Comments on: Do I Spend too Much?

By: Spending Report for August 2010 » Pants in a Can

Spending Report for August 2010 » Pants in a Can — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:34:01 +0000

[...] started doing these reports, following frequent commentor DD’s lead over on Happy Rock, over a year ago now and I have never ever even come close to the five-figure sum I’m [...]

By: Brainy Smurf

Brainy Smurf — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:28:30 +0000

@reader: I think you're missing the point of the exercise... It wasn't to compare myself with directly with DD's expenditures -- I thought his spending was out of control -- but to see and then realize how out of control my own spending was. From there, if you read a few of the other entries, you'll see that I've make some adjustments to curb my spending pretty substantially... By following DD's lead and really looking at what I spend my money on (rather than just how much I spend), I've improved my finances that much more.

By: Reader

Reader — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:15:43 +0000

Maybe I am confused, isn’t DD posting his entire household expenses? But, you say your wife pays for food so you don’t count that. So you are just comparing your personal expense to his household and coming up close?

By: The Happy Rock's Monthly Budget Expenses Revealed | The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock's Monthly Budget Expenses Revealed | The Happy Rock — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:09:58 +0000

[...] and established a fully funded emergency fund, we have earned the right not to budget. With Pants in a Can and DD posting their expenses and taking flak for it, I figured I am not above that type of [...]

By: Spending Report for March 2009 » Pants in a Can

Spending Report for March 2009 » Pants in a Can — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:11:02 +0000

[...] Last month I followed Debt Destroyer’s lead and listed out all of my monthly expenses. [...]

By: Flashback: $28k+ Credit Card Debt Eliminated » Pants in a Can

Flashback: $28k+ Credit Card Debt Eliminated » Pants in a Can — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:24:29 +0000

[...] thought that once the credit cards were under control, I guess I thought I’d have, oh, say, a couple grand each month to spend on whatever I [...]

By: Beware the Ides of March » Pants in a Can

Beware the Ides of March » Pants in a Can — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:37:37 +0000

[...] So I failed in my goal to spend less than $2500 this month. [...]

By: Brainy Smurf

Brainy Smurf — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:57:07 +0000

Hi Kacie!
Yeah, the auto insurance is high, but that’s just the way it is in New England. Sucks. It’s also for two cars.

The cable and internet could be cut down for sure — basically internet is about $42 per month and the television is the rip-off at $66. We don’t even get a single premium channel?!

Don’t get me started on the finance charges. Ugh… Had I purchased the crib one day later back in January, it would’ve fallen on my February statement and it would have been paid in full before any charges accrued.

As for the 401k, yep, I’m hitting the federal limit and my savings account has been swelling by over $1k per month for the past few so I’m right on track on that side of things. :0)

By: Kacie

Kacie — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:14:06 +0000

Yowie. I see that a simple yes or no will do, so that’s all I’ll say.

Auto insurance: Yes
Cable/internet: Yes
Finance charges: Yes

If I may expand a little on my responses, I do think the spending is super high. But then again, I don’t know your income or whereabouts in the country you live, so maybe it’s on par.

If you’re also maxing out your 401k and IRA and sending a bunch into savings each month, then I’d say your spending is a little better, but still high.

By: Brainy Smurf

Brainy Smurf — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:30:47 +0000

“And you have to share your secret on how you went a whole month without spending anything for food…”

Smurfs don’t eat.

No, actually, my wife buys 99.999995% of our food — that’s why it’s always absent from my expenses and budgets.