Friday, December 22, 2023

Frugal Friday......the December 22nd Edition

 There are a few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  I went to PT 1x this past week.   Good thing I've hit all my deductibles and co-pays so I'm not shelling out cash for this service.

*  Grocery shopping this past week for December--best deals........

Got two bottles of Teriyaki sauce on clearance for $1.57 each at Kroger.

Used $80 in Walmart gift cards(bought using Ibotta funds which brought my grocery spending down to almost nothing there.


On the 19th I picked up 2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste at Walmart on clearance for $3.27 each(marked down from $4.98) and got a $4.00 rebate on Ibotta and another $4.00 back on Shopmium.   Then TaDa gave me another $3.00 back. I also picked up a package of Alka-Seltzer Boost for $4.97 and Shop Kick gave me back $4 in SKs.  Total OOP was $12.41 and I got back $15 back.


*  I found money!


I actually drove myself for the first time on Saturday last.  I went up to Walmart(shocking, I know!)  I spied this fine specimen by the candy machines leaving the store...... 

Total Found in last Week.... .05¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.56

That's all I got.

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

Sluggy   

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

More Christmas Tunes!

 Here are some Christmas tunes.......enjoy your holiday!


Let's hope this Christmas Eve goes better than last year's forus. 8-)

Sluggy

Monday, December 18, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Would You Wear This?" Edition.....  


I don't think I'd wear that Burger King Ugly Sweater if they paid ME $30(instead of charging that much for it!)

This is day 190 of the new "diet".  Down 56 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 64 lbs.).  

Onward to the meal planning!
This is what was planned for last week.......
1. Sunday--Pot Roast, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Taters
2. Monday--Grilled Asparagus, Chicken Strips
3. Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
4  Wednesday--No Clue
5. Thursday--No Clue
6.  Friday--No Clue
7. Saturday--No Clue


And here's what actually happened........
1. Sunday--Pot Roast, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Taters
2. Monday--Grilled Asparagus, Chicken Strips
3. Tuesday--Yogurt, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
4  Wednesday--Leftover Pot Roast Meal
5. Thursday--Yogurt Drink, Late Lunch at Chinese Restaurant
6.  Friday--Apple and Cranberry Chicken Salad, Leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs
7. Saturday--a Cheesecake Factory Bread Roll, Cheese and Pretzel Crackers(feeling "carby" today)

No going back to old habits and eating patterns for me!

What got taken out of the freezer last week...
* bag of Meatballs
* Hunk of Pot Roast

What got put into the freezer last week....
*  3 tubs of Ice Cream(2 pints and 1 what use to be a quart)
* a pack of Chicken Apple Sausages
*  1 lb.+ Ground Beef

Last week we spent $19.70 on grocery shopping for December.  
Grand Total shopping comes to $258.95 for December.   
There are 13 shopping days left in December.

I've earned $125.88 on Ibotta in December.
I've earned $21.00 on Shopmium in December.
I've earned $6.00 on Alexa app in December.
I've earned $9.15? on Kroger Cash Back in December.(They are way behind in crediting my account.)
I've earned $59.45 on TaDa in December.
I've earned $4.10 on Checkout51 in December.
I've earned $0 on Aisle.
I've earned 16,345 points from food shopping on Fetch in December.
I've earned 6,062 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in December.
I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in December.

That is $216.43 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Fetch)on $258.95 of grocery spending so in reality it's $42.52 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 84.35% and the monthly savings total for December comes in at 46.99% spent. 
Last week's total spend was offset by $80 in Walmart gift cards I earned/bought through my Ibotta earnings(misjudged how many rebates one week to get to my big Bonus so had to use Ibotta earnings to purchase 4 gift cards-I wasn't about to miss that Bonus but it's all good....either I count that $80 that week or I send $80 more to my bank account at the end of the year).

Leftovers going into this week....pot roast dinner, asparagus, sweet potato fries.

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Cheeseburgers, baked Sweet Tater Fries
2. Monday--leftover Pot Roast made onto Stew with Biscuits
3. Tuesday--Whatever needs eating or ?
4  Wednesday--No Clue
5. Thursday--No Clue
6.  Friday--No Clue
7. Saturday--No Clue

As we head into the Holiday it's use stuff up and clear out the fridge at the beginning of the week.
We did have some food waste this past week with some lunchmeats that got pushed to the back of the meat drawer and went bad. 8-(

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  

Saturday, December 16, 2023

Frugal Friday.....the December 15th Edition

There are a few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  I went to PT 2x this past week.   Good thing I've hit all my deductibles and co-pays so I'm not shelling out cash for this service.

*  Grocery shopping this past week for December--best deals........

On the 8th at Kroger there was a cart of Kroger 1 lb. peanut butter near the registers marked down to .75¢ each.  I restrained myself and only bought two. 8-)
Also at Kroger, I bought a bottle of Dove Men's body wash and paid $7.49 , then got $3 back on Ibotta, and another $3 back I don't remember on which rebate app.


I also got a pack of Airwick scented refills(2 pack)$6.89 and 2 different rebates attached to it making the rebate $10.
Bought a carton of Oreo Mint Ice Cream on sale for $2.99 and Ibotta gave me a $2 rebate.  Ice Cream for .99¢?  Yes please! (Also got $2+ in ShopKicks making that a moneymaker.) 
I got $9.15 back in Kroger Cash Back on that trip as well.

On the 10th I picked up a tube of Colgate toothpaste at Walmart for $1.97 and got a $3.00 rebate on Ibotta and $1.50 back on Shopmium.  Sweet! Didn't take a picture of that but y'all know what toothpaste looks like, right?

Stopped in at Dollar General and found ground beef marked 50% off.  I just bought one and didn't get a picture before repacking it and putting it into the freezer.

*  I found money!


I found this groady guy between the register counter and the drink cooler at the Chinese restaurant we ate at on Thursday.  He cleaned up pretty good!

Total Found in last Week.... .01¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.51

That's all I got.

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

Sluggy   

Friday, December 15, 2023

A Quickie Holiday Song

 Didn't have time today to do the Frugal Friday post(it's coming Saturday)so here is a modern pseudo Christmas song I enjoy.

I had a CD with this rendition on it but it has disappeared in the fullness of time(and the move).

I hope you enjoy it! 8-)


Sluggy

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

The Knee Journey & Other Complications

**This is long so grab a beverage before you slog your way through this epic tale. 8-)

I started having issues with my right knee in 2018.  X-rays showed the joint was bone on bone.  I began having steroid shots(some times in just the right knee and sometimes both).  I had a PCP who knew how to give them(he eventually moved on to the Philly area to specialize in geriatric patients).  I have a messed up right shoulder as well(had bursitis in it years ago)but the shots never helped there.

Anyway, when my PCP left in late 2021 I then had to go to the Orthopedist office in that medical organization for help.  They did more x-rays and guess what?  The joint was still bone on bone. lol  The ortho refused to do a TKR(aka total knee replacement)on me due to my weight/BMI and only offered to continue giving me shots.  He said I had to lose 40 lbs. before he'd even consider surgery.  Well, I had already lost 100 lbs. over the previous years, had cruises bought and paid for coming up and my son was getting married so I couldn't be out of commission for up to 1 year with a knee surgery at that time. Plus I have spinal stenosis which was taken 2 inches off my height which has made my BMI weight even worse.

The cruises came and went and the wedding took place in Feb. of 2022 and we started working on the house in order to sell it, then the packing to move happened.  We moved down here Fall of 2022(I got a shot before we left PA)and I figured I'd look into surgery and dropping more weight once we got settled.  Well, "settled" didn't happen once I had that 2022 Xmas eve leg wound at Sissie's house.  Then I was in Wound Care for almost 3 months trying to get that injury closed and healed up.  After finishing with the Wound Care folks I could barely walk since I had to spend most of that 3 months reclining in a chair, which had the muscles around my bad knee atrophying, which made my knee mobility even worse.  Went to my NP at the end of March(had to use a wheelchair to get me into the office as I was immobile at that point)and she gave me a knee shot.  It took 3 days for my knee to move again after that.  

In April I contacted what I thought was a good orthopedist down here.  He said if I lost some more weight he'd do the TKR surgery.  Then he looked at the healed up wound on my shin and declared, "I don't know.  You could lose your leg if I do this TKR and it gets infected."  Then he offered me a knee shot(knowing full well that I had to be 3 months out from any kind of steroid shot to have the surgery.)  I got the feeling that he didn't want to do the TKR on me, even if I lost more weight.

I went back a month later, after losing more weight, and he didn't see a problem with my shin wound now but trying to be upfront about all my medical stuff, I told him about my then recent initial Essential Tremor diagnosis and that the neurologist wanted me to have a brain MRI in July.  Suddenly, the surgeon said he had to see the MRI result before he's put me on the schedule for surgery.  Shutdown again.  He also didn't raise an issue with me being on a biologic drug that suppresses my immune system which raised a red flag with ME.  In addition I found out he uses one of the many robotic surgery aids, which means your incision is open longer than if the surgeon does it the old fashioned way with his own hands. Hmmm.
So again, he would not put me on the surgery schedule.  I swear(and Hubs agreed)that he had no intention of doing a TKR on me as at every visit there was a new roadblock(and multiple offers of giving me a steroid injection).


The neurologist in question did NOT get back to me for a full month after the MRI was done and this orthopedist did NOT reach out and follow up with me after this April appointment.  Again, he offered me a knee shot at this appointment.  If I had waited on the neurologist and this surgeon I would still be hobbling around in pain.

I had a telehealth appointment later that same day of my last visit with the local orthopedist ,with a TKR surgeon outside of Columbus OH.  We had the option through our health insurance to use one of their COE(Centers of Excellence), teams of elite joint replacement surgeons around the country(places like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, etc.).  Top notch surgeons.  I had to apply and wait for one of these surgeons to accept my case.  Then they fly you there, put you up in a nearby hotel and pay for everything(from Uber rides to meals to DME needed to the price of the surgery). I had one of the Columbus OH surgeons accept me as a TKR patient.  So I had the phone appointment with him that same day.  Even with my other health issues which were all under control he didn't see a problem with doing my TKR.  I asked a lot of questions.  Among them whether he used a robotic aid in surgery.  He did not and as a person with a lot of common sense felt that surgeons used them because they were a new "toy" and surgeons like toys.  There is not empirical evidence yet that using a robotic arm in surgery gives the patient a better result he said.  He also brought up the immunity suppressing biologic drug I was taking and that I'd have to be off that for up to 4 weeks before surgery and 4 weeks after surgery.  I crossed my fingers that my HS would stay in remission for 2 months and agreed to stop taking that drug.  So this surgeon had no problem with taking me on for a TKR, even after I told him about my neurological issues, the brain MRI, etc.

The Ohio operation was top notch and on the ball.  We got all the forms and paperwork done and I attempted to get my then PCP to order labs and an EKG within a month of the scheduled date of the  surgery.

Had the labs and EKG and had them faxed to the Clinical Assistant for the surgeon in OH.  I got a phone call from the CA the next day.  My labs were great but the EKG was unacceptable.  I knew when the nurse was doing it in the office it was not going to be good enough.  The CA said we'll keep you on the surgery schedule but you have to resolve this EKG issue asap.  So I messaged the PCP office, slightly panicked, and demanded they refer me to a cardiologist for a new EKG.  The PCP KNEW going in this was a clearance for surgery so why didn't they send me to a Cardiologist to begin with?  I got in with a cardiologist and they ran me through 4 different heart tests(EKG, chemical Stress test, and 2 ultra sounds-one before the stress test and one after).  The Cardiologist called me early that same evening himself to tell me I was AOK for surgery and they faxed my results to OH.

I found out later that the Clinical Assistant called my then PCP after receiving the abnormal EKG and asked them since they had a patient with an abnormal EKG what they planned to do as a follow up.  She was told they had no plans to retest or address the issue further.  Nice, right?  That's what you get when a medical organization gives a 64 year old woman to a Pediatrician as a patient!

Now as far as I knew, in the state of Louisiana, in order to get an order for PT(after surgery)you had to have a LA doctor write the prescription.  At least that is what I was told by the PT office where I had been going in July/August for my lower back pain.  My then PCP had agreed to write the PT order and had given me an appointment for a wound check about 10 days after I returned from surgery in OH.

A week and a half before flying to OH I am out of refills for one of my prescriptions so Walmart(where I get my Rxs filled)contacted my PCPs office to get her to refill the drug.  I waited 3 days, called the pharmacy and still they hadn't heard from her, so I messaged her office on the patient portal requesting the drug be refilled.  Another 3 days with no response so I am in Walmart anyway so I go ask at the pharmacy if the dr. had gotten back to them.  She had not.  I tell them to send another request.  Call Walmart a few days later and still no response from the doctor.  So I send yet another message through the portal and ask if there is a problem here?  I've had the pharmacy send 2 requests and I've messaged twice with no response over the course of more than a week. Can I please get my drug refilled?

Then later that day I get a phone call, from someone identifying herself as "Shelby".  Now this is not the PCP or her nurse and I have never dealt with anyone at this facility by that name.  I don't know if she's a doctor, NP, PA, nurse, receptionist, janitor, someone in the waiting room they paid $10 to to make this call or a hitman.
"Shelby" proceeds to tell me my PCP is firing me and no longer wants to treat me because I am "unprofessional".

Seems to me a PCP who doesn't give a patient enough notice and in writing, especially a patient who was flying to OH for surgery in less than a week, is unethical, immoral and considered patient abandonment and this PCP is the unprofessional one.

My wound check appointment immediately disappeared on the portal and the PCP was not going to write me a PT order.  She just dropped me cold, knowing this would put my surgery in jeopardy.  Nice.

Hubs and I flew into panic mode as the surgeon needed PT arranged and the wound check before surgery.  Luckily we also had through our insurance a telehealth PT outfit.  Hubs called them and found out, a doctor in any state can write a PT order and have it filled in any other state by a licensed facility.  The PT facility I had dealt with for my lower back pain had a policy of only taking PT orders from LA doctors but that was very unusual come to find out.  So we found a PT facility closer to where we live and set up sessions for when I got back from OH.

I also had to find a new PCP and I went outside of the medical organization the ex-PCP was part of, as I have found it lacking in so many ways.  I found a doctor who wasn't primarily a Pediatrician by trade and set up an initial visit in October.
But I still needed someone to do a wound check as I didn't think it would be a good call to have a brand new PCP do it at my first visit.

First Hubs reached out to the orthopedist I had been seeing here, as I was his patient since April.  He explained the situation to the doc's nurse and asked if he'd do an incision check, that's all.  The nurse called back the next day and said the Doc would NOT do this one small thing.  She kept saying he "can't" do it.  After she reiterated this statement 4 times as he pleaded with her, Hubs got fed up and told her, "Stop saying he CAN'T do it, the fact is he could do it but he just WON'T do it!" and hung up.

At PT I found out that if one doctor does a surgery on you, around here, no other surgeon will do a follow-up or revision if something goes wrong.  Basically, the surgeon in OH now "owns" that knee.  If something ever happens to that knee and I need care for it, I would have to go back to OH and see him.

So I reached out to our old NP at that shit show clinic we left.  She is a lovely person, more than competent NP and she set me up with an appointment for a wound check and it was so nice to see her again.  As far as medical personnel I've dealt with in Louisiana, she is the only one I trust(the jury is still out on the new PCP).

Now that I am past all this crap and well on my way to TKR healing I am considering suing that old PCP(the Pediatrician who wants to do well baby checks and give vaccinations). At the least I'll be sending a scathing letter to the CEO of that medical organization.

And that's just what went on with the surgeon.  I've got more tales to tell about the worthless Dermatologist and the incompetent Neurologist I've had to deal with down here.

Some story, huh?


Sluggy


Monday, December 11, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "People Are Disgusting!" Edition.....  

This is the sight that greeted me as I got out of Hubs car at PT last Wednesday in the parking lot.  It's a few sheets from the end of a roll of paper towels AND the paper towel tube.  It looks like someone spilled coffee or some other liquid in their car, whipped out the last of a roll of paper towels they also had in their car to wipe up the spillage and then dropped this mess on the ground in the parking lot for me to almost step in as I exited the car and then for me to take a photo of.
I swear if trash in this parking lot were coins I'd be filthy rich!lol

This is day 183 of the new "diet".  Down 53 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 61 lbs.).  

Onward to the meal planning!
This is what was planned for last week.......
1. Sunday--Beer Bratwurst on Roll, Zero Sugar Baked Beans
2. Monday--Veggie Lasagna
3. Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
4  Wednesday--1/2 Tuna Sub, Salmon, Spinach Soufflè
5. Thursday--1/2 Tuna Sub, 
6.  Friday--leftovers
7. Saturday--No Clue


And here's what actually happened........
1. Sunday--Beer Bratwurst on Roll, Zero Sugar Baked Beans
2. Monday--No Clue(It was THAT memorable)
3. Tuesday--a Protein Shake, Veggie Lasagna
4  Wednesday--1/2 Tuna Sub, Salmon, Spinach Soufflè
5. Thursday--1/2 Tuna Sub, small bit of Ice Cream
6.  Friday--Catfish dinner, Green Beans, Cole Slaw
7. Saturday--Leftover Catfish dinner, Butternut Squash Ravioli Lean Cuisine dinner

No going back to old habits and eating patterns for me!

What got taken out of the freezer last week...
*  5 Beer Bratwurst
*  Veggie Lasagna
*  2 Hunks of Salmon

What got put into the freezer last week....
*  1 tub of Ice Cream

Last week we spent $242.65 on grocery shopping for December.  
Grand Total shopping comes to $242.65 for December.   
There are 20 shopping days left in December.

I've earned $84.84 on Ibotta in December.
I've earned $14.00 on Shopmium in December.
I've earned $0 on Alexa app in December.
I've earned $9.15 on Kroger Cash Back in December.
I've earned $32.24 on TaDa in December.
I've earned $.62 on Checkout51 in December.
I've earned $0 on Aisle.
I've earned 6,620 points from food shopping on Fetch in December.
I've earned ? points from food shopping on Shop Kick in December. (I can't get into my account so I have no clue.)
I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in November.

That is $140.85 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $242.65 of grocery spending so in reality it's $101.80 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 36.86% and the monthly savings total for December comes in at 36.86% spent. 

Leftovers going into this week....

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Pot Roast, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Taters
2. Monday--Grilled Asparagus, Chicken Strips
3. Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
4  Wednesday--No Clue
5. Thursday--No Clue
6.  Friday--No Clue
7. Saturday--No Clue

No menu planning for me now, mostly things Hubs can do.  The meals may not happen on the days noted but they will happen this coming week.  I have earned the right not to, in my mind at this point.  I am giving up control of meals to Hubs.  I will put in requests now and then.

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?  

I may post sporadically after this one or I might not, depending on drugs and stuff. 

Sluggy  

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Time for Christmas Tunes!

This is a perennial favorite song at Christmas time around here(in the vein of Anne in the Kitchen's musical fare for today).


Enjoy!

Sluggy

Friday, December 8, 2023

Frugal Friday.....the December 8th Edition

There are very few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  I went to PT 3x this past week.   Good thing I've hit all my deductibles and co-pays so I'm not shelling out cash for this service.

*  Grocery shopping this past week for December--didn't do any I can think of.

*  I found money!

On Saturday, I found a penny inside of Walmart and one in the parking lot.  Guess which is which?



Stopped into Dollar General Market on Wednesday for some gift card presents and found this shiny guy at the register.

Total Found in last Week.... .03¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.50

That's all I got.

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

Blogging will be taking a backseat to getting me healed so there might not be many posts here for the foreseeable future.8-)

Sluggy   

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

NOVEMBER To-Do List

What I planned to get done in November and what actually got done.......

*  Pay Bills--DONE  Always

*  Sign up for Medicare Medigag/Part D Plan--DONE  Got two plans though it required me to sign up for AARP(hate that group!)but those AARP branded plans through UnitedHealthcare were the best deal for my needs in this are.

*  Go to a ridiculous amount of DR appointments--DONE  Can't even remember how many now....Neurology, Sleep Medicine, Podiatrist....

*  Go to a ridiculous amount of PT sessions--DONE

*  Have an EMG/Nerve Conductive Study--DONE  Things didn't go well there and damn!  it hurt.  It was like being tasered but by medical people not the cops.  I failed the Nerve Conductive thing so they didn't bother doing the EMG.  good times.

*  Have Dishwasher Installed--FAIL  The handyman guy couldn't get to us in November to install it so it's been living in the ex-sewing room after Dixie decided to start ripping piece of the cardboard box it was in.

*  Clean and Organize Stuff in House--FAIL  Other than doing the bare minimum there has been no cleaning and organizing here.

*  Buy Stuff for the House--DONE  I am sure Hubs has been continuing his love affair with The Home Despot/Lowe's as he tinkers and replaces shit around here.

*  Have Fake Thanksgiving--DONE  Had fake Turkey Day with daughter and son in-law and their dog and cat.  We didn't get any leftovers to bring home.  I made yeast rolls and pumpkin pie as well as the raw turkey to contribute.



*  Do Something Fun--FAIL  I did nothing fun.  It's hard to have fun when you have no friends here.

*  Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie--DONE  I am discontinuing this item as I hardly have/get paper coupons anymore.  The world is quickly turning digital.

*  Edit More Photos--DONE  Got more photos edited.  Haven't even started on the British Isles cruise photos from May.  I am so far behind. ugh

*  Post About Old Trips--DONE  If I remember correctly I got one whole post up in November from an old trip(still working on the Western Road Trip of 2017).

*  Work on Genealogy--DONE  As it so happens the PT guy has a first name that is usually a surname so I asked him how he got that name.  His Great Grandmother was a Mason.  I've got a ton of Masons on my mother's ancestry side.  Then he said his mother had been born in Williamsburg, VA so you know I had to dig into that. lol

I worked on his tree and added to mine along the Mason line and so far the closest we are related is straight 18th cousins.  We share a common ancestor in John of Gaunt, "The King Maker"(1340-1399), the Duke of Lancaster and the third son of King Edward III.  John's son, Henry IV, eventually deposed Richard II and took the crown.  All English monarchs to this day are descended from John of Gaunt.  Not sure if we share the same 18th Great Grandmother yet, as John had three wives(mine is his third wife).
I found some old photos of his ancestors on Ancestry(2 and 3 x GGs who he knew nothing about)and made copies to give him, as well as a high school yearbook photo of him, which the receptionist posted on the wall at PT.  So I asked if I got a family discount there since we are cousins. (No.)
He is a 4th cousin 8 x removed of George Mason IV(the famous George Mason-GMU, writer of the Bill of Rights, etc.)  I am sure we are related closer than 18th cousins but real genealogy takes time to do properly.  I know one of the succeeding George Mason's sisters married a Stith(John Stith-my 9 x GG, son of Robert Stith and Mary Washington)which ties us in an ancestral knot together-Stith and Washington lines are related to me too.  So funny.

*  Move Video Files to New Computer--FAIL  Didn't even try.

*  Thanksgiving Alone--DONE  We sat home on Thanksgiving and grilled steaks in  the cast iron pan and made baked Sweet Potato Fries in the oven.  Go us.

That's all I got.

Sluggy

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Income & Spending.....November 2023

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals, personal savings 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 November report--

I had 2 goals for November....
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 fund may be applied 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 2023.  
 
I'm happy to report that we finished up November in the black.
The amount extra we ended the month of November with?....$1,243.53

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in November---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $2,608.66(after tax withholding)
*  SS income of $3,672.00
*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $953.52
Total "Income" for November....$7,276.18

Expenses in November---
*  Irregular bills in November were $1,450.94
*  Variable Expenses in November came to $3,410.52
*  Health insurance premiums totaling $1,171.19*
Total Expenses....$6,032.65

$7,276.18-$6,032.65=$1,243.53

* Now that Hubs is on Medicare, I include his Vision Care, and his Medicare supplement in this number with my Healthcare Premium.  His Part B comes directly out of his SS check before we get it.

Slush into November of $44,604.70 and the addition of $1,243.53 November's 2023 Slush Fund comes to $45,848.23
The Slush Fund on it's own page(tab at the top of the blog)shows an addition of $1,243.53

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

HERE are the GOOD THINGS
*  The WAM, the water bill, cell phone bill, Health Insurance premium, vision care, Hubs supplement plan and internet were the same as last month.
*  The electric bill went down by $5.92.

HERE are the BAD THINGS
*  The Mastercard c/c was $37.56 higher than in October.
*  Hubs Amazon c/c was $64.02 higher than last month.
*  The Aviator c/c was $1044.98 higher than in October.
*  We had 4 irregular bills in November--
*  The bill of $420.00 for yearly garbage pickup.
*  We had an irregular bill for $208.37 for a yearly vet visit.
*  Hubs had a car repair of $810.57(brakes and tires).
*  I had to join AARP to get the Medigap Supplement/Part D Plan I wanted so $12.00 paid for a year.

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

FINAL THOUGHTS for NOVEMBER 2023---Even though we paid OOP less for groceries/HBA/paper products this month we also had more credit card charges for non-food/household stuff.  Interest earned was up in November which is good.

THOUGHTS going forward into DECEMBER 2023---Who the heck knows??  Long Term Care Premiums will be due in the irregular bill department, the dishwasher "may" be installed this month and the dogs are being groomer this month. I have to pay in full for the cruise we booked plus it's Christmas and my daughter's birthday this month so that will cost us.  And we are going to PA to see our youngest, with stops in MD, VA and maybe AL on what may be my Farewell Tour Road Trip which will put more mileage on the credit cards.  December will be a financial hit but we can afford it.


So how was your November financially?
Did you spend less than the income you had in November?
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 down/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 all your excess monies after bills were paid 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


Monday, December 4, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Glad to Hear from JRE" Edition.....  

I'm happy reader JRE made a comment last week on how she is doing with her TKR post surgery.  I was just about to post something to ask her to give us an update.
I am now 7+ weeks out, still doing PT 3 days a week and am off the walker as of a week ago.  Because of my back/coccyx issues and some neurological issues(causing balance problems)it took me a bit longer to transition to a cane from that blasted walker(plus makes some balance type exercises more difficult).  Off the "good drugs" for a couple to 3 weeks now and just on OTC Tylenol plus Flexeril for my back.  Had the lower back MRI on Saturday at 8 am and waiting to hear something from the dr. on that and where we go from here.  Still no response from my neurologist.  It's been just shy of a month since I failed the EMG test they did.  NO surprise since it took a month of pestering him to get him to respond to me after the brain MRI I had back in August with any information a lay person could understand. sigh


This is day 176 of the new "diet".  Down 52 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 60 lbs.).  

Onward to the meal planning!
This is what was planned for last week.......
1. Sunday--Faux Thanksgiving at Daughter's House
2. Monday--No Clue
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--Faux Thanksgiving at Daughter's House
2. Monday--BBQ Brisket slice, Baked Sweet Potato
3. Tuesday--Meatloaf, Teriyaki Green Beans
4  Wednesday--Lunch out-Wendy's, no Dinner
5. Thursday--Bowl of Rice Chex, Leftover Meatloaf, Teriyaki Green Beans
6.  Friday--Yogurt w/Granola, big Zalad from Zaxby's, no dinner
7. Saturday--2 Chicken Pot Pies

No going back to old habits and eating patterns for me!

What got taken out of the freezer last week...
*  a Turkey
*  a Hunk of Brisket
*  2 lb. of Ground Beef
*  1 bag of Green Beans

What got put into the freezer last week....
*  sliced up Brisket after it was smoked

Last week we spent $157.53 on grocery shopping for November.  
Grand Total shopping comes to $306.08 for November.   
There are 27 shopping days left in December.

I've earned $209.16 on Ibotta in November.
I've earned $19.49 on Shopmium in November.
I've earned $0 on Alexa app in November.
I've earned $24.05 on Kroger Cash Back in November.
I've earned $46.76 on TaDa in November.
I've earned $9.00 on Checkout51 in November.
I've earned $13.96 on Aisle.
I've earned 4,832 points from food shopping on Fetch in November.
I've earned 2,648 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in November.
I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in November.

That is $298.36 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $308.06 of grocery spending so in reality it's $7.72 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 55.97% and the monthly savings total for November comes in at 64.41% spent.  Nice percentages since we used what was left on that travel stipend card last week.

Leftovers going into this week....a hunk of Meatloaf, 2 small pieces of pumpkin pie(Hubs is eating that), most of 2 pans of homemade rolls(will go into freezer)but no other turkey day leftovers as we didn't bring anything home with us from Daughter's house.

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Beer Bratwurst on Roll, Zero Sugar Baked Beans
2. Monday--Veggie Lasagna
3. Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
4  Wednesday--1/2 Tuna Sub, Salmon, Spinach Soufflè
5. Thursday--1/2 Tuna Sub, small bit of Ice Cream
6.  Friday--leftovers
7. Saturday--No Clue

No menu planning for me now, mostly things Hubs can do.  The meals may not happen on the days noted but they will happen this coming week.  I have earned the right not to, in my mind at this point.  I am giving up control of meals to Hubs.  I will put in requests now and then.

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?  

I may post sporadically after this one or I might not, depending on drugs and stuff. 

Sluggy