$30K Savings Challenge APRIL 2010 Totals.....Happy Dance!

I have posted my APRIL 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 April waaaaaaay  in the Black.

The extra cash amount we ended the month of April with was.......$6,366.78.

Income
We had $2,290.77 left over of DH's salary after expenses were deducted. Add in a gas voucher of $26.68 for some business traveling he paid OOP for in April, a hefty $159.33 in Rebates & our big fat Income Tax Refund of $3,890.00 which we received in April and you have a nice deposit of $6,366.78 toward the Savings Challenge!
The nice thing is that even if you take off the Tax Refund, we have $2,476.78 leftover to put toward savings.  That is just $24+/- short of the $2,500 estimate we need to save each month to reach a $30K Savings Goal for the Year!  So even without the tax refund, we are right on track.

Outgo
As for the expenses in April.....

The electric bill went down another $80 in April so that number is NOT causing me dread when I peek inside the envelope each month when it arrives.

 The credit card bill was down below $350, which is always a welcomed sight.

Out-of-the-ordinary expenses in April....our municipal/local tax bill was due(over $1K), the car needed it's yearly inspection and #2 son snookered me into buying candles(I need another candle like I need leprosy!) for the Marching Band fundraiser.  It was NOT a very bad month for extra expenses, which really helped boost the amount we could throw into savings this month.

The Food Budget costs for April are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food/Toiletries spending in April was under the budgeted $250.00 even without throwing the rebate money that came in last month at this expense.  After the rebate money we only spent $38.86 on food/toiletries and our Savings percentage was a whopping 92.40%!

Looking Ahead to May....
#1 son aka the 'eating machine' comes home from college & we have a week long visit from a relative in May, so the food spending will no doubt go up.
The Credit Card bill as of May 3rd is already over $1,000 for May(due to 2 large purchases by DH).
The water bill will increase some as DH opens the pool for the season later this month.
We will have some bills for doctor's visits & prescription drugs as well and a $1,000 expenditure for #2 son's summer camp stay which needs to be paid this month. 


On the bright side, we have potential for some addition income in May as I plan on taking the extras in my stockpile to sell at the flea market.  Wish me luck on that! ;-)

I am hoping to be able to meet our monthly goal of $2,500 saved in May.

YTD Standings....
We have a Year To Date Total of $14,890.50 in Savings.  To save $30K for the year, we need to put away $2,500 per month average.  We are almost 2 months ahead of our target as the 4th month savings total goal was $10,000!  We are 1/3rd of the way through the year now and our savings should be at $10,000.  It's actually almost at $15,000, which is the savings goal for the end of June(or halfway through the year)! 8-))

While I am thrilled beyond words! to be this far ahead of our projected goal, the doomsday naysayer in me is just waiting for the other financial shoe to drop.  There must certainly be economic disaster around the next bend or some GOTCHA expense lying in wait to blow our goals out of the water.
I am trying to remain cheerfully optimistic that this pile of savings is NOT a mirage. ;-)

So how was your April 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!
If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out too!


Sluggy

Oh My.....

Before we moved to the house we presently reside in here in "Teeny Tiny" Town, we lived in a house outside of "Itsy Bitsy" Town, moving there in 1986.  Itsy Bitsy Town is right near the Delaware River, which serves as border between PA, NY & NJ at that area.  The interstate has an exit to the west of "Itsy Bitsy" Town near the neighboring "Even More Itsy Bitsy" Town.  There use to be a Gas Station/Mini Mart at the exit ramp where they sold fireworks every summer from a stand set up on the grass by the parking lot.  People would pop over from NY & NJ, where these fireworks are illegal.  The stand did a "bang up" business if you pardon my pun. ;-)
Here's the best photo I could find on the internet.  You'll have to pardon it too as it's from the massive flooding from 2005.  The red dot is the exit ramp and the white circle is where the gas station/mini mart stood.  The blue circle is the fire department building.

Pretty soon the Gas Station/Mini Mart did so well they started selling fireworks inside the store.  Flush with money they got a Taco Bell franchise(first for this area)inside part of the store.  The franchise didn't last but a year or two and then the Mini Mart expanded the fireworks they carried into the old restaurant part of the building.  I used to attend the Bingo at the Fire Dept. building a couple of lots away from this Gas Station/Mini Mart.  I drove by it many times a week taking my oldest 2 kids to the private school they attended for awhile over the river in New York.  I bought tacos and chalupas in that mini mart and pumped gas there too.
After we moved out, at some point the people who owned the Gas Station/Mini Mart sold out to a big fireworks chain--Phantom Fireworks.
If you get were I am going with this you are correct....this is the same place the suspected terrorist bought his fireworks he used in his car bomb parked in Times Square.
Here's a mention in the local area paper.

It is totally freaking me out....and I haven't even lived there for 10 years!

Sluggy

And This is Why.....

Today is 'eBay' day here and I am trying to get some of the boxes of stuff sorted through from storage....if the dogs will leave me be for more than 10 minutes.

My "Separation Anxiety Bagel" has progressed from having to be able to SEE me and get to me at will every second he is awake to having to actually be in contact with my body every second he is awake. 
Do you know how limiting it is to have a 40lb. dog attached to you at all times? 
Presently he is slobbering on my foot & snoring.  I don't dare get up without causing major consternation so I have stacked 6 boxes beside me and here I sit, sorting.....

I pulled out some doozies here a few minutes ago.
This photo should explain why, in addition to yard sales and Salvation Army, I am no longer allowed to go to Big Lots without a chaperone to tell me things like.....
"Put that down NOW or we are leaving the store!" or....
"Yah, it's funny...so what?" or....
"Do you REALLY think it's a good idea to buy that?!?"

Yes folks, I have my very own inflatable Krusty the Clown and Itchy & Scratchy dolls!
As Homer would say....."Who-HOOO!"

You think this is bad.....I also had bought an APU the Quickie Mart Clerk Doll but gave that to my son a few years ago.

So you are NOT the only one with an inflatable toy fetish SonyaAnn.

That is all....carry on.

Sluggy

Woof means "Thanks Mom for the Cheap Dog Food!"

I went and got 40 of these Mighty Dog $3 off 5 cans Qs a couple of weeks ago to add to the few I already had.  I spent last week taking 4 at a pop up to the local independent grocery store as this dog food was on sale for 60¢ a can, so I got all this for free......

That's 90 cans there.
And none of the cashiers put the sale under taxable so no tax paid either....sweet! ;-)

So I still had enough Qs left this week, since I didn't make enough trips last week to use them all, to do some scenarios at Weis Markets.  These Mighty Dog canned foods are part of a Catalina Deal at Weis this week....Spend reg. shelf price of $35 on select pet foods, get $10 OYNO Catalina/Spend $25, get $5 Catalina.

So I went up to Weis on Monday and bought this.....

60 x Mighty Dog Cans reg. .60=$36.00/on sale .55=$33.00
Used 12 $3/5 Mighty Dog Qs(adjusted down to $2.75/5)=$33.00
Total....Zero+$1.98 tax=$1.98

And I received a $10 OYNO Catalina

So I hiked up again today and bought this.....

54 x Mighty Dog Cans reg. .60=$32.40/on sale .55=$29.70
2 x Friskies Cat Treats reg. $1.49=$2.98/on sale $1.25=$2.50
Total.....reg. retail $35.38/sale price $32.20

Coupons Used
10 x $3/5 Might Dog Qs(adjusted down to $2.75/5)=$27.50
2 x BOGO Mighty Dog Qs=$1.10
1 x $1.50/1 Friskies Cat Treats=$1.50
Coupon Total....$30.10**
Suppose to be $30.10 but the cashier put the BOGOs through at $1.25 each....huh?  So instead of $1.10 off on the Mighty Dog BOGOS I got $2.50 off.....oooookkkkkay!
ACTUAL Coupon Total....$31.50

$32.20-$31.50=$.70 + $1.93 tax=$2.63 OOP
And another $10 OYNO Catalina.

I had planned on getting some FREE ITEM coupon Kitten Chow bags but they were out.  If I had been able to get those and use the Qs for them, my total before tax would have been a ridiculous 15¢ instead of 70¢. lol

Now I am out of Mighty Dog Qs but I have 2x $10 Cats and here is what I am planning on getting tomorrow.
**IF the other Weis store still has any Purina Kitten Chow on the shelf(which is free with the coupon from Sunday's insert)I'll do this....

2 x 17lb. Dog Chow reg. $11.99=$23.98/sale $9.99=$19.98
2 x Kitten Chow bags reg. $1.89=$3.78/sale $1.50=$3.00
2 x Beggin' Strips reg. $3.29=$6.58/sale $2.50=$5.00
1 x Friskies Cat Treats reg. $1.49/sale $1.25
SubTotal.....reg. $35.87/sale $29.23

Coupons Used
2 x $1.50/1 Dog Chow=$3.00
2 x Free Kitten Chow=$3.00
2 x $1/1 Beggin Strips=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Friskies Treats=$1.00
Coupon Total....$9.00

$29.23-$9.00=$20.23

2 x $10 OYNO Cats=$20.00
$20.23-$20.00=$.23 + $1.35tax=$1.58 OOP
And I get another $10 OYNO Catalina. ;-)



Te recap that will be.....

3 Friskies Cat Treats
2 Beggin Strips
2 bags of Kitten Chow
2 l7lb. bags Dog Chow
204 cans Mighty Dog

For a grand total of .93¢ + $5.26 in TAX!=$6.19 OOP
And a $10 Cat left to spend.

Are you working the Pet Food Catalina deal this week?  What is your plan?

Sluggy

Another 2010 BORING BLOG BOX of FUN GIVEAWAY is OPEN! WEEK TWO

This is the 2nd Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY WEEK TWO Post!

Just to recap, I put things in the box(mostly what I have gotten for free or almost free)each week and when the box is filled we draw a winner from all the entries received.

Here is what went into the Box today.....

1.  A Revlon Mascara.
2.  2 bottle of Mentos.
3. 4 little tubes of Sarah Michaels Body Wash.


If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways on THIS POST.

Time to enter.....You can enter on this Giveaway post until I post another set of items for the Giveaway--which is usually about a week.

1 entry per person per day on THIS POST.  Leave your name/email addy and a comment for a valid entry on THIS POST only.  When I post again about this BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY entries on this Post will be CLOSED and you must post on the New Giveaway Post to enter.  I hope this isn't too confusing. ;-)
Please NOTE--You MUST be a follower to enter the Giveaway.  If you aren't one, just click on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of my blog to become a follower.

There are 2 ways to get extra entries....

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with the URL of your blog. If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in your extra comment.
2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog or on a Message Board.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with a link to your blog post or the message on the board.

Again, you can enter on this post until I put another Giveaway Post up and then you need to enter on the NEWER Post.

Any questions?  Just email me at slugmama@yahoo.com

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy