2009 Spending in Review, Part 2

There are many categories I will have to improve on if I want to be a true frugal miser. For 2009, I spent more than I should have in the following categories:

• Alcohol: $1,285 - I've only spent $116 over the last 5 months. I decided at the end of July to cut way back on what I was spending on libations.
• Food: $3,978 - $10.90 per day. Not surprising, my biggest vice here was spending at dinner time. My 2010 goal is to average $5 per day or less for food.
• Clothing: $618
• Interest/Bank Fees: $5,976 - this is a bit deceptive because I include losses on Prosper.com loans here. I ceased making loans on Prosper in 2008 but the 3 year loans will continue to produce losses into mid-2011. In addition, I do not include interest on first mortgages here. Regardless, this is unacceptable, and I plan to cut these line item expenses by at least $1,500 in 2010.