My guess is that many of us are adding up our spending for 2017 right now and want to tell someone about it. How was your spending compared with last year? Are you happy with the amount you spent? This is a thread for saying as much as you WANT to say and feel comfortable sharing. If you do not feel comfortable even reading this type of thread, please stop now! There are lots of other threads to read.
The purpose of this thread is.... fun.
We have a wide range of income and spending on the board, so I'd suggest you don't compare yourself to others on the forum; no matter how much or how little you spent, there are others just like you. It's more productive to compare your spending to that of your 2016 self, or to your goals. Do you want to report it as all inclusive, or in categories? Either way, here's your thread so have at it.
These are my totals for every category except estimated income tax payments. I am 69 years old, and live alone in a 1500 sf house in an inner/urban suburb of New Orleans.
Category|Total for 2017|Comments
Groceries|$2,323.72|Includes toiletries, detergent, etc.
Restaurants|$3,394.62|lunch every day plus some dinners
Gasoline|$438.40|I live in an inner suburb, and everything is close by.
Car|$1,704.42|insurance, maintenance, registration
House|$7470.62|insurance (homeowners', wind-and-hail, and flood), prop. tax, mowing
Utilities|$2,848.34|internet, nat. gas, electricity, water, trash, sewage, cell
Fitness|$504.00|gym fees
Clothes|$496.42|casual "retiree wear", underwear, shoes
Miscellaneous|$2,762.29|Gifts, iPad, etc
Video Games, apps|$27.51|
Medical|$14,975.32|Lots of dental work including two implants, insurance, Medicare, etc
Total|$36,945.66| plus income tax
(BTW,
here's the forum explanation of how to set up a table like this one for those who might want to).
COMPARISON WITH 2016: This year I had to pay for a couple of dental implants and other dental work, but at least I did not have to buy a new HVAC like I had to buy in 2016. Overall, including medical but not income tax for both years, I spent about $2,000 less this year than I spent in 2016.
AM I HAPPY WITH HOW IT ALL WORKED OUT? Yes, this year I was really lucky because I didn't have a lot of unexpected big expenses, other than dental work. I am happy with what I spent, because I thought it would be more than it was. The excess that I set aside and didn't spend will be enough to pay for that new SUV I'm planning to buy, when the time is right.
AM I SOMEHOW TO BE REGARDED AS ADMIRABLE OR VIRTUOUS FOR SPENDING THIS MUCH OR THIS LITTLE? I don't think that I spent a lot more than, or a lot less than, the rest of our members. And if I did, I don't really give a hoot because that is not where I get my feelings of self worth (and I imagine the same is true for you, too).
OTHER COMMENTS:
1) I may have to merge my Video Games category in with the rest of my miscellaneous expenses sometime in the next few years. It is still my favorite hobby, but I'm happy with the games and consoles that I already have. Perhaps it's not really enough to merit a separate category.
2) I estimated my spending for December 30th and 31st. I'll come back and edit this post once I know what I spent.
3) Medical: In past years, I did not report medical because I have federal retiree medical insurance and I know others have staggering insurance costs. So I felt bad for them and didn't want to tell them how little I was spending. However, with my crummy teeth and other aging issues, my medical costs are going up every single year. By now, they are high enough that I decided to start reporting them.