Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping
Have you seen this blog? The one where a family of four is pledging to only spend $1,500 for the entire year? I've read through their posts, I admire their tenacity and the drive they have to accomplish this. Then I saw this quote:
Here is the math - 5 gallons of milk per week x $2.35 = $11.75 per week$11.75 x 52 weeks = $611.00 per year
And that got me thinking. I wonder how much exactly a year do I spend on Diet Coke and gossip magazines. I haven't done the math yet, but I have a feeling this will be shocking. And upsetting.
We'll start with the vending machine Diet Coke that I drink at work. Then the Diet Coke I buy while grocery shopping. Then I'll add them together. I am terrified of this answer.
10 single Diet Cokes per week x $1.50 = $15.00
$15.00 x 52 weeks = $780.00
*gulp*
1 six pack of Diet Coke per week x $3.00 = $3.00
$3.00 x 52 weeks = $156.00
$780.00 + $156.00 = $936.00
I'm sorry, I just blacked out for a moment.
$936.00 on Diet Coke alone?! Are you kidding me? I'm more than a little ashamed of this. I almost don't want to add up the magazine prices, but I'll do it anyway.
On average, let's say I buy 2 magazines a week - People and US Weekly. I also get Cosmo and Glamour once a month. So let's see.
People Magazine costs $3.99. I believe US Weekly is $2.99. A total of $6.98 a week. Let's go with 52 weeks just to include the random weekends where I buy Life & Style or Everyday with Rachael Ray.
$6.98 x 52 weeks a year = $362.96
Oh crap.
Cosmo runs $4.29 an issue. Let's say Glamour does too. A total of $8.58 a month.
$8.58 x 12 months = $102.96
$362.96 + $102.96 = $465.92
Deep breaths, Nicole. Deep breaths.
$936.00 + $465.92 = $1401.92
So let's get this straight. In one year's time, I spend $1401.92 on Diet Coke and Magazines. That's $98.08 less than what this family is going to spend on everything for this entire year.
I officially suck. And may God bless this family for having more willpower and strength than I do.
Is this pretty unreasonable or pretty standard? How much do you spend on your guilty pleasures? If you dare add them up, that is!
Here is the math - 5 gallons of milk per week x $2.35 = $11.75 per week$11.75 x 52 weeks = $611.00 per year
And that got me thinking. I wonder how much exactly a year do I spend on Diet Coke and gossip magazines. I haven't done the math yet, but I have a feeling this will be shocking. And upsetting.
We'll start with the vending machine Diet Coke that I drink at work. Then the Diet Coke I buy while grocery shopping. Then I'll add them together. I am terrified of this answer.
10 single Diet Cokes per week x $1.50 = $15.00
$15.00 x 52 weeks = $780.00
*gulp*
1 six pack of Diet Coke per week x $3.00 = $3.00
$3.00 x 52 weeks = $156.00
$780.00 + $156.00 = $936.00
I'm sorry, I just blacked out for a moment.
$936.00 on Diet Coke alone?! Are you kidding me? I'm more than a little ashamed of this. I almost don't want to add up the magazine prices, but I'll do it anyway.
On average, let's say I buy 2 magazines a week - People and US Weekly. I also get Cosmo and Glamour once a month. So let's see.
People Magazine costs $3.99. I believe US Weekly is $2.99. A total of $6.98 a week. Let's go with 52 weeks just to include the random weekends where I buy Life & Style or Everyday with Rachael Ray.
$6.98 x 52 weeks a year = $362.96
Oh crap.
Cosmo runs $4.29 an issue. Let's say Glamour does too. A total of $8.58 a month.
$8.58 x 12 months = $102.96
$362.96 + $102.96 = $465.92
Deep breaths, Nicole. Deep breaths.
$936.00 + $465.92 = $1401.92
So let's get this straight. In one year's time, I spend $1401.92 on Diet Coke and Magazines. That's $98.08 less than what this family is going to spend on everything for this entire year.
I officially suck. And may God bless this family for having more willpower and strength than I do.
Is this pretty unreasonable or pretty standard? How much do you spend on your guilty pleasures? If you dare add them up, that is!
posted by ColeyMarie | 12:25 AM
4 Comments:
That's freaking nuts! I mean, not you, but them! I've cut a great deal of the frivolous spending out of my budget, but I don't want to know how much I spend on the vending machine at work.
It is so crazy to see how much the little things cost. I've been pretty good at writing down how much I spend to get a good idea where my money goes, and I only buy coke on special occasions because it is soooo expensive in Ireland! I miss the great sales where you can get 4 - 12 packs for $10. I would stock up when they would have those sales because I used to drink at least a can a day in college!
And while my co-worker runs to the shop most mornings, I eat a granola bar or something from home. my little pleasures would be a hot chocolate when out in town or going out for lunch 2-3 times a week with friends instead of bringing it.
Wow, it looks SO MUCH worse when it's written out like that! This reminds me of a terrible "True Life" episode on MTV about people living on welfare where this woman pawned her car title to pay her rent, but in every scene she had acrylic nails on and was smoking tons of cigarettes! I think manicures and a pack of cigarettes a day would add up to much more than $1400!
At $2.79 a pack, and a frequency of once every other week...
26 x $2.79 = $72.54
Phew - under $75 a year on Sour Patch kids. That's $75 more than my dentist approves of though!
Really my vice is the $13 CD.... but I buy them impulsively yet infrequently so there is no way to estimate. That's why I use Quicken!
Maybe I'll post about our combined spending at Starbucks. (I know that one is bad)
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