Income & Spending.....The April 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 April report---

I had 2 goals for April.....
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 2023.

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 April in the black.

The amount we ended the month of April with?...$3,276.04

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in April---

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

*  SS income of $3879.00

*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $377.41

*  Quarterly 401K withdrawal of $5,200.13(after tax withholding)

*  Venmo payment for a rebate deal $3.88

Total "Income" for April....$12,696.23

Expenses in April---
* Irregular bills in April were $2424.64

* Variable Expenses in April came to $5,800.73

* Health insurance premiums totaling $1,194.82*

Total Expenses....$9,420.19

$12,696.23-$9,420.19=$3,276.04

* Now that Hubs is on Medicare I include his supplement payment in variable/regular monthly expenses instead of the Health insurance premium.

Slush into April of $62,789.60 in that Fund, add the overage of $3,276.04 in April and we get $66,065.64 into May's 2023's Slush Fund.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows an addition of $3,276.04.

Outgo

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

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  The cell phone, WAM, the water bill and internet were the same as last month.

* The Health Insurance Premium went down by $1,076.17 from March,

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  My Amazon c/c was $401.95 higher than last month

*  Hubs Amazon c/c was $2,703.81 higher than in March.

*  The Mastercard c/c was $350.41 higher than last month.

*  We had irregular bills due in April too--

  *   LA 2022 state taxes paid $784.00

  *  BOA c/c trip charges of $814.60

  *  My car had two faulty tire sensors replaced for $162.14

  *  We had plumbing work done at a cost of $663.90 ouch

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

FINAL THOUGHTS on April 2023---Regular and Irregular bills with both higher than in March.  The one bright spot was our health insurance premium was cut in half since Hubs is on Medicare now.  The plumber was costly but a necessary expense. We knew going into April the last of the cruise costs were due and the LA state taxes as well.  The car problem was an unforeseen expense.  The higher Mastercard bill was mostly a new toilet(see plumber hiring above).  I put those discounted gift cards bought before Easter on my Amazon c/c accounting for some of that increase in spending.  But the Mama Jama expense was on Hubs Amazon c/c-buying a riding lawn mower!

THOUGHTS going forward into May 2023--We've got car insurance(we'll pay it annually going forward)which is our only irregular bill for May.  We'll have more cruise/London expenses, and Hubs will most likely want to take more WAM in May for the trip so we can get British pounds and Euros for the places where we'll need them.  In addition since Hubs is now on Medicare our monthly Annuity payment will be reduced going forward.  This was a "front loaded" annuity-more of a payment until you hit Medicare/65 and then just over $500 less per month after then.  Even with that while I am still on private insurance we are still better off financially with those changes.

So how was your April financially? 

Did you spend less than the income you had in April?
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    

What's on the Dining Table

The "What In The Pan Fried Hell?" Edition.....

We were in a random Walmart and I saw these Mr. Beast Chocolate bars.  Mr. Beast, for those of you living under a rock, is a multimillionaire YouTuber.  He had a Willy Wonka type Golden Ticket game when he first came out with these candy bars through his company Feastables.  You had the chance to win prizes if you found a sticker with a code on the backside of your bars' wrapper.

Before you get excited, the game is over.  Has anyone actually tried his chocolate? LMK what you think of it.

Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Lasagna, Spinach soufflé

2. Monday--Burger at Trivia

3. Tuesday--Chicken Teriyaki w/Veggies Stir-fry

4. Wednesday--Leftover Meatloaf, Veggie TBD

5. Thursday--Leftovers or FFY

6.  Friday--Salmon, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, a Green Veggie TBD

7. Saturday--No Clue yet

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

1. Sunday--Lasagna, Spinach soufflé

2. Monday--Burger at Trivia

3. Tuesday--Chicken Teriyaki w/Veggies Stir-fry, Rice

4. Wednesday--Leftover Meatloaf, Broccoli

5. Thursday--got a Tuna Sub/ate half for lunch/half for dinner

6.  Friday--Broiled Salmon, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Collard Greens

7. Saturday--FFY(I had a bowl of Cheerios to use up milk before it went bad)

The leftovers were thin on the ground here so Subway to the rescue on Thursday. lol

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

* Nothing

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

*  Spinach Soufflé

*  Mozzarella Cheese

*  Chicken

*  2 bags of Stir-Fry Veggies

*  1 bag of Broccoli

*  2 pieces of Salmon(1 wild Sock-eye)

*  2 bags of Collards

Last week we spent $0 on grocery shopping

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $552.53 for April.  For us this is high but we cherry picked some deals, had to restock some staples and we bought some meat we weren't expecting to because it was a really good price and as soon as we procure a grill we'll be glad we spent on those items.  I am ok with it as I can put all my rebates I earned toward my grocery spending.

There are 0 shopping days left in April.

I've earned $135.56 on Ibotta in April.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in April.

I've earned $26.50 on Coupons dotcom in April.

I've earned $13.00 on Shopmium in April.

I've earned $17.50 on Kroger Cash Back in April.

I've earned 9,263 points from food shopping on Fetch.

I've earned 11,465 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in April.

I've earned 341 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in March.

That's $192.56 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $557.94 of grocery spending so in reality it's $365.38 in food spending after the 5 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 0% and the monthly savings total for April comes in at 47.12% so far. 

Leftovers going into this week...nothing.  

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

1. Sunday--Catfish, Cole Slaw

2. Monday--Hubs Pizza in Freezer, Salad/Me Salad

3. Tuesday--Steak, Yellow Squash or ?

4. Wednesday--Beef Pie

5. Thursday--New Trivia spot night so not sure what we'll eat

6.  Friday--Zaxby Salad

7. Saturday--Kielbasi with Onions, Sautéed Cabbage

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing.  

There will be some grocery shopping I guarantee that. ;-)

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 

Food Spending.....the April Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for APRIL 2023.

I have posted April'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 April.  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).
****************

CVS

OOP  $1.99

Value  $27.86

Savings  92.85%

DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $27.30

Value  $37.65

Savings  27.49%

KROGER

OOP  $314.76

Qs/Ads  $258.69

Value  $573.45

Savings  45.11%

SHOPPER VALUE

OOP  $62.16

Qs/Ads  $81.89

Value  $19.73

Savings  24.10%

WALMART

OOP  $146.32

Qs/free Gift Cards $38.21
Value  $184.53
Savings 20.71%

*********************
My best 2 Store Savings Totals were at CVS at 92.85% and Kroger at 45.11% .  My worse rate was at Walmart at 20.71%.  Too bad that is the closest store to me.

I shopped at 5 different stores in April.   8-)

TOTAL Spent in April................$552.53

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$492.27

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$1,044.80

TOTAL Savings of ............................47.12%

This closes out the April food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....another less than stellar month for food spending.  We spent more in April than in March. Lots of cherry picking deals for the freezer but prices still on the rise so YIKES! it was a lot of money spent.  We won't have a garden this year(not enough time to get one prepped and planted with us starting here from scratch)so I'll have to find a/some farm stands around where the prices aren't "artisanal-ly" priced.  As our first year here somethings come with a steep learning curve. 

The monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 12.22% in April 2023 to 47.12% compared to the March's 34.90% savings average.  Even still, spending was up but we got more bang for our buck in April.

With 4 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $1,882.46 on groceries/HBA /paper goods in 2023.

2023 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1,882.46

2023 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$3,080.74

2023 Grand Total Saved...............................$1,198.28

2023 Yearly Savings Total..............................38.90%

The average per month amount spent is $470.62 in 2023 so far.

LOOKING AHEAD to May 2023....We are going on a cruise this month so we'll be eating down any refrigerated items like dairy(which can't go in the freezer)and fresh produce.  We won't be buying food unless a screaming deal or a necessity before the trip and nothing during the trip.  I am hoping this reigns in the food spending.  No clue how much will be spent but it sure as heck had better not be $470.62! lolz

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 April?

*  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

What's Been Happening Around Here Lately

I had an appointment with our dr. on the 14th of April to get a neurology consult and to let her know what is going on with my possible knee replacement plus she wanted fasting blood work done.  So Hubs and I show up and the office staff was pretty nonchalant about telling us they had canceled our appointments. Huh?
Plus they never texted us beforehand about the cancellation.  Hubs was madder at the office person than a wet hen and we stormed off(well Hubs stormed out and I hobbled behind him).  We come to find out later that our dr. had Covid.   I'll just say that this medical clinic office staff is a freaking disaster(the doctors there are independent from the clinic)so even though I like my dr. I may be forced to find a new healthcare provider.  I NEED a neurologist consult a year ago(took 6 months in PA to get an appt. with one there but we moved 2 months before it was to happen)so I am still waiting for testing and a diagnosis about what I have.  It could just be Essential Tremors(which are quite common)but since we have neurological issues on my paternal side(father had MS, my cousin(my father's sister's daughter)died from ALS 2 years ago in June I really am afraid of what they may uncover and I want to know yesterday what is going on. sigh
I'm also late for mammo, pap, sleep medicine appts. and need those done.

So on Wednesday Hubs gets a letter from said clinic to confirm his appointment for May XX-which HE NEVER MADE!  So I texted our NP to ask WTF is going on??  She was on her way back from her clinic day in another town and we talked a long time about this clinic.  Hubs got on the line and told her he is going to find a new heath care provider because he can't stand their incompetence anymore(even though we both love our NP)and he was very few issues so moving to a new dr. isn't a big deal for him.
Then my NP and I discussed moving ahead with my health care needs.  I'll be taking Hubs supposed May XX appointment(after double checking this coming week in person at the clinic that it's an actual appt.)   Getting health care down here has been just short of a nightmare!

After Hubs cooled off we headed up to CVS for Covid booster shots I had booked.  My last booster was September the week before we headed down here but it was right before they had Omicron protection and Omicron is the big threat now in Europe and as we will be in London and then doing excursions all over the UK on the cruise I thought it best to get a current booster especially with my suppressed immune system.

While sitting in the shot area in that CVS I saw something shoved behind their machine where you can check your blood pressure.  I used my cane to dig it out.......

It was 2 cans of chicken noodle soup.
WTF?

After we got our shots we went down to the place we get catfish dinners and ate an early dinner.  After we got back in the car to come home I got this text on my phone........"CVS vaccine: Due to unforseen circumstance we've had to cancel your appointments  We apologize and encourage you to reschedule(then a link to do such).  1.5 hours AFTER we got our shots. lol  Does anything work correctly anymore??

Last trip to Walmart we wheeled by this end cap display and I about had a full blown PTSD episode....

Folding hard plastic step stools.  Barely a month past my 3 month wound care ordeal. *shudder*

If you don't live somewhere there is a high water table then this will be something different that you've not seen........

a lump of mud in your yard.  Usually crayfish live in brooks and streams but down here when you have a yard that resembles a bayou(that's Louisiana speak for a swamp)like this.........

You find mudbugs(Louisiana speak for crayfish or crawfish)take up residence in your yard.  Heck there is a house we pass when leaving to get out to the major highway and for the last 4 months it's been basically a trailer sitting in a pond.  Now their yard where the pond use to be is filled with mudbug burrows/holes.  The guy who lives there cut his grass and now the towers are shorter but still there.

They even hold a major festival "Mudbug Madness" here and the minor league hockey team is called the Mudbugs.

We will miss the Festival this year however.  Nothing nastier than sitting by a trashcan filled with mudbug shells and leavings on a hot day. lol

I have been plagued by skin tags since a young age.  I paid to have a dermatalogist freeze them off once back in PA.  Then I found the "tie a thread around the base and choke off the blood supply method" and used that.

I have since getting here found that you can put tea tree oil on them and they fall off in a day or two.  I should have put this in my Fugal Friday post since I had a bottle(gotten for free at Rite-Aid!)so I used it.

We were behind this pick-up truck in late March.........

The name of the person(which I removed mostly)is the same name as my oldest son's father in-law.  I sent son this picture and said it made me think of his father in-law(it's funny as hell if you know him as he is so the opposite of this saying and this vehicle).

Dumbasses strike again!  I noticed as I posted on FF that the "change the  air filter" light in our fridge was on.  As part of tracking down the replacement filter I opened up both fridge and freeer compartments to find any parts number on it and found this.....

An accordion pleated charcoal impregnated filter.  After a bit more research these filters come in a paperboard/thin cardboard holder with a perforated opening you remove to expose the filter.  One is suppose to slide the holder with the FILTER STILL INSIDE into the compartment to change the air filter.  This house is only 5 years old and the original owners only lived here max of 2 yearrs before moving and renting it out for the last 3 years they owned it so I know it was changed at least once(and probably only once, probably when the owners lived here)because it would have come with the fridge/freezer in the holder.

There's a store here called Southeastern Salvage so we decided to check it out as mentioned  in a previous post for things like lights, ceiling fans, etc.  You know replacements for non-functioning or missing parts in this house.  They also carry an oddball assortment of "art".  Here are things I found instersting, weird and/or funny..........

Doesn't everyone want a giant purple gator picture in their living room??

 

Younger son had a fascination and love of all things VW when he was little.  I think the VW bus bar with the VW painting hanging over it would make a statement in his house!

I was amazed(or was it amused)to see this wall art of Virginia.  They also had 2 marble chacuterie boards there-one in the shape of Texas and the other in the shape of Virginia.  VA is nowhere near Lousisiana!lol

Of course I had to get a photo of this sign.......dark beer is the only beer worth drinking if you want a beer IMHO..........

This reminded me of the portrait of Bill Murray at "The Southern General"  restaurant on St. Johns Island, SC.  

   Here's my shot of that painting with Hubs trying to replicate the pose. lol

                                                       

Some cool deep sea diving helmets.........

Me playing the Wicked Witch of the West with the hourglass.............

Nah, I think Margaret Hamilton did it better..........but maybe if I had the green body paint?

An interesting Steam Punky looking wine cabinet.

And to end this too long nonsense post here is the trailer from a movie I'd like to see once it's released in June.....

I love me some Dame Maggie Smith. 8-)

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the April 28th Edition

 Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are very few Frugal wins this past week......

*  I was well enough now to go get my handicap placard.

 In PA your doctor filled out the form and you mailed it in to Harrisburg and they mailed you a tag and a little flimsy paper ID card.  Here you have to make an appointment, go into an OMV location, turn in your doc paper and get your hangtag or special license plate.  I thought, "Oh gosh, this is going to take all day!", because I KNOW what it's like to have to go to the OMV(it's Office of Motor Vehicles here not DMV).  We either hit it lucky at the location or time of day because it went quickly and we were out of there in 20 minutes.  I had to pay a whole $3.00($2.50+a .50¢ processing fee)and they took my picture and issued me a driver's license quality ID card to carry as well as a hangtag like the one picture above.

*  I noticed the air filter light was on in the ginormous fridge in this house.  I jumped online to scope out what we needed to buy to replace them and Mr. Bezos brought them quick as a quarter note and at the best price.  Disaster averted.

*  Went to Trivia at the burger joint but we didn't win a gift card(again).  But we did have the gift card from the week before last and still got free burgers for dinner(and they have a free pickle bar!).  

*  I went to a brewery with Daughter for their trivia night on Wednesday. (The Office themed trivia.)  She is an "Office" aficionado!  Hell I birthed all 3 of my kids at a hospital in Scranton, PA. lol  I think I got 3 answers right but she had us in 3rd place going into the 3rd Bonus round.  She didn't know the last Bonus question so we finished out of the gift card money.  She only missed that question and 1 other one in the other rounds.   8-(

She did buy me a beer however.  Gosh 2 glasses of alcohol in one week!  I am turning into such a lush. lol

*  One of the teeth I had dental work on over the last 3 months was having an issue so I got an appointment on Thursday at the ass crack of dawn to have it looked at before we lose our dental insurance on Sunday.  It could be 3 possible issues, the best outcome is that just it's taking time for the tooth, filling and liner to "play nice" so they did no additional work on it for now.  Worst case scenario, if it turns out to need a root canal/crown they will apply what we paid on the filing to reduce the cost of that procedure. whoopie.  If that comes to pass I'll get dental insurance before we schedule for that work.  So just a small co-pay for the "Look See" appointment on Thursday.

And yet again I'd like to thank my father for giving me the genes that make my teeth such a problem.*  I like to say I got all my interesting ancestry from my mother and my crappy teeth from my father. 8-)

*  No grocery shopping this week.  Eating from what we have and no food waste so far.  Yippee!

*  I found money!  

My only find was this..........

Two pennies at the brewing on Trivia night I went to with my daughter.  Found on the floor there.

Total Found in last Week.... .02¢
Total Found this Year.......$1.67

That's all for this past week.

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

Sluggy