$30K Savings Challenge FEBRUARY 2010 Totals....a Great Month!

I have posted my FEBRUARY End of Month 30K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.

I have to report that we finished up February in the Black.

The amount we ended the month of February with was.......$4,094.60

Income
Besides Hubby salary we had a hefty amount in Rebates and some rolled Coins under the Income Heading. Hubby also got a Bonus check from work...yay!
Not sure where the Bonus $ will end up but I'm putting it into the Savings Challenge for now. Without it, we are at $966.20 in savings for Feb.

Outgo
As for the expenses in February.....

The electric bill was $399.10, just a few dollars more than January's bill. Since Feb. is the most expensive month here for heating, I am good with that number.

 The credit card bill seemed also a bit high(over $1K) but was paid off(like every month)so no interest charges at least.  On second thought, the cc bill wasn't too bad, since hubby didn't make as many Cash Withdrawals this month.  He used the cc more for gas and such instead of cash.  When you combine the cash withdrawals and the cc charges this month against those charges combined in previous months, they average about the same per month.

We had some large out-of-the-ordinary expenses in Feb. 
The car insurance is due then, so that was almost $1300.
The other BIG expense was our part of #2 son's dental extractions, $475.00, after the insurance paid their part.

All other regular bills...Cable, Internet, Phone, etc. are the same each month. 

The Food Budget costs for February are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food/Toiletries spending in February was under the budgeted $250(due to the rebate money that came in last month)and our Savings percentage was a whopping 91.12%!

Looking Ahead to March....
The cc bill is on track to being under $500 this month, which is always good. ;-)
There are three non-monthly charges this month--the quarterly sewage bill(not very much), the County/Municipal Tax Bill and our State Tax Bill.
One tax bill is over $1K, one is under $100, so that's approx. $1200 in extra expenses for March.

YTD Standings....
We have a Year To Date Total of $4,850.25 in Savings.  To save $30K for the year, we need to put away $2,500 per month average.  We are almost on target after 2 months....Jan. was dismal but Feb. was great due to the bonus.  I'm looking to only put away $1400 in March due to the Tax bills since it's a high bill month.

So how was your February financially?  Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good.   Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out?  Let us know!


Sluggy

February BUDGET RESULTS-Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2010.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in February.
These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home-all 5 home for 2/3 of this month & 3 dogs. No kids under 14.

BIG LOTS
OOP $41.02
Qs/Ads $34.42
Value $75.44
Savings 45.60%

BOYER'S(small local chain in next town)
OOP $11.38
Qs/Ads $6.43
Value $17.81
Savings 36.10%

CARONE'S(local Independent Grocery that doesn't take IP Qs)
OOP $11.13
Qs/Ads $7.82
Value $18.95
Savings   41.30%

CVS
OOP $0 ($1.57 put on Gift Card)
Qs/Ads $27.76
Value $29.33
Savings 100%

ENTENMANN'S OUTLET
OOP $6.00
Ads/Sales $11.64
Value $17.64
Savings  66%

GERRITY'S(local chain that takes IPQs)
OOP $11.78
Qs/Ads $11.76
Value $23.54
Savings 50%

PRICE CHOPPER Northeast
OOP $127.48
Qs/Ads $599.59
Value $727.07
Savings 82.46%

RITE AID
OOP $24.96 ($41.94 put on Gift Card/Prepaid Visa Card)
Qs/Ads $732.17
Value $799.07
Savings 96.88%

WALGREENS
OOP $30.93
Qs/Ads $155.74
Value $186.67
Savings  83.43%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town)
OOP $111.55
Qs/Ads $497.58
Value $609.13
Savings  81.70%

I've don't track CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN FEBRUARY

Caregiver's Marketplace(for 2009)....$14.50
Ducolax.....$5.00
Kraft Jingle in Your Holidays x 2....$20.00
Naked Juice.......$10.00

Nature Valley Granola Bars....$2.50
NeilMed Sinus....$9.00
Olay Quench Rebate...$12.48
Olay $20 Rebate.....$20.00
Pinecone Research....$3.00
Rite-Aid SCR....$57.52

Subtotal........$154.00

FREE ITEMS

Free Oreos x 5!lol

Stacy's Chips

Pillsbury Orange Rolls Q

Barilla Pasta Q

Kraft Crackers

Kraft Pizza

Kraft Cookies

COUPONS

Jollytime Popcorn
PC Catalinas  $18
Weis Catalinas  $20

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

CVS/Biologie 'Poo  $9.99  Prepaid Visa

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$163.99


My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from CVS at 100%, Rite-Aid at 96.88%, and WAGS at 83.43%.
The best Grocery Savings Total was Price Chopper at 83.43% saved.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$376.23
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$2128.42
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$2504.65
TOTAL Savings of..........85%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$154.00
TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$222.23
TOTAL Savings of..................................91.12%

This closes out the February spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
I think I did quite well this month, especially considering all the Catalina Deals I did!  The spending before rebates was $376.23 but with rebates added to the budget of $250, we had $404 to use, so we have $27.77 left to carry over into March's food/toiletries budget.
Leftover food budget money....wow!....what a concept!lol

What's ahead for March 2010.....

The February 2010 Food/Toiletries Budget is set at $277.77($250+$27.77 carryover from Feb.) cash out of pocket.  Any rebates received this month will offset this OOP spending.  I have $129.85 in Rebates outstanding, so anything that comes in this month gets thrown into the food budget kitty.
I have finally put away all the food I bought in Feb. at Price Chopper and Weis procured during their Catalina Deals and my stockpile does indeed runneth over now!
What I am hoping for March is this....that a good chunk of the Cash Rebates I am waiting on arrive this month.  Then by combining that rebate money and not food shopping much this month and eating what is here, I can keep the food spending to an amount equal to the rebates received and the leftover budget money from Feb.($27.77)and NOT touch the proper Food/Toiletries Budget amount of $250.

Wouldn't that just be awesome if I can pull it off?
I am going to try!  This week has been good so far as I've stayed out of the stores mostly....does Rite-Aid count?lolol
As long as some "stock-upportunity" doesn't present itself, I should be fine. ;-)

At any rate, whatever is leftover (if anything is leftover!)in the food budget for March, I'm going to throw it into the Savings Challenge money pot instead of carrying it over into April's food budget.
The Savings Challenge kitty needs anything I can throw at it!

How did you do in February with your Food Budget?  Leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.

Sluggy

The Giveaway Winner is......

Ok, just so SonyaAnn doesn't have a nervous breakdown...hehehe....I'm posting the winner of the Giveaway now.
I drew the winner at noon.
I numbered all the comments from the Giveaway posts and used Random.org to pick the winner.

And the Winner is comment #13, which is......










Marilyn from Marilyn's Money.

Congratulations to Marilyn and I'm sorry I can't have everyone win. 8-(

I want to thank each and everyone of you for entering and I hope the folks who found us here through the Giveaway will stick around awhile. ;-)

I have another smallish Giveaway(from Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark) coming up in the next day or two.

When that is done, I have a Humdinger of a Giveaway(sponsored by ME!)that all you Coupon Mavens and Maven Wannabees will want to enter so sit tight and don't go anywhere!lol

Plus I will be starting to fill up a new Box of Fun for the 2010 Boring Blog Box Giveaway #2.  I'm hoping to start being able to include liquids in the box now(shampoo, lotion, etc.), since the sub-zero weather will no longer be a concern.  Nothing worse than opening a box of winnings with a burst bottle of some liquid oozing all over everything, right?lol

Again, thanks for playing.
The fun just never ends here at "Don't Read This"!

Sluggy

Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway....Now CLOSED!!!

*****THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!  WINNER COMING UP LATER TODAY....STAY TUNED!*****

 My Giveaway ends tonight at Midnight EST.
Here is what you can win....

 

1. 1 Pair of hunter green Men's Winter Thinsulate Gloves Size L/XL
2. 1 Box of PUREVIA(40 ct.) stevia sweetener
3. 1 Bag of Luden's Cough Drops(cherry)
4. 1 Bar of DOVE Soap
5. 1 Tin of Sugar-Free ALTOIDS
6. 1 RIMMEL Mascara
7. 1 BOGO Dozen Eggs Coupon from the Good Egg Project Facebook Giveaway(expires 3/31/10)
8.  1 Ty HALO Beanie Baby
9.  1 Bottle of DUCOLAX Balance
10. 1 Tube of AVEENO Lotion
11.  1 Mesh Bath Sponge
12. 1 set of Make-Up Brushes.
13.  2 travel size Tubes of Toothpaste(Aquafresh and Colgate Total).
14.  1 Tube of Rite-Aid brand Apricot Scrub Face Wash.
15.  A set of Stationery Folded Note cards. 
16.  3 Tubes of MENTOS Sugar-free Gum.
17.  a Sample of HEAD & SHOULDERS Shampoo.
18.  a GLADE CANDLE(Clean Linen scent).


Go check out the Original Giveaway Post HERE.

You must be a follower to enter(click on the "follow" button on the right sidebar) and still be a follower when I announce the winner.

To win, Just leave a comment on THIS POST before 12 midnight EST tonight March 2nd.

Get an extra entry for putting my blog on your blogroll if you have a blog.
Leave a separate comment on this post for this extra entry.

Get another extra entry for blogging about my giveaway on your blog or on a forum.(Leave a link to the post in your entry.)
Leave a separate comment on this post for this extra entry.

Good Luck....and HURRY!!!

Sluggy

Weis Sales Ad for 2/28-3/6...What is Worth Buying This Week?

Let's see what Weis is offering up in the way of good deals this week, shall we?

First off, there is a GORTON'S SEAFOOD Deal.  Gorton's is 50% off this week, and when you buy 2 in a single transactions(and use your Club Card)you will get $2 off at the Register.  Now the way the ad reads this looks like a straight "take $2 off your receipt total" deal and NOT a Catalina is generated deal where you use the Cat Q to take $2 off your next order.  I'll be heading up to Weis tomorrow sometime(maybe)to see which deal it really is.
Anyway, buy 2 Gorton's products for 50%, use coupons(either 2 x $.40/1 doubled from 2/21SS or 1 x $1/2 from 1/24SS or 2 x $.50/1 doubled from the 1/3SS)for a better deal and then get another $2 off.
Not a real low cost OOP but still, for a protein, a pretty good deal!

Then there is 1 lone Catalina Deal. Buy $12/Get $3 or Buy $20/Get $7.  The participating items are Ice Creams, sugary Frozen Food(pancakes, toaster strudels, scrambles), pizza, pizza rolls, 'savorings' and pricey frozen chinese food.  All of it highly processed or high calorie dairy.  Unless you have tons of freezer space this isn't the kind of Cat Deal you want to be rolling many times.  We do like ice cream though, so I'll scope out the regular shelf prices when I go in and see if it's low enough OOP to be worth doing once or twice this week.

One item you might want to do, if you are working on the Kraft Back To School $20 Rebate...the Easy Mac Cups are 5/$4(.80¢each).  You need to purchase 5 of these for the rebate.  I would like to get these for .50¢ but I may settle for this price just to get it out of the way and completed.  At any price, they will be inhaled by the minor children here as soon as they hit my kitchen.lol

PRODUCE Deals
Onions 2lbs.  $1.50
Romaine Hearts BOGO($3.99)
Fresh Express Salad Bags  BOGO($2.99+)
Grapefruit $1 each

MEAT Deals
80% lean Ground Beef $1.79 lb.(in 3lb. or more packages)...pretty much rock bottom price here

Gold Leaf Chicken Leg Quarters $.59 lb.(sold in a 10 lb. bag) so you're spending $5.90

From the Dock(Weis Brand)"Special Crab Meat" $2.99 for 8 oz.  Now I have no clue what 'special crab meat' means but this is a great price for crabmeat!  I may have to torpedo the No Spending Week here to grab some of this!  I see crabcakes and she crab soup in my future...lol

SPAM  $1.33 12 oz. can  I guess this is meat....technically.lol  There is a $.35/1 Q on the Spam website.  If it doubles, you'll pay .66¢ a can.  I hear this stuff is good in scrambled eggs.

DAIRY
Weis Ricotta 2lb. container $3.50  Not rock bottom but a good price if you need ricotta this week.

Dannon Danimals $2 a pack.  Use one of the many $1/1 Dannon yogurt ManuQs out there and get it for $1 a pack.  And what's up with all these yogurt Qs anyway??  Every week it's yogurt, yogurt, yogurt!!

OTHER STUFF
Chex Mix $1.50 a bag.  There is a $.50/1 IPQ on Coupons.com for the Chocolate Variety, doulbed at Weis will get you a bag for .50¢.

Progresso Soups-Classics $1 a can OR Traditional $1.25 a can(must buy in groups of 8 for Traditional). Lots of different ManuQs out there will get you soup for under a buck.

McIlhenny's Tabasco Sauce is still $1 for the small bottle.  Paired with the 1/31SS $.50/1 ManuQ when doubled, gets you FREE Hot Sauce.

Also a couple of BOGO Bread Deals if you don't have a Bread Outlet nearby or make your own.

That's about all I see worth getting at Weis this week.
Let us know if you see something we missed or a Coupon Match-Up that will get you a good price!

I am not really very good at doing these kinds of Deals and Match-Up Posts but I really can't find ANYONE out there blogging about Weis Markets Deals.  I guess since it's just a regional chain no blogger has much interest in providing these kinds of posts.  And you certainly don't find much on the two BIG Coupon sites Weis forums.  One is a bit more informational than the other tho....
If anybody out there who shops at Weis reads these and it helps a bit, I'll keep posting them(as I feel the urge),so let me hear from ya if you find these useful, ok?
Thanks!

Sluggy