Monthly To-Do List....November Update

Let's see how we did on our monthly TO DO LIST for November.

NOVEMBER

* Pay Bills  DONE and Done.  As always. ;-)

* Bike Something  FAIL  Let me confess that I did nothing on the bike. sigh.  I have so fallen out of this habit.  I WILL make an effort to get back into it in December despite it being the month of Holiday Madness.

* Read 1 Book  DONE.  A tome called "California Romance".   It's really 3 interconnected historical romance stories.  Not my cup of tea usually(except for the history angle)and I almost put it down as the religious overtones were offputting so I just skimmed over those parts.   Funny to combine a "bodice ripper" with religion and history.....not too much sex detail given the religious overtones which suited me fine.  A true escape type book which is what I required last month.

* Sew a Shirt  FAIL  Just no time/no desire.  I am taking this one off the lists until further notice because with the craziness that IS December, this isn't happening anytime soon. 8-)

* List Items on eBay  FAIL  I did do some research on selling prices and then decided it wasn't worth the effort.  eBay has changed again(for the worse)in the last few years while I have been away from it.  I may put a few things up on my town's Facebook tag sale site instead in December.  I am thinking I'll have better luck and less work doing that.

* Shred Papers  FAIL  Boy, this is turning into a stellar FAIL month isn't it? lolz  Just didn't get around to it in November.  Leaving on the list for December as it needs to be done.

* Hold Giveaway  DONE  Yep it got offered up.....

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  After a little difficulty contacting the winner(it was Thanksgiving after all)the box was shipped out promptly and received.  It was also nice that the winner emailed me that it had arrived and thanked me.  This doesn't always happen but it very good manners. ;-)

* Finish SA Donation  DONE

Among the goodies sent to Salvation Army were new in the box Christmas ornaments.  Perfect time of the year to let these things go. 8-)

* Take Donation In  DONE  A nice sized load was taken in Thanksgiving weekend.

* Scrub Kitchen Cabinets  DONE sort of.  I didn't get all of them finished so will work on the rest in December.

* Get Blood Work  DONE  Ouch.

* Go to 1 Dr. Appointment  DONE  My biannual appointment with my primary doctor.  Went over test results and medication changes. I got 2 count 'em 2 High Fives for my stellar test results and my work on my diet and my clean living.  Sluggy is an old fart stick-in-the-mud lately. ;-)

* Plan Turkey Day Meal  DONE  And I didn't break the bank buying the ingredients(though I did go over budget for the month).

* Cook Turkey Day Meal  DONE

And it seemed to be enjoyed by all.

* Clean Dining Room  DONE  This had to be done so we could eat on Turkey.  It has since been taken over by wrapping paper, bows, scissors, tape and mysterious bags holding gifts yet to be wrapped. (This is my Xmas wrapping staging area.)

* Clean Living Room  DONE  The living room was tidied and cleaned more than fully cleared out.  This clear out will happen in December to make room for the Xmas tree.

* Take Food Bank donation In  DONE
Here's the rest of what I gathered to take in before the month was out in addition to what I showed y'all last month......

Don't forget to add paper goods, laundry needs and toiletries to your Food Bank donation. 

Folks in financial straits many who are on SNAP benefits can't pay for those non-food items with SNAP funds so buying laundry detergent, TP and toothpaste, needs for most people, empty wallets quickly.

I also like to include condiments when I can because besides canned meats and peanut butter, condiments are a most requested need here.  At least locally, the charity funds used to buy bulk food to stock the food banks either aren't allowed or just don't buy condiments.(I guess ketchup, relish, mustard, barbecue sauce and mayo aren't considered nutritionally adequate or healthy enough to relegate the institutional monies to their purchase.)  Sometimes a bit of a condiment type item can make a bland meal a bit more appetizing. ;-)

So there you have it, my November To-Do List outcome.
A real mixed bag really.

How did you do with your Things to Accomplish in November?

Sluggy

Cheap Smelly Stuff

So that Fragrance Deal I talked about at Rite-Aid last week?
Yep, I went and did it.

I had one of these good for 30% off on Saturday......

And I had 3 x $2/1 various Coty fragrances sets coupons printed off.
And I had a Spend $50/Get $5 Bonus Plenti Points Catalina to employ.

Here's how it went.....

1 x Stetson 30% off=$11.19
1 x Nautica 30% off=$15.39
1 x Beyonce 30% off=$11.19
1 x Tim McGraw 30% off=$15.39
SubTotal.....$53.16 + $2.58 tax=$55.74

I used $6 in Qs(no Q for the McGraw scent)$55.74-$6=$49.74.

The cashier couldn't get the register/computer to "read" the bar code on the free $5 in PPs Catalina(the ink was light)and they no longer print the code so they can be punched in manually so she took $5 off my order instead(adds up to the same thing really), so $49.74-$5=$44.74.
I paid with $44.74 in Plenti Points.

(I also bought something for a gift for $4.19 on this receipt so only $44.74 of the $48.93 in PPs used  on this receipt was for this deal.)

I received $10 in new Plenti Points for spending over $50 on fragrance sets so $44.74-$10=$34.74

When I got home I submitted for $8 in Ibotta cash rebates($2 for each of the 4 gift sets)and have already received those......$34.74-$8=$26.74.

I also activated and already received a $5 rebate in my SavingStar account for spending $30 on select Coty fragrance sets after activating that offer.
So my OOP is $26.74-$5=$21.74.

I only have plans for 2 of these sets so the other 2 are being offered up on my town's FB tag sale site at a discounted price from what the stores charge for these(and a bit less than I was charged with my deal).
When all is said and done I hope to be only OOP(or rather "Out of Plenti Points" as I didn't spend any cash on all this)about $3 for the two sets I am giving as gifts.
Even is I can't sell those two sets(and I end up saving them for another gift giving occasion or donating them)I am only out $5.44 including tax on each set.
That's still a great price for substantial gifts, right? ;-)

And that is how we work the system........

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The  "Less Than 3 Weeks Until Christmas" Edition--

Well we've got the tree up but not decorated.  I've got a card list but nothing written up or address. All but 2 presents bought(and that is happening this week)but nothing wrapped and/or mailed.
This Holiday just seems to have snuck up on me!  How about you?

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Subway using a gift card

2. Monday--Leftover Kielbasa, Pierogies or Leftover Spaghetti

3. Tuesday--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Green Beans

4. Wednesday--Chicken Parm, Salad, Fried Mac/Cheese Balls

5. Thursday--Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner 2.0

6. Friday--Meatloaf, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Subway using a gift card

2. Monday--Leftover Kielbasa, Pierogies

3. Tuesday--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Leftover Carrots

4. Wednesday--Meatloaf, Green Beans, Fried Mac/Cheese Balls

5. Thursday--Take-Out Pizza

6. Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

I got a flu shot and a pneumonia shot on Wednesday and the flu shot gave me some flu symptons so I didn't feel like cooking on Thursday and nobody wanted leftover Thanksgiving food so it was Domino's pizza night using part of one of those Dollar General deal gift cards I got last month.

5 meals cooked at home, 2+ of them nights of leftovers, and 2 nights of Take-Out. 

As for the grocery spending.....1 trip to Boyer's, 1 trip to the Bread Outlet and 1 trip to the Shursave market to use my $10 Reward chit brought my weekly spending to $54.75 and brings my December food spending Total to $54.75 so far this month. 26 Days left to spend in December.

My savings percentages this week was 59.81%.

Leftovers going into this week.......potato rolls, cranberry glop, stroganoff, rice, meatloaf, and pizza.

Here is this week's "food plan".

1. Sunday--Chicken Parm, Ceasar Salad
2. Monday--Roast Chicken, Sweet Potatoes,(Baked Potato for BF), maybe Stuffing if there is some left
3. Tuesday--Grilled leftover Meatloaf, Broccoli,(Box Mac and Cheese for BF)
4. Wednesday--Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sammies, Veggie Brussels Sprouts, Macaroni Salad
5. Thursday--Chicken Soup using Leftover Roast Chicken, Grilled Cheese Sammies
6. Friday--Ravioli w/Pasta Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad
7. Saturday--Leftovers of Fend For Yourself

This week will see 5 new meals cooked, 0 nights of Take-Out and 2 nights of Leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu? French Bread, Salad Greens, Tomatoes, a Red Bell Pepper.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?


Sluggy

The Paid for Groceries in December Plan

       Yeah, this just might be me above by the end of December. lolz

So here is where we stand going into December with "free money" for groceries......

Gift Cards.....$64.36
Cash Rebates--
 Savingstar...$134.42
 Checkout51..$41.25
 Ibotta..........$31.50
Rolled Coins...$87.50
Other Cash(post coupons)...$42.00

Total.....$401.03

If any more cash rebates are earned at SavingStar, Checkout51 or Ibotta during the rest of the month those will get rolled into the total above.

The Goal this month is to only spend these funds on groceries in December and not use any income this month to fund the grocery budget.

I also have some Target gift cards I can utilize if I need to.(Those were earmarked for Xmas giving but the prospective recipients didn't want them.)  I don't like buying groceries at Target but if push comes to shove I will to keep from spending the cash coming into the house this month.  The same goes for some old Kmart gift cards I have as well....I'll use those if I go over my $401.03.
I could also buy food at Rite-Aid and spend down some Plenti Points there instead of using cash so that's in my back pocket too.

I will cash out my rebates/refunds from Savingstar, Checkout51 and Ibotta before December ends to put with the coins and cash on hand above to spend on groceries this month.

This is all I have for the month to put toward food & toiletries.  Since I haven't had a monthly food shopping total below $400 since May, when the Daughter and the BF arrived this will be interesting.
The larders and freezers are stocked full going into this challenge(making it less of a challenge really).  The pantry staples are good as is the supply of frozen meats.  Fresh produce(as my frozen veggies are low)will need to be bought, as will some fruit and milk.

Let the games begin! 8-)

Sluggy

2016 $38K Savings Challenge.....November 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 or these other categories.

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 an interest bearing Savings Challenge account.

For 2016 I am continuing my Yearly Savings Challenge.  I am raising the Goal amount to $38,000 this year, $8K more than my goal for last year.

On to the November report.....

I have posted my November End of Month $38K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the Savings Challenge page tab at the top of the blog for the specific numbers HERE.

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 $3,166.66.

I have to report that we finished up November with a yummy amount.
The extra amount we ended the month of November with?.......$2,792.51

Income

We had $2,645.68 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted.

Other monies received in November totaled $146.83.  This was solely interest made on non-retirement accounts.

This brought us to our gain of $2792.51
Since we have no debt, this goes into savings.

Outgo

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

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  Phone charges and internet were approximately the same as last month(Within $1 or so).
*  The electric bill was up $41.15 from October's total.  This is a "good" thing since the weather was warmer this year than in past years and very little heat was used/needed.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The credit card bill was up $972.60 from October's amount. Half of that was for groceries(and paying it in full each cycle)and the other half was mostly car repairs, and medical bills.
*  The water bill was $9.86 more than last month.
*  The gas bill was $57.29 higher than last month(more purchases for gas put on the c/c rather than the gas card.)
*  Semi-annual car insurance was due this month so there is $938.84 out the door.
*  Hubs had a dental bill for work done last month so there is $145.00 of irregular bills due.
*  Cash withdrawals were $50 higher(I took $200 rather than $150 this month, though I didn't spend it all.).

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

With 11 month accounted for, our Savings Challenge Grand Total for 2016 is $36,039.72.

FINAL THOUGHTS on November---

Compared to November 2015 we put $1,569.52 LESS into savings this November. 8-(
.
We have $36039.72 saved so far in 2016, and we have only $1960.28 left to save over the next month at this point to reach our goal of $38K saved.    We have higher everything bills now with 2 extra adults in the house plus can I mention that Christmas is coming!?!?

THOUGHTS going forward into December----

It's a two paycheck month here.  The credit card bill will be high again as there is over $1K in medical charges on it(co-pays, rxs, DMEs)as well as all the grocery charges. Other than a Kohl's charge bill there are no other irregular bills due in December.  But there is having to keep half of whatever we have leftover this month in hand to put toward offsetting the medical high deductible that kicks in Jan. 1st.  So all income leftover at month's end can't go into the Savings Challenge kitty, only roughly half of it.  It would be nice to have expenses in December come in at $3K or less as November's turned out to be just shy of $4K.  My personal "sweet spot" is $2K but with the added expenses that one isn't happening again anytime soon.  But we soldier on and do what we can to reduce costs.

So how was your November financially?
  

Did you spend less than the income you had in November?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?
Did you pay off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or a retirement account?
Or did you blow it on a want?

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

As we go forward into the last half of 2016 why not make this year the one were you clean up your finances and pay off your debts.
Plan to set something aside if you don't already now or increase what you bank now for your future self.
Or pay extra on the principle of your mortgage if your house isn't already paid off.

Live below your means and keep some change for a rainy day....because no matter how sunny it is in your life now, dark clouds come along and you'll be glad you have that umbrella to keep you dry.

Sluggy