I spent a hefty sum in August on future travel and home repairs.
- Delta reimbursed me for the car rental I reserved when my flight from ATL to BHM was cancelled. This is a nice double-dip since my client also reimbursed me for it.
- I spent $800 on A/C repairs for our home.
- I finally bought a bed frame. Since moving back to Clearwater we've been sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I've been having back issues and think part of the problem came from not having a proper bed.
Fun
We love adventures. Spending on experiences makes us better humans.
August and September tend to be the slowest months in the corporate events industry. While busier than usual, I have enough downtime to plan a couple frugal getaways. Additionally, I took advantage of some future travel deals:
- I made the final payment for our Transatlantic cruise. In total, the 13 night cruise from Lisbon to Tampa will cost $800, including $200 cruise fare (refunded as onboard credit), taxes, fees and prepaid gratuities.
- I booked a December 2023 Baja Mexico cruise, which I paid in full to take advantage of an American Express cashback offer. Cruises are still super cheap. This 5 night cruise was $604.72 for two people, which includes the cruise fare, taxes and fees, and prepaid gratuities. I'll receive $150 back from American Express (they offered a $150 rebate if I spent at least $500 with Carnival). So basically it's $450 for two people for a 5 night cruise. It's a balcony stateroom and I get a $200 onboard credit.
- We are taking a break from alcohol.
- We took a quick getaway to Charleston. We flew Southwest for $48/person each way. I redeemed Hyatt points for a "saver" award - two of the 3 nights were only 3,500 points. I used Turo for the first time, which cost about half what the rental car companies were asking. We used our reciprocal privileges to visit the botanical garden, and I paid $164 for a Charleston Heritage Passport to gain admission to several museums, plantations and historic homes.
- At the end of the month we took a quick trip to Las Vegas to take advantage of a free room offer at the Conrad at Resorts World. Very unusual offer since I only gambled around $20 several months ago when I visited the food court for a late lunch. We spent two nights in Vegas (I won!), then two nights in St. Louis. A friend clued me in to all the free activities in St. Louis. The zoo, science center and some museums have zero admission price. We have reciprocal priveleges than allowed us to visit the amazing Missouri Botanical Gardens for free. I did prepay for the rental car. The hotels were free using points or my annual free night stay offered by my credit card.
August Expenses: $5,113
$193 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)
$85 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)$18 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,809 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)
$482 Food
$41 Health and Dental
$2,391 Household/Home Repairs
$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense
($795) Reimbursed Job Expense (income)
$0 Interest Expense
$554 Miscellaneous (vet bill, traffic fine)
$206 Taxes
$129 Utilities
