Budget Check Feb 1 - 15: $3608.12 (YIKES!)

I'm going to start checking in about my monthly budget half-way through the month in order to figure out what sort of money I have left to spend on things.

Smart, eh? Yea, I know.

Oh thanks for the recommendations about my bf's gift in my last entry. I'll be buying him something in a week or so (can't afford to now anyway) so keep those recommendations coming! ThinkGeek.com is good start. I never know what computer stuff to get him. He doesn't have Apple stuff yet, so I can't go that route (tho he'll buy a Macbook Pro as soon as they release an updated version). He has tons of computer stuff and I just have no idea about what he needs and what he'd want. Oh, food for thought to all of my fabulous gift recommender's - he loves, loves, loves anything that's blue.

Ok, without further ado... my poor budgeting for the 1/2 month leading up to today.

Total Spending feb 1 - 15: $3608.12 (YIKES!)

I thought I was over spending this month. I definitely did not realize how much!!!

A lot of the $ has to do with finally getting around to paying late fees on a variety of bills. I also had a little shopping spree this month, which you'll notice below. It was all at a designer discount store! I even returned some of it!!!

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$1050: Rent
$404.86: Medical
$403.95: Car (three months insurance + gasoline)
$80.28: Phone
$737: Investment / Savings/ Taxes
$345.40: Food - dining out ($87 of this will be reimbursed)
$31.31: Food - groceries
$10.71: keep the change "savings"
$483.53: Clothing & Beauty (incl. hair/waxing/dry cleaning)
$32.46: Entertainment
$28.80: Taxes

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Breakdown...

RENT - $1050
$1050: rent

MEDICAL - $404.68
$146.68: doctor's bills / medical
$258: Check for AETNA medical insurance

CAR / AUTO - $403.95
$200.6 Car Insurance (dec/jan)
$34.02 gas/auto
$87.34 car insurance (feb)
$50 - gasoline / auto
$10: check for parking ticket #1
$21.99: Gasoline

PHONE - $80.28
$32.46: phone charger
$47.82: verizon bill

INVESTING/SAVING - $737
$100 Investment into Mutual Fund
$600 Transfer to ING Direct (savings) for Tax Season
$25: transfer to prosper account to lend
$12: investing fees

FOOD/DINING OUT - $345.40 ($257.88 after reimbursement?)
$52.72 dining for two - food
$3.50 food
$13.85 lunch for two - food
$2.34 food
$44.87 lunch for two - food
$3.65: food
$28.35: dinner for two - food
$87.52: Pizza for my cast (to be reimbursed?)
$42.68: dinner for two
$5.36: food
$8.39: food
$5.94: food
$30.47: dinner for two
$14.69: breakfast for two
$1.07: food

FOOD/ DINING IN - $31.31
$12.94 groceries - food
$8.25: groceries, food
$10.12: groceries - food

KEEP THE CHANGE SAVINGS -- $10.71
$.79 keep the change transfer
$.53 keep the change transfer
$.06 keep the change transfer
$2.35: keep the change transfer
$3.35: keep the change transfer
$2.19: keep the change transfer
$1.13: keep the change transfer
$.31: keep the change transfer

CLOTHING/BEAUTYBUYING -- $483.53
$362.58: clothing (returned much of this purchase)
-$255.43 clothing returns (I returned this much and bought the above shirt)
$124.47 clothing: one BCBG sweater (on sale) and earrings
$20: Eyebrow Wax / beauty
$78.20: dry cleaning
$81.19: two shirts - clothing
$96.34: one shirt - clothing
-$23.82: macys returns

ENTERTAINMENT - $32.46
$26.48: magazines / books
$5.98: check for magazine subscription

TAXES - $28.80
$28.80: check for 2002 taxes. Uh, a bit late on that.