Where does it go?
I feel every drop of my blood and sweat as it gets spent, and I cut every corner I can. Granola and tuna are damned tiring, but thankfully I get all the free (lousy) coffee I can want. I dream of real sushi. I get damned jealous of people who go to IHOP and Wendy’s whenever they want to.
Mortgage
Power
Water
Taxes
Local phone
Long distance
Home insurance
Car insurance
Doctor copays
Dental copays
Hospitalization deductibles
Testing not covered
Anaesthesia not covered
Orthodontics not covered
Prescription drug copays
Over the counter drugs
Menstrual supplies
Birth control
Veterinary care*
Haircuts*
Plumbing repairs
Bug spray
Bug bombs
Pressure sprayer
Bike lock
Bike safety lights
Duct tape
Legal retainers
Filing fees
Parking fees
Gasoline*
Car repairs and maintenance
Oil and coolant on hand
Tri-Rail pass
SCA memberships
Event site fees
Event feast fees
Fabric
Bottled water and ice at practice*
Socks and underwear
Shoes
Work clothing
Clip-on sunglasses
Replacement for damaged borrowed book
Textbooks
Domain registrations
Hosting
Pencils
Photocopying fees
Printing fees
Faxing fees
Food items for social occasions – personal
Food items for social occasions – professional
Greeting cards
Birthday gifts
Birthday activities
Educational activities
Stockings
Pool noodles
PVC
Plywood
Odd hardware fasteners
Belts
Used sporting goods
Camping equipment
Umbrellas and ponchos
Kleenex
Baby wipes*
Sunscreen
Bug repellent
Herbicide
Photographic prints*
Religious supplies
Art supplies
Soda
Sausage, egg and cheese biscuits*
Battlestar Galactica on iTunes
Runescape memberships
Netflix
Coca-Cola
Beer and liquors*
Livejournal
flickr
Food/beverage in conjunction with karaoke*
The odd movie*
The occasional Big and Tasty*
The rare T-shirt*
DVDs*
Grocery store sushi*
Tattoos
Software
*cut back more over recent months
There’s more, surely, but you get the drift.
Here’s what I’m not spending anything on:
Smokes
Shots for the cats
Grooming for the cats
Repairing the laptop
Window replacement
Roof replacement
Septic system/plumbing overhaul
Landscaping
Restaurant meals
Cable
Satellite service
Getting my hair and nails done
Cosmetic dental work
Cosmetic surgery
Contact lenses
Eye surgery
Prophylactic mastectomy and/or hysterectomy
Chelation
Spa visits
Pedicures
Club wear
Fetish gear
Non-discount fabric
Good camping gear
College
Field trips
After-school care
Parties
Car payments
Credit cards
Student loan debt
Alimony
Maid service
Kid sitters
Road trips
Intercontinental travel
Hats
Scarves
Little Dalek salt and pepper shakers
Fine art
Pop art
Folk art
Weaponry
Martial arts
Vendettas
Brothel visits
Strip club visits
Opera
Theatre (“re” mandatory)
Puppet shows
Circus
Amusement parks
Zoos
Stereo equipment
Computer equipment
iPods
GPS devices
Televisions, VCRs, DVD players
Accessories for any of the above
Stuff to trick out my ride
Stuff to trick out my crib
Stuff to trick out anything
Hair gel, spray, or mousse
Exfoliant, mud, or specially balanced moisturizers
Medicated shampoo
Indentured servants
Slaves
Goats
Dogs
Llamas
CDs
Music from iTunes
78s, 45s, and 33 & 1/3s
8-Track tapes
Arcade games
Sheds for the backyard
Semicircular supports for vine bearing structure
A fountain
Gravel
Pavers
Gardeners to do the backyard for me
Koi pond
Koi
Sushi
Indian clothing (East Indian, not Native American)
Bamboo trimming
Comments(4)
I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.
It’s alright, love. This stuff has been eating at me for a very, very long time. I really don’t know how we’re going to manage, but I’ll do what I can.
As a completely impartial observer… whose opinion was not asked for… but you did post and leave it open to replies so here I am…
1: Some of the things you listed under your spendings were hopefully one time things (bike lock, pool noodle, plywood, clip on sunglasses) so next month you won’t have those on the bill list.
2: Some of the things you listed are pretty much flat out wastes of money (herbicide, bottled water, kleenex, greeting cards) and I say wastes of money only in that I mean you could make your own or completely do without them.
3: And lastly it’s a matter of priorities. I am absolutely NOT knocking what you’re doing or telling you not to do it… but… if you’re gonna pay for SCA memberships and feast fees to the point where you have to cut back on yuor gasoline and veterinary care, maybe it’s time to reorganize stuff.
…besides… Wendy’s sucks…
If I were given a list like this without context, I would agree with you completely. There’s a lot more context, to include what the point of the list is.
Here’s one example of context – gas is cut back because I’m riding the train. I started riding the train because I can’t stand to spend $3 per gallon – whether I can afford it or not, it rubs me completely the wrong way. Prices are down now, but riding the train is still better. Gas is not cut back out of need, but out of personal disgust.
The point of the list was to illustrate that monthly expenses are not the only expenses. I was asked where the money goes – well this is where it goes and incidentally, where it doesn’t.
What’s eating at me is that I must produce a large sum of money very quickly. To someone who is clueless about where the money goes, that large sum of money should just be lying around in a bank account, right? I mean, if the total of the first eight items on the list isn’t the total of my paycheck, the rest should be lying around, yes?
No.
And this is posted to the wrong filter, so it’s about to vanish.