What we spent in 2018

Yes, we fell off the blog-o-sphere... again...

but I did track all of our spending for 2018 and that is always the goal. When I was first compared the numbers between 2017 and 2018, I was a little concerned when we more than doubled our discretionary spending for the year...

BUT, because I kept track, I couldn't really argue with how we spent our money, and I think there were a lot our purchases we held off for a while and decided to bite the bullet so to speak.

We explored the great outdoors, journeyed to preschool, moved office buildings for work, and experienced the world with a three year old!


But here we go. What we spent money on in 2018!

Giving: 

• Church: $10,679.00 
• (Tithe plus fast offerings)
• American Cancer Society $210.00

Groceries: $4,271.83 (up $134.13 from 2017)

• Monthly average $355.99
• Sometimes included house products, other times it didn't. Some months we spent more, other months less, but this is where we ended up!

Eating Out / Family activities: $1,497.44 (up $64.16 from 2017)

• Mostly consisted of eating out, but something going to the movies, or a family outing went into this category. 

Gasoline / Toll Fees / Car Washes: $2,665.79 (down $425.93 from 2017)

• Gas for Escort: $1,593.86
• Gas for Camry: $1,546.55 (but my work reimbursed me $599.75) $946.80

• This year I actually tracked how much my work reimbursed me for driving for work, and applied that $$$$$ back towards automotive savings each month. We didn't do this in 2017.
• Tolls, Car washes, etc: $133.45

Car Maintenance / Insurance / Registration:

• Camry: $3,502.31 (up $2,043.18 from 2017)
• Evap ESV Valve, headlights, carbon canister, vapor control valve, oil change; Oil Filter, spark plugs, fuel system check, rear catalytic converter (plus swap on front catalytic converter), (2) radiator hoses, coolant, (2) tires, (2) power steering return hoses
• Ford Escort: $1,327.98 (down $874.88 from 2017) 
• Headlights, fluid stuff, bulbs; alternator, oil change
• Car Insurance: $1,694.25
• Car Registration Camry: $133.00 
• Car Registration Escort: ??? (we might have forgotten to list the registration in the spending report. )

Little Dude: $1,081.17 (everything but clothes, doctors, and daycare! booya)

•  $ 15.00 haircut
•  $ 30.12 poop helpers 
•  $ 151.43  pull ups 
•  $ 25.00 Miralax 
•  $ 5.92 baby soap 
•  $ 90.24 New Big Boy Mattress 
•  $ 63.37  Paw Patrol Bedding
•  $ 15.00 Bed liner 
•  $ 1.99 Paw Patrol 
•  $ 4.00 lunchables 
•  $ 23.00 dvd 
•  $ 24.11  Dad weekend
•  $ 15.94 Headphones 
•  $ 19.98 Coloring stuff 
•  $ 36.00 legos 
•  $ 12.34  Bow and Arrow & Crossbow
•  $ 2.14 flash cards 
•  $ 5.15 seeds 
•  $ 12.87 binki toy 
•  $ 62.00 games 
•  $ 133.15  Birthday 
•  $ 23.00 dvds 
•  $ 5.00 pictures 
•  $ 33.40 School pictures 
•  $ 75.00 teacher gifts 
•  $ 20.00 Easter Eli 
•  $ 176.02  Christmas 

Daycare: $10,417.00 (He's a "5-day" friend)

Clothing: If it wasn't for a "gift" like mother's day or me shopping with my fun money and we bought clothes, it's listed here. In 2017, we didn't itemize Little Dudes spending by category, but we know we spent less with the cousin clothing swap. Little dude had two older male cousins, and another younger male cousin. This year we did a clothing swap. He gets the clothes from his older cousins, and we have been giving his younger things in exchange. It's worked out great this year. We only had to buys some basics and bottoms mostly, but its also a way for us to pass along Eli's wardrobe to another.   

I'm also hoping to go on a little clothes buying halt for myself in 2019. But we'll see how that goes.

• Me: $644.63 (up $161.74 from 2017)
• This was mostly basics.
• Hubs: $1,187.67 (up $640.60 from 2017)
• He bought an $800 suit... and it looks yummy on him!
• Little Dude: $144.27
• $101 in clothes
• $43.27 in shoes
• We only bought Pj's and odds and ends this year from some thrift stores to help round out when seasons didn't match the sizes.

Doctors / Dental / Medical: $2,286.49 (down $300.88 from 2017)

• Co-pays, dental work, OTC, Prescriptions, etc. 

Pup: $366.48 (down $362.86 from 2017)

Internet: $767.88 (down $12.55 from 2017)

Cell phones: $529.84 (down $73.03 from 2017)

• $35 car holder
• $122.97 Phone & case
• $106.50 Cables, SD card reader, Case, and shield protectors
• $265.37 trac-phone minute/data cards (two phones)
• so $22 a month for two phones when you remove the odds and ends.

Fun Money: $956.00 (about $40 a month, each)

Audible: $179.40

Netflix: $213.11

Electricity: $912.31 (down $33.92 from 2017)
Vacations / Travel: $1,661.45 (up $1,020.60 from 2017)

• $548.65 Utah Summer Trip 
• 133.22 gas| 170.38 food | 245.07 Costco pills, hike gear and Walmart
• $910.64 Oregon Family Wedding
• 182.36 Rental Car; 130 plane; 145.47 - State park fees, entertainment, keepsakes; $54.59 food; 39.60 gas, $284.70 hotel, $73.92 airport parking
• $202.16 Work plane trip - TB Reimburse

Gifts: $2,246.54 (up $586.69 from 2017) 

• The increase was mostly Christmas. I was acting Supervisor at work for 7 weeks (gal from the office was out on extended leave) and we had extra $$$$ coming in. We hosted hub's parents for a week and we lumped a lot of extra holiday treats and shopping in this section. 
• We shopped for larger families this year in our swap a B-I-L tradition.
• We also had to replace a lot of items for the holidays due to the rodent issue we didn't blog about... but let's just say two rats moved into our outdoor shed and got into everything but our tree and ornaments.

Housing:

• HOA: $4,305.00
• Mortage: $9,169.00
• Insurance and Prop Tax: $4,030.67
• Renovation: $12,474.64
• Paint, closets, front door, interior doors, New shower/tub

REI/Outdoors: $2,385.20

We spent so much money at REI and on hiking gear that I tracked it separately.. 

 $ 528.82 REI hammock, clothes 

 $ 114.84 REI - Sleeping Bag 

 $ 384.07 Hiking Shoes/Pants 

 $ 54.47          Hiking Pants - Me

 $91.35          Hiking

 $ 327.37 REI - Backpacks and Bladders 

 $ 83.81          REI light and hammock 

 $ 45.87          REI???? 

 $ 27.65          REI - Top/Compass 

 $ 48.37          REI adventure pass

 $ (59.08) REI 

 $ 315.52 REI (Pants, shirts) 

 $ 144.76 REI (Pants, shirts) 

 $ (105.52)  REI

 $ 129.24 REI (Replacement boots, shirt for hubs, butt pads 

 $ 59.93          Water Filter/ Hiking 

 $ 125.95 REI (New pack after return, rain jacket, blatter hose covers,  

 $ 67.78          Hub's no soda 3 month reward (cook set)

Discretionary: $3,724.38

This is everything else we spent money on for all of 2018.

 $ 237.70  Movies, OC Fair, Entertainment downloads 

 $ 22.66 Walmart- 3 measuring cups, ethernet cable 

 $ 3.38 Craft Supplies 

 $ 18.48  Hard Drive storage case

 $ 111.98  Turbo Tax 

 $ 82.00 Haircuts 

 $ 7.63 Walmart (Sink Plugs, Card) 

 $ 31.51 Walmart (Woolite, truffles, 2 dish scrubbers, 2 spatulas,   

 $ 21.54 Casters for Kitchen Shelves 

 $ 12.15  canning bands/lids

 $ 60.00 lipsense 

 $ 10.80 Running Hip Pack 

 $ 8.51  Workout Gloves

 $ 9.22 2lb Walking Weights 

 $ 6.44  Shampoo

 $ 23.12 Cups 

 $ 33.82 Batteries 

 $ 50.54  box fan, storage bins

 $ 62.84 watch, CD, and magnetic clips 

 $ 18.80 Soap - Keith 

 $ 46.86 Soap - Me 

 $ 16.88 Sunglass clip ons 

 $ 88.51 House supplies 

32.31 swim suit 

29.99 Bulk Hot Sauce

 $ 19.13 Pool and Swim Stuff 

 $ 14.50 costco 

 $ 34.33 Aldi 

 $ 361.98  Portable AC Unit 

 $ 16.50 Cast Iorn Skillet 

 $ 5.17 Handle for skillet 

 $ 16.16 Shoe Goo; sunglasses 

 $ 43.89  make up brushes, microwave bulb,spatula with thermometer, pill case

 $ 16.16 Kohls halloween shirts 

 $ 35.41 Trashcan, hygiene items, plant 

 $ 38.47 Woolite, Walmart pantry, and Eli sick foods 

 $ 51.97   rat repellers, baking soda, hard drive case 

 $ 29.15  Home depot- Rat bait stuff

 $ 21.93 expanding foam 

 $ 39.37  Frying pan and target

 $ 18.60  Glow sticks - halloween

 $ 28.96 Target? 

 $32.31 Shower curtain and house supplies 

 $ 32.30 Sweat Pants, 2 pillows xmas, 2 sets of pillow cases 

 $ 4.93 (2) wooden spoons 

 $ 28.19 Propel 

 $ 5.86  White board + deoderant

 $ 88.61 Christmas Replacement Decorations 

 $ 11.67 Car Seat Travel Cover 

 $ 50.00 roku 

 $ 22.00  tupperware

 $ 11.71 Tool 

 $22.85 Dry cleaning 

 $ 54.64 Cameras 

 $ 19.86 Mints, alarm 

 $ 11.25 expoxi 

 $ 32.55  Fridge handle

 $ 35.00  zip locks

 $ 19.98 Fitbit bands 

 $ 58.99  Keyboard (for Work)

 $ 30.00 CPU Mount (For Work) 

 $ 73.86 Amazon - Computer Mouse, keyboard, foot and hand lotion 

 $ 141.63  printer/ink cartridges 

 $ 34.85 laminator / lamination pouches 

 $ 38.98 Headphones and purse clip 

 $ 16.31 MousePad 

$586.61  plants and gardening (including cacti)

$420.09  Walmart and Amazon odds and ends

What we spent in February (2018)

Every month we use our handy dandy spreadsheet to keep track of our expenses throughout the year in an effort to be more mindful of how we part with our hard earned resources.
I find that when we are more mindful with our spending, we enjoy the things we do as a family more... and we enjoy the things we already have because we aren't buying everything that comes across our radar of "oooohhhhh, that's cool...."

except for this month...

February was expensive. I'm just going to say it. We spent a lot of money. 

It wasn't all planned spending due to the car repairs and dental bills, but before those hit the pipeline for the month we had planned to make a few "fun" purchases since our tax return came in. We typically spend a bit more after we get our tax return because we stick to a pretty firm budget most of the time.

What we spent in February

Church Tithe/Giving: $955 (Higher than usual since I sold back my vacation time)
Groceries: $320.63
Eating Out: $82.96 

• 2 sit down meals out as a family, plus 2 fast food lunches for hubs.

Housing: $3,803.62

• HOA: $350
• Mortgage: $764
• Property Taxes: $280 transferred to savings
• Fix our shower handle: $13.45
• Front and interior doors ordered (through home depot): $2,468.17

Automobiles: $912.27

• Gasoline
• HUBS: $124.41
• Me: $88.19
• Work Gas Refund: - $26.49
• Smog for the Camry: $37.15
• Car Repairs:
• EVAP ESVP: $300.76 (Camry)
• Alternator: $388.25 (Escort)

Internet: $63.99
Fun money: ($39 each) $78.00
Audible: $14.99
Netflix (plus DVD rental): $19.60
Electricity: $49.43
Little Dude: $1,239.98

• Big Air play date with mom: $16
• Miralax: $25
• Birthday decorations/supplies: $65.84
• Easter Basket: $20
• New Big Boy Mattress: $90.24
• Birthday character bedding: $75
• Spare sheets, mattress protector: $30.71
• Poop Helpers: $15.06
• Flash Cards: $2.14
• Daycare: $900

Dr/Dentists: $1,195.00 - Dental hubs

Dog: 

• Kibble, treats: $37.04
• Grooming: $43.99

Clothing: $251.54

• ME:
• $197.69 / a dress, expensive shoes and PJ's
• Hubs: 
• $53.84 / Shoes.

Gifts/holidays: $97.25

• Valentines Day: $97.25
• Flowers and some small things for hubs. (My dress and shoes above were my valentines day)

Discretionary: $176.10

• Sink Plugs, Card: $7.63
• Woolite, Truffles, 2 dish scrubbers, 2 spatulas: $31.51
• Casters for the Kitchen Shelves: $21.51
• Fitbit bands $19.98
• Keyboard for Hubs at work: $$58.00
• CPU Mount to bring a second monitor to work: $30.00
• Canning Bands: $6.45

Love looking at what we spent our money on? Check out What we spent in January 2018.

I don't remember the last time this happened...

No, really I couldn't remember so I went back to my transaction history and did some digging... Well apparently my "history" only goes back to 2015 when ING was bought by Capital One.... which is really lame if you ask me... so I did some digging and here's a flash back to 2008 when you could earn 3.3% on liquid money... Holy Cow!

May 2017 Spending

Little Dude loves "George" the Aldi Monkey....

When it rains, it pours...

We had over $1500 in car repairs the same month we had to shell out $1,444 in pre-move expenses... and we might not be moving now. The 2 bedroom unit we placed an offer on (because we were back-ups on the 3 bedroom) apparently had a slab leak in February and it was bad enough to cause a new kitchen, laundry room and bathroom to be replaced AND required mold remuneration... however they did not touch the floors...

I know in our building the pumping runs through the walls so a bad water leak MIGHT not mean the floors needed to be pulled up, but since there was mold it means it wasn't a fast catch... and that means the floor underneath is probably infested...

I will get you with my lightning reflexes...

We had planned to re-do the flooring, but we planned to do it ourselves... which we can't do if there's mold.... we find out more information on Tuesday from the HOA, but right now it looks like we are going to pull out.

We also lowered our offer on the three bedroom to $380,000 instead of $390,000 because we had to take a back up offer on our place when our first two didn't pan out. It's a VA loan so a few more shared fees and we don't want to over commit. They aren't too happy with a $380,000 back up offer, so we'll probably loose that place too...

Outside of the paint and moving boxes, from last month here's out extra costs this month:

Yup... he experienced a McDonald's play structure... loved it...

• $66.22 Front door paint, more boxes and ceiling paint for touch ups
• $300.00 ceiling and wall texture fix
• $170.00 Storage Unit
• $529.00 HOA Doc Transfer Fee (for when we sell -- it carries over buyer to buyer)
• $145.00 Cleaning fee (for our open house, where we received 7 offers in less than 36 hours)
• $300.00 Home inspection
• This was for the 2 bedroom -- but we have halted it after finding out about the mold. I want to hear from the HOA about the repairs they paid for... Plus the unit has termite issues on the outside balcony.... (I'm being told by my realtor it can be refunded since I already paid it.)

May Spending:

• Giving: $677.00
• Daycare: $900.00
• Groceries: $239.58
• Gasoline: $278.74
• Little Dude: $42.22



Cause Hobbs needed to eat breakfast with us... ergo, Tuna Fish

• $21.72 Sun glasses, life jacket, glow sticks
• $3.76 Wipes
• $13.58 Diapers
• $3.16 Food pouches
• Eating Out / Date Nights
• $8.61 Netflix DVD
• $14.96 Audible
• $148.96 Fast Food
• Gifts: 
• $15.00 Game
• $30.51 Mother's Day
• Internet: $62.99
• Electricity: $36.69
• Cell phones: $86.07
• Housing:



Little dude picked me flowers...

• $350 HOA
• $786.98 Mortgage
• $300 Wall Texture
• $170 Storage Unit
• $529 HOA Doc Transfer Fees
• $145 Cleaning
• $66.22 Front door paint, boxes, ceiling paint
• $300 Inspection
• Medical: $39.38
• $15 Dr (Me)
• 24.38 (Prescription / OTC)
• Pocket Money:$35 each, includes Netflix
• Roxy:$45.71
• $20 License
• $25.71 Dog food and treats
• Discretionary:
• $45.71 Walmart (don't remember)
• $24.99 Pillow

2017 Spending:

• Giving: $4,195.00
• Daycare: $4,500.00
• Groceries: $1,502.32
• Gasoline: $1,193.99
• Little Dude: $478.64
• $149.59 Clothes, Shoes, Socks, PJ's
• $23.75 Food Pouches
• $105.89 Diapers & wipes
• $31.14 Toys (Used Mega Blocks / birthday toys were hiding)
• $68.57 (Usborne Books; Numbers Match Game; Potty Hook; couple small busy toys)
• $7.39 Bubbles and bath boats (Easter basket)
• $7.53 Book and etch-a-sketch (for car entertainment)
• $17.18 Big boy cups
• $45.88 Toddler bed conversion materials; Locks for our doors; Birthday party.
• $21.72 Swim jacket, sun glasses, glow sticks
• Eating out / Date Nights: $441.97



Rare dog selfie... sans child!

• $25.83 Netflix DVD
• $32.06 was movies and snack-age
• $82.18 Restaurant Dates
• $452.67 Fast food
• $14.96 Audible
• Clothes: (Hubs): $422.07
• $7.56 A cheap hoodie from Walmart 
• $97.00 2 nice pairs of pants from a place hubs wanted to try out 
• $104.30 Good Shoes and Socks 
• $138.80 pants, 2 pairs of shorts
• $21.38 4 cheap Walmart pocket T's
• -$83.63 The nice shoes didn't fit from last month.
• $52.77 Pants and 2 pairs of shorts... no idea how it was only $52 but I kept seeing returns?
• Clothes: (Me): $214.56
• $29.08 (Cheap boots)
• $165.04 (Lularoe)
• $20.44 (Cheap sports bras)
• Gifts: $270.18
• Toddler Birthday Party: $15
• V-day
• $80.83 - lularoe... (my new obsession)
• $6.43 - Card for hubs.
• $30.66 - knife and oil
• $12.97 Baby Shower
• $90.99 Hubs and Mother's day for my mom
• $33.60 Birthday odds and ends (hubs)
• $15.00 Game for Hubs
• $30.51 Mother's day
• Internet: $314.95
• Electricity: $308.60
• Cell phones: $223.53



Cause this kids gotta jump!

• Car mount: $13.78
• Charge Cables: $17.74
• Cases and screen covers: $21.35
• Cell phone minutes: $170.66
• Housing:
• HOA: $1,750.00
• Mortgage (including extra principal): $5,186.98
• Moving:
• Inspection: $300
• Electrical to undo desk lights: $11.60
• Home Depot (Paint, Wall texture, moving supplies) $355.80
• Wall Texture: $300
• Storage Unit: $170
• HOA Doc Transfer Fees: $529
• Cleaning: $145
• Front door paint, boxes, ceiling paint: $66.22

• Medical: $338.93
• Dr/Urgent Care visits: $105 (7 visits)
• Over the counter / Prescriptions: $221.51
• Dentist: $50.00
• Pocket Money: $350.00
• Roxy
• $433.39 Vet
• $20 Licence
• $25.71 Kibble and treats
• Discretionary: $970.93
• Kitchen/Cooking:
• Tooth Picks: $1.48
• Cookie Cutters: $0.82
• Silicone Bake Ware: $6.44
• Folding box, food containers, cups, hygiene items, hook hardware: $87.49
• Lint Rollers and Grill Items $18.87
• House:
• Vacuum Storage Bags: $39.95
• New Couch Mattress: $170.59
• Pillow: $24.99
• Fitness:
• Medicine Ball: $8.63
• Husband:



Your never getting me outta here mom... cause this is awesome!

• Legos: $14.88
• Machete Sheath: $8.36
• Return Ship Fee: $7.99
• Hammock: $123.80
• Hair Cut: $51.00
• Camping/Outdoor Materials $106.08
• Para-cord, Buckle, soap, candle $75.39
• Para-cord Needles $5.52
• Other:
• Turbo Tax: $126.98
• USPS Return $14.30
• Power Cord: $6.98
• Costume Accessories: $9.68
• Walmart (don't remember): $45.71