This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Don't Get Wedded to Your Meal Plan" Edition.....

Things happen in life.  And that includes things/events that make you have to change up your meal plan.  This was one of those weeks.

I did get that turkey gotten for free at thanksgiving thawed and cooked but with making all the sides too it wore my leg out for the day.  I spent after an early dinner(linner)confined to the recliner with my leg up instead of visiting with daughter and son in-law and the granddog.  Oh well.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Shrimp Scampi w/Fettucine Noodles, Salad

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans

5. Thursday--Kielbasi, Cabbage

6.  Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Turkey Dinner w/Fixings

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Shrimp Scampi w/Fettucine Noodles, Salad

3. Tuesday--Leftover Beef Pie

4. Wednesday--Liver and Onions w/Gravy, Brussels Sprouts(lunch out, no dinner)

5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself(I had a pot pie)

6.  Friday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself(I had some cantaloupe)

7. Saturday--Turkey Dinner w/Fixings

Getting back on my feet to cook a bit with help from Hubs.  I only "cooked" two meals this week as we had many leftovers.

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  Nothing

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  1 bag of Shrimp

*  1 pot pie

*  1 whole turkey   

Hubs mostly picked up stuff to the tune of $31.38 last week.  Just little things we needed and medical supplies.

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $414.67 for January.  

There is 1 shopping days left in January.

I've earned $87.73 on Ibotta in January.(I used $20 to buy a gift card.)

I've earned $2.82 on Checkout51 in January.

I've earned $16.75 on Coupons dotcom in January.

I've earned 2,499 points from shopping on Fetch in January.

I earned 1,590 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January.

I've earned 640 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That's $107.30 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $414.67

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $307.37 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 29.96% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 33.79% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....Shrimp Scampi w/Linguine,  Roast Turkey and sides.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--I had a Greek Salad

2. Monday--Chicken Parm, leftover turkey sides or salad

3. Tuesday--Kielbasi, Cabbage

4. Wednesday--I'm getting a tooth pulled so applesauce or something similar, Hubs is on his own

5. Thursday--Ditto

6.  Friday--Leftovers or ?

7. Saturday--?

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing really but some fruit.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

December To-Do List 2022 Outcome

*  A reminder that I don't publish comments that are unsigned.  If you comment without a Google account at least put your name on the comment.  And if you are a troll then just don't come here because YOUR comments will most definitely NOT be publish. 8-)

Here is how we did with the December To-Do List--

*  Pay Bills--DONE  All bills got paid and on time.

*  Send a few Xmas cards to family--DONE  Between moving, organizing and such there wasn't a lot of time to get Xmas cards out before leaving for the cruise.  We got out about 10 cards total so if you got a card from me, consider yourself lucky. lolz

*  Clean and Organize stuff in House--PASS/IN PROGRESS  With how much needs to be done here(and the fact that I'm about as useful as a one legged woman on a kickboxing match right now).  Our initial timeline has been extended out until the end of 2023(or maybe halfway into 2024.  It has been slow going, partly due to having to replace items and not wanting to spend all willy-nilly(trying to cash flow without having to draw from 401K or non-retirement investments).  Things are still slow going as we figure out where to put stuff we have and what to do with some spaces.

*  Buy Stuff for House--IN PROGRESS  Just going through receipts I still have we've spent $3,418.35 on house purchases since November.  That's everything from a washer and dryer, a desk, a night stand, book shelves and storage shelving, a bed frame, parts the fridge needed to piddling little stuff like tools and hardware and light bulbs.  Again we are going to need to spend much more to get this place whipped into shape but we are proceeding slowly with expenditures.

*  Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie--DONE  Something I do at least once a month and since I haven't bought one Sunday paper down here(thus not getting paper coupons)there is not much in my envie anymore. 8-(

*  Edit More Photos--IN PROGRESS  Have been working on the photos from our house hunting and a couple of local adventures and the Girls Trip to FL.  Then  we went on a cruise and now I have even MORE photos to edit.  GAH!  It never ends........

*  Post about Old Trips--FAIL  Nope didn't post anything since we weren't online/here from most of the month and when we got back I was hurt so yeah, that didn't happen.

*  Work on Genealogy--FAIL  I put more genealogy stuff on the back burner for December.

*  Drive to Texas--DONE  Hubs drove us to that god forsaken city.  Not a fan of Dallas roads(lack of signs on said roads)and crazy drivers(well, those are in every city).

*  Fly to MD--DONE  The flight to DC wasn't bad.

*  Fly to FL--DONE   We left DC 2 days later at the crack of dark 0'thirty.

*  Celebrate Christmas--DONE  Well due to circumstances not under our control Christmas was an odd duck this year.  We all made the best of it though.

*   Go on Cruise and have an amazing time--DONE  Except for one disappointment in Panama with the cruise excursion folks and the people who ran the excursion in Panama we had a mah-velous time dah-ling!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the January 27th Edition

 Welcome to Frugal Friday!  There are a few Frugal wins this past week......

*   We hit Walmart on Monday and I timed it just right as an employee was pricing clearance items that had been pushed to the back of the household shelves and hidden for months.  Aerosol cans of Febreeze(.99¢ for double packs), Airwick warmers with 1 refill($1.50 each), Airwick essential oil warmers with 1 refill($3.50)and Airwick double packs of refills(.75¢ each).

I used 2 different Airwick digital coupons totaling $7.25 on these 2 items plus I had an Ibotta rebate on the Essential Mist unit for $5.50, so I spent $10.22 on all the clearance air freshener items and I got back $12.75 in rebates/coupons, helping to put $2.53 toward paying for groceries. Nice.

*  I found money!

I found a penny in the backseat of Daughter's car on my birthday.

Picking up Rx at Walmart for Hubs on Sunday I found another penny.

After the Medical appointment I found a penny at the Walmart we picked up 5 things in.

Then we had lunch out at a Piccadilly Cafeteria and I found another some what grody penny in the dining area.

Total Found in last Week.... .04¢
Total Found this Year........15¢

*  Staying home and going through tubs and packing boxes here.  Still setting things up, deciding on what we need to purchase and putting things away.

We finish hauling in all the toiletries from the "Bubba" garage and going through things.  Most of what we are keeping to use is put away in the Master Bath and this is my nice neat stack of tubs to sell.  I feel so accomplished now!lol

*  We got a bill from the ER doc from Xmas eve's visit that said it was submitted to insurance and they paid nothing on it so we owed over $2,500.  Well not only did they not submit it to the correct insurance, once insurance pays it we don't owe a red cent, as I had hit my out of pocket mid 2022.  It took DAYS to figure out how they screwed this up but screw it up they did.   Imagine all the elder folks out there getting dunned for bills they actually don't owe because the medical billing department screwed something up, and these elder who either don't stay on top of financial stuff or don't have the capacity to understand all the complexities just pay it to make it go away.  I swear our medical system is so broken even died in the wool conservatives are going to start screaming for National Healthcare, it's that bad.

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy   

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Happy Birthday to Me!" Edition.....

This was the sign at the restaurant Daughter and Son in-law took me out to for my birthday on Saturday.  Sissie would approve! hehehe

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--leftover Chicken and Dumplings

2. Monday--Teriyaki Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies, Rice

3. Tuesday--Beef Pie

4. Wednesday--Leftovers or ?

5. Thursday--Catfish, oven Steak Fries, Slaw

6.  Friday--Shrimp Scampi w/Linguine, Salad

7. Saturday--It's my Birthday!! so ?

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--leftover Chicken and Dumplings

2. Monday--Teriyaki Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies, Rice

3. Tuesday--Beef Pie

4. Wednesday--Leftovers or frozen dinner

5. Thursday--Pot Roast with Carrots and Taters

6.  Friday--Catfish, Oven Steak Fries, Slaw

7. Saturday--Birthday meal out

Getting back on my feet to cook a bit with help from Hubs.  The Shrimp Scampi will happen this week(hopefully).

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  1 Chicken Parm package

*  3 bags of frozen Veggies

*  6 lbs. of Chicken Breast

*  4 various containers of ice cream

*  1 Smoked Sausage

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  1 bag of Teriyaki Chicken

*  1 bag of Asian Veggies   

*  1 package of Ground Beef

*  1  Frozen Dinner(turkey)

*  1 bag of Catfish    

Hubs & I hit Super 1 Foods, Shoppers Value Food and Walmart for various items to the tune of $102.54 last week.  We needed fresh produce and milks, I stocked up on a few loss leaders, fresh produce, some OTC meds we needed and we got some "wants".

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $383.29 for January.  

There are 8 shopping days left in January.

I've earned $101.93 on Ibotta in January.

I've earned $2.82 on Checkout51 in January.

I've earned $16.75 on Coupons dotcom in January.

I've earned 2,499 points from shopping on Fetch in January.

I earned 1,590 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January.

I've earned 640 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That's $121.50 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $383.29

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $261.79 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 37.40% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 34.08% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....Beef Pie, Pot Roast w/Carrots and Taters, Slaw.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Shrimp Scampi w/Fettucine Noodles, Salad

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans

5. Thursday--Kielbasi, Cabbage

6.  Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Turkey Dinner w/Fixings

I am still not suppose to walk a lot but I can do more cooking now.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  All I need is a small head of cabbage.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

Frugal Friday.....the January 20th Edition

 Welcome to Frugal Friday!  There are a few Frugal wins this past week......

*   After my appointment at the Wound Center we hit Super 1 Foods because they had cantaloupe for $1.99 and Roma tomatoes for .77¢ lb. also picked up shredded carrots, hearts of Romaine and 3 bags of frozen veggies.  I checked the clearance meats while I was there..........

I found a marked down roast.  2.41 lbs. for $6.73 which is $2.79 a lb.  I can't even get Ground Beef for that price!

That store had Sanderson Farms BSCB for $1.99 lb. so I picked up 7 lbs. and prepped and into the freezer it went.
We also hit Shoppers Value Food for sour cream, sweet potatoes and a frozen chicken parm as those items were cheaper at this store than the other ones.

*  We hit Zaxby's for lunch after the medical appointment and shopping.  I got the Asian Zalad and I paid for both of our meals with some of my WAM.

*  I found money on Wednesday!
Out and about hitting 2 grocery stores and I found a nickel.

Total Found in last Week.... .05¢
Total Found this Year........11¢

*  I had a JCPenney's gift card I used back in November to replace my Dutch oven.  After the gift card the pot cost me under $5 in sales tax.  I applied for a rebate and this $20 gift card finally came this week.  Once my leg is better Hubs and I will venture there to spend it.

*  Staying home and going through tubs and packing boxes here.  Still setting things up, deciding on what we need to purchase and putting things away.

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy   

House Hunting Saga....Part 2

So our agent(the daughter of the agents we went to see houses in Texas with), is licensed in Louisiana so we began an earnest house hunt around where my daughter lives in LA.  

We calculated that without having the funds from selling our house in PA, we had about $200K in liquid savings to put toward a house down in Louisiana.  That amount would include any closing costs, etc. and we would NOT buy something that meant we needed a mortgage.(Haven't had one of those since the mid 2000's when we paid off that house in PA.)

So our agent took us around to houses on the market that met our general requirements.  They were all over the map in terms of size, condition of house, land size and price.  Plus this was mid September in Louisiana and only two of the houses were currently occupied so two houses meant we were sweating out asses off! 8-)

The first house we saw was out in the country in a town called Benton, a 35 min. drive from out daughter's house.  Nice area but in the middle of nowhere.  It was a manufactured home, older(20 years?)but had been maintained well.  They had a strange shed next to it and the carport they were disassembling and taking with them when they moved.  The house sat on 2 acres but it was situated at a strange angle on the land.  Part of the land was across a creek too with no access to it other than jumping there or building a small bridge(which we would have had to do).  The house was 1,800 sq, ft,, 23 years old and they had priced it at $185K.  Other than the land strangeness and no garage it was acceptable until....until we were walking around the property and we heard someone playing a drum set rather loudly in the middle of a work day.  Hubs didn't notice it at first(he's one of those folks who don't notice stuff sometimes. lol)until I brought it to his attention.  So we told the agent we'd keep it on the list as a possibility for now but we wanted to see other properties.
*  Later the agent let us know that the drummer was a neighbor young adult who was in a local band that played gigs and practiced in his parents barn or pole building near the house we were considering, according to the homeowner of the house we had been looking at.  That fact put a big NO on this house since we like the quietness of the area but having that sort of noise(pretty loud since it was at least 2 acres away)on a regular basis was a deal killer.  It looks like it sold 28 Nov.

The next property was in the same little town, 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths manufactured home, 1,760 sq. ft. and 16 years old, on 1.6 acres for an asking price of $199,900.  It was vacant and supposedly had been updated(new vinyl plank flooring, carpeting, new kitchen counters and paint throughout.  The layout was weird, the counters(which were formica not an upgrade)and stove in the kitchen seemed higher than normal(not good for a short person lol).  It also had a wood burning fireplace which strikes me as strange this far South. The best thing about this house was the 1,200 sq. ft. shop/garage that was included.  It had a high ceiling with 2 10 ft. rollup bay doors and electricity.  Obviously someone had run a repair shop out of it or such.

I found this penny in the shop/garage but this wasn't the house for us.  I think the shop was nicer than the house. :-)  This house sold Dec. 30th and from the photos still on the listing it looks like they did a bit more work to it.  https://www.zillow.com/homes/220-Cypress-Lake-Cir-Benton,-LA-71006_rb/109807057_zpid/?mmlb=g,29
I hope they carted off the burn pile outside the back door too that was there when we saw it.  We've found out that many homes here for sale have these piles of debris on the properties where folks burn their trash(and sometimes try to burn things you can't like plastic!lol)when they are not in the city proper and don't have city garbage pick-up service.

The last house we saw that day was a possibility but with issues.  It was a MCM home(stick built in 1955).  It was a lot closer to daughter's house plus near shopping north of town.  Sq. Footage of 2,132 but on not quite .50 of an acre.  The house was a dream! with all the mid-century modern charm and was well maintained.  It had 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths a large backyard flagstone patio/veranda that the house wrapped around and lots of windows.  A small living room and a large den which you could have done a lot with.  The asking price was $185K.  I fell in love with this one except for the lack of property.  You could reach out and touch the house next door in the backyard.  It was in an older subdivision.  The backyard slopped downward and had 2 sheds on it and a few very tall dead trees at the back of the property.  It would have cost a lot to have those trees taken down.  This is tornado country and those trees were a hazard waiting to happen.  I was so torn on this one.  It was on the market because the husband was stationed at the local Air Force base and was being transferred out of the area  so they were looking for a quick sale.

Here is the listing for when those owners had bought this house with photos.......

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/767-Livingston-Ave-Shreveport-LA-71107/51381697_zpid/?

This house was definitely on the list even without the land we wanted.

The last house we saw that day was nearby, another stick built one from 1990.  It was 1,663 sq. ft. with 3 bedrooms//2 baths on over 1 acre.  The listing said it had a new roof and new water heater, both in the last 2 years and the home needed updating and had appraised  $50K higher than the asking price of $195K.

As we approached the house I noticed it sat in a depression(a low spot)on the land.  There was a house near the driveway on the right of the house so the house wasn't anywhere near the middle of the lot.  The large front yard slopped down from the road and the house was vacant.  There was at least one pecan tree on the lot as I saw this walking up to the front door.....

A pecan tree on the property was a plus in my book.  But that didn't make up for the house.  There was a notice from the sewage/water company that the utilities should NOT be turned on as the people who owned the house has NOT paid their utility bills for gosh knows how long!  Once we got into the house you could see it hadn't been updated inside since the 1970's(avocado appliances much?!)and the place smelled of must and mold.  It was a hard NO!  Nonetheless it still sold 18 Nov. I suppose they cleaned it up and paid their utility bills to get this one sold.  Goodbye pecan tree.............sigh.

That was our first day of looking.  More to follow........

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "I Know You're in There!" Edition.....

If you've ever lived or been in a manufactured home you'll notice that there is a rather large gap under the doors, between the bottom of the doors and the floor.  This is for air circulation purposes, especially when the a/c is on.

I snapped this picture of Chester's nose the other day.  He can wedge his nose under the door so every time I go into a room and shut the door I get to look at this. lol

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

2. Monday--Salad, Spaghetti and Meatballs

3. Tuesday--Chicken Parm, leftover Collards

4. Wednesday--Teriyaki Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies, Rice

5. Thursday--Salmon, Veggie TBD

6.  Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

2. Monday--Salad, Spaghetti and Meatballs

3. Tuesday--Chicken Parm, leftover Collards

4. Wednesday--Fend for Yourself, ate out Lunch

5. Thursday--Chicken Salad Sandwiches using leftover chicken

6.  Friday--Salmon, Shells and Cheese, Spinach Souffle

7. Saturday--Leftovers(I had meatballs and pasta, Salad)

Not able to stand much and cook here yet.  Everything happened except the Teriyaki Chicken stir-fry dish.

I've still got some chicken pieces left.  I'll probably put them in the freezer for chicken enchiladas at some time in the future.

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  1 bag of Chicken Tenderloins

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  1 whole Chicken

*  1 bag of Meatballs

*  1 bag of Salmon

*  1 Spinach Souffle               

Hubs & I hit Walmart and Kroger for various items to the tune of $187.32 last week.  We needed fresh produce and milks, I stocked up on a few loss leaders and we got some "wants".

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $280.75 for January.  

There are 15 shopping days left in January.

I've earned $69.54 on Ibotta in January.

I've earned $1.82 on Checkout51 in January.

I've earned $9.50 on Coupons dotcom in January.

I've earned 1,424 points from shopping on Fetch in January.

I earned 1,160 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January.

I've earned 624 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That's $80.86 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $280.75

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $199.89 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 32.04% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 32.78% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....Chicken and Dumplings, Spaghetti and Meatballs.  Hubs will finish these for lunches.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--leftover Chicken and Dumplings

2. Monday--Teriyaki Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies, Rice

3. Tuesday--Beef Pie

4. Wednesday--Leftovers or ?

5. Thursday--Catfish, oven Steak Fries, Slaw

6.  Friday--Shrimp Scampi w/Linguine, Salad

7. Saturday--It's my Birthday!! so ?

I am still not suppose to walk a lot.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  All I need is slaw mix which I'll have Hubs pick up when he goes out later in the week.

The ads starting Tuesday aren't very thrilling so other than produce/salad/fruit we may skip this week mostly.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

Frugal Friday....the January 13th Edition

 Frugal wins are few and far between lately......

*  I left the house for the 3rd time this year on Wednesday when we went to the wound care specialist.  They had a machine that basically power washed my wound.  I told them we could have just seet me on the hood of our car and run me through the car wash down the street for a lot less money! lol Nothing about that medical appointment was frugal but I did get good care and you can't put a price on health.

*  At Walmart after the medical appointment I picked up 1 roll of Xmas wrapping paper at 90% off.  Being housebound I've missed out on all the after Xmas sales.  I gave away all my Xmas supplies before we left PA except for my container of gift tags nd some Xmas cards so I needed the paper for .49¢. 8-)

*  The only take-out this week was on Wednesday. We celebrated my ambulatory state by going to a Chinese restaurant near Walmart for lunch.  A worthwhile expense.

*  I found money on Wednesday!
Since we were out and needed to pick up Rxs and I had the all clear to do some walking we went to Walmart.  We were checking out next to a couple who stank of weed.  I heard them drop some change(I have bat hearing when it comes to coins. lol)and after they left I figured they were too high to care about picking up the change they dropped so when we were finished at our self-checkout register I snagged some coinage!

Hubs picked another penny on the other side of their register(which I pointed out to him)but he won't give it to me so I can only count the 2 coins I picked up. 8-(

Total Found in last Week.... .06¢
Total Found this Year........06¢

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy  

Income & Spending 2022....the December Edition

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals and social security payments, I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.

I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out.  8-)

On to the December report---

I had 2 goals for December.......
The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fun may be to apply toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2022.

This month I also had a goal to survive the move and have a little fun.  So far, so good.;-)

I can report that we finished up December in the red.

The amount we ended the month of December with?...-$1,962.08

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in December---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $3,235.81(after tax withholding)

*  SS income of $3570.00
*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $124.38

*  Stock Dividend of $19.11

*  Pa House insurance refund $438.86

*  Rakuten rebate of $14.28

*  Hospital in PA refund of .27¢ lol

Total "Income" for December....$7,402.71

Expenses in December---
* Irregular bills in December were $2,044.03

* Variable Expenses in December came to $5,094.63

* Health insurance premiums totaling $2,226.13

Total Expenses....$9,364.79

$7,402.71-$9,364.79=-$1,962.08

Slush into December of $61,518.29 in that Fund, subtract December's shortfall of $1,962.08 and we get $59,556.21 into January's 2023's Slush Fund.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows a subtraction of $1,962.08

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this December here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  The cell phone, as well as the Health Insurance premium were all the same as last month.

*  The Mastercard was $6,362.35 lower than in November(all moving expenses are now paid for).

*  My Amazon c/c was $389.94 lower than las month.

*  Hubs Amazon c/c was $223.84 lower than in November.

*  We received a quarterly stock dividend check of $19.11

*  We got a check for $438.86 which was for our PA house insurance balance.

*  I received a Rakuten check for $14.28 for rebates on online purchases for the new house.

*  I got a .27¢ refund for overpayment on a medical bill in 2022. rah

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The electric bill at the new house was $174.23 higher than in November.  November's bill was only a partial month one plus LA had some unusually cold days/nights in December so our daughter came over and jacked up the heat while we were away so the pipes wouldn't freeze.

*  We took an extra $200 in WAM in December due to the trip/cruise.

*  We had irregular bills due in December too--

  *  The Long Term Care premiums were due.

  *  6 months of car insurance was paid in December

  *  The last water and electric bills for the house in PA were due last month.

The Food Budget costs for December are in another post HERE.  Food costs are included in the credit card payment(mainly but sometimes our WAM cash too).

FINAL THOUGHTS on December 2022---Not an awful month for bills but not great since we spent more than we brought in.  The fix this house/replace furniture bills continue.  While the utilities here are comparable to PA, the house and car insurance are egregiously high!  I had no idea how high they'd be.  Well having a manufactured home in the South, home insurance is understandably higher since this area is more prone to weather issues than PA(other than Winter storm related there)but car insurance?  This area is far less crowded with highways/vehicles than where we left in PA.  Does this say something about the quality of drivers here or what?  Hmmm

THOUGHTS going forward into January 2023--

Well, who the heck knows what 2023 will bring at this point?!?

Our Annuity is taking a monthly hit until April since the private health insurance premium rose again.  Once Hubs goes on Medicare our premium goes down abut $800 per month(until I hit 65 next January).

Also our Annuity is front loaded so once Hubs hits 65 that goes down too.  go us.

The bad news is once he hits Medicare my dental coverage goes away from his employer.  Great.  I can't wait to see how much my drugs will be once I hit Mediare. *sluggy rolls her eyes*

Our Social Security payments go up a little bit in January due to the inflation index but it's not like that will cover all the extra spending anyone needs to do on everyday necessities.

Plus we have yet to get our Louisiana Property tax bill for 2022 since we bought so late in the year.  It has to be an improvement over what we were paying in PA, where we got NO services but still paid through the nose.  We get NO services here but at least we(hopefully)won't be paying for that whole lot of nothing. ;-)

We do have a quarterly 401K withdrawal hitting the account later in January which will help a lot so there is our bright spot for January.

Financially I am so not looking forward to seeing how all these changes to our bottom line play out in 2023.  Whatever it turns out to be we'll deal with it and move on.

So how was your December financially? 

Did you spend less than the income you had in December?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?
Did you pay off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or a retirement account?
Or did you blow it on a want?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check out your progress too and celebrate or commiserate with you!

Sluggy   

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Doing Some Stocking Up by Proxy" Edition.....

Still on walking restriction here but itching to get a few deals at Kroger.

Hubs was going by there so I wrote out a detailed list for him(with pictures too)and hoped for the best.  3 of the items he got are pictured--5 Hormel bacon(on sale for $4.99 and I had $2 Ibotta rebate on each of those), 3 boxes of Special K cereal(on sale for $1.99 and I had $1 Ibotta rebate for each)and 2.62 lbs. of fresh Atlantic salmon which I portioned out into 4 meals.  He got some other items and only failed on 1 item(which I'll have to return some day).

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--Whopper from Burger King

2. Monday--Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Mashed Taters, Biscuit

3. Tuesday--No Clue

4. Wednesday--No Clue

5. Thursday--No Clue

6.  Friday--No Clue

7. Saturday--No Clue

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Whopper from Burger King

2. Monday--Fend for Yourself

3. Tuesday--Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Mashed Taters, Biscuit

4. Wednesday--Frozen Dinners

5. Thursday--Baked Chicken, Scalloped Taters, Collard Greens

6.  Friday--Meatloaf, Leftover Green Beans, Rice(I didn't eat the rice)

7. Saturday--Apple and a scoop of Peanut Butter

Not able to stand much and cook here yet.

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  2.62 lbs. of Salmon

*  5 lbs. of Bacon

*  5 Stauffer Veggie sides

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  1 whole Chicken

*  Ground Beef                   

Hubs hit Walmart and Kroger for various items to the tune of $93.43 last week.

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $93.43 for January.  

There are 22 shopping days left in January.

I've earned $13.20 on Ibotta in January.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in January.

I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom in January.

I've earned 1,144 points from shopping on Fetch in January.

I earned 0 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That's $13.20 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $93.43

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $80.23 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 34.24% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 34.24% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....2 helpings of Collards.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

2. Monday--Salad, Spaghetti and Meatballs

3. Tuesday--Chicken Parm, leftover Collards

4. Wednesday--Teriyaki Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies, Rice

5. Thursday--Salmon, Veggie TBD

6.  Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

I am still not suppose to stand/walk if possible so Hubs has been "cooking"(ie-getting take-out).  I can sit and make the Dumplings with my leg up.  The meatballs are already made and in the freezer, as are the Teriyaki chicken and stir-fry veggies(Hubs can stir-fry those and make rice.  The salad is bagged and I portioned the salmon and can talk Hubs through how to prepare it from frozen and veggies will be nuked from the freezer.  The rest of the meals will be leftovers or FFY.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  I've got everything here for this menu.  Go me.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

It's Evil Even Though It's Purple!

 Here is the evil stool(or a close cousin of it from online)that attacked my shin.........

It's hard plastic and the corner is what sliced me open.
And no before anyone insinuates it, I am not too heavy to use it(I weigh far less than what it is rated for and it did not collapse in teh accident and now is in better shape than I am.lol)and I can't help being vertically challenged and having the need to use a stool.

Avoid them at all costs.

Dolphins too, avoid close contact with dolphins!  But that's a story for another day.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the January 6th Edition on January 7th

 Frugal wins are few and far between lately......

                 My leg looking much better!

*  I got my stitches out on Tuesday.  That's the only time I've left the house since New Years Eve when we went to daughter's house.  Stitches came out and steri-strips went on and she pressed a bunch of blood blisters and cleaned it up real good. I am still on restriction walking around much and another course of antibiotics as well as two different ointments, one of which is a medical grade honey to seal the wound and keep the area free of possible infection. My leg is taking it's sweet time to heal and the doc wants me to see a Wound Care Specialist but they never contacted me so I know what I'll be doing next week. 8-(

*  We've had some take-out since I am not up to cooking/standing most days.  That's an expense I don't like and an incentive for me to get better soon.  Hubs tries to cook but it's not his "thing".  We are getting by with simple meals and me sending him to the grocery store for provisions.

*  Hubs goes on Medicare in a few months time when he turns 65.  He talked with one of those folks his old job hired to help people run the obstacle course of which plans to pick.  When all is said and done after he goes on Medicare our healthcare premiums will go down by about $800 a month.  I'll take that as a win. 8-)))

*  I found NO money this past week!  I didn't go anywhere this past week so.....  My change finding is off to a roaring stop in 2023.  If anyone wants to send me their loose change I won't object. hehehe

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found This Year.....00¢

*  Not going anywhere means I can't spend money so that's a win! 8-)

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy  

Food Spending 2022........the December & Year End Reports

Onward to December's Food Spending report......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2022.

I have posted December's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in December.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

SUPER 1 FOODS 

OOP  $91.04

Qs/Ads  $54.75

Value  $145.79

Savings  37.55%

WALMART
OOP  $97.47

Qs/free Gift Cards  $88.49
Value  $185.96
Savings 47.58%

*********************
My best 2 Store Savings Totals were Walmart at 47.58%, and at Super 1 Foods at 37.55%.

I only shopped at 2 different stores in December.   8-)

TOTAL Spent in December................$188.51

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$143.24

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$331.75

TOTAL Savings of ............................43.18%

This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....not much spent in December as we were gone most of the month so not much grocery shopping here.  I did hit up a couple of stock-up deals before we left town which accounted for most of the December spending.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 4.26% in December 2022 to 43.18% compared to the November's 38.92% savings average which is a tad better.  A savings perceentage in the 40's is nothing to sneeze at. ;-)

With 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $3,629.94 on food/toiletries in 2022.

2022 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$3,629.94

2022 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$12,976.28

2022 Grand Total Saved...............................$9,346.34

2022 Yearly Savings Total..............................72.03%

The average per month amount spent is $302.50 in 2022.

Now when you add back all the rebate and refund cash I received from all my grocery shopping(not counting Fetch, Shop Kick or SwagBucks since I cash those out into gift cards and count that when spent)I had these additional funds to put toward the grocery bills.........

* Ibotta  ........$1,552.69

* Checkout 51....$50.94

* Paypal ..........$476.71

TOTAL......$2,080.34

So take $3,629.94 and subtract the addition of $2,080.34 in rebates/refunds back into my budget and my grocery spending for 2022 becomes $1,549.60 for the year or $129.14 per month.

That's a super low amount spend for the year/month for a family of 2!

LOOKING AHEAD to January 2023...

I am still adjusting to a new state/home/slate of grocery stores here in our part of Louisiana.  We are adjusting/fine tuning what we eat as well.

There is a learning curve for sure plus inflated prices on just about every grocery item is not going away so I'm trying to get use to things being the way they are now for the foreseeable future.  Plus I am still mourning the loss of my Rite-Aid. sniff, sniff  Life will go on and I'll see my way to a new way to grocery shop.  I'll still do all the things I used to do in PA-- keep a price book, shop loss leaders, stock up on great deals as they come along(IF they come along), utilize coupons and grocery apps to get a better deal on stuff we use, think outside of the box on how to save money on groceries, garden, etc.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in December?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?

*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Here's Hoping for a Great New Year in 2023!" Edition.....

We are currently under a tornado watch and we've had torrential rain this afternoon so not such a great start to the year in our neck of the woods.  Everyone stay safe out there.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--No Plan

2. Monday--No Plan

3. Tuesday--No Plan

4. Wednesday--No Plan

5. Thursday--No Plan

6.  Friday--No Plan

7. Saturday--No Plan

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Prime Rib, Salad, PopOvers and Wine at Sissie's house

2. Monday--I had 1/2 of a Buccee's brisket sandwich on the drive home from Dallas

3. Tuesday--Frozen Fish, Broccoli, Mac and Cheese

4. Wednesday--Frozen Chicken Parm, Green Beans

5. Thursday--TV Dinners(I think?)

6.  Friday--Apple and Peanut Butter

7. Saturday--Appetizer bits at Daughter's House, Champagne

Not able to stand and cook here yet and not having much of an appetite.

What got put into the freezer last week....

Nothing

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  2 TV dinners thank goodness for frozen dinners!

*  6 Fish pieces

*  6 Chicken Parm pieces

*  bag of Broccoli

*  bag of Green Beans

*  1 cream pie to Daughter's house for New Years Eve                                 

Hubs hit Walmart a few times for various items to the tune of $55.50 last week.

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $188.51 for December.  

There are 0 shopping days left in December.

I've earned $56.50 on Ibotta in December.

I've earned $1.00 on Checkout51 in December.

I've earned $15.00 on Coupons dotcom in December.

I've earned 2,688 points from shopping on Fetch in December.

I earned 4,770 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in December.

I've earned 1,177 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in December.

That's $72.50 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $188.51 in grocery spending so in reality it's $116.01 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 53.06% and the monthly savings total for December comes in at 43.18% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....2 helpings of green beans.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Whopper from Burger King

2. Monday--Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Mashed Taters, Biscuit

3. Tuesday--No Clue

4. Wednesday--No Clue

5. Thursday--No Clue

6.  Friday--No Clue

7. Saturday--No Clue

I am still not suppose to stand/walk if possible so Hubs has been "cooking".  You'll see he got take-out the last 2 nights as all the easy meals are gone except for the 2 last tv dinners.

I took a whole chicken out of the freezer 2 days ago but it's still not thawed.  The only fresh produce I have is a couple of onions and half a bag of carrots.  Perhaps I'll be able to roast the chicken later this week and get back into some kind of routine.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Not planning but I'll buy what we need when it's needed.  I haven't set foot in a grocery store since Dec. 6th.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy