“Don’t you ever mind,” she asked suddenly, “not being rich enough to buy all the books you want?”
― Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth
Quick query, dumplings. What are your monthly recurring costs [ETA, I’m speaking of discretionary spending]? When I was doing my first Spending Diary entry, I had tallied everything I had either personally or jointly put a card or cash down for that week, but walking into the gym for an evening workout, I was smacked with the realization that we have multiple monthly or annual payments for services that I hadn’t considered. I amended my post to include one, and will have more listed tomorrow in the next installment.
What are yours? Gym, media subscriptions, paper/magazine deliveries, meal box services, club memberships–what’s your grand total if you add them all up?
Small Dog Syndrome 
You mean discretionary? I don’t see mortgage/rent/maintenance/groceries/car payment…?
Mine (not sure the exact amount — probably $100-200 month at most) — would be subscriptions to (yes) 20 magazines, all in print; 2 daily papers (NYT/FT) in print; web hosting; my webmaster’s work posting/cleaning up my site for me; gym (mine is discounted as it’s the YMCA and my income is low); hair cut/color ($200 for both, every 6 weeks, plus tip). That’s what immediately comes to mind.
Also — $10/day for cab to and from commuter rail station when Jose works in NYC, plus return trainfare in ($20 or so), plus subway to/from office ($5.50.) It’s still a lot less than a 2nd car and all those costs.
Yes, I mean discretionary.
Just needed to clarify! 🙂 I can’t imagine any sort of food box — or any of those boxes by subscription. (I know, that’s a very subjective value judgment!) I can see more value, personally, in a museum membership or a subscription series for ballet or opera. But to each his or her own.
I have a friend who tried one meal services out and now she and her husband swear by it! I might need to do a follow up post of some kind on the topic because her reasoning was fascinating.
I’d love to hear the justification…:-)