Grocery Budget Results for February

January was a total bust regarding our food budget. For the month of February I was much more deliberate with our spending and coupled that with a new grocery store with much lower prices.

From January to February there was a decrease of 49.7% in the monthly grocery bill.
Compared against our budgeted grocery bill- we were 32% below that for February.

For March I am going to drop our budget by $100.00 and see how it works out for that month.

Wheelin' Wednesday: Bring Coupons Back

Well, I have been trying to get myself back on the band wagon for deals and today I actually did it.
I picked up two bottles of shampoo which were on sale for 2/$6.00. I had two coupons for $2.00 off each and the supermarket doubled the coupon so I only paid the taxes of $.29!


How do you like them apples?

Budget Update: Groceries/Eating Out

 

Just wanted to relay that we didn’t quite meet our grocery goal this month but we were 40% lower than last month’s total! I am very excited about this even though I know it is because of Lent that we dropped so much but I am optimistic that March will be a good month as well.

I am going to try and get back into the habit of coupons too.

Budget

I am still working on final numbers but will post something in 2016 once I have something cohesive. I can tell you know that I am off budget like nobody's business but let's get accurate numbers before I throw myself under the bus!

How did you do for 2015?

Wheelin' Wednesday: Eshatki (custom of less)



So, a friend of mine introduced me to Eshatki which is a website for women's clothing. What makes this unique is your ability to customize the clothing. Above is a dress I ordered which normally comes sleeveless, but I was able to add sleeves.  You can choose different variations of sleeves and many of the dresses allow you to choose the length (custom or just based on your height). You can also pick from a size chart or submit your actual measurements. My friend did that and was amazed at how well her dresses fit.

For my first order- I purchased two dresses and with shipping, customization, and a coupon- the total was $71.00.

Sign up and get $40.00 off

Surveys and Free Stuff

 My sister called me asking about online surveys that pay money. I haven't done just surveys in a while but here is some information that might get the ball rolling for you:

 Bestmark is for mystery shopping. This can also include simple things like sending an email to a dealership and taking note of how they respond to you. that particular shop paid $4.00 which is pretty good for a simple email.
Here is a link to Bestmark application:


 Influenster ships boxes of free products with the intention that you write up online surveys through different social media outlets. I have been signed up with this one for about two years and you have seen my post about some of the products sent to em.

Here is the link to influenster:

 Money Saving Mom's blog posted a list of a few legitimate companies for online surveys.
Money Saving Mom link

Finally, I signed up for Ebates which allows you to earn cash back almost every time  you shop!

More Budget Ideas for Those Who Mess Up A Lot (ahem)

If you know me then you know I like to shop and I do mess up often with my budget. July was not a great month for the budget due to multiple auto repairs, a crazy grocery budget, and some bookstore orders. Hubby also needed to make a couple of purchases and so we ended up not where I wanted us to be.
One idea that came to mind was gas (not mine but the vehicle kind). The gas sold near my workplace is $.20-.25 cents cheaper than where Hubby works. Not too long ago I was taking his vehicle once a week to fill up but stopped. Um, why?  I ran some rough numbers and if I did this consistently- we would save about $156.00 per year!
So, for the rest of the year I am going to try and make this a weekly habit. Hubby reads my blog so maybe this will remind him to help me.

Budget Talk: Earning Money on the Side….and more!

Inspired by the multiple amortization schedules I have been pulling to pay off my mortgage sooner- I have opted to earn more money and save money!

There are a couple of gals at work who are crazy into couponing. Their enthusiasm has kind of helped me get back into the coupon business. I have decided to coupon and set up deals for CVS and a local grocery store. This week I picked up free deodorant and at CVS I started the ball rolling with $12.00 in ECB’s.  

I have also signed up to become a mystery shopper. My first adventure was shopping a local restaurant which didn’t pay anything but reimbursed up to $35.00.  You do you have to observe quite a lot and time things but it still is a free meal and a chance to get out . Once you return home, upload a copy of the receipt and complete a detailed survey. I would say the survey takes about 30 minutes and the company is very picky and may reject the entire survey.

There are various opportunities and you simply choose what works for you.  I observed one assignment that would pay you $70.00 and reimburse you for certain purchases. I wasn’t qualified for this one but that is great for someone who could do this!

If you are interested in becoming a mystery shopper: https://apply.bestmark.com/?r=NC30623

 

Budget Updates

Just a heads up that my budget continues to move forward full steam ahead! I might not be as intense as some people but I am making a conscious effort to not be so frivolous in purchases. 
We do have a set date on when I think we will be debt free, but I am going to try and push it even more. 
I would love to know how my siblings handle their finances right now. This subject intrigues me to no end in a kind of sick and distorted way. I just pray Excel spreadsheets are involved!

The Mortgage Project

A co-worker and I were recently discussing getting out of debt . She is on Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball plan and it seems to be working for her family. The plan involves 7 steps to get you out of debt, save emergency funds, invest into retirement and college, and then give money to church and those in need.

I agree with some of his plan, but there are a number of holes- the biggest being he seems to use his interpretation of the Bible quite often to justify some of his positions. He also is very anti-gold which really doesn't make sense to me and I think he puts people in some risky positions.

What the conversation sparked was a plan for me to really get out of debt. I think I have mentioned this before (or maybe in my head) that I often feel like I am spinning my wheels.

Family and career goals haven't exactly panned out the way I thought and I feel like we are at a crossroad. I needed to make a decision of what to do next. Part of the hindrance was knowing that we need my income to pay all of our bills.

But, what if there weren't any bills except the most minimal? What if we could get our mortgage paid off and then really implement the plan of choosing our "forever home"?

Starting April 1st, Hubby and I will increase our mortgage payment with the goal of paying it off in eight years. At the end of this year I will assess what additional funds we have and see if we can add a lump sum to the balance. Our ultimate goal would be to have the home paid off in five years but I want to see how well we frugalize our lives. Yep, I just made up that word.

Here is our budget category breakdown:

  

Dog

Auto Insurance

Auto Maintenance

Auto Taxes

Electricity

Donations

Fun

Food

Gas

Gift

House

Home Insurance

Book Club

Medical

Mortgage

Necessity

Internet

Property taxes

Water

Telephone Bill

Taxes



YET ANOTHER BUDGET POST…..

Hubby and I only have the mortgage as a debt with a continuous balance. All other debts are paid off every month and do not incur interest charges. I currently pay extra on our mortgage, but should I do that when we are actively looking for another home?

When You Get The Itch

I was reading one of the blogs I frequent and became interested in one of the posts. The subject matter spoke of people who are savers and those who are spenders. A statement was made that a "saver" might not understand the thrill of spending a "spender" experiences. 

My two sisters are definitely in tune with saving, but what am I? Even though I have grand dreams of being a very spendthrift person- I don't think that will ever quite fit my personality. 

Do I save? Yes. Do I spend? Yes. Do I impulse buy? Yes. As I type this right now, I have a horrible urge to purchase a new bronzer. Do I need a new bronzer? No... I have like ten to go through. Shoot, I have been working on the same one for at least a year! Here is a run down of weird things I purchased this past month...I don't know if my husband knows all this... it could get awkward.

1. Four cardigans and two blouses. Did I need these? No, probably not. Will I use them? Yes, and I have used them several times for work. As you know, I dress up at least six times a week. 

2. Faucet set for the shower. Do I need this? Yes, since we have lost all hope in the bathroom remodel project!

3. A telephone for my daddy. Did I need this? Well, it is my daddy and my mama likes it too!

4. 2 boxes of hair dye. Did I need this? No, but I did get a good deal and nobody wants to grow grey!

5. Eating out for lunch. Do I need to do this? Yes and no. I struggle with this constantly and I HAVE to get this under control.

Of course there are other things but why dig myself deeper? I want to challenge myself, but make sure it is doable... any suggestions? A "No Buy" week? Month? Year? 

I can’t remember if I posted about this before, but it deserves a second posting anyway! I picked up this doodad off of Amazon.com for $.50 and it has been worth it! Never in my life have I been able to put together such a lovely bun that lasts all day. When I take my hair down, it has a lovely curl and wave that one can wear as a hair-do. This is really going to be handy during the hot and humid summer months!


http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Hair-Bun-Sponge-Maker/dp/B004WDV2XA/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1366494656&sr=8-9&keywords=bun


Taxes=Budget

I finally finished putting together information needed for our tax returns. With the completion of that task comes an almost complete budget analysis of 2012. Let me just say that my jaw dropped when it came to our food bill! Who knew one could spend so much money purchasing groceries, eating out and getting a snack here and there. I know that I am to blame for the more frivolous spending as I tend to eat out more than my husband. 

Money spent on gas was another shocker, but Hubby and I both drive far distances. I usually drive seven days a week and I am not sure how I can fix this without giving up any of my activities. I do try to pair errands together with work or other activities, but unless we give up something- there is no way this can drop (which will be discussed next week).



Make up purchases are only being done with gift cards and/or money I receive for reviews. Not to toot my own horn, but I am a little proud of myself for this one! Course, I can't say the same in other areas. I believe I might be the bigger spender... the person who buys more on impulse!  I must get this under control! I had done so well in the first two months, but it all fell apart this month....tsk, tsk.

Christmas Tin Transformation

My mother had received a number of Christmas tins with lots of goodies inside. These tins can be reused but are often an eye sore after the holidays. Well, my younger sister became creative and look at what she put together! Aren't those lovely?

Thoughtful Thursday: How I Have Been Saving Money ...

I know I don't post a lot about budget stuff these days and in all honesty- it is become I am just plain behind.

I really think I struggle with keeping the grocery budget within the set boundaries and it is shameful to post this information. Luckily, Lent has started and that is always helpful!

One area I have improved- is the make up arena. I purchased two products in January and they were heavily discounted. Other than that- no money spent on any new make up products. In the meantime, I am actually using up my current products and dropping down that massive stockpile!

So, just a note stating that I keep on trying!

Baby Oil for...

shaving one's leg? Yes! I picked up this idea recently, attempted, and found success! Using baby oil leaves me with a good shave and very smooth legs! When you have a moment- give it a try!

Budget Updates

Just an FYI, that Hubby and I have saved half our goal for the year.
I need to assess everything again since we had to purchase a new car and now we are paying our insurance deductible for a new roof!


Life has been a bit expensive this year! Hubby has been wanting to purchase a new television. We had the money saved and ready to go, but the wrenches in our plan caused us to rethink things.

We decided (I actually decided and he threw a fit or something) that the television fund would need to be built up through extra money making adventures.

So far, I have been selling things on Craigslist and Hubby has been putting in a bit of overtime.


That's about it really...there isn't an ending right now...calm down, turbo!

Budget Updates

I continue to monitor my spending, but my record of it is a bit behind schedule. I normally make updates on my excel spreadsheet during my lunch breaks at work. Right now, though, work has picked up and I need the extra time to handle the work load.

Once things settle down, I will post an update of the accounts.

I can summarize that I continue with the make up ban which is driving me crazy, but I am sticking with it. I do want to try this new foundation, but there really isn't a legitimate justification to spend the money.

New clothes? Only if I can strike a great deal and if it benefits my church and work wardrobe.

Food? This will always be expensive for two reasons:

1. We purchase items that don't have coupons
2. I still have a bad habit with regard to my lunches. I can pack my husband breakfast and lunch, but my own meals are more sporadic.

If I can eliminate the second issue- we would be right on track.

Our entertainment lately has been puzzles and our continued subscription of Netflix.

Anyway.....

FEBRUARY REVIEW COMING....

I am sorry-just very behind!