The weekend. I figured it was going to be tough going into it but I suppose I'm partially to blame for that.

Friday - 8/3/2007
Large iced coffee - $.95
Lunch (Office buys lunch on Fridays) - $0
Dinner - Halal food from street vendor - $5
Ticket to Bourne Ultimatum - $11
Total = $16.95 | Total for week = $50.45 ($14.75 overbudget)

Saturday - 8/4/2007
No Breakfast (not on purpose)
No Lunch (not on purpose)
Snack - (it was brought over) Cherries & Wine $0
Dinner - Um... $38
Total = $38 | Total for week = $88.45 ($45.61 overbudget)

Sunday - 8/5/2007
Grocery Store - $34.34
Breakfast - $0
Afternoon snack (leftovers from dinner on Saturday) - $0
Dinner - Ramen noodles and egg - $0
Total = $34.34
| Total for week = $122.79 ($72.79 overbudget)

Ammendment to Wednesday: Dinner out - $41

Grand Total for week = $163.79 ($113.79 overbudget)


Ouch. Needless to say, I crashed and burned. There are obviously external reasons why some costs were on there. I'll honestly say that it was within my control but I'd be doing no one a service to sit here and explain why or how. I choose to live one of the most expensive cities in the world and it's by choice. Sticker shock is part of life here and frankly... it's worth the damn price of admission.

Everything I spent is listed including a hefty sum I left out from Wednesday. It's all on here in full, painful, disclosure.

Here's what I've learned:

$50 is a reasonable amount to spend if:
You don't plan on eating out and have groceries ready.
You are savvy in the kitchen.
You prefer being a hermit.
Your date doesn't mind paying.
You live on a completely self-sustaining farm with free labor.

$50 is an unreasonable amount to spend if:
You maintaining any type of social activity.
You go on a date and plan to pay.
You have no food in your refridgerator.
You live anywhere, including New York.
You are me.

This entry was posted by eric yang, on Monday, August 06, 2007. You can leave your response.