This Move Was Destiny I Tell Ya!

 No matter what, I may belong where the Powers that Be dropped me.

When I was living in the remoteness of the Poconos in PA I'd spend a lot of my time in my beloved little white Chevette to get to any place to shop, go to the doctor, etc.  I had a tape deck in that car(my wedding present from the Hubs).  Driving through those forests along mostly deserted back roads I'd crank up tapes of Dwight Yoakam and Mary Chapin Carpenter, etc.....the big guns of country music in the mid 1980's. I even was going through a Zydeco phase then.

This was one of my favorites on my MCC tape.............listen to the lyrics and you'll see why I feel like I'm home(mostly)here.  If I can't afford to live in the Virginia of my childhood, this is pretty darn close to being in the parts of rural Virginia where we spent time with my mother's people. Except it's much hotter. 8-)

Income & Spending.....the May 2023 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 May report---

I had 2 goals for May....
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 May in the black.

The amount extra we ended the month of May with?...$862.13

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in May---

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

*  SS income of $3879.00

*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $915.39

Total "Income" for May....$7,520.79

Expenses in May---
* Irregular bills in May were $2,783.07

* Variable Expenses in April came to $3,875.59

* Health insurance premiums totaling $1,194.82*

Total Expenses....$6,658.66

$$7,520.79-$6,658.66=$862.13

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

Slush into May of $66,065.64 in that Fund, add the overage of $862.13 in May and we get $66,927.77 going into June's 2023's Slush Fund.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows an addition of $862.13.

Outgo

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

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

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

* My Amazon c/c bill went down $441.13 in May.

*  Electric bill went down $45.27 last month.

*  Hubs Amazon c/c bill went down $2,677.74 in May.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The Mastercard c/c was $441.13 higher than last month.

*  We had irregular bills due in May too--

  *   Paid for a whole year of auto insurance at $1,592.00

  *  BOA c/c trip charges of $372.00

  *  Paid an electrician $202.50

  *  Hub's American Airlines card $243.84

  *  I paid for much needed smaller clothing $372.73

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

FINAL THOUGHTS on May 2023---Not a bad month financially with only the electrical work coming out of left field.  Glad the car insurance is paid for the next 12 months but it took a bite out of the budget.  The clothing was a necessary expense so I didn't drop my drawers on the cruise ship. lolz

THOUGHTS going forward into June 2023--no extra income in June except a small stock dividend, just same old, same old.  Another small charge for clothing purchased but the big one for 2 hotel nights with secure parking in Dallas while we cruised and all the London charges like a little food ,trinkets, cab rides, attraction, and  theater tickets plus a few more charges in other ports and that's all on Hub's Visa c/c which he has yet to give me the total.  I think he is afraid of letting me have it. lol  

We also have a Lowe's bill for a ceiling fan purchase and other miscellaneous and some food charges during the first third of  May.I am not looking to have any money leftover from June's bills so will most probably end up in the red once June is all accounted for.

So how was your May financially? 

Did you spend less than the income you had in May?
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 Dinng Table

  The "Weight Loss is the Focus" Edition.                                            

This photo is for Kim.  In our time in Belfast(in Northern Ireland  but what I refer to as "Fake Ireland") the bus dropped us off by the town hall which had a full blown Spring market going on, on their grounds.  Besides the souvenir and hard goods vendors there was every type of tempting food.  Dinky Donuts was one of the temptations I had to dodge.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned the first week.......

...*Sunday to Saturday there was no plan. Duh.

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

1. Sunday--bowl of green beans(lightly sauce)

2. Monday--another bowl of green beans(lightly sauced). 

3. Tuesday--a small Caesar salad with Chicken and Feta

4.Wednesday--1 cup of yogurt

5. Thursday--half of a restaurant Walnut, Cranberry and Spinach Salad with a Balsamic vinagirete dressing on the side 

6.  Friday--3 Chicken fingers from Zaxby's

7. Saturday--the other half of that salad from Thursday

I guess you'd call this an extreme intermittent fasting deal with many supplements to keep all my innards working and healthy.  So I have been less than focused on Kitchen stuff.  Hubs has always taken care of his own breakfast needs,  I have been helping him at Lunch with ideas for meals he'd enjoy that are easy. I know one lunch he ate light, 2 lunches were canned chili with or without Burritos and he was sick and just had hot tea and Mucinex another 

For dinner, well 3 of the 4 TV dinner he bought are gone, he was still on the hot tea and Mucinex. then  the two meals out/take-out he had were different items than me.

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

*  4 TV Dinners

Last week we spent $54.33 on grocery shopping.  Hubs made a stop at Walmart and then on Thursday we went to arrange for a carport to be built and right by there was an Ollies*Good Stuff Cheap!)and I had a 15% off discount offer and it was expiring yesterday so we picked up a few foods items there-mostly sauces, spicesbut a few convenience type stuff for  Hubs while I continue this reduction journey.  Total to $54.33 for June .

There are 18 shopping days in June

I've earned $0 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in June.

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

I've earned $0 on Shopmium in June.

I've earned $0 on Kroger Cash Back in June.

I've earned 240 points from food shopping on Fetch in June.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in June.Tuesday, a bigger Caesar salad and half od a Muffeletta sandwich on Thursday. a Zaxby's chicken sandwch with fries and a Coke and I didn't notice on Friday nor Saturday.

That is $0 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $0 of grocery spending so in reality it's $0 in food spending after the 5 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 43.78% and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 43.78% so far spentl

Leftovers going into this week...chicken fingers

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

1. Sunday--2 Chicken strips from Zaxby's

2. Monday--Some sort of Veggies TBD

3. Tuesday--a piece of salmon

4  Wednesday--Daughter's cooking(hopefully There's made a veggie dish)or more leftover Chicken Strips or yogurt or 

5. Thursday--No Clue

6.  Friday--Probably half a bag of veggies

7. Saturday--The other half of the bag of veggie,

I also drink, water, iced tea(unsweetened), hot tea with lemon and honey and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated. I  I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced tas with lemom added.

This one minimeals per day where I change between vegetable matter and a lean protein and a yogurt cup when these other meals won't suffice.  There also is a regime of supplements I am currently on, either to maintain my body's condition or were already taking them for various conditions.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Well Hubs beat it to the grocery store unbenownst to me on Monday(going rogue)and mostly purchased tv dinners and bags of frozen veg there because he is still eating 3 x a day.

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?  I confess that I don't need to buy anything right now nor have I had any desire to read the ads.

Sluggy  

Eat Your Heart Out Anne! hehehe

Since the touring company of "Six" won' t be coming to your area for another year, and I've rubbed it in your face that I saw it in the West End recently, 8-P, the least thing I could do is post this clip for you Anne, of the Opening Number from the Olivier Awards(England's version of the Tony Awards here)from 2019.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the June 9th Edition

 Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are very few Frugal wins this past week and not everything here wouldl be considered frugal but here goes......

*  Hubs did some minimal grocery shopping this week for himself as I am on a minimal food plan to move these unbudgeable pounds off.  Usually a cruise sees me gain 10+ lbs. which I can take off within the first week back.  This time I only gained 7-8 lb. and there were gone again in 2 days time.  Now it's doubling down time and another 5 lbs. are in the rear view mirror in the last 3 days.  We aren't stopping until enough is off so I can be approved for knee replacement surgery.  Taking no prisoners time!

*  After being forced to stay onboard due to an unexpected last minute tender I made the most of it and did lots of activities plus since it was the warmest day of the cruise I took a dip in the pool........

 

Hubs had just returned from the Wales shore excursion and snapped this photo.  I looked at the drunk people next to the pool in the hot tub and called them a bunch of pussies for not even trying the pool.  I think the whole trip me and one other gentleman even went into the pool the whole cruise.

*  Having a wonderful Hubby who was able to climb to the top of Caernafon Castle and taking great photos for me, including this shot from the very top of one of the parapets.......

 

*  I won a large branded tote bag and a t-shirt on the cruise(plus 3 sets of those little hotel toiletry bottles from 3 hotel stays. 

*  My happy place(one of many)in Cobh(cork)at the gift shop....

A few of these Guiness branded items *may* have made their way into my luggage home. ;-)

*  I found money!  

We only strolled through the casino one time and I fouund an abandoned machine with 6 cents of credit not cashed out so we cashed it out and took it to the casino desk and I "found" .06¢.

Total Found in last Week.... .06¢
Total Found this Year.......$2.10

That's all for this past week.

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

Sluggy