A weeklong work trip combined with a month of heightened frugality to slash my personal spending in February.
I’ll take it.
Every little bit helps along this wealth-building journey. With the majority of my money going to investments, I don’t have the breathing room I once did. I could use an occasional assist, whether it comes from my company or my discipline.
Sadly, though, I still made some boneheaded moves last month I’m not proud of.
But let’s start with the positives.
While my weeklong, all-expenses-paid work trip aided in reducing my spending, my frugality was far more important.
I’m not simply being cheap. I’m being smart. I’m positioning myself to buy a multifamily home. And so now more than ever, it’s imperative that I am a good steward of my money.
That’s why I scaled back so much in February. There were difficult days, mostly when I wanted to spend, but those feelings never lasted long. My long view never strayed far.
I didn’t purchase any stock shares last month, which is difficult for me when equities dip. I also cut out superfluous spending on luxuries like marijuana. Another tough one. But my dream is worth dropping weed for a little while.
Making it to my next paycheck also demanded I did. Purchasing either shares or smoke easily would have cost hundreds and set me back in a major way.
And so, I had to plan properly. My take-home pay is less this year, which means I have no choice but to be thrifty while thinking ahead.
Two events in February also forced me to brace for additional spending. Neither happened. The first would have required significant spending on Super Bowl Sunday. The second thing, which was scheduled for the following week, I just decided to skip, knowing I’d be better without paying for the experience.
Both would have been classified as frivolous spending. After they fell through, I refocused.
With unexpected room in my budget, I put money toward my loved ones.
On Feb. 16, I took Parker on a Daddy-daughter day out, paying $83.14 for tickets to the Color Factory. She’d remembered a promise I made to her last August when I told her I’d take her to a museum. I also took her to the Chicago Fed Money Museum, which was free. We enjoyed both, and the quality time we spent together was priceless.
One week later, it was my lady friend Triest’s turn. Nobody understands or supports me like her. And no one is as patient with me as she is. Dating a frugal — and more importantly hyper-focused — man can be difficult. It’s never the most fun-filled relationship. Purpose and priorities take precedence over playtime. I’m thankful Triest is in alignment with my mission.
But she deserved a win. And so I put my best into an all-day-and-all-night date.
We started with delectable cinnamon rolls from Ann Sather. From there, we hit the Chicago History Museum and had cheeseburgers for lunch from Red Hot Ranch, a spot we’d never been to but was recommended to me as one of the best fast-food burgers in Chicago.
The Museum of Illusions was next, and that cost $67.11 for two tickets but was a really cool experience. We capped it with gelato before enjoying a swanky dinner later at Virtue and improv comedy at Chicago’s popular The Second City that night.
I think I did OK.
I had two other money moves from last month worth mentioning. I moved approximately $12,000 I’m holding as cash reserves from a low-interest account to one offering a 5.10% annual percentage yield. It was long overdue. I also canceled a $10.90 monthly subscription I experimented with to help me learn how to trade stock options.
That was the extent of the good. Now for the bad.
I was hit with a $50 parking ticket while inside the Chicago History Museum. The worst part is I could have sworn I paid the meter. I guess I didn’t hit submit. I ended up paying $43 more than parking would have cost.
Meanwhile, my gas bill for my small apartment ran $147.66 last month, and I have no idea why. Especially when I was out of town for a week.
Past due bills also caught up with me: a $30 dentist fee, a $35 speeding ticket, a $256 attorney fee. I paid everything but the tickets via my checking account. So several charges didn’t show on my credit card statement.
I spent $1,280.91 in reimbursable expenses while traveling for work. Subtract those charges, and my $1,227.56 personal spending is on par with my February 2023 spending after deducting for work expenses.
I’ll take it.
Best money move: Dates
My No. 1 love language is quality time. It’s tough topping the time I spent with Parker and Triest last month. I’m making a point to do it a lot more.
Worst money move: Tickets
The parking ticket was bad. The speeding violation was worse. Not the infraction itself but my inaction. I don’t remember speeding or even driving on the street that the speeding camera caught me. The worst part is I allowed my fine to double. The citation was from Nov. 11. It was $35. By the time I paid last month, the fine increased to $70. With a $2.36 credit card surcharge, I paid $122.36 for my foolishness. I might as well have balled out for the Super Bowl.
Darnell Mayberry is a sportswriter based in Chicago and is the author of “100 Things Thunder Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He loves his daughter Parker, money and the Minnesota Vikings. You will find his column, Money Talks, each Saturday on cleveland.com and Sundays in The Plain Dealer.