simpler-living report: CY18Q1

It’s time to report on my simpler-living budget. Since there were plenty of expenses in getting set up again after the move (mattress and bedding, kitchen stuff, winter tires, etc.), I gave myself until the end of the year to get that all out of the way and be ready to start following the budget January 1st. I tracked all my expenses July through December while getting familiar with the cost of living here and lowering my spending—and then I tweaked the CY18 budget based on that. I track every $ I spend in a little notebook I carry and then record it on my laptop in a spreadsheet.

Summary: For the first quarter of 2018, I came in $235 under budget (I was over by $2 in January but under in February and March).

CY17H2 (July – December) notes:

• My private healthcare plan cost more than I expected.
• I hadn’t budgeted for going to the laundromat (where it can cost $5/load). I often do laundry while visiting family and friends.
• I had to get used to the 15% sales tax again.

CY18Q1 (January – March) notes:

• The budget I’m using for CY18 is $250/month more than the number I’ve had in my head since back in 2014 when I launched this retirement plan. I wanted to start with a higher budget my first year and leave room for frugality. I’ll evaluate at the end of the year when looking at the actuals for non-monthly costs like out-of-pocket medical and dental expenses and for tiny house unknowns like woodstove use in winter.
• Challenging (not surprisingly): the food and gas budgets.
• Added (temporarily): haircuts, massage therapy for shoulder pain, recreation center drop-in pass.
• Paused: since Greta’s death in December, there have been no kitty costs. There are more cats in my future but not yet.
• Not resumed: I still haven’t missed having Netflix while living in the tiny house. Reading is my primary entertainment in the evenings. However, when a friend went on vacation in March, I had my own vacation catsitting for her—for five nights, I happily cooked in the full size kitchen, ate big meals, talked to the cats, and watched a lot of Netflix!

For the first three months, I did not find sticking to the overall budget difficult. I remind myself it is doable because I have no rent or mortgage payment—that will be a big consideration in the future when I decide to move. And I know I can lower my food spending if necessary. On Saturday March 31, I was excited to discover that a local restaurant that had closed for winter had re-opened for the Easter weekend. I would have been more under-budget for the month if I hadn’t opened the door, but I was happy to support the local restaurant that has healthy options … and a sign of spring in this rural area. The end of the quarter was celebrated with nourishing vegetable dishes plus a taste of the fresh local maple syrup.

References:

• CY18Q1: Calendar Year 2018, First Quarter. Calendar Year distinguishes from a company’s Financial Year (FY) which has a different start date than January 1st.
• CY17H2: Calendar Year 2017, Second Half.