Skipping May

Hi, everyone! 

I just wanted to let you know that you won't be hearing much from me in May, for a few reasons.

1.)  I will have house guests for a good part of the month, which will keep me busy!
2.) It has been raining non-stop for weeks now.  When/if it ever stops, I am going to have serious 'catch-up' to do in my yard and garden.
3.) My birthday is in May and that tends to keep me extra busy, too!

Therefore, while I will still be tracking my expenses, I will probably only report it all at the end of the month in my monthly recaps (and yes, I know I still owe you an April recap). 

Also, I am suspending the $50 Grocery Budget Challenge in May as my with feeding extra people (house guests), specifically ones with special dietary requirements, makes my $50 budget seem a little unrealistic.  But I will be starting that up again in June, so not to worry!

So anyway, if you don't hear much from me in May please don't worry.  I will post when I can and I am still lurking and will be back with gusto in June!

And if you still want to read daily money saving tips, you can visit my other site, 'The Single Saver.'

Gas (up, up and away....)

Should I be thankful that gas is still under $4.00 a gallon here?  Today I spent $66.02 filling up my tank.  Gas was $3.89 a gallon.  I wish that $66 would last me longer than 8-10 days. 

I'm doing something right!

I just realized my electric company has a really cool feature where you answer a series of questions (home size, # of floors, # of people in your home, types of appliances, heating, etc.) and they will compare your most recent month's electric usage to those of houses near you that have similar criteria.  Guess what, I am using much less electricity than those I was compared against!  Check out the graphic, below:

And here is the graph for the annual use!  Even better!

After being so careful, and being discouraged that the bills weren't lower, it makes me feel good to know at least I way on the low side of energy usage compared to my neighbors!  I must be doing some things right!

Look at all this money I've spent!

Okay, I haven't done a lot of overboard spending.  Most of these items are just way overdue to be reported here.  Tracking my expenses has been rewarding, but it sure is hard work to remember to actually do it!  

Mortgage = $880.79

Car Payment = $350.00

Long Term Saving and Investment (not including my 401K contributions) = $325.00

Gasoline = $61.33 (gas was $3.85/gal) and $66.08 (gs was $3.78/gal)

Cable/Internet - $105.79 (completely ridiculous... and I have the relatively cheap plans, too!)

Trash - $55 (I got a $2 discount this quarter because they forgot to pick up my recycling this week)

Water Bill - $25.98

Sewer Bill - $22

Gas/Heat Bill - $51

Phone - $30.33

Pet Food - $30.33

Vet Bill - $92.11 (One of my dogs steps on something in the yard that went through her food and she was also due for her shots... my other dog goes this Saturday for her shots, too, so expect more vet expenses this month)

Misc. Stuff From Walgreens - $30.69

I bought myself a toy - a tablet so I can use my computer at work like a touch pad on a laptop - I bought it used on eBay for... - $19.04

Postage (to mail my taxes) - $12.03

Business Expenses - $10 and $50

Yard Care Company - $28.78

Spent $37.17 at Walmart - which is broken down to $23.39 for clothes and $13.78 for misc. (batteries and TP)

I spent $6.08 on material, which will be turned into a top when I get around to making it, so I will categorize this expense under "clothing." 

That's a lot of spending and the month isn't over yet.  But, other than the little tablet I bought, I can't say any of the rest was unavailable.  

The best $25 I have spent this month....

As you may recall, last Fall my family went through a minor cancer scare.  One close relative was diagnosed with melanoma (luckily early and still treatable) - which resulted in me having to get scanned, myself.  In my case, they did three biopsies and two came back as pre-cancerous things that were "on its way to melanoma, just not there yet," as the doctor described it. 


This resulted in quite a few medical bills for me, but really a small price to pay to get those "things" removed before they got worse.


Tuesday I went to the doctor for a new skin scan, as I now have to do every 6 months.  I paid my $25 co-pay, got scanned, and was told there was nothing that needed removed this time and I could come back in another 6 months!  Woo hoo!  

Even though nothing was found this time, I think the $25 was the best money I have spent in awhile.  It is important to take preventative measures to take care of ourselves.  I still have a few spots on the "watch list" and by getting them checked out regularly we can catch anything as it develops before it gets out of control. 

Food Costs, They Are A Risin'

Sigh.

I went to Aldi yesterday.  Regular readers here know how much I love Aldi.  It seems they have raised their prices in the last couple weeks.  Milk was up $0.30.  Lettuce was up $0.20.  Other items were up $0.10.  It doesn't seem like a lot, but it all adds up.  

I was talking to a friend at work about this.  I said that I already eat very frugally.  Now how am I supposed to cut back from frugal?  It is so frustrating.  

Anyway, I ended up spending $23.63.  Here is what I bought:

• loaf of wheat bread
• 2 lbs bananas
• 1 bag frozen California Medley
• 1 box fish sticks

• 2 cans tomato soup

• 1 can green beans

• 1 can peas

• 2 lbs squash

• 1 lb tomaotes

• mustard

• 1 box of four CADBURY CREME EGGS (score!)

• 1 gallon skim milk

• 1 lb broccoli

• 1 head of lettuce

• 5 lbs navel oranges

• 1 box of spaghetti

• 1 lb of kiwi fruit

I know that is still a lot of food for a small amount of money, but I sure did feel the rise in prices.  For the first time in a long time I felt really limited while I was shopping.  For instance, I wanted some grapes but they were $3 for a package.  I ended up getting the oranges instead, even though I really would have preferred the grapes, because I knew they were a much better deal for the money and were on sale for a great price.  I also noticed that the cans of tomato soup seemed suspiciously smaller.  Most packaging seems smaller anymore.  Why must they do that?  I'd rather they kept the sizes the same and just raised the prices if they really needed to.  Instead, I feel like they are trying to trick us.  Sigh.

Today we went out to lunch for a coworker's birthday.  I spent $5 (cheap Mexican + coupon = half off lunch!) on lunch for myself and pitched in $2.50 towards her meal (classified under gift expenses).

That means so far this month I have spend $28.63 on food for myself and have $21.37 left to spend (plus any of my surplus from the previous three months should it come to that).  

March Spending Recap

Below is where my money went in March:

Mortgage = $880.79

Car Payment = $350.00

Long Term Saving and Investment (not including my 401K contributions) = $325.00

Gasoline = $232.44

Phones/Cable/Internet = $190.73

Utilities (heat, electric, sewer, water) = $177.98

Car Insurance = $165.00

Business = $99.00

Car Maintenance = $95.35

Medical = $80 (Had a prescription filled and forgot to post it – sorry!)

Hair Cut = $54

Car Registration = $49.87

Groceries = $48.35

Pet Expenses = $47.73

Entertainment = $20

Charity = $16.00

Stamps = $7.92

Misc. = $3.01

TOTAL SPENT = $2,843.17

Reflection: Not one of my better months, but mainly it is just because of the timing of how some expenses fell.  I had some business expenses, car registration, car insurance, and some car maintenance all fall at once.  Plus my hair cut and prescription refill hit at the same time.  So lots of expenses that are not monthly expenses all hit at once.  

April doesn’t look much better with some very expenses scheduled plus I found out I need $200 worth of work done on my car – but I really can’t complain as I really haven’t had to spend much on this car over the years.

Aldi Keeps Me Under Budget - And I Have A Question For You!

Let's review where I stand in my $50 challenge.  If you are following along on my $50 a month grocery challenge, here are the stats:  I carried $29.83 cash over from January and February into March and added it to the $50 that is budgeted, of which I have already spent $25.85.  That means, I have $53.98 to spend in March. 

Last week I went to Aldi and spent $22.50.  I actually spent quite a bit more than I would have liked, due to having to feed dinner and snacks to 6 people last weekend.  That really caused me to spend more than usual!  We had pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, fruit, and chips for the main meal.

Anyway, here is what I bought:

1 bag potato chips

1 bag of cookies

3 boxes macaroni and cheese 

1 cantaloupe

1 bag of red potatoes

3 kiwis

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

2.5 lbs chicken breasts

1 gallon skim milk

1 can sweet peas

1 can spinach

1 can diced tomatoes

1 loaf whole wheat bread

2 packages hamburger buns

1 lb baby carrots

I spent $48.35 total in March and added another $1.65 into the carry over pile.  That brings my three month carry over total to $31.68.

NOW HERE'S MY QUESTION:  I had originally pledged to do the $50 a month grocery challenge for three months and it worked out great!  Should I extend it into April?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Gas and a Great Deal at Rite Aid

Yesterday I spent $1.04 at Rite Aid and bought a container of Excedrin and 2 bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide.  I got a great deal because I was able to use two coupons and a BOGO deal... otherwise my total would have been closer to $10!

Not such a good deal was my gas purchase.  Gas is $3.65 a gallon here and it cost me $61.52 to fill up the tank.  Ouch!

More Spending

I am learning something from this little experiment of mine - I am a lousy record keeper!  Somehow, I always fall behind in reporting my expenses here.  It isn't that I don't care, it is just that I never seem to have all my receipts in one place!  I am finishing month five of this year-long experiment.  Going forward, instead of posting expenses as they occur (which isn't working right now, and I can see it getting even harder to do as the weather gets nicer and I am spending more time outside) I may try to post once a week.  The great thing about a blog like this is that I can make up my own rules. 

I find keeping up with the daily schedule at The Single Saver much easier because it does not involve tracking down my receipts!  LOL! 

Anyway, here are a couple weeks worth of expenses.  I also have the results of a shopping trip, which I will try to post later today.

Car Payment - $350.00

Electric - $79.00

Water Bill - $25.98

Sewer Bill - $22.00

Donation - $6.00 and $10.00

Stamps - $7.92

Walmart - $8.74 ($6.77 for pet expenses and $1.97 for misc.)

Car Maintenance - $95.35

Gas - $62.13 and $55.98

Car Insurance - $165.00

Conference Registration (I will categorize this under 'business expense') - $89.00

Cell Phone Bill - $54.78

Domain Registration ('business expense') - $10.00

Car Registration - $49.87

Cable/Internet - $105.62 (grrr... this keeps going up)

Free Closet Organization

Hi everyone!  I posted a fun article on my other site, The Single Saver, that I think you all may enjoy.  It details how I did a closet reorganization for free!

http://www.thesinglesaver.com/2011/03/organize-your-closet-for-free.html

Grocery Spending - Can I stay within budget?

Let's review where I stand in my $50 challenge.  If you are following along on my $50 a month grocery challenge, here are the stats:  I carried $29.83 cash over from January and February into March and added it to the $50 that is budgeted.  That means, I have $79.83 to spend in March. 

I went to Aldi recently and did some shopping.  I bought:

* dozen eggs
* head of lettuce
* pound of Roma tomatoes
* Box of 12 lasagna rolls
*1 bottle light Ranch dressing
* 1 box Saltine crackers
* pound of butter
* bottle of apple juice
* 6 Tilapia fillets
* 2 pounds bananas
* 2 pounds broccoli
* 3 kiwi fruits
* pound of baby carrots
* 1 tin of sardines
* 1 box Macaroni and Cheese
* 1 package flour tortillas

How much did I spend?  $25,85.  Did I mention how much I love Aldi?

So that means I have $53.98 left to spend this month.  

Don't forget to check out The Single Saver for money-saving tips!

(Linked at Frugal Follies.)

What did I eat last week?

While I am taking part in my $50 a month spent on food grocery challenge, I will be documenting what I eat each week. Some people have expressed concerns that I can't possible eat enough on just $50 a month. I hope this type of documentation puts their fears to rest.

March 6

Breakfast/Lunch - eggs, tomatoes, toast, apple juice

Dinner - shrimp friend rice with broccoli and carrots, salad, milk

March 7

Breakfast - cereal and milk

Lunch - leftover shrimp fried rice with broccoli and carrots

Dinner - leftover mac and cheese, carrots, milk

March 8

Breakfast - banana with PB

Lunch - leftover shrimp fried rice with broccoli and carrots

Dinner - lasagna rolls, salad, apple sauce, milk

March 9

Breakfast - toast and PB

Lunch - leftover lasagna roll, salad, apple sauce

Dinner -  wheat pasta with broccoli and sauce, milk

March 10

Breakfast - banana with PB

Lunch -  wheat pasta with broccoli and sauce, milk

Dinner - tomato soup and grilled cheese, carrots, milk

March 11

Breakfast - toast and PB

Lunch -  turkey sandwich wrap with lettuce and tomatoes

Dinner - mac and cheese, carrots, milk, ice cream

March 12

Breakfast/Lunch - eggs, potatoes, biscuits, and country fried steak
Dinner - banana/PB sandwich, milk, carrots, ice cream with sliced bananas

Food Waste Friday

Saving Food Saves Money

Spending money wisely also means not wasting it... and that includes not wasting food. So, each week I will give you an opportunity to document what food is needlessly wasted and report it here. Alternately, you may wish to instead highlight the ways you saved food this week! Feel free to leave me a comment with your own food waste/save story, or link to your blog using the widget, below.

After two good weeks of no food waste, I am afraid this week wasn't quite so good.  I had a little lettuce and also 203 ounces of cheddar cheese. I especially hate having to waste cheese as it is one of my favorite foods!

How did you do?
Also linking this post at The Single Saver and The Frugal Girl.

March Spending Updates - Can you believe it is already March 8th?

Two posts within an hour... this has got to be a record for me! Here are some spending updates for the start of March:

Mortgage Payment = $880.79
When I built my house I put 30% down and got a really low interest rate, so I feel pretty comfortable with my monthly payments. My payment includes my property taxes, but not insurance as I pay that separately through my insurance company. I do try to pay a little extra towards my payments when I can.

Money Market Contribution = $125
I have a higher interest money market account through my stock broker. Basically, I use this account as my 'long term emergency only' savings account. Periodically I will also use it if I want to purchase a stock or other investment. I contribute $125 monthly to this account. It is automatically deducted so I can't "forget" to do it and go shopping instead. :)

IRA Contribution = $200
I contribute $200 monthly to my IRA account, which is automatically deducted.

Gas (Heat) Bill = $51.00

I am now on budgeted billing so this is the same every month.

Phone Bill = $30.33

Still wish I had the guts to cut my land line....

Hair Cut - $54.00

Petsmart - $40.96
Got a bag of cat food, two bags of dog food, and a bag of dog treats (and used several coupons).

Gas - $52.81
Gas was #3.49 a gallon when I did that fill-up.

Social Event - $20
Went to a social event with a group of people from work; the cost was $20 but at least it included food!

$50 a Month Grocery Challenge - February Update

If you are following along on my $50 a month grocery challenge, here are the stats for February: I started the month with $50 cash + $15.31 cash and $23 in Rite Aid UPS Rewards carried over from January). I now have $29.83 cash left.

What I didn't spend in February I will carry over into March, which will give me a nice reserve. That means I will have $79.83 to spend in March.

Here is what my grocery money was spent on (including restaurant meals and food I got for free via coupons)

Groceries

• 1 gallon skim milk

• 1 dozen eggs

• 2 packages of beef hot dogs

• 1 pound ground beef

• 6 oz. container of crab meat

• 1 pound butter

• 1 bag cheese ravioli

• 3 pounds long grain rice

• 8 oz. bar of cheddar cheese

• 3 kiwis

• 1 bag of baby carrots

• 1 head of lettuce

• 2 pounds of bananas

• 2 pounds of grapes

• 1 pound roma tomatoes

• 1 can green beans

• 1 bottle hot sauce

• 2 boxes mac and cheese

• 1 loaf Italian bread

• 6-pack of raisons

• 1 bottle of apple juice

• 3 containers of Edy's ice cream

Restaurant Food

• lobster bisque

• turkey panini

• frippes

• 3 bagels (free)

• 4 taco bell tacos (free)

• cake (won at a charity dinner event)

And don't forget to head on over to The Single Saver for some great money-saving tips!

What did I eat last week?

While I am taking part in my $50 a month spent on food grocery challenge, I will be documenting what I eat each week. Some people have expressed concerns that I can't possible eat enough on just $50 a month. I hope this type of documentation puts their fears to rest.

February 27

Breakfast/Lunch - eggs, tomatoes, toast, apple juice

Dinner - mac and cheese, sardines, salad, apple sauce, milk, cake

February 28

Breakfast - cereal and milk

Lunch - leftover mac and cheese, grapes

Dinner - PB&J sandwich, grapes, carrots, cake

March 1

Breakfast - cereal with milk

Lunch - leftover mac and cheese, grapes

Dinner - bakes spaghetti, salad, apple sauce, milk, cake

March 2

Breakfast - cereal with milk

Lunch - leftover bakes spaghetti, apple sauce

Dinner - tacos with lettuce and tomatoes, milk, cake

March 3

Breakfast - cereal with milk

Lunch - leftover bakes spaghetti, apple sauce

Dinner - homemade egg drop soup, carrots, milk, cake

March 4

Breakfast - protein bar (free from Atkins)

Lunch - leftover homemade egg drop soup, carrots

Dinner - spinach fettuccine with tomatoes and artichokes and a pine nut cream sauce, soda

March 5

Breakfast - cake (yeah, yeah... I know....)
Lunch - toast with peanut butter, carrots
Dinner - shrimp friend rice with broccoli and carrots, milk, ice cream

Food Waste Friday

Spending money wisely also means not wasting it... and that includes not wasting food. So, each week I will give you an opportunity to document what food is needlessly wasted and report it here. Alternately, you may wish to instead highlight the ways you saved food this week! Feel free to leave me a comment with your own food waste/save story, or link to your blog using the widget, below.

This was week two of no food waste for me! I had to get creative with some food though and made tacos on Thursday to use up some odds and ends.

How did you do?

Leave a comment, or head on over to The Single Saver to link up!

February Spending Recap

Below is where my money went in February:

Mortgage = $880.79

Car Payment = $350.00

Long Term Saving and Investment (not including my 401K contributions) = $325.00

Medical Expenses (appointments, medicines, etc.) = $226.26

Phones/Cable/Internet = $180.65

Utilities (heat, electric, sewer, water) = $177.98

Gasoline = $140.86

Groceries = $35.48

Pet Expenses = $28.82

Gifts = $18.69

Business = $10.00

Charity = $9.50

Car Maintenance = $2.75

Misc. = $1.48

TOTAL SPENT = $2,388.26

Reflection: I am happy with this month's report. I am under $2500 and still managed to pay off the medical bills from last year. The only downside is there is really nothing 'fun' on the list. Eventually, counting my pennies will give me burnout. Can March be another month under $2500? Stay tuned to find out!

Whoopsie!

Somehow I forgot to report a couple February expenses... my car payment was $350 and I spent $40 on a prescription refill. Mea culpa!