September Expenses - not quite on budget!

Well, we had great plans on having an inexpensive month in September, until I came up with this idea of getting rid of the big camera and buying a smartphone that would replace it. 

Which is exactly what we ended up doing. So our stated budget of $1,605 CAD for the month ended up being $3,134 CAD ($2,308 USD), mostly due to the cost of the phone.

But some other categories were higher than expected as well.

Here's how it all broke down... (note, the following figures are all in $CAD)...

Fuel: I had actually budgeted $250, but we came in at $232, so that was actually a pretty close guess. 

Groceries: Despite the often ridiculous grocery prices here, Ruth did really well in this category. We found that if we bought some things in bulk and on sale at the beginning of the month, we managed to do alright. Total for the month was $568 which was cheaper than expected. We were lucky that we didn't need to buy any spices or condiments because we were told to use whatever was available in the cupboards at our house sit. And really, we didn't use very much anyhow.

Meals out: Not bad, just $83.13. But that was only for two breakfasts, one lunch, and a couple of six inch subs from Subway. Yes, it is expensive to eat out in Canada.

Alcohol: Higher than expected, at $275. And let me tell you, that wasn't very much booze! I thought $275 might have been a record, but I checked our expenses back to 2007 and we've actually had several months slightly higher than that, and even one that was over $300. All while being in Canada. This particular time, included in that was a pricey bottle of bourbon for my guys weekend away and a more expensive bottle of wine to leave behind for our house sitting hosts for their return.

Miscellaneous: This was the category the cell phone was put in, so it's way above budget at $1,739, with $1,334 being the phone itself. The remainder of $405 was also higher than expected due to me buying some new hiking boots and Ruth buying some new clothes.

Entertainment: Total of $52. I went out to play pool with a buddy of mine and we had drinks out another night in a pub.

Accommodation: We house sat the whole month, so accommodation was free. But, I did pay $185 for my weekend away with the boys.

So, total of $3,134 CAD ($2,308 USD) for the month, but without the cell phone it was $1,800. Still higher than planned, but not by much.

Next month will be MUCH higher though. We're off to Turkmenistan mid month, and it's not cheap to visit these oddball countries. We've also got quite a few flights, as well as an expensive car rental in Nova Scotia. We have a budget of about $9,000 CAD ($6,600 USD) for the month which is about the same as what we spent in January when we did the Mauritania trip. I've tried to guess on the high side, but even if we come in less than that it's going to be an expensive month. In fact, 2023 is going to be our most expensive year ever! 

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Great deal on this Shark Rocket Corded Stick Vac.

And in Canada...

Craftsman Tape Measure.