2023 Household and Personal Care: January

 Household

Toilet paper and paper towels  $40.76    Sam's

Bathroom grout cleaner  $3.88.    Menards

Cascade  $5.49     Price Rite

Sandwich bags, quart bags, coffee filters   $3.75

Sheet set    $14.99     Aldi

Oven liners(2)   $10.99  Amazon

Total:  $79.86   we are over for the month by $  49.86

Our toilet paper mass buy and a new set of sheets took us over significantly.

Personal Care

Purple shampoo   $4.98     Wal-Mart

Mike hair cut  $15    ( prices h have gone up)

Pedicure  $30

Total:  $49.98     we are over for the month by $19.98

My pedicure, as always, took us over.

We will even out the costs  over the year, with luck.

2023 Food and Eating: February 1-15

 Allocation:  $308

Cushion:  $115.43

YTD:

Grocery:  $147.47

Eating Out:  $79.10

Total:  $226.57

What We Ate:  Slow cooker stuffed pork chops, cranberry sauce, cabbage salad with poppyseed dressing; chicken with garbanzo beans, smashed potatoes, salad; black beans with rice, corn, cottage cheese and fruit; cottage pie, Rye cheese bread, yogurt and fruit; sandwiches on homemade rye, potato skins, Mandarin oranges; potato pancakes, country style apples, corn, cranberries; chicken risotto, cottage cheese salad, carrot rounds; fajitas, corn muffins, yogurt and fruit, salsa and chips,tapioca pudding; pork lomein, salad, Chinese onion pancakes; fajitas pizza (2); tuna salad and cornmeal muffins; Savoury sausage and mushroom bread pudding, pasta with pesto, cottage cheese and mandarin oranges; dauphinoise potatoes, black bean burgers, pumpkin

Because of Mike's surgery and his inability to drive, there was no grocery shopping for the first half of the month.  We ate out of our stockpile.

2023 Frugal Things in January

 1.  We used points from our credit card, that we pay in full every month, to pay for three night lodging in DC.  Free is always good.

2.  Mike changed where he gets one of his prescriptions filled and saved over $40/month.

3.  We used a $15 birthday credit at the club when we went for lunch.

2023 Buying and Eating: January 16-31

 Remaining Allocation:  $275.29

Cushion:  $0

Subtotal Groceries:  $13.61

Subtotal Eating Out:  $53.10

Combined Subtotal:  $66.71

What We Ate:  Black bean soup, cheese bread, yogurt and fruit; Mexican pizza, tortilla chips; quinoa and beans, fried cheese, pumpkin, salad; leftover Mexican pizza and chips; pastrami sandwiches and homemade French fries; moussaka, cheese bread and tabouli salad; baked potato bar, salad; Mediterranean baked chicken with chick peas and tomatoes, rice,lima beans, cottage cheese and pickled beets; chili spaghetti and garlic cheese bread, salad; mooshu pork and Chinese onion pancakes with yogurt; split pea soup, cheese and crackers, cantaloupe; spicy black bean burgers, potato skins, tabouli; hot pork sandwich with mashed potatoes, green beans, salad; Huevos rancheros, refried beans and cheese, homemade salsa and chips; ham steak with raisin sauce, crispy smashed potato, mixed vegetables, salad; BBQ pork sandwiches, mashed sweet potatoes, salad

What We Bought:

Wal-Mart:   eggs (4)   $15.72

Sam's:  olives, cheddar, feta    $24.16

Sam's:  maple syrup  $12.68

Price Rite:  coffee, baking soda, oil (gal), mandarins, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, romaine, fresh garlic, bananas, cantaloupe, half and half, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese (2), mozzarella, pepper Jack, muenster, gouda   $56.57

Aldi:  bagels (3), Pam  (3), yogurt (4), bleu cheese (2),   $20.58

Giant Eagle:  frozen ravioli (2), molasses, horseradish, green chilies   We used a $15 store credit and then paid $0.15 in cash

Country Fair:  cheese (2)   $4.00

Two Week Subtotal:   $133.86

Eating Out:

$8.48   lunch with Ginger and Ann

$2.56  Mike lunch in Cleveland  

$14.96 lunch with Mike at the club 

Two Week Subtotal:   $26.00

Two Week Total:  $159.86

To Cushion:  $115.43

We bought more than usual because Mike had a second knee replacement and won't be driving for six to eight weeks.  We laid in a supply.

Grocery MonthlyTotal:  $147.47       $4.76/day.    $2.38/person/day

Eating Out Monthly Total:  $79.10    $2.55/day    $1.28/person/day

Total for theMonth:   $226.57.     $7.31/day.    $3.66/person/day

2022 Linus Blankets and Such: October-December

 YTD Linus Blankets:   83

YTD Operation Gratitude Scarves:  36

YTD Pet Blankets:  19

Linus Blankets:  25

Operation Gratitude Scarves:  17

Pet Blankets: 9

Chemo Caps:   22

Dishcloths  4  (made from bits and pieces for us)

Thrifty shopper:  74 skeins for $67.50      $0.91/skein

Free group:  48 skeins is assorted baby yarn       free

Thrifty Shopper:  23 skeins for  $35.75.     $1.55/skein

Thrifty Shopper  28 skeins for   $24.57    $0.89/skein

Salvation Army:  6 skeins for $6.32.       $1.06/skein

Yearly Totals:

Linus Blankets:  108

Operation Gratitude Scarves:  53

Pet Blankets:  28

chemo Caps:  22

Plus numerous non charity items.

Yarn Costs: 

412 skeins purchased and121free

$408.95 spent for an average of $0.99/skein

2022 Clothing Expenses

 January

   -0-

February

$17 for three tops and one Talbots blazer     Thrifty Shopper- Sandy

March

$19.96 for 12 pairs underwear.    Amazon- Sandy

April

-$0-

May

$24.78 for Teva sandals     Amazon Sandy

$56.82 for Teva sandals     Amazon  Mike

$16.99     four bras     Amazon     Sandy

June

5.97     three pairs control top  pantyhose     Goodwill

July

$13 for five tops, one with tags and all good brands  for SandySalvation Army

August

$0

September

$17  for two sweatpants and one sweatshirt for Mike   Thrifty Shopper

October

$4.49     Sweater for Sandy.    Thrifty Shopper

November

$2.98  two pairs of nylons for Sandy

$15.50  for a denim skirt and two sweaters for Sandy

$15.50 for three shirts and one sweater for Mike

December

$12.99   black shoes for Sandy

Yearly Totals:

Mike  $89.32      Budget $100.    Under by $10.68

Sandy     $133.69     Budget  $100     Over by  $33.69

2023 Buying and Eating: January 1-15

 Allocation:  $341

Cushion:  0

What we ate:  baked ham, roasted carrots, blackeyed peas, cheesy creamed spinach  and pecan pie (the pork, blackeyed peas and greens are traditional for good luck); Ham and spinach quiche, tossed salad; stroganoff over noodles, mixed fruit and yogurt, salad;  chef salad and garlic cheese bread; white bean Alfredo with Italian sausage, pumpkin, salad; pot pie, baked potatoes, fruit and yogurt; muffin tin western omelets, sausage, fried potato with onions; cheesy meatloaf, baked potatoes, sauteed cabbage, carrots and onions;moussaka and salad with toasted cheese bread; sloppy, creamed potatoes, leftover veg; chicken fajitas, bean dip, salsa corn; Kraut and potato casserole with Polish sausage, yogurt and fruit, green beans

What We Bought:

Price Rite:  lettuce, cucumber  $2.18 

High Country Creamery:  feta cheese  $8.09

Tops:  rye bread  $2.99

Giant Eagle:  parmesan cheese (2), stuffed olives (3)     We used $25in store credit and paid a total of $0.35

Subtotal groceries:  $13.61

Eating Out:  

$4.75   breakfast with the crafting ladies

$25.05   Pat's birthday lunch

$23.30  lunch and dinner for trip to DC

Subtotal Eating Out:  $53.10

Combined Subtotal:  $66.71

Remaining Allocation:  $275.29