Income & Spending 2022....the December Edition

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals and social security payments, 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.

I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out.  8-)

On to the December report---

I had 2 goals for December.......
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 2022.

This month I also had a goal to survive the move and have a little fun.  So far, so good.;-)

I can report that we finished up December in the red.

The amount we ended the month of December with?...-$1,962.08

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in December---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $3,235.81(after tax withholding)

*  SS income of $3570.00
*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $124.38

*  Stock Dividend of $19.11

*  Pa House insurance refund $438.86

*  Rakuten rebate of $14.28

*  Hospital in PA refund of .27¢ lol

Total "Income" for December....$7,402.71

Expenses in December---
* Irregular bills in December were $2,044.03

* Variable Expenses in December came to $5,094.63

* Health insurance premiums totaling $2,226.13

Total Expenses....$9,364.79

$7,402.71-$9,364.79=-$1,962.08

Slush into December of $61,518.29 in that Fund, subtract December's shortfall of $1,962.08 and we get $59,556.21 into January's 2023's Slush Fund.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows a subtraction of $1,962.08

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this December here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  The cell phone, as well as the Health Insurance premium were all the same as last month.

*  The Mastercard was $6,362.35 lower than in November(all moving expenses are now paid for).

*  My Amazon c/c was $389.94 lower than las month.

*  Hubs Amazon c/c was $223.84 lower than in November.

*  We received a quarterly stock dividend check of $19.11

*  We got a check for $438.86 which was for our PA house insurance balance.

*  I received a Rakuten check for $14.28 for rebates on online purchases for the new house.

*  I got a .27¢ refund for overpayment on a medical bill in 2022. rah

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The electric bill at the new house was $174.23 higher than in November.  November's bill was only a partial month one plus LA had some unusually cold days/nights in December so our daughter came over and jacked up the heat while we were away so the pipes wouldn't freeze.

*  We took an extra $200 in WAM in December due to the trip/cruise.

*  We had irregular bills due in December too--

  *  The Long Term Care premiums were due.

  *  6 months of car insurance was paid in December

  *  The last water and electric bills for the house in PA were due last month.

The Food Budget costs for December are in another post HERE.  Food costs are included in the credit card payment(mainly but sometimes our WAM cash too).

FINAL THOUGHTS on December 2022---Not an awful month for bills but not great since we spent more than we brought in.  The fix this house/replace furniture bills continue.  While the utilities here are comparable to PA, the house and car insurance are egregiously high!  I had no idea how high they'd be.  Well having a manufactured home in the South, home insurance is understandably higher since this area is more prone to weather issues than PA(other than Winter storm related there)but car insurance?  This area is far less crowded with highways/vehicles than where we left in PA.  Does this say something about the quality of drivers here or what?  Hmmm

THOUGHTS going forward into January 2023--

Well, who the heck knows what 2023 will bring at this point?!?

Our Annuity is taking a monthly hit until April since the private health insurance premium rose again.  Once Hubs goes on Medicare our premium goes down abut $800 per month(until I hit 65 next January).

Also our Annuity is front loaded so once Hubs hits 65 that goes down too.  go us.

The bad news is once he hits Medicare my dental coverage goes away from his employer.  Great.  I can't wait to see how much my drugs will be once I hit Mediare. *sluggy rolls her eyes*

Our Social Security payments go up a little bit in January due to the inflation index but it's not like that will cover all the extra spending anyone needs to do on everyday necessities.

Plus we have yet to get our Louisiana Property tax bill for 2022 since we bought so late in the year.  It has to be an improvement over what we were paying in PA, where we got NO services but still paid through the nose.  We get NO services here but at least we(hopefully)won't be paying for that whole lot of nothing. ;-)

We do have a quarterly 401K withdrawal hitting the account later in January which will help a lot so there is our bright spot for January.

Financially I am so not looking forward to seeing how all these changes to our bottom line play out in 2023.  Whatever it turns out to be we'll deal with it and move on.

So how was your December financially? 

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

Sluggy   

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Doing Some Stocking Up by Proxy" Edition.....

Still on walking restriction here but itching to get a few deals at Kroger.

Hubs was going by there so I wrote out a detailed list for him(with pictures too)and hoped for the best.  3 of the items he got are pictured--5 Hormel bacon(on sale for $4.99 and I had $2 Ibotta rebate on each of those), 3 boxes of Special K cereal(on sale for $1.99 and I had $1 Ibotta rebate for each)and 2.62 lbs. of fresh Atlantic salmon which I portioned out into 4 meals.  He got some other items and only failed on 1 item(which I'll have to return some day).

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--Whopper from Burger King

2. Monday--Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Mashed Taters, Biscuit

3. Tuesday--No Clue

4. Wednesday--No Clue

5. Thursday--No Clue

6.  Friday--No Clue

7. Saturday--No Clue

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Whopper from Burger King

2. Monday--Fend for Yourself

3. Tuesday--Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Mashed Taters, Biscuit

4. Wednesday--Frozen Dinners

5. Thursday--Baked Chicken, Scalloped Taters, Collard Greens

6.  Friday--Meatloaf, Leftover Green Beans, Rice(I didn't eat the rice)

7. Saturday--Apple and a scoop of Peanut Butter

Not able to stand much and cook here yet.

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  2.62 lbs. of Salmon

*  5 lbs. of Bacon

*  5 Stauffer Veggie sides

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  1 whole Chicken

*  Ground Beef                   

Hubs hit Walmart and Kroger for various items to the tune of $93.43 last week.

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $93.43 for January.  

There are 22 shopping days left in January.

I've earned $13.20 on Ibotta in January.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in January.

I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom in January.

I've earned 1,144 points from shopping on Fetch in January.

I earned 0 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That's $13.20 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $93.43

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $80.23 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 34.24% and the monthly savings total for January comes in at 34.24% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....2 helpings of Collards.

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

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

2. Monday--Salad, Spaghetti and Meatballs

3. Tuesday--Chicken Parm, leftover Collards

4. Wednesday--Teriyaki Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies, Rice

5. Thursday--Salmon, Veggie TBD

6.  Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

I am still not suppose to stand/walk if possible so Hubs has been "cooking"(ie-getting take-out).  I can sit and make the Dumplings with my leg up.  The meatballs are already made and in the freezer, as are the Teriyaki chicken and stir-fry veggies(Hubs can stir-fry those and make rice.  The salad is bagged and I portioned the salmon and can talk Hubs through how to prepare it from frozen and veggies will be nuked from the freezer.  The rest of the meals will be leftovers or FFY.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  I've got everything here for this menu.  Go me.

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 deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

It's Evil Even Though It's Purple!

 Here is the evil stool(or a close cousin of it from online)that attacked my shin.........

It's hard plastic and the corner is what sliced me open.
And no before anyone insinuates it, I am not too heavy to use it(I weigh far less than what it is rated for and it did not collapse in teh accident and now is in better shape than I am.lol)and I can't help being vertically challenged and having the need to use a stool.

Avoid them at all costs.

Dolphins too, avoid close contact with dolphins!  But that's a story for another day.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the January 6th Edition on January 7th

 Frugal wins are few and far between lately......

                 My leg looking much better!

*  I got my stitches out on Tuesday.  That's the only time I've left the house since New Years Eve when we went to daughter's house.  Stitches came out and steri-strips went on and she pressed a bunch of blood blisters and cleaned it up real good. I am still on restriction walking around much and another course of antibiotics as well as two different ointments, one of which is a medical grade honey to seal the wound and keep the area free of possible infection. My leg is taking it's sweet time to heal and the doc wants me to see a Wound Care Specialist but they never contacted me so I know what I'll be doing next week. 8-(

*  We've had some take-out since I am not up to cooking/standing most days.  That's an expense I don't like and an incentive for me to get better soon.  Hubs tries to cook but it's not his "thing".  We are getting by with simple meals and me sending him to the grocery store for provisions.

*  Hubs goes on Medicare in a few months time when he turns 65.  He talked with one of those folks his old job hired to help people run the obstacle course of which plans to pick.  When all is said and done after he goes on Medicare our healthcare premiums will go down by about $800 a month.  I'll take that as a win. 8-)))

*  I found NO money this past week!  I didn't go anywhere this past week so.....  My change finding is off to a roaring stop in 2023.  If anyone wants to send me their loose change I won't object. hehehe

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found This Year.....00¢

*  Not going anywhere means I can't spend money so that's a win! 8-)

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy  

Food Spending 2022........the December & Year End Reports

Onward to December's Food Spending report......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2022.

I have posted December'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 December.  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. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

SUPER 1 FOODS 

OOP  $91.04

Qs/Ads  $54.75

Value  $145.79

Savings  37.55%

WALMART
OOP  $97.47

Qs/free Gift Cards  $88.49
Value  $185.96
Savings 47.58%

*********************
My best 2 Store Savings Totals were Walmart at 47.58%, and at Super 1 Foods at 37.55%.

I only shopped at 2 different stores in December.   8-)

TOTAL Spent in December................$188.51

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$143.24

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$331.75

TOTAL Savings of ............................43.18%

This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....not much spent in December as we were gone most of the month so not much grocery shopping here.  I did hit up a couple of stock-up deals before we left town which accounted for most of the December spending.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 4.26% in December 2022 to 43.18% compared to the November's 38.92% savings average which is a tad better.  A savings perceentage in the 40's is nothing to sneeze at. ;-)

With 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $3,629.94 on food/toiletries in 2022.

2022 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$3,629.94

2022 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$12,976.28

2022 Grand Total Saved...............................$9,346.34

2022 Yearly Savings Total..............................72.03%

The average per month amount spent is $302.50 in 2022.

Now when you add back all the rebate and refund cash I received from all my grocery shopping(not counting Fetch, Shop Kick or SwagBucks since I cash those out into gift cards and count that when spent)I had these additional funds to put toward the grocery bills.........

* Ibotta  ........$1,552.69

* Checkout 51....$50.94

* Paypal ..........$476.71

TOTAL......$2,080.34

So take $3,629.94 and subtract the addition of $2,080.34 in rebates/refunds back into my budget and my grocery spending for 2022 becomes $1,549.60 for the year or $129.14 per month.

That's a super low amount spend for the year/month for a family of 2!

LOOKING AHEAD to January 2023...

I am still adjusting to a new state/home/slate of grocery stores here in our part of Louisiana.  We are adjusting/fine tuning what we eat as well.

There is a learning curve for sure plus inflated prices on just about every grocery item is not going away so I'm trying to get use to things being the way they are now for the foreseeable future.  Plus I am still mourning the loss of my Rite-Aid. sniff, sniff  Life will go on and I'll see my way to a new way to grocery shop.  I'll still do all the things I used to do in PA-- keep a price book, shop loss leaders, stock up on great deals as they come along(IF they come along), utilize coupons and grocery apps to get a better deal on stuff we use, think outside of the box on how to save money on groceries, garden, etc.

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 December?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

*  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