Monthly Financial Snapshot: September 2019

Category Sep-19 Comments Rent $0.00 Nothing this month Internet $0.00 Nothing this month Cell Phone $50.16 Registration fee for Japan phone plan Natural Gas $0.00 Nothing this month Electricity $0.00 Nothing this month Water $0.00 Nothing this month Groceries $20.74 Below average this month Car Insurance $0.00 Sold my car, so no more insurance. Transport $25.53 Below average this month Car Expenses $0.00 Sold my car, so no more car expenses....

October 4, 2019 1 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: August 2019

Category Aug-19 Comments Rent $0.00 Nothing this month Internet $0.00 Nothing this month Cell Phone $0.00 Nothing this month Natural Gas $0.00 Nothing this month Electricity $0.00 Nothing this month Water $0.00 Nothing this month Groceries $196.57 About average Car Insurance -$36.68 Small refund of previous coverage Transport $74.36 Slightly below average Car Expenses $8.00 Washed car Health $0.00 Nothing this month Other $33.99 Mail forwarding Necessary $276.24 Below average this month Restaurants $70....

September 2, 2019 1 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: July 2019

Category Jul-19 Comments Rent $0.00 Nothing this month Internet $0.00 Nothing this month Cell Phone $0.00 Nothing this month Natural Gas $0.00 Nothing this month Electricity $0.00 Nothing this month Water $0.00 Nothing this month Groceries $149.20 About average, due to return to US. Car Insurance $0.00 Nothing this month Transport $242.93 Higher than average, due to travel / tourism Car Expenses $0.00 Nothing this month Health $0.00 Nothing this month Other $33....

August 1, 2019 2 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: June 2019

Category Jun-19 Comments Rent $0.00 Nothing this month Internet $0.00 Nothing this month Cell Phone $0.00 Nothing this month Natural Gas $0.00 Nothing this month Electricity $0.00 Nothing this month Water $0.00 Nothing this month Groceries $120.98 Fairly low, but mostly due to higher restaurant expenses Car Insurance $0.00 Nothing this month Transport $256.26 Higher than average, due to travel / tourism Car Expenses $0.00 Nothing this month Health $12....

July 1, 2019 2 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: May 2019

Category May-19 Comments Rent $2,234.78 Rent for short-term apartment for June and July Internet $0.00 Nada Cell Phone $27.61 Next 30 days of cell phone in Japan Natural Gas $33.37 Last payments for my old apartment Electricity $28.92 Last payments for my old apartment Water $33.11 Last payments for my old apartment Groceries $165.56 My non-restaurant food spending in Japan. Kind of high, but will go down now that I have a fridge and longer-term lodging....

June 5, 2019 2 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: April 2019

Category Apr-19 Comments Rent $0.00 No more rent! Internet $56.92 Last internet payment Cell Phone $31.11 3 weeks of cell phone while I’m in Japan Natural Gas $49.54 Second-to-last nat gas payment. Not sure why it spiked so high. Electricity $23.93 Second-to-last electricity payment Water $34.18 Second-to-last water payment Groceries $118.47 Lower than average. Spent my final weeks using up leftover food. Car Insurance $120.89 Car is in storage for the indefinite future, so half-price insurance!...

May 4, 2019 2 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: March 2019

Category Mar-19 Comments Rent $768.75 $750 for rent, paid via Plastiq Internet $56.92 Internet is kind of expensive. Cell Phone $0.00 Nothing this month. Natural Gas $29.35 Above average Electricity $25.05 Slightly below average Water $37.39 Slightly above average Groceries $161.42 Slightly above average Car Insurance $0.00 I pay every 6 months in April and October. Gasoline $83.68 Above average, due to travel Car Expenses $0.00 Nothing this month. Health $42....

April 4, 2019 2 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: February 2019

Category Feb-19 Comments Rent $768.75 $750 for rent, paid via Plastiq Internet $55.92 Internet is kind of expensive. Cell Phone $0.00 Nothing this month. Natural Gas $27.82 Slightly above average Electricity $24.97 Slightly below average Water $35.25 Slightly above average Groceries $162.41 Slightly above average Car Insurance $0.00 I pay every 6 months in April and October. Gasoline $63.07 Slightly below average Car Expenses $0.00 Nothing this month. Health $42....

March 1, 2019 2 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: January 2019

This was an interesting month.The stock markets seem to have regained their confidence this month and have rewarded investors accordingly. In January alone, the total US market returned about 8.7%, and the non-US market returned about 7.5%. Meanwhile, between October and December of last year, the total US market declined by 14.8% and the non-US market declined 12.6%. I believe that the last 4 months present a teachable moment for many novice (and/or not-so-novice) investors....

February 2, 2019 3 min

Monthly Financial Snapshot: December 2018

Here’s my final expense report for 2018. Highlights include a weekend trip to New York to visit family, and holiday gift shopping.After looking at my year as a whole, I decided to adjust how I account for my business spending. Previously, I had been recording all business expenses under its own category, but lumping in business income with the rest of my income. This had an effect of making my expenses look higher than they actually were, since the business expenses weren’t being negated by the income it brought it....

January 13, 2019 2 min