Thrift and Such April 25, 2024
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Good Thursday to you all. I have a new staff that's a bit exhuberant and sends me a gif on Thursday then adds Happy Friday Eve. I forgive him his corniness as he has a 14 month old and a second child on the way due next month. Not having young children anymore, I'm in a different mindset but remember the days trying to keep any energy up. I use a borrowed thrift list from Hawaii Plan with an added a "Thrifty Bonus" category, to capture things that don't really fall anywhere, but to me add to my life and are a good value. To be honest, it was not a thrifty week and recapping is slim.
Saving on things we buy
- I spent just $27 dollars total for groceries for the week on mainly a few loss leaders and a few items at the Dollar Tree that are less than grocery stores.
- I'm using credit card points to cover a hotel room and brewery tour tickets for myself and three of my sisters. It's going to be a very mini get away, but one we all need. To quote my sister, "This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking forward to doing in retirement." Both new semi retirees (took in very part time jobs) had to work most Saturdays.
Earning money
- Only thing to add was I corrected my mileage reimbursement for 2¢ more per mile, adding $3 to the total.
Avoiding spending
- Besides the minimal grocery shopping, I didn't buy any more cleaning products, making due with odds and ends in the house. I still need to order the Wet and Forget that was so highly recommended by several of you to clean the algae/ mold in neighbors fence that faces my yard.
- I received the certified death certificate back from the county so can put back with the few extras I ordered last year. They charge $14 each, so having another spare is good.
Eating what we have/ Using what we have
- We were really on top of eating from the freezer and pantry for dinners and lunches. ( Exception, though to be honest we're very expensive, was me taking my daughter out Saturday, and two work events that I paid for food).
- I gave the lunch I had packed before I knew I'd be eating with colleagues on Tuesday, to my daughter for her supper. I had dropped off some things in between work and a work meet up.
- I seem to be on a 2-3 a week muffin cycle. I think these end up costing less than 20¢ a muffin, I control the sugar, and use up whatever needs using up. My son has been a fan.
For others
- Gave my daughter my lunch for her dinner- see above.
- I brought home, washed, and dropped off laundry for my daughter.
- I bought to share plates of appetizers for a work Going Away get together and a brewery. Cool place, but in a part of Minneapolis I don't visit often and traffic was horrible both ways.
- My youngest worked from home yesterday so was having a lonely day so came for dinner. I sent her home lunch for today ( leftovers) and three of the last muffin batch for her breakfast.
Thrifty Bonus
- I was going to call my son to see if he wanted Dairy Queen since I was driving by. When I stopped for a few essentials, I just grabbed a small, two- three serving carton of store brand Carmel cup. He and I both had some, then he finished the next day. It was 1/4 of what we would have spent on two sundaes from DQ and pretty tasty.
And to keep myself honest, I made a few splurges as life is about "both and" when it comes to spending and saving.
- Lunch then coffee with my daughter Saturday was expensive. I liked both the lunch place and coffee shop, but spent over 1/2 weeks grocery budget as comparison.
- Splurge on two work events- adding a pretty big ding in my cash flow. I guess I look at it as most weeks I spend little to nothing in work related costs, so gave myself a pass.
It'll be a new shopping month for me after 4/26. I put purchases on my credit card to earn the rewards but pay off in full each month and the statement period goes through the 26th. The points really added up due to kitties surgery and the fence deposit, so unusual that my points accumulated so much. I still try not to buy more than budgeted, which I know is easy to do when using a credit card. How was your week? Were you thriftier than me?
I have been trying but these college years are, well, you know, especially with one on the east coast. My husband only responds with "Meh, we've got money we haven't spent yet." I don't spend much on anything outside the home, but this past weekend, my beloved neighbor took me and her daughter (the one we watched when she was little) to a stage show her daughter had always wanted to see. I heard about it at the venue, and sent her the link...since it was on stage, and not in a bar, we could take her girl with us ! She paid for the tickets, so I bought dinner...about $85. Well, I won $50 at the show! It was a great time, a GREAT time, so I was happy regardless!
ReplyDeleteIf your kids want to spend time with you at that age, and you can find a reasonable option for cost, you are winning at life! Splurges make sense, and the bonus of winning $50... well done! (Hawaii Planner)
DeleteI'm paying all my bills and tucking a bit aside so a few splurges with my kids or sisters is worth it to me. I'm fortunate they want to spend time with me- maybe too much time.
DeleteI have not had a thrifty week - I have paid for a few days away in Cornwall for myself and the kids next month - have been booking accommodation/ ferry for a trip to Eire with my siblings , to commemorate our Mothers 100th birthday- she died when we were all children - and I paid for a flight to Spain for a trip with my friend ( she has a house in Spain )
ReplyDeleteThe difference to previous times is that I have paid for these trips from savings , rather than put them on a credit card and pay later
I really like how you blog and how you are telling us what life is like for you
Siobhan x
Cornwall in the spring sounds wonderful. Good for you Siobhan, doing and going places you want to do and go. You and I are both figuring out how to manage everything, including get away spending, on our own. It's hard- another hard thing. We're doing it though, right, and as well as we can.
DeleteI've been watching our grocery purchases this month (the biggest area of non-utilities spending) and trying to focus on using up what we already have on hand, especially in the freezer (frozen zucchini slices from last year, frozen corn off-the-cob, same). It really dropped our $$ outlay for groceries this month and that's a nice win.
ReplyDeleteWe have some expenses coming up: my oldest son and grandson home for a few days in May (I will rent a car for that), a trip to Mayo in June (car rental, hotel)--so anything I can save in other areas helps. We have the money set aside for these, so not going into debt for anything, but I still like to know we are being careful.
My son's such a big eater- it's been a change to not plan eating leftovers until I'm sick of them. He's contributing of course, but I think overall per person was helped by managing food in the house, avoiding waste. Travel to Mayo can't be inexpensive. Rochester has grown and there's more expense there from food, to hotel, to parking. My friends that have had the frequent journey and even being just a few hours away, have still had to get hotels because of late appointments one day and early the next.
DeleteSome weeks it doesn't really feel all that frugal, but that's likely because most weeks are much *more* frugal by comparison. Lots of folks don't take the time to think much about frugality, and you're in the habit of doing so, which is always good. Plus, I love reading about your splurges. Splurges as it relates to time with family always sound worthwhile to me!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do to offset my guilt around coffees out is to plan for them by purchasing gift cards on sale (I do Starbucks, as it happens to be next to the workout studio I go to, so my friend & I often end up there once a month or so to catch up). Our grocery store runs sales on the gift cards a few times/year, which I stock up on. It's not perfect, and definitely still an indulgence, but I work it into the budget & appreciate the planning ahead for the small discount. (Hawaii Planner0
That's a good way to think about it. No big highlights just mean for that week. I think most of us that read each other's or the same blogs have a similar mindset, even with different budgets. It's being intentional where our funds go so we can enjoy the things we want a bit more often. It could be travel or investing in spring flowers for outdoors. I'll keep splurging on meals out or an activity with my kids, friends, sister's. But, I'll stretch the time between hair color and cuts, new clothes, and look for gas coupons before filling up.
DeleteBeing tight with money (parsimonious) feels better when I can splurge a bit. I would like to be your daughters getting your lunches. Great deal winning $50.
ReplyDeleteThe $50 win was Meg B. Part of the lunch was a yogurt so couldn't stay in my car. Win for us both.
DeleteWe put a $ limit of splurges even with bills out our butt other wise you get tired of trying and feeling like it's for nothing and then blow through all your hard savings... have 6 kids that did not listen to that and did exactly that.
ReplyDeleteI like you gave your lunch to your daughter.
Blessed be
She said it was nice to eat before she had an evening meeting. I agree we need to treat ourselves occasionally, but I'm also trying to think more creatively in what the treats are. I'm never opposed to a two for one, or we chose the slightly less expensive lunch options, but was just as delicious. The difference paid for our coffee later, so I guess that was thrifty.
DeleteJre Some occasional splurging just feels good especially if relating to family. I just got home from our towns prom grand march. Earlier we did pictures and a group of 6 (4 of them my grandchildren) then had reservations at a supper club type restaurant in town. (With the grand march at the high school starting after the supper). When they were heading there I called the restaurant and had them put it on my card and added the tip then I texted the kids that supper was on me. I’m sure it’ll be pretty ouchy but this one felt right.
DeleteWhat a lovely surprise for them. I can see that as a good splurge and something they'll remember their whole lives.
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