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How a Recession Changes Weekly Spending

May 4, 2009 RSS Feed Print

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About a year ago, Veronica, a grad student in Brooklyn, tracked her spending over 5 days to explore where exactly her money was going. Now, she's done it again. We wanted to know: How does a recession affect the spending habits of a 25-year-old about to finish her grad school program? It turns out her frugal habits haven't changed much, and she took advantage of several gift cards she had received over the holidays. Most of her money went towards food, much of which was eaten at home -- a surefire way to reduce weekly expenditures. (Also helpful: A generous boyfriend.)

Saturday

1:00 PM: $5.70 CVS: birthday card and Gatorade (it was around 90 degrees out and I was hot and thirsty)

10:00 PM: $33.05 Rachel’s Taqueria: 1 beef burrito (that provided ample leftovers), 2 pina coladas (see the aforementioned 90 degree weather), 1 la bamba, tax and tip (My friend and I needed to vent about upcoming graduation, loan repayment, etc.)

Sunday

1:00 PM: $15.01 Key Food: Gallon of milk, gallon of Arizona iced tea, napkins, bag of baby carrots, box of cereal, 2 roma tomatoes (I made a list of what I needed and stuck to it for the most part, the iced tea was the only impulse item)

4:00 PM: $19.80 Associated Supermarkets: 4-pack of chicken breasts, 8-pack of chicken legs, bag of baby carrots, 2 cucumbers, bag of romaine hearts (Boyfriend called, said he was having a BBQ could I pick some things up since he was still trying to finish bottling beer. He paid me back.)

4:10 PM: $15.70 Red, White, and Bubbly: Bottle of NY Riesling to bring over.

Monday

11:45 AM: $2.95 Dunkin Donuts: Medium Iced Tea (I have a gift card, so while I spent 2.95 it wasn’t 2.95 in real money)

Tuesday

1:30 PM: $2.40 Starbucks: Venti Iced Tea (Paid for with gift card)

Wednesday

11:30 AM: $2.10 Starbucks: Grande Iced Passionfruit Tea (paid for with gift card) 10:00 PM: $78.02 Blue Ribbon Brooklyn: 2 prix fixe meals (23 dollars each), 2 glasses of beer (7 dollars each) + tax + tip (I didn’t have cash for the tip so my boyfriend gave me the cash for the meal (65.02) and I charged the meal + tip to my card. I actually paid 13.00 of my own money.)

Total amount spent: $174.73, minus gift card payments ($7.45) and amount reimbursed by boyfriend ($84.82)

Net amount spent: $82.46

Tags:: personal finance

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The money spent on the Riesling was probably well worth it!
Jonathan Hull
www.TheNYRieslingExperience.com

Jonathan Hull of NY 11:09AM May 05, 2009

If you have a stockpile of gift cards, they are NOT money. If I never used them, they'd be worthless like Monopoly money. It's not like I can take my 60 dollars in starbucks gift cards and buy food with them or something...
As to entertaining at home: Most of the time, I do. But this past week was the last week of the extended Restaurant Week. Blue Ribbon is a restaurant that's normally way out of my price range for a 3 course meal, I can't even afford to look at the menu and neither can my boyfriend.
And, one more point: Almost everything I bought for me was on sale at the grocery store...I draw my shopping list from the sales flyer. I can't attest to the stuff I bought for the BBQ. I think some of it was, and some of it wasn't. I was short on time and decided that the extra expense was worth the trade-off.

veronica of NY 5:39PM May 04, 2009

Since when are gift cards not money. They are the same as. Like was said before, make your own tea. Stop eating out, entertain at home.Who needs donuts? Buy only what is on special at the grocers. There is a lot to learn beyond grad school

Jane Rowland of AZ 2:48PM May 04, 2009