August Finances

Yes, yes, it IS mid-September and I  am just now getting around to writing about August finances. Well, we didn't get home until 3:30 a.m. on September 6 (driving, mind you), I was exhausted from the trip, then Rosh Hashanah popped up, then there was this small awards ceremony yesterday that I had to write a talk (two, actually) for, and then...

Excuses, excuses. So what about August?

I approached August a little differently because of our trip that stretched from August 22 into September. While out west, we bought groceries for meals and the household. While out west, we took family (sometimes lots of family) out to eat. I ended up adding the western groceries into our August expenses: whether we were buying for two or ten (two of them children), it was money spent on food to keep the household going. As for eating out, I only added those meals that were just the two of us.

So what about August?

Food purchases (at the grocery store, including and especially my all-time favorite store ever—EVER—Winco) came to $220.76. Add another $10.05 for household items, and September purchases come to $230.83. That brings our monthly average to $177.45, just over the $175.00 I am hoping to average in 2018. With September already half over, and grocery (food and household) right around $110.00, I think the month will finish up frugally.

Warren, who had never shopped at Winco, was totally sold on it. BEST. GROCERY. STORE. EVER. And the fact that it is solely employee-owned makes it even sweeter.

Eating out in August, using the vacation explanation I have above, came out to $34.67. $18.45 of that was an evening meal Warren and I grabbed one night at Burgerville, a regional burger chain out there that can be pricey. That night, when we were worn and depleted, it was worth every penny.

The trip itself was not inexpensive, but we had saved for the travel costs and I had set aside in my own account funds to spend on the trip. I came home with money left over, despite spending more loosely than I do at home. I did not categorized every single expense, but here are some of the big ones:

Tickets (plane, train, and rental car, long-term parking at O-Hare, and a hotel room for one night in Sacramento): $2471.21
Gasoline (to/from Chicago and gas for the rental car out there): $139.81
Fares, parking, and admissions (ourselves and others): $111.85
Percussion (doesn't everyone go on vacation and buy percussion equipment? We do!): $76.00
Clothing (totally not a foreseen cost—thank you, Fred Meyer, for having great sales): $79.23
Duffel bag replacement (Warren's gave up the ghost): $32.45
Books (one word: POWELL'S): $66.89
Gifts (Ramona turned 6 and Lyrick was turning 2; this includes $50.00 gift cards to Target for the parents for each one): $229.43
Ornaments (we buy Christmas ornaments when we travel: Mt. St. Helens, California Railway Museum, California State capitol building): $55.02

These figures, except for the eating out we did on the way home, include some September spending, but I have lumped the trip all together.

The finances have nothing to do with the overall wonderful trip. We spent much welcome time with family and then with close friends when in Sacramento. The train trip home was spectacular. I haven't even begun to sort pictures.

Okay, August is in the books. Hard to believe that in 15 more days, September will be too.