April Recap
May 2nd, 2026 at 02:02 pmAs some of you may know, my son was let go from Amazon (he was a manager, not a driver). He has a family to support, and he is having trouble finding new employment, even though he is making a huge effort. The situation is getting scary.
Now, to back up a little, my ex gave me $6000 a couple of years ago to help me purchase a used car. I promised to pay him back; he kept saying no need, and honestly, our divorce, which was his idea, cost me way more than $6000. So I kept saving money, but didn't jump through any hoops to pay him back. Well, now I can, and I offered it to him. He again said no, and then I floated the idea of paying it forward to our son. So I have started doing that. In April, I gave him $2000. Yesterday I gave him another $1000. The rest I will do in intervals to make sure my savings are not compromised.
All this is to say, my biggest April expense was "Gifts" -- $2080, the $80 being expenditure for Easter gifts to my grandchildren.
Housing and Utilities were next, at $850 and $197. Then I had to renew my license plate, which set me back $154.
My son came to visit in April, a combination of catching up with family and looking for opportunities. I spent $123 on various activities, which I put under Vacation/Travel, since most of it was taking a side trip up to Michigan so he could meet up with family he hadn't seen in a long time.
This month my grocery spending was $112, and another $74 went to household supplies. Eating out was $46, and I put $20 on a Ventra card for transit. Even though I have a ride-free card for myself, I like to have a card available for visitors. Other expenses were pretty typical.
I spent $3782, which is a little high for me, but it's been quite a month, and I'm sure things will settle down in May. Hopefully, with a job offer for my son.