Here is every dollar I spent in 2019:
Housing – $10,621 total, $885 per month (up from $7,804 in 2018, a $2,818 increase)
This number includes rent, account setup/administration fees, utilities and a washer/dryer set purchased in July. 2019 was my first full year of living in downtown Dallas, and the ~$3,000 increase over 2018 reflects that.
While I could move further outside of the city and cut my rent in half, living downtown allows me to walk everywhere (work, friends, groceries, events) and not own a car. As I noted last year, the quality of life that comes with never having to commute is well worth the higher rent.
Cell Phone – $274 total, $23 per month (up from $140 in 2018, a $134 increase)
I purchased a new refurbished and few-model-years-old iPhone SE in February to replace my 5 year-old iPhone 5c. The newer phone allowed me to change to a cheaper service provider, Tello. I am currently paying $9.24 per month for cell service, so next year this number will likely be around $110.
Groceries – $1,286 total, $107 per month (down from $1,377 in 2018, a $91 decrease)
This number surprised me, and this is the second year in a row my grocery expenses declined ($1,475 in 2017). Not much changed with my diet – still rice, lentils, beans, veggies and nuts all day erry day, but I did travel more and eat out more this year which could have led to the decrease here.
Dine Out – $458 total, $38 per month (up from $319 in 2018, a $140 increase)
The increase in non-grocery food costs was intentional as I said yes to almost every invite from my friends to go out to eat, paid for 20 people’s Chipotle for my birthday, and paid for a few other friends’ meals at random times. I hope this expense continues to increase in 2020, as it will mean I’m spending time with my friends and enjoying life.
Travel – $1,108 total, $92 per month (down from $1,236 in 2018, a $128 decrease)
Travel expenses were kept low this year as my two big trips were subsidized heavily by my parents (road trip through Minnesota and Ontario) and my company (flight, hotel, transportation and food in Hawaii). About $300 of the total is skydiving in Hawaii, with most of the balance coming from a few flights to Minnesota and one to Colorado. I expect this category to increase in 2020 (anybody trying to go backpacking in the mountains?)
Transportation – $114 total, $10 per month (up from $100 in 2018, a $14 increase)
Even if my employer didn’t pay for my public transportation pass, this would stay the same as 99% of my transportation is walking or biking these days. The total consists of occasional Uber/Lyft rides, tips for friends driving me to/from the airport and paying for parking when my friends have driven me somewhere.
Other – $1,411 total, $118 per month (down from $2,258 in 2018, a $847 decrease)
My miscellaneous expenses included concerts/events (~$250), gifts/donations (~$400), activities with friends like volleyball leagues, museums, paddle boarding and movies (~$200) and shoes/clothes (~$200). The funniest transaction of the year was paying Shruti $1 for being a peasant and not owning AirPods 😛
TOTAL – $15,274 for the year, $1,273 per month (up from $13,234 in 2018, a $2,040 increase)
The $2,000 increase from ’18 to ’19 came from $2,800 more housing expenses offset by $800 less miscellaneous expenses. All other categories stayed the same, give or take ~$100.
Looking towards 2020, I expect to spend around $15,000 – $17,000, with the forecasted increase coming from travel, dining out and more fun experiences with friends and family.
If you want more detail or have any questions, comments or anything I can help with, feel free to comment or send me an email at hashtagmoneygoals@gmail.com. Happy New Year, happy new decade, and happy saving and investing to all of you! 🙂
Related Reading:
My Personal Spending Report for 2018
My Personal Spending Report for 2017