A Little Rite-Aid Shopping

I went into Rite-Aid on Tuesday and got a few little things by spending down my points by $1.55 in total......

On my card I bought a jug of Purex laundry detergent and 4 Jesse's Girl brand lip and eye liner pencils.
After my $2/1 Purex Load2CardQ, the sale price of $2.99 on the Purex and my 20% Wellness discount on the cosmetics this lot came to $7.35 + .45¢ tax=$7.80.  I used Plenti Points to pay for all.
I earned back $7 in new PPs($1 Purex-I had a snail mailed Plenti Points offer, 2 x $3 Jesse's Girl wyb in lots of 2 products)so I spent down my PPs by .80¢.  I now have a jug of Purex to take to the food bank and 4 liner pencils to tuck into future Giveaway boxes. 8-)

Then I bought this lot on my son's card.......

4 x Lip Smacker lip balm reg. $1.99 were $1.59 each w/20% Wellness discount=$6.36 + .39¢ tax=$6.75.  I used Plenti Points to pay for all.  I earned back $6 in new PPs(2 x $3 Lip Smackers wyb in lots of 2 products)so I spent down my PPs by .75¢.  Another 4 items to tuck into future Giveaway boxes. 8-)

The Jesse's Girl and Lip Smackers are part of the same deal(also includes the Julie G's nail polish but nothing in that line was as inexpensive)so you can only do it twice per card/account.  The single tubes of Lip Smackers and the Jesse's Girl pencils are both $1.99 reg. price so if you have the 20% Gold Wellness discount on your Rite-Aid loyalty card you can get these items for pennies after discount and Plenti Points.
Get on down to your Rite-Aid before this sale/deal ends on Saturday evening.

Sluggy

4 Months Into Retirement

So we've passed the 4 month mark with Hubs retirement and things are humming along.

I am no longer freaking out by all the "extra" bills we are paying....because they aren't extra really, they were just paid before I got the paycheck before retirement.  Silly me.

We were slated to start tapping the 401K account in October, as Hubs turned 59.5 this month, to add to our annuity income.

But we've found we haven't had to last month.  Even with forgetting about the $450 Long Term Care premium which was due in October, taking out $650 of income to create the Sinking Fund for irregular bill payment and spending $270 at a local church auction.  We had enough of a cushion after paying all the bills to have a $2.37 leftover from our annuity income this month.

Any month we don't have to access the 401K funds is a bonus, as that means it will last just that little bit longer than we have planned. 8-)))

Hubs had a "wtf?!" moment in September(his/our first full month retired and home from traveling).  We got the WAM(aka Walking Around Money)the first of September.  Two weeks later Hubs tells me he's going to the bank to get $100.  I asked him why and he said he needed more WAM.  Even though we sat down in June and wrote down our monthly budget in which we agreed on $200 per month of WAM w/each of us getting $100, he was under the assumption that he got $200 to himself.  He had run through his WAM halfway through the month.  When I asked what he had spent it on he had no clue, other than coffees.  Later we figured out that he had bought take-out with some of it, instead of putting that on the c/c so I gave him part of my WAM for the month, which I had not even spent a dime of it yet.
And now he is more cognizant of what he spends his WAM on......personal small expenses--good, picking up groceries, buying gas or take-out--bad. lolz

Hubs is taking it easy still and not wanting to "engage" with friends/work friends, join any groups or "do" volunteer work.  He may not ever do any of these things.  We are both pretty much homebodies.  We don't "need" to socialize much and are perfectly happy to stay home and read, putter online and play chess(Hubs not me).....at least for now.  Just staying on top of house stuff, financial stuff and the day-to-day chores keep us busy.

And of course the new member of the family and training him keeps us busy now too. ;-)
Hubs had been saying for years that once he is retired and home full time he wanted to get another dog.  So since I have to have a dog "I" got to pick which one out.
We had been without a dog since our old female beagle passed right after Thanksgiving in 2014 so it's an adjustment for sure and getting a puppy has been even more of a challenge.

Our food waste has also gone down, not that it was bad to begin with, but still it's been reduced to nonexistent with Hubs home.  He LOVES leftovers and he'd rather eat those for lunches than a sandwich like he'd take to the office when he worked.  I like leftovers on occasion but not as a regular "thing" for lunch time.  I often don't eat a proper lunch anyway as long as I get a good breakfast meal.
No food waste means less spending on food......well it would if I didn't keep going to the grocery store and stocking up on food. lolz

The biggest retirement "glitch" we have encountered is financial--the RMSA account which reimburses us for our healthcare premium payments.  It's administered by United Healthcare and frankly they are dropping the ball big time when it comes to handling our account!

We pay OOP for healthcare premiums each month and then submit for reimbursement to United Healthcare from our account there.
The November premium was $1771.94, which we paid already(it's due the 1st of the month).  We have an automatic reimbursement now once UH receives payment.
So we get the reimbursement check last Saturday not for $1771.94 but for $125.90.
WTF?!?
Incidentally $125.90 is the amount of Hubs' life insurance premium per month if he had elected to have that once retired.  Hubs elected NOT to keep the term life insurance policy.
So we pay a health insurance premium and they reimburse us for a life insurance payment......really??
Let's not even "go there" about how it's ILLEGAL to pay life insurance premiums out of our RMSA healthcare account.
Yeah, United Healthcare so far has pretty much sucked at doing their job.

So another phone call to UH Customer Service(ha!)happened last week.  If I could move that RMSA account I would at this point.  They've had four MONTHS to get it right and still they are incompetent. Ugh!

*  Another point that we were just notified about is our HSA.  Well it's not really just a retirement issue as it affects all the employees of Hubs ex-employer.  The employer is no longer affiliated with the HSA company/administrator so now instead of a company product it's a retail product, which means we all get charges fees for it's use.
Well crap.
So at least we have to pay $3 a month service fee so $36 a year.  The money is earning .14% so any pitiful earnings on it is negated. 
I was saving the HSA funds to use later on in retirement but it makes sense now to drain that account asap.  I'll be able to use about half of what is in there per year meeting our yearly high deductible($3K for next year and who knows how much the following year)plus a year of co-pays(which I had been paying out of regular income, now the annuity income)on blood work, dr. visits and prescriptions.

That's about all I can think of to talk about as far as how the retirement is going so far.
Besides Hubs is driving me nuts being home all. day. long.  Having him be in charge of Chester's potty training is helping on that score though. ;-)

If anyone has any questions on some aspect of retirement and how we are handling it, feel free to ask.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Stuff Going On" Edition--

College Boy's Senior flute recital partner posted a slew of photos of the two of them on Facebook last week.  We are talking flute related photos taken by a professional photographer.
Who knew college recital photos were a thing?!?

This one should be captioned something like "Oh, you saucy wench!  Let us go make beautiful flute music together!!". lol

So we've got lots to do in November......besides a Thanksgiving gathering and the fetching and returning of College Boy to school, we've got assembling a piece of furniture(think Ikea hell), finishing moving stuff out of CB's room and then Hubs gets to drive to IL to move his sister's belongings along with his sister to SC to live with their oldest brother before she becomes homeless(along with being destitute)and then drive home to PA.  The next day after Hubs returns home we drive to college for CB's recital.  Not even two weeks after that in Dec. we rent another cargo van and move CB back home as he ends his college career.  Then it's Christmas!
I'd really prefer to sleep through November this year.......
The last thing I want to be doing is meal planning and cooking but alas!, it needs doing.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Ham slices, sauteed Cabbage, Cornbread

2. Monday--Fish, Cole Slaw, Brussels Sprouts

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Roast Chicken w/Veggies

5. Thursday--Asian Chicken Salad
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--?

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Ham slices, sauteed Cabbage, Cornbread(I had cabbage and cornbread.)

2. Monday--Hot Dogs on rolls, leftover Baked Beans and Harvard Beets

3. Tuesday--Fish, Cole Slaw, Brussels Sprouts

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Roast Chicken w/Veggies, Stuffing, Gravy
6. Friday--Chinese Take-Out
7. Saturday--Jerk Pork Loin w/Peppers and Onions, Au Gratin Potatoes

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 1 night of leftovers and  1 night of take-out.  The Asian Chicken Salad didn't happen but Jerk Pork Loin did.  And Hubs and I splurged out on take-out on Friday since Daughter went out for the evening.

Last week's grocery spending at Weis and Shursave Markets came to $55.41.  That brings November's food spending to $55.41.  There are 24 more days in my shopping month.

My savings percentages last week was 48% and the monthly savings so far ends up at 48%(without Rite-Aid trips added in).

Leftovers going into this week.......lasagna, roast chicken, pork loin w/peppers and onions and I think a little bit of stuffing and gravy.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Fend for Yourself

2. Monday--Asian Chicken Salad

3. Tuesday--Olive Garden Gnocchi Chicken Soup

4. Wednesday--Rigatoni w/Meat and Mushroom Sauce, Salad

5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Calzone or Stromboli(homemade)
7. Saturday--maybe Eggplant Parm in the freezer?

This week will see 4-5 new meals cooked, 2 nights of leftovers and 0-1 night of "I haven't got a clue". lolz
Leftovers carried forward into this week will be lunches for Hubs(and maybe me if I eat lunch). The leftovers roast chicken will make an appearance in the Asian Chicken Salad and the Gnocchi Soup.
When Hubs made lasagna he opened a third ricotta container and just used a smidgeon so that's why there is calzone/stromboli on the menu(I have two hunks of pizza dough in the freezer as well for that.).

The only thing I need to make these meals is some salad greens.

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

Net Worth......November 1st Update

We have gone from acquisition mode with money into spend-down mode since we are now officially retired here at Chez Sluggy.

Our Net Worth will no longer be growing(well that's what I thought going into this phase)so I have to stay on top of what we have and where it sits.
I shared where we keep out money and why in the first Post-Retirement Net Worth post HERE.

So here is how the money did in October......

* Checking Account #1 Went up by $3624.52(mostly due to the deposit of the RMSA reimbursement).
* Checking Account #2  Went up .27¢(monthly interest)
* Savings Account  Went down .97¢(down $1 for fees, earned .03¢ interest)
* Online Accounts  Went up $61.25(monthly interest)
* Certificate of Deposit  Went up $245.21(interest)
* US Savings Bonds  Went up $11.70(interest)
* Cash on Hand  Went down $1,000(mostly due to puppy and related purchases)
* 401K Account  Went up $2,064.64(monthly interest) We didn't have to tap it in October so it just grew. 8-)
* HSA Account  Went up $1.54(monthly interest)  Again we didn't have to tap this account for medical expenses.
* RMSA Account  Went down $1463.98.  The interest earned on this account offset the healthcare premium reimbursement amount by about $300 so it didn't go down as much as it might have.

Overall we lived within the monthly annuity payment and paid the healthcare premium from the RMSA account.  The interest in our accounts basically added $3544.18 to our net worth in October and we ended the month with a bit more money than we started it with.

I am by no means a financial expert but I'll readily share what worked for us on our financial journey if you have questions.

Did you increase your net worth last month?
Do you have a retirement plan in place?

Sluggy

To-Do List.....October Update

So let's see how I did on my To-Do List for October......

* Pay Bills  DONE  The number one item on my list always.  Stay on top of the due dates and pay all the bills in full and on time.

* Read 1, 2 Books  DONE  I actually got THREE books in last month.

The modern American classic by Charles Portis, "True Grit".  I have seen both movies(the original with John Wayne and the remake with Jeff Bridges)multiple times but had never read the book.
Now that I have, I feel the book is a better way to spend your time. ;-)

I also read "Blood Beneath the Skin" by Andrew Wilson.  It's one of the better biographies of fashion designer/artist Alexander "Lee" McQueen.
A very complex person who fought more than his share of demons, Lee left our planet too soon. 
I give this book a recommendation if you enjoy fashion and reading about designers.

And I plowed through this one too.......

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.  This one was a quick read and enjoyable.  I have moved onto the second book in this collection, "The Tears of the Giraffe".  While the books are a quick read, the characters he creates are enjoyable.  
When I first started reading this I got a bad "feeling" after seeing the author's name.  Alexander McCall Smith is so "English" sounding and white European but African in any way.  
McCall Smith is writing in this book as an African would speak and sometimes the language is simplistic.  I got the feeling that the author was appropriating another culture at times for his own monetary gain.  The English in previous centuries had a long history of appropriating lands(Hello? English Empire anyone?!).  All I could picture was a white guy talking down as Africans characters to sell a book.  Mostly this was just my perception.

Then I went online and read about the author.  Turns out he was born and grew up in Southern Rhodesia(now Zimbabwe)which was a British Colony at that time, so yes he is an Englishman by DNA but he is a Zimbabwean by birth. McCall Smith has resided in Scotland since he went off to college so I'd say he is more English than African.  This has nothing to do with anything really but at least I feel he isn't exploiting a culture not of his own anymore.
And I don't see why this series of books is so popular worldwide!  While it's an enjoyable read with interesting characters I don't find them THAT good.

If anyone has any recommendations for good books written by Africans on African cultures please speak up as I'd like some ideas.

* Donation to Salvation Army  DONE  I don't have any photos to share but we took a trunk full to Sallies.  I also took up some items to the local food bank; cold cereal, soup, laundry detergent and contact lens solution.

* Clean Garage  DONE  We did a sweep of all the containers in the garage which resulted in a Salvation Army donation.  I also straightened up/culled the food storage items out there and identified some items to sell.

* Sell Stuff  FAIL  I tried to sell a few things on the local online yard sale site but no buyers.  I didn't get around to listing anything on eBay however due to getting a puppy mid month, which cut down on my time available to sell stuff. sigh.

* Sew Stuff  FAIL  Again, new puppy means less time for sewing so all sewing(unless it's a repair or an emergency situation)will go on the back burner and will leave my To-Do Lists for the near future.

* Hold Giveaway  DONE

Giveaway completed and winner selected.

* Mail Giveaway  DONE  Mailed and received, as far as I know.

* Wrap Xmas Gifts  DONE

Since I had been storing my accumulated Xmas stash in College Boy's room since he went back to school, and he is coming home for Thanksgiving, I needed to get them out of there.  Since I don't have a hiding spot right now I went ahead and wrapped everything I have already.  The little stocking stuffer items I can hide in a box in my bedroom closet.

* Shampoo Rug  DONE  As part of the garage clean/straighten we took a rug my mother willed me out of the garage and cleaned it.  I really don't have a place to put it done in this house so it's going back into wrappings and storage but in a closet in the house as keeping it in the garage is not good for rugs.

* Pick-up Puppy  DONE

We are going into week 3 of being Puppy Parents and we are so tired. lolz  It's almost as bad as I remember having a toddler was.  They never stop and get into everything.  I'll be glad when this puppy phase is over. ;-)  From what I read at 8 months Chester should start to calm down a bit.  Let's hope I last that long......

* Puppy to Vet  DONE  Chester got checked out and given a clean bill of health.  He's had two shots so far and only needs his distemper booster now and he's good to go for awhile on shots until his yearly rabies then.  

* Dr. Appointment  DONE  Not to be confused with Chester's doggy doctor appointment. lolz  I have been cleared of the infection and am back to my regular routine.

So did you get anything accomplished in October?
Tell us what got done that you are glad for.


Sluggy