My Frugal Miser - July 2023 Expenses

July was a pleasantly frugal month.

• In June I paid the $250 annual fee on my United Quest credit card but then Chase offered a sweet deal to redeem miles to offset the fee, so I got that back as a statement credit.  I also paid the $49 annual fee for my IHG card.  That card comes with an annual free night (what a deal!) but I've heard the card is being discontinued and I'll have to pay more next year.
• The category where I splurged was food.  I almost always regret it when I spend too much on a restaurant meal.  I'm going to try harder in August to avoid overspending here.
• I made a mistake on my business taxes and paid an accountant $800 to fix it
• Personal care - in Vegas we got a foot massage.  I also prepaid for a 3-visit package to my local reflexologist.  It helps tremendously with my foot pain.

Fun

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

• During our Las Vegas trip I won $300.  Plus rental car rates dropped from when I prepaid for our car and I received a refund when I rebooked the lower rate.  This was offset by my purchase of upgraded seats to First Class for our quick getaway.  Overall, this vacation was almost free.
• A friend visited us and we stopped by our local Hard Rock casino, where I won $485 in an hour playing blackjack.
• We pay for an AMC Unlimited plan.  

July Expenses:  income of  $145

$186 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

($201) Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards) income this month
$337 Clothing/ Personal Care
($111) Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets) income this month

$567 Food

$29 Health and Dental

$60 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($2,084) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$59 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$800 Taxes

$213 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - July 2023 Income

In July I kept making good progress.   Meeting work was slower as expected, but because I'm paid in arrears it doesn't look as slow as it actually was:  I only worked meetings 14 days in July, and much of that was at a lower than usual rate.  I received rent from both Birmingham rental properties and one Realty Mogul distribution.

July Income: $10,281

$7,400 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$2,870 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $357)
$11 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($6,200)

My investments were down in July.  I took a substantial loss by selling my AMC bonds.  I did this after a judge ruled the company couldn't do a stock conversion/share issuance that is critical to raising needed cash to fund obligations.  I hope the very best for AMC - it's a great place to see a movie.  But the risk of the company running out of money in the next year increased substantially and was too risky for me.

My frugal Miser - June 2023 Expenses

 May was another expensive month.  Fortunately some of my spending was pre-paying for future expenses.

• I paid the $250 annual fee on my United Quest credit card and also paid a fee to use my card to pay quarterly taxes.
• I prepaid the water bill.  They don't charge a fee to pay by credit card and I was trying to reach a sign up bonus on a new credit card.
• Thanks to all my meeting work, many jobs provided a healthy per diem that went unused, so it's cash to me.  I often get to eat from the attendee meals.

Fun

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

• I paid the balance for our September cruise and purchased an all-inclusive beach day excursion.
• I bought tickets for two shows when we visit Las Vegas this week.
• We pay for an AMC Unlimited plan.  
• I purchased a few IHG points due to a promotion.

June Expenses:  $6,197

$89 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$347 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$39 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,549 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$160 Food

$64 Health and Dental

$265 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($2,230) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$9 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$5,151 Taxes

$892 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - June 2023 Income

 I closed out the first half of the year with a solid income mostly from working meeting jobs.  I worked meetings 27 days in June.  I received rent from both Birmingham rental properties.

June Income: $13,425

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$11,478 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$1,945 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $450)
$2 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  $4,326

My investments were up just a bit in June.

My Frugal Miser - May 2023 Expenses

May was another expensive month.  Fortunately some of my spending was pre-paying for future expenses.

• I made a substantial prepayment to my Internet provider to help earn a sign-up bonus on a credit card.
• I was charged the annual fee ($95) for a credit card.
• I prepaid for reflexology services.  I really like the guy I see and it helps with my foot pain.
• While on a business trip, my aunt passed away.  There was only one place near my work that sold men's clothing and I needed something to wear for the funeral.

Fun

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

• I booked a a cruise in New Orleans.  It was $200 for an extended balcony room, plus I prepaid gratuities.
• I bought tickets to see Margaret Cho and Yungblud.
• We pay for an AMC Unlimited plan.  

May Expenses:  $4,499

$147 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$95 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$585 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,451 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$205 Food

$413 Health and Dental

$37 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$505 Reimbursed Job Expense

$0 Interest Expense

$25 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$58 Taxes

$979 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - May 2023 Income

May was an average month.  Meeting income was good; several meetings I worked are paid in June so this doesn't reflect all the work I did.  I worked two short Amazon routes when I was home.  I only received rent from one of the two rental properties, but also received two distributions from Realty Mogul.

Another major transaction this month that you won't see reflected below was the sale of my last Florida rental property (I still have two in Alabama).  This turned out to be a very profitable investment.  I purchased the home in August 2012 for $63,000.  Nearly 11 years later I sold it for $315,000.  While it wasn't all pure profit, the improvements I made were minimal.  Major improvements included a new roof, flooring and granite countertops.  Taking everything into consideration, I still earned about $200,000 on this investment.

May Income: $9,429

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$6,130 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$168 Amazon Deliveries

$3,118 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $805)
$3 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($11,703)

I have several put options against zombie companies.  The meme gamblers were active in May because these dying companies did very well in May.

My Frugal Miser - April 2023 Expenses

April hurt.  It was probably the most expensive month in history, thanks to the tax man.  The good news is my 2022 taxes have been paid and I am now focused on making the quarterly tax payments for this year.

• I paid my next 6 month GEICO premium early to help me meet the sign up bonus on a new credit card.
• I was charged the annual fee ($95) for the new credit card.

Fun

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

• I booked a flight to Richmond to visit my mom in July.
• We pay for an AMC Unlimited plan.  

April Expenses:  $74,170

$1,402 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$95 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$283 Clothing/ Personal Care
$310 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$375 Food

$16 Health and Dental

$98 Household/Home Repairs

$155 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$270 Reimbursed Job Expense

$0 Interest Expense

$31 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$70,697 Taxes

$437 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - April 2023 Income

Meeting season was in full swing in April.  I worked 21 days of meetings, received rent from both Alabama properties and one Realty Mogul distribution.  I did no Amazon routes.

April Income: $9,937

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$7,062 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$2,868 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $1,382)
$7 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  $13,043

My investments did well in April.

My Frugal Miser - 2023 March Expenses

March was a pretty frugal month.  The largest expense was a tax payment towards my 2022 tax liability.  I sold two rental properties last year and owe a significant amount of money.  

• I made the second payment to GEICO for the increase in auto insurance.  My insurance went up significantly when I changed my address.
• I was charged the annual fee for my Chase Hyatt card and made the annual maintenance fees for the self-directed IRA.
• Utilities were high because I paid off my partner's phone early.  I did this so that we could switch providers.  I also bought a new phone as my Pixel 4 is starting to have problems.

Fun

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

• In March this category shows significant income!  I won at blackjack in Aruba as well as on my last night in Vegas.
• I subscribed to AMC Unlimited.  Now we both have it as going to movies is something we both enjoy.
• We spent a night in Macon to attend the Third Eye Blind concert.

March Expenses:  $5,588

$256 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$710 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$21 Clothing/ Personal Care
($3,245) Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets) income this month

$398 Food

$13 Health and Dental

$354 Household/Home Repairs

$175 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($441) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$1,691 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$4,196 Taxes

$916 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - March 2023 Income

2023 is turning into a great year for income.  I worked 24 days of meetings (two meetings will be paid out in April).  I received rent from both Alabama properties.  I did two Amazon routes one day.

March Income: $8,462

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$6,512 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$133 Amazon Deliveries

$1,795 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $546)
$22 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($475)

My investments were basically flat.  I have a couple of PUT options for Bed, Bath and Beyond that increased in value.  Some of the other PUTs lost value.

My Frugal Miser - February 2023 Expenses

 I bought a new house on February 1st, so there were some expenses in January associated with the move.  Because I worked so much in January, spending in many categories was minimal.

• I paid for a moving truck and pickup truck.  We moved gradually and then completed the move in mid-February.  The majority of the Household spending was for window blinds and a new vacuum.
• I was charged the annual fee for my Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
• I bought two new pair of shoes.  Somehow one of my work shoes was lost in the move.

Fun

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

• We didn't book any new vacations in February.
• We added AMC Unlimited for my partner.  I am traveling for work and will purchase this in March.
• We took a cruise in February.  I spent onboard for a sushi making class and bought a few drinks.

February Expenses:  $4,074

$213 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$550 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$243 Clothing/ Personal Care
$480 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$479 Food

$28 Health and Dental

$1,484 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$51 Reimbursed Job Expense

$0 Interest Expense

$166 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$9 Taxes

$372 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - February 2023 Income

February was another solid month.  I only worked two meetings as we set aside time to move and take a short cruise. I received the rent from my two Alabama rental properties as well as three distributions from Realty Mogul.  I also managed to work three short Amazon routes.

February Income: $9,541

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$4,478 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$211 Amazon Deliveries

$4,782 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $290)
$15 Interest Income

$55 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($7,714)

After liquidating a substantial part of my portfolio to buy our new house, I am left mostly with several Put options.  The meme gamblers continued to negatively affect my positions.

My Frugal Miser - January 2023 Expenses

I bought a new house on February 1st, so there were some expenses in January associated with the move.  Because I worked so much in January, spending in many categories was minimal.

• I paid the annual insurance premium on the new house and purchased several cardboard boxes.
• I was charged the annual fee for my Platinum AMEX authorized user.  This allows us both access to the Centurion Lounge when we travel.  I also paid the annual fee for the Capital One Venture X.
• Half the clothing expense was because of a mistake I made.  I ordered two new pair of work pants in the wrong inseam.  They are too long so I can still use them once I have them altered, but I needed new pants right away and reordered the right size.  

Fun

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

• Finally a month where I didn't book any vacations!  I did browse cruises as Carnival is still aggressively giving away free cruises through casino offers.
• I spent $40 on our Regal Unlimited membership.  Regal won't be the closest theater at our new house, so I have cancelled it.
• Most of my meeting clients don't reimburse alcohol, so the bulk of the spending for fun in January was for drinks with co-workers.

January Expenses:  $4,497

$65 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$734 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$268 Clothing/ Personal Care
$297 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$133 Food

$106 Health and Dental

$1,711 Household/Home Repairs

$89 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$559 Reimbursed Job Expense

$0 Interest Expense

$100 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$307 Taxes

$129 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - January 2023 Income

 January was all about the meetings - work, that is.  I worked 25 days at my primary job.  Because of this I didn't do any Amazon deliveries.  I received the rent from my two Alabama rental properties.  I also received a small check from a class action settlement.

January Income: $9,446

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$7,602 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$1,795 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $658)
$14 Interest Income

$35 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  ($7,112)

I liquidated a substantial part of my brokerage accounts to purchase our new home.  The meme gamblers didn't make it easy, as financially insolvent companies saw huge surges in their share prices in January.  Still, I managed a relatively small loss considering all the activity last month.

My Frugal Miser - 2023 Goals

 Every year I publish a handful of goals.  I usually meet some and fail at others.  Without this roadmap, I would lack the direction I need to achieve anything.  Here are my 2023 goals.

Financial

Increase Net Worth by 12%.  Either increase rental income by 15% or or sell a rental property.

Health

Weigh 175 pounds.  

Simplify

Remove two items for every new item that comes in the house.  Act on emails so my inbox is as close to empty as possible.  Stop wasting time doing things that don't matter.

Have Fun, On a Budget

I will limit spending on Fun to $5,000 in 2023.  Chief to achieving this is reducing my gambling and drinking.

My Frugal Miser - December 2022 Expenses

My spending in December exceeded my income.  

• I forgot to pay quarterly taxes in the third quarter, so I paid two quarters of estimated taxes in December.
• During the slow season I sometimes work meetings where our expenses are not reimbursed.  We had out of pocket costs for the Las Vegas meeting.  I also paid my 2023 business insurance premium.
• I was charged the annual fee for my Southwest Business card.  
• I bought a $500 Amazon gift card (Household) that I haven't used, but am counting the spending in December.

Fun

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

• We spent on excursions and drinks during the Puerto Rico cruise.
• I paid the taxes, fees and gratuities for a cruise I booked for February.  Even though I didn't gamble on our Puerto Rico cruise, Royal Caribbean offered me another free cruise and I jumped on it.  
• I bought tickets to see Third Eye Blind in Macon, GA in March.
• On the last day of our Las Vegas meeting I lost $300 in a casino.

December Expenses:  $17,391

$232 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$199 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$36 Clothing/ Personal Care
$1,739 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$567 Food

$110 Health and Dental

$2,142 Household/Home Repairs

$955 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$18 Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$497 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$9,133 Taxes

$192 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - December 2022 Income

My December income was only fair.  In addition to income from two rental properties I received two distributions from commercial properties I own through Realty Mogul.  I worked two meeting jobs and I completed a few Amazon routes.  Amazon has overhired drivers and getting a decent route is difficult.  We were out of town for two weeks - a cruise for five days and a road trip to visit family over the holidays.  I probably could have made a bit more working for Amazon if I had stayed home.

December Income: $8,275

$0 Mystery Shopping/ Merchandising
$4,505 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$306 Amazon Deliveries

$3,450 Rental Income (Rental Expenses:  $1,608)
$14 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value:  $25,451

My contrarian bets against zombie companies have been doing well.  These are companies that have only survived because of access to cheap financing.  Now that interest rates are higher, my thesis is these companies will struggle and their share prices will reflect that.

My Frugal Miser - Reviewing My 2022 Goals

 I set 4 goals for 2022.  Here's how I did.

My 2022 Goals:

(Financial) Make investing more passive.  I want to sell at least one rental property in 2022 and reallocate the money to a fully passive investment.

Status:  Achieved!  I sold two rental properties and so far the timing and results look spectacular.  Shortly after selling, the housing market slowed considerably thanks to higher interest rates.  I deployed the proceeds from the Airbnb into one account and have grown the balance by $58,000.  This is significantly more than the income I would have generated from rent.  I placed the proceeds from the second sale into a different account.  It, too, has increased, but by a smaller amount.

(Health)  I would like to weigh 175 by the end of 2022.  

Status:  Failed.  I gained weight in 2022.  Nearly 30 pounds.  Gotta do better.

(Simplify)  I will eliminate personal belongings that I no longer need.  One of the major personal projects in 2022 is updating our home.  There are several large projects I'd like to do, and getting rid of the clutter around the house will help us enjoy the home more.

Status: Some progress, but plenty opportunity remaining.  I usually keep a cardboard box out and add donations to it.  Then when there's enough to justify the trip, I'll drop the donations off at Goodwill.  In 2022 I made a couple of sizable donations, but we currently live in a small, 1,000 square foot house with minimal closet space.  I basically use one bedroom to store extra supplies and things that don't fit elsewhere, and want to get to the point that I don't need to do this.

(Travel on a Budget) I don't just love to travel; I live to travel.  Inflation and pandemic fatigue mean travel is getting more expensive (just look at airfares!).  I will spend more time learning how to maximize travel programs and loyalty points.  I will research places I'd like to visit, take advantage of deals, and be mindful about how I spend my travel dollar.

Status:  Failed.  We did plenty of travel, but as many of you discovered, inflation hit hard in this category.  I lost money gambling, spent too much on expensive meals, and ended up spending more in 2022 on travel and fun than ever.  This is one category where I usually don't feel bad about spending, as long as it's a good value.  I made a few poor choices though.

So there you have it.  Of the four goals I set for 2022, I exceeded one, did okay on another, and failed at the other two.  I plan to post my 2023 goals this week.