May’s expenses were a little higher than normal. This was mainly due to expenses incurred to finally bring my wife here to the U.S., so I consider it money well spent.
Entertainment expense was for one month Amazon Prime subscription, one month Hulu, and one month Netflix.
Rent was $115 for our apartment in Chiang Mai.
My transportation expense consisted of $40.59 for gas and $169.16 to buy two new tires and get them balanced and installed.
My food expense was $131.11. That is divided between $51.88 for groceries and $79.23 for restaurants. That is close to average for when I’m only feeding myself. This amount will definitely be higher this month and will continue to be higher in the future. I’ll eventually need to set a new budget for this category.
I paid $214.17 for an expedited passport application, passport photo, and shipping for the passport app. My passport had fewer than six months validity left, and I knew I’d want to go to Thailand this month. Some countries/airlines won’t let you travel unless you have at least six months validity left on your passport, so I got an expedited renewal to avoid any potential problems.
The big travel expense was $1166.94 in airfare. This was mostly for two plane tickets from Bangkok to San Francisco booked with cash. It also includes the taxes and fees on award tickets from SGF-Minneapolis and then MSP to Bangkok to get me to Thailand and taxes to get me and my wife from SFO to Kansas City. In addition to those flights, I booked another flight from Bangkok to Buriram to visit my wife’s family. I also spent $5.43 on a taxi. Although I spent a lot of money, it would have been a lot more if I didn’t have credit card points and airline miles to book a lot of the travel.
Utilities came in at $207.07. This was for electric in the U.S., 2 months internet in the U.S. and one month of utilities in Chiang Mai. This amount will probably be about the same this month.
The household expense was mainly for continuing education to maintain my attorney license. I need to get some attorney self-employment income so I can write this expense off.
I provided $288.76 of support to my wife. She had to quit her job in order to prepare to come to the U.S., so she needed a little more support.
I spent $343.18 on visa related expenses. The biggest part of this was $235 for my wife’s green card fee. This will allow her to legally work as soon as she arrives in the U.S. I also paid for round-trip airfare between Chiang Mai and Bangkok and one night in a hotel for my wife’s visa interview at the embassy in Bangkok.
This month’s expenses will surely be much lower. How was your month?
Interest income was $134.09. This is down a bit since I had some of the money invested in a t-bill and a cd that will mature and pay interest this month.
I made $35.23 from Door Dash. It isn’t a big earner in my area. but it is at least some income until I get a regular job again.
My earnings from Amazon Merch totaled $9.04.
I made $29.93 from surveys.
I made $150 from some small bank bonuses.
Lastly, I made $44 from mystery shops.
I am hoping for a much better income month this month. It won’t take much to improve on April.
April’s expenses were a little higher than normal.
Entertainment expense was for one month Amazon Prime subscription, one month Hulu, and one month Netflix.
Rent was $115 for our apartment in Chiang Mai.
My transportation expense consisted of $5.40 for gas, $5.45 for local transportation, and $8.14 to get a dead motorbike battery charged.
My food expense was $298.86. That is divided between $112.62 for groceries and $186.24 for restaurants. That is about normal for when I’m staying in Thailand. I’m for food for 2 people plus my wife buys a lot of non-food items at the grocery store which I usually don’t bother separating out to their correct category.
I paid $49 for the annual fee on my IHG credit card. The card gives me one free night a year, so it is a good value. I spent $22.83 on taxis and Ubers getting to and from various airports.
Utilities came in at $96.93. This was for electric in the U.S. I didn’t get around to paying my internet bill until this month. Next month’s total will include 2 months internet.
The household expense was for a haircut, new shoes, postage, and various other items.
I provided $92.44 of support to my wife.
I spent $587.57 on visa related expenses. The biggest part of this was $307.28 for the required medical examination for the visa. The only approved facilities for the medical examination are in Bangkok. Thus, it was necessary to pay for roundtrip airfare from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and 2 nights hotel.
This month’s expenses will probably be a little lower since I am back from Thailand. How was your month?
Interest income was $200.46. Moving my money to a higher earning account paid off. I will try to keep my spare cash invested in T-bills or similar earning accounts to keep my interest earning high.
I received $25 in cash back.
I made $80.92 from Door Dash. It isn’t a big earner in my area. This summer I will try driving in the tourist area that isn’t too far from me and see if that makes doing Door Dash worth it.
My earnings from Amazon Merch and Amazon KDP totaled $6.52.
My job income was $1296.43. Unfortunately, my job ended at the beginning of the month, and I didn’t get any more work. When I get back from Thailand, I will look for more reliable work.
I made $32.13 from eBay sales and $105.22 from surveys.
I made $94 from some small bank bonuses.
Lastly, I made $77.33 from a stock sale. I was going to do an odd lot tender but chickened out. I would have made a lot more money if I had finished the deal.
I would have liked to make more money, but at least it was a little more than I spent for the month. This month I’ll be in Thailand, so I won’t have much income.
