My Frugal Miser - April 2026 Spending

In April I had a few large expenses, but my everyday spending was low.

• I made a quarterly tax payment ($3,000)
• I replaced all 4 tires on the Sportage ($1,000)
• I paid 6 months of car insurance ($1,084)

I spent almost $400 on shopping.  One of my Monos suitcases cracked, and the company offered to replace it if I purchased the extended warranty.  I also bought a few shirts.  We have pre-event days at work where we dress casually, but it's expected we dress professionally, meaning no faded or stained clothing.

Fun (aka Personal Travel)

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

• We're taking two cruises this summer.  I prepaid the gratuities and purchased the "thermal suites" package on both, using a combination of onboard credits and cash.  I also booked our flights to San Francisco for the Alaska cruise.

April Expenses:  $7,716

$1,105 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$0 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$392 Shopping

$1,005 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$198 Food

$465 Health and Dental

$14 Household/Home Repairs

$1,206 Work Expenses

$7 Interest Expense

$0 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$3,187 Taxes

$137 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - April 2026 Income

I worked Meetings & Events 18 days in April.  

Early in the month we traveled to Birmingham to check on the rental property.  Good news - after an agonizing 8 months vacant, my rental property is finally rented as of May 1st.  I'm charging $100 more per month than the last tenant, but that will never make up for the time it was empty.  Hopefully that extended vacancy was a one-time blip.

The condo tenant paid his rent and I received two distributions from Realty Mogul.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

April Income: $11,526

$7,200 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$2,206 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $1,351)
$2,100 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $1,995

Markets were way up in April.  My balances increased, but barely.  I have a few bets against companies in my accounts (specifically AMC Theaters and Microstrategy).  Those lost value in April, but only on paper.

My Frugal Miser - 2026 Goals

Better late than never.  I've had a rough draft of my 2026 goals sitting here since December of last year.  If I don't publish them, I'm less accountable to achieving these goals.

Financial Plan 

I will increase my net worth by $100,000 in 2026.  I will reduce the real estate portion of net worth and increase the brokerage account portion.  Whenever a real estate syndication in my non-retirement accounts is closed, the funds will move to Brokerage accounts.

Manage Email More Efficiently

Simplify.  It's the overarching goal of just about everything I do... how do I eliminate the unnecessary?  The focus in 2026 will be to streamline my inbox.  Emails with outstanding "action needed" clog my inbox and waste too much of my time.  I'd like to end each day with less than 10 emails sitting in the inbox.

Read One Book per Month

I watch too much TV.  I'm already behind on this goal.  Time to catch up.

Mopeds

They have been sitting in the backyard and haven't been used in years.  It's past time to dispose or repair.

Prepare for the Next Chapter

I'm not ready to discuss this yet, but I am exploring some major changes to shake things up.

My Frugal Miser - March 2026 Income

I worked 23 days in March.  My rental property is still vacant (7 months and counting!).  I received income from the condo tenant.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

March Income: $12,160

$9,288 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$27 Amazon Deliveries

$750 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $343)
$2,095 Interest Income

$0 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: ($6,185)

The S&P 500 was down 5.09% in March.  My brokerage accounts also fell, but by less (down about 1.5%).

My Frugal Miser - March 2026 Spending

Frustrating.  

I was doing quite well.  In Aruba for work, and the first couple of days I played a little in the casino.  I was up over $400.  Then one of my coworkers joined me and we drank way too much.  The alcohol has a way of making me do stupid things.  I accessed cash - a lot of it - from a credit card, and in about 10 minutes, I lost it all.

The rest of my March spending was reasonable.

• I replaced the brakes and got an oil change on my car.
• 
  

Fun (aka Personal Travel)

We love adventures.  Spending on experiences makes us better humans (well, not in March!).  

• I didn't book any trips.
• Except for a small amount spent at AMC, my spending was money lost gambling.

March Expenses:  $8,809

$905 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$363 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$205 Shopping

$6,593 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$214 Food

$259 Health and Dental

$0 Household/Home Repairs

$142 Work Expenses

$0 Interest Expense

$0 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$0 Taxes

$128 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - February 2026 Income

February was a strong month, as I worked all but 5 days.  My rental property is still vacant (6 months and counting!).  Fortunately I received income from the condo and 4 distributions from Realty Mogul.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

February Income: $14,437

$9,635 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$0 Amazon Deliveries

$2,666 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $283)
$2,094 Interest Income

$42 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $221

My brokerage accounts barely moved in February.

My Frugal Miser - February 2026 Spending

When I am on the road for work my spending decreases.  In February I was out of town 23 days, and I barely spent money.  

• I opened the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy business card and paid the $125 annual fee.  In addition to a healthy sign-up bonus, there is a free night each year, which offsets the fee.
• I am reimbursed for out of pocket expenses in different ways.  Sometimes I get a true per diem.  If I don't spend the money, it's mine to keep.  I still report it under Reimbursed Work Expense.  Add to that the fact that a client advanced my per diem for a trip I am taking in March, and the category showed a healthy profit. 

Fun (aka Personal Travel)

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

• I visited my mom in Virginia.
• I pay for two AMC A-List subscriptions each month.

February Expenses:  $435

$98 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$125 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$253 Clothing/ Personal Care

$807 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$160 Food

$247 Health and Dental

$0 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($1,338) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$64 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$0 Taxes

$19 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - January 2026 Income

I had a decent month in January - meeting season has arrived!  My rental properties is still vacant and I'm starting to wonder if it will ever get rented.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

January Income: $10,893

$7,541 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$357 Amazon Deliveries

$750 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $1,376)
$2,157 Interest Income

$88 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $10,446

My brokerage accounts were up again in January.  The IRBT PUT options increased again.  I also have some bets against AMC (I am short the stock and own some PUT options) that increased in value.

My Frugal Miser - January 2026 Spending

Like December, in January I prepaid some expenses, which inflated my spending.  I wanted to buy my way to Platinum status with American Airlines, and I did.  I should probably post about manufactured spending, but in this case I made a large tax payment to the IRS.  Assuming I overpaid, I'll get it back as a refund.  All I am out is the lost interest income had I invested the money instead.

• I made a $6,000 quarterly tax payment to the IRS. 
• I paid the annual fees on two credit cards.
• I paid the annual home insurance bill.

Fun (aka Personal Travel)

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

• I didn't book any travel in January.
• I pay for two AMC A-List subscriptions each month.

January Expenses:  $8,874

$95 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$500 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$166 Clothing/ Personal Care

$5 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$276 Food

$264 Health and Dental

$1,039 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

$325 Reimbursed Job Expense

$0 Interest Expense

$32 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$6,000 Taxes

$172 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - December 2025 Income

December was another mediocre month for income.  I only worked one meeting along with three corporate parties.  One of my rental properties is still vacant.  I switched to a new management company and the house was re-listed for rent at the end of the month.  I received rent from the Birmingham condo and two distributions from Realty Mogul.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

December Income: $9,409

$4,164 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$231 Amazon Deliveries

$2,738 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $4,101)
$2,160 Interest Income

$115 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $35,977

My brokerage accounts were up significantly in December.  I had several PUT options and a short position against iRobot before the company declared bankruptcy.  Amazingly, I was able to add to my PUT options after the bankruptcy declaration for additional profit.  I also have some bets against AMC theaters which have increased in value.

My Frugal Miser - December 2025 Spending

December looks like I was a total glutton, but I brought forward some expenses for a reason:  I was really close to getting status on American Airlines, and prepaying some expenses before my December statement took me over the threshold.  Emboldened, I have decided to aim for Platinum before the February 28th cutoff.

These last couple of months I've been working strategically to obtain loyalty status.  Let's face it:  I travel for a living, and getting extra perks makes it less stressful.  By doing a little planning, I have locked in AAdvantage Gold Status (and I still have a couple months to try for Platinum!), Hilton Honors Diamond, and Marriott Bonvoy Platinum (unfortunately a downgrade from the current Titanium, but even getting Platinum required some effort this year).  

• I prepaid for $1,000 toward the water/trash bill.  
• I prepaid for 12 months of mobile phone service for both of us. 
• I paid property taxes on both rental properties using a credit card.
• I made a huge quarterly tax payment.  It's most likely more than my tax liability and I'll get any overpayment back as a refund.
• I bought a dozen air filters to take advantage of an AMEX Offer for $20 back on a Walmart purchase.
• I bought $3,000 in Amazon gift cards.

Fun (aka Personal Travel)

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

• My AMEX card had an offer of $100 cash back if I spent $500 on Carnival Cruise, so I prepaid towards one of our 2026 cruises.
• I visited my mom twice in December.  Those hotel bills along with the rental car are categorized as "fun".
• I pay for two AMC A-List subscriptions each month.

December Expenses:  $24,321

$609 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$0 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$20 Clothing/ Personal Care

$1,330 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$932 Food

$818 Health and Dental

$3,220 Household/Home Repairs

$412 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($323) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$16 Interest Expense

$310 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$15,292 Taxes

$1,725 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - How I'm Saving Money in 2026

So, the plan is to simplify life for 2026 and get back to being super-frugal. Here's what's happening:  I've Started Chopping Stuff:

• Credit Cards:
  • Kicked the Chase Southwest Airlines Premiere card to the curb (saving a hefty $229 annual fee).
  • The AMEX Business Gold Card is next, but I'm snagging the January and February $20 Grubhub credits first. That's a $375 annual fee gone!
  • Ditching the United Quest card because the annual fee is jumping to $350, and they stiffed me twice on a promised $40 rental car credit. Not cool—I'll use other cards with easier perks.
• Subscriptions/Services:
  • Canceled the security camera's online recording fee, which saves $4/month (the cameras still work, though).
  • Signed up for a free Amazon Prime trial and bailed before I had to pay the regular rate.
  • Switched internet from T-Mobile Home to Mint Mobile Minternet—same service, but I'm saving $20.

How I'm Saving Cash Every Day:

• Electricity: I'm using a smart meter to time the water heater to only turn on overnight when the electricity rate is low. It's working, and I make sure to turn it totally off when I'm out of town.
• Grocery Hunting: After the gym, I hit up the Walmart Market for those "yellow stickers" (discounted stuff). Mid-morning seems best for getting cheap meat, deli items, and produce. Last week's score? Twelve cans of refried beans for a quarter each!
• Tracking: Once December closes out, I'm going to compare this year's spending to last year's to find other places to cut back.

My Frugal Miser - Getting Simple for 2026

Life's gotten too complicated, so I'm simplifying things in late 2025 and 2026!

The big reasons for this are:

• My mom's dementia is making me realize I need to not over-complicate my own life.

• I almost got the power cut off at a rental property because I missed the first bill—too much going on!

• Too many accounts, subscriptions, and "irons in the fire" mean I'm missing important stuff.

What I've ditched so far:

• Canceled a $4/month subscription for security camera features I never use (the cameras still work, though).

• Got rid of the Southwest Airlines credit card. The annual fee is jumping from $149 to $229, and they're calling old benefits "new." No thanks!

What's next on the chopping block:

• Credit Cards: I spend way too much time debating which card to use. I'm focusing on canceling the ones with annual fees first.

• The AMEX Business Gold card is definitely going this time (I snagged a retention bonus earlier, but now I'm cutting ties for real).

• I'm still playing the "points" game, but I'll only sign up for new cards for the bonus and then cancel them once they've served their purpose.

• Real Estate Syndications in Personal Accounts: I got into these in 2019 to simplify things, and while they cut down on the hassle of owning rentals, the returns have been awful.

• I have 12 personal investments and 4 in my self-directed IRA.

• As the 12 personal ones mature, I'm moving the cash back to my brokerage account.

• Syndications in the IRA still make sense for tax reasons, but I need to get better at picking good deals.

I've got plenty to do, and I haven't even mentioned everything. Clutter-control is a big one that I'll have to talk about in a future post.

My Frugal Miser - November 2025 Income

November was another mediocre month for income.  I only worked two meetings (started a third at the end of the month).  One of my rental properties is still vacant.  I'm probably going to look for a new management company to take that one over.  I received rent from the Birmingham condo and two distributions from Realty Mogul.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

November Income: $9,517

$4,351 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$293 Amazon Deliveries

$2,142 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $396)
$2,165 Interest Income

$566 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $13,845

My brokerage accounts were up in November.  I locked in a nice gain on a PUT against Microstrategy.

My Frugal Miser - November 2025 Expenses

November was a very expensive month because I paid the annual property tax bill and spent a lot in the "Fun" category.

• I prepaid for 12 months of home internet.  We are switching to the new home internet from Mint Mobile, which will be $30/month.  We currently have T Mobile, which is the same network used by Mint, and will save $20/month with the switch.
• Bank fees were crazy high.  I paid the annual fee on the Platinum AMEX and a cash advance fee due to a mistake I made by using the wrong card to access cash.
• In Personal Care, I booked a Black Friday deal with my reflexologist.
• I paid the annual property tax bill.  This was over $7,000.

Fun (aka Personal Travel)

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

• Carnival ran a Black Friday "level up" promotion.  Their loyalty program is changing in 2026 and by booking two cruises before the change takes effect I will lock in Diamond status for life.
• I've been calling Personal Travel "Fun" because it usually is, but this is also where I include any travel that isn't for work.  My mom's health is failing, so I've been spending as much time as I can in Richmond.  I've been staying in Hilton-branded hotels so that I can reach Diamond status, and I prepaid for several nights in December because the rate is much lower if you pick the prepaid, non-refundable rate.
• I pay for two AMC A-List subscriptions each month.

November Expenses:  $13,431

$334 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$1,553 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$181 Clothing/ Personal Care

$3,316 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$388 Food

$187 Health and Dental

$13 Household/Home Repairs

$0 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($407) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$182 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$7,102 Taxes

$583 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - October 2025 Income

October was a decent month, but slower than I would have liked.  I worked consistently until the last week of the month.  I spent that week doing more repairs on the vacant rental property in Birmingham and visiting my mom in Virginia.  Her health is declining so I plan to visit more often in the future.  

Rental income continues to be affected by the vacant house in Birmingham.  My property manager finally got it listed at the end of the month.  I received one distribution from Realty Mogul and my condo tenant paid rent.

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

October Income: $9,136

$5,412 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$247 Amazon Deliveries

$1,284 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $2,196)
$2,177 Interest Income

$17 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $2,530

My brokerage accounts were up in October.

My Frugal Miser - October 2025 Expenses

Two low-spending months in a row!  October was made easier by the income in the fun account, so my spending is deceptively low.  

• I paid for 6 months of car insurance and the annual AAA dues.  I rented a car when I visited my mom in Virginia.
• I took advantage of the 4Q benefit from my Platinum AMEX by buying more pants from Lululemon.  I also bought two pair of pants on eBay.  I've lost weight and needed clothes that fit!
• In Personal Care, I booked massages (2 for each of us) during our two-day visit to Cabo on our upcoming cruise.
• House Expenses were higher.  The dryer vent compartment shredded into multiple pieces.  The good news is that I was able to repair it myself after watching a couple of YouTube videos, but the parts weren't cheap.  I also bought a lot of cleaning supplies and a new vacuum.

Fun

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

• Someone shared a code for our upcoming cruise to get a big discount on WiFi and unlimited drinks.  I've never splurged on these before, but the excitement of this secret code compelled me to do it.  This is definitely not the frugal me, but as the Chumba deposits kept rolling in I decided to spend a little.
• I received three deposits from Chumba Casino.
• I pay for two AMC A-List subscriptions each month.

October Expenses:  $919

$1,585 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$0 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$602 Clothing/ Personal Care

($2,151) Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets) income this month

$60 Food

$187 Health and Dental

$431 Household/Home Repairs

$12 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($232) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$68 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$216 Taxes

$141 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - September 2025 Income

September was a rock solid month.  In addition to being paid for meeting work I did in August, I was paid for two of the three meetings I worked in September.

Rental income took a hit.  My 16 year tenant for the Alabama house moved out at the end of August.  No rent, plus I spent a significant amount rehabbing the house.  My condo tenant prepaid for September.  I did receive one small distribution from Realty Mogul.  

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

Between meeting work and spending two weeks in Birmingham working on the vacant house, there was little time for Amazon routes.

September Income: $12,520

$9,091 Meeting Jobs
$0 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$398 Amazon Deliveries

$734 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $5,959)
$2,247 Interest Income

$51 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $5,601

My brokerage accounts were up in September.

My Frugal Miser - September 2025 Expenses

 It feels good to be a little more frugal!  There's still room for improvement.  Some of my spending...

• I had to have a dental implant removed.
• I took advantage of a new benefit from my Platinum AMEX by buying some pants from Lululemon.

Fun

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

• I bought each of us a Frontier Go Wild pass and paid for an Elite Gold Status Match.  We plan to take full advantage of this incredible unlimited flying offer.
• Those passes were slightly offset by sweepstakes income from Chumba.
• I pay for two AMC A-List subscriptions each month.

September Expenses:  $1,535

$121 Auto (service, gas, insurance, AAA, etc.)

$0 Bank Fees (annual fees on credit cards)
$166 Clothing/ Personal Care

$653 Fun (vacations, movies, gambling, alcohol, concert tickets)

$255 Food

$576 Health and Dental

$110 Household/Home Repairs

$7 Unreimbursed Job Expense

($946) Reimbursed Job Expense income this month

$0 Interest Expense

$65 Miscellaneous (cat sitter, gifts)

$366 Taxes

$162 Utilities 

My Frugal Miser - August 2025 Income

August income took a hit from working less.  Although I worked two small meeting jobs, I haven't been paid for them yet.  

I received rent from both rental properties in Alabama, and the tenant in the condo paid his September rent early.  I also received two small distributions from Realty Mogul.  

Open Door Capital continues to pay interest on the promissory note.

I completed several Amazon routes and drove a little for Uber.  Driving for Uber pays less now than it did ten years ago, but I had very little income coming in and wanted to give it a try again.

August Income: $7,762

$0 Meeting Jobs
$207 Gig Apps (Rideshare, Food Deliveries, etc.)
$1,645 Amazon Deliveries

$3,685 Rental Income (Rental Expenses: $366)
$2,212 Interest Income

$13 Other Sources

Investment Accounts Change in Value: $4,140

My brokerage accounts were up in August.