Woohoo, I’ve got my computer back! Which I suppose means I’ve got no excuse not to post regularly this week. So here goes.
True to the way my life’s been going lately, August passed in a blur. Good thing I’ve got photos on my phone and a spending spreadsheet to remind me of what happened! ?
Essentially I went hiking all month
There was a lot of hiking. There was my second weekend in a row of hiking as I was prepping for Glacier.
Then there was Glacier and all the related adventures that happened on that trip. I posted a whole ton of photos in that post, but it’s always a good time for another one:
By the time the weekend after Glacier rolled around, my body was sufficiently recovered enough to go hiking again. Nope, I totally don’t enjoy hiking, what are you talking about?
In case you somehow missed that this happened…
Also there was my second CampFI. That experience resulted in two posts so I’m not going to say anything more about it here!
New ink, who dis?
If CampFI Midwest was a total impulse purchase (although let’s be real, one I’d been wanting to make for months if given the chance ?♀️), then what happened the following weekend was the opposite of that: I got a tattoo! If you didn’t see the extremely short-lived photo I posted on my Instagram story, sorry, you’re out of luck. Because it’s the opposite of maintaining my anonymity. You’ll just have to meet me in real life to see it!
I know I haven’t yet written the post I promised in my CampFI Mid-Atlantic recap about finding my why. But as Military Dollar can attest since I told her about my tattoo idea during JD’s presentation, the line I got tattooed on my arm functions pretty well as a mission statement/my why. It’s at least a reminder that I need every day.
Actually, looking back, I wrote this in the post:
“His presentation also confirmed that the tattoo idea I’ve been thinking about for a very long time is definitely what I’ll get whenever I manage to talk myself over my needlephobia. So thanks for that, J.D.!”
Soooo yep, I definitely followed up on that part at least!
It was an expensive thing to do. It probably would’ve been cheaper if I’d waited until the holidays and done it while I was back in NC visiting my parents. But I was paying for the convenience of a) knowing someone who’d just gotten a tattoo there and recommended the place and b) being able to walk into the tattoo shop, ask about the feasibility of my idea (originally it was going to be one line instead of two, but as they correctly pointed out, it was too long for just one line), and meet the owners, if not my tattoo artist. When you’re talking about something that’s going on you permanently, meeting in-person before you show up for your appointment is the way to go!
I’m not mad about these numbers
| Rent |
$1050.00 |
My half of rent |
| Internet and utilities |
$57.31 |
My half of internet and utilities |
| Groceries |
$102.70 |
I stopped using my grocery store gift cards this month because I was working on another minimum spend. Next month’s groceries should be back closer to $0! |
| Gas |
$22.31 |
|
| Barre membership |
$104.69 |
|
| Restaurants/bars |
$125.30 |
It was an expensive/social month. Plus some of this is Military Dollar’s fault for a) being in town and b) some of this is coming out of what I owe her for our room at FinCon. Although AYCE sushi is never a bad thing! |
| Misc household goods |
$24.85 |
|
| Charitable giving |
$25.00 |
|
| Misc dues/subscriptions |
$64.00 |
Patreon dues and the annual fee for the Disney card I just opened before I head there after FinCon |
| CampFI Midwest |
$98.00 |
Alcohol for the general booze table and meals after camp |
| Glacier trip |
$201.59 |
|
| Wedding |
$94.92 |
Hostel for the wedding |
| Tattoo |
$303.93 |
Aka the “permanent scar” I was joking about in the title |
| Total spending: |
$2274.60 |
|
| Paychecks and other income |
$2441.01 |
Extra paycheck month for the win! |
| Side hustle income |
$200.05 |
Being out of town means not working much on the weekend |
| Retirement contributions |
$1514.90 |
|
| Total income: |
$4155.96 |
|
| Total: |
$1881.36 |
|
| Savings rate: |
45% |
Not bad at all, especially considering the ridiculous amount of money I paid to permanently ruin my skin (ahem, I’m done channeling overblown reactions I’ve heard people express in reaction to tattoos throughout my life) this month’s large expense. Which I totally saved up for, by the way.
When a personal finance blogger gets a tattoo: I saved up a bit more than I ended up needing, so that extra $50 is now off to my Roth IRA! #ididAThing
— Erin | Reaching for FI (@reachingforfi) August 31, 2018
A blogger’s gotta be on brand, even when getting a tattoo!
I was gonna say… what permanent scar?? I thought I was the only one to trip and fall and regularly scar myself 😉 And your grocery budget continues to amaze me. Though to be fair, I guess you don’t feed a construction worker and a kid that’s trying to get big like one.
Hahaha I’d have to be EXTREMELY talented to end up with a scar that’s so legible ??? Hah yeah, I’m not envious of your having to feed the kiddo as he grows up!
Yay tattoo update!! And I’ve totally heard half of those reactions as well. #noragrets
#noragrets for sure!
Wahoo great month! That’s an awesome savings rate. Plus you’ll be getting some back next month! I too need to look at pictures I’ve taken on the weekends and go through credit card statements to remember what I’ve done the previous month too ? getting old stinks haha
September is going to be SCARY so I’ll definitely take that $100 back and anything else I can get ?
Haha who are you calling old?! Speak for yourself!
Sounds like a fun month – and sad I missed the tattoo pics. Can’t believe you’ve had so many old fashioned reactions to it!
Hah I actually haven’t heard too many things personally, but I’ve heard a lot of people in my life express those things about tattoos in general. Oh well, they can deal!
The only thing that stopped my mother from having a hysterical meltdown about me getting a tattoo was her being at work. She said I was ruining the canvas that God gave me. I said if God gave me a canvas, I was supposed to put art on it!
Yeah no way you can use the word “canvas” and then get mad about it no longer being blank! I was not the first of my siblings to get a tattoo so for the most part I think my parents have worked that out of their system (or at least where they’d say anything to me or in my hearing). Although we’ll find out the next time I see them!
Yeah, I totally fell for the title and thought you got a scar from hiking. Haha! Yep, I told my Mom when I was 12 that I was going to get a palm tree tattoo on my ankle some day so when I came home at 18 and said guess what, she knew exactly what I did :-O
Haha that’s smart—she certainly couldn’t complain that you didn’t give her advance warning!
45% savings is still better than like, oh 99% of Americans who also didn’t get tattoos… great job!
Haha thanks, you make a good point!
I’m so jealous of all your hiking adventures! We kind of missed our hiking moment this summer. We did get out a couple of times but not nearly as often as I’d would have liked. I wish fall hiking was more of a thing here. Most of the parks around where we live closed either last weekend or this weekend. Congrats on the permanent scar btw!
Oh wow they close in the fall?! I know some parks especially up in the mountains will close parts or all (especially if there’s snow on the road), but most of our parks are open year-round. Fall hiking is amazing, and I wish it were easier for you to take advantage!
Very literate scar you got there 😀
I’m still startled by seeing tattoos on people I’ve known forever when I didn’t know about their ink but it’s always pretty cool. I, on the other hand, am only and all about the fake tattoos that wash off in a few days. No needles if I don’t absolutely have to, thanks!
Hahaha yeah it’s so weird how it turned out to be legible words, and I’m still startled by seeing it on myself ?
Fake tattoos are awesome! Endlessly customizable and no needles is definitely the best part!
Your recent posts are a constant reminder for me to get my butt in gear and go hiking! I’m sitting here wondering how I’ll survive my year-long shopping so am looking for cheap and free ways to stay entertained – while also entertaining my super energetic dog – and it’s just never clicked – duh, go on hikes! Thanks for the reminder!
Ahhhh getting this comment made my day and I’m so happy I could remind you of an awesome, cheap way to spend time to distract yourself from not being able to go shopping. Hiking is awesome, and ESPECIALLY when you get to go with a dog!
I love everything about this 😀 So happy that you are happy!
Nice savings rate! You also bank a nice income! I am thinking of putting together a list of other single girl money bloggers. Do you fit the bill???