Establishing Categories on Expenses

My End-of-the-Month Spending List and Categories
June 2013

One thing I look forward at the end of the month is  putting all my expenses that are listed in my Daily Money Log in its own categories.

Establishing Categories

Everybody has its own set of expenses and it's up to you what categories to put. These are my categories:

Remittance (Expenses) - Like most OFWs, I am also sending money to my mom every month for her expenses.  I just give her what she needs. 

Average: $200-300 a month

Remittance fee - Fee every time I send money. I'm using XOOM.Com and Transfast. 

Average: $4.99- 8.99 a month

Lot - Aside from my townhouse in Cebu which is fully paid, I got a 100 square meter lot in Consolacion, Cebu . I am paying for it in installment basis. I have only 30 months to go.

Average: PHP 6,700 a month

Amount Invested - Coz they say "Pay your self first" and "Income- Savings= Expenses", need I say more? :)

Food/snack/eat out - This is for my monthly grocery and eating out.

Average: $100 a month

Transpo: Bus

               Metro - My work is walking distance so I walk most of the time or ride a bus depending on the weather.

Average: $20 a month

Beauty : I might be frugal, but I am still a woman. This is for lotion, moisturizer, toothpaste, floss and any beauty related stuffs.

Average : $10 every 2-3 months 

Health Products - I regularly take Fish Oils and Vitamins. 

Average : $20 every 3 months

Clothes - I don't spend much on clothes ,but I just considered putting it. Last time I bought clothes was last year before I did this system.

Shoes - Again, I don't spend much on shoes. Last time I bought shoes was last Sept 2012 which I'm still using. I run every weekend and my last shoes fell apart, so I needed to buy one. 

Books - I love reading, but I have a nearby library that I am using and abusing 'coz walang ganito sa pinas. Haha. Most of the books I am buying are used.

Average: $1 a month

Gifts - If I buy a gift to someone who is celebrating a birthday and the likes, I listed it in here. I don't have much friends here so this occurs so rarely.

Average: $20 per gift

School supplies : I am collecting cheap school supplies here if its on sale, coz I am planning on going back to school.

Miscellaneous - Donation to charity, yearly tuition of my 2 nieces and brother and any other expenses that might come up each every month.

Average: $50- 100 a month

But wait? How about your utilities? Rent? Internet bills? Water and electric bills? 

Hah! My employer pays for everything except Internet.

 Then where's your Internet bill? Well,I talked to my neighbor if I can use their wi-fi and ill just pay for it. They told me I can use it without a fee! Lucky me, right? Besides, I only connect an average of 4 hours everyday. But as a payment, I collect their mails when they are out of town and/or surprise them with a newly mowed grass every week during spring! I say no to freeloading.  ;)

The Early Morning Mower