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Archive for October, 2024

Eleven Days Into October

October 12th, 2024 at 12:10 am

I called the DMV yesterday just to make sure that nothing was lost in the mail. Nope. They haven't reviewed my medical form. YET! At least the person I talked to this time was polite, unlike the last time.

So I'm still making do without a license, and my budget continues to be affected. Although it some ways it is a good effect -- no car insurance, which is a biggie, and now with my ride-free card, getting around is pretty much free. But I'm limited on where I can go, and sometimes I'm just too tired to walk to the station, so I continue to be proactive on grocery-shopping, and sometimes I eat out because I'm just too far away from home at the moment.

Today I walked to the hair salon -- my new hair salon, because the shop I used to frequent has closed, and my former hairdresser has disappeared into the ether. The new place is more expensive -- my cut today cost $42, including tip. Which is still quite a bit more reasonable than most of the salons around here. I got my hair cut short for the first time in about ten years. I'm not sure I like it yet, but I am sure it's going to be a lot easier to manage. But the downside of a short cut is that trims tend to be needed more often. We'll see how it goes.

Afterwards I walked to Trader Joe's and bought some cheap retinol night serum ($10), and a few groceries ($10). So far groceries have cost me $108, and I'm only eleven days into the month. I have also spent $9 on a movie, $39 for a Magic Bullet and a combination lock from Amazon, $6 at McDonalds, $6 for gifts, $6 for household supplies, and the biggie, $354 for home insurance. My variables spending is at 44%.

September Recap

October 1st, 2024 at 02:34 pm
Housing 784
Gifts/Charity 514
Utilities 226
Groceries 167
Medical/Health 99
Entertainment 67
Eating Out/Takeout 66
Phone 49
Fees & Services 45
Household Supplies 32
Clothing 27
Furn/Equip/Décor 20
Laundry 20
Personal 9

Grand Total                 2125

The large total in gifts includes $400 in donations to my grandsons' college funds.

As has been the case recently, grocery and eating out are both higher than they used to be. Fallout from my life without a car. Or without a license. I do have a car!

Medical includes $50 for the heart monitor I wore several months ago. I am still waiting for other medical bills to appear. I see a couple of processed claims on my Medicare Advantage website, but I have not been billed for them.

The best part about this month's spending is that there was none for fares! My RideFree card is getting a workout and it is making a difference.

Oh, and I should point out that the entertainment total includes my participation in the family football pool. But I have won twice -- both times splitting the pot with others, but, hey, much better than usual!