Are You Sure This Isn't the UPS Store?.....

I am struggling to find anything worthwhile to say this week.
My life is revolving around eBay lately so that's what you're going to hear about ad nauseum.....

Between that and my dining room looking like the shipping dept. of a huge corporation I've pretty much not left the house or done anything except list/pack/ship stuff on "you know e-where" for days.

 The downstairs of my house looks like a UPS Store most days.....boxes, cardboard, Goo Gone, scissors, yardsticks, pens, bubble wrap, newspapers, packing tape rolls, paper garbage laying EVERYWHERE.

Then Sunday and Monday I sold NOTHING for 48 hours.
During the weeks before Christmas?  THAT'S weird....and it had me on edge people....seriously on edge!

Sunday I get....people take time off from consumerism some days and anybody who shops on the weekend is most likely doing so at the mall or some brick & mortar store.
But Monday.....specifically the 3rd Monday before Christmas!.....most everyone is back at work so it's prime time to shop online while the boss has his/her back turned, right?

Nothing.
Crickets chirped.
The clock in the kitchen ticked off the seconds annoyingly loudly.

I went to a dr. appointment and rushed home to find....nothing sold.

I wrote my weekly meal plan/food spending post.  Surely after that much time there will be an email that something sold?.....didn't happen.

The mail lady came to the door and asked me why I had NO PACKAGES to pick up....was I sick?...in the hospital?.....abducted by aliens?  Sorry.....just not selling anything.

I read blogs for HOURS.....still nothing.

I moved crap around the living room and put things in the garage that weren't worth listing "you know where" to sell and got them ready for the ride to the Salvation Army.  I paused at my computer screen each trip through the den to see if I had a "Your eBay item sold!" email......nope!

I bought a social coupon deal on EverSave for $70 worth of wine for $35 HERE.  I had $10 in Save $s so it cost me only $25.  I then proceeded to spend it and bought gifts for 2 people on my list.  With the shipping and the couple of dollars I spent over $70 I paid another $22, so $70 of wine for $47.  I'd call this a very good deal!
While I was doing this online, I waited to hear that magical tune/note that mail had landed in my inbox....a potential sale?....nope, just spam and deal blogger ads...blah!

Then after Hubs came home and I bitched to him about how I think the Holiday selling rush was over so, so prematurely, the emails started popping up that I had made a sale or two.....and Hubs rolled his eyes at me for being a Drama Queen who needs a life.

Thank you eBay buyers for driving me stark raving mad AND making a liar out of me. ;-)

I was forced a little over a week ago to go buy packing tape.
You can't sell on eBay without large amounts of packing tape.....true dat!

And no, I don't hop up to the store and buy a couple of rolls, I buy industrial size amounts.....

36 Rolls.
And I am hoping it lasts me until I am done for good with eBay selling....but I know it won't. lol

And of course about a week after I ran out of tape, I was down to my last roll of bubble wrap.  2 days after Cyber Monday and I'm looking at the last roll of bubble wrap....hell no!!!

It figures.....you NEVER run out of both at the same time.....that's one of the Murphy Laws, isn't it?

Now my "roll of bubble wrap" is not what the average person pictures as a roll of bubble wrap.
This is a normal person's idea of a BIG roll of BW....

This is what I mean by a roll.....

And one of those isn't enough!

So here is what is taking up residence in my kitchen at the moment.....

Yes, 4 mega rolls of bubble wrap that are almost as tall as I am.
And yes, I had a hard time parting with the amount of money it cost, but it cost a LOT less buying it in bulk than running to the store for an anemic little roll OR 20! every couple of days.lol

And for all you bubble wrap popping addicts out there.....and I KNOW you are drooling over my Stash......keep your freaking hands OFF it!!!

This is NOT for fun and games....I have serious work to do I tell ya.....serious!

I know y'all BW addicts will enjoy this video.  Just be sure and turn DOWN your speakers if you are at work or you have a heart condition. ;-)

Sluggy

December Food Spending Week 1, Meal Plan Week 2

Last week's meal plan is in the books.  Here is what actually happened....

SUNDAY--Leftovers(Pot Roast)
MONDAY--Taco Bell
TUESDAY--Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti, Salad
WEDNESDAY--Chicken Casserole, Sugar Snap Peas
THURSDAY-- Leftover Tacos or Taco Salad, Mandarin Oranges
FRIDAY--Chinese Take-Out

SATURDAY--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself

As I was knee deep in eBay last week, we had take-out food twice and leftovers thrice.  

We had chicken two days in a row.  My chicken breasts didn't thaw in time so I ran up to the ShurSave market to use my last $10 Reward and bought some breaded cutlets for the Parmesan.  

The following night I used up the leftover Thanksgiving stuffing by pan sauteing the now thawed chicken and concocting a Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.  I use to make this a lot when Hubs and I were newly married....come to think of it, I don't think I've made this since the kids were born.  To make it properly you start with dry stuffing mix, fresh onions/celery/etc.  I just deleted the large amount of chicken stock it calls for(to rehydrate the dry stuffing mix/bread)and heated it up until it was nice and bubbly.

Anyway, I think the only Turkey day leftover we still have are a few rolls and I will polish those off the next few mornings for breakfast unless some one else here gets to them first. ;-)

Total for all the food shopping last week came to $23.22.  Hubs picked up a gallon of milk.  I went to Weis and used a $2 Catalina Q that was expiring and bought burritos, ice cream and corn chips.....just a bunch of garbage I know!  

I had to use the last of my ShurSave Reward money by 11/30 so I spent $1.56 OOP on $14.52 worth of food using that. I'm counting this 11/30 receipt in Dec. bills since I forgot to add it into November's total.

My savings percentage was 54.12% last week, as the reg. retail was $50.61 on the groceries I brought home. 

My running total spent for the month is now at $23.22.

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Subway
MONDAY--Chili, Cornbread or Biscuits

TUESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad

WEDNESDAY--BBQ Chicken Legs, Sweet Potato Fries, Broccoli
THURSDAY--Seafood en Croute, Veggie Melangé

FRIDAY--Kielbasa on rolls, Boston Baked Beans
SATURDAY--Leftovers

Items needed for this menu.....Salad Greens, Puff Pastry Shells and Rolls.

I haven't even looked at the grocery ads for this week yet.  And I have everything I need to make these meals until I get to Thursday's so I have time to get to the store to shop.  I need easy to reheat type stuff the next 3 days as #2 son has pit orchestra rehearsals until 9pm until Wed. (The play is Friday/Saturday so those nights I need quick meals as well.)

The following week is Christmas Band Concert rehearsals and the show so next week we'll be living large on fast food and quick slop too. lol

 I was toying with an idea in regard to my food spending for the year.  I am $227.15 from hitting the $3K mark spent for the year.  That's pretty close to my usual $250 monthly food budget.  Maybe I'll tighten up December's food budget and try to go for staying at or under $3K for the year?

I've already spent $23.22 this month, so that would put me at $203.93 left for December.  With the kids coming home and Christmas?.....I don't know.  I don't want to make Christmas a chore by not fixing some favorite foods for the crew but staying under $3K for the year is sweet, right?

What say you dear readers?

Should I torture my family and only spend $203.93 more this year.....or just spend whatever I want?

Sluggy

$32K Savings Challenge......NOVEMBER 2011 Results

Ok, here is my Savings Challenge Update post.
This post is NOT about bragging or showing off.  It's just what we are able to save given our income and being able to hang tough against so much spending.

Some day I'd like to spread all the cash I've saved out on the bed and lay on it.  This puppy has the right idea.....
  

On to the November report.....

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

I have 2 goals 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 November in the black!
The extra cash amount we ended the month of November with?.......$3,686.66!

Income
We had $3681.89 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted.
Add in $3.00 in Rebates(LOL) applied against the food expenses, $1.77 in Interest on the Checking Account toward the Savings Challenge & you get a total of $3686.66.

Our monthly target is an average of $2,666.67 to reach our Year End Goal.
This month we blew that goal out of the water! 8-)

Outgo
As for the expenses in November......

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

* The electric bill went up only $67.....that's good seeing as the heat was on!

* The food spending was almost on budget at $263.10
* The credit card bill was $1000+ BUT....almost half of that was money we spent on our mini vacation to Delaware, so we are pulling money out of what we saved in the Savings Challenge last year to pay that part of the bill.
* There were no car repair bills or taxes due this month...yay!!
* I opened my eBay Store up temporarily for the holidays to bring in a little coin, though I am not counting this income as part of the Savings Challenge because it will be spent....but it's STILL a good thing!lol

HERE are the BAD THINGS

* The water bill went up $10.
* Had $154 in unexpected medical associated bills to pay. (A dr. bill from this past summer when Daughter went and saw a dr. not in our plan so insurance won't pay any of it and #2 son lost his retainer so we had to pay for a replacement.)
*  Still a LARGE amount of cash withdrawals.  I went through Hubs receipts last month and there was no unusual spending...except he spends a lot on food and coffee during the day at work  I have nagged, pestered, whined, cajoled, bribed, offered sex all to get him to take his lunch and coffee.  Nothing convinces him.  I'm done trying.   ;-)
*  December means Christmas gift spending so the C/C bill will be high.  It's already at $500+ going into Xmas shopping season.  Add in the $200 in home improvement gift cards I put on the c/c last weekend.

The Food Budget costs for November are in another post, which is located HERE.  We kept almost to the food budget amount so I am calling this good considering the month included the big TURKEY DAY meal.

What's ahead for December.......
* There are the usual suspects: electricity, water, phone, cable, credit card bill, food cash, etc.
*  The electric bill will increase as Dec. is colder than Nov.

* Though Christmas is coming up I still plan to stay on budget with food for December.
* The credit card will be high.  With Christmas that's a given since I don't carry large amounts of cash on me when out holiday shopping.  But we don't buy more on the card than we can pay off each month.

YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL.....
With 11 months behind us, our Savings total to-date for 2011 is $30,105.95.
We are $1,894.05 away from reaching our final goal for the year. Unless there is some catastrophe that wipes out our money in December we WILL hit our goal of $32K saved in 2011!

To add to my confidence that we will succeed is the fact that we will get THREE Paychecks in December because of when the paydays fall.  This means an extra whole paycheck in December...woot!!!  We will have enough if something bad happens to the budget and can still Live Christmas Large and tie it up with a red bow! 8-))))

So how are your savings growing so far this year?
Do you have an emergency fund of 6-8 months worth of expenses!  You really should, you know.
With the current financial climate in this country, you should try to put away into savings as much as you can each month or be throwing savings at your debt if you still have that.

So come along and Challenge Yourself to Save Money each Month Toward a Realistic for YOU Savings Goal or Debt 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.  Put it into paying down your debt, put it into savings, invest it or put it toward the principle in your home mortgage....just get busy and do this!

It will help keep you accountable to your goal if other eyes are on you.
Put it out there online and let us all stalk your money too. ;-)

So how was your November financially?
Did you spend less than you made?
Did you stay within your budget or not?

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

Look Who I Saw Today!

I was down at the mall outside of Philly today and guess who I saw there?
Judy over at We May Be Poor, But We Are Happy may SAY she's going for job interviews but she took another pain pill and THIS is really how she is spending her free time!
Turn your speakers up and check it out....

Sluggy

Keyword Searches...HUH?!?!

I like to go look at my Stats every now and again on Blogger and see what words people search for that leads them to wind up on my blog.
Usually it's something boring like Slugmama or Don't Read This It's Boring, which is what people who are too lazy to put my blog's URL as a Bookmark into their Favorites and just Google my blog title every time they want to come visit me do.  That's fine too but why not go ahead and follow or bookmark me to save yourself some time and typing! ;-)

But I like to see what bizarre search words or phrases lead people to my blog door.
Here are a few from last week.....

cat hoarding
pet hoarding
cat hoarders
aspirin
dishwasher detergent
kmart
sheeple black friday

And the BEST WEIRD search word/phrase was.....

hhhsssssshhhhjkkkkll

WTF?!?!LOLOL

I really don't think I'm very hhhsssssshhhhjkkkkll, do you?

So go look at your keyword searches and tell me what interesting words/phrases you find! 8-)

Sluggy