March 2016 Budget Update

This month I came in under budget again!  I don't know how many more months that will be possible the way Howard is eating.  Howard turns 2 in April, but he eats like a 10 year old, sometimes, other times he barely eats at all - I'm told this is a normal toddler thing - but when he does eat, man he really eats.  Any who, I got a LOT for my money this month - cheap diapers, ground beef, various vegetables, strawberries and so much more!  I am loving the coupon deals that I have been able to score at CVS and Giant lately; I hope that they continue!  Also, the Dollar Tree has really upped their game in what they have to offer.  I have been able to pick up learning items/manipulatives and snacks for Howard, as well as cleaning and crafting supplies for me.  Overall I am really pleased with what I have been able to purchase and still stay under budget.  Here's how my spending went in March...

• Week #1: $89.84 oop, Earned $12 ECB's , $1 Saving Star Rebate, and $0.40 Mobisave Rebate

• Week #2: $96.85 oop, Earned $7 ECB's, and $0.95 Find and Save Rebate

• Week #3: $84.89 oop, Earned $13 ECB's, $0.99 Saving Star Rebate, $1.50 Ibotta* Rebate, and $0.34 Find and Save Rebate

• Week #4: $45.40 oop, Earned $7 ECB's, $1.50 Checkout 51 Rebate, $0.30 Mobisave, and $1 Saving Star Rebate

• Week #5: $54.38 oop, Earned $6 ECB's

Total OOP: $371.36

Total Earned: $52.98

Total Remaining: $22.69!!!!  

This will be added to April's money, so I will start next month with $372.69!

How did you do with your budget this month?  

Did you get any amazing deals?

Share in the comments below...

Weekly Spending Report: 03/27-04/02/2016

This week marked the end of the month, and I finished March $22.69 under budget!  I'll add this to April's money, and will hopefully make out just as well next month.  I got some great deals this week, including $1.50 mashed potatoes, money-maker shampoos, and a bunch of cheap items from the Dollar Tree!  I've already tried out the lint roller that I purchased, and like it so much I went back and bought 3 more!  The sticky on it is great, but what most impressed me was the ease of tearing the used sheet off the roll.  I highly recommend them.  I also grabbed a beach ball while they had them in stock.  Last year we bought Howard one at the ocean because another child had one and he liked it so much -- they are $6 in Ocean City - yuck!  So, I bought a spare for a buck, which is a much better price in my book.  Any way, here's how my spending went this week... 

• Monday's CVS Trip: $5.61 oop, Earned $6 ECB's ($4 Garnier Fructis, and $2 Gillette)

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $17.79 oop

• Monday's Giant Trip: $13.02 oop

• Wednesday's Dollar Tree Trip: $8.42 oop

• Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $9.54 oop

Total OOP: $54.38
Total Earned: $6
Total Remaining from March: $22.69!!!  Under budget again!!!

Linked to Couponaholic, I Heart Publix, and many more! 

Goals Update: March 2016

March was a little crazy here in Maryland - we had some 70+ degree days, and we also had snow - go figure.  The days when the weather was nice, I opened all the windows in the house to air it out, and then took Howard outside to play at various playgrounds nearby all day.  He needed time outside, and so did I.  I didn't get a whole slew of items accomplished in March.  I did get quite a few things done on my household project list, and I also did well with my blogging goals!  Other than that, I didn't really do much.  But that's okay.  I am so thankful for the nice weather we have had and time I've had off from work to spend with Howard.  In April I go back to a more regular work schedule, which is nice, but I'm going to miss all the time I've been able to spend at home with Joe and Howard.  Hopefully when they finishing hire a new tour guide here at the museum in April/May, I can go back to my 3-day-a-week schedule.  So, anyway, here are how the rest of my goals are playing out so far this year...

Personal:

• Lose 20 lbs (about 1.5 lbs a month) - So far I have lost 4 pounds.  It isn't much, but it's something.  I also went for some blood work this month.  Since I have been having such a hard time losing weight, despite daily exercise and dieting, the doctor is leaning towards either a thyroid or hormone issue.  I am hoping it is something simple that requires a pill, and then I can feel better and go about my day, but we'll see.  She should have the results by the end of the month.  If it's earth shattering, I'll share. 
• Exercise 292 days - In March I exercised 29 out of 31 days.  For a total of 73 for the year.  I'm right on track with this goal!  I feel great for the most part, a little sore, but great!  I just wish I was losing more weight though.
• Drink at least 70 oz of water everyday - I did better with this in March.  Still not quite up to 70 oz, but close.  Most days I can get in around 48-56 oz, which is about 3-3 1/2 water bottles.  I think part of my progress has to do with the warmer weather we have been having.  Who wants to drink ice water when it's snowing?  Not me, that's who.  I much prefer hot tea.  But, now that Spring is upon us, the sun is out, and the weather is heating up -- ice water, here I come!  

 Financial:

• Coupon and deal shop to stick to my $350/month budget - I shared my budget update for March here.  If you click over, you can see all of the great things I was able to stock-up on while still staying $22.69 under budget!  This included $1.04 packages of diapers, Green Giant frozen vegetables, Eggo Waffles, dry shampoo, and a variety of other items.
•  Earn at least 6 - $25 Amazon gift card through Swagbucks - I was able to earn my second $25 Amazon gift card this month!  2 Down, and 4 to go.
• List at least 10 things per month online or 120 for the year - January - Check (23), February - no check (0), March - I listed a lot of toddler boys clothes as well as an old desk on a Facebook selling group - check (43). 
• Set up at 6 Flea Markets/Shows to sell our wares - Joe sat up at a tool show this month.  He didn't sell a whole lot, but we did get rid of a few things.  Total for the year = 2

Household:

• Completely declutter the entire house - I still have 2 areas left.  I am waiting for a couple of other household projects to be done before I tackle these last two areas, but I am so excited to be this close to finishing!
• Finish my 2016 project list - I have my project list update posted separately.  However, I will share that I was able to finish most of my decluttering, purchased some frames for DIY wall art, and finally cleaned out the chest freezer, along with a few other things.  I shared some pictures of my progress here. 

Blogging:

• Post at least 3 times a week - I posted at least 3 times per week again in March.  All totaled I shared 16 posts in March, which averages to over 3 a week!  I loved being able to share the Easter baskets I made for Joe and Howard, as well as how I made the gift tags. 
• Do a 31 day series in October - Not there yet.  I have been working on some ideas in my blogging journal though. 
• Set up a Facebook page for my blog - Still not done.  I looked into the process one night, and it was too much to do that close to bedtime.  I plan to get this done one day in April during Howard's nap time.  

How is everyone else doing with their goals?

Anything new or different you are trying this year?

Share some of your goals in the comments...

Menu Plan Monday: 03/28/2016

This week I am planning to tackle my deep Spring cleaning.  I am hoping to be able to do the entire house in a day or two while Joe and Howard are away.  I clean every week, but twice a year I like to make sure that the house is thoroughly dusted, scrubbed, de-gunked, and disinfected.  Since there's a lot of hard work on the docket for this week, I kept my menu plan easy; there's lots of crock-pot meals like usual, as well as a couple of leftover days to keep the fridge cleaned out.  Here's what's cookin'...

• Breakfasts: Waffles, Mini Muffins, Fruit and Grain Bars, Pop-Tarts
• Lunches: Leftovers, Misc. Frozen TV Meals, Canned Soup, Quesadillas
• Dinners: 
• Sunday - Out to Lunch/Dinner with Family for Easter
• Monday - Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Tuesday - Leftovers
• Wednesday - Crock-pot Pork Loin, Crock-pot Baked Potatoes, Broccoli and Cheese
• Thursday - Crock-pot Orange Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Buttered Steamed Broccoli
• Friday - Leftovers
• Saturday - Pizza

For more AWESOME menu plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 03/20-26/2016

This week I got some great deals, including cheap dry shampoo, $0.50 frozen vegetables, and delicious strawberries!  I kept my shopping to a minimum since the end of the month is drawing near and I want to make sure I have enough money in the budget to get me through.  Really the only 'stock-pile' shopping I did was at CVS, the rest were things we needed for meals this week.  Here's how my shopping broke-down this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $2.22 oop (included, but not pictured are 4-12 packs of Coke Products), Earned $7 ECB's ($5 Tresemme and $2 Venus), $1.50 Checkout 51 Rebate (Venus), $0.30 Mobisave (Hand Soap), and $1 Saving Star Rebate (Tresemme)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $31.18 oop (included, but not pictured are 4 gallons of H2O)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $12 oop

Total OOP: $45.40
Total Earned: $9.80
Total Remaining for March: $77.07

Linked to Couponaholic, I Heart Publix, and many more! 

Household Project List 2016 -- March Update

 

In March I hauled some serious butt on my project list -- I finished decluttering all but 2 spaces, organized some CD's, purchased some frames for DIY wall art, and cleaned out the chest freezer, along with a few other accomplishments.  I am definitely full steam ahead for April in regards to motivation for household projects!  I am hoping that I can get Joe on board with me and knock out another few things next month.  But without further ado, here's how things went in March...

• Bedroom: 
• Declutter 2 Dressers, 1 Chest of Drawers, 2 Nightstands, 1 Closet, and Under the Bed -- Finished in February
• Steam off the crappy boarder
• Re-glue the wallpaper seams
• Change the wall art - I purchased some frames this month at the thrift store that I am going to use for this, but I am looking for some AWESOME (free printable) prints to put in them -- any suggestions?

• Hall: 
• Declutter Hall Closet, Desk, and Coat Closet -- Finished in February
• Sell desk, and move in a bench -- The desk is listed on Facebook, and is awaiting a buyer.  Once it's moved out, the bench will be put in it's place.  I should be able to cross this off by next week!
• Build another shelf in the hall closet -- Unneeded, crossed off in February

• Bathroom:
• Declutter the Bathroom Cabinets and Drawers  -- Finished in February
• Touch up the paint (Joe and I might actually repaint the entire bathroom, as the color scheme is not great, so this will happen last, if at all - we might just wait and repaint in 2017)

• Living Room:
• Declutter 8 Cube Baskets, 1 End Table, and 3 Dresser Drawers -- I finally made the time to get all our DVDs into two CD cases.  We still have some VHS tapes to go through; I want to make a list of the ones we would like to have as DVDs so I know what to look for at yard sales.  But I am done with decluttering in the living room for now.
• Finish adding pictures to our 'mural' wall
• Paint the letter 'R' on our 'mural' wall -- Finished in January
• Find new art for behind the futon

• Kitchen:
• Declutter 35 Cabinets, 1 Pantry, 1 China Cabinet, and 11 Drawers -- It took a few days, but I got everything cleaned out!  I managed to fill a HUGE reusable bag and 2 diaper boxes both full of stuff to sell.  I also had very few food items to pitch.  Maybe a dozen.  I know that probably sounds horrible to some, but it is the smallest amount for me ever.  This means that we are being better stewards with what we are provided, stocking up on things we actually eat, and rotating them properly.   
• Get a new trashcan -- Finished in February
• Steam the wallpaper off our microwave table, and repaint it
• Paint the windows/sills/trim
• Clean out the chest freezer and defrost it -- Finally got this done!  It looks AMAZING and it is so much easier for me to access things when I need them!  Instead of having to go chest-freezer diving for a little package of beef, I can just reach into the reusable bag that holds beef items.  I think this system is going to be very easy to maintain - I don't know why it took me so long to figure out that it would be beneficial for us?  I also cleaned out the fridge while I was at it.
  

• Nursery/Office:
• Declutter the Closet, Dresser, Desk, Chest of Drawers, Bookcase, Sewing Table, and Cedar Chest -- I really wanted to be finished with my decluttering this month, but I have decided to wait on a couple of things.  I really want to have the shelves above the desk built before I declutter the bookcase so I know what I have room for and can use that as a limit on what I keep.  I am trying to work smarter, not harder, so I don't want to have to go through things twice.  Also, I need to get the CD's moved and organized (see below) before I can get to the cedar chest to work on it comfortably.  
• Go through the CD 3-drawer organizer and combine into a large CD case 
• Install new curtain rods and tie backs; Hang new curtains
• Make a new curtain for the closet; Hang
• Buy new Lamp/Shade for the Dresser
• Re-glue wallpaper
• Bring in new chest of drawers (#2)
• Build new shelf (or two) above the desk; Add books to shelves
• Paint the windows/sills and the closet door frame 

• Laundry Room:
•  Declutter Desk, 3 Drawer Stand, Bookcase, and Closet (including stored Christmas decorations) -- I was able to finish decluttering the laundry room this month as well.  And, surprisingly , it really didn't take that long to do.  The bookcase, 3 drawer stand, and desk took a total of maybe 15 minutes.  There were a couple handfuls of things to put away elsewhere, and a handful or so of trash, and that's it - done, and done! 
• Touch up paint from renovation
• Hang art -- still deciding on if this is necessary
• Wash box of new-to-us toys  

Are any of you working on some household projects this year?

What are you getting accomplished? 

DIY: Easy Easter Gift Tags

 It really is as simple as 1, 2, 3 to make these super adorable gift tags!  I wanted to share with you all how I made them for Joe and Howard's Easter baskets, but you could really apply this to any gift, just change the shape of the tag.  Green triangle 'trees' for Christmas, white rectangle 'presents' for wedding and shower gifts, red hearts for Valentine's Day, and the list goes on...  I also used some washi tape from the Dollar Tree.  I chose bright, fun colors that made me think of spring, but they also have some more sedate patterns, like leaves and florals, that you could use.  The letter stickers I used I have had for quite some time; they are out of a sticker book I bought for a $1 at AC Moore's many moons ago, but the Dollar Tree does sell a variety of letter stickers as well.  Are you ready for some super complicated directions?   Alright, here we go...

Things you will need:
Cardstock paper (color - your choice)
Various Washi Tapes (color and design, your choice)
scissors
Pencil and stencils (optional)
hole punch
yarn/twine/ribbon/jute (your choice)
Letter stickers

1. Cut out cardstock in the shape you want your tag to be.  There are loads of free printable stencils online if you chose, or if your lazy like me, you can free-hand it.  For Easter I chose an egg, but you could also do a bunny, a cross, chicks - your choice.
2.  Punch a hold in the top of your tag, and run some coordinating ribbon/twine/jute/yarn - again, your choice - through the hole.  This is how you will tie your tag to your package.  Or, you can skip this step like I did with Joe's Easter basket and just tuck the tag among 'all the things.'  However, for most packages I would probably go ahead and complete this step. 
3. Decorate your tag using washi tape and letter stickers.  This can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.  Since I chose an egg, I decided to run the washi across it to make it look like a dyed and decorated egg, but how you decorate your tag is completely up to you.  You could add additional fancy pretty stickers if you want to as well.  I also only put the recipents name on the tag, since Easter baskets come from the Easter Bunny and Mom and Dad, but if I was making a tag for Christmas or a shower gift, I would totally add who it is from also. 
 

That's it!  Tie or place your tag on your gift and go!  See, I told you it was easy - and really adorable!  Let me know if you decide to try this and how it works out!

Menu Plan Monday: 03/21/2016

This week I am going to be doing some Spring cleaning, so with that in mind I planned a bunch of crock-pot meals.  I LOVE being able to throw things together in the morning before Howard is up and have a delicious dinner in the evening without much effort.  I also found some more wonderful strawberries at ALDI this week, so we will definitely be enjoying those!  Here's what's cooking this week...

• Breakfasts: Waffles, Mini Muffins, Pop-Tarts, Fruit and Grain Bars, Strawberries
• Lunches: Leftovers, Canned Soup, Tuna Salad or PB and J Sandwiches, Misc. Frozen TV Meals
• Dinners: 
• Sunday - Tacos
• Monday - Crock-pot Mushroom Gravy with Pork Tips, Jasmine Rice, Steamed Broccoli
• Tuesday - Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Salad
• Wednesday - Crock-pot Pasta, Marinara Sauce, and Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Salad
• Thursday - Leftovers
• Friday - Pizza
• Saturday -Take-out

 For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 03/13-19/2016

This week I stocked up on some AMAZING deals, including $1.04 diapers, and Annie's mac and cheese!  I also bought the most delicious strawberries at ALDI!  I cannot wait to go back this week and see if they have any more.  Other than that I mostly just picked up things I needed for meals this week.  Here's how the spending broke-down...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $18.98 oop, Earned $13 ECB's ($10 Diapers and $3 Ziploc/Glade), $0.99 Saving Star Rebate (Cadbury Egg), $1.50 Ibotta* Rebate (Pampers Cruisers), and $0.34 Find and Save Rebate

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $25.19 oop (included, but not pictured are 8 gallons of H2O)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $29.24 oop (Saved 45%)

• Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $11.48 oop (included, but not pictured is a bag of lollipops)

Total OOP: $84.89
Total Earned: $15.83
Total Remaining for March: $122.47

Linked to Couponaholic, I Heart Publix, and many more!
*Sign up for Ibotta through this link and you will earn a $10 bonus and I will earn a $5 bonus -- Thank you!  

Frugal Easter Basket for the Hubby

 I spent a few weeks collecting things to add to Joe's Easter basket.  My husband LOVES sweets, so I knew that was going to be the primary thing I filled his basket with.  I picked up almost everything at the Dollar Tree, including the cute tin bucket!  I also scored some deals at CVS, grabbed two $1 items at Wal-mart, and used a coupon at Michael's.  Overall, I spent less than $13 to put together this AWESOME Easter bucket for my hubby!  I know he's gonna LOVE it!!

1 ADORABLE Bunny Bucket (from Dollar Tree) $1
1 package Mini Snickers (from Dollar Tree) $1
1 Theater Box Cookie Dough Bites (from Dollar Tree) $1
2 boxes Strawberry and Banana Laffy Taffy (from Wal-mart) $2
1 bag Strawberries and Cream Laffy Taffy (from CVS) $1.99
1 Reese's Egg (from CVS) $0.25
1 package Mini Hershey's Cookies and Cream Bars (from CVS) $0.75
1 Sleep Mask (from Dollar Tree) $1
1 Cadbury Egg (from CVS) FREE!
1 Retro Walkie-Talkie Handset (from Dollar Tree) $1
1 package Gorilla Super glue (from Michael's) $2.39
Total Spent: $12.38 + Tax