Sunday, February 1, 2009

Spending Report: Week 2

You guys should be proud, I brought my spending WAY down.  Its actually nice because this week was almost twice as long as the last.  Next week won't be good though... its got a month and a half of rent on it... I may just do that separately.

Overall: 110.73

Breakdown (I did do that math wrong a little last week... this week is hopefully right):

Transportation: 52.90
Groceries: 16.83
Miscellaneous food: 16.00
Tourism: 9.00
Toiletries: 8.00
Restaurant: 8.00

Transportation... This is a big number this week.  I got Two 10-passes.  Basically my first time using the metro efficiently was Sunday, so I had 4 work days worth of passes (1 each way).  I had to get another one on Friday and I learned about the monthly pass on Saturday.  This means I purchased another 10 pass and only used 4 trips before I got an unlimited trip.  You shouldn't see transportation again for a while.  Well... maybe that isn't true, if you do see transportation it means I got outta Brussels and went for an excursion.  

Groceries is a list of last weeks buys... some successful some not.  My loaf of bread went bad about 2/3rds of the way through so this week I purchased a smaller loaf (400 grams instead of 600 grams).  I also got things like plastic bags, salt and olive oil that I won't have to purchase again.

Miscellaneous Food is a measure of things that aren't meals... you can consider it my waffle expense.  Yes, I spend a lot of Euros a week on waffles.  This expense is entirely worth it.

The Atomium cost me 9 euro.    I don't know how I felt about that cost... it was basically an expensive elevator ride.  

Toiletries are expensive, I had to get lotion and conditioner... that's about it.  

Restaurant.  I didn't actually go out to any restaurants this week.  That 8 Euro represents the days that I was too tired or lazy to make myself dinner.  I fount out the oven pizzas are wonderful and I may submit to them often.  I am more comfortable making myself dinner now that I'm accustomed to my hours.

That's it guys, I finished my first real week.  I still want the overall number to go down, but for now its not SO bad.  I will always have tourism stuff but one major expense from the States was eliminated:  There is a coffee machine in the office that makes delicious coffee.  

I want more comments.  I need more comments.  Ask me more questions, I need some stock questions to answer.  

5 comments:

  1. Do you think you'll be able to trim the transportation cost? What is the bike scene like there? Would the cost of bike compare to three months of public transit? Do you think you'll walk to office when/if the weather get's nicer?

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  2. Transportation is going to end up being 30.00 euro a month. Thats it... bike cost? is more like a question of hospital cost. Walking is almost an hour, I probably won't walk.

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  3. nuts to the bikes.. those brooklyn kids are outta their heads..

    i fully support anything up to 20 euro on waffles.. i've never actually had real belgian waffles, probably because i've never been there, but between your posts and your uncles replies i am highly considering a trip to belgium for these culinary delights alone.. it also fascinates me that you can buy them on the street

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  4. Once I get a better photo connection to the blog I'll be able to share a wonderful photo of a street escargot dealer. Its only a block or two from my office... and if I truly feel the need I can get some snails and eat them outside.

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  5. street escargot.. this is a mean joke

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