The Month In Review

This first month, you could argue, was a failure. The challenge of $10 a day was not met. My average spending from July 1 to July 31 was $11.01. One thousand one hundred and one cents per day over the past 31 days. But if the challenge is actually ten dollars a day in New York City then we have to do a bit of adjusting. See by removing the expenses incurred on the Chicago trip, those clams shelled from the moment I stepped on the plane to O'Hare and off the plane from Cincinnati, my daily spending in the hollowed confines of the greater New York metropolitan area drops to $8.64 per day. And that my friends, you could argue, is a success. But more important than how much I did or didn't spend is what I actually did.

This month I saw a concerts performed by Spoon, The New York Philharmonic, Cinematic Orchestra, and I overheard Brazilian Girls. That's more music than the previous 6 months if not the previous year.

I shared a drink with Patton Oswald, a greeting with Junior Soprano, and a few delicious meals with friends.

I took the Congressional Food Stamp Challenge and did pretty well for what it was worth, though I did bitch a lot. That's what happens when you're hungry. It was a true moment of perspective, a glimpse at the rage and frustration that comes from being on government assistance.

I saw my friends get married. Just stand in front of each other and say "This is it. I'm done looking." That still kind of blows me away.

I ate a salad made from wild weeds, fell in love with belly dancers, narrowly escaped exploding steam pipes, witnessed the fall of Voldemort, and drank to the health of friends both new and old.

This is where I live, this is what I do. This is the Gotham Frugal.

This is the breakdown.

Starting Balance: -$46.25

In: $10

Out: $0

Balance: -$36.25