Just some miscellaneous money stuff........
* Grocery/Toiletries Spending after 3 months stands at $1261.72. That breaks down to an average of $420.57 per month. Right about on target for us.
I've "saved" $4006.34 buying our supplies on sale/using Qs/rebates over buying all our food/toiletries at regular retail prices. I take that with a grain of salt since I wouldn't buy some of those regular retail prices ever(would buy store brands instead)so if I take half of the "savings" it's $2003.17....that seems more realistic to me. ;-)
* Eating Out Spending after 3 months stands at $570.92. That breaks down to an average of $190.30 per month. A bit high but we have 2 Birthdays(and thus Birthday meals out)in the first quarter of the year and nobody in my family likes to each out for their birthday at cheap places it seems.
* As for cash rebate/savings apps/accounts here is what I've earned back in cash monies for the 1st quarter of 2018.........
* Weis refunds/overcharges $16.56
* Rite-Aid refunds/post Qs back $70.15
* Checkout51 cash rebate $4.25
* Ibotta cash rebate $25.95
* Saving Star cash rebate $23.79
TOTAL.....$140.70 cash back/refunds
At year's end I'll add that Refund/Cash Rebate $ back into the grocery Budget to offset some of our spending on food/toiletries.
After the 1st Quarter I've spent $1261.72 on food/toiletriesand gotten $140.70 in rebates/refunds leaving our actual spending at $1121.02 so far in 2018(if I added the rebates in now).
* I've also counted my WAM leftover at the end of March.........
$216.00 leftover and accumulated WAM going into April.
I had $140 leftover WAM at the end of February so after getting another $100 for March that made $240 WAM to spend in March.
I spent only $24 of WAM in March which means $216 leftover WAM at the end of March.
After adding this month's WAM that gives me $316 going into April. As is my habit I doubt I'll spend much of it on myself. If this trend keeps up I'll need to figure out what to do with it all at the end of the year. Hmmm, maybe something splurgy for me?
* We have a change jar and I roll change once we have enough to roll. At the end of the year I either add it to the food budget or some other goal I've been working on.
$10.50 is what we ended the 1st quarter with in change. Back when Hubs was working we had a LOT more spare change to roll.....but I'll take it. lolz
* Gift Cards Tally
We currently have $1557.12 in gift cards.
Home Improvement stores....$448.79
Big box stores.....$298.46
Gas cards........$20.00
Rite-Aid......$200.00(not counting the partially used one in my wallet)
Amazon......$50.00
Movies...........$51.40
Restaurants....$438.47
Visa........$50.00(gotten as a gift at Xmas)
We started the year with $2015.57 in assorted gift cards so we've used down $458.45 so far this year.
The Home Improvement store cards will be gone before Summer is over(yard stuff, paint, etc.), $150 of the Restaurant cards is earmarked for Hubs Bday dinner out so that will put a nice sized dent into what is left.
I haven't bought any gift cards this year and I don't foresee getting anymore at Rite-Aid(where I usually bought them)as the benefit(store rewards earned)isn't as good as they use to be(plus the store rewards earned expire in 2 months, so not worth it).
If Dollar General has % off gift cards, that is where I'll pick gift cards up....but they rarely do this except around the Holidays.
Some of the cards I have are old now and I need to make a point of using them up.
I am off to pay some bills and figure out Hubs eye dr. bills which are a clusterf*ck. They don't bill in a timely manner and then after I pay and Hubs goes in for a new visit, the office doesn't show our payments(which are mailed to a third party clearinghouse a thousand miles away in DALLAS TX!)so they make him cut a check AGAIN!! I should have such a credit on his account there by now....argh.
What are you up to today?
Sluggy
* Grocery/Toiletries Spending after 3 months stands at $1261.72. That breaks down to an average of $420.57 per month. Right about on target for us.
I've "saved" $4006.34 buying our supplies on sale/using Qs/rebates over buying all our food/toiletries at regular retail prices. I take that with a grain of salt since I wouldn't buy some of those regular retail prices ever(would buy store brands instead)so if I take half of the "savings" it's $2003.17....that seems more realistic to me. ;-)
* Eating Out Spending after 3 months stands at $570.92. That breaks down to an average of $190.30 per month. A bit high but we have 2 Birthdays(and thus Birthday meals out)in the first quarter of the year and nobody in my family likes to each out for their birthday at cheap places it seems.
* As for cash rebate/savings apps/accounts here is what I've earned back in cash monies for the 1st quarter of 2018.........
* Weis refunds/overcharges $16.56
* Rite-Aid refunds/post Qs back $70.15
* Checkout51 cash rebate $4.25
* Ibotta cash rebate $25.95
* Saving Star cash rebate $23.79
TOTAL.....$140.70 cash back/refunds
At year's end I'll add that Refund/Cash Rebate $ back into the grocery Budget to offset some of our spending on food/toiletries.
After the 1st Quarter I've spent $1261.72 on food/toiletriesand gotten $140.70 in rebates/refunds leaving our actual spending at $1121.02 so far in 2018(if I added the rebates in now).
* I've also counted my WAM leftover at the end of March.........
$216.00 leftover and accumulated WAM going into April.
I had $140 leftover WAM at the end of February so after getting another $100 for March that made $240 WAM to spend in March.
I spent only $24 of WAM in March which means $216 leftover WAM at the end of March.
After adding this month's WAM that gives me $316 going into April. As is my habit I doubt I'll spend much of it on myself. If this trend keeps up I'll need to figure out what to do with it all at the end of the year. Hmmm, maybe something splurgy for me?
* We have a change jar and I roll change once we have enough to roll. At the end of the year I either add it to the food budget or some other goal I've been working on.
$10.50 is what we ended the 1st quarter with in change. Back when Hubs was working we had a LOT more spare change to roll.....but I'll take it. lolz
* Gift Cards Tally
We currently have $1557.12 in gift cards.
Home Improvement stores....$448.79
Big box stores.....$298.46
Gas cards........$20.00
Rite-Aid......$200.00(not counting the partially used one in my wallet)
Amazon......$50.00
Movies...........$51.40
Restaurants....$438.47
Visa........$50.00(gotten as a gift at Xmas)
We started the year with $2015.57 in assorted gift cards so we've used down $458.45 so far this year.
The Home Improvement store cards will be gone before Summer is over(yard stuff, paint, etc.), $150 of the Restaurant cards is earmarked for Hubs Bday dinner out so that will put a nice sized dent into what is left.
I haven't bought any gift cards this year and I don't foresee getting anymore at Rite-Aid(where I usually bought them)as the benefit(store rewards earned)isn't as good as they use to be(plus the store rewards earned expire in 2 months, so not worth it).
If Dollar General has % off gift cards, that is where I'll pick gift cards up....but they rarely do this except around the Holidays.
Some of the cards I have are old now and I need to make a point of using them up.
I am off to pay some bills and figure out Hubs eye dr. bills which are a clusterf*ck. They don't bill in a timely manner and then after I pay and Hubs goes in for a new visit, the office doesn't show our payments(which are mailed to a third party clearinghouse a thousand miles away in DALLAS TX!)so they make him cut a check AGAIN!! I should have such a credit on his account there by now....argh.
What are you up to today?
Sluggy
It makes me sad when some of the store reward programs change and then are not as good as they used to be. The Plenti card program is coming to and end in July.
ReplyDeleteWaiting an hour after taking thyroid medication so I can eat and take other meds, namely allergy meds before going to lunch. My eyes and mouth are itching so, and I can barely breathe.
ReplyDeleteThat's an impressive amount of gcs you have. You did very well with grocery spending too.
ReplyDeleteI should try taking out WAM for myself, but I rarely buy anything for myself when I'm out. Something for me to think about.
Holy giftcards, Batman! That's impressive..
ReplyDeleteSTRONGLY suggest that you figure out the situation with DH's eye bills, write it all out is 3/18 visit $240, ins paid $X, we paid check # 204 $x, etc. Next time the check out clerk asks for more money, present them with this accounting, which is THEIR responsiblity, but you will have to be proactive on this if you wish to avoid overcharges. Sigh. Had this happen with a dentist. Kept billing me, when in fact they owed ME a refund. Grrr
ReplyDeleteI'm on top of it Carol. It's maddening that their bookkeeper can't keep this straight. Hubs is taking our paperwork in next week to have a sit down with the bookkeeping dept. there.
DeleteHi Sluggy, this is Chris. I appreciate you including your cash back sites like ibotta in your calculations. I always wondered how much regular people make and is it really worth my time to do.
ReplyDeleteYour wam money sounds like mine, I rarely spend any money except at the thrift store, maybe a whopping $20-30 a month. The rest is groceries, dog items, bill paying and travel. I tend to hoard gcs but we rarely get real deals on them here.
ReplyDeleteI haven't taken any wam money this year as I have a $500+ surplus still from last year. I've been putting it into the college fund. You are beating me on sales and rebates. I'm going to have to up my game. Good to know I could be doing better. Keep up the good work. You motivate us all.
ReplyDeleteOur gift card deals have become pretty much non existent. I really loved those deals! You’re doing great with all things money related, that’s for sure!
ReplyDeleteI am working on the budget for the later half of the month and dealing with petulant child. Ain't life grand!
ReplyDelete