Money Diary: Brunching and Sofa Shopping

Occupation: Digital advertising

Age: 30

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Income: $5,200 month net post 401K, health insurance / HSA, and taxes

Total Debt: $0

Monthly Expenses:

• Rent and utilities: $1,800
• Auto: $275 including car insurance
• Internet/mobile: $120

10:00 am: Late night last night, and it’s a struggle to get up. Fortunately, it’s the weekend! First thing I do when I roll out of bed is to make some milk tea. I notice I’m running low on my favorite tea, Numi Golden Chai, so I open up my Amazon app to get a box delivered. $5.69

10:15 am: I am bringing quiche to a brunch potluck, so I run to my local Trader Joe’s for the ingredients and some groceries for the upcoming week. $32.53.

12:00 pm: Brunch at my friend’s house. I love breakfast foods and believe it superior to all other type of meals, but I hate waiting in line with a bunch of other barely awake patrons when all I want is to dig into some delicious scrambled eggs or pancakes. Hosting brunch or having brunch at other people’s houses solves that problem, and it saves money! Company: priceless.

2:00 pm: I drive to IKEA to find a new couch. I’ve wanted to get a bigger, more comfoprtable couch for a copuple of years – my current seating consists of a loveseat and a chair – and I decide 2018 is the year to do so. Nothing in the furniture section catches my eye. I do get some frozen potatoe cakes from the food aisle. $6.58

3:00 pm: Since IKEA was a bust, I head on over to Macy’s to check out their sofa selction. I find the teal blue sectional of my dreams – it’s on sale for under $800, down from $1,100, and I have a $250 Macy’s gift card from the holidays. I arrange for delivery for the next weekend and feel very proud of myself. This sofa will be the most expensive piece of furniture I’ve ever purchased, and I hope to have it for at least 5 years. $620.01.

5:00 pm: Furniture shopping is tiring. I settle in for a 30-minute nap that stretches into two hours.

8:00 pm: I have a lot of food in the fridge but my will to cook is zero. What’s something cheap and delicious? In-N-Out to the rescue. $10.79

11:00 pm: While getting ready for bed, I notice that my facial toner is almost finished. I go online to order it. Skincare is one of my biggest indulgence, but I’m hoping that my 65-year-old self will thank me. At $67 for a 5.1oz bottle, my Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion is expensive and effective – I do notice my skin behaving more when I use it every night. I add a 1.7oz travel size bottle for good measure. This stash should last me for 3 months, so I amortize the cost (just $25/month! Or less than $1 a day!) to take the sting out of the purchase price. $75.

Total spend: $750.60

Whether you’re a super saver or supreme spender, the accountability of tracking your money will get you thinking about how you’re spending. Send us your Money Diary and get it published anonymously on the Mint Life Blog! Editor_Mint@intuit.com