Tracking our spending has many benefits. It keeps us accountable and also shines light on tricker budgeting categories, like travel spending and home decor spending.

In September I traveled to San Diego with my book club. Usually when we travel we designate all spending as "travel." Because of course you're going to eat out while traveling and spend money on activities and sights.

To be conservative, I'm including my San Diego spending here in my personal allowance spending to be transparent. I think spending ~$120 during a three day trip is pretty good. Including it does immediately put me over budget for the month but I'm okay with that since I had planned to spend this money while in San Diego.

I also did some home decor shopping this month to the tune of $67. Spending money on home decor feels like a bit of a tricky budgeting category and I'd love to hear your thoughts. On the one hand, I am purchasing things for our home so perhaps it should come out of our "home supplies" budget. On the other hand, Chris would not choose to spend this money which makes it different than home supplies like air filters, lightbulbs, and the like. So maybe it is my personal spending. 

Chris and I actually chatted a little about home decor spending in our recent Matrimoney episode. We decided that in 2018 we should designate an annual home decor budget separate from personal allowance spending and home supplies spending. That way there is allowance for the spending but it's an amount that we have both agreed to.

I'm already looking forward to our 2017 budgeting review and 2018 budgeting summit in December!

What I spent in September:

$105.60 - three dinners and a coffee out while in San Diego with my book club. I would highly recommend Ironside in Little Italy.

$15.60 - groceries at Trader Joe's while in San Diego.

$9 - DO GOOD WORK print that I've had my eye on for awhile which went on sale.

$55 - Befriend Gin workshop with Iconic Cocktail Co.

$15.43 - breakfast at Snooze for a friend's birthday.

$11.75 - fall drinks for Erica and me while fall decor shopping.

$67.85 - fall decor at Home Goods: cozy blanket, wooden leaf dish, two picture frames, bird candle holder.

Total spent in September: $280.23 out of $100 budgeted.

August $204.48 out of $100 budgeted.

July $74.39 out of $100 budgeted.

June $92.32 out of $100 budgeted.

May $92.21 out of $100 budgeted.

April $117.18 out of $100 budgeted.

March $101.35 out of $100 budgeted

February 2017: $78.57 of $100 budgeted

January 2017: $126.25 of $150 budgeted