January Frugalistas

[hshibley]

2 hours ago, soror said:

I *think* finished up grocery shopping for the month with a few bucks to spare- I'll have to update that after classes. But I might have missed a few things, I'm  *planning* to stay out of the grocery store for 2 weeks, we'll see how I do!

Does anyone here shop for the month? Yesterday I was thinking that doing it a month at a time might be less work and cheaper. I started working on a menu for the month and have all the dinners picked, now just to plan the when. I wouldn't try to get all our food I don't think, maybe put back some for the last 3 weeks for produce that doesn't keep so well.IDK, just throwing it around. We have some big plans we'd like to do and being extra disciplined w/ groceries could really help.

I used to shop once a month when I had more kids at home and an extra refrigerator. I did it in conjunction with once a month cooking. I think it saved money. I’d make a second produce and milk run midway through the month. 

[Soror]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

My family used to do this when I was young.  Bread and milk went in the freezer, vegetables were portioned out to have the most delicate eaten first, the hardier ones next, and the last week was mostly frozen veggies and home-canned.

I don't know that it was less work, honestly, because it required all meal planning up front and less flexibility.  When I left home we moved to places where it was seriously frowned upon to have that much food bought at once.  We adopted their 2-3 day planning method and only now have moved back to weekly.  I'm sure it could be cheaper, but then, it might not be.  Shopping weekly gives you access to the loss leaders and lets you plan a meal around them, whereas shopping monthly you are only shopping one sale.

Frugal front in our house:
Well, I'm starting to be very glad we did the no-spend month.  Last week the stove went out, this week we had a corroded pipe spraying water in the basement. I'm not looking forward to the 'rule of three' and what we get next week.  But we've been able to cover these extras without too much shifting.
 

Yes, I'd hate to miss sales and I did think of that. It would be good to have some money aside for the big sales for sure. I live rurally so I've always aimed to shop once a week although with being in town more for activities I can easily stop by places more often. I think the more I'm in the store the more opportunity I have to spend. IDK I don't think I'd like doing the entirety of shopping in one month but I think I'd like to shop less and planning out a months of menus didn't take me much longer than a week. I think instead of setting it in stone I could have a list of meals to choose from- even then those can be tweaked. Monday I planned the lentil risotto but ended up doing curry- it only changed the spices and adding some vegetables I had on hand. 

Sorry about the stove and the pipe, I hope the misfortune stops there!

31 minutes ago, hshibley said:

I used to shop once a month when I had more kids at home and an extra refrigerator. I did it in conjunction with once a month cooking. I think it saved money. I’d make a second produce and milk run midway through the month. 

1

Thanks for the thoughts! I do have a stand up freezer but no extra frig. I don't think I want to take up once a month cooking, I've done it a few times but it is not my preference- although I can see making some things ahead I just don't know that I don't want to do full meals, we'll see. 

[BarbecueMom]

I’ve tried the monthly shopping thing before, but it just wasn’t flexible enough.  I’d miss sales or go over budget running out to get those anyway, menu would get switched around and stuff would go bad before I could use it, I’d miscalculate how much we would need and have way too much or not enough.  I am trying to limit my Costco shopping to once a month and that seems to be working.  We did run out of tortilla chips, but fortunately had a few extra bags that were marked down at a different store.

At the same time, trying to stop at the store every few days wasn’t working either.    I’d overbuy sale items and ignore what I already had.  What seems to be working here this month is hitting Aldi every 7-10 days, running into other stores just for their loss leaders, and never taking the kids into the store. 🤣 The spotty weather seems to have enforced this routine, we’ll see if it holds up in a few months once the snowy and dreary weather clears out.

[Soror]

47 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

I’ve tried the monthly shopping thing before, but it just wasn’t flexible enough.  I’d miss sales or go over budget running out to get those anyway, menu would get switched around and stuff would go bad before I could use it, I’d miscalculate how much we would need and have way too much or not enough.  I am trying to limit my Costco shopping to once a month and that seems to be working.  We did run out of tortilla chips, but fortunately had a few extra bags that were marked down at a different store.

At the same time, trying to stop at the store every few days wasn’t working either.    I’d overbuy sale items and ignore what I already had.  What seems to be working here this month is hitting Aldi every 7-10 days, running into other stores just for their loss leaders, and never taking the kids into the store. 🤣 The spotty weather seems to have enforced this routine, we’ll see if it holds up in a few months once the snowy and dreary weather clears out.

You know I think it does take some tweaking to find out what works for each individual. It is funny in the last few weeks I have read 2 frugal gurus proclaiming that their method was the key to save money - one was gung ho on monthly shopping and one on weekly and watching the sales- both had impressively low grocery budgets, so it was working for them. I think I need to do my own tweaking here b/c I see room for improvement. I think I would like buying some things ahead of time and some I'd rather wait. 

[hjffkj]

I've tried once a month shopping and just didn't give it a long enough try to get used to it.  I've always wanted to try it again but right now isn't the time for that.  Once settled in the new house I may attempt to shop 2 weeks at a time.

 

Our spending has been completely under control this month.  We're at $450 for groceries and just did a trip today, so it looks like we'll be under  budget for groceries.  All the house expenses are paid for until closing so right now we're just socking money away to have it on hand after the sale.

[Soror]

I just updated budgets- currently at $491.48- so I have $8.52 to spare. I think I bought everything for the month but I bet I've forgotten something.

Dh's check for this week posted and it is even better than we thought, the OT really paid off. We are on track to pay off the truck- 8 days to go! 

Groceries on budget, gas under budget

 household spending currently at $6- I will need some vinegar but I think that's it

personal spending at $4 (dh bought some snacks one day)

eating out- $6 on fries 

The chair I have for sale is supposedly sold (again)- we'll see if this lady shows up on Friday like she says- I've got it for sale for $40 but would take $30. Dd1 rearranged her room so I have another chair I need to list too, not sure what to ask, it needs some work done but is an antique.

[Baseball mom]

Went to grocery yesterday for couple items.  I usually buy laundry detergent there as it is same price as other stores.  Detergent was $2 cheaper a jug yesterday.  I bought 3 extra.  Also found 2 birthday gifts for niece & nephew for $1.49 each.  

 

[Soror]

In very good news dh's test came back with good results, nothing to follow-up with now but he will have another scan at the end of the year to monitor.

And I am now $15 over on groceries. I need a loaf of bread too but that will be Tuesday. I'd save nearly $50 a month if we didn't have to buy gf bread, seriously and I make my kids ration it but with ds packing a sandwich it eats through it. He did take leftovers for awhile (his choice) but I think he felt out of place and different since no one else does that.

The kids went through the fruit I had bought in a flash and dh requested chicken breast which I was out of, his appetite has been up with medication changes. I also bought- gf wraps to go with chicken for a couple of lunches, turkey bacon (not our favorite but it is way cheaper), 1 box cereal- cheapest per ounce, bell peppers (they were out the other day and my kids eat them like apples), and hard taco shells. The chicken breast was $8.5 for the smallest pack of fresh chicken- which was by far the cheapest I could find. 

Dh spent $10 on data for his phone; I spent $2 on chocolate for me 🙂 - I'm well under $10 spent on me for this month so I thought you know I'm going to get me that chocolate!

dh and I both had to get gas- he was doing great on gas but accidentally left it on 4WD from the snow storm and then had to take a trip for his CATSCAN and it smoked through the gas. We are still under the original gas budget but not as low as I'd hope we'd stay.

Our phone bill went through and dh chipped in $25 for gifts and cakes for co-workers retiring.

Still on track to pay off the truck, dh keeps saying it is ok if we have to push it a week or 2 out but I'm laser focused! 

Considering how my schedule was fluctuating a few weeks due to their exams I was wondering how my month with VIPKID would end, as of now I should be at 156 classes/$1560. My goal is 150/$1500 so even if I have a few drop I should still make that. Now, onto Feb with the biggest holiday of the year and the shortest month. I had opened up some Sundays to help but dh told me he would rather I make less and have off 1 day a week, so I guess we'll see where I end up. I have been getting in some nights- I worked last Mon and Wed and this coming M/W/F and the following week I have open Wed and Friday. I really don't want to work nights and mornings but those times are filling now with the holiday and I really am trying to hit my goals so we can reach our financial goals

 

[HomeAgain]

We are under nearly every category this month, except one: miscellaneous spending.  To be fair, that was due to the stove and the pipe breaking.  Our frivolous spending is way down, though.  We still have $100 in grocery, $15 in our gas budget, and $80 in our medical budget, so it kind of almost evened out.  It did mean we put less in savings than we wanted to, but we still put in more than our average the past few months.
Dh started getting the winter blues yesterday and looked up a trip to Disney. 😄 It was actually very reasonable when he was all done with the figures, but when we compared it to our other goals for this year it just didn't fit in.  Oh, well. Maybe next year!  We have come to the compromise of having 1/3 of our final goal in before we start planning for a large vacation again.
I put together a binder for this house.  It's a lot like our last one: a place for all statements and tax documents, an amortization schedule, pockets for repair bills/appliance manuals, and a monthly/quarterly/yearly schedule of maintenance/ due dates for filing things.

[Soror]

On 1/23/2019 at 4:32 PM, Baseball mom said:

Went to grocery yesterday for couple items.  I usually buy laundry detergent there as it is same price as other stores.  Detergent was $2 cheaper a jug yesterday.  I bought 3 extra.  Also found 2 birthday gifts for niece & nephew for $1.49 each.  

 

Wow, great deals on the gifts and detergent!

______________________________________

Has anyone worked on their taxes yet? We received dh's W2 and started on ours. So, far our refund is looking considerably bigger than I expected I guess due to making so little and tax changes. We even changed withholdings. We think we are going to try and build a shop for dh. He has inherited all this equipment from his dad-lawnmowers, tools, tractor etc but we have no place to put it. We wanted to do it last year but there was no way we could afford it. Just looking at rough estimates I think we should at least be able to swing the concrete work from our tax return with some to spare for some sort of vacation. 

Dh and I are also contemplating vacations. It is our 20th anniversary this year. I'd like to take an overseas trip. I've been looking at all -inclusive trips from Groupon and they aren't too bad at all, especially if we pick and choose where to go and arent' gone too long. I'd like to do a little trip with the kids too, maybe just to the city this year and maybe again to the beach next year when it is not a big anniversary year for us. When I asked them what they wanted to do 90% of what they said was in the city things we could do on a long weekend. 

So...... that is a lot of potential things to spend money on, we must stay focused and on task if we want to pull this off. I've got to keep plugging away with work and dh with getting OT when he can. (and hope for no curve balls)

[Soror]

33 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

We are under nearly every category this month, except one: miscellaneous spending.  To be fair, that was due to the stove and the pipe breaking.  Our frivolous spending is way down, though.  We still have $100 in grocery, $15 in our gas budget, and $80 in our medical budget, so it kind of almost evened out.  It did mean we put less in savings than we wanted to, but we still put in more than our average the past few months.
Dh started getting the winter blues yesterday and looked up a trip to Disney. 😄 It was actually very reasonable when he was all done with the figures, but when we compared it to our other goals for this year it just didn't fit in.  Oh, well. Maybe next year!  We have come to the compromise of having 1/3 of our final goal in before we start planning for a large vacation again.
I put together a binder for this house.  It's a lot like our last one: a place for all statements and tax documents, an amortization schedule, pockets for repair bills/appliance manuals, and a monthly/quarterly/yearly schedule of maintenance/ due dates for filing things.

Good for you on the budget! I always budget some for home repairs but it seems either we need none at all or more than I have budgeted, it is a hard thing to average out. We didn't have any home maintenance or repairs this month but I need to be checking in w/ dh for next month to see if we need more filters or anything. Dh keeps track of when to change out maint on his schedule, I file all the paperwork. A Disney trip would be a great reward for meeting your goal, I hope it helps you stay focused! 

Looking ahead to Feb I see some expenses already- I just realized ds' shoes are getting small. He just got new ones in August and we bought them a bit big. This will be the 3rd pair in less than a year!!!! He needs some pants too, heaven help me the boy keeps growing. His foot is now bigger than dh's, his next shoes will be 11-11.5. He's only 5'7" (14.5 yo) but at the rate he is going he might actually end up fairly tall after being the short kid for so long. I've got to buy dd1 some black work-out pants for TKD, she needs some anyway but they have a demonstration coming up and everyone is supposed to wear black pants and she doesn't have any. I did get her 1 pair at Goodwill last month but they are not black. The girls are also getting TKD t-shirts, she keeps asking me if dh and I want some as well. I can't decide if we are being fuddy duds or not but I don't see the purpose in us buying them, even if they are only $7 bucks. I'm going to go ahead and get one for dd3 as she could use more TKD clothes, she keeps wearing the same tank top EVERY single class. I don't think I'll buy one for ds, he has oodles of tshirts already. The boys will have some scout expenses. IDK we've got to talk today before the month starts.

Oh, and I am really wanting a standing desk but I don't know how to make it work. I'm hooked up downstairs because I'm hardwired and it is quieter, we're trying to figure out the logistics of doing it without breaking the bank.

Oh, and the lady that was supposed to buy the chair Friday never showed up and never messaged back- people!

Edited January 27, 2019 by soror

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, soror said:

In very good news dh's test came back with good results, nothing to follow-up with now but he will have another scan at the end of the year to monitor.

And I am now $15 over on groceries. I need a loaf of bread too but that will be Tuesday. I'd save nearly $50 a month if we didn't have to buy gf bread, seriously and I make my kids ration it but with ds packing a sandwich it eats through it. He did take leftovers for awhile (his choice) but I think he felt out of place and different since no one else does that.

The kids went through the fruit I had bought in a flash and dh requested chicken breast which I was out of, his appetite has been up with medication changes. I also bought- gf wraps to go with chicken for a couple of lunches, turkey bacon (not our favorite but it is way cheaper), 1 box cereal- cheapest per ounce, bell peppers (they were out the other day and my kids eat them like apples), and hard taco shells. The chicken breast was $8.5 for the smallest pack of fresh chicken- which was by far the cheapest I could find. 

Dh spent $10 on data for his phone; I spent $2 on chocolate for me 🙂 - I'm well under $10 spent on me for this month so I thought you know I'm going to get me that chocolate!

dh and I both had to get gas- he was doing great on gas but accidentally left it on 4WD from the snow storm and then had to take a trip for his CATSCAN and it smoked through the gas. We are still under the original gas budget but not as low as I'd hope we'd stay.

Our phone bill went through and dh chipped in $25 for gifts and cakes for co-workers retiring.

Still on track to pay off the truck, dh keeps saying it is ok if we have to push it a week or 2 out but I'm laser focused! 

Considering how my schedule was fluctuating a few weeks due to their exams I was wondering how my month with VIPKID would end, as of now I should be at 156 classes/$1560. My goal is 150/$1500 so even if I have a few drop I should still make that. Now, onto Feb with the biggest holiday of the year and the shortest month. I had opened up some Sundays to help but dh told me he would rather I make less and have off 1 day a week, so I guess we'll see where I end up. I have been getting in some nights- I worked last Mon and Wed and this coming M/W/F and the following week I have open Wed and Friday. I really don't want to work nights and mornings but those times are filling now with the holiday and I really am trying to hit my goals so we can reach our financial goals

 

 

I am so happy your dh had a good result from the test.  That has to put your mind at ease. 

You are doing great on everything else it sounds like.   Awesome job on Vipkids.   How many hours a week are you working? 

Edited January 27, 2019 by mommyoffive

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

We are under nearly every category this month, except one: miscellaneous spending.  To be fair, that was due to the stove and the pipe breaking.  Our frivolous spending is way down, though.  We still have $100 in grocery, $15 in our gas budget, and $80 in our medical budget, so it kind of almost evened out.  It did mean we put less in savings than we wanted to, but we still put in more than our average the past few months.
Dh started getting the winter blues yesterday and looked up a trip to Disney. 😄 It was actually very reasonable when he was all done with the figures, but when we compared it to our other goals for this year it just didn't fit in.  Oh, well. Maybe next year!  We have come to the compromise of having 1/3 of our final goal in before we start planning for a large vacation again.
I put together a binder for this house.  It's a lot like our last one: a place for all statements and tax documents, an amortization schedule, pockets for repair bills/appliance manuals, and a monthly/quarterly/yearly schedule of maintenance/ due dates for filing things.

 

You are doing great!  So smart to put the vacation on hold until you hit the goals you want.  It is hard to that in the winter when you just want to go some place warm. 

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, soror said:

Wow, great deals on the gifts and detergent!

______________________________________

Has anyone worked on their taxes yet? We received dh's W2 and started on ours. So, far our refund is looking considerably bigger than I expected I guess due to making so little and tax changes. We even changed withholdings. We think we are going to try and build a shop for dh. He has inherited all this equipment from his dad-lawnmowers, tools, tractor etc but we have no place to put it. We wanted to do it last year but there was no way we could afford it. Just looking at rough estimates I think we should at least be able to swing the concrete work from our tax return with some to spare for some sort of vacation. 

Dh and I are also contemplating vacations. It is our 20th anniversary this year. I'd like to take an overseas trip. I've been looking at all -inclusive trips from Groupon and they aren't too bad at all, especially if we pick and choose where to go and arent' gone too long. I'd like to do a little trip with the kids too, maybe just to the city this year and maybe again to the beach next year when it is not a big anniversary year for us. When I asked them what they wanted to do 90% of what they said was in the city things we could do on a long weekend. 

So...... that is a lot of potential things to spend money on, we must stay focused and on task if we want to pull this off. I've got to keep plugging away with work and dh with getting OT when he can. (and hope for no curve balls)

 

I want to start our taxes but we don't have dh's W2 yet.  I am worried about it.  A lot of people say they are getting more and then others are saying they are paying more.  That is such great news to get a big refund.  I know everyone says to not get one, but still.   Hopefully it will help you get to your goals or do something fun with it. 

 

Oh so fun to think of a going on a trip just the two of you.  I haven't done the Groupon air inclusive trips, but they look like really good deals.   They often have codes for an extra 10% off the trips and then go through ebates to get more cash back on it.  

No curve balls for all of us please!!

[BarbecueMom]

The Good Stuff:

We have $39.32 left if I want to keep the grocery bill under $400 for the month.  I have to run into Aldi on Wednesday, but my last produce/milk run there was only $23.  I think I can do it!

I did a quick run through the 1040 for taxes and unless I royally screwed something up, our refund is also higher than expected.  We adjusted withholding as bit, but not enough apparently.

I signed up on Ibotta at the end of December to come up with a few more dollars on stuff I already buy to help pay for the kids activities, and I already have $33 in the account.  I try to pick mostly free/cheap activities (and there are a LOT in this city) but I do have one set of tickets this semester that will cost ~$50.

DS10’s glasses broke, not because of anything he did.  I think it was a poorly soldered pair.  They are still under warranty so they are being replaced for free.

DH got a code from a friend-of-a-friend to try out a new video game instead of pre-ordering it first.

Despite the cold weather, our electric usage is way down compared to last year. We’ve replaced a couple appliances, a door, and three windows in that time, plus bumped the thermostat down a couple degrees, and it seems to be making a difference.

It looks like we’ll have 12 zero-spending days this month, including bill paying.  If we only count shopping/activities and not bill payment, that goes up to 16 days.  Doesn’t seem that impressive, but bills were sort of spread out, and a couple days were just a couple bucks in cash for parking or activity fees.

The Not-So-Good (on the budget) Stuff:

My Costco list is already enormous for February.  I’m going to need another Vitacost order soon, and maybe Amazon, too.

DS10’s retainer is missing.  I’m going to tear up his room looking for it today, but we may have to replace it.  I also need a dental appointment and possibly more work done.

Our escrow payment is going up because our property taxes went up.  I can’t complain though because it’s mostly an increase for our library, which desperately needed it!

Because of the weather and sort-of illnesses keeping us home a lot, we are blowing through school work, and I need to start making a list of new curriculum we need.  I thought we could just “go sideways” and use other materials we already have, but I think we’ll run out of that too.

Finally, I got our phone plan sorted out, but because I switched payment methods and due dates, I ended up having to pay the bill twice this month (although bill #2 was much smaller).  

*******

@soror, I’m glad your DH is okay!  And yay for soon-to-be-paid-off vehicles!  DH wants a truck and 4WD but the gas costs always hold us back.  He has a low gas mileage commuter car, but it barely made it up the hill in our subdivision the other night during the snow.  My brother and his Jeep friends were driving all over the county towing and pushing cars that the sheriff’s department and tow trucks couldn’t get to.

@HomeAgain, staying that far under the grocery budget even with kitchen appliance and plumbing issues is awesome!  I hear you about the winter blues.  My laptop screen background was snow, and I changed it to a beach last night.  But even that beach looked cold.  We’re getting single-digit high temps this week and I just want to camp out in my tiny bathroom with the space heater all day.  And dream of palm trees.

[hjffkj]

Soror, I filed my taxes a few days ago.  We made out better this year with the changes.

 

Our spending is still at a minimum this month.  We hadn't spent anything since the last update until this morning.  I picked up a used wooden bunk bed and 2 new mattresses for $100.  I was really hoping not to buy bunk beds until after we move but the price was too good to ignore. The people were getting rid of it because their ds had decided he was too old for it and would not sleep on it.

Today we are celebrating mil's bday so we have to go out soon to get her something.  But gifts are always budgeted 

[Soror]

1 hour ago, BarbecueMom said:

The Good Stuff:

We have $39.32 left if I want to keep the grocery bill under $400 for the month.  I have to run into Aldi on Wednesday, but my last produce/milk run there was only $23.  I think I can do it!

I did a quick run through the 1040 for taxes and unless I royally screwed something up, our refund is also higher than expected.  We adjusted withholding as bit, but not enough apparently.

I signed up on Ibotta at the end of December to come up with a few more dollars on stuff I already buy to help pay for the kids activities, and I already have $33 in the account.  I try to pick mostly free/cheap activities (and there are a LOT in this city) but I do have one set of tickets this semester that will cost ~$50.

DS10’s glasses broke, not because of anything he did.  I think it was a poorly soldered pair.  They are still under warranty so they are being replaced for free.

DH got a code from a friend-of-a-friend to try out a new video game instead of pre-ordering it first.

Despite the cold weather, our electric usage is way down compared to last year. We’ve replaced a couple appliances, a door, and three windows in that time, plus bumped the thermostat down a couple degrees, and it seems to be making a difference.

It looks like we’ll have 12 zero-spending days this month, including bill paying.  If we only count shopping/activities and not bill payment, that goes up to 16 days.  Doesn’t seem that impressive, but bills were sort of spread out, and a couple days were just a couple bucks in cash for parking or activity fees.

The Not-So-Good (on the budget) Stuff:

My Costco list is already enormous for February.  I’m going to need another Vitacost order soon, and maybe Amazon, too.

DS10’s retainer is missing.  I’m going to tear up his room looking for it today, but we may have to replace it.  I also need a dental appointment and possibly more work done.

Our escrow payment is going up because our property taxes went up.  I can’t complain though because it’s mostly an increase for our library, which desperately needed it!

Because of the weather and sort-of illnesses keeping us home a lot, we are blowing through school work, and I need to start making a list of new curriculum we need.  I thought we could just “go sideways” and use other materials we already have, but I think we’ll run out of that too.

Finally, I got our phone plan sorted out, but because I switched payment methods and due dates, I ended up having to pay the bill twice this month (although bill #2 was much smaller).  

*******

@soror, I’m glad your DH is okay!  And yay for soon-to-be-paid-off vehicles!  DH wants a truck and 4WD but the gas costs always hold us back.  He has a low gas mileage commuter car, but it barely made it up the hill in our subdivision the other night during the snow.  My brother and his Jeep friends were driving all over the county towing and pushing cars that the sheriff’s department and tow trucks couldn’t get to.

@HomeAgain, staying that far under the grocery budget even with kitchen appliance and plumbing issues is awesome!  I hear you about the winter blues.  My laptop screen background was snow, and I changed it to a beach last night.  But even that beach looked cold.  We’re getting single-digit high temps this week and I just want to camp out in my tiny bathroom with the space heater all day.  And dream of palm trees.

4

Ya, for staying in budget and no spend days. LOL, I started to type our vehicles are paid off, gah my memory, this is the first vehicle debt we've had in over 15 yrs that's why we are so anxious to get it paid. Dh did have the little commuter car before we sold it this month but when we figured the insurance cost, registration, repairs and maintenance there wasn't that much difference- but dh uses the truck quite abit. The mileage is horrible when in 4WD but a less painful in 2WD, he only uses 4WD in bad weather or if hauling something. I've started looking at curriculum for next year but I think I should be good for this one. I did buy a couple of things for next year during Black Friday sales. 

17 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Soror, I filed my taxes a few days ago.  We made out better this year with the changes.

 

Our spending is still at a minimum this month.  We hadn't spent anything since the last update until this morning.  I picked up a used wooden bunk bed and 2 new mattresses for $100.  I was really hoping not to buy bunk beds until after we move but the price was too good to ignore. The people were getting rid of it because their ds had decided he was too old for it and would not sleep on it.

Today we are celebrating mil's bday so we have to go out soon to get her something.  But gifts are always budgeted 

 

Good for you that you got your taxes done! And that's a great deal on bunkbeds, you can really find some good deals on things when you watch for it used.

_______________________

Working on Feb's budget. blech. We have an ultrasound bill for dh, we should end up getting a refund to cover a lot of that but it is still OOP- $130, then at least $170 in other scrips. I'm budgeting $100 for clothes and shoes for the kids. I talked to dh we don't have any maintenance for the car or house this month so that is good. Ds has a field trip coming up $60(that is the cheap one- they have an end of the year one that is $2k that we are not doing) and various Scout and HS activity's expenses are another $80 and $160 for TKD for all 4. So, it is up in some areas and down in others. I think I'm going to try and do $550 for groceries.

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, hjffkj said:

Soror, I filed my taxes a few days ago.  We made out better this year with the changes.

 

Our spending is still at a minimum this month.  We hadn't spent anything since the last update until this morning.  I picked up a used wooden bunk bed and 2 new mattresses for $100.  I was really hoping not to buy bunk beds until after we move but the price was too good to ignore. The people were getting rid of it because their ds had decided he was too old for it and would not sleep on it.

Today we are celebrating mil's bday so we have to go out soon to get her something.  But gifts are always budgeted 

 

I think you win the prize!  Great job getting your taxes done. 

Wow on not spending this month.  

[mommyoffive]

31 minutes ago, soror said:

Ya, for staying in budget and no spend days. LOL, I started to type our vehicles are paid off, gah my memory, this is the first vehicle debt we've had in over 15 yrs that's why we are so anxious to get it paid. Dh did have the little commuter car before we sold it this month but when we figured the insurance cost, registration, repairs and maintenance there wasn't that much difference- but dh uses the truck quite abit. The mileage is horrible when in 4WD but a less painful in 2WD, he only uses 4WD in bad weather or if hauling something. I've started looking at curriculum for next year but I think I should be good for this one. I did buy a couple of things for next year during Black Friday sales. 

Good for you that you got your taxes done! And that's a great deal on bunkbeds, you can really find some good deals on things when you watch for it used.

_______________________

Working on Feb's budget. blech. We have an ultrasound bill for dh, we should end up getting a refund to cover a lot of that but it is still OOP- $130, then at least $170 in other scrips. I'm budgeting $100 for clothes and shoes for the kids. I talked to dh we don't have any maintenance for the car or house this month so that is good. Ds has a field trip coming up $60(that is the cheap one- they have an end of the year one that is $2k that we are not doing) and various Scout and HS activity's expenses are another $80 and $160 for TKD for all 4. So, it is up in some areas and down in others. I think I'm going to try and do $550 for groceries.

 

2k for a field trip?  Oh my.   What kind of field trip is that?

[Soror]

54 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

2k for a field trip?  Oh my.   What kind of field trip is that?

To Washington DC from the Midwest, I think it is 5 days, they say it is incredible but I can't justify that cost when we could do a family trip for that much. Maybe a Senior trip but not for 8th.

[mommyoffive]

Soror can I ask a question about apply for VIPkids?  

You need a degree to apply correct?  How do you need to prove that to them?  Do you have to have a copy of your degree? 

[Soror]

9 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Soror can I ask a question about apply for VIPkids?  

You need a degree to apply correct?  How do you need to prove that to them?  Do you have to have a copy of your degree? 

IIRC you can either download a copy of your diploma or your transcript. 

I'm sitting out 20.5 hrs for this week, that is the most I've ever worked. Next week I only have 12 hrs scheduled and who knows where that will end up, there will probably be a lot of fluctuation due to the holiday. 

We went through ds' clothes yesterday and he only had 2 pairs of pants that were long enough. He had over 10 pairs of pants. I think we'll try Goodwill first to see if we happen to get lucky and then hit Ross. 

Oh, and ds apparently has a "girlfriend" as of this weekend. Dh is taking them to the movies Wed. So, we have giftcards for the movie but they are also going to get icecream. I figured that would be cheaper. UGH. I told ds we don't even go on dates so don't expect this as a regular thing, maybe once a month or something and even then it will be on the cheap. This will be much easier once he gets a license and can drive himself and get a little job for spending money. And if the weather was nicer they could do things outside. I'll have to keep an eye out for free and cheap things that they might want to do

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, soror said:

IIRC you can either download a copy of your diploma or your transcript. 

I'm sitting out 20.5 hrs for this week, that is the most I've ever worked. Next week I only have 12 hrs scheduled and who knows where that will end up, there will probably be a lot of fluctuation due to the holiday. 

We went through ds' clothes yesterday and he only had 2 pairs of pants that were long enough. He had over 10 pairs of pants. I think we'll try Goodwill first to see if we happen to get lucky and then hit Ross. 

Oh, and ds apparently has a "girlfriend" as of this weekend. Dh is taking them to the movies Wed. So, we have giftcards for the movie but they are also going to get icecream. I figured that would be cheaper. UGH. I told ds we don't even go on dates so don't expect this as a regular thing, maybe once a month or something and even then it will be on the cheap. This will be much easier once he gets a license and can drive himself and get a little job for spending money. And if the weather was nicer they could do things outside. I'll have to keep an eye out for free and cheap things that they might want to do

 

Ok thanks.  I will have to contact the college that I went to in order to get that.  I used to have it, but I don't anymore.  How are you scheduling your days?  What is a normal day to you?  What time are you going to bed to get up so early? 

[Soror]

18 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Ok thanks.  I will have to contact the college that I went to in order to get that.  I used to have it, but I don't anymore.  How are you scheduling your days?  What is a normal day to you?  What time are you going to bed to get up so early? 

I generally work from 5-8, although some days I only work until 7:30, from 7-8 is not as likely to be filled. 5-7 am is PPT right now for CST. I aim to be in bed around 8 and asleep by 8:30. I try to be in bed by 9:00 at the very latest. My schedule has been wonky lately with them being on holiday( or many of them anyway) I've opened up nights (usually they do not book b/c kids are in school) to try and make up for fewer hrs during the days. Last week I worked Mon and Wed from 6:30-7:30. This week I have from 6:30- 8p scheduled Mon, Wed, and Fri. Some people do overnights on Fri and Sat night b/c that is Sat and Sun. day for them and usually books pretty well- I don't do well with late nights so working until 8 is the latest I've done.

 

[mommyoffive]

Huge money maker on Swagbucks

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/swagbucks-get-40-back-with-your-first-gillette-on-demand-purchase/

 

Easy way to get some Airline points for cheap flights

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/barclaycard-aadvantage-aviator-red-world-elite-mastercard-bonus-increased-60000-miles/

 

$10 walmart ebook

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/walmart-ebooks-10-off-first-ebook-or-audibook-new-users-only/

[mommyoffive]

Woohooo the month is over!   Nothing broke, we needed some home repair in our attic, but nothing major.  Oh and some stuff for fixing our sump pump.

 

Every class has been cancelled for 2 days last week and everyday, but Friday this week.  I have to figure out how they are going to fix that for us.   

We are on illness number 2 for my kids, this month.  Every kid got sick last time and everyone but 2 are sick so far.  I know it will hit everyone.   I want spring!!!

Edited January 31, 2019 by mommyoffive

[BarbecueMom]

31 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Woohooo the month is over!   Nothing broke, we needed some home repair in our attic, but nothing major.  Oh and some stuff for fixing our sump pump.

 

Every class has been cancelled for 2 days last week and everyday, but Friday this week.  I have to figure out how they are going to fix that for us.   

We are on illness number 2 for my kids, this month.  Every kid got sick last time and everyone but 2 are sick so far.  I know it will hit everyone.   I want spring!!!

Happy February Eve!  Yay for nothing broke, boo for sickness.  Hope you all recover quickly!

So last time I posted, my monthly food spending total was $360.68.  Final total on January 31st.... *drumroll*... $360.68.  Yep, too cold, random snow/ice during the times I could get to the store, and I just didn’t feel like going.  I have one banana, about 4.5 lbs of potatoes, one avocado, about 1 cup of frozen cherries, and a small assortment of frozen veggies (kale, peas, green beans, and shredded carrots and cabbage).  And about 2/3 gallon of milk.  My niece and nephews are supposed to be here tomorrow, and they’ll be thrilled to fill up on homemade pizza, popcorn, and cookie bars using leftover holiday candy, lol.  They’ll survive one day without a fruit bowl.  $400/month is definitely not a feasible monthly budget on a regular basis.  Maybe every 4-5 months in order to use up what we already have.

The only major money woe this month (well, technically next month) is that we have to replace DS10’s lost retainer.  $200.  I Marie Kondo’d the snot out of the house and van the past couple weeks, but the retainer is definitely not here.  Sigh.  At least the broken glasses were covered under the warranty.

I also have to replace my meat thermometer in February (dropped it one too many times), but I still have gift cards to spend on that.  There was something else I needed to get from Lowe’s but I can’t think of it right now.  I knew I should have written that down....

See you all in February!

[hjffkj]

Good riddance to January. Only 26 days until closing on the house!!! I'm just going to assume it is all on schedule and closing will happen then no matter what 

January was an incredibly low spend month for us. If it didn't have to do with food, gas, and the new house we didn't spend on it. I plan on Feb being the same way.

[HomeAgain]

Way to go, hjffkj!

Our month went incredibly well.  We did throw a good chunk in savings, dh and I did our taxes and budgeted out the return, and as of today, our family vacation is paid for.  It is NOT the Disney trip dh wanted, but it is a lovely week camping next to the ocean. 🙂

However, a large box and small envelope on our doorstep last night means we may have decisions to make.  My youngest hero-worships his cousin, a supercool teen who is very talented at playing guitar.  And my sister is well aware of this.  I sneaked a peek at the small envelope she sent my kid for his birthday gift on Saturday, and.....it's a basic, how to play electric guitar book. 😮 I'm very afraid of the large package!  
We currently spend $130/mo on violin lessons for him (traditional) and $40 on lessons for me online (Suzuki).  If his teacher is willing to switch to guitar, he can be absorbed into the online lessons with me.  It's the same rate for family as it is for individual.  But are two instruments too much?  We had promised to reassess violin between ages 10 and 12, but he's not nearly there yet and isn't quite far enough along for me to feel comfortable dropping it altogether.  I want him to play easily and get over this little hard piece before making a change.

[mommyoffive]

14 hours ago, BarbecueMom said:

Happy February Eve!  Yay for nothing broke, boo for sickness.  Hope you all recover quickly!

So last time I posted, my monthly food spending total was $360.68.  Final total on January 31st.... *drumroll*... $360.68.  Yep, too cold, random snow/ice during the times I could get to the store, and I just didn’t feel like going.  I have one banana, about 4.5 lbs of potatoes, one avocado, about 1 cup of frozen cherries, and a small assortment of frozen veggies (kale, peas, green beans, and shredded carrots and cabbage).  And about 2/3 gallon of milk.  My niece and nephews are supposed to be here tomorrow, and they’ll be thrilled to fill up on homemade pizza, popcorn, and cookie bars using leftover holiday candy, lol.  They’ll survive one day without a fruit bowl.  $400/month is definitely not a feasible monthly budget on a regular basis.  Maybe every 4-5 months in order to use up what we already have.

The only major money woe this month (well, technically next month) is that we have to replace DS10’s lost retainer.  $200.  I Marie Kondo’d the snot out of the house and van the past couple weeks, but the retainer is definitely not here.  Sigh.  At least the broken glasses were covered under the warranty.

I also have to replace my meat thermometer in February (dropped it one too many times), but I still have gift cards to spend on that.  There was something else I needed to get from Lowe’s but I can’t think of it right now.  I knew I should have written that down....

See you all in February!

 

Awesome on the grocery budget!!!  Even if you can't do it every month a few times a year helps out.  

Ugh on the retainer.  I see that happening to us a lot when the kids get into those years.    I lost mine a few months back and tore the house apart.  I gave up and then a few days later it showed up in the most random place.  

[mommyoffive]

13 hours ago, hjffkj said:

Good riddance to January. Only 26 days until closing on the house!!! I'm just going to assume it is all on schedule and closing will happen then no matter what 

January was an incredibly low spend month for us. If it didn't have to do with food, gas, and the new house we didn't spend on it. I plan on Feb being the same way.

 

Success.  2 low spend months.  Nice.   

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Way to go, hjffkj!

Our month went incredibly well.  We did throw a good chunk in savings, dh and I did our taxes and budgeted out the return, and as of today, our family vacation is paid for.  It is NOT the Disney trip dh wanted, but it is a lovely week camping next to the ocean. 🙂

However, a large box and small envelope on our doorstep last night means we may have decisions to make.  My youngest hero-worships his cousin, a supercool teen who is very talented at playing guitar.  And my sister is well aware of this.  I sneaked a peek at the small envelope she sent my kid for his birthday gift on Saturday, and.....it's a basic, how to play electric guitar book. 😮 I'm very afraid of the large package!  
We currently spend $130/mo on violin lessons for him (traditional) and $40 on lessons for me online (Suzuki).  If his teacher is willing to switch to guitar, he can be absorbed into the online lessons with me.  It's the same rate for family as it is for individual.  But are two instruments too much?  We had promised to reassess violin between ages 10 and 12, but he's not nearly there yet and isn't quite far enough along for me to feel comfortable dropping it altogether.  I want him to play easily and get over this little hard piece before making a change.

 

Yay on a great month.  Yes for adding lots to savings.  I am glad you get a return and are so thoughtful with it. 

Yay for the vacation.  Right next to the ocean?  That sounds so perfect right now.  When are you going? 

 

I don't think 2 instruments are a lot.  Is that his thing?  Music?   If you can afford it and you want to do it go for it.    I would hate to tell you guys how much we spend on our children's activities and passions each month.  It is so much.   But those are the things that we find to be very important to us.  The children's activities and travel. 

[HomeAgain]

3 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Yay on a great month.  Yes for adding lots to savings.  I am glad you get a return and are so thoughtful with it. 

Yay for the vacation.  Right next to the ocean?  That sounds so perfect right now.  When are you going? 

 

I don't think 2 instruments are a lot.  Is that his thing?  Music?   If you can afford it and you want to do it go for it.    I would hate to tell you guys how much we spend on our children's activities and passions each month.  It is so much.   But those are the things that we find to be very important to us.  The children's activities and travel. 

We're going in August.  It'll be slightly cooler than here and hopefully the oldest can go with.  I think he'd really like the place.

The music.  It's not his thing.  EVERYTHING is his thing.  He's at that age where he wants to try it all and, for reasons unknown to us, he's good at everything he tries. 😄  I don't know where he got those genes from.   He is so determined when he puts his mind to something that he's willing to put in 110%....but all of that comes with a price of self-imposed stress and critique.