Maurice, I think a lot of us would love to see a categorical breakdown of that spending. Not to critique your spending, but just to see what a $168k budget looks like.
Ok - I'll bear my dirtly laundry for all to see. Keep in mind this isn't a budget - its YTD actuals through October.
At my 'top level' categorization, I have the following:
(I'm rounding at category level so forgive me when they don't add up to 14k)
Housing $5,040
Utilities and Comm. $545
Cash - $2,985 (explanation below)
Medical/Dental/Pharmacy $275
Food and Drink: $590
Entertainment $1,325
Travel - $1,420
Consumer Goods and Svcs $1,170
Gifts - $215
Misc: - $390
Some detail (again forgive the rounding):
Housing - 5,040
4k of that 5k is mortgage (I've always rounded up to the nearest grand, I think the actual pmt due is ~ 3500).
$590 is condo fees. This pays water, heat, some building maintenance.
$175 is insurance (homeowners + a policy for an expensive piano)
$275 is repair - this has been an expensive year - new compressor for AC and new dishwasher
Utilities and Comm:
210 gas&elec
75 - home phone
75 - internet
185 - cell phones
Cash: 2,985THis is a bogus category and an obvious flaw in my system. I don't track where my cash goes. This is just money from the atm. Most is probably food and drink or entertainment, lots also in transportation (i can spend 6-700/mo on taxis)
Medical/Dental/Pharmacy $275
Optical 125
Medical and Dental 60
Pharmacy - 90 (much of this is health&beauty stuff, things most people would buy in a grocery store)
Food and Drink: $590
Grocery: $370 (we spend much more than this - but it goes out as cash)
Wine and Liquor: $220
Entertainment $1,325
Restaurant/Bar: 720
Gym: 120
Piano lessons: 170
Newspapers and Mag: 135
'other' 180
Travel - $1,420
We also are very liberal with our travel budget. We did 10 days in India in the spring. I went to Miami for a bachelor party. My wife and I spent a weekend in Mexico in June (I had to go for work anyway). We did a weekend in Milan in July. There was a weekend trip to Chicago for a wedding in September. The wife joined me in London for a week in October (I was there anyway for work). Two weeks ago I did a short Vegas trip with some old buddies. This weekend we're making a quick trip to Boston - we'll be gone a little less than 48 hours, it'll cost probably a thousand bucks all in. Over xmas/new years we're going back to Mexico - searching for ER locales.
And this was a light travel year for us.
Consumer Goods and Svcs (retail) $1,170
Electronics: 90
Books and Music: 200
Household and Kitchen: 50
Clothing: 625
Office/Art suplies: 140
Computer non-HW 15
Hair/other svcs 50
Gifts - $215
No further breakdown here
Misc: - $390
Public Transport - 100
Charities 270
other - 20
Wow. Thank god for internet anonymity!
Anyway, I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where they above lifestyle qualifies as living significantly below my means (L
SBYM?). My annual net savings amount is more than my annual taxes which is more than my annual expenses - a good LBYM definition I would say.