2025. Buying and Eating: February 16-28

 Remaining Allocation:  $260.85

Cushion:     $186.09

YTD. 46 days

Total:  $252.23

Grocery:  $117.02

Eating Out:  $145.21

What We Ate:  chicken with cashews over soba noodles, green beans, yogurt and fruit;     British fish pie and vegetable pancakes with homemade scones;     Italian bean and sausage soup, pepperoni bread;     Korean beef with rice and cabbage, yogurt and fruit, scone;     Scalloped potatoes and ham, corn, fresh fruit and yogurt;     Chicken, pasta with garlic and cheese, peas;     Sauerkraut and smoked sausage soup, chicken sandwich ;         Chicken tetrazzini, black eyed pea salad, garlic bread;     Vegetarian haggis, cauliflower and cheese, orange and apple salad;     Spanish bean soup, fried bologna on kimilwick roll, fresh fruit;     Savory cheesecake, slow cooker onion potatoes, cauliflower cheese, salad;     Cauliflower and cheese soup, egg salad on toast;     Assorted cheeses and crackers after concert 

What We Bought: 

Sam’s:  chicken. $4.98

Tops:  broth, alouette garlic and herbs, Brie,Muenster, bananas    $12.14    All sale items

Erie Food Cooperative:  cinnamon, Italian seasoning, cilantro, chili flakes, catnip,  Himalayan  salt   $15.18    All sale but salt

Country Fair:  egg(2)      $6     Sale

Eating Out:

Mike lunch Cleveland.   $2.58.   Sam’s 

Breakfast with Mike.    $25.95.  Avantis

Remaining Allocation:  $199.00

New Cushion:  $285.09

YTD. 69 days

Total. $314.08.       $4.59/day.    $2.29/ person/day

Grocery.  $150.34.         $2.18/day.        $1.09/person/day

Eating Out.   $174.74.       $2.21/day.     $1.11/person/day

2025. Household and Personal Care: January

 Household   $30 budget

Efferent to clean coffee cups (2).    $2.50.    Dollar Tree 

Mop     $9.99     Menards

Smoke/CO  detector     $44.99     Menards

Bamboo cutting boards  $6.99     Aldi

Total:   $65.46         $35.46 over budget

Personal Care    $30 budget

Colgate toothpaste. (3).    $3.75.     Dollar Tree 

Kleenex (12).  $14.98.    Sam’s 

Mike haircut.   $14.    Great Clips 

Qtips.  $1.25

Total:  $33.38.      $3.38 over budget

2025. Buying and Eating: February 1-15

 Allocation:  $364    $13 / day

Cushion:   $186.09

YTD.  31 days

Total     $149.08

Grocery.    $86.06

Eating Out.    $63.02

What We Ate:     Melt in your mouth chicken, apple and orange salad, pesto and cheese florentine rice;     Ham, hubbard squash, black eyed pea salad;     Tuna chowder, Raisin Bran muffins;     Chicken piccata, florentine rice, salad, garlic and cheese bread;     Vegetarian bean curry, yogurt and fresh fruit, homemade flatbread;     Chicken piccata, zucchini, Italian rice balls;     Ham loaf, mixed wild rice, banana and yogurt ;     Stuffed pepper soup, chicken sandwich ;      Pasta with spinach , sautéed cauliflower, garlic cheese bread , fruit and yogurt;     Leftovers;     Tacos, guacamole, beans and rice;     Valentines Day:   Savory Italian cheesecake, baked Parmesan zucchini, yogurt and fruit, vanilla wafer cake;     

What We Bought:

Giant Eagle:  Parmesan, provolone, sharp cheddar cheese (3#)   $10.95     Sale items 

Erie Food Cooperative:  flax meal ( replace eggs in baking)   1# equal to 70 eggs   $6.29

Sanders:   Cauliflower, zucchini, yogurt, donuts   $7.95     All sale items.

Auldi:  cheese (2#),  avocado (2)     $5.77     Sale items

Total:  $30.96

Eating Out:

Butchs Diner   $9.01  lunch with the ladies 

Sam’s Club    $3.66 lunch on way to dc

Italian Restaurant  $32.02     Dinner with Mike and Gail

Frederick Social   $22.00   Lunch with kids

Pizza for national pizza day   $15.50

Sam’s Club    $2.80 lunch on way home 

Total:   $82.19

Our trip to dc really added to the cost, but I am fine with that. 

Two Week Total:  $103.15

YTD:  46 days 

Total:   $252.23.         $5.48/day.         $2.74/person/day

Grocery:  $117.02.         $2.54/day.       $1.27/person/day

Eating Out:     $145.21.         $3.16/day.        $1.58/person/day

Remaining Allocation:   $260.85

Cushion:  $186.09

2025. Frugal Things in January

 1.  I set myself a bit of a challenge with the food budget this year.  So I have to keep frugality firmly in mind.  Ergo, soup making.  A great way to vary flavors with minimal cost.  I made tomato basil from bits and pieces in the freezer;  Greek egg and lemon with juices left over from New Year’s Day;  beef  bourguignon with beef left over from Christmas; Spanish bean with dry garbanzo beans;  tuna chowder;

2.  I saved quite a few dollars by making our bread products:: artisan whole wheat, English muffins, corn muffins,   Rye bread, regular white bread, bagels, pizza crust, croutons,   Irish soda bread .   I can make them for cents on the dollar and it is very satisfying.

3.   We got a pork shoulder roast for $1.69/# and used it to make breakfast sausage.  The small amount of bone was used to make stock.  

4.  We needed to stay in a hotel room one night and, as usual, we used credit card points to pay the bill.

5.  We used a $15 gift card to help pay for a lunch out.

2025. Buying and Eating: January 16-31

 Remaining Allocation     $335.17

Previous Two Weeks 

Grocery     $40.03     $2.67/day       $1.34/person/day

Eating out   $27.80     $1.82/day      $0.91/person/day

Total     $67.83      $4.52/day      $2.26/person/day

What We Ate:  leftover taco pizza, rice and bean tacos or burritos, orange and onion salad;      Tuna chowder, corn muffins, salad;     Beefy noodles, green bean casserole, Fruit and cottage cheese;     Ham loaf, baked beans, roasted beets, salad;     Taco soup, cheese quesadilla;     Smoked sausage, baked beans, carrot and raisin salad, corn muffins;     Greek egg and lemon soup, spanokatopia;     Rotisserie chicken, sausage and cornbread stuffing, corn, cottage cheese and fruit;     Chicken sandwich with homemade French fries;     Pasta florentine with chicken and garlic bread;     Cottage pie, garlic bread;   January 25.  Burns Night. Vegetarian haggis, bubble and squeak, soda bread, shortbread (2);     Spanish bean soup, cheese toast;     Beef bourguignon, pork sandwich;     

What We Bought:

Giant Eagle:  ground beef (3.6#), potatoes (5#), digiorno pizza.  $12.12.    All were sale items 

Giant Eagle:  grated Parmesan (1#). $2.18.    Sale item

Costco:  dried onion, rotisserie chicken. $10.48

Aldi:  leg of lamb for Easter   $19.47    Sale item

Aldi:  dry black eye peas  (2#)  $1.78    Sale item

Eating Out:

Panera Bread   $2.69   Breakfast at Clinic

21.36  lunch at Clinic

Erie Yacht Club     $11.17     Lunch

YTD      31 days

Total:   $149.08        $4.81/day       $2.41/person/day

Grocery     $86.06      $2.77/day     $1.39/person/day

Eating Out     $63.02     $2.03/day     1.01/person/day

New  cushion     $186.09

I relied in my stockpile this month a lot.  As it should be.

2024 Clothing

 The yearly amount for 2024 is $250/person.  The prices for used clothing have significantly increased.

January 

-$0-

February 

Sandy:  3 sweaters, 2 pants, one top, 1 pair pantyhose. $32.    (50% off sale)    Thrifty Shopper 

Mike:  1 long sleeved t’s. $3.50   (50% off sale)     Thrifty Shopper

Sandy. Fall/spring coat. $10     Goodwill

Sandy.    Sweater.  $8.99   Thrifty   Shopper

Sandy     Boots for England     $10   Goodwill 

March

0

April

0

May

Mike   1 long sleeved t  $4.50   Goodwill 

Mike    3 pairs shorts   19.98  Goodwill 

Mike shorts    $4.99    Goodwill 

Mike.    2 pairs of gloves       $7.47     Menards

Mike     4 long sleeve t’s       $19.92    Amvets

Sandy    Shoes, navy blue     $0.98      Amvets    After use of $4 coupon

Sandy    Blazer, two tops       $10.94    Amvets

June

Sandy.     Summer dress.       $6.49.  Under on roof thrift store 

Mike.       Syracuse t shirt.     $4.76.    Under one roof thrift store 

July

Sandy.      Blouse.       $4.00.     Community Thrift Store 

Mike.        Golf shirt.         $0.50.      Community Thrift Store 

Mike.     3 golf shirts, 2 shorts.   $5.    Thrifty shopper special sale

Mike.      Shorts.  $2.70.    Humane society thrift store

Sandy.     2 blouses.    $8.78.      Goodwill 

Sandy.      Purse.       $2.        Finders Keepers thrift store 

August

Mike.       3 pairs of suspenders.       $66.15.       Amazon

Sandy.      Six tops.       $12.78     Community  Thrift store

Sandy.       Two tops.     $8.54.        Salvation Army 

September 

Sandy.     One pair Clark’s shoes.    9.99.    Goodwill

October 

Sandy.         One sweater and one blazer.    $15.00.    Amvets 

Sandy.         2 sweaters and 2 tops.       $13.         Salvation Army 

Mike.          Everyday boots.        $34.98.        Sam’s 

Sandy.         Blue evening blazer.     $6.41.       Good will in Canada 

Mike.           Everyday shoes.      $29.77.           Sam’s 

November 

    -0-

December 

Sandy.          Pair of black jeans, pair of brown jeans, purple sweater.   $16.40

Year Total: 

Sandy $176.30

Mike. $203.82

Both are under budget for the year.  The budget for 2025 will remain the same at $250/year/person.

2024. Frugal Things in December

 1.  I saved about $8 making four ounces of almond extract using almonds and vodka.

2.   We stayed in hotel rooms for a total of four nights.  The total cost, except for taxes, was covered by using credit card points.

3.  I took advantage of some more seasonal sales to add some extras to our stockpile.

4.  I managed a special birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve 90% out of the stockpile.  I just needed sour cream, cream cheese, half and half, baguette and heavy cream to make the menus.

5.  I needed gift bags.  I got lucky and found 30 like new ones at a thrift store for $12.  Quite a savings.