Travel + Finance Update: April + May 2012

TRAVEL

• Trip costs: $163.00
  • Amtrak: $43.20
    • Birmingham, AL – Hattiesburg, MS
  • Greyhound: $19.99
    • Atlanta, GA – Birmingham, AL
  • Enterprise Rent-a-Car: $84.81
    • Thanks to a $9.99/day Weekend Special! (no longer available :(
    • Gasoline
  • Car rides: $5
    • Hattiesburg – Gulfport, MS
  • Metro: $10
    • Atlanta MARTA
• Hacking Actions
  • First class on Amtrak, from New Orleans-El Paso: 15,000 points
    • My own sleeper car and all meals included!
  • In a true bonehead move, I did not meet the Chase Sapphire spending threshold. Buy-bye 50K Ultimate Reward points. Le sigh…
    • Here’s how I reframed: the good news is I don’t even charge $1000/month! (the bad news is: I don’t even charge $1000/month!! :)
• Current Points (selected accounts)
  • American Airlines: 22,928
  • Amtrak: 22,917
  • British Airways: 107,464
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards: 2888
  • Club Carlson: 54,125
  • Starwood: 26,844
  • United (Continental): 26,191
  • TOTAL: 263,357
    • Last month: 276,210
    • Difference: -12,853
• Open Credit Cards
  • Starwood Preferred Guest AmEx (Personal)
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred
  • Continental OnePass (no longer available)
  • REI Visa
• Credit Score
  • These scores are reported by two separate credit agencies. A credit union I use provides the Equifax score as an included service, and I signed up with Credit Karma (free) to obtain the TransUnion score. Since the numbers are so similar, you really only need information from one agency.
  • Equifax: 765, as of 5/25/12 
    • Last month: 765
    • Difference: 0 points
  • TransUnion: 745, as of 5/27/12 
    • Last month: 758
    • Difference: -13 points
  • Context: between 700 and 850 – very good or excellent credit score

EXPENSES IN APRIL

• Food: $402.36
  • Average cost/day: $13.41
  • Eating
    • Groceries: $241.57
    • Dining Out: $160.79
  • Total
    • Last Month: $394.81
    • Difference: +$7.55
• Travel: $163.00
  • (see above)
  • Last Month: $314.34
  • Difference: -$151.34
• Lodging: $0
  • Last Month: $0
  • Difference: $0
    
• Nomad Life: $39.46
  • Park entrance, Postcards, Stamps, Sleeping Bag + Pillow (re-sold to a Couchsurfing host)
  • Last Month: $13.60
  • Difference: +$25.86
• Cell Phone: $81.48
  • Verizon Wireless and unlimited Skype
  • Last Month: $82.71
  • Difference: -$1.23
• Entertainment: $8
  • Last Month: $13
  • Difference: -$5
• Health: $161.21
  • Last Month: $156.00
  • Difference: +$5.21
• Technology: $433.71
  • Boomerang for Gmail, new Hard Drive (750 GB) for computer, RAM upgrade, Headphones, iMovie Upgrade, Adobe InDesign Upgrade, Mozy Online Backup Upgrade
  • Last month: $2.99
  • Difference: +$430.72
• Other: $15.50
  • Haircut
  • Last month: $0
  • Difference: +$15.50

•  Total Expenses: $1304.72

  • Last Month: $977.45
  • Difference: +$342.27
    • Many of the Technology expenses are one-time