Last Chance for the Giveaway

Today is the last chance to get an entry in for the October Boring Blog Box Giveaway.

Go HERE to enter.
Entry closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time, October 16th, Sunday evening.

The winner will be revealed sometime on Monday, October 17th.

Sluggy

I am Not Hopeful

Not hopeful on many things lately, including where our country is heading if either Trump or Clinton are elected(combined with the current collection of chuckle heads in the Congress), but that's NOT what this post is about.

It's about my Savings Challenge Goal for 2016.

I doubt that I will actually hit my targeted amount of $38K.

I am at $28,797.32 saved with three more months to go.  That means I need to stash away $9,202.68 before we ring in 2017 to hit my goal.
That comes out to $3,067.56 each month of the next three months.

We've got 6 paychecks to receive here until the year ends.

Besides the regular bills, we have 2 irregular bills coming due out of those paychecks as well-- a quarterly garbage bill for $84 due this month and a semi-annual $950.33 car insurance bill due in November.  Plus there is the financial mayhem of the Holidays.....well not really mayhem for us as I save and buy for Christmas during the year and don't put it on credit so there is no January financial hangover.

But still, holiday spending puts a dent into what we have left to save.  ;-)

I just don't see, with our increased spending in electricity, water, food and in medical co-pays since June, how we are going to save $9K+ out of those 6 paychecks.

Plus there is the issue of keeping part of December's savings liquid in our account to use in January when the high deductibles of our medical plan kick in for the new year before we see any reductions in what we are required to pay for prescriptions, DMEs, tests and office visits.
Oh goody......

It's just doubtful if I am going to make my goal.

Yes, it's still AWESOME that I have saved $28K so far and anything more I can stash away into savings will be great.
But I so had wanted to make that $38K goal, especially since this will be the first year since I started doing these Savings Challenges that I won't reach the year's mark. sigh.

But it's all good.  A few thousand saved more or less won't change the big financial picture and I am grateful for what I've been able to put away.
After all, every little bit helps! 8-)

Sluggy

Medical WTF

I had heard that healthcare costs can vary depending on what region of the country you are in but this point was driven home lately at Chez Sluggy.

Daughter had a procedure performed locally through the pain clinic at the hospital here in late August.  This is the same procedure she had done in Louisiana when she lived there earlier in the year.
The "procedure" is a couple of injections into the back.

I am having a difficult time understanding the charges and amount that were billed for the most recent procedure given that they are so much higher than the charges when she had this done in Shreveport on two different occasions.

For example, the doctor's fees in LA came to $1,422.00.  After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $20.23.

The doctor's fees in August in PA came to $3,878.00.  After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $193.90.

??

But the LARGER problem is the discrepancy in the EOBs received from the facility/corp. in PA compared to what the facility/corp. in LA charged.

The LA bill came to $3,037.46 for supplies(ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms.  Our responsibility was $124.98.

The PA bill came to $16,420.56 for supplies/ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms.  Our responsibility was $893.28.
WTF?!?

How can there be a $13 THOUSAND DOLLAR difference in basically the same supplies and way in which the facility's rooms were used for the same procedure?!?

The biggest discrepancy seems to be what Geisinger in PA charged for use of the facilities(operating and recovery room)use versus what the Spine Institute in LA charged for the same items.
LA charges were $2,721.08.
PA charges were $16,224.00.

Again I say WTF?!
How can they get away with charging $13,502.92 MORE for the same exact type of rooms used in the same exact way?!?!

So by using Geisinger here we pay $1,087.18 out of pocket while we were paying $145.21 out of pocket in LA.

This is just not right.
And of course Geisinger has a monopoly on healthcare services in this region of PA and I am going to have a hard time finding a doctor/facility to do these for her that isn't connected to them and at a "normal" cost.

Just so disgusted by this.

Sluggy

Rite-Aid This Week

I went up to Rite-Aid on Tuesday for this week's moneymakers......

Two identical transactions, one on each Wellness card--

2 x Cover Girl eyebrow pencils BOGO50% sale=$5.98
2 x Cover Girl eye shadow BOGO50% sale=$5.08
SubTotal.....$11.06 + .12¢ tax=$11.18

Coupons Used
1 x $3/1 Cover Girl product IPQ=$3.00
3 x $2/1 Cover Girl product IPQ=$6.00
Coupon Total......$9.00

$11.18-$9.00=$2.18
I paid with Plenti Points and earned back $4.00 in new Plenti Points(2 x $2.00 in PPs wyb 2 Cover Girl), making each transaction a $1.82 "moneymaker".

Rinse and repeat.

Luckily I had 2 prints of the $3/1 Cover Girl IPQ(coupons dotcom)before the site pulled it.  Then they reset that Q to a $2/1 Cover Girl one and I could print 6 more of those(using 3 computers-2 prints per computer).

If I had used both $3/1 Qs in the same transaction my total after sale/Qs would have been under $2 and I wouldn't have been able to use Plenti points on that transaction so this is why I split the Qs up the way I did.

Since I don't use make-up all these items go into/were bought specifically for my giveaway box goodies and will be showing up in some of my upcoming Giveaways.

Just trying to "grow" my Plenti Points in preparation for all those Black Friday R-A Deals where what you spend, you get back in equivalent points(=free stuff!).

What did you find for free/cheap at the drugstores lately?


Sluggy

Going Rogue......Credit Only Baby!

Most people feel that credit cards are evil....or at least can lead you into debt.

They are a tool if used properly but so many either don't know how or won't use it as the tool it was meant to be.
Resulting in many people getting into trouble with the improper use of credit cards.
If you are one of these sort of folks it's best not to even use credit.

With my frugal habits built up over the decades I am at a place were I don't need to put anything on credit....ever!  I only buy things I can afford when I buy them.
The last time I paid credit card interest was 1995(I was pregnant and forgot a deadline.)
The last time I financed a car was 1994(and we paid that one off 3 years early).
The last time I paid mortgage interest was 2007.
This is not to brag(ok, maybe a little lol)but to show that getting debt-free can take time and by golly it takes a LOT of effort!

If you are regularly buying things on credit and can't pay that bill off then maybe you really can't afford to be buying those things, can you?
If you regularly buy things on credit and don't pay off the bill in full each month then you don't own those things, the credit card company does.

It wasn't easy getting to this point of not needing credit.  It meant a lot of sacrificing over the years, giving up wants and just buying the needs.
And putting money away and not spending it.
And with time and regular money saving habits, it meant paying off large debts like cars and even a house and being totally debt-free.

Credit cards are now a convenience for me.
I am in a position that it I need/want to buy something and I don't have enough cash or a check on me, no problem.....I just whip out the vile credit card and purchase.
But I NEVER put a purchase on a credit card that I don't actually have the money for or am not prepared to pay-off before the c/c bill is due.

It's the only way I will use a credit card nowadays....pure convenience.

So since my credit card has a rewards program attached to it why shouldn't I use it for ALL purchases and reap the reward program benefit?
Yes, I am a bit slow sometimes.  ;-)

And that is what I am going to do-start paying every bill I can with my credit card to earn points.
It's a win/win as I never carry a balance and/or pay interest on my card.  Why not earn free rewards for purchases I have to make every month anyway?

I have paid cash for all my food purchases for many years now that it felt funny putting a grocery store purchase on a credit card the other day.

I'll get use to it though.
I know I won't earn that much more in rewards putting food on the c/c as I don't spend a lot on food/toiletries anyway(well, I have been spending much MORE lately since I am feeding 2 more adults)but every little bit counts, right?

I do know already that a few monthly bills I can't put on the credit card as they charge a "fee"(pass on the % the c/c company charges them to take credit payments).
The water and electric company here do this so those will still be paid via another method(check or direct checking account transfer)because having to pay that "fee" is the same as paying interest in my mind.

How about you?

Do you pay cash or put food/toiletries purchases on credit to earn rewards and is it worth it to do so?

Or do you have a credit utilizing problem and end up paying interest on credit card charges when you don't want to?

Do you think it's "worth it" to use credit cards for reward points?


Sluggy