Typical Budget, 2010

It's been a long time since I've posted my monthly budget on here. Here are my actual expenses from July, which was the most "average" month for this year (some have been lower, some higher). This budget is hardly a model of frugality; just an example of how one nearly-thirty woman spends her money.

Total expenses: about $1806, plus a hard to determine amount for my train pass ($86 put into a pretax account, then reimbursed--maybe $70 post-tax?)

Rent: $1250
Electric: $142.32 (this seems to vary a lot month to month; this month was high)
Internet: $59.95 (same every month)
Gas: $26.12

Groceries: $108.44
This varies a lot, too, since we shop at several different stores and don't go to each one every month. I think this is fairly typical--we went to Jewel and the produce store in July but not to Aldi.

Eating out (convenience): $65.26
My biggest area of budget struggle--a typical month is probably $80-90. Ideally I think I'd like to spend more like $30 (one pizza night plus one fast food meal); this hasn't happened in recent memory.

Entertainment: $62.62
$28 for concert ticket
$9.39 food and drink related to concert
$3.87 for a chai latte at a social event
$21.36 for anniversary meal with DH
Counting "intentional" eating out separate from "convenience" eating out. Concert ticket was unusual--haven't paid for a concert in probably 5 years. Ticket was worth cost; food and drink not.

Waxing: $57.00
I do this most months but not every month.

Misc: $35.14
A video converter box plus $.15 for a copy I made from a Consumer Reports article. These purchases are unusual but I usually have some sort of "misc." purchase--stamps, phone credit, copay for a doctor visit.