2021
Month | Accomodation | Everyday Purchases | Eating Out | Transport | Fun | Occasional Purchases | Exercise | Other | Education | Productivity | Travel | Donations | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2021 | £960 | £165 | £0 | £0 | £66 | £68 | £0 | £4 | £129 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,402 |
Feb 2021 | £960 | £134 | £31 | £6 | £117 | £68 | £21 | £3 | £129 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,478 |
Mar 2021 | £960 | £184 | £19 | £54 | £66 | £76 | £0 | £3 | £129 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,500 |
Apr 2021 | £960 | £135 | £99 | £29 | £67 | £57 | £11 | £3 | £129 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,500 |
May 2021 | £1,082 | £181 | £133 | £88 | £64 | £57 | £30 | £3 | £129 | £10 | £0 | £0 | £1,778 |
Jun 2021 | £960 | £259 | £129 | £94 | £92 | £91 | £4 | £8 | £129 | £10 | £0 | £0 | £1,776 |
Jul 2021 | £960 | £159 | £111 | £223 | £62 | £57 | £24 | £3 | £129 | £21 | £59 | £0 | £1,809 |
Aug 2021 | £1,088 | £186 | £217 | £118 | £119 | £57 | £25 | £3 | £129 | £18 | £0 | £0 | £1,960 |
Sep 2021 | £960 | £233 | £193 | £45 | £79 | £32 | £20 | £61 | £129 | £17 | £0 | £0 | £1,768 |
Oct 2021 | £974 | £210 | £227 | £118 | £103 | £32 | £0 | £3 | £129 | £22 | £0 | £0 | £1,818 |
Nov 2021 | £904 | £194 | £129 | £42 | £118 | £70 | £5 | £3 | £129 | £17 | £0 | £0 | £1,611 |
Dec 2021 | £1,867 | £283 | £13 | £42 | £102 | £69 | £27 | £11 | £129 | £10 | £0 | £0 | £2,551 |
2021 | £12,635 | £2,321 | £1,301 | £858 | £1,054 | £737 | £168 | £110 | £1,548 | £162 | £59 | £0 | £20,952 |
2020
Month | Accomodation | Everyday Purchases | Eating Out | Transport | Fun | Occasional Purchases | Exercise | Other | Education | Productivity | Travel | Donations | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2020 | £1,291 | £217 | £214 | £69 | £164 | £116 | £66 | £3 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £2,149 |
Feb 2020 | £1,300 | £122 | £197 | £149 | £159 | £51 | £14 | £3 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £2,004 |
Mar 2020 | £1,175 | £185 | £88 | £99 | £159 | £51 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,773 |
Apr 2020 | £1,174 | £164 | £0 | £24 | £58 | £51 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,488 |
May 2020 | £1,152 | £219 | £0 | £24 | £39 | £45 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,494 |
Jun 2020 | £1,129 | £241 | £0 | £24 | £49 | £149 | £4 | £37 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,641 |
Jul 2020 | £960 | £198 | £36 | £24 | £79 | £24 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,338 |
Aug 2020 | £960 | £175 | £119 | £38 | £40 | £33 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,382 |
Sep 2020 | £982 | £145 | £142 | £5 | £96 | £96 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,482 |
Oct 2020 | £960 | £132 | £91 | £20 | £43 | £50 | £4 | £3 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,311 |
Nov 2020 | £960 | £143 | £3 | £20 | £34 | £50 | £0 | £3 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,222 |
Dec 2020 | £960 | £165 | £3 | £0 | £133 | £50 | £0 | £3 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,323 |
2020 | £13,003 | £2,108 | £893 | £494 | £1,055 | £766 | £109 | £72 | £0 | £106 | £0 | £0 | £18,607 |
2019
Month | Accomodation | Everyday Purchases | Eating Out | Transport | Fun | Occasional Purchases | Exercise | Other | Education | Productivity | Travel | Donations | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2019 | £794 | £177 | £125 | £19 | £57 | £70 | £97 | £33 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,380 |
Feb 2019 | £794 | £199 | £89 | £19 | £47 | £32 | £79 | £30 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,298 |
Mar 2019 | £780 | £210 | £100 | £46 | £196 | £10 | £60 | £22 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,431 |
Apr 2019 | £780 | £201 | £135 | £27 | £133 | £10 | £46 | £95 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,433 |
May 2019 | £780 | £164 | £161 | £35 | £155 | £17 | £63 | £47 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,430 |
Jun 2019 | £1,531 | £254 | £56 | £42 | £119 | £75 | £48 | £22 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £2,154 |
Jul 2019 | £1,166 | £288 | £51 | £67 | £88 | £119 | £58 | £22 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £1,874 |
Aug 2019 | £1,149 | £234 | £25 | £198 | £80 | £61 | £43 | £36 | £0 | £12 | £0 | £0 | £1,839 |
Sep 2019 | £1,149 | £259 | £91 | £74 | £325 | £69 | £51 | £20 | £0 | £10 | £0 | £0 | £2,048 |
Oct 2019 | £1,182 | £240 | £73 | £104 | £152 | £61 | £112 | £20 | £0 | £10 | £0 | £0 | £1,954 |
Nov 2019 | £1,273 | £201 | £118 | £122 | £167 | £66 | £100 | £23 | £0 | £20 | £0 | £0 | £2,091 |
Dec 2019 | £1,182 | £276 | £74 | £216 | £63 | £115 | £80 | £3 | £0 | £10 | £0 | £0 | £2,021 |
2019 | £12,561 | £2,703 | £1,097 | £967 | £1,580 | £706 | £839 | £373 | £0 | £127 | £0 | £0 | £20,952 |
2018
Month | Accomodation | Everyday Purchases | Eating Out | Transport | Fun | Occasional Purchases | Exercise | Other | Education | Productivity | Travel | Donations | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2018 | £557 | £81 | £322 | £77 | £272 | £0 | £70 | £47 | £0 | £13 | £0 | £0 | £1,439 |
Feb 2018 | £528 | £89 | £254 | £5 | £43 | £0 | £70 | £22 | £0 | £13 | £0 | £0 | £1,025 |
Mar 2018 | £518 | £52 | £369 | £10 | £52 | £0 | £70 | £22 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,100 |
Apr 2018 | £74 | £36 | £160 | £342 | £45 | £10 | £84 | £130 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £889 |
May 2018 | £651 | £186 | £209 | £223 | £75 | £293 | £32 | £43 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,719 |
Jun 2018 | £716 | £233 | £201 | £93 | £54 | £34 | £62 | £34 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,435 |
Jul 2018 | £691 | £252 | £156 | £8 | £54 | £0 | £133 | £23 | £0 | £19 | £0 | £0 | £1,336 |
Aug 2018 | £676 | £193 | £183 | £43 | £43 | £4 | £125 | £21 | £0 | £20 | £0 | £0 | £1,308 |
Sep 2018 | £794 | £237 | £120 | £36 | £18 | £115 | £46 | £29 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,402 |
Oct 2018 | £794 | £310 | £119 | £23 | £33 | £47 | £68 | £22 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,423 |
Nov 2018 | £794 | £133 | £134 | £28 | £38 | £79 | £46 | £22 | £0 | £8 | £0 | £0 | £1,281 |
Dec 2018 | £794 | £192 | £89 | £120 | £94 | £0 | £58 | £65 | £0 | £9 | £0 | £0 | £1,421 |
2018 | £7,589 | £1,992 | £2,317 | £1,005 | £821 | £582 | £863 | £478 | £0 | £130 | £0 | £0 | £15,776 |
2017
Month | Accomodation | Everyday Purchases | Eating Out | Transport | Fun | Occasional Purchases | Exercise | Other | Education | Productivity | Travel | Donations | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2017 | £279 | £136 | £164 | £293 | £78 | £22 | £25 | £65 | £0 | £122 | £0 | £0 | £1,183 |
Feb 2017 | £407 | £75 | £264 | £973 | £145 | £22 | £55 | £99 | £0 | £77 | £0 | £0 | £2,117 |
Mar 2017 | £522 | £123 | £220 | £428 | £53 | £73 | £47 | £70 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £1,551 |
Apr 2017 | £601 | £88 | £162 | £41 | £52 | £0 | £46 | £125 | £0 | £43 | £0 | £0 | £1,157 |
May 2017 | £522 | £51 | £164 | £36 | £123 | £6 | £18 | £40 | £0 | £24 | £0 | £0 | £983 |
Jun 2017 | £509 | £73 | £107 | £800 | £49 | £114 | £7 | £89 | £0 | £25 | £0 | £0 | £1,774 |
Jul 2017 | £509 | £177 | £203 | £870 | £167 | £63 | £3 | £29 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £2,035 |
Aug 2017 | £513 | £97 | £162 | £58 | £181 | £0 | £3 | £24 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £1,054 |
Sep 2017 | £541 | £114 | £177 | £48 | £240 | £0 | £5 | £24 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £1,166 |
Oct 2017 | £765 | £108 | £261 | £874 | £195 | £27 | £10 | £24 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £2,281 |
Nov 2017 | £727 | £60 | £307 | £221 | £113 | £0 | £75 | £24 | £0 | £16 | £0 | £0 | £1,543 |
Dec 2017 | £531 | £67 | £365 | £64 | £62 | £42 | £70 | £24 | £0 | £26 | £0 | £0 | £1,250 |
2017 | £6,426 | £1,169 | £2,554 | £4,706 | £1,458 | £369 | £365 | £633 | £0 | £414 | £0 | £0 | £18,094 |
Income
These figures should be roughly correct, but I'm still trying to improve the data. Investment returns are averaged across the entire period of the investment.
I'm including Corporation Tax as part of my gross income to make the income more comparable to employment income. I might change this in the future.
Donations
I used to include donations in my personal spending, but I've taken that out now. I'll probably start listing them separately at some point.Bookkeeping
I keep track of things in a plain text file on my phone that looks something like this:
--- january 2018 use rmb 50o starbucks 20e 9.99gbp monthly spotify
This means that in January 2018 I spent 50rmb eating out, spent 20rmb on everyday items (basically means supermarket), and will spend 9.99gbp a month on Spotify (categorized as "Fun").
Using a plaintext file makes it super easy to enter new items. Much simpler than clicking "New", entering a value, selecting a currency, entering category, ....
I then have a Node script that takes the text file and generates CSV report. Email me if you're interested in it.
Categories
I have the following main categories, with some examples of what they contain:
- Accomodation: rent, hotels, AirBnbs, bills
- Transportation: flights, metro tickets, trains, ferries, taxis
- Eating out: restaurants, takeaways, Starbucks, bakeries, any food that is meant to be eaten straight away
- Fun: Chinese lessons, books, theme parks, phone
- Productivity: office rental, Github, domains, backup harddrive, monitor
- Occasional Purchaes: clothes, vaccinations, bed sheets
- Everyday purchases: supermarket items, phone credit, VPN, laundry
- Exercise: gym, swimming, badminton rackets
- Donations: regular donations, leaving leftover currency at the airport
- Other: travel insurance, consular fees
I also have deeper levels of categories like "Everyday Purchases>Haircut" and "Accomodation>Bills>Gas".
For some items I book the cost over several months or years. For example, my phone cost £654 but instead of booking
it as a one-off I depreciate it over 3 years, and book an expense of £18.17 a month.
What should be split over several months? One criterium is, could I could recover a meaningful percentage of the
purchase price
if I sold the item? Or, is the item meant to be consumed over a longer period of time (e.g. gym membership, Chinese
lessons)?
Tracking productivity expenses is a bit tricky. Most of my travel expenses in 2017 were related to travelling to
conferences.
So that could also be tracked as productivity.
You can also see that unlike in October the travel in June and July did not increase my accomodation
costs, because the conferences paid for it.
Any items that either my own company or my current employer pays for also won't be tracked here.