Taking a Hiatus....Back Later This Week...Maybe

You know what they say?
That life on the internet is just one big party with your homies.
But I need to hang up my lampshade, step away from the computer and take an Itty Bitty Bloggy Break.
*Try saying that real fast 10 times!*

So I will not be posting for the next few days as I deal with issues here that need my attention.
I'm not sick or anything, just sort of burnt out and need to go off into the woods like Thoreau and contemplate my navel.
And if I am lucky, perhaps I'll find my different drummer too. ;-)

Hope to see you all again very soon!

Sluggy

$30K Savings Challenge SEPTEMBER 2010 Totals.....Not as Good but Still Saving this Month

I have posted my SEPTEMBER 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 September in the black....with an addition to the total!

The extra cash we were able to save in September was.......$1,165.79.

Income
We had $1,036.29 left over of DH's salary after expenses were deducted. Add in $129.50 of Rebates applied to the food expenses and you have a deposit of $1,165.79 toward the Savings Challenge!

Seeing as our monthly target is $2,500.00 to reach our Year End Goal, this month was less than half of what we need each month to stay on track.

Outgo
As for the expenses in September....we had a rather large Vet bill this month(due to our doggie that passed away earlier this month)and we had School Taxes due(our property taxes are divided up into school taxes and local/municipal taxes).  Add in the usual bills plus a fairly large credit card bill(which is paid off every month)and we didn't have as much leftover to put aside this month.  But having a couple of months where we had lower expenses let us save extra before now so we aren't losing any ground in Sept.

The Food Budget costs for September are in another post, which is located HERE.  The actual Food/Toiletries spending in September was over my $250 target but the rebates we received in September helped to cover that excess amount spent and lowered the OOP to $137.67.

Looking Ahead to October....

Looking at last October as a guideline, there is only the quarterly garbage bill coming due.  In fact, we have NO unusual non-monthly bills except this one for the remainder of the year!

Plus there is one of those 2 extra bi-weekly paychecks coming before the year is out.
Now if we can just keep some restraint with the money during the Holidays and not go hog wild with the eating out & the "Gift Bacchanalia" that this Season encourages, we'll be doing well.

On the other hand, October will see the beginning of Heating Season here however, so our electric bill will be going up. 8-(


YTD Standings....
We have a Year To Date Total of $24,087.15 in Savings.  To save $30K for the year, we need to put away $2,500 per month average, at this point in the year we need to have $22,500 saved.  Currently, we have $5,912.85 to go with just 3 months left in the year.  I can't wait to get to that financial finish line!

So how was your September 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

More Rite-Aid from Last Week....Truly Boring for Non Rite-Aid-iac!

Due to forces beyond my control.....yah, I'm a Rite-Aid Zombie or something....I did 3 more transactions there last week.

4 x Kleenex Tissues on BOGO sale($2.49)=$4.98
2 x Dawn Dish Soap on sale .99¢=$1.98
1 x Crest big Mouth Rinse on sale=$4.99
1 x Crest smaller Mouth Rinse on sale=$3.49
1 x Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush on sale=$4.99
1 x Crest Toothpaste on sale=$2.99
1 x Fisherman's Friend Throat Lozenges on sale $2.49=$2.39 w/Wellness 20% disc.
SubTotal...$25.81

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $25 IPQ From newsletter subbed to earlier in the year=$5.00
1 x $1/3 Kleenex AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1/4 Kleenex ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Soap ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Crest big Mouth Rinse ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Crest smaller Mouth Rinse ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Oral-B Toothbrush ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Crest Toothpaste ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/$10 any Oral Care purchase Wellness IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$14.00

$25.81-$14.00=$11.81
Used +Ups....$10, $1=$11.00
$11.81-$11.00=$.81 OOP put on Rite-Aid gift card so ZERO Out of Pocket


Earned +Ups....2 x $3(Oral-B, big Crest Rinse), 1 x $2.50(smaller Crest Rinse), 1 x $1(Fisherman's Friend)=$9.50
The Fisherman's Friend was tagged on the shelf as being a $2 +Up but a $1 was received....ugh.
Also, the Crest Toothpaste didn't produce the $2 +Up it was suppose to, so I'll be calling R-A corporate to get my missing $3 in +Ups.

4 x Progresso Soups on sale $1.50-but one was on clearance for $.79=$5.29
4 x Old Spice Deo. Spray on sale $4.00=$16.00
1 x Ace Cold Compress w/Wellness disc.=$1.03
1 x EOS Lip Balm w/Wellness disc.=$2.79
SubTotal....$25.11

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $25 AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $1/4 Progresso Soup ManuQ=$1.00
2 x BOGO Old Spice Spray ManuQ=$8.00
1 x $1/2 Old Spice items ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/$10 Beauty/Skin Care Wellness IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1.50/1 Ace product IPQ=$1.50--they didn't adjust it down
Coupon Total....$17.50

$25.11-$17.50=$7.61
Used +Ups....2 x $2, $2.50, $1=$7.50
$7.61-$7.50=$.11 OOP put on Rite-Aid gift card so ZERO out of pocket

Earned +Ups....2 x $1(every 2 cans of soup produced a Mom's Cereal $1+Ups)=$2.00
I also have $2 carried over from my first P&G purchase, added to the $16 in P&G purchased in this transaction, so $18 toward a $30 total to received another $10 +Ups.


And I had to finish off the Buy $30 of P&G deal on Saturday by buying $12 of qualifying products....

4 x Pantene Shampoo on sale $3=$12.00
2 x Tampax Pearl BOGO50%=$7.93
3 x Dawn Dish Soap on sale .99=$2.97
1 x EOS Lip Balm on sale $2.99=$2.63 w/Wellness disc.
SubTotal....$25.53

Coupons Used

1 x $5 off $25 PDF filed Q online valid thru 10/31 IPQ=$5.00
2 x $1/2 Pantene products ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/$10 Hair Care Wellness IPQ=$1.00
2 x $2/1 Tampax Pearl ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $2/1 Tampax Pearl RA Flu Booklet Q=$2.00
1 x $1/2 Dawn Hand Renewal Soap ManuQ=$1.00

1 x $1/1 Dawn Hand Renewal Soap Manu.Home Mailer=$1.00
Coupon Total....$16.00

$25.53-$16.00=$9.53
Used +Ups....2 x $3, $2.50, $1=$9.50
$9.53-$9.50=$.03+$.06 tax=$.09 OOP put on Rite-Aid gift card so ZERO out of pocket


Earned +Ups....1 x $10 for purchasing $30 in P&G items. Gillette carryover from last Sunday($2),Old Spice on 9/30($16) and Pantene today($12)=$30.

THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$1.01(put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$107.63
SCR qualified for...$2.00(Old Spice on BIL account), $4.00(Eos Lip Balm 1 for me, 1 for BIL)=$6.00
Gift Cards earned....$0.00
+Up Rewards earned...$24.50
+Up Rewards spent...$28.00
These trips were an $2.50 moneymaker(add the SCRs to the +Ups earned--$6+$24.50=$30.50, then subtract the +Ups spent--$30.50-$28=$2.50 earned).


GRAND TOTALS so far-October Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......5
Total Spent....$1.52 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$192.25
SCR qualified for....$8.00
Other Cash....$0
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0

+UPS Totals for Oct. SCR Period
+Up Rewards carryover from last trip....$29.50
+Up Rewards spent....$28.00
+Up Rewards earned....$24.50
+Up Rewards left....$26.00

 Sluggy

SEPTEMBER Budget Results....Food & Toiletries Spending TOTALS

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for SEPTEMBER 2010.
I have posted September's totals on the right side bar under Total Grocery Savings for 2010.

I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in September.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom information.

These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(between 5 & 2 at home this month) & 3 dogs. No kids under 14.

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $20.56
Value $70.81 

Savings  70.96%

CARONE'S(small local independent store)
OOP $18.50

Qs/Ads $6.96

Value $25.46

Savings  27.33%

FAMILY DOLLAR

OOP $8.06

Qs/Ads $6.51

Value $14.57

Savings 44.68%

GERRITY'S

OOP $76.37

Qs/Ads $114.82

Value $191.19

Savings 60.06%

RESTAURANT SUPPLY

OOP $16.15

Value $29.95

Savings 46.08%

RITE AID
OOP $12.78 (whole amount put on Rite-Aid Gift Cards)=$.00 actual OOP
Qs/Ads $687.93

Value $700.71

Savings 98.17% before gift cards/ 100% savings after gift cards

WALMART
OOP $.14
Value $38.14
Savings 99.63%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town)
OOP $127.39

Qs/Ads $247.01

Value $374.40

Savings  65.75%


I 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 SEPTEMBER

Finesse Shampoo...$2.50
Focus Group Payment....$75.00
Lypsyl Lip Balm....$2.39
Pinecone Research....$6.00
Rite-Aid SCR....$40.98
Sure TMF Rebate...$2.63
Subtotal........$129.50

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

$0.00
 
TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$129.50

My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 100%, WalMart at 99.63% and the Bakery Outlet at 70.96%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$267.17

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1178.06

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$1445.23

TOTAL Savings of..........81.51%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$129.50

TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$137.67
TOTAL Savings of..................................90.47%

This closes out the September spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-

The garden was giving us an ample supply of goodies but I did stock up on some frozen veggies with a Catalina deal.  I resumed moderate use of coupons when shopping this month after not using many in August.
While I went over slightly on the budgeted $250 amount for the month, the rebates & focus group payment added to the food budget kitty went a long way to help keep my OOP under the set amount.

What's ahead for October 2010.....

Since we just got the new fridge I haven't stocked up on much fresh farm stand veggies for winter yet, but I'll be doing that in early October. 

I am setting the October 2010 Food/Toiletries Budget at $250. I am figuring $150 for regular monthly purchases and the other $100 for the stocking on farm buys and any good seasonal deals(sugar, flour, pumpkin, eggs, pork, apples, etc.)

As always, any rebates received this month will be added to the food budget spending.  I have 4 outstanding rebates due in but I have no rebates going out so these 4(plus any Rite-Aid SCRs)will probably be all the rebate money for the rest of the year.

With nine months of the year behind us, we have averaged $179.21 per MONTH after rebates on food/toiletries spending for 2010 for a family of 4-5 adults/teens + 2-3 pets.

How did you do in September 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

Is it Just Me? and other Randomness

**Is it just me or is it strange that at Rite-Aid you can use your WELLNESS CARD to get a discount on Junk Food?  Every week in the sales flyer there is some candy or snack food on special sale when you use your Wellness Card.
Isn't that kind of like presenting a card to show your membership as a Quaker to buy bullets?

**Is it just me or is October 1st the start of the official Fall Season for you too?  And right on cue, the weather here went from rainy and warmish yesterday to windy and cool today....or as Hubs would call it, COLD!  I swear the man can't take a stiff breeze and temperatures in the 60's without breaking out a sweater or two.  I truly believe Hubs was a lizard in a previous life wanting nothing more than to sun himself on a hot rock.lol

**Is it just me or can you really believe that the year is 3 months away from being over??!  Here comes the triad of American Holidays....Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas(or Chanukah).  Of course, if you've been in one of the Temples devoted to American business(=a store) in the past month or 2, you already know that the Holidays are quickly pressing down on us.  I am so not ready for all the hype and the pressure to be too busy with activities and stuff.  Stop this merry-go-round and LET ME OFF!  Be careful this Holiday Season and don't take a nosedive off of your Financial Future into that deep hole called Debt!  Limit your Spending, Budget for the Holidays and STICK TO IT!!  You'll be so glad you did in April when you aren't getting Credit Card bills still from stuff you bought and the kids broke in December.

**Is it just me or is applying to FIVE colleges overkill?  I've always been told to apply to THREE--the school you want most to attend, a "stretch" school(one you probably wouldn't EVER get into with your grades/scores &/or that accepts a low percentage of freshmen each year), and a "safety" school(one with lower standards for grades/scores/etc. than you possess, that would consider you a great catch even on your worst day).
Unbeknownst to me, Hubs has allowed Daughter to submit applications to FIVE schools.  In retrospect, #1 son only wanted to apply to 2 schools...both of them on par with the other, nothing "stretchy" and we had to insist that he apply to a third.  (He got into all 3 by the way.)
This is not a case of "Daughter has to spread a wide net in hopes that SOMEBODY will want her".  The girl is gifted in many ways(not all of them evil either!lol), scored 1890 on her SATs, ranks around 24 in her class of 250 something, has a 4.2 cumulative average, was in the Carneige Mellon Talented Youth Program for PA in grade school(she outscored 8th graders in the state in math when she was in the 4th grade), etc. etc. etc.
I applied to 3 schools, though my criteria for applying was somewhat bizarre....but then again, my home life during my teen years were somewhat bizarre compared to most people's lives.lol

**Is it just me, or do teenagers do things out of left field sometimes?  This same child from above, also in the last 3 months, has decided she may not go to college directly.  Like her brother before her, she's been told she's receiving XX amount of dollars for school from us, so depending on where she decides to attend/where she gets in, she may need student loans if she doesn't save any money toward her own schooling while in high school.
This seems to be putting a crimp into her grand plans for life as she envisions herself going to medical school eventually and becoming a doctor.  That's great and all but the cost of getting a medical degree is way more than we can afford without liquidating our retirement funds and Daughter is somewhat of a miser-in-training and can't see herself going into that HUGE hole of debt for medical school.  Hey, let someone else take the financial hit is cool, but not her.

That is when she came up with the bright idea to join the military because they'll send her to college for free.  Envisioning my Daughter in the military in my head sounds much like replays of Judy Benjamin in that old classic movie, PRIVATE BENJAMIN.
"See, I did join the army, but I joined a *different* army. I joined the one with the condos and the private rooms.
To be truthful with you, I can't sleep in a room with 20 strangers.
And I mean look at this place.
The army couldn't afford drapes? I'll be up at the crack of dawn here!"

So between what the recruiters are telling her and what her father & I have discovered, she is trying to wrap her head around the pseudo-reality of what enlisting & going to boot camp will REALLY be like.  She is not a morning person and she has a problem with living with 4 other people....oh, to be a fly in the barracks when/if she does join the service!

She had decided on the Air Force IF she enlists since they have a base somewhere with an actual college on it.....and she 'assumes' that is where she'll be stationed.haha  She took the aptitude test last month that they use to see what jobs you qualify for(Daughter wants to be in the medical field).  She scored 93 on a scale of 99 and will find out some time this month what opportunities await her in the military with that number.

**Is it just me or do you think Daughter has some interesting ideas about how the whole higher education crazy train runs?  Daughter "thinks" she's going to get all the options first--her career track offerings from the military and her acceptance letters from the schools WITH how much in scholarships they will give her(even though I've told her that that actual financial award letters come much later AFTER she accepts and her parents have divulged all their financial matters & they don't offer money to those who don't accept first so she'd have to accept admission to all who offer it to get all the aid letters!lol)--BEFORE she decides whom she will grace with her presence.
Yah......not only does the child has NO ego problem here, but she has only a teeny tiny clue.  It's a good thing we love her or someone around here would have met an early grave years ago....;-)

Sluggy