To summarize this year in a song: I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it. Ariana Grande was my mood for 2019, and I got a lot from this year. From McDonald's to Malaysia, let's go back and see how much my experiences cost.
Collected $1,640 through $20 bills, but let's compare that to the year's expenses
What a way to end the 2010s. From the food I ate to the fitness sessions I took (and missed), there was a change in the way I spent my money. There may be a few purchases that I did not log throughout the year, whether it was an online purchase or cash transaction in a different country. But without further adieu, let's get to the numbers:
January (57): $1,139.96
February (61): $1,978.25
March (63): $4,168.40
April (49): $1,307.64
May (66): $3,013.91
June (45): $1,385.96
July (35): $1,036.20
August (46): $3,268.21
September (50): $6,254.29
October (41): $790.10
November (41): $1,652.01
December (54): $2,357.31
Out of 608 purchases, you could say that I went overboard with my splurges throughout 2019. Months where I spent beyond $2,000 most likely denotes a vacation period (with the exception of a family vacation in July). Needless to say, this year brought me to my biggest results on the annual spendings report:
Total: $28,352.24
To be honest, I thought the number would be much higher. While still shocking, I guess these are the toils of growing up: having to pay for your own things... and yet, it feels good. Let's get into the breakdown on my spendings, shall we?
Categories
Distances: $10,149.39
Travel - $7,102.40 (50 purchases)
Gas - $1,629.17 (28 purchases)
Parking - $1,417.82 (117 purchases)
I created a "Parking" category for 2019 and was shocked to see how much was spent in one year. Compared to "Gas," the totals are almost the same amount... Just goes to show that taking public transit is a no-brainer. As for "Travel" - well, I did go on a few vacations, so the amount was pretty good if I say so myself. Asides from flights and accommodations, "Travel" included miscellaneous purchases including baggage fees, car rentals, and oil changes for my car. This year was made for adventures, as well as spending almost 58% of last year's expenses.
Gastronomy: $5,888.30
Dinner - $1,762.41 (55 purchases)
Lunch - $1,371.07 (58 purchases)
Groceries - $1,136.49 (40 purchases)
Snacks - $847.24 (62 purchases)
Dessert - $354.93 (11 purchases)
Alcohol - $203.54 (3 purchases)
Starbucks - $148.95 (6 purchases)
Breakfast - $63.67 (5 purchases)
This portion of my expenses is the one that I dread upon review. Most categories were similar to my spendings in 2018, but "Snacks" went up, significantly. What can I say? I enjoyed those Happy Hour meals, drive-through runs, and copious amounts of bubble tea. But oddly enough, the 2019 Gastronomy expenses went down about $100, which is an improvement, nonetheless.
Lifestyle: $3,364.99
Activity - $2,691.76 (46 purchases)
Entertainment - $673.23 (16 purchases)
The only expenses that went down! I tried different workouts, ranging from Kickboxing to Personal Training, and it was quite a change from last year's regiment. I also did a few workouts with a friend, which made a difference. Looking at this category, I feel like I don't have to spend as much on exercise - it's more about your attitude than the membership, if anything.
As for the "Entertainment" aspect, I watched three movies in theatre - I feel like I've become less of a movie person these days. The remaining expenses went to amusement parks, wildlife, and a few theatre shows (one was for 2020). What really surprised me were the prices for Shanghai Disneyland and Singapore Universal Studios; much cheaper than their U.S. counterparts.
Presents: $3,259.63
Gifts - $1,688.92 (33 purchases)
General - $1,514.71 (56 purchases)
Lottery - $56.00 (4 purchases)
I bought more "Gifts," yet my expenses went up by about $270, which wasn't a significant increase. Whether "Gifts" were a Birthday present or a Graduation, I think it's the gesture that means more than the item. In addition to "Gifts," I place "General "in this category as I consider them as gifts for myself (think toiletries or random electronics). The amount of "General" items I purchased was smaller, but the expenses went up by $408 - I like to spend on myself.
And as for "Lottery": essentially, I stopped playing. The idea of buying a weekly Lottery ticket was an experiment that I wanted to try, and it served its purpose. This doesn't mean that I will stop playing the Lottery, just not as often. Got money to blow somewhere else...
Appearance: $5,689.93
Clothes - 5,546.77 (15 purchases)
Hair - $143.16 (3 purchases)
What happens when you take a young man to different cities? Investment pieces, that's what I will call them. My two biggest purchases were in Venice (California) and Singapore. Were they items that I needed? No. Did I really want these items? Absolutely. For some reason, I purchased a lot of underwear... I can't explain that. Despite my decisions, I still love the few pieces I have collected (especially at the prices I went for them).
"Hair," on the other hand, went up, for three occasions: a trim, a style, and a cut. I had long hair for the most of 2019, ending the year with a chop where I donated my locks to Wigs for Kids BC. The most expensive purchase? I got a stylist in Hawaii to put my hair in a bun for my brother's wedding. We'll have to see what hair styles I'll be going through in 2020.
Coincidence there's a 3 on one of the bills?
2019 was the year where I kept my resolution - I basically travelled every other month! When you got a life to live, you want to make the most of it. While my spendings only went up, those purchases translated into some thrilling experiences. I made a lot of new friends throughout the year, and journeyed to new grounds.
My savings could improve in some categories - I need to learn how to budget in some, if anything! I still may not know much about investments, but I have taken action and put an amount on the side for emergencies and savings. As I continue to grow as a person, more responsibilities will come my way. My expenses will go up, but I hope that my money is going somewhere other than temporary fulfillment.
Seeing where 2020 has gone, it might be a different Spendings Report by the end of the year - you never know where the second half may lead. For the new decade, let's see what happens.
Here's to 2019!
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