October 2023 Expenses | 2023年十月消费总结

好久不见的消费总结系列！这个月因为开始用YNAB (You Need A Budget)，复盘也变得超级简单，所以1号就可以和大家分享十月的消费啦！这个月感觉两个人的生活渐渐步入正轨，消费方面因为重新开始记账也清晰了很多。目前我们采用的是家庭3个budget，一个是共同预算gugufam，我和家属都有自己各自的预算。共同消费的收入部分从我们的工资按比例直接direct deposit放进joint checking account，为了便利，支出只用两张信用卡。一张是可以付房租水电气网费的BILT rewards card（都设置成自动扣款正好也可以达到每月最少5次消费的要求），另一张Capital One Venture X则用于剩余的所有共同生活开销。

这个月为了知道俩人最真实的开销，再加上我卖车放了一部分钱作为家庭emergency fund，所以并没有在任何类别节制消费，最终花了$6,613，这其中还包含$1K给家人的红包，和走FSA的医疗费用，所以正常开销大概$5K出头，大致在我预计的范围内。我看了一眼去年11月我自己一个人就花了$4800感觉还是挺合理的……

家属这个月初把各种utilities账单付款方式换成了BILT。相对中西部，纽约的utilities着实吓到了我们。过去几年我们都在家属大家庭的手机plan里没有付过手机账单，既然两个人都开始挣钱了就决定由我们俩共同支付6个人家庭plan的费用。

交通方面，目前偶尔俩人坐公共交通进城就用我的pre-tax transit card。日常开车也少了很多，目前共用车的支出还在家属的预算里。

吃的话$1K出头也比较符合预期，我们俩分开一个人大概一个月也要600-700刀。现在工作日俩人一起吃就只有一顿晚餐，我有时候顺便多做点给自己带午餐便当。家属有免费工作午餐，下班了自己打green smoothie补充维生素。俩人同居反而在吃上互相督促会吃得更健康一些，工作日晚餐可以在家吃就尽量不外食，我们一起逛costco还会互相劝导不要买不健康的大包装零食……

Gugu类别是雪貂的相关费用（因为雪貂开心的时候会发出“咕咕咕“的声音），YNAB比较“聪明”的点是可以建立不同的saving goal，然后每个月就会告诉你这个月需要为这个saving goal分配多少预算，保证先满足这些更重要的花销。也方便随时查看特定saving攒到哪个阶段了。像我们现在就给雪貂开了专门emergency fund预算，毕竟雪貂作为exotic pet，一旦生病兽医的费用非常高昂。

Gugu Home则是人类小家庭支出，比如租房保险（家属找到了超级便宜的！）、共用的日用品（家属很爱买日用品基本他负责添置我负责确保家里不变成小卖部）、添置的家具和家里的装饰等。

Goals类别下是我们小家庭不同的saving goals，比如家庭emergency fund、度假基金、未来某一样大笔的消费。

Quality of Life下就是一些文娱活动和YNAB的年费（已入邪教，多用几个月再写安利文）。

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我自己的部分大致和以往一致，唯一的区别是加入了Bakery的开销，今年估计也不会盈利，但是考虑到报税的需求，每一笔支出都有认真记录。

我的外食开销的确因为午餐好吃的选择太多而高了很多。secret shop通常在餐费报销之外还会给$15-$25不等的bonus，也算是补贴了一点餐费。

这个月重新开了classpass上体育课。5刀的trial不要白不要，一共上了4节课感觉羊毛薅尽。

衣橱方面上班后开了rent the runway 10-item plan。一是纽约处处有shopping诱惑，根据我对自己六年的服饰类消费分析，大部分消费第二年都有点没那么喜欢了；二是还有点摸不准从开车转换成坐公共交通通勤要怎么穿衣（比如以前开车通勤还算舒服的鞋都经不起狂走一万多步和赶公交的考验了）；三是上班太苦了总得有点起床的盼头吧！以前在中西部如果稍微穿得认真一点就有overdress之嫌，但是在纽约无人在意就很开心！

虽说有租衣服，这个月还是买了不少……因为正好需要寄播客周边，就顺便在淘宝上买了美国优衣库没有的条纹衫和一条羊毛裤子（petite身高RTR比较难租裤子）。

搬家后文娱方面一下子丰富了好多，跟着友邻象友们去了《Sales之死》中英话剧和海外中国记者的对谈panel（第一次在现场听到袁莉的声音很奇妙！），每次回家的路上依旧感叹美国有多少地方能给我这样的经历。

希望借助着YNAB这个系列能继续更新下去，好久没有这种更新博客的快感了！无论是不是互联网垃圾，创作这件事本身就令我很快乐~

Capital One Venture X 高年费信用卡值不值 【2025年更新】

今年五月回国前买机票的时候申了我的第一张高年费（$395）信用卡Capital One Venture X，用了快半年感觉体验非常不错，已经将这张卡升级为家庭共同支出信用卡，所以想详细分享一下这张信用卡的体验感（薅到的羊毛）。

1. 开卡奖励 75k miles

当时买俩人的回国机票一次性达到了开卡三个月$4000消费得75k miles的要求，加上旅行期间杂七杂八的消费很快积攒了100k miles。普通消费都有2X返点，而且没有foreign transaction fee，所以出国旅游我也是一直用这张卡。

2. 每年$300的travel credit + 10k 里程

首笔机票消费10天后就收到了第一年的$300 travel credit。唯一要注意的是机票酒店需要通过Capital One travel portal来预定，我个人觉得平台使用还挺顺滑的，价格也和我在google flights上看到的基本持平。通过Capital One平台预定机票有5X返点，酒店、租车有10X返点，积攒里程特别快。每年续年费之后还会得到额外的10k miles。

3. Capital One Lounges 休息室

回国的时候很凑巧正好经过达拉斯，是当时唯一一个有Capital One Lounge的机场。回来路上发现DC的差不多建好了。之前办卡前就在YouTube上看了lounge的饭，分量都很小很精致。我们当时是早上飞机所以就简单吃了个早饭（早餐选择），饮品有La Colombe Oatmilk Latte很好喝。着急的话也有很多to go的选择，在机场物价的对比下很美好。Lounge每次都可以免费带两个guests，还可以给家人办（免费）附属卡，他们可以自己单独去。截至2025年七月全美有五家Capital One Lounges（JFK, LAS, DCA, IAD, DEN），如果正好这些城市的机场刚好是你的始发地，也可以剩下不少机场餐厅的钱。

（2025.6 更新：从2026年2月1日起，附属卡用户不再自动享用机场休息室的福利。持卡人需要支付每年每位$125的费用添加贵宾室使用权）

4. Priority Pass （价值$99）

免费的PP旗下机场休息室，美国的休息室比较鸡肋。我用到过比较神奇的服务是JFK机场的VIP ONE Lounge提供的Fast Track Security Lane，工作人员会带着你插队过安检（I人尝试过一次心理压力极大，以后应该还是用TSA PreCheck，但是没有TSA PreCheck又赶时间的话很值得使用这个服务）。亚洲机场的休息室的餐食会相对好一些，像香港、台北、东京机场的休息室还可以冲个澡再登机。

5. 报销 Global Entry ($100) 或者 TSA Pre Check ($85)

Venture X 每四年可以报销上至$100的Global Entry 或 TSA PreCheck申请费。只需要申请时用这张卡付款，我在付款5天后就收到了statement credit。

6. 退货保护 Return Protection

之前买到不合适的final sale衣服试着用了一次。退货保护适用于商家不接受退货的情况，现在打折后普遍是final sale，用这张卡能稍微给自己留一个退路。购买90天内提交订单和退货政策到claim center即可。但是注意的是寄回的邮费需要自付，所以太重的东西不确定是否合适还是不买比较好。

7. Capital One Offer 返现

把这张卡升级为家庭共同支出卡后发现capital one offer也挺好用的，返现里程倍数比我同场用的cash back网站（例如rakuten）要高出不少。里程打入账户的速度也相对更快。

8. 客服

有任何羊毛的问题我都是直接打客服电话，客服基本base在美国（他们一接起电话都会主动提自己的坐标哈哈哈）不考验听力。

总体而言，我个人觉得这张高年费信用卡在每年至少出行一次的情况下非常值得，因为使用感很好甚至还开了Capital One 360 Checking Account作为joint checking account（目前还有$350开卡bonus）。但是我有看到坊间传言太会薅信用卡羊毛用户比较难通过Venture X的申请，

如果有需要开卡75k miles bonus referral的朋友欢迎通过下方链接申请。

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(English version translated by ChatGPT)

Is the Capital One Venture X Card Worth Its Hefty Annual Fee?

In May 2023, before returning to my home country, I applied for my first high annual fee ($395) credit card, the Capital One Venture X. After using it for almost half a year, I found the experience to be excellent. I have upgraded this card to a joint household spending credit card and would like to share my detailed experience with this credit card.

1. Sign-up Bonus of 75k miles

At that time, purchasing round-trip tickets for two people to return to the country met the requirement of spending $4000 in the first 3 months, earning 75k miles. Additionally, dining and shopping expenses during the trip allowed me to redeem $1000 worth of travel rewards. Regular expenses yield 2X points, and there are no foreign transaction fees, making it my go-to card during travels.

2. $300 Annual Travel Credit + 10k miles

I received the first year's $300 travel credit just 10 days after the initial ticket purchase. It's important to note that flights and hotels need to be booked through the Capital One travel portal. I found the platform to be smooth to use, with prices comparable to those on Google Flights. Booking flights through the platform earns 5X points, while hotel and car rental bookings earn 10X points, enabling rapid mileage accumulation. There's also a 10k mile bonus upon card renewal each year.

3. Capital One Lounges

Coincidentally, I passed through Dallas when I returned to my home country, the only airport with a Capital One Lounge at the time. I found that the Capital One lounge in Washington Dulles International Airport was nearly completed on my return journey. I had watched reviews of the lounge on YouTube before applying for the card, and the servings were small but exquisite. Since we had a morning flight, we enjoyed a simple breakfast with good options. The La Colombe Oatmilk Latte was particularly delicious. In case of urgency, there were many to-go options. The lounge allows two guests for free each time. Venture X also permits family members to have their own supplementary card for free, enabling them to visit the lounge independently. As of July 2025, there are five Capital One Lounges across the U.S. (JFK, LAS, DCA, IAD, DEN). If any of these airports happen to be your departure point, you could save quite a bit on airport dining.

(June 2025 Update: Starting February 1, 2026, additional cardholders will no longer automatically have airport lounge access. The primary cardholder must pay $125 per year per person to add lounge access for them.)

4. Priority Pass ($99 value)

Priority Pass airport lounges are quite underwhelming in the United States. One rather impressive service I've used is the Fast Track Security Lane offered by the VIP ONE Lounge at JFK Airport. The staff will escort you through security first. (I've used it once and felt quite anxious, so I think I'll stick with TSA PreCheck in the future. However, if you don't have TSA PreCheck and are in a hurry, this service is definitely worth using.) The food in airport lounges in Asia tends to be better. At the lounge in Taipei Airport, you can even take a shower.

5. Reimbursement for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85)

You can receive up to a $100 statement credit on your application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Simply use your eligible travel card to pay the application fee when you apply to become a member of either program. This benefit is only open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents.

6. Return Protection

I once used the return protection when I bought some final sale clothes that didn't fit. The return protection applies to cases where the merchant does not accept returns. Nowadays, sales are often final, but using this card provides a bit of a safety net. You can submit orders within 90 days of purchase and the return policy to the claim center. However, please note that you need to pay for the return shipping, so it's better not to buy anything too heavy if you are unsure.

7. Capital One Offers

After upgrading this card to our household shared expenses card, I found that Capital One Offers are actually quite useful—the cashback miles multiplier is noticeably higher than what I get from cashback sites like Rakuten. Plus, the miles are credited to the account relatively faster.

8. Customer Service

For any benefit-related queries, I always directly call customer service. The customer service is primarily based in the United States, making communication smooth.

Overall, I believe that this Capital One Venture X credit card is highly valuable for anyone who travels at least once a year. The user experience is excellent, and I even opened a Capital One 360 Checking Account as a joint checking account (currently with a $350 sign-up bonus). However, I have noticed that some people find it challenging to apply for this card, especially those who are adept at maximizing credit card benefits.

If you need the 75k miles sign-up bonus referral, feel free to use my link below!