Household
1. Receptacle plate. $0.73. Valu home center
2. Brita filters (10) $32.99 Costco
Total: $33.72
Personal Care:
Zero
Mike used his Veterans’ Day voucher to get his hair cut.
Year end totals
Household: $54.58 under
Personal care: $84.64 under
2024 budget amount remains at $30/month/ category. It will be a stretch.
1. We spent three nights in DC in a hotel. The cost was paid for by credit card points. We saved hundreds! Remember, we charge everything on our cards BUT you MUST pay the card off in full EVERY month or the points you earn aren’t really saving you money.
2. We took advantage of seasonal sales to add to our stockpile. Things like flour and pie crusts are at there lowest yearly price now so I stock up.
3. We used $15 of our “free” Giant Eagle money to purchase items that were already on sale. That made the money go even further.
4. We had cucumber left over after the salad greens were gone. I cut it into pieces and put it in some pickle juice. In a few weeks we will have pickles instead of having to throw it away. Win!
5. Got 4quarts of beef broth and a garbage bag of yarn for free from my buy nothing group.
6. My holiday meals were all put together using things from the freezer and my stockpile. We ate like kings! And I saved over 50% of what you might expect it to cost. Just some preplanning can save a fortune!
January
1 pair of black dress pants and 1 top $3.98 Sandy Salvation Army
Tennis shoes $34.98 Mike Sam's
February
$0.00
March
Boxer shorts 4 pair $15.00. Mike Amazon
2 sweaters $6 Sandy. Goodwill
2 pairs khaki pants $70 Mike Amazon
April
12 pair underwear $34.46 Mike. Amazon
New belt $15 Mike Amazon
T shirts 6 $18.99. Mike. Amazon
Navy nylons $0.99 Sandy Thrifty shopper
Rain jacket $34.99 Mike. Target
dress pants and top $10.82 Sandy. Goodwill
May
Top from Irish thrift store $3.30 Sandy
Sleep pants $5.79 Mike goodwill
June
Shorts $12 Mike Costco
Nylons $1 Sandy Thrift store
July
Top $1.50 Sandy Canadian Thrift store
Shorts $10.98 Mike Sam's Club
5 tops $20 Sandy. Thrifty Shopper
3 pairs jeans $16.02 Sandy Goodwill
August
8 bras $36 Sandy Fruit of the Loom
Teva sandals $36.90 Sandy
black Pantyhose (2). $5. Sandy Wal-Mart
September
Leather belt. Mike. $40
October
Winter boots $5 Sandy Salvation Army
3 sweaters $15 Sandy Salvation Army
November
Jeans (3) $94.97 Mike Amazon
December
Totals:
Sandy $150.61 $0.61 over budget
Mike $399.16 The numbers speak for themselves .
Allocation $403 ($13/day for two people, including meals out)
Cushion. $0.00
What we Ate: ham, butter beans, Brussels sprouts, ambrosia salad; Ham and cheese on rye, ambrosia salad; Italian egg rolls with sauce, pasta with garlic and cheese, peas and almonds, homemade French bread; Green chili enchilada casserole, refried beans, tortilla chips, fruit salad; Ham sandwich with homemade French fries; Taco pizza; Orange chicken, homemade fried rice, potstickers, pears; Beef fajitas, Mexican rice, cottage cheese and clementine salad; Stuffed peppers, winter squash, apple sauce, garlic bread; Pasta with avocado sauce and shrimp, garlic bread, Waldorf salad; Bean, rice and cheese burritos, popcorn; Homemade tomato basil soup with homemade pretzel nuggets; Cheesy meatloaf, sweet potato, green bean salad with mustard dressing; Chick pea curry with spinach, rice pancakes, fried green beans, pear and blue cheese salad; Assorted appetizers from the freezer;
What We Bought:
Costco: Feta (5#), paneer (2#). $23.47
Tops: apples, sweet peppers, clementines. $3.96
Price Rite: boneless skinless chicken breast (5.25#). Winter squash(2.5#). $12.67
Aldi: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, Bartlett pears (3#). $10.82
As usual for January, not a lot of good specials to be had.
2week subtotal grocery: $50.92
Remaining Allocation: $352.08
Linus: 20
Chemo Caps: 21
Operation Gratitude Scarves: 9
Pet Blankets: 2
Dishcloths : 7
A large afgan for Amy
Yarn:
$ 8.40 5 skeins. Goodwill $1.70/skein
$5.35 5 skeins Goodwill $1.07/skein
A free bag of assorted yarn from a friend containing 25 skeins
$5.00 5skeins Thrifty shopper $1.00/skein
$5 5 skeins Goodwill $1/skein
Yarn donated by a friend 9 skeins
Year End Totals:
Linus 88
Chemo Caps 78
Operation Gratitude Scarves 53
Pet Blankets 16
974 skeins. $724.16. On average $1.35/]skein
Remaining Allocation: $127.88
Cushion: $860.22
What We Ate: pastrami sandwiches with horseradish cheese, homemade French fries; Spanakopita and fried Greek cheese with salad; Homemade French onion soup with garlic and cheese croutons; Split pea soup with fruit and yogurt; Pierogie casserole, peas and carrots , salad; Leftovers; Bean and rice burittos; Assortment of appetizers; Rib roast, cranberry horseradish sauce, peas with mushrooms and almonds, dauphinois potatoes, fig pudding; Beef sandwiches and leftover apple salad; Chili with homemade French bread; Sloppy Joe, cheesy potato, edamame, apple sauce; Lo mean, brown rice, zucchini ; Beef, bean and cheese nachos with sweet potato wedges; Assortment of appetizers
What We Bought:
Giant Eagle: townhouse crackers, 3 pkgs cookie mix$2.70
Aldi: zucchini, celery,French fried onions,cheese , brusselsprouts (3), cream of soups (4), $23.44
Aldi: whipped topping, cheddar cheese (3) $8.16
Save a lot: half and half $2.99
Save a lot: marshmallow fluff $1.69
Two Week Subtotal: $38.98
Eating Out:
Mike’s birthday lunch. $26.05
Mike’s birthday dinner. $42.98
Mike lunch in Cleveland. $1.48
McDonald’s 50th anniversary of first date. $10.58
Lunch with Mike’s family. $35.09
Two Week Subtotal: $116.18
Monthly Total Groceries: $128.96
Monthly Total Eating Out: $239.32 A social month.
Final Total: $368.28 Over allocation by $27.28
Into the Cushion: $27.28
Remaining Cushion: $832.94 This does not carry over to 2024.
YTD: 306 days
Groceries : $1707.00 $5.58/day for two people. $2.79/person/day
Eating Out: $806.04 $2.63/ day for two people $1.32/person/day
Final Total: $2513.06. $8.21/day for two people. $4.11/person/day
From last year we were up $1.43/day for two people.
Taking that number into consideration, I am upping the daily allocation from $11 to $13.
The Department of Agriculture, for their lowest food plan, suggests $19.26/day. We will be under that recommendation by $6.26. I can live with that.
