MONEY DIARIES: November 2020
Thanksgiving month is here. So I thought I should list down the things I am thankful for this year before we dive into the expenses.
This year has been like no other – the pandemic has taught us many things and took away many things. Some of us fought the virus, lost loved ones, lost jobs or faced unprecedented times this year. So it is not unnatural to feel that there is little or nothing to be thankful for this year. It’s times like these, I remind myself of the famous lines by P.B.Shelley, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
There is much to be thankful for
We come across many people in our lives – each with their own stories we know nothing about. It may be your grocer, a co-worker, the next door neighbour, a homeless person on the street – each of them playing the cards life has dealt them. As hard as it might seem, it is said that there is always something to be thankful for. The hard part, I suppose, is looking for it.
Counting my blessings
- We stayed healthy and so did our kith and kin
- Both Mr.D and I did not lose our jobs (I had a pay cut for few months which has since been restored)
- I switched jobs in March 2020 just at the start of the pandemic. My colleagues and coworkers have been nothing but supportive and helpful through out this time knowing how a job change amidst a pandemic can feel
- Mr.D and I got to spend more time with each other and this has helped us grow stronger in our relationship
- All the extra time on my hands finally helped me start this blog
And there’s lots more….
So let’s jump into this month’s expenses shall we?
November 2020 Expenses
I broke my 4-year record of ‘no new phone purchase’ this month. Noon’s yellow Friday sale had a decent deal. After months of contemplating I finally decided to buy myself a new phone. I typically use my mobiles phones for a minimum of 3 years or longer if it does not die on me. Thanks to the multiple purchases we made through Noon this month (the phone being the biggest one), we got a free 1-month trial pass for Gymnation. I decided to start using it from December onwards. Though I am still a bit wary of using a gym when Covid cases are still at large.
Our total expenses for November stands at AED 13,092.62
Here’s the detailed breakdown:
Fixed Expenses
Rent AED 5,000: Our biggest spend is the rent paid for our modest 1 bed apartment. We pay AED 15,000 x 4 cheques which works out to be AED ,5000 per month. We managed to get our annual lease renewed for a slightly lower amount (the landlord was kind enough to throw in an additional month for free). Our new lease will be effective from 1 Dec 2020, so it should figure in my next month’s diary 😊
Car loan EMI AED 2,690: We took on a 3-year car loan in August 2018, we are set to finish paying this by August 2021 (yay!)
Postpaid mobile phone plan AED 126: I use a postpaid mobile phone plan from Du. D’s company pays for his
Home Wi-Fi / TV / telephone AED 387: We have subscribed to the e-life unlimited starter which takes care of our home broadband + basic tv channels + landline
Variable Expenses
Water & Electricity AED 568.54: With winter making its slow entry, our A/C usage is reducing gradually. Come next month, I expect this to reduce further – sort of making up for all those spikes in the summer months.
Groceries AED 955.92: On average we spend around AED 800 – AED 1,000 on groceries shopped from Carrefour, Lulu or Nesto. Occasionally, we also order through Noon daily or amazon if there are any good deals
Food and Drinks AED 389.55: This must stop! I am so glad that the current project I am working on ends this month. The canteen at the client location is too good with all its mouthwatering savories at such cheap prices. It’s just not for your purse strings or your jeans waist size!
Shopping AED 2,321.76: This is the most we have spent on shopping in a single month. A whopping AED 2k! Let’s break this down – AED 1,659 for my new mobile phone, AED 231 Christmas gifts for family, AED 359 for a new plastic Christmas tree which we picked up from Ace Hardware. Our old tree barely had any leaves left and was starting to look rather ugly!
Healthcare AED 52: My insurance covers 90% of the cost. I pay 10% co-payment on medical and pharmacy bills.
Transportation AED 250.6: Topped up the Salik account and RTA parking account for AED 50 each. The rest went into petrol expenses (10% cashback using HSBC credit card)
Other Expenses
Miscellaneous AED 351.25: We decided to have a mini staycation for the upcoming National Day long weekend. By the time we made up our minds, we were a tad bit late to the party. Most of the hotels were either sold out or the room rates were exorbitant. Finally, we managed to secure a decent deal through Rehlat. We had a voucher that would have otherwise gone to waste. That helped us shave off about AED 150 off the total cost. Note: I have only shown our share of the hotel room charges. Check out my detailed post on our staycation and the fun things we did.
