The World of Sluggy & What's Up in It

How is that for a stupid Post Title? lol

Let's see......what's been going on over here this past week.....

First off we took #2 Son out for his "My Bad Self is 18 Years old" Birthday Meal.
Of course he picked one of the most expen$ive restaurants around.......

You think #2 Son is grimacing?  You should have seen the look on my face when the bill came!!
I am not a big fan of Thai food anyway but this place ccommits highway robbery.
I could have gotten the same dish for half what they charged at the local Asian dive where we usually go.  I suppose I am paying these high prices for the linen tablecloths and that cheezy fake rose on the table, huh?

Yah, leave it to me to bitch about taking the youngest out to dinner when he turns 18.
When can he leave home and stop draining my bank account anyway?  Now seems like a good option..... ;-)

I've been having this for meals a lot this week.......

This is what happens when you buy 3 lbs. of strawberries and no one else in the house wants to eat them before they go rotten. 
And might I add that these were exceptionally GOOD RIPE berries, which is unusual given the season is so early for them still.

I've also been eating differently than usual.  I've been trying to only eat when and what my body is craving.  This works well if your body is behaving and craving good things, like fruits and veggies and lean meats.  Not so good when it goes off on a bender and wants nothing but crap like chips and cookies.

Speaking of crap......

I bought some BEER ice cream recently.

 

We live near the oldest continuously operated brewery in American called Yuengling's.
You may have heard of it?

Back during Prohibition, when no on could legally brew beer in this country , Yuengling's started making ICE CREAM to stay "afloat". (See what I did there?  Ice cream? Float?)
They discontinued the ice cream line when the people in this country came to their senses and repealed the 18th Amendment in 1933.

Recently Yuengling's decided to get back into the ice cream business and it appeared, if by magic, at my local Weis PMITA Markets.
So I took that as a sign that I should buy some.....and I did!

 

It was pretty good and how could I NOT like a flavor called root beer float?
It is a bit pricey however so I doubt I'll buy it again, unless it's on sale and/or I have a coupon.
*Note*  There is NO beer in this ice cream(mores the pity).
I was tempted to take a bottle of my Sprecher's Hard Root Beer and make an actual alcoholic root beer float with this, but #2 Son scarfed up most of this ice cream before I got a chance. Grrrr

When is that kid leaving home???

In other news......

I got a call from the Coumadin Clinic earlier this week, frantically wanting to know why I haven't gone for my "pro-time" blood test so they can measure the "clottiness", or lack thereof, of my blood.
I told her my physician told me to discontinue the treatment and testing since it's been 6 months since I had that clot in my kankle.
Evidently the doc didn't let then good folks at the Clinic know I was released from treatment.
Not very "up" on follow through my new doctor.....

I also got a call from the medical caseworker I was assigned to last April when I had my health scare.
She informed me that since I was not a Medicare patient and no longer belonged to a certain health insurance plan, the company of which she worked for, she would no longer be following my treatment and calling me up sporadically to annoy me with useless chatter.
Ok....see ya!
She's a nice lady but seriously, I am not an 80 year old doddering old fool(not that all 80 year olds are like that!)who can't remember where I put my keys or what pill to take when, who needs "monitoring".

And in further news.....

I got a burst of energy the beginning of last week and listed a set of fabrics in my Etsy store.  A flurry of sales activity followed within 48 hours of the listings going live(Yay me!)and after that?.....nothing.
*Crickets*

And when I went to pack one of the fabric lengths(I usually iron the cotton/blend fabrics before shipping them so they fold better into the envelopes and look nice)I noticed some faint stains(possibly were there when I bought it?)so I had to decide what to do.  I saw that the buyer made rag wreaths so I figured she was just going to cut this shit up anyway and a few faint stains wouldn't be a problem.
So I shipped it out and then emailed her about the possible problem and after she inspected the fabric we could talk discount and/or refund.
At least I got another piece of fabric out of here, right? lol
And as I thought, the stains were NOT a problem and I have yet another happy, satisfied customer.
Go me! 8-)))

So you would think with actually selling some fabrics I'd be motivated to keep it up?
Nope.
But I did list 12 more fabrics this morning and am going to try to get the rest of what I have measured and photographed up this weekend, and maybe relist a few listings that expired from the first go round of listings I made.  I'll hold back listing/relisting the flannels, corduroys and wools until later in the Summer because who wants to sew flannel with Spring almost here?

I went out on Tuesday to run some errands.
The Panera Bread place was beckoning me as I drove past, and seeing as it was $3 off a baker's dozen of bagels Tuesday I gave in and brought bagels home.
It's Friday and we are down to 3 bagels left.

I also went out Tuesday to pick up some goodies to take with me to Delaware next weekend.  I am making up little goodie bags for everyone who is attending the Bloggerpalooza.  Just a little something as a remembrance of Yours Truly.  It's been a challenge to figure out WHAT to put in the bags as I haven't actually met any of these people in person!  Yes, I correspond or read their blogs/they read mine and a couple I have actually talked with on the phone but I am starting to freak out just a little bit about going to this thing!  I know it will be fine but will they like me in person??  That remains to be seen.
"Insecurity Central" here......

But hey!, how could I NOT fit in with this bunch?

   A photo from the touristy dress-up like an old West characters Shop from last year's gathering.

 

And on the car front, because you know, there are ALWAYS things going wrong with cars............

Hubs took my minivan in for inspection and a general tune-up/check the tires, belts, hoses and doohickeys, and an oil change.
$200 later it passed inspection, has new oil flowing through it's innards and got a new gasket for something or other.
But the word is we need body work done as there is rusting on the undercarriage which might cause it to flunk next year.
Fan-so-tastic!

The car is 10+ years old and just turned over 97K miles.  At least it should get me to Delaware and back no problem.

And that's about all going on here.
What's up in your world?

Sluggy

 

Don't Overlook These Food Sources

When it comes to finding deals on grocery items, don't overlook your local Dollar Store or Restaurant Supply Store.

We have two restaurant supply stores around here but only one of them carries fresh fruits and vegetables.  Often, unless something is a loss leader at the grocery store that particular week, I can get Fruits and Veg cheaper at the restaurant supply store.

I made a trip up last Saturday and got Strawberries, 3 lbs. for $5.

$1.67 a container beat out even the grocery stores which had Florida strawberries as loss leaders for $2.50 a lb.
Regular price on fresh strawberries around here is $3.99 or higher.

I also picked up a 5lb. bag of carrots for $2.49.

Carrots last a long time so no problem using these up.  Carrots are so versatile in savory or sweet dishes.  I usually shred some to put in meatloaves or meatballs too.  I use to shred carrots into my spaghetti sauce when the kids were little and needed more veggie matter in their diets.....they were never the wiser.

The largest bag the local grocers carry around here is a 2lb. or on occasion a 3lb. bag.  Regular price for a 1lb. bag is $1.49.

I bought some yellow squash on this trip too(though I didn't take a picture of it).  It was $1.29 lb.(regular price at the restaurant supply store)but I usually wait until it goes on special for .99¢.  IF I can get yellow squash at the grocery stores here(as they are usually out unless it's July or so)it goes for $2.99 lb.

I also buy my onions in bulk at the restaurant supply store, if the farm stand is not open when I need them.

I got this 25 lb. bag for $13.49.  That's .54¢ a lb. compared to the .83¢ I have to pay for the regular priced  grocery store variety.  I prefer to buy 50lb. sacks of onions as that is the most economical.  I just finished up the last 50lb. sack I got at the farm stand last September.  Since the garage where I keep my makeshift plastic tub/root cellar is too cold now, this sack will live in the corner of the kitchen until the end of March.
Onions can be cheap and a great addition to dishes when you need flavor.

And Spring time means Asparagus Season.  I picked up 4 lbs. of this tasty weed on Saturday at $1.49 lb.  Regular price at the grocery store here is $3.99 lb. and I've only seen it go as low as $1.99 right around Easter time only.
There is nothing better(or better for you)than a plate of "spear points"!  ;-)
We prefer to grill or roast ours, rather than steam them.  The direct fire brings out the sugars in them. Mmmmm......

Another place I will do some food shopping is at our Dollar Store, the ones that have a refrigerated and frozen section.

I love Gyoza or Japanese Pot Sticker Dumplings.
But what I don't love is paying an outrageous price for them.  A reasonable priced brand disappeared off the market shelves here so I checked out the restaurant supply store and found a bag of approx. 50 dumplings went for $16.99.
Yikes!
So one day while checking the Dollar store I spied Gyoza Dumplings, bags of 10-11 for $1.
Sold!!
Same amount of dumplings as the $16.99 bag for $5.00.

I also buy frozen fruit at the Dollar Store for dessert toppings or fillings, smoothies, or to flavor iced tea or for just thawing and eating.

Recently one of the Dollar stores here started carrying frozen seafood.  These salad shrimp are great for shrimp salad sandwiches(1 3oz. package is the perfect size).  I got some scallops as well. 

There is a specific company that I can't recall at the moment that makes a seafood cake....like a crab cake but it has shrimp and scallops in it as well.  It's very tasty but at $9 a box(for 2 cakes), it's quite pricey.  When I can pick up crabmeat on special, these shrimp and scallops will allow me to replicate that seafood cake without spending $30 on the ingredients.
These small shrimp and scallops are also good for adding to dishes like stews or casseroles or stir-frys....dishes were a big nice piece of seafood/fish isn't the star attraction but where you want the flavor of these items to shine through.
I make a fancy pants dish of scallops, mushrooms and asparagus in a cheese sauce inside a puff pastry shell.  It's quite elegant really and decadent.

Ok, I've babbled on enough here.  Just a thought about thinking outside the box when it comes to finding food.

Sluggy

 

I Just Can't Fathom What Some People are Thinking!

I have been on a few local yahoo lists for years now.  One is a local Tag Sale or Yard Sale site where you can sell things.  Another is a local Christmas/Holiday list.  This one started out as a mix of folks who needed help providing Christmas for their kids, for whatever reason, and folks who have a want and the resources to help provide for these families.  It's like a cyber Salvation Army giving tree.  People who need help are spread throughout my state on this list and you can choose to play Santa for those who can't afford to at the Holidays, either folks who are local to you or you can choose to ship to anyone on the list anywhere in the state.

This second group was so successful that the owner/originator decided to start another group list with a similar purpose, but not limit the help to Holiday giving and not to limit it to presents for your kids/loved ones.  Any time of year and any type of help is acceptable to ask for on this list, for the most part.  You can't ask for a car or large sums of money, et cetera.  Physical items of lesser value(money toward paying a bill, used furniture for your apartment) and/or guidance(like legal advise or help contacting appropriate agencies for your needs)and/or personal help(such as rides to doctors, help repairing a roof, babysitting, cooking for someone ill)....that sort of thing.

About 4 years back, the requests on these lists started getting out of hand(parents asking for new gaming systems, computers, new smartphones, asking for gifts for grown children who could get a job and buy their own stuff, etc.)and too many cases of fraud(folks asking for help when they clearly didn't need it, and folks receiving help from multiple people without disclosing this)started happening.  The system in place started to be abused by a certain element of the membership which made those who were giving help decide to either drop out or severely limit what they gave/who they helped.

In January of this year, this email came across the "Year Long Help" List.  It's from a mother of a grown child asking for help for her daughter.
I was floored by what it said.

All the identifying information and names have been removed.
Here it is......


"This is on behalf of my daughter in XXX County who does not have internet access. I've over-extended myself horribly helping her for the past few years and literally can't help her anymore. She is broke and her water is being shut off. The local community action agency (which the XXX agency referred her case to) says they can't help her unless she has a source of income (which she doesn't have).  Welfare was cut off. She is in a rental property but is facing eviction for nonpayment of rent. She says she won't go to a shelter because of her pets (four dogs & 2 cats). Her spouse (also low-income) moved back with his family and took their newborn with him. I have her older child with me. Due to rules in place by county children & youth services, she is not permitted to be with either of her children, so she can't move in with her husband nor can she move in with me. Need advice, suggestions or other options to have her consider.  She has no income and no government benefits now."

Here is the only response this email received.....

"tell her to go live on the streets if she don't want to go to a shelter"

And here is the response from the original note's writer.....

"Hi all, Thanks for the advice. I personally think she needs to look at getting a job or some sort of income. She disagrees and says she's too anxious to ever work. She says that if she has a big family, then the various pieces of the government will help her, by moving her up on section 8 lists, free medical care, food stamps, etc. She plans to go to the various agencies next week, because she just found out she's a few weeks pregnant again and she says that will get her qualified fast for all this aid. I hope she knows what she's doing, because frankly, I don't understand it. I just always worked for whatever I could. Thanks; I guess time will tell whether she is right or wrong."

Now I have no clue what the background, what all went on in these people's lives the years leading up to this plea for help.
Obviously this daughter has some very disturbing ideas about being a grown-up and how one should conduct one's life.  And frankly, I blame her parent(s)for some of this, as it sounds like this mother was a major enabler and helped this daughter to end up at this point, thinking others owed her a life/a living.  Allowing your grown kid to continue to mooch off of you, her parent(s), just reinforced these notions that other people "owed" her something.

I try not to be judgmental, but seriously??
Since when is having another baby going to help your situation if you can not support yourself now?

And something bad which is not spoken of here must have preceded the state banning her from being around/living with her other children.  What makes her think the state won't step in and take a newborn from her too?

And how many other people out there in the society also have this thought process and seriously believe that society OWES them money/housing/transportation when they do nothing to help themselves?  This Entitlement Attitude seems to be growing in a certain segment of our society.

People like this are what gives social agencies(government backed AND privately funded ones too)a bad name and make taxpayers balk at their hard earned dollars being spent in an unwise fashion on social programs.

What are your reactions and thoughts to this email plea on behalf of this woman's daughter?
I am very curious to know.

Sluggy

$24K Savings Challenge....February Update

Every year I keep a close eye on our monthly expenses and our monthly income.
Our income is mainly the salary my Hubs draws from his job.  We have money taken off each paycheck from the top to put into savings, before we even get our hands on it.  This money that's taken goes into various pots....life insurance, health insurance premiums, long term care insurance premiums, investments and retirement savings.  It's automatic so we are never tempted to NOT put it into savings.

Once the automatic savings amounts, plus taxes and medical/dental/vision premiums are taken out, it leaves what we get to "live on".  From this amount we budget for bills, both monthly and irregular bills(semi-annual, annual etc.) and our variable bills(like food, eating out, clothing  etc.)  Anything left over once our monthly expenses are paid, I put aside into a Savings Challenge. 

For 2014 I am continuing my Yearly Savings Challenge.  I am raising the Goal amount slightly to $24,000 this year, $4K more than my goal for last year.

On to the February report.....

I have posted my February End of Month $24K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the Savings Challenge page tab at the top of the blog 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 $2,000.

I have to report that we finished up February with a nice hunk of cash but not the target amount.
The extra cash amount we ended the month of February with?.......$1,359.15.

Income
We had $856.52 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted.
 

Other monies received in February totaled $502.63.  This included interest made on accounts, blog revenue and our son began paying his own portion on the car insurance. 8-))

This brought us to our gain of $1,359.15 for February.
Since we have no debt anymore, this goes into savings.

Outgo

As for the expenses this February, here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

 

*  Water and Phone were the same as January's totals.

*  I spent under $400 for food/toiletries in February.
*  The credit card bill was $1100 less than January's bill.
*  The Cash withdrawals were $98.50 less than in January.
*  The music lessons were $40 less(1 less lesson this month.)
*  No expensive car repairs in February.(Just a small one.)
*  Eldest son started paying his portion of the car insurance bill.

 

HERE are the BAD THINGS

 

*  The electric bill was $62.09 MORE than January's bill.  March's bill should be less.

*  The semi-annual car insurance was due and paid in February.
*  There are 5 Mondays in March so we need to pay for an extra music lesson this month.
 

 

The Food Budget costs for January are in another post, which is located HERE. 

The 2014 GRAND TOTAL.....
With 2 months accounted for, our Savings Grand Total for 2014 is $1,564.47. 
Far short at this point of the $2,000 I need to put back each month.
February is historically a lean month for savings in our house because of car insurance being due this month.

In other financial news--Hubs received a nice sized bonus this month for his work last year.  I used part of it to finish funding #2 Son's college fund but have not "officially" accounted for the rest of the money yet.....meaning it's part of our Net Worth statement but no decision has been made about whether any of it will be put into this Savings Challenge.  We still have to decide where to put the rest of the funds.  I know some of it will go toward purchasing a car to replace the one Hubs now drives.  Perhaps I'll be able to put what's left toward the Savings Challenge but it's too soon to know.
 

 

Looking ahead for March......

*  I will continue to do this Savings Challenge and report in each month on how it is going.

*  We have yearly municipal taxes due this month. (They aren't actually DUE until 30 June but if I pay them before 30 April we get a discount on the rate.)  I usually pay it in April but I may pay it in March instead, just to get it outta the way.  ;-)

*  I am going on a quick trip to Delaware this month so lodging, gas & food expenses will happen.

*  No extra/3rd paychecks this month so no extra income in March.

*  And the annual Sewage payment is due. It is billed quarterly but if I pay it in full before 31 March I get a 3% discount and this is what I generally do so there's another irregular expense for March.

*  With 2 annual bills being paid in March and no extra paycheck in the month(that won't happen until May and again in October) we won't see much extra savings going toward this Challenge.  Perhaps our savings rate will pick up in April....
 

 

So how was your February financially?
  

Did you spend less than the income you had in February?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
Did you pay off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings in an emergency fund or a retirement account?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out your progress too and celebrate with you!

Sluggy

Net Worth March 1st

Thanks in large part to Hub's bonus, our net worth increased $31,479.11 from February 1st. 
Of course this accounts for a decrease of $1,735.18 from January 1st to February 1st(temporary setback), so really it's an $29,743.93 increase since January 1st.

We don't include the college funds or the value of our home in our net worth calculations, mainly because the college monies aren't going to be spent on our retirement and the home is not a liquid asset since we have to have somewhere to live.

Retirement funds are up $8759.72 since January 1st as well.  Not increasing very much since we moved them out of  riskier/volatile funds, as we are too close to retirement to chance losing money.
Otherwise we'd be seeing better gains here.

With only a few years until retirement we are closing in on the 1 million $ mark proving once again, it pays to not spend all your money on the here and now.
Plus it pays to have a really healthy income as well and a wife who sees value in saving money whenever/wherever possible, even when spending on "life". ;-)

So don't forget to FEED YOUR PIG each and every month.
Don't let her/him waste away from financial malnutrition.

For help and guidance on how to save, check this site out HERE.

 

Sluggy