Welcome back to another Sunday budget reset! In today’s post, I’m sharing my weekly budget breakdown as a 40-year-old living in Atlanta. Here’s how I manage my expenses while staying on track with my savings and debt-free journey.
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1. Savings and Investments
As part of my goal to stay debt-free, I make sure to automate my savings. When I get paid, I put aside funds for retirement, investments, and my emergency fund. This week, here’s how it broke down:
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Retirement Account: $102.30
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Investment Account: $155.89
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Emergency Fund: $250
That’s a total of $508.19 toward savings this week!
2. Home Expenses
Luckily, there were no major home expenses this week. The only payment I made was for aftercare for my son, which has recently gone up. It used to cost $95 a week, but it’s now $120 due to a rate increase. This is part of the challenge of managing expenses while trying to save, especially with so many things rising in cost. I also have property taxes going up, and my home budget is set to change in May, so stay tuned for an updated budget then.
3. Transportation
I only needed to fill up my gas tank once this week, which was a relief! I spent $39.89 on gas this week, and I’ll need to fill it up again today (Sunday). Keeping gas costs low is one of my budgeting priorities, especially with prices fluctuating.
4. Food
Food is another category where I track everything, from groceries to smoothie bowls and the occasional frappes. Since I did a major grocery shop in February, a lot of that budget carried over into March. This week, I spent $47.81 on food, which I think is pretty reasonable considering the rising costs everywhere.
To save even more, I’m cutting back on certain indulgences like frappes and fast food, and I’ll share more about this in my monthly budget recap.
5. Subscriptions
I didn’t have many subscriptions this week, just $1.99 for Google storage. You know how it is—your Google storage is always at capacity! But at least I’m keeping my subscriptions minimal.
6. Debt Payments
I’ve got some big goals when it comes to paying off debt, and this month, I’m focusing on paying down my Capital One Savor credit card. While I didn’t take any money out of my paycheck this week for debt, I did use some of my content creation income to pay down the balance. I paid off $1,000 toward my Capital One Savor card and another $188 on my Capital One Quicksilver card. This is all part of my plan to pay off nearly $20,000 in credit card debt this year.
7. Miscellaneous Spending
I’m happy to report that I didn’t have any miscellaneous spending this week! I’ve been really intentional about separating my business expenses from personal spending. When I shop for content creation (thrift finds, affordable outfits, etc.), I use my content creation account to fund it. This way, I’m not pulling money from my personal budget and can still generate content around my purchases. I use Varo Bank as my main account for content creation.
Total Spent: $717.95
Can you believe it? I spent just $717.95 this week, and I’m thrilled with that! Keeping it under $100 is definitely a win, and I’m excited to continue sticking to my budget. My goal is to keep my weekly spending low, ideally around $200 (excluding larger expenses like the mortgage), so I can allocate more money to paying down debt and growing my savings.
Want to Track Your Spending Too?
If you’re looking for a way to keep your spending in check, I highly recommend using my budget workbook. It’s been a game-changer for me in staying organized and on top of my finances. You can grab a copy below and start your own budgeting journey today!