Decluttering and Donating

If you are into decluttering be sure and check out my bloggy friend Mark's blog HERE.  Most Fridays he posts his weekly decluttering booty....er, or should I say bounty?  Anyway, HERE is a recent example of what he's sent packing.  Be sure and go check out his efforts and cheer him on!
Gotta love a man who fights the urge to hoard his kid's outgrown clothing.....

Well I DID get a donation for Sallie's together for February!
Here it is.....

 One big trash bag full of assorted used clothes......

And another bundle of mostly clothes and some odds and ends.
Among the odds and ends is an MP3 player my Daughter had to have one Xmas, that's been sitting in my desk for a couple of years now.  Everyone has Windows 7 here now so we can't upload anything to it.  I hate technology......well, the fact that things go obsolete so quickly!
Ugh....
The rest of it mainly is a load of my sweaters.  5 of them I never even took the tags off of, let alone wear them.  They were my size, the right colors and styles that don't make me look like a troll(a rare thing!lol)AND they were a "deal".  So I bought them.
Let's not get into the fact that I don't WEAR Sweaters....ever!
Nope.
I live in PA on the top of a mountain.
Even so, I wear a winter coat maybe 3 days out of the year....if that many.(We won't get into the fact that I have a winter coat hanging in the downstairs Coat Closet that I have never worn.  It's been around since Clinton was in office, or since my Daughter was an infant....)

I go outside barefoot....in the winter......in snow even.
I am a walking 24/7 Hot Flash....not just since menopause but ALWAYS.
Why the hell am I buying sweaters?!?!LOLOL

So after keeping them safe and snug in my cedar chest for the last oh.....7 years or so!....I have let them go, hopefully to a new owner who will actually WEAR them.

We got our donation together in February and Hubs actually dropped it off on Friday, March 4th.  I am still going to call it a Feb. donation.
Monday morning, we begin gathering the March donation.

So what clutter have you sent packing outta your life lately?

Sluggy

Enter this Cheerios Giveaway but HURRY....ends Friday Midnight!!

Gosh, I've been so distracted I forgot to mention my friend's Giveaway.
Hurry on over ASAP cecause it ends Friday(that's today!!) at Midnight!
It's over HERE on I'm So Pretty I Fart Fairy Dust.

And check out her blog while you are there entering the Giveaway.
Cindy has a wicked sense of humor and she gets some good Shopping Trips in at places like Rite-Aid, Target and GiantPA.
She just got a bigass shed that would be 'da bomb' for a stockpile!
Color me jealous......

Sluggy

This isn't Work?...The Heck You Say!

I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately.  I have a good reason for it.  Let me explain....

As it's well known to all you who read me here, I'm a  mom.  I live the life of your typical average mom.
I clean(when nagged), I cook, I do laundry, I yell at my kids(when provoked).  I generally tend to
the upkeep of my home and my family.  I am the Domestic Major Domo of Chez Sluggy.  
Hubs brings the income and I keep it from becoming the outgo any possible way I can!  And I am always on the lookout for a way to generate more income.

In my quest to bring in $ to the household I have been trying out various online opportunities.
I'm not talking suverys and 'click on the emails' kind of stuff, though if you keep at that and do enough of it, you can make what they use to refer to as "pin" money doing those sorts of activities.

I'm after more interesting offers that compensate better.  More in the realm of Mystery Shopping, but without having to leave my house.

In that mindset, I joined a Focus Group Company about a year ago.
I had a love/hate relationship with them for the better part of a year.  They would sent me surveys to
fill out to see if I qualified for a group/study.  Mostly I'd spend a good five minutes or so progressing through said surveys only to get the screen that said, "I'm sorry.  You don't fit the profile we are
looking for at this time." or "I'm sorry but this study has already reached the number of participants  with your profile."  And I would instantaneously jump on these surveys and still get shut out because  they were filled.
Argh!

But after dilligently and patiently filling out survey after survey, things began to shake loose for me.

I got chosen for an online chat group sponsored by a regional utility company.  That paid 3 figures for 3 hours of chat.

Then I just missed out on a mock jury next sponsored by a local attorney firm.  I think the client settled the lawsuit or something so it was called off.

I tried next for a focus group community project.  And I wasn't picked at first, again because of my 'profile'.  But a week later someone dropped out and they called me to take their spot.  It helps to chat it up with the Recruiter and win them over.  The guy remembered me, liked me and gave me the call and I grabbed the opportunity!

This panel has been ongoing over the last 6 weeks... a longterm committment in the focus group world.
It started out being very bizarre but over time the tasks have been very engaging and interesting.  Compensation started out in the mid 3 figures but there have been incentives for meeting deadlines and competitions amongst the participants along the way.  After winning 1st prize in the last competition, I'm up to the high 3 figures in compensation. 8-)

I just completed the last task for this panel moments ago.
I don't know....maybe I take these studies too seriously.  I've slept little in the past 2 days as I've mulled over the original concept I had to come up with for this task.  I've spent way too much time refining this idea and putting it down on paper.  Maybe the bonus money has driven me to stress out and put more into this than anybody should/would?
Probably.....

With the deadlines and work expected from me, my Type A Personality Traits have taken over.
Why am I knocking myself out?
Anything I come up with they can take and use and I get nothing more....so I am making their job easier for what will amount to small change.

This has become a Job.
And a job=hard work.  Work and all the negative things that come with it...stress & not enough pay.
For all the hours I've put in they sure aren't paying me enough.
I'm glad I am done with this one.

But as a short term, now and again hobby type thing, you can't beat this type of work with a stick.
Getting paid to tell them what I think.
Talking=$.
It's a Dream Job really for someone without a job other than as a Domestic Major Domo.

Sluggy

$32K Savings Challenge of 2011......February Totals

Since I foresee food prices, as well as other expenses/costs/taxes to rise in 2011, I am only upping my Savings Challenge Goal by $2,000.  While I hope to bring in more income this year, I feel we will be spending more on necessities in 2011, thus the small increase in goals.

So I present to you February of the 2011 $32K Savings Challenge!

I have posted my FEBRUARY End of Month $32K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.

I have 2 goals really each month.....
The 1st is to actually finish each month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to hit the targeted savings amount of $2,666.67.

I have to report that we finished up January in the black!
The extra cash amount we ended the month of January with was a meager.......$374.00.

Income
We had $328.00 left over of DH's salary after our expenses were deducted.
Add in $46.00 of Rebates applied against the food expenses and you have a deposit of $374.00 toward the Savings Challenge!

Our monthly target is an average of $2,666.67 to reach our Year End Goal so we didn't even come close to our 2nd monthly goal in Feb.

Outgo
As for the expenses in February....we always seem to hemorrhage money in this month.
*The credit card bill(which is paid off each month)was over $1100 because Hubs replaced his dead computer. 
*Then the electric bill is a killer in the winter at $419.19. 
*The cable company raised our rate this month. 
*The semi-annual car insurance bill of $1486.37 was due. 
*We had a $676.85 AND a $110.35 car repair. 
*We paid our state income tax bill. 
*2 dental bills,
*A marching band payment(for #2 son's trip in the Spring),
*3 Dr. bills
*And the other usual water, phone, cash withdrawals for eating out and food purchases, gasoline, and Hubs WAM, etc. and we are left with $374. 
Most February's however, we end up going into the RED so I am NOT complaining that we're only left with a few hundred bucks!

The Food Budget costs for February are in another post, which is located HERE.  The actual Food/Toiletries spending in February was very low!  It figures....I go off of my self-imposed Spending Diet at the end of Jan.(which was a flop)and I actually was able to slice the food budget in half.

What's ahead for March.....
Looking back at last year's check register, I see we may have less $ outgo in March.
A quarterly sewage bill and the balance of #2 son's marching band trip to pay out, but otherwise nothing beyond the usual monthly bills. Knock on wood it stays that way and "Murphy" doesn't show up on my doorstep. ;-)



YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL.....
With 2 months behind us, our Savings total to-date for 2011 is $2,667.97.

And if you need to start putting money into savings......What's that you say?  You don't have an emergency fund of 6-8 months worth of expenses!!??....consider playing along in 2011 with me and Challenging Yourself to Save Money each Month Toward a Realistic for YOU Savings Goal!
Not everyone can shoot for $32K, I fully get that!
But everyone can shoot for some number, right!?

Find a money goal that works for you and put that number out there for everyone to see.  It will help keep you accountable to your goal if other eyes are on you.
Ooo, that sounded kind of creepy didn't it? ;-)

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!
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

February Budget Results.....Food and Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2011.

I have posted February's totals on the right side bar under Total Grocery Savings for 2011 and updated the Yearly Totals.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in February.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home this month)& 2 dogs. No kids under 15.
******************

CARONE'S(small local independent store)
OOP  $94.73

Qs/Ads  $76.62
Value  $171.35
Savings  44.72%

RITE AID
OOP  $8.67 (whole amount put on free Rite-Aid Gift Cards)=$.00 actual OOP
Qs/Ads/+Ups  $1,286.63
Value  $1,295.30
Savings  99.33% before gift cards/ 100% savings after free gift cards

WALMART
OOP  $2.69
Qs/Ads  $.55
Value  $3.24
Savings  17%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town/doubles up to $1 total)
OOP  $25.47
Qs/Ads  $7.50
Value  $32.97
Savings   22.75%

I don't track Rite-Aid's +Ups here, nor 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

Admiral Nelson's....$4.00(one of the few alcohol rebates valid in PA)
Kellogg's Toy Cash...$10.00
Pinecone Research....$3.00
Rite-Aid SCR...$29.00
Subtotal........$46.00

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

Subtotal....$0.00--How sad is this?lol

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received...$46.00

COUPONS and FREEBIES

Chef Boyardee.....Free Ravioli Q
CoffeeMate....Free Creamer Q
Egg Beaters....Free Item Q
Herbal Essence 'Poo...$1/1 Q & Free Item Q
Karo Syrup....Free Item Q
MegaRed....Free Supplement Sample
MyBlogSpark/Pillsbury....Free Apron/Pen/Recipe Booklet
P&G....Q Booklet
Yoplait Yogurt....Free Item Q

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 100%,  Carone's at 44.72% and  Weis Markets at 22.75%.  I barely shopped at 4 stores in February.lol


TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$122.89
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1379.97
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$207.56 before Rite-Aid
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1502.86 with Rite-Aid figured in
TOTAL Savings of...................................91.82%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$46.00

TOTAL Out of Pocket After Rebates........$76.89
TOTAL Savings including Rebates...........$1425.97
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1502.86
TOTAL Savings After Rebates...................94.88%

This closes out the February spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
I set out to spend half my allotted Food budget for Feb. which was $125.00.  I managed to come in under that total even before adding my cash rebates into my allotted kitty.
We substantially ate down the freezer and some stockpile.  I did manage to refill the freezer space up with free ice cream from Rite-Aid in Feb. and I processed the last of the pumpkins into puree for the freezer.  Besides the ice cream and cookie mix from Rite-Aid I did very little stockpiling of food in February.  The HBA/Toiletry haul from Rite-Aid is another story altogether!lol  I see a Garage Sale in my near future once the weather warms up.....

What's ahead for March.....
I think I'll try for another Low Spend Month with the Food Budget. Nothing as severe as $125 though, but something like $200.  If some good 'Stockopportunities' come up in March(it IS National Frozen Food Month, is it not?) I will abandon my Low Spend Goal for that.  Either way, I'll be shooting to keep the food spending under or at $250 for the month. 


How did you do in February with your Food Budget?
What are your challenges for March?
Please leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear about your progress!  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