May Was A Good Month

After spending $97.98 during the first part of the month, we now have $283.63 remaining from the monthly allotment.

We got to add an extra $25 to our cushion thanks to the gift card we got when we filled a prescription at the Giant Eagle pharmacy.  Our cushion is now $328.27.

What We Ate:
Grilled cheese and tomato soup, cheese nachos and guacamole, grilled fish, zucchini, and corn with strawberries, hamburgers and hotdogs, grilled pork chops with roasted veg and baked potato, leftovers, homemade pizza, meatloaf with corn and potatoes, hamburgers and pea salad, grilled sausage, grilled chicken and Asian salad, leftovers, huevos rancheros.

We ran into some good deals on meat so we bought eleven pounds to restock the freezer.  The cost was $26.20.

What we bought:

Save a Lot:  ribs, boneless pork chops, sweet sausage, polish sausage, cottage cheese, grape tomatoes.  $ 22.69

Aldi:  pretzels, three bean salad, limes (7), mayo, Vidalia onions, sunflower seeds, corn on the cob.  $9.63

Tops:  coffee.  1.99

Giant Eagle:  spinach and feta salmon burgers. $7.99

Aldi:  sour cream, cheese. $3.87

Save a Lot:  green chillies  $1.29

Aldi:  eggs (2), half and half, ground turkey, Greek yogurt, pepperoni, avocados (4), tea bags, English muffins, baguette, oyster crackers.  $ 18.50

Price Right:  coffee, olives, jug peach iced tea, prune juice, tonic water, peaches(3), nectarines(3), cantaloupe, bacon (2), cheese (4), peas (2)  $29.17

Dollar Tree:

Frosted Mini Wheats  $1

Price Right:
Ramen noodles (for salad), elbow macaroni, bananas, cheese (7), hotdogs.  $15.64

We spent $111.70 in grocery stores this half of the month.  The grand total for the month is $209.68.

Because of moving, travel and enjoying time with friends, we spent $ 48.47   on food out.

Meals Out:
Lunch on moving day. $5.30
Dinner on moving day. $6.34
Breakfast day after move.  $ 2.19
Lunch with Angela. $13
Lunch at Aunt Millie's on the way to N.Y.  $13.65
Lunch with Pat.  $7.99

All together, we spent $258.15 eating this month.  That averages out to $8.37 per day . And, we have $122.14 to add to our cushion.  Our cushion now totals $450.42.

When we go back to England I will need that cushion to stock the boat.  For sure.

Stuff. Too Much Stuff.

We have to be out of the cottage we have been living in since September by next Tuesday.  We have found another place so all is well, except we have to move all the stuff we have scattered around the cottage during the last eight months.

I now realize just how much yarn I have accumulated.  To be precise, one heck of a lot.  Two large boxes worth.  Probably time to focus on using some of that up before looking for more.

I have been working on Christmas items while here and three boxes of these items need an easily accessible home, along with a few birthday gifts.  Wedding gifts and birthday gifts needed in August also need to be corralled.

Then there are the clothes.  What should stay here, what should go to England when we leave, what should be donated?  And, just as important, what will fit in my suitcase.

And, what do I keep out to wear to two weddings and one wedding shower?

Then there is the food in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry.  What do we take with us, what do we get rid of, what do we give to friends?

And I'm sure there is more I am not even thinking of now.

My head is swimming.

$97.98 May, The Start Of The Month

This month we get $381.61 to feed ourselves, plus the $303.27 cushion from previous months, for a total of $684.88 of possible spending during May.  Although, I have no intention of spending it all.  I'm still eating from our freezer and pantry and working on saving money, some of which will be used to help restock.



What we ate:  nachos supreme and spinach salad, homemade split pea soup, grilled Ahi tuna, leftover pizza, pasta with seafood sauce, slow cooker roast beef with vegetables, grilled hotdogs with baked beans and deviled eggs, Spanish omelette with chorizo, chorizo and white bean Mexican soup, grilled ham steak with noodles Alfredo, salami with ham and cheese sandwich and popcorn, Cincinnati Four Way Chili, grilled ribs, Greek  appetizers


Meals Out:

Breakfast with Dad.  $28.96
Lunch with Angela.  $11.12
Total:  $40.38

What we spent:

Aldi:
Salsa, cheese. $4.18

Aldi:  saltines, cheese (2), half and half, sweet peppers, avocados (2), BBQ sauce, tomatoes. $15.61

Aldi:  bread, milk, eggs. $6.10

Aldi:  potatoes  $2.39

Aldi:  eggs (2), romaine hearts, cheese (4), oysters, onion soup mix, canned soup (3), Apple's, zucchini, spinach, mustard, carrots, strawberries, blueberries, mushrooms $29.

  We spent $40.08 at restaurants the first half of this month.

For food we spent $57.90.

The total of the two was $97.98 over the last 16 days for an average of $6.12 per day.

When all is said and done, we now have  $586.90 of monthly funds and of cushion and I'm hoping I can keep most of it for restocking because that time is approaching.

Homebound No More

Yesterday was a red letter day:  I was released from in home nursing and PT.

I will start outpatient PT on Wednesday for both my hip and shoulder.  I'm really hoping I get the shoulder rehab finished this time before the next thing happens.

Actually, I'm hoping no next thing happens this time.  I'm ready for some boring everyday life.

In eight months I've had a broken shoulder, a broken elbow, appendicitis, perotinitis, a broken hip and a small bowel blockage.  Enough, right?

A Great Month of Eating Leftovers

To recap, this month we had $369.30 for the month and $110.00 of a bonus cushion.  The first part of the month we spent $79.50, leaving $289.80 of April's funds and all of the bonus cushion.

Mike did a great job of eating out of the freezer and staying out of the grocery store and restaurants.  Thanks to him we did a great job of keeping costs under control.

What did we eat:
Mike grilled himself a steak to have with a green salad, Rotatouille with pasta and Greek salad, grilled ham and cheese, grilled shrimp and tilapia, steak with Brussels sprouts, salad and cantaloupe, Easter dinner with Sharon, leftover Swedish meatballs, stir fry, leftover southern bbq, left over stir fry, bam and cheese omelette, leftover stir fry, pasta and melon, grilled hamburger, grilled ham steak, leftover Swedish meatballs, Mac and cheese ( my welcome home from the hospital soft food diet choice), tilapia and shrimp, leftover French onion soup, homemade pizza with six toppings and three cheeses

Meals Out:
Mike's Barstool sailing  $13.82

What did we spend:

Aldi:   cream, eggs (2), whipped topping (2),  pork rinds, cheese, mushrooms, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper grinder.   $17.90

Giant Eagle:  bacon, sweet pepper,   $1.62

Save a Lot:  cabbage, cheese   $ 3.61

Walmart:  Flatbread (2), tortillas  $5.86

Aldi:  frozen berries, spinach, pork rinds, eggs (2), baby back ribs.  $14.14

Tops:  coffee, ketchup  $5.48

Aldi:  prune juice (prescribed), strawberries, cheese (3),  peanuts, olives, cantaloupe, apricot preserves, chorizo, bananas.  $25.20

We spent a total of $87.63 this part of the month for a total of  $167.13 for the month.
That means we have $202.12 to carry over from April.  When you add in the cushion we started the month with, $101.10, we now have a cushion of  $303.27 to carry over into May.  Not too shabby.

April, When It was still normal

My cushion took a beating in March.  And I am worried April won't be much better since we will be going out with friends before we leave for England on May fifteenth.  Send good thoughts.  (Update:  England is now on hold.)

At $12.31 per day we have $369.30 to spend for April.  Our cushion is$68.02 from January and $32.08 left from February.  So, the max is $469.40.  Let's see how well we do.


What did we eat:

Leftovers of pizza, ham loaf, French Onion soup;  grilled pork chops with Greek cucumber salad and creamed spinach; leftover savoury cheesecake, tacos at Megen's, ham steak on the grill, leftover ham steak



Eating Out:

Lunch with Ginger and Eileen. $11.01
Lunch on way to beach house  $10.87
Dinner out at beach house. $20.57
Dinner and lunch on way back from D.C.   $15.80


Groceries:

Aldi:  $21.25
Cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers (3), canned peaches, pears, fruit cocktail and mandarin oranges,  Parmesan cheese, Roma tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, mushrooms, olives (2), cream

We've spent $79.50 so far this month.  We have $289.80 of April's money, plus the  $101.10 of bonus.

It is anyone's guess how the next few weeks will go.
Yesterday I had surgery to repair a broken left hip.
 Once released, I will be going to a rehab center to kick start my rehab.
 For the next few weeks Mike will be chief cook and grocery shopper.
 I think I have left him enough funds.  We shall see.

Summer Wardrobe

I'm an optimist.  Summer, I'm sure, is coming.

So today I went out and bought my summer wardrobe.

True to The Compact, all of my new to me clothes came from a thrift store.

I now have seven new to me tops and two new pairs of pants.

The grand total:  $34.01.