlights. Another electrical issue also needed repair.
- I lost a lawsuit to a con artist in Birmingham (see the May income post, where I list expenses associated with my rental properies). The judge ignored case law and the simple fact that the lawsuit was entirely predicated on fraud by the plaintiff. I wanted to appeal the verdict, but the cost of fighting this injustice was greater than the amount the fraudster was awarded.
- Another expense that doesn't show up here (again, it's on the income post) but was substantial was the $1,200 I paid a contractor to make a few repairs at the Airbnb. If all goes as planned, I will sell it in June.
Fortunately I received per diems from meeting jobs that exceeded my out of pocket expenses. This helped offset some of my spending.
Fun
We love adventures. Spending on experiences makes us better humans.
- I splurged on two excursions during our Alaskan cruise. In Juneau we toured a real gold mine - I love history. In Ketchikan we did our first zipline.
May Expenses: $3,624
$2,018 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)
$0 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)$57 Clothing/ Personal Care
$546 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)
$150 Food
$31 Health and Dental
$1,050 Household/Home Repairs
$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense
($756) Reimbursed Job Expense (income)
$0 Interest Expense
$154 Miscellaneous
$191 Taxes
$184 Utilities
