The summer is flying by! It feels like I just updated my goals for June. July was pretty good overall, except for our food spending, which we really need to get under control. I think August will be easier since I’ll have more time to cook after work and won’t let laziness and tiredness take over.
August is shaping up to be a great month. I graduate with my MBA, get a big raise, spend five days in Vegas, and then head to DC for work for another five days.
I can’t remember if it was the end of June or July when we kicked out our second roommate, but he’s gone now. He didn’t last long and is still a loser, in case anyone was wondering.
Our rent income for August will go up to $325. My sister wants to pay more because she feels she’s not contributing enough. I’ll give some of her money back when she moves out. I tried telling her no, but she insisted.
Last time I updated my goals, I mentioned we were planning a vacation to Turks and Caicos in November. We’ve decided to save the money instead since we already went to Kauai this year. Plus, my boyfriend is about to get a new job, which would wipe out his vacation time, making it impossible to take a trip.
### July Goals
– **Cut my food budget down to $400:** FAIL. We only spent around $150 on groceries but ate out a lot.
– **Workout at least 4 times a week and run with my dog:** FAIL. I did better at the beginning of the month, but got too stressed with school towards the end.
– **Make an extra $1,000 this month:** PASS. Most of this came from selling clothes, which isn’t sustainable. I’ll need to find other ways to make extra money.
– **Study every day for at least 2 hours for part 4 of my work certification test:** PASS. I studied a lot earlier in the month, around 5 hours a night.
– **Read 2 books:** PASS. I read a lot of books, which is surprising since I usually only read textbooks.
### August Goals
– **Cut my food budget down to $400:** We were both really busy last month and found happiness in eating out. Not anymore!
– **Workout at least 4 times a week and run with my dog:** This will stay on my list until it’s done. Now that I’m done with school, it’s more achievable.
– **Make an extra $850 this month:** This will be tougher since I won’t have as many items to sell and we’re only getting rent from one person, but I want to make it work.
– **Start thinking about my CFA:** I don’t need to take it yet, but I want to start reading up on it and looking into books.
– **Look for a Pilates or boxing class to enroll in:** I’ll have more free time, and this sounds like a good idea.
– **Find a hobby to fill my extra time:** If I find a good boxing class, volunteer work, etc., that will help fill my time.
### Blog Goals
– **Twitter followers:** Goal was 850; currently at 820. My goal for August is 900.
– **Alexa rank:** Goal was to be under 90,000; currently around 89,000.
– **RSS readers:** Goal was 950; currently at 937. My goal for August is 1,000.
– **Guest post at least 2 times this month:** PASS. Would anyone else like guest posts?
### Extra Monthly Income in June
– **Online Income:** $350
– **Selling Clothes:** $750
– **Mystery Shopping:** $75
– **Rent:** $250
So, I actually made $1,425 extra last month! How did you do in July? Any extra income?