Frugal Friday......February 2nd Edition

So what frugal wins did we have at Chez Sluggy last week?

* Lots of freebies(and .50¢ jars of spaghetti sauce)from Rite-Aid.

* I used a $5 e-gift card for Amazon to reduce the price for ink cartridges for Hubs printer and used a $5 e-gift card to Walmart to help pay for some groceries I bought.

*  I hit a nice clearance sale on clothing online and it all came this week............

4 x s/s knit nightgowns
2 x s/s rayon buttoned shirts
1 x l/s rayon blend knit tunic
2 x l/s knit shirts
1 x s/s rayon print dress(which I'll have to hem up a mile of it)
All for $114 w/shipping
Finding plus size clothing is almost impossible at a brick and mortar store anymore(and if you can find some it's ridiculously expensive).  All nearly impossible to find at a thrift store(big ladies tend to wear out their clothing and not donate it around here).
I am thrilled with what I got and what I paid.  And thrilled that all of it is a size(or two)smaller than I use to buy. 8-)))

*  I picked up a few groceries on Thursday at Weis(PMITA)Markets.....

Eggland's best eggs are 1/2 off until Sunday night.  I don't usually buy name brand eggs but with a $1/2 Q these came out to .75¢ per carton so the cheapest eggs around these parts for now.(Weis brand are $1.99 dozen here.)
I also picked up 3 packages of ground beef patties 85% lean as they each had a $2 instant discount sticker on them.....

After sticker these were $2.49 lb.
I also saw Weis now carries a cheap brand(Valutime)of milk but in half gallons only.  It's 50¢ less than the Weis brand so that came home with me too.
All in I spent $16.09 at Weis.
I found another Eggland's Q in an insert so I'll get 2 more dozen eggs before that sale ends this weekend.

*  This was dinner on Wednesday evening.  I had put the leftover hunk of Christmas roast in the freezer to use it later.  I took it out and shaved off slices for Wednesday's dinner and made Beef and Broccoli.  I had gotten broccoli crowns for .99¢ lb. this week/last month.

What frugal wins have you had lately?
Keep it frugal and keep it real folks! ;-)

  Sluggy

Income & Spending Report.....January 2018

Now that we are living on an annuity(like a pension) and 401K$ withdrawals(retirement savings), I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.
But this money leftover at the end of each month, at least for now(as we find our new financial "normal")won't be saved toward a yearly Savings Challenge.

The issue now is to cover all the bills with these two sources of income and not have to dip into the regular savings(that I built over the last 10 years)to pay our month to month expenses.

Got it?
OK, let's move on.

On to the January 2018 report--
I had 2 goals for January......
The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fun may be to apply toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2018.

I have to report that we finished up January in the black.
The extra amount we ended the month of January with?.......$7169.65

Income

The income in January---
* Monthly annuity payment of $3173.13(after tax withholding)
* RMSA(Healthcare account)reimbursement of $1813.48
* December overage of $4754.49 that carried over into Jan. 2018
* Sinking Fund(carryover from Dec. + $2600 from 401K withdrawal)of $3616.74#
* One third of 401K withdrawal balance for Jan. of $851.10 ##
* Blogging Revenue of $129.14
* Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $334.95

Total Income for January......$14,673.03

# $2600 was pulled out from that quarterly 401K withdrawal(withdrawal was $5153.31 after tax withholding)for irregular expenses due during the 1st quarter of 2018 and add it to the Sinking Fund amount that carried over from December of $1016.74, raising the Sinking Fund to $3616.74
## The balance of the 401K withdrawal($2553.31)got divided by 3 and gives us $851.10 in January to add to the income for the month(Feb. and Mar. will also get $851.10/$851.11 respectively)for general expenses.


Expenses in January---
* Healthcare Premium for January was $1813.48.
* Variable Expenses in January came to $4931.92.  This also included some tuition for College Boy(and that's the last time we have to pay that...yay!)
* Irregular expenses paid were Garbage(paying in full for the year got us a $28 discount) of $308.00 and quarterly Long Term Care Policy Premiums of $449.98, so a total of  $757.98 paid.

Total Expenses for January......$7503.38

$14,673.03-$7503.38=$7169.65

That $7169.65 gets broken down thus----$2858.76 of that overage is the Sinking Fund and $4310.89 into general Jan. overage.

Outgo

As for the expenses this January, 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 LA house electric bill was $2.78 lower.
*  The medical payments were $30.22 less than in December

HERE are the BAD THING

*  The water bill was $16.94 higher than in December.
*  The electric bill was $157.77 higher than last month's bill.(Brutal negative temps here in Jan.)
*  The gas card charges were $15.90 higher than in December.
*  The credit card bill was $1008.66 higher than last month. Some of the unusual charges that made this one higher were--$180 for cargo van rental to move CB home from school, high Xmas meal out charge, windshield replacement deductible, $$208 for 2 new tires for Hubs car, $330 for medical charges, $70 for computer antivirus renewal, $86 for car repairs on Hubs car, $74 for Daughter birthday dinner, $65 for my car registration/inspection, 100 stamps were purchased before the rate increased--over $1336 in total for unusual charges)
*  The cash WAM withdrawals were $50.00  higher than in December.(Due to Hubs wanting an extra $50 emergency cash.)
*  $223.47 was due on store cards for Hubs charges in December.
*  We paid CB's last tuition bill.
*  The health insurance premium went up for 2018 by $41.54 per month.

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

So we end January in the black with $4310.89 in general overage.
The Sinking Fund goes into February standing at $2858.76.
Added together that gives us a cushion of $7169.65 for February.

FINAL THOUGHTS on January---It was an ok month financially.  Had we not had a tuition bill to pay we would have had enough in the Annuity and about $300 of the 401K withdrawal in January to pay what needed to be paid this month.  What can I say?.....Bills were high this month.

THOUGHTS going forward into February 2018----

On the bad side of things-Electric usage will rise this month.  Feb. is typically our highest electric bill here(due to electric heating).
On the good side of things-Food spending shouldn't be over $250 if we can eat down the freezer, there are no irregular bills due in February and we have no plans to travel(there is a trip to LA in the works for Hubs but those c/c bills won't show up until March)so it looks to be a quiet month, financially speaking.
I would like a boring financial month. ;-)

So how was your January financially?
  

Did you spend less than the income you had in January?
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!

Make this year was the one were you clean up your finances and pay off your debts.
Plan to set something aside if you didn't already or increased what you have banked 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

Food & Toiletries Spending......January 2018 Report

* I am done food shopping for January so am posting this a day early.*

Onward to January's food spending report.......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JANUARY 2018.

I have posted January's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in January.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 3-5(4 at home this month). No kids under 21.

*****************

BIG LOTS
OOP  $45.90
Value  $84.96
Savings  45.97%

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $3.75
Value  $16.76
Savings  77.63%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $10.00
Value  $16.33
Savings  38.76%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PP/BC  $1234.48
Value  $1234.48
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE
OOP  $44.66
Qs/Ads  $61.84
Value  $106.50
Savings  58.07%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $348.38

Qs/Ads  $408.16

Value  $756.54

Savings  53.95%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bread Outlet at 77.63% and Shursave at 58.07%.  My WORST savings rate was at Dollar Tree at 38.76%.

I shopped at 6 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$452.69

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales...$528.40

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$981.09

TOTAL Savings of ..................................53.86%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for Dec.....$452,69
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$2215.57
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales.....$1762.88
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items..........79.57%

This closes out the January food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I didn't set a food budget limit going into January because I know the sales cycle here and I knew I'd miss out on some "deals" if my budget was too low.  I hoped to come in between $400 and $500 spending($400 would have been better)and I just about hit that right in the middle. ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 2.85% in January 2018to 79.57% compared to December 2017's 82.42% savings average.

With 1 month accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $452.69 on food/toiletries in 2018 which is a 79.57g% savings rate for the year so far and averages out to $452.69 spent per month in 2018.

LOOKING AHEAD To February........
I am going to try for a low food spending month in February.  I really need to use up some things in the freezer and do a proper clean out.  I'll set out to spend as little as possible and go from there, with hopes of staying under $200 for the month.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in January?
*  Do you track your yearly food spending?
*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?
*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

More Rite-Aid on Monday

Had to run an errand on the other side of the river in the Big City down the mountain so I made a quick trip into a Rite-Aid there to see if they were stocked better on the freebies of razor blades and they were.

4 x Playtex tampons on sale=$14.00
2 x Daylogic razor blades on sale=$16.00
1 x Remfresh on sale but Wellness disc. better=$7.99
2 x Prego sauce on sale=$3.00
SubTotal........$40.99

Coupons Used
4 x $2/1 Playtex tampons IPQ(coupons dotcom)=$8.00
1 x $5/1 Remfresh IPQ(HERE)=$5.00
1 x $1/2 Prego sauce IPQ(NLA)=$1.00
Coupon Total.......$14.00

$40.99-$14.00=$26.99 + .50¢=$27.49

I used $20 BC so $27.49-$20=$7.49 OOP
I paid with Plenti Points
I earned back $26 in new Bonus Cash(2 x $3 Playtex, 2 x $8 Daylogic, $3 Remfresh, $1 wyb2 Prego)

Until Rite-Aid implements being able to use partial BC for the larger amounts I need to keep track of what amounts I have available on each card and when each expires.  This is a colossal PITA for one card/account, let alone three!

If anyone is looking for cheap razors do this deal at Rite-Aid this week..............

Schick razors are on sale for $5.99 at Rite-Aid this week.
There is a $3/1 Schick razor Q on coupons dotcom currently.
Print off 2, take them to R-A and buy 2 Schick razors.
2 x $5.99=$11.98-2 x $3/1 Qs($6)=$5.98(plus tax is applicable).
Use Bonus Cash if you have it.
After you received back $4 in Bonus Cash($2 for each razor bought)you'll effective price paid will be .99 per razor(or $1.98 for two)plus any sales tax due.
Not quite free but an awfully good/low price if you need razors. 8-)

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Birthday Week is Over" Edition--

Well another birthday has come and gone.  The roses Hubs gave me are dead and composed.  We still haven't found the time to go out to eat together as everyone is on a different schedule.  We may need to just go and leave someone out.

Here is Chester from last Sunday.  He has removed the fleece blanket from his crate and created a "porch" for himself.  He's chewing on a rawhide stick and using his pink piggy toy as a "table" to hold it. lolz

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

1. Sunday--Tempura Shrimp, Sweet Potato Fries

2. Monday--Beef Shepherd's Pie(my version w/Cornbread not Mashed Taters on top)

3. Tuesday--Birthday Dinner Out?

4. Wednesday--leftover Ham Slices, leftover sides

5. Thursday--Hungarian Goulash, Rice
6. Friday--Tuna Noodle Casserole
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Tempura Shrimp, Sweet Potato Fries

2. Monday--Beef Shepherd's Pie(my version w/Cornbread not Mashed Taters on top)

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--leftover Ham Slices, leftover sides

5. Thursday--Hungarian Goulash, Egg Noodles
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Steak, Pear Gorgonzola Salad

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 0 night of take-out and 0 night of Eating out.  Mostly everything happened but not when planned always.  We ate lots of leftovers so the Tuna Casserole didn't happen....that goes onto this week's menu.  I used up all the peppers in the freezer on the Goulash.  I found discounted Steaks on Wed. so Hubs and I had a special Sat. dinner alone. ;-)

2 Trips to Weis, 1 trip to the Bread Outlet and 1 trip to Big Lots(that one blew up my plans by having their 20% everything in the store sale last Sunday) brought the shopping last week to $137.95 for all.  That brought January's food spending total to $452.69.  Ouch
There are 2 days left in my shopping month which means I am done spending for January.

My savings percentages last week was 53.40% and the monthly savings so far ends up at 53.86%(without Rite-Aid trips added in).

Leftovers going into this week....... goulash, egg noodles and ham.  Not much leftover here.

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

1. Sunday--Take-Out(Hubs and I only)

2. Monday--leftover Goulash, Harvard Beets

3. Tuesday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Salad or Beets

4. Wednesday--Ham & Cheese Quiche, Brussels Sprouts

5. Thursday--Tacos
6. Friday--Ham & Cheese Omlettes
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 4 new meals cooked, 2 nights of leftovers, 1 night of Take-out/Eat-Out.

The only thing I need to buy to make these meals is pie crust or I'll use Bisquick and make a "crustless" quiche.

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