Thursday, January 29, 2015

2015 Goals (finally...)

 
This post took extremely too long to write, but such is life with an active 9 month old!  At least I got it done before the end of January.  I took the last week of December, and the first week of January and went over my 2014 goals (results posted here), and decided what worked and what didn't.  Although I accomplished a LOT of my goals, I felt as though some were un-cross-off-able (new word I just made up, your welcome).  Even though I had accomplished them for the month, they rolled over into the next month.  I still have some of them this year, but there are fewer.  I also tried to be more comprehensive in the description of my goals, so I can better decide whether I have completed them or not.
Household:
  1. De-clutter the whole house in January, February, and March -- I was realistic here and gave myself 3 months to complete this goal, since I have a little one running around and 'helping.'  I am hoping that by getting rid of excess clutter, when I go back to work in April, life will run smoother because we have simplified.  
  2. Do a Deep-Spring, and Deep-Fall Clean in March and November  As well as keep up with my weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly cleaning chores. -- Kept this one from last year.
  3. Paint the Windows/Sills/Trim in the Kitchen and Nursery. -- I am hoping to get this done in March, but I'm leaving it open-ended time-wise, but it needs to get done soon! 
Family:
  1. Write a 'love letter' to Joe each month -- Instead of trying to be a loving wife, which is way too open-ended, I decided to try this instead - we'll see how it goes!
  2. Take a trip to Maine in June with the hubby, and Howard. -- Kept this one from last year, hopefully we will get to go this summer!
  3. Take a Trip to Ocean City in August -- We did this last year, and it was so much fun!  I'm looking forward to see how Howard likes the pool this year!
  4. Get together with family at least once a month -- Kept this one from last year too -- I love that we got to do this every month!  With Howard getting bigger each day, everyone wants a chance to see and snuggle him!
  5. Plan and Execute Howard's 1st Birthday Party -- This is an easy one.  My niece is so excited to help with this!  We're thinking cook out, but we'll see. 
Blogging:
  1. Have 2 Freezer/Pantry Challenges (January and July), post updates on the blog, and defrost the chest freezer - These went great last year.  January's is well underway, and has been going really well!  I just defrosted the chest freezer in December, so we'll see if we need to do in July or not.  But I'm leaving the goal as is, just in case.
  2. Post my Menu Plan, and Weekly Spending Report every week, along with at least 1 other post per week.  This may be an update, a reveal, a recipe, a shopping trip, some Aldi Deals, or a frugal find. -- I changed this a little bit from last year, because it is getting increasingly hard to find time to blog with a little one around.  I do think that a minimum of 2 posts a week is doable.  Hopefully I'm right!
  3. Plan and execute a 31 days post for October. -- This went well last year, so I kept it on for this year.  I just have to figure out what theme I want to do this year, any ideas?
Health:
  1. Lose at least 20 lbs -- Since I wasn't able to accomplish this last year, I've kept it on the list for 2015.  I've done this before, so I know that I can do it again.  I've had a good start so far.  It won't be easy, but it needs to get done!
  2. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and do exercise of some kind everyday. -- This kind of goes hand in hand with #1.  
Budget/Income:
  1. Do at least 5 Flea Markets throughout the year, and list at least bi-monthly on Amazon/Facebook Yard Sale. -- This is how many we did last year, so I know that we can at least accomplish that part of the goal.  There are a LOT of things that I've been decluttering that need to be sold, since they are actually worth something.  I know that posting stuff every month just isn't going to happen, so I think that every other month is much more doable for me right now.  I am going to try out the Facebook Yard Sale group for things like new shoes, and fancy purses.  We'll see how it goes - I'll keep you posted. 
  2. Earn Swagbucks everyday by completing the daily poll, toolbar log-in, and NOSO offers daily.  (Try to earn $10 a month) -- I did well with this last year, especially while I was pregnant.  Once Howard was born, things kind of dropped off.  I am hoping that I can earn 2 - $5 Amazon gift cards each month, for a total of $120 for the year. 
  3. Set a monthly budget, and coupon and deal shop as needed to stay within our budget. - I did a great job with this last year.  It continues to be something that I NEED to do, especially with the added cost of baby food and diapers. 
  4. Put at least an extra $100 a month on Joe's Credit Card starting in May -- I am hoping to put more than this on each month, but this is a minimum.  I want this thing paid off asap, so we can start chipping away at the loan payment! 
Hobby-Related:
  1. Scan the huge-a** box of photos we have had since my mom died two and a half years ago, and get them sorted to give to people, as well as put the ones I decide to keep in albums. -- I decided to wait on the scrap-booking and instead get my photos in order.
  2. Continue to work on Howard's baby book -- This ends at the 1 year point, so I'll have to figure out what to do after that, but this needs to be caught up and finished.
  3. Try something new at least once a month and blog about it.  I have a LOT of new recipes and crafts I want to try -- I did a lot of this before Howard was born and little bit right after, but then things like breastfeeding and work got in the way of having fun.  Hopefully I can get back to doing fun things this year!

Pantry Challenge Day #22-27 Results


Well, sickness struck again.  I have had a head cold, which I think Howard only got a little bit.  He's had a little cough and some sniffles, but other than that, he's been fine.  Joe's had a stomach bug.  It's been crazy here, and it's affected the meal plan.  We have managed to eat at home the past few days, but we didn't eat anything too exciting.  A lot of pasta, soup, and sandwiches -- easy comfort foods.  Hopefully I can finish out the month, and the pantry challenge with a bang!

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Weekly Spending Report: 01/18-24/2015

This week I was able to stock up on some nice deals at CVS, Giant, and the Dollar Store, as well as pick up some needed items at ALDI.  Here's how it went down...
  • Sunday's CVS Trip: $11.44 oop, Earned $7 ECB's
  • Sunday's ALDI Trip (not pictured, 24 pk H2O): $34.22 oop
  • Sunday's Giant Trip: $18.34 oop (2 large jars of mayo are missing from the picture)
  • Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $13.66 oop
Total OOP: $77.66
Total Earned: $7
Total Remaining: $72.56

 

Friday, January 23, 2015

Pantry Challenge Day #20 Results


Today was a very busy day!  We had Howard's 9 month check up appointment this morning.  He didn't need any shots this time, but he went down in percentiles for weight and height!  Joe and I were both shocked since he eats like a teenager!  So, we were told to add in some more calories, and try to feed him more frequently, so well see.  We go back in March for a weight check -- hopefully we can pack on some pounds before then :-)  After that, we made a quick trip to Giant for some Mayo that was out of stock when I went Sunday, we picked up next week's ALDI groceries, and stopped into CVS to grab a prescription.  During Howard's nap-time I managed to go through our store of 12 month clothes and got them sorted into a bin, listed on my inventory sheet, and cleaned-out 2 grocery bags worth to donate/give away!  It was a good day, we also ate well...
  • Breakfast:  Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: Orange Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli
  • Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese, with Hot Dogs (made by my AWESOME husband!)

Pantry Challenge Day #19 Results


Today we were expecting 2 inches of snow, which Joe and I thought probably wasn't going to amount to much of anything, and then we ended up with 4 or so inches!  So, we watched Netflix while the snow fell.  During Howard's nap-time I worked on clipping coupons, which for some reason, ever since Howard was born, I just can't manage to stay caught up on!  I didn't really feel like cooking, so I used up some bread that we've had for a week and made some simple (but delicious) meals with it.  Here's how the menu went down today...
  • Breakfast:  Iced Coffee for Me, Waffle Sandwich for Joe
  • Lunch: French Toast, with Link Sausage, and Grapes
  • Dinner: Sandwiches, and Chips

Pantry Challenge Day #18 Results


Today was a simple day, I was actually hungry at breakfast so I scrambled some eggs. I got a good bit done around the house, including cleaning off my desk, which took all of Howard's nap-time!  I was worth it though.  I also managed to clean off my bulletin board, my book shelf, and get the last of the 2014 paperwork filed.  It was a very productive nap-time to say the least!  But, since I was busy cleaning and filing, I kept the menu pretty simple -- thank God for leftovers and chicken nuggets!  :-)
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee and Scrambled Eggs for Me, Waffle Sandwich for Joe
  • Lunch: Leftover Lasagna for Me, and Leftover Chili for Joe
  • Dinner: Chicken Nuggets and Fries

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Pantry Challenge Day #17 Results


Today was another fairly easy day!  I managed to get the house cleaned and the laundry caught up, plus did a little decluttering.  I also got Howard's toys and books sorted in his new cube baskets.  We kept the menu pretty simple as well...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for me, Waffle Sandwich for Joe
  • Lunch: Leftover Salad and Pizza for me, Leftover Chili for Joe
  • Dinner: Crock-pot Lasagna, with Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Pantry Challenge Day #16 Results


Today was a nice laid back day.  We overslept and missed church this morning, which stunk, but we decided to make the best of what was left of the morning and get the errands done for the week.  We were able to make all three stops, and be home by lunch.  Needless to say, I flew through those stores!  Later in the afternoon, Howard 'helped' me put together his 'cube' we bought with some of my Christmas money, and the baskets for it as well.  It gives us a LOT of storage for all those toys he received at Christmas.  Here's hoe the menu went down...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Waffle Sandwich for Joe
  • Lunch: We used a gift card from Christmas and grabbed a Pizza on the way home from shopping
  • Dinner: Crock-pot Chili, with Salad

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Weekly Spending Report: 01/11-17/2015

I was able to get some great deals this week!  I was almost out of coffee, and my favorite kind just happen to be on sale with an ECB deal at CVS!  We also needed some snack food (popcorn and fruit for me, bars for Joe).  Howard was almost out of his favorite Banana Applesauce from ALDI, so I had to pick that up as well.  I cleaned out a few expired condiments from the fridge this week too, which I then needed to replace, like mayo and ketchup.  I still have a few I need to buy, but that can wait for now.  Here's what I ended up with...
  • Sunday's CVS Trip: $12.03 oop, Earned $15.99 ECB's
  • Sunday's ALDI: $18.41 oop
  • Sunday's Giant Trip: $20.97 oop
  • Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip (2 Newspapers): $2.12 oop 
  • Saturday's Staples Trip (1 ream multipurpose paper): $5.09, Earned $4.79 Easy Rebate
Total OOP: $58.62
Total Earned: $20.78
Total Remaining for January: $150.22

Pantry Challenge Day #15 Results


It felt so good today to actually be in the kitchen again and be using up odds and ends from the pantry and fridge!  We had amassed quite a few leftovers over the past few days while we were ill, and today was the day to use or lose them.  So, we used them up for lunch.  Plus we had a delicious pork chop dinner.  Here's how it went down today...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Waffle sandwich for Joe
  • Lunch: Misc leftovers from the fridge for both of us
  • Snacks: Brownies, Fruit, and Popcorn
  • Dinner: Cheesy Baked Pork Chops, 4 Cheese Pasta (Lipton Side), and Broccoli with Cheese

Pantry Challenge Day #10-14 Results


For the past few days colds have plagued the Rogers' household. 
It's been interesting to have a house full of sick people, including a feeling-not-so-well-and-teething baby, AND be in the middle of a pantry challenge.  Yeah, interesting is the word I'll use.  Anyway, we've been eating a lot of misc things from the pantry and freezers that didn't require a whole lot of work, like meatball subs done in the crock-pot, french toast, and sandwiches.  We've also had takeout twice.  But all in all I think we've been doing pretty good even though we feel like crap.  We are on the mend now and plugging along with the challenge nicely, so hopefully the second half of the challenge will be better than the first!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Pantry Challenge Day #9 Results

Today was my cleaning day since Howard and I ran the errands yesterday afternoon.  I'm glad I did it that way, because we woke up this morning to a sheet of ice on the black top and pouring down sleet/rain!  I kept today simple in the meal department since I knew I would be tired for cleaning with Howard 'helping' me.  Here's how today went down...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: Leftover Chili from the freezer for Joe (he was sick of potato soup, so I froze what was left and thawed this instead), Chicken Caesar Salad for Me, and leftover French Bread
  • Dinner: Crock-pot Pork Loin with Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions, with leftover French Bread made into Garlic Bread

Pantry Challenge Day #8 Results


Today we did splurge and get McDonald's on the way home from church, but we always eat one meal out a week, and making it a drive-thru as opposed to a sit-down restaurant did save us some dough.  Plus we had leftovers for dinner, with enough soup still left to freeze for a meal later on -- LOVE it when that happens!  :-)
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: McDonald's on the way home from Church, before going back out to run errands
  • Dinner: Leftover Potato Soup with Leftover French Bread -- this is always the best on day three!

Pantry Challenge Day #7 Results


Today we did a LOT better than yesterday!  And, I didn't have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen either!
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: French Toast, with Bacon, Sausage, and Grapes
  • Dinner: Leftover Potato Soup with Leftover French Bread

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Weekly Spending Report: 01/04-10/2014

This week I spent more than I wanted to, but that's normal for the beginning of the month.  We're also well stocked on diapers and applesauce for Howard, and snack food for Joe and I.  Here's how this week went...
  • Monday's CVS Trip: $14.71 oop, Earned $20.49 ECB's (includes $4.50 for Fall Spending), and $8.99 MIR for the Zantac
  • Monday's ALDI Trip: $43.01 oop
  • Friday's Amish Market Trip: $22.32 oop
  • Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $11.12 oop
Total OOP: $91.16
Total Earned: $29.48
Total Remaining for January: $208.84

Pantry Challenge Day #6 Results


Today was the complete opposite of yesterday; I spent no time in the kitchen.  The morning started later than it should have, so we were late getting to Ikea to pick up my cube (to use for Howard's toys), and Joe's grandfather's new bathroom sink/cabinet/facet set.  And then we were late getting back to his grandfather's house to pay his bills.  Are you seeing a pattern?  We ended up eating lunch and dinner out today, but so is life sometimes.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: BK Whoppers, French Fries, and Cokes -- But at least I used a coupon!
  • Dinner: We had to stop at the Amish Market for sugar on the way home from Joe's grandfather's house, so we grabbed some BBQ while we were there for dinner!  Much better for us than another burger!

Pantry Challenge Day #5 Results

Today I spent most of my time in the kitchen.  Homemade orange chicken is delicious, simple to make, but very time consuming, and it requires you do about 3 things at once.  I'm all about multitasking, but it can be a little difficult with a 8 1/2 month old by your side.  Then right after lunch it was time to peel potatoes, get the soup in the crock-pot, and the ingredients for bread in the machine.  Needless to say, it was well worth it.  Here's how the menu went today...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee, a scrambled Egg, 2 Bacon Strips, and 2 pieces of Oatnut Toast for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: Orange Chicken, with Jasmine Rice, and Steamed Broccoli
  • Dinner: Potato and Ham Soup, with Homemade French Bread
 

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Pantry Challenge Day #4 Results


Today was a pretty laid back day.  We relaxed and watched the snow outside.  But I did get a lot of housework done.  We ended up splurging to get take out tonight, just because it was that kind of day.  Here's how the menu went...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: Pizza at Home (used some pepperoni and sausage, cheese, and leftover sauce from the freezer)
  • Dinner: Paradisio Cheese Steaks and Salad

Pantry Challenge Day #3 Results


Today was CRAZY!  I had a meeting at 10:30 am, which I found out when everyone got there that I was running, so I am glad I was well prepared.  :-)  But I had planned to get up at 6 am when Howard usually wakes up for a feeding.  I figured I'd nurse him and put him back down to sleep, and I would get some housework done and slowly get ready for my meeting.  Well, Howard decided to get up at 4:30 am and then sleep until 9 am!  Not that I am complaining about the extra sleep, it just made me have to hit the ground running, which I really do NOT like to do.  Since I didn't have time to get the potato soup in the crock pot, which I had planned to have for dinner, I had to figure something else out.  So when I got back from my meeting, I thawed some burgers, figuring I could use up the last of the rolls leftover from Christmas.  But, when I went to start dinner, I found out that they were starting to mold.  Luckily I had some hamburger buns in the freezer, so I grabbed 2, wrapped them in foil, and tossed them in the oven with the tots, and they actually thawed and toasted beautifully!  Three separate times Joe asked if I wanted him to go grab something for dinner, and I said 'no, were in the middle of a challenge here!'  ;-)  Here's how the day went down food wise...
  • Breakfast: Iced Coffee for Me, Granola Bar for Joe
  • Lunch: Diet TV dinner for Me, Leftover Baked Pasta and some link Sausage for Joe
  • Dinner: Bacon Cheese Burgers and Baked Tater Tots

Monday, January 5, 2015

Pantry Challenge Day #2 Results


Today was a total wash out in regards to the pantry challenge, but I knew it was going to be when I planned the menu for the week, so I'm okay with that.  I felt bad taking a day off so early in the challenge, but the day was pretty much planned before the month even began, so...  Here's how it went down...
  • Breakfast: We splurged on McDonald's since we had a 5 hour meeting to go to with a questionable lunch menu.  We each had a sandwich and an apple pie, and I of course had my iced coffee.
  • Lunch: The 'catered' meal included some soup which I didn't eat, chips, some delicious fruit, and some tiny sandwiches/wraps.  (I'm glad we had a big breakfast, but for free, I will not complain).
  • Dinner: While we were at the above stated meeting, my niece and sister came and babysat Howard for us,  So we offered to take them out to Ruby Tuesday's using a coupon as a thank you (and in lieu of pay).  My niece took us up on the offer, so we had a lovely salad-filled dinner with her :-)

Sunday, January 4, 2015

The FINAL 2014 Goals Update


2014 was an AMAZING year!  We did some flea markets, took some great day trips and vacations, stayed under budget, and welcomed Howard into our family!  I also did pretty good in the goals department.  Some didn't get done at all, but most were completed, and a few were partially finished.  I'm pleased with my progress.  Hopefully 2015 will be just as good!  Here's my results for my 2014 goals...



Household:
  1. Prepare a Nursery! - The nursery is completely done, I hope to share a post soon about it.  I do plan to paint the windows/sills Spring/Summer 2015, but I feel comfortable crossing this off now. 
  2. Do a Deep-Spring, and Deep-Fall Clean in March and November  As well as keep up with my weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly cleaning chores. - This has been hard to keep up with since Howard was born, but I have managed to keep up with all my cleaning tasks and did both deep cleans this year.
Family:
  1. Give birth to baby Rogers, and be the best mom I can be! - Howard was born in April, and I have been working every day to be the best mom I can be.  Some days are a LOT easier than others.  And I know that I can't cross this off the list permanently per se, as it is a continual learning process, but since I did work on it every day this year, I'm considering is accomplished for 2014.
  2. Try every day to be a loving wife - This is another one that can't be crossed off fully, but it was something that I worked on everyday, so for 2014 it's done.
  3. Take a trip to Maine in June with the hubby, and the baby. - This we ended up cancelling due to money and newborn issues.  But we will be going next year.
  4. Get together with family at least once a month - This was a lot easier to accomplish than I thought it would be, especially since Howard was born.  Everyone wants to come visit, so we just let them.  Can't be any easier than that.  My dad comes over about once a week to visit, we see Joe's family at least once a month, sometimes twice, and my sister and niece visit once or twice a month as well.  We didn't do a lot of dinners, but we did a few throughout the year.  Hopefully we can continue this throughout 2015!  
Blogging:
  1. Have 2 Freezer/Pantry Challenges (January and July), post updates on the blog, and defrost the chest freezer - These went great this past year.  I always look forward to doing these challenges each year; they are a great way to use things up so they don't go to waste.  We will definitely be participating again in 2015!  I also was finally able to defrost the chest freezer when I did inventory in December.
  2. Post my Menu Plan, Aldi Deals, and Weekly Spending Report every week, along with at least 1 other post per week.  This may be an update, a reveal, a recipe, a shopping trip, or a frugal find. - This really went to pot after Howard was born.  I did keep up with my weekly spending reports, but everything else ended up lacking.  I'm going to be making some changes in the coming year, since taking care of Howard, and the household, and working had kind of left me little to no time for blogging.  I know, #smallworldproblems, but still.  I'm still trying to figure everything out in regards to making time for everything and getting things crossed off the to do list.  I'm hoping to make goals for 2015 that will help me figure that out and get things under control. 
  3. Plan and execute a 31 days post for October. - I posted 31 frugal tips for raising babies!
Health:
  1. Lose at least 20 lbs (I did accomplish losing 20 lbs in 2013 as well, so it seems doable) - I didn't gain any weight after having Howard in April, but I also haven't lost anything either.  I've read conflicting things about losing weight while breast feeding.  Some say it's a huge metabolism boast, and others say they can't loose a pound until they stop.  Needless to say, I think I am part of the latter category.  But, I'm going to try again in 2015.
  2. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and do exercise of some kind everyday. - I drank plenty of water, ate a LOT of veggies, and fruit.  Joe and I have also started taking a nightly stroll with the baby. 
Financial:
  1. Do at least 6 Flea Markets throughout the year, and list at least monthly on Amazon. - We did manage to do 5 Flea Markets this year.  We ended up not doing the one we had planned on in November, because we figured it wasn't worth our time.  Also, I put the Amazon on vacation right before Howard was born in April, and it has been turned back on yet - whoops!  Hopefully we can do better here in 2015.
  2. Earn Swagbucks everyday by completing the daily poll, toolbar log-in, and NOSO offers daily. - I did most of this every day, plus I used the SBTV feature and the offers on the homepage to earn additional Swagbucks.  I managed to earn a couple hundred dollars in Amazon gift cards as well as about $40 in CVS gift cards this year.  Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of this goal!
  3. Set a monthly budget, and coupon and deal shop as needed to stay within our budget. - I did a great job with this!  We ended the year under budget -- yeah!  I posted our end-of-year results here.
  4. Pay off my credit card by June, and start putting extra onto Joe's credit card every month.  We won't have his paid off this year, but we'll be on the right track to have it paid off within the next year or two.  :) - I was able to pay my card off in June, and started putting a little extra on Joe's each month.  I am hoping to be able to put a more substantial chunk on each month next year. 
Hobby-Related:
  1. Catch up my scrapbook.  I'm only about 8 years behind, but I think once I get rolling on it, I should be able to push through and get it done by the end of the year. ;) I also want to start one for the baby, and work on it monthly. - This did NOT even begin to happen!  I should have know better than to try and get this finished the year we were having our 1st child!  Live and learn.  Maybe next year...
  2. Try something new at least twice a month and blog about it.  I have a LOT of new recipes and crafts I want to try, and this is the year! - I did a lot of this before Howard was born and little bit right after, but then things like breastfeeding and work got in the way of having fun in the kitchen.  I have a bunch of recipes I can wait to try out and tweak.  So hopefully I can start post some soon!
Linked to Money Saving Mom!

Pantry Challenge Goals + Day 1 Results


I participate in the pantry challenge every year!  It's actually kind of exciting to see how everyone who joins in uses up their little odds and ends from the freezers and pantries.  I kept things super simple this year with just 3 goals.  I'll also share how day #1 went...

Goals:
  1. Use up as much as we can from the freezers and pantry so we can start fairly fresh in February.
  2. Spend as little as possible at the grocery stores.  I'm not going to really restrict what I spend at CVS since we need to stock up on lotion, diapers, etc. when there are deals on them.  However, as far as food goes, I'm really going to try and only buy diary, produce, bread, and little things that we need in order to make meals happen.  As the month progresses I might stock up on things here and there depending on how good the deal is, and how much we actually use the item.
  3. Complete the challenge from January 4 - January 31st, and blog the results daily.
Day 1 Results:
  • Breakfast was iced coffee for me, and a granola bar for Joe.  We like to keep things simple in the mornings since we are usually trying to get housework done, and get Howard up, changed, nursed, fed, etc.
  • Lunch was a lovely pizza using pepperoni, cheese, and sausage from the freezer as well as some leftover frozen sauce.  
  • Dinner was leftover pasta bake from last night.  This used up a bag of leftover cooked spaghetti and sauce from the freezer as well as some frozen sausage, pepperoni, and cheese.  I also added some bruschetta jack cheese from the fridge.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

2014 Budget Summary

2014 was a CRAZY year!  I started working almost full time.  Joe and I added a new member to the family, Howard, and with the addition came an increase in the grocery budget from $200 to $300 a month.  This number includes diapers, wipes, and baby food, as well as TP, and health and beauty aides.  Since we did so well with this increase in 2014, we are going to keep our budget the same for 2015!  I would like to increase our earnings some, which means more listing on Amazon, earning more Swag Bucks, and searching for more ECB deals and MIR's!  Overall this was an amazing year for the Rogers family, budget included!
  • January: $159.34 oop (out of $160), Earned $96.94
  • February: $194.58 (out of $200), Earned $204.33
  • March: $263.58 (out of $262.35), Earned $433.79
  • April: $315.76 (out of $300), Earned $147.55
  • May: $289.67 oop (out of $300), Earned $158.06
  • June: $264.78 (out of $300). Earned $77.38
  • July: $333.35 (out of $300), Earned $57.99
  • August: $218.34 (out of $300), Earned $49.67
  • September: $241.68 (out of $300), Earned $31
  • October: $288.89 (out of $300), Earned $42.09
  • November: $288.00 (out of $300), Earned $134.92
  • December: $300.33 (out of $300), Earned $106.49
Total OOP: $3158.30 (out of $3322.35)
Under Budget by: $164.05!!!!
Total Earned: $1540.21


December Budget Update

 Well, December was a whirl-wind kind of month!  I worked up until 3 days before Christmas, so I had 3 days to thoroughly clean the house, do all of my baking and the baking for the few orders I had to fill, run my errands, finish the Christmas present wrapping, go to Christmas eve service at church, and do all the prep work for our family Christmas dinner, which I was hosting.  But I worked my butt off all three days, while Joe graciously watched Howard for me, and I was able to rest, and enjoy Christmas with both of our families!  Since December means a LOT of cookie baking and splurging of good things for Christmas dinner, I was pleasantly surprised to have only gone $0.33 over budget this month!  Here's the breakdown...
  • Week #1: $1.25 oop, Earned $3 ECB's
  • Week #2: $96.68 oop, Earned $14 ECB's, and 2 - $5 Amazon Gift Cards from Swag Bucks
  • Week #3: $129.43 oop, Earned $22.99 ECB's
  • Week #4: $50.82 oop, Earned $22.50 ECB's
  • Week #5: $22.15 oop, Earned $34 ECB's
Total OOP: $300.33
Total Earned: $106.49
Total Remaining: - $0.33

Weekly Spending Report: 12/28/2014-01/03/2015

Since we didn't need much this week, and we're living off of Christmas leftovers, I decided to just roll my rewards at CVS and drop into Target and see what clearance they had left, which wasn't much.  Here's what I ended up with...
  • Monday's CVS Trip (picture is missing 1 box Ziploc freezer bags): $22.15 oop, Earned $34 ECB's (includes $5 Beauty Reward from body wash and lotion, and $5 CVS Reward wyb $30 for the diapers and previous purchases)
  • Monday's Target Trip (Sorry for the crappy picture, but there are 2 boxes of tissues, 2 bottles rubbing alcohol, 3 bottles of witch hazel, a block of cheese, 3-3 ct K cups which were on clearance with the cheese, and 1 cup of cat food I used a free item coupon on, I also used some Target coupons): Zero oop - used a gift card to pay 
    Total OOP: $22.15
    Total Earned: $34
    Total Remaining: - $0.33

    Weekly Spending Report: 12/21-27/2014

    Joe, Howard, and I spent a lovely Christmas with both of our families.  We hosted Christmas dinner this year, which I thought was going to be stressful with a baby under 1 in the house, but I was able to do a lot of things ahead of time, so I was able to relax and enjoy Christmas day.  We all got loads of wonderful presents, including Howard, who is now inundated with toys ;-)  We did a LOT of shopping on the 26th for next years Christmas - we're about 65% done already!  I didn't post those purchases here because they come out of a different budget, and include Christmas presents -- you never know who may be reading!  Any way, here's how the week went down...
    • Tuesday's ALDI Trip (stevia packets, heavy cream, organic 2% milk, granola bars, sour cream, squeeze applesauce pouches, and canned green beans): $21.56 oop
    • Wednesday's Giant Trip: $16.09 oop
    • Wednesday's CVS Trip: $9.99, Earned $22.50 ECB's
    • Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip (2 newspapers, 1 pair of clearance Christmas camo socks for Howard, and a clearance snowflake nightlight for Howard's room): $3.18 oop
    Total OOP: $50.82
    Total Earned: $22.50
    Total Remaining for December: $21.82