A short list for September.

We spent a significant amount of money in September, as we purchased a new car. This is the first time in about ten years that we’ve had two cars, so it’s quite a change. We’ll be adjusting for higher transportation expenses, but I need a couple of months of real numbers to analyze before we can make realistic adjustments to other budget categories. I’m hoping to bring in a little extra income to help offset the insurance costs, too, but we’ll just have to see how that shakes out. We live very much within our means, so we have more wiggle room than most people. I recognize our privilege in this case and know that this would be a much larger budget change for most households — but also understand that this will be an adjustment for us, too.

Being able to go wherever I want without worrying about using up all of my energy getting to and from the bus stop is very freeing!

I wasn’t too focused in September, but  I:

• Rented the newest Avengers movie from Redbox using a coupon. Only $0.81 for a Blu-ray rental!
• Caught up a side client and billed for five months of work. (They paid right away, too.)
• Ordered a batch of Lane Bryant underwear during a “buy three, get three free” sale.
• Needed a 3-ring binder for my script and music for the show I was cast in and opted to use an old one that I  had from teaching my last voice student instead of buying a new one. This only saved a few dollars, obviously, but it’s more of a mindset. Each small thing eventually adds up.
• Had a free drink on my Starbucks card.
• Read 7 ebooks and 3 physical books from the library. Also read 7 Kindle Unlimited books, for an approximate cost of $0.14 a book. That will be the last of the Kindle Unlimited reads, though — I will cancel the trial this coming week. I also re-read a few of my old books — that’s always free. I managed to halve last month’s book spending (thank goodness) and spent $45.98. Still not ideal, but a vast improvement over last month.

Besides the cost of the new car, I also managed to get sick with a terrible sinus infection in September. Our new insurance didn’t cover the clinic visit, but it did help a bit with the prescriptions. (When did ear drops get so expensive, anyway?) I also spent a small bundle on probiotics and supplements because I need to stay healthy to perform in December. I’m willing to do the work, but my immune system needs all the help it can get! I expect I’ll fare a little better once the ragweed pollen tapers off — and I’ll be sure to get a flu shot — but there are certainly plenty of things I can do or take to support my immune system.

Here’s to a hopefully productive and healthy October!