Tammy's Journal

Today I spent 11.28 at the grocery store and 4.26 for breakfast for dh and I. Total of 15.54. Probably will need to put some gas in my truck- but I won't fill it until Thursday.
__________________
~Tammy~
No spend days: 29/5 first # is total for the year/total for this month
Groceries:~$29.82~goal:$450
Saving Pennies for Christmas '05

Well our computer has been acting up lately. Wasn't running right, ran the virus scan and it didn't work. So I decided to reformat the whole thing - now when you do this - you lose everything in the computer. Sooooooooo I wrote down all the favorites and then any pics I wanted to save I saved to disks.

Then I took it apart (yep you read that right) on the side I took the panel off and hand vacuumed it out and dusted it. Then I hooked it back and reformatted it.

It is like a new computer now. I really want a new computer but really don't see it in the cards right now. But I really love my computer and now it's as good as new.

Saving some $$ and I can still be online.

Well today I had to get up super early to take dson to work. He could of taken the car on mondays but my truck is needing some work - so we didn't want him having the only other vehicle.

Today I am cleaning and decluttering the linen closet and the boys' closet - again

No money will be spent today. So that will make 5 days in Feb so far.

Today some $ will be spent, not alot but some. Dh wants some snacks for the game tonight. I will look through the ads and see what I can get. I don't want to spend more than $10 on snacks. *MIGHT* order pizza tonight - not sure yet - If we do that will be $20.
Giving at church today also.
Have a great day!
______________________
Tammy~
No spend days: 28/4 first # is total for the year/total for this month
Groceries:~$18.54~goal:$450
Saving Pennies for Christmas '05

Yesterday I wasn't able to get online, but it was a no spend day!
Just cleaned up around here and did some laundry.

________________________
Tammy~
No spend days: 28/4 first # is total for the year/total for this month
Groceries:~$18.54~goal:$450
Saving Pennies for Christmas '05

Well I spent some money today. I got 18.54 in groceries. Then I spent 4.20 for valentines stuff for the kids' class parties next week. Got each boy a package of valentine cards and a huge bag of tootsie roll pops (80 in there) enough for both classes and some left over.

On the way home, I went by a garage sale - I haven't been going because we don't need anything really...... Well I saw this really cool office chair high back, figuring he probably wanted at least $20 for it I went home. But then I went back down there,(because I really needed a new chair) right down the block from us and he only wanted $5 and he throw in an item from his $ table - I got a huge snowman cookie jar. (I collect snowmen) Both items for $5 and this chair is soooooooooo nice!!

So my total today:27.75
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No spend days: 27/3 first # is total for the year/total for this month
Groceries:~$18.54~goal:$450
Saving Pennies for Christmas '05

Taxes are done!! WOOHOO!!! Finally they are done! Now just to wait for confirmation from the irs.

If you haven't done your taxes yet, go to irs.gov and click on file for free.

I went through h&R block who I went through last year - they were able to import our records and it saved me $24.95 over what I paid last year!! Another WOOHOO!!!!!!!

Also filed oldest dson's for him through the site.

What is your outlook on saving?

Dave Ramsey has a saying "Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later!"

I love that, and it's sooooo true. We are using that saying now, as we build up our savings. The little things that we cut, can sometimes add up to big $$ (especially over time). Ok so it's only $5 a month savings - or what's $2 on the coffee? It all adds up and you would be surprised how fast it adds up if you don't spend it and set it aside. Even the little things add up.

If you haven't tracked your spending that is an excellent way to find where your money goes and where you can save.
We began tracking over 2 years ago, and it sure is eye-opening.
It's funny to see what we *thought* were priorities over 2 years ago and thought we had to have and how we have downsized (because of choice mostly) and it's been great.

So I will make up a batch of homemade handcleaner (like purell)

1/2 rubbing alcohol
1/2 aloe vera gel

My little container in my purse needs to be refilled. I also saved a huge Catsup bottle yesterday I will put it in. My son thought that I was crazy to save the bottle but it was huge and very sturdy. I didn't know what I would use it for yesterday but I do today.

No money being spent today. Day 3 in February of no spending!!

Still don't have our w2's I was hoping to file our taxes by now. Normally we have our refund by the first friday of February.
So if it shows up today - then I will efile tonight........ Hoping!!!

Being frugal today:
~using only cold water to wash
~1/8 cup of laundry soap per load
~making my own furniture polish
~making syrup
~looking online for some books dd wants me to buy, to see if we can get them through the library
~go through coupon file and discard the ones that are expired
~*THROW* away the sales ads that came in yesterday's mail - no great sales and am committed to eating what we have here first.
~eating from the pantry/freezer

I count a day as a no spend day if I don't spend any $$ except for fixed items - (such as mortgage, lights, insurance)
Everything else is counted, all groceries, gas, basically anything that is flexible or that is non essential (haircuts, manicures, car washes etc) Actually normally my fixed bills are all paid on one of the thursday that I go grocery shopping normally.
Some people will count if they go anywhere that uses gas as an expense - I take the kids to school everyday and fill up once every two weeks so I only count it when I fill up.

I think anyone who wants to track these, just needs to decide before hand wht you will count.

No spending again today. WOOHOO!! I love those kinds of days.

Nothing major frugal going on here today. Making bread, chocolate chip cookie bars (that didn't get done yesterday), didn't hang out laundry as it's raining.

WOW! I can't believe we are into February already. It really is true the older you get (not that I am *that* old LOL) that the years go by so quickly...........

Today I need to take dson to the dr for a recheck of his ingrown toenails. No copay so that is good.

gonna stop by and pick up a dvd for another dson - have a coupon for a free movie so that won't cost anything.

Today I have:
~added 1/2 cup of water to the shampoo
~added 1/2 cup of water to the conditioner
~washed 1 load in cold water
~washed using 1/8 cup of soap
~will hang out the laundry on the line in a few minutes
~wash a 2nd load in cold water and hang out
~put away towels on the drying rack - started putting them there, once we are done with showers/baths in the evenings - we are already clean - everyone has their own color- so once we dry off we put on drying rack - I just started doing this but have already cut my laundry down to 2 loads a day versus 4! SO that will be a savings
~pack lunches for school

Left to do:
~making dinner out of the freezer/pantry - making homemade pizza
~will make up a couple batches of chocolate chip cookie bars, some go in the freezer
~will make up bread
~set up bill pay for the month of February
~balance the checkbook with online banking


So today will be February's first no spend day, unless the dr. prescribes meds - which I doubt as dson is still taking the antibiotics from last week.

Have a FRUGAL February!!

Still waiting on a W2 ----UGH!! I really wished we would hurry up and get it - I know it will probably be here by the end of the week but we have never waited this long to file our taxes. We normally have our refund back by the first friday in Feb. I probably won't even get it submitted until then.

I started using quicken just a few days ago and it's great. It helps with tracking the $$ so much easier and I am such a visual person. Seeing is believing. LOL I have all the info in a notebook also - but the charts in quicken are great - so I can actually see % of where my $$ are going without doing the math. LOL

February I want to
~continue to track all expenses
~continue to keep the grocery bill down
~18 no spend days
~hang laundry out
~reduce kwh as much as possible
~learn to cook a few new recipes

Have a great February!!

WOOHOO!! Today is the last day of January so it's the last day to count my no spend days for this month *****~24~*****
I exceeded my goal of 20! I am excited. My goal for next month will be 18 no spend days. Hoping to do more, but will be happy with 18 since it's a shorter month.

Here were my January goals:

Three goals for January:
1. continue working on electric bill
**Need to continue to work on this one - so I will put this in my February goals also. It went up, but I called and found out that rates also increased - so I don't feel too bad.

2. work on getting the food budget down!!
**Goal was $500 this month - came in at $445.xx No more shopping here for January. So I made this goal. I would love to average out at 450 per month for the year. Let's see how I do.

3. declutter marathon with flylady
**Our home is decluttered, I don't like knick knacks and have decluttered clothes and books, tupperware and misc this month. I am very happy with the progress I made in this area.

1-roasted lemon pepper chicken, baked potatoes, mixed veggies
2-grilled hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans
3-Baked Ziti, salad, corn
4-homemade ham and bean soup, homemade bread sticks
5-chicken pot pie (homemade), salad
6- Crockpot soy roast, mash potatoes/gravy, green beans
7-homemade pizza italian sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, mushrooms
8-creamed chicken over rice, asaragus
9-chili, cornbread
10-beef tips over rice, peas
11-chicken cordon bleu (homemade), hm mac and cheese,broccoli
12-soft shell tacos, refried beans, mexican rice
13-Lasagna, corn
14-beef stew, homemade bread sticks


All dinners can have homemade bread with them as I always have it made up. I always have salad fixins in the fridge. I don't do these meals in a particular order or anything like that - just whatever I feel like cooking for the day. Some of the meats/meals go in the crockpot (6,9,10,14)
I assemble some things before freezing - like I make the hamburger patties up flash freeze them and then package up. I cook the chicken for the pot pie and creamed chix then assembled them and freeze. I make the pizza crusts up in batches and just have the stuff we put on them in baggies and we pull out what we need. I boil the pasta while I am putting groceries away and then assemble the pasta dishes - and freeze. The day I grocery shop and the morning after are spent working on putting stuff away and getting things ready for the freezer. But it saves me alot of time during the week when life gets hectic.

I can't remember exact prices I pay per lb. But I normally look at the package of meat and see how many meals that will make for our family and then divide it by 9 - which will give me a cost per serving. Around here, the grocery stores are high for their meats, except Save alot and occasionally I will buy their chicken breasts, but the rest of their meat (in my area) is not that good. We were going to a meat market for freezer packs but have been able to beat the price at Sams.

I shop at Walmart (for hba, and pet supplies)
Save a lot for canned goods and snack type foods (just a few of those for school lunches) some baking needs
Sams - I buy all my meat, laundry soap, pastas, flour, yeast stuff like that......

I make almost everything from scratch - with the exception of Prego. I just can't make a spaghetti sauce I like and we love prego sooooo we still buy that. I make all of our bread.

If I could give up pepsi and chocolate - we would probably save another $40 to $50 but I love both!! LOL

I always make a menu out for 14 days at a time - I don't dictate what we have daily as I may not feel like making it that particular day. KWIM?
Dinners are normally 14 different dinners, Lunches are leftovers, sandwiches, fruit, salads
Breakfasts - eggs, cereal, oatmeal, homemade breads, cinnamon rolls, etc

Shop only with a list and give yourself $10 to stock up with - like if peanut butter is on sale for 99 cents I may buy 10 of them for the pantry. If I don't find a good sale on anything I set the stock up money aside- until a good deal is found.

I shop only with cash and a calculator.

I shop in my pantry/freezer first - seeing what I have that can be used with the dinner I have choosen to make.

There are a few things I don't make that would probably make my bill go down further - I don't make tortillas, homemade laundry soap (I just don't like - I buy l.s. at sams and I only use 1/8 of a cup in my front loader so a huge container lasts a long time), yogurt (but will be trying to in the next few weeks. )

No spending day here. Day 23 of the no spend challenge!! WOOHOO!!

Got the water pipe fixed today. Got all the laundry done - of course I used the dryer to get it all finished. So that wasn't a frugal choice - but the laundry is all done.

Making homemade cinnamon bread for breakfast tomorrow morning.

We have a pipe on the side of the house that was leaking - dh is fixing it, but didn't get it finished. But that's ok!! I got our 5 gallon container out of the attic and filled it with water. Also had gallons and gallons of water in the garage from the last hurricane. I boiled water and did the dishes by hand, then I boiled some for the little one baths. It's soooooooo nice to be prepared with little things. This was not stressful at all. The rest of us with wash up tonight, not full baths but that's ok.

I just want to encourage anyone reading this - be prepared with food that can be cooked on a grill if necessary or eaten from the can, water, batteries. You just never know when such preparedness will come in handy and make your situation less stressful.

Went to walmart - had to buy cleats for dd who is in softball at school. Her old ones don't fit her and we don't have any that would. Spent 15.23 total today.

Dh is going to home depot and will spend some $$ to get parts to replace a faucet on the side of the house that is leaking.

Oh also got some apple wallpaper border for 50 cents at a thrift store.

That's all the spending I have done and will do today.

We have Microsoft money on the computer and I think I will finally start to use it. I know - it's terrible it's been on here and I don't use it. But I really want an accurate picture of what we every penny on.
Also have quicken on here. Wonder which will work best for us? I know that MS money has charts and such, wonder if quicken does too? Will play around with both of them tonight and try to figure out which one I like best.

Now to take the next main step on saving $$ on our grocery bill. Start a coupon file ( I have a *tiny* one now) and start refunding. I got a subscription to Refund Cents and got my first issue today. It is amazing how much people save!!! I can't wait to read through the magazine this weekend.

Hoping I can learn some new tips to keep my grocery bill low!!

A while back I check the kwh with the dishwasher and they were high. So we stopped using it for awhile. BUT then got lazy, started using it again. I just can't stand dishes in the sink, so putting them in the dish washer was much easier so I wouldn't have to see them.
But this last electric bill to actually see it so high - the dw *MUST* stay off for now. At least until some of our other goals are met.

Next month we will have been at this house for 6 years. In those 6 years we haven't been able to pay any extra. I figured out today we have *only* paid off 4065.16 off the principal of the mortgage. The mortgage went up this year, because of escrow - but I am determined to send them something extra each month. It won't be much at first, but it will be something!!

Ok my goal for January was 500.00 - actually I really want to work on getting it to 450.00 averaged out this year. This is for 2 adults, 7 children and a HUGE lab! My budget also includes laundry, hba, paper products and pet food/shampoo.
My total for January is:




444.67 I am soooooo excited!!! Now to keep it this low the rest of the year. I got a huge container of laundry soap that will probably last us 2 months, also got a huge box (66) of pull ups for dd at night. This is also enough for 2 months. She only uses one a night. So won't have that expense next month.
Now I cut out the soda that I did buy and the chocolate. WOW!! We could really lower it. Working on those!!

This is Day 22 that is a no spend day!! WOOHOO!!! I was only aiming for 20 - and exceeded that.