Christmas 2012 Budget/Spending Autopsy

Ok, so calling this an Autopsy is not very festive or cheerful.
So call it "The Post where I talk about what I was Going to Spend for Christmas and what I Actually Spent for Christmas".

I budgeted $1000 for Christmas spending.
$1000 in money we HAD already, so no putting Christmas spending on Credit Cards to pay off sometime in 2013, or 2014, or 2015.......

Here is where the funds were allocated at the start.....

Shipping gifts/mailing Holiday Cards  $20.00
Gifts for family  $300
Cash for Kids  $300

Gifts for extended family and my mail lady  $80
Secret Santa Gift  $50

Charity  $XXX

Electricity for lights  $5

A Christmas eve meal and show or movie  $125

Extra $20 (the "just in case" cushion)

And here is where the money actually went.....


Shipping gifts/mailing Holiday Cards  $13.21 under

Gifts for family  $398.82  over

Cash for Kids  $300 even

Gifts for extended family and my mail lady  $59.60 under

Secret Santa Gift  $40 under

Charity  $XXX even

Electricity for lights  $10 over

A Christmas eve meal and show or movie  $98.85  under
TOTAL SPENT...$1020.48

Here are the Spending Details....


$13.21  *Shipping/Mailing Holiday Cards & Gifts----
We sent out 10 cards and 2 gifts.  1 gift was a check so just a stamp was needed, the other gift was a box of goodies.

$398.82  *Gifts for family----
Last year I spent $452.24 on gifts for family.  I did better this year.  It's the one time a year I really spoil the kids.  Hubs and I don't really get each other much.  ;-)  It makes it seem better when I say that I saved 43+% on what I paid, as the reg. retail came to $704.25.  I usually cash in points on my credit card for gift cards and utilize social coupon deals, but I didn't this year.  I got the gift cards to use at full price, to obtain free groceries at the grocery store.  I did shop sales, both in store and online.  In years past I've been known to start buying for Christmas if I find a deal, all through the year.  This year, I bought 1 thing in July, but did no other holiday shopping until October.


$300  *Cash for Kids----
The kids prefer money, but I need to buy stuff for them at Christmas, so they get both.  I only buy what they want or need.  No more stupid junk. lol  This year I gave them the option of cash, gift cards or a combination of both.  I looked like a Elf Pimp sitting by the tree with $50 bills in one hand and gift cards in the other.  All the gift cards(I had bought to get free groceries)were ones that if the kids didn't take, Hubs and I would use.....subway, red lobster, TGIF, Sears, KMart, etc.

$59.60  *Gifts for extended family and mail lady---

I send gifts to my brother and his wife and Hub's sister. Locally we give something to the nephew, a box of food and toiletries to his father and I give a bag of good coffee to my mail lady for the extra work I put her through with my eBay packages at the Holidays.

$40  *Secret Santa Gift----
I had the daughter's name.  She has expensive tastes so I budgeted high for her SS gift. lol  Found a great deal online Cyber Monday for a set of luggage....just what she wanted!

$XXX  *Charity----
I cut a check to an organization that we've supported since the 1986.  They had some extraordinary expenses lately so I thought it best to send the extra love their way.

$10  *Electricity for Lights----
Same stuff hung outside the house, same lights on the tree inside.  I guess we turned stuff on more this year and the rates went up from 2011.


$98.85  *A Christmas eve meal and show or movie----
We had our immediate family and son's girlfriend for our traditional Chinese restaurant meal.  #1 Son covered the tip this year so our out of pocket was a bit lower.


All totaled, I am happy with where the money went and how much.  We went over budget a tiny bit, but since we didn't have to pull money from some other need, and no balance was put on a credit card that wasn't paid off at the next statement, we are fine with it.

I would however like to bring the total amount we spend at the Holidays down in 2013.

I've told the kids that once they hit 21, the Christmas Gravy Train is leaving the station. 8-)  #1 Son got less this year since he's 21 now.  And next Christmas the Daughter will be 21 also, so I'll be spending less on 2 of 3 kids.  I won't go and make my actual Christmas Budget until mid year, but I do know there will be less spending in it for 2013.


If you kept track of your spending for Christmas, how did you do?
Did you spend more. less or right about what you planned on spending?
Did you have any money epiphanies(epiphany? epiphani?)when you looked back at the Holiday plan?
Do you see anything you'll change about your spending for Christmas 2013?

Leave a comment and let us know how you did and what you learned about yourself & money this year!

Sluggy

More Rite-Aid Shenanigans

The first thing I did was take in my $3/1 Neosporin Trial Pack IPQ I forgot to give them on Tuesday.  I got $3 back on my gift card/merchandise return card.  With the $2.74 it had already, I now have $5.74 on it.

Then I bought this lot....

1 x Neosporin Lip Health reg. $5.79 w/Gold discount=$4.63
1 x Ben-Gay reg. $6.29 w/Gold discount=$3.77
1 x Band-Aid strips reg. $3.79 w/Gold discount=$2.27
1 x Listerine 1 Liter on sale=$3.99
SubTotal.....$14.66

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 Neosporin product IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Ben-gay product IPQ=$2.00
1 x .50/1 Band-Aid IPQ=$.50
1 x $2/1 Listerine IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$6.50

$14.66-$6.50=$8.16 + .06¢ tax=$8.22
I used $8 in +Ups and put the .22¢ on my gift card.

And no, that blasted $2/1 Listerine Load2Card Q did NOT come off.
I am so over these L2CQs.....


I will submit for the cash Rebate for buying the Ben-gay, Band-aid item and Neosporin lip product.
You have to spend at least $10 purchasing any combination of 3 out of 5 Neosporin/Band-aid/Ben-gay items and you can submit for a $5 Rebate.  The form is not clear if it's a $5 or "up to a $10 rebate".  It's at least a $5 refund so that is what I'm calling it. 8-)

Now, the Band-aid and Listerine items count toward the January Promo and I have $27.25 tracking.  The Band-aid and Ben-gay items count toward the J&J Promo but the Neosporin Lip Health doesn't evidently.  I now have $24.01 tracking on the J&J Promo.

And if I can continue to keep this all straight, it will be a miracle! lolol

Over the last 3 days, I've spent $26 in +Ups, I've gotten $6 +Ups back and I've gotten $3 on a gift card (in lieu of a 'post coupon' situation)and I'm getting (at least) $16.99 back in cash rebates.  I've spent $26 and I'm getting back $25.99 back in various forms.
So I'm basically 'even' at this point.
And I still need to spend $5.99 on J&J items before this week is out to get a $10 +Up Reward.

Once I run out of +Ups, I have a SCR check coming for December in the amount of $16, so I'll spend that for any OOP amounts once the +Ups and the gift cards are done.  I am sending away tomorrow for a $15 P&G gift card too, which will also be used for any OOP amounts since I didn't spend money to get it, so it's free "money". 8-))

Looking at the next weeks ads at Rite-Aid, I seriously doubt if I will be able to get to $100 of "spending" without "spending" any cash by January 26th.
This Promotion deal is tight.....the rewards are small, the coupons available are chinzy and I'm having a hard time finding things to buy that I can use.

After January it might be time for me to take a well deserved break from Rite-Aid for a few months.  


This trip to Rite-Aid--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items.....$21.86
+Ups coming into this trip....$16.50
+Ups used....$8.00
+Ups earned......$0.00
+Ups at the end.....$8.50

 
**GRAND TOTALS FOR JANUARY-so far**

Out Of Pocket....$0.00  cash
Value of items bought.....$83.86
Savings Rate of  100%
Rebates due......$16.99(Neosporin 2x)
Savings Rate after Rebates.....100 %

+Ups at beginning of month...$32.50+
+Ups used....$33.00+
+Ups received...$9.00+
+Ups currently...$8.50+  


Sluggy

Price Book Week One....Complete!

Ok, so I didn't get to the store yesterday, but I did get there this morning and finished my Week One prices....

That's just the first page(I've got 2 pages of items), and you can't read my chicken scratching so here is the list.  Oh, and I decided to always put Carone's prices first and Weis prices second each week, so I don't need to mark each price with a "C" or a "W" to tell which store it was from.

Ground Beef...2.28/3.69
Chuck Roast....3.99/3.99
Hot Dogs....4.99/5.99
Pork....3.99/3.00
Bacon....2.98/3.50
Chicken Breast....2.99/3.09
Chicken Whole.... .78/1.69
Salmon....10.00/7.99
Cheese....1.77/2.99
Butter.....3.00/3.50
Eggs....1.93/1.50
Carrots.... .90/1.00
Potatoes....1.48/2.50
Celery.....1.69/259
Onion..... .49/.75
Salad Greens....2.50/1.95
Pasta..... .88/1.00
Spaghetti Sauce.... .88/1.00
Coffee....5.65 lb/5.12 lb
Soup Tomato...1.05/.75
Soup Cream....1.00/.75
Flour.....2.19/2.19
Sugar.....2.69/2.69
Brown Sugar...1.89/1.69
Honey.....4.00 lb/3.45 lb
Deli Ham...5.99/7.99
Deli Provolone...7.99/8.99
Frozen Pizza...4.49/4.99
Ice Cream...3.00/3.00
Frozen Broccoli...1.88/1.50
Soda....4.99/4.00
Chips....3.00/3.00


When I write prices down, I always write them as price per same unit of measure.  If I price the honey per lb. at one store, I break down the cost per lb. at the other store., If I price out the potatoes as price per 5lbs. at one store and all the bags at the other store are 10 lb. bags, I figure the cost of half that size bag so I am measuring like with like.

I know there are cheaper hot dogs at both stores, but I have to be honest and stick with tracking the higher priced dogs, since I don't buy the cheaper ones no matter the price.  Our budget allows me some luxuries and we don't like the taste of many of the brands(which happen to be cheaper),so we spend on the good dogs.  If we had more financial challenges, I'd price out and buy those less expensive dogs in a heartbeat.  But we have some flexibility with what we spend on so we prioritize.

On the other hand, there are private label or house brand items that I think are comparable quality with the name brands.....brown sugar for instance.  Everyday price the store brand is cheaper so I buy it and I detect no discernible difference.  About the only time the name brand is as cheap or cheaper is if it's on special AND there is a coupon for it.

The first rule in deal hunting and couponing is NO Brand Loyalty!  If you always want the best deal you have to be open to buying whichever brands are the lowest price when the sale(or sale and coupon combined)are involved.  But you have to do what works for you and your situation.  Kids and spouses can be picky so you need to remember to price book items that your tribe will eat.

Just looking at my Week One prices and knowing how prices run here, I'd say that this would be the week to buy ground beef, whole roasters, bacon, onions, pasta and spaghetti sauce at Store #1.  At Store #2 the soups and frozen broccoli are a good deal this week and if I needed Salad Greens this week, I'd get them at Store #2 if I couldn't wait until Sunday to buy those.

 Now tuck your information away until next week's shopping trip.  Be sure to use a different color ink for next week's prices.  I'll be going with blue next week.

Sluggy

Did You Start Your Price Book Yet This Week?

If you need to get up to speed on this, go read HERE first.

I picked up $31 worth of groceries yesterday and got my Store #1 prices into my book.
I'll be off shortly to Store #2 for their prices this week and will post later this evening my findings for both stores.

Did you get your book together with your list of regularly bought/needed items and get to the store yet this week?
Be sure you get Week One's prices before your sales ads change.
Don't make me come there and wag my finger at you...... ;-)

Til Later,

Sluggy

Feeling all Effervescent About Coke

I wait every year for the month of December.
Why?
So I can cash in my Coke Rewards Points.

If you have a soda monkey on your back(or on the backs of those you love and feed), you can drink Coke products, save the codes up until December and then start cashing them out.  We don't go through Coke products nearly as much as we use to when all 3 kids were at home and younger.  #2 Son prefers his poison in the form of Mt. Dew and the other 2 don't drink soda much anymore.  I will have a Coke now and again but my heart beats for Dr. Pepper if I have to have soda.

Even if you don't drink it much, you can still scavenge codes from friends, co-workers, social gatherings where they serve said products or even from trash cans everywhere you go.

If you see an empty coke bottle with a cap being thrown away, grab that cap.  The code inside it is worth 3 points.  See someone throwing out a 12 pack carton?  Grab the flap where the carton is perforated for the code on back of that, which is worth 10 points.

You have to keep your points "active" throughout the year once you enter them on the Coke website.  This means you have to add codes for points at least once every 3 months, or Coke will expire all your points accumulated on their website.

Throughout the year, Coke "may" offer deals and specials.....like one time offers on gifts or a lower "price" on a reward(meaning you have to spend less points to get something).  Be sure and sign up to receive their emails or check their Facebook page often to take advantage of these type of specials.

And then once a year in December, MyCokeRewards runs lots of specials.  Usually they put the Free 12 packs of Coke products on sale in December sometimes for 30 points(instead of 300 points!).
Many people wait for this all year to get scads of Free Coke coupons. (If you get your codes by not drinking the stuff, they DO have rewards for things other than soda too.)

This past December Coke changed it up and held a "12 Days of Christmas" Deal.  Every day they offered a different Reward(Limit 1)and on the 12th day the Deal was Free 12 packs of Coke Qs for 30 points with a Limit of 4 packs/rewards.
Only, Coke decided to change it to Limit of 1 at the last minute, after advertising for 2 weeks that the Limit was 4.
And people pulled a Peter Finch in "Network", got mad as hell and let Coke and everyone in the civilized world know of their displeasure over this marketing gaff.

So Coke decided to let everyone get unlimited number of free Coke Qs for their points a day or two later but didn't advertise it.
But many people missed it and they got even hotter over this.

Let's just say that this whole thing was a big ball of f**ked-upness and a marketing dept. nightmare for Coke.

Along with the screwy Promotion this year, Coke also had a sweepstakes/game Deal.  For 3 points, you could play a game and have the chance of winning prizes, with a limit of 5 tries per day.

After I had used up most of my points on those Free Coke Qs, I went ahead and threw about 30 points away on the sweepstakes.
I find that it helps when I try to win something, that it makes me not take it so seriously and get "worked up" when I don't win, if I consider any money/points/etc. I use to be just throwing it away.
It also helps make it more awesome if I actually happen to win something! lolol

So here is my Coke haul for 2012 with the few points I manage to scrape together in 2012.

I chose to get a $10 Gift Card for Domino's Pizza.
I snagged 5 FREE Coke 12 packs during the Free Q fiasco days.
I also won twice in the sweepstakes--1 x 20 oz. bottle of Coke(wow! what a prize!!!) and 1 x Prize Pack of 2 AMC Movie tickets and 2 Large Sodas(I bet if I were to price them out, the sodas cost more than the movie tickets).

I will add here that Coke products(12 packs and 2 liters)are part of the Rite-Aid January Promotion(count toward your $100 in purchases)AND give a $2+Up Reward wyb3 12 packs this week(this may be regional).  This is a way to stretch out the benefit of these Free item Qs if you shop Rite-Aid this month.......and I am sure Wags and CVS also have deals coming up that give you a reward back when you redeem your Free Coke coupons.  Just keep your eyes peeled for them!

Just another way to be thrifty if you have to indulge your carbonated self.

Sluggy