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Year-End Recap

December 31st, 2016 at 12:34 am

What a high spending month.

Gifts: $1,967 - This includes $1200 contributed to grandchildren’s college funds.

Housing: $1,355 - Ended up paying mortgage and assessment fees twice this month.

Furnishing/Equipment/Décor: $588 - Mostly the cost of a new dishwasher plus installation.

Medical/Health: $246 – Physical therapy, labs, office visits, scrips, gym.

Home Repair/Maintenance: $189 – Plumber

Utilities: $176 – Ended up paying gas bill twice in the same month.

Groceries: $152

Fees/Services: $140 – Amazon Prime, AARP membership, bank fees

Eating Out: $124

Vacation/Travel: $122 – Gas for weekend trip and prepayment for pet sitter.

Gas: $88

Vet/Pet Supplies: $60

Phone: $52

Household Supplies: $27

Entertainment: $23

Personal: $22

Laundry: $18

Fares/Parking: $3

Grand Total: $5379

Variables spending (which doesn’t include Christmas gifts, the dishwasher, or the housing) was 151%! Mostly thrown off by the medical bill, the plumber bill, the fees and the higher food costs.

Ish. December. A budget-killer, and I had some bad luck besides.

But it was a good year. My net worth rose from $205,789 to $213,004. That I am pleased with, considering that I am retired. My retirement nest egg itself actually rose by a couple thousand, even though I am drawing on it (interest only). My liquid savings rose by $2,500, even though I feel like I hit it hard throughout the year.

Notable events this year:

I kept my old car going to the tune of $7K. Time will tell if it was a wise decision or not. I just want it to last 2½ more years.

I took three trips to Florida and quite a few short trips to Michigan and Indiana.

I not only joined a gym, but became a regular attendee.

I never weighed myself, but I lost enough weight to wear a size smaller – sometimes two sizes. And I had a lot of smaller clothes set aside, so there was very little cost to getting smaller. What I did buy, I got at Goodwill.

On the darker side, I learned that I had chronic kidney disease, and I am continuing to learn about it. It is not yet affecting me in any adverse way.

On the good side, I switched my statin and got rid of a lot of muscle pain and insomnia.

I went to a podiatrist, and finally have pretty much solved my foot pain with orthotics.

I continued my contract work at the museum, earning about $5700 this year before taxes. And as far as I know, I’m continuing in 2017!

I bought a new dishwasher. I don’t think there was anything else I had to replace.

Actually, it was a pretty uneventful year!

6 Responses to “Year-End Recap”

  1. ceejay74 Says:
    1483145882

    Sounds like a great year! You were pretty hard on yourself in posts, so I wouldn't have guessed your net worth increased. Wink

  2. CB in the City Says:
    1483150029

    I am only hard on myself because I am afraid of going through my savings. It helps to know I have not done this, even though I have gone over budget sometimes.

  3. Dido Says:
    1483154168

    Great job on the weight loss and gym and other health improvements--hope those will help with long-term management of the kidney disease.

    Yay for the increase in retirement balance despite the withdrawals.

    And yes, a high-spending month--but your highest "expense" was investing in the grandkid's college funds--something that obviously has a lot of personal meaning and value as opposed to an ordinary household expense or something fun and frivolous for yourself.

    Best wishes for as good or better a year next year!

  4. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1483220159

    I'm considering signing DH up for AARP, but just am not sure if it is worth it. What makes it worthwhile for you?

  5. CB in the City Says:
    1483224455

    Mostly I use it for hotel discounts, but it offers a lot of other benefits. They have a full list of benefits on their website.


  6. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1483242184

    Ok, I've looked at that list before, but was just wondering what you found useful from it. We don't do enough traveling I think for the hotel discounts to be a big draw. Thanks!

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