My Frugal Miser - November 2023 Income

November wasn't terrible. I worked three small meetings but it was only 11 days of work.  To supplement it I did a few Amazon routes and even drove for Lyft a bit.

I received rent from both Alabama rental properties and one distribution from Realty Mogul and Open Door Capital.

Open Door continues to pay interest on the promissory note as promised.  I also received a decent interest payment on my Capital One Savings balance.

November Income: $10,975

$4,776 Meeting Jobs
$152 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$737 Amazon Deliveries

$2,818 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $357)
$2,469 Interest Income

$23 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  $1,951

My investments were up slightly in November.

My Frugal Miser - November 2023 Expenses

  We were degenerate gluttons in November.

• Earlier this year I researched high quality luggage and decided Monos was the best brand for me.  They had an aggressive Black Friday sale - 40% off plus a free gift- so I finished out my luggage needs.  Accompanied by a lifetime guarantee, I don't expect to spend much for luggage in the future.
• On Black Friday I used my $50 Saks credit offered by the Platinum AMEX.  Net of the credit, I spent $120 and received a $75 gift card, 3 pair of socks and two shirts.
• I paid car insurance... ouch! (It's for both of us though)
• I paid the annual fee for the American Express Platinum card.  I almost canceled, but the credits I receive each month just barely outweigh the expense, so a net positive.
• Property taxes were due on our house, and they were crazy expensive.  Next year I will qualify for homestead exemption which will help a little.
• We spent way too much on Thanksgiving dinner.  Besides a couple decent restaurant meals, I spent more on groceries than usual. 

Fun

We love adventures.  Spending on experiences makes us better humans.  

• We're going on vacation later this month.  I prepaid for a rental car and bought airline tickets instead of redeeming points in order to achieve a higher status level on United for 2024... I'll be Gold next year.  
• I also added $300 to my cruise balance for our December cruise to take advantage of a Chase Offer ($35 back on $100 purchase, across three different cards). 
• Lastly, Margaritaville at Sea had a Black Friday sale.  We've never cruised on this line so I bought a 2 day cruise.

November Expenses:  $15,275

$1,503 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$695 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$554 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,656 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$1,011 Food

$40 Health and Dental

$8,402 Household/Home Repairs

$24 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$457 Reimbursed Job Expense

$0 Interest Expense

$656 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$20 Taxes

$257 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - October 2023 Expenses

 October spending was high.

• I replaced the tires on the Elantra and paid the annual AAA dues.
• While having my teeth cleaned I mentioned a little discomfort in one tooth.  The dentist started a crown, but while waiting for the permanent crown I was in a lot of pain.  Found out I needed a root canal.  Spent nearly $2,000 for the crown and root canal.
• Since I didn't work as much, we spent more on food than we normally do.

Fun

We love adventures.  Spending on experiences makes us better humans.  

• I planned a 3 night getaway to Columbus, OH to take a closer look at a real estate deal.  It was $250 roundtrip for airfare for two.  To keep my partner entertained, I bought concert tickets for one night and tickets to see Mrs. Doubtfire a second night.

October Expenses:  $4,789

$928 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$0 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$140 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,323 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$635 Food

$1,989 Health and Dental

$147 Household/Home Repairs

$134 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$880 Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$10 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$266 Taxes

$52 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - October 2023 Income

October was a mixed bag.  I worked two meetings plus one night for a DMC (destination management company), but overall meeting work was slow.  

I received rent from both Alabama rental properties and one distribution from Realty Mogul and Open Door Capital.

Continuing from last month, I'm reporting the interest income from my retirement portfolio.  I receive a little more than $2,000/month from a loan I made to Open Door.  I also am in the process of deploying the other funds in my Self-Directed IRA and plan to report any distributions I receive in the future.

I did three Amazon routes in October.

October Income: $10,978

$4,746 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$248 Amazon Deliveries

$3,231 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $304)
$2,632 Interest Income

$121 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  $4,522

My investments were up slightly in October.