I Be A Netflix Junkie

Well, I have decided that a Netflix Account is a giant suckhole of time, much in the same way being online can be a giant suckhole of time.
Would I rather watch films than clean the house, sew my projects or cook?
Yep!

Just call me your friendly neighborhood Netflix 'Ho....

But I can say I DID get my money's worth of show viewing in March with my new Netflix account.  Many things I want to watch are NOT available under their instant play feature that streams on your computer, so I have to wait for a dvd to show up in the mail, watch it quickly and return it the next day.  I was able to squeeze 7 whole dvd mail/view/return cycles into a month.  Not very satisfying for me but as long as there is still stuff I want to watch instantly to fill in the voids of time when I don't have a new dvd to watch, this will work out.

I'd love everyone's suggestions on what to watch, so if you have some favorite movies or tv shows, let me hear it!!

I started watching old tv shows from my past but this is turning out to be not such a good idea.  I seem to remember them fondly but when I look at some of them with a new, older, more sophisticated eye, they don't stack up.  Case in point, "Soap".  I remember the few episodes I saw 'back in the day-1970something' as funny.  I tried to watch it again and it's just horrible! ACK!!!
And that one called "Trailer Park Boys"?  Don't even bother....  It's a Canadian tv comedy series.  It's suppose to be funny.  It's the former but not the latter.....and there are a bazillion epidsodes.  It's a time waster and it will eat a piece of your brain out too. ;-)

Some films/shows that surprised me pleasantly....
No Impact Man--Before he started his year of living no-impact, he had joined the Compact list that I have been a member of for 5+ years now.  Basically, he joined to get us to follow his blog and to advertise his film adventure, so that left a bad taste in my mouth toward him.  I finally broke down and watched his docudrama and I enjoyed it.  Not because of him, but because of his wife.  SHE is the star of that film and she should get a medal for putting up with him.lolol

Another surprise was being able to sit through an entire Michael Moore film.  The man has serious problems and I share no piece of his view of the world, but I enjoyed most of Capitalism:A Love Story....as long as I detached myself from the maudlin sentimentality and his crazy as a loon philosophies.lol

Films I would recommend.....Noise, Being John Malkovich, The Big Lebowski and Botany of Desire.  And only 1 of them is a documentary.... 8-)


Here is the list of what I've watched this month, with my recommendations(1-5 stars).  My tastes tend toward  Documentaries, Comedies, Older Movies/Shows, Indie Films, etc.   

PRESSURE COOKER stream  *****
BABIES   stream  ****
OUTSOURCED  stream  ***
THE BIG LEBOWSKI  stream  *****
THE RITCHIE BOYS stream   ***
TEMPLE GRANDIN  dvd  *****
DOGTOWN AND THE Z-BOYS  stream  ***
GEORGE CARLIN-BACK IN TOWN stream  ***
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH  stream  *****
BROKEN stream  **
GREY GARDENS  dvd ***
NIRVANA:TEEN SPIRIT INTERVIEWS stream  ****
NAT GEO-CHINA'S LOST GIRLS  stream  **
MY FLESH AND BLOOD  stream  ***
PRECIOUS stream   *****
FREAKONOMICS  stream   ****
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS  stream  ***
MAXED OUT  stream  ***
THE PARKING LOT MOVIE stream   ****
ZACK GALIFIANAKIS: LIVE stream   **
THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE stream   ***
NO IMPACT MAN  stream   ***
3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN TV SERIES stream  ***
PREGNANT IN AMERICA  stream  ***
ELEVEN MINUTES  dvd ***
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES the original one   stream ****
LAST TRAIN HOME stream   ****
UNFORGOTTEN stream   ***
THE TRAILER PARK BOYS TV SERIES  stream  negative *
1940'S dvd  ****
FRONTIER HOUSE  dvd  ***
SOAP TV SERIES  stream   negative ***
THE BOTANY OF DESIRE  stream  ****
THE WILD AND WONDERFUL WHITES  stream  ****
CSA: CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA  stream  **
NOISE stream   ****
KINGS OF PASTRY  stream  ***
THUMBS UP stream   ***
NATGEO:INSIDE NORTH KOREA  stream  **
AUNTIE MAME stream   ****
EAT PRAY LOVE  stream    ***
FILM GEEK  stream   **
TARNATION  stream  ***
TUDORS TV SERIES  stream   ****
THE ONE PERCENT  stream  ****
WENDY AND LUCY stream  ***
CAPITALISM:A LOVE STORY stream  ***
WHICH WAY HOME  stream  ****
CLOSE TO HOME:SCENES FROM A RECESSION  stream  ***
LORDS OF DOGTOWN  dvd ****
THE BIG BANG THEORY  stream  *****


So what is everybody else watching lately?

Sluggy

Be Careful......Frugality Can Turn You Into Sheldon!

I guess being frugal comes naturally to nerds. All that math involved in doing deals and the logical reasoning that stocking up exemplifies.

So call me a nerd.....I don't mind.

If you consider yourself a Frugalista, go watch this clip and tell me you don't "get" Sheldon.



Sluggy-who has a 2 year supply of toilet paper & would have more if she had the room for it

Have a Chuckle Tuesday....Go Watch Some Great Acting

As many of you know, I come from a theatre background.  It's been in my blood since I was a wee little thing performing "Yes Jesus Loves Me" for my parent's party guests on the family home's fireplace hearth.

A few months ago I realized that I had never in my 50+ years seen the entire film "Auntie Mame"(1958).  That's the non-musical version of of the musical stage show that was made into a movie called "Mame", starring Lucille Ball.

The film "Auntie Mame" stars legendary actress Rosalind Russell in the title role.
The film is based on the book, Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade by Patrick Dennis.  It is a fictitious recounting of his life being raised by his Aunt named Mame.
Briefly, if you don't know the plot, a young recently orphaned boy is sent to live with his Aunt Mame.  She is an 'eccentric free-spirited character' who lives her life on her own terms.  Hilarity ensues as Patrick grows from boy to man.

Anyway, I finally got to see the entire film recently.  I've always been a fan of the stage play based on this film and book, thought I've never really cared for the film of the musical play.
I think I know why now.
I can't really see anyone else playing the role of Mame besides Rosalind Russell-the person who stars in this non-musical version of the film.
Well, maybe no one else except me....... ;-)

I've always been a big fan of Ms. Russell's work.  She was a hell of an actress!  She was also a pretty awesome person too from what I've read.

So here's a clip from Auntie Mame(1958). I hope you enjoy it....


Sluggy

For SonyaAnn.......a CVS Plan!

My bloggy buddy SonyaAnn asked me to put a CVS plan together for her for this sales week.  She's got a $5 off $40 Order CVS Q burning a hole in her frugal pocket.  And she's starting from Zero ECBs.
If it was me, here is what I'd buy.....
First thing is I'd concentrate on what is giving ECBs this week.
Then I'd concentrate on what Qs out there could give me a low OOP.
Then I'd use any FREE ITEM Qs I had laying around in my binder that I haven't used yet.  This part gets my pre-Q total up(hopefully over $40)so I can use the $5/$40 Q without shelling out any money on said items.

Here's what I'd buy.....
1 x Complete contact lense wash=$8.99
3 x SoftSoap Body Wash products on sale $3 ea.=$9.00
2 x Herbal Essence Shampoo on sale=$5.49/2
2 x Crest Rinse items on sale $3.49=$6.98
2 x Oral-B toothbrushes on sale $2.99=$5.98
1 x Right Guard Body Wash on sale=$3.88
SubTotal...$40.32

Coupons to Use
1 x $5/$40 Purchase=$5.00
1 x $1/1 Complete ManuQ(4/3SS)=$1.00
3 x $1/1 SoftSoap Body Wash ManuQ(3/27 SS)=$3.00
2 x Free Item Q Herbal Essence(from Facebook)=$5.49
2 x $1/1 Crest ManuQ(4/3 P&G)=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Oral-B ManuQ(4/3 P&G)=$4.00
Coupon Total....$20.49

$40.32-$20.49=$19.83 OOP

I'd receive $21.97 back in ECBs(Complete $8.99, SoftSoap $3, Crest Rinse $5, Oral-B toothbrushes $1.98, Right Guard Body Wash $3), so if I rolled those next time into more free products, this lot of goods would end up 'costing' me -$2.14.  ;-)

If the Right Guard Body Wash had peelie Qs on them, you'd have another $1 off in Qs for a total OOP of $18.83.
And if you got the BOGO Right Guard Q in your 3/13 RP insert, you could get 2 bottle of Body Wash instead of 1 for the same OOP.

If there are things here you don't need/want, remove and add other items that are cheap/free after sales/coupons.

Sluggy

$32K Savings Challenge for 2011.....March 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 March of the 2011 $32K Savings Challenge!

I have posted my MARCH 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 March in the black!
The extra cash amount we ended the month of March with.......$2353.56.

Income
We had $2282.19 left over from our income after our expenses were deducted.
Add in $71.37 of Rebates applied against the food expenses and you have a deposit of $2,353.56 toward the Savings Challenge!

Our monthly target is an average of $2,666.67 to reach our Year End Goal.  We came in about $313 short in March.

Outgo
As for the expenses in March....
HERE are the GOOD THINGS
*The credit card bill was well under $1K.
*The electric bill went down about $50.
*We ONLY spent $342 something on car repairs/maintenance.  Unfortunately, this amount is a good thing for us. ugh
*Hubs took less WAM out of the bank this month....yay! 8-)
*I didn't need to take any cash out of the bank since I was able to do the last 2 month's food/HBA shopping on what I withdrew in Feb.

HERE are the BAD THINGS
 *The quarterly sewage bill came due this month, I went ahead and paid up for the full year, earning a 3% discount....hey!, it's something.lol
*I paid the garbage bill ahead for 3 months, which is good overall but not for this month's outgo.
*The Final BIG marching band payment(for #2 son's trip in the Spring)came due...$460. bleh.


The Food Budget costs for March are in another post, which is located HERE.  The actual Food/Toiletries spending in March was more than $100 under budget.

What's ahead for April.....
Looking back at last year's check register, I see that the County/Local taxes are due this month....that's a big one!
We also have another car repair to pay.
The credit card bill is up to $400 with another 10 days to go until the billing cycle closes.  I'm hoping to keep it under $600 by the time it closes on the 10th.
Other than that it's just the usual suspects this month--electric, water, phone, cable, food, prescriptions, dr. visits, etc.

YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL.....
With 3 months behind us, our Savings total to-date for 2011 is $5,136.53.

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 March 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