Weekly Spending Report: 09/27-10/03/2015

This week there wasn't much left in the way of grocery money, so I just picked up a few deals at CVS and the needed snack food and water at ALDI.  Needless to say, I'm ready for the fresh start of a new month's grocery budget!  We are still working on eating down the pantries and freezers, I am hoping that by Thanksgiving we can start fresh with a new 14 day menu plan.  My hope is that I can devise a meal plan for two weeks full of things that we love to eat and that are easy to cook, and then repeat it over and over again.  Any way, here's how the shopping went this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $1.98 oop, Earned $1 Saving Star Rebate (Advil)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $17.83 oop (included, but not pictured are 4 gallons of Water)

Total OOP: $19.81
Total Earned: $1
Total Remaining from September: $2.34

Linked to Couponaholic! 

Weekly Spending Report: 09/20-26/2015

This week was a heavy spending week, but when there are diaper deals to be had, especially for our favorite brand, that tends to happen.  Anyway, here's how the week went down...

• Monday's CVS Trip: $31.52 oop, Earned $15.50 ECB's

• Monday's Giant Trip: $41.30 oop (included, but not pictured is two bags of organic chicken breasts)

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $31.15 oop (included, but not pictured, is 8 gallons of Water)

Total OOP: $103.97
Total Earned: $15.50
Total Remaining for September: $22.15
 

Weekly Spending Report: 09/13-19/2015

This week I was super excited about the St Ives deal at CVS.  I was in desperate need of some face soap and body wash, and this is my favorite brand!  Since we have mostly been eating from the pantries and freezers, I just picked up some needed breakfast and snack foods.  Howard is totally in love with waffles right now, and I'm happy that something so simple, brings so much joy!  Here's how the shopping went this week...

• Monday's CVS Trip: $11.22 oop, Earned $16 ECB's (includes $5 Beauty Rewards and $3 Rain Check ECB's), $6 Rebate from Saving Star ($1 Lotion, $1 Body Wash, $4 when you buy $16 of St Ives Products)

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $36.12 oop

• Monday's Giant Trip: $31.61 oop 

Total OOP: $78.95
Total Earned: $22
Total Remaining for September: $126.12

Linked to Couponaholic! 

Weekly Spending Report: 09/06-12/2015

This week I was able to pick up some needed items as well as stock up on some AWESOME deals and clearance finds, like canned pumpkin, iron-on denim patches, All laundry detergent, organic pasta, and powdered chicken stock.  Here's how the week went down...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $2.94 oop, Earned $9 (this includes $5 Pharmacy Rewards)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $39.91 oop

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $52.08 oop 

Total OOP: $94.93

Total Earned: $9

Total Remaining for September: $205.07

August's Budget Update

August was a month filled with travel, and fun!  Which means is was also a month filled with tasty treats that we only buy when we take trips.  But to help balance out the splurging, we mostly ate from the pantry when we were home.  In the end it all worked out...

• Week #1: $129.05 oop, Earned $5 ECB's
• Week #2: $16.95 oop, Earned $1 ECB's
• Week #3: $81.43 oop, Earned $6.25 ECB's
• Week #4: $6.24 oop, Earned Zero
• Week #5: $67.07 oop, Earned $7 ECB's

Total OOP: $300.74
Total Earned: $19.25
Total Remaining for August: Zero
 

Weekly Spending Report: 08/30-09/05/2015

This week I kind of felt like a hamster in a wheel, running around and not getting any where.  However, I glanced at my to-do list, and things are crossed off, so I must have been more productive than I thought I was.  Anyway, as for shopping this week, I managed to fit that in on Sunday, before my crazy work week started.  Joe also made a visit to the dentist for a tooth extraction, and Howard finally had his 15 month check-up, even though he's almost 16 and 1/2 months old - whoops.  He has a big noggin, but is perfectly healthy, I just hope there's a big brain in there :-)  Anyway, shopping, I keep getting side-tracked, see what I mean.  Or maybe I've been more dog-like than hamster-like, I feel the need to chase after every squirrel I see.  So, I hit my main three stores this week, and this is how it went down...

Sunday's CVS Trip: $8.38 oop, Earned $7 ECB's

Sunday's ALDI Trip: $32.65 oop

Sunday's Giant Trip: $26.04 oop

Total OOP: $67.07

Total Earned: $7

Total Remaining for August: -$0.74, I am totally cool with this since we spent most of the month traveling.  I keep all my change in one coin purse, so there is always coins available to cover going over budget. 

Weekly Spending Report: 08/23-29/2015

This week we got home from Ocean City on Monday, and I spent the rest of week working.  But we had a great time at the ocean.  We spent a LOT of time at the pool at our camp ground, since Howard loved it so much, and it's free.  We also went to Rehoboth and did some shopping at the outlets.  I was in need of bras, Joe needed new tennis shoes, and we found a snow suit for Howard on clearance that should last at least two years (we did not have a snow suit for him last year, but he is much more mobile and playful this year, so I am thinking he will enjoy being able to play in the snow).  We were out of milk and other things, so I sent Joe to the store, he picked up a few things out of the leftover vacation money, so I'm not taking them out of the budget, and thus did not take a picture of them.  So, I only made 1 trip to the Dollar Tree, mostly for newspapers...

Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $6.24 oop

Total OOP: $6.24

Total Earned: Zero

Total Remaining for August: $66.33

Weekly Spending Report: 08/16-22/2015

This week we are going to the beach for 8 glorious days of sand and sun!  But before we left, I managed to get to the stores and grab the needed items for our trip, as well as a few great deals.  I'm sorry for the lack of items in the pictures, and the lack of pictures in general, but most everything was loaded into the travel trailer when we got home and not brought upstairs for picture taking first.  Next week, pictures will return ;-)  Anyway, here's how the shopping for the week went...

• Sunday's CVS Trip (no picture, just a jar of Jif and the free Propel water): $2.32 oop, Earned $6.25 ECB's ($5 from the Pharmacy Rewards program)
• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $31.45 oop (not pictured, but included 1 loaf of bread, 3 bottles of apple juice, 1 bag of pistachios, 1 box of crackers, 10 gallons of water)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $47.66 oop (not pictured, but included 1 box Pop-Tarts, 3 more boxes of granola bars, 2 boxes of Crystal Light sticks, 1 jar Smucker's jam, 3-6 pks Pepsi bottles, 1 bag Utz chips, and 1 flat iron steak)

Total OOP: $81.43
Total Earned: $6.25
Total Remaining for August: $72.57
 

Weekly Spending Report: 08/09-15/2015

We are home for 6 days this week, and then we leave again for 8 days at the ocean!  I LOVE the ocean!  Last week we were away at a steam show on the Eastern shore, and sold a BUNCH of junk to make money to have fun at the ocean this week!  Can you tell that I'm a little excited?!  Anyway, we save all year for this trip so we can have some well-deserved splurgy fun, so needless to say, we can all get a little excited for it!  I see mini golf, good seafood, and pool side reading in my near-future.  Since we were home this week, I had to work every day to give the other lady I split my position with some time off, so I sent Joe to the store to pick up a few things one day.  In the end, we mostly ate from the pantry this week, and just picked up a few good bargains.  Here's how the shopping went down...

• Tuesday's CVS Trip: $16.95 oop, Earned $1 ECB's (not pictured, but included 3-24 pks bottled H20)

Total OOP: $16.95
Total Earned: $1
Total Remaining for August: $154
 

July's Goals Update

July was another crazy month.  I feel like I type those same words every month, and yet, every month feels more crazy than the last.  Maybe it's that way every year in the spring and summer, or maybe it's the hormones, who knows?!  Anyway, July was very productive despite the craziness.  We were able to get the travel trailer ready and packed to travel in August, we got everything priced and loaded to do a flea market in August, we helped a lady that we work with clean out her garage, we had a good bye dinner with friends who are moving to Arizona, we celebrated Howard's second 4th of July, we worked and survived 3 different events here at the museum, I got a bladder infection and was put on some antibiotics which I found out I am allergic to, but survived the worse case of hives I've ever had, and this was in addition to the normal working, cleaning, shopping, coupon clipping, and mommy duties that I normally have.  So, I would say we did good in July.  There were some goals I didn't get to, but hey, that's life right now, and I'm okay with that.  Here's what we crossed off in July...

Household:

1. De-clutter the whole house in January, February, and March -- Done!
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. -- I managed to stay caught up on all of my cleaning tasks, as well as the laundry!
3. Paint the Windows/Sills/Trim in the Kitchen and Nursery. -- Still hasn't happen yet.  Unless we get a cool day in August, it probably won't happen until Fall, when I can open the windows and not cook from the heat.

Family:

1. Write a 'love letter' to Joe each month - I did this again this month.  I wrote him a nice card, and he loved it.  I try really hard to thank him for everything he is doing or trying to do around the house to make sure that he feels appreciated.  It's hard, but I am trying, and I think it makes a BIG difference in our relationship, and our overall mood with each other.
2. Take a trip to Maine in June with the hubby, and Howard.  Done!
3. Take a Trip to Ocean City in August -- N/A
4. Get together with family at least once a month -- Joe and Howard got together with his family while I was working one day, and my dad managed to come over on several days and spend some time with the three of us.  I am hoping to get together with the rest of my family in August, but it will probably be September with every one's work schedules.
5. Plan and Execute Howard's 1st Birthday Party -- Done!

Blogging:

1. Have 2 Freezer/Pantry Challenges (January and July), post updates on the blog, and defrost the chest freezer -- Done!  I did not blog about our pantry challenge in July, mainly because what we were eating wasn't really picture and blog worthy.  We ate a LOT of weird combinations of stuff just to get it out of the freezer.  We are going to continue to eat down the freezers and the pantry in August in between our trips away from home.  I am hoping to empty them out even more, and redo our inventory sheets by September.  We do a LARGE flea market the beginning of September every year, and we use most of the money we make stocking up for the winter when I don't work as often.  So, my ultimate goal is to have the pantries and freezers almost empty and then to refill them for the next few months, and update the inventory sheets when I do that.  
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. -- This goal really fell by the wayside in July.  Not only did I only post 1 menu plan, but I also didn't post any of my pantry challenge updates, or anything else extra.  But sometimes, that's just how it is.  I blog because I enjoy it, I do NOT make a living from it, so sometimes is takes a back burner to working and paying the bills.  It's a serious bummer when that happens, but it does happen.  Hopefully I'll have some free time during our vacations to do a little extra blogging in August!
3. Plan and execute a 31 days post for October. -- N/A

Health:

1. Lose at least 20 lbs -- So far I am down 18 lbs from what I regained.  I am working hard at making better choices with what I'm eating, and trying to just not eat as much at one sitting.  I am working at getting more protein in my diet, but sometimes that just takes too much time.  It's a process, and I am trying to make it work for me, so we'll see what August brings.
2. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and do exercise of some kind everyday. -- I am trying to drink more water, but I drink a LOT already, so that it hard for me.  Also, it is really hard to eat healthy when you have a husband and son who refuse green foods, and are rather picky.  If I hard more time and energy after working, I would just make two meals, but I really don't feel like doing that.  I am working hard at creating a core of about 10 or so recipes that we all like, and that I can make healthier on my plate, like tacos, but they can still eat them how they like them.  Unfortunately, it's a lot harder than you might think, since I need the recipes to be budget-friendly, and easy/quick to make as well. 

Budget/Income:

1. Do at least 5 Flea Markets throughout the year, and list at least bi-monthly on Amazon/Facebook Yard Sale. -- 2 Flea Market done to date.  I did not list anything in July, and I don't plan to list anything in August, since we will be away more than we are home that month.  We are doing 2 large flea markets, 1 in August, and 1 in September, which we have been gathering and pricing things for this month.  I plan to start listing on Amazon and maybe even ebay again in September
2. Earn Swagbucks everyday by completing the daily poll, toolbar log-in, and NOSO offers daily.  (Try to earn $10 a month) -- I'm up to 2,068 swagbucks, only 132 more and I can cash in for the $25 Amazon reward! It is a LOT harder to save up for the $25 gift card than it was to earn the $5 ones.  Which is probably why Swagbucks made the switch.  I would like to cash out for this by the end of August, and be well on my way to another before Christmas -- a girl can dream right? 
3. Set a monthly budget, and coupon and deal shop as needed to stay within our budget. --  We had a little screw up with the budget again this month, I guess twice a year isn't too bad, right?  Anyway, we spent all cash, so I'm not as concerned about it as I might be if we still had credit cards.  So, we ended up spending a little over budget this month, but some how I had the cash in the envelope to cover it, I love and hate when that happens at the same time.  It's nice to have the money to cover the additional expenses, but then you're like, where did this money come from?  So in the end, we will be starting August out with a fresh envelope and cash, and not worrying about how I messed up something somewhere.  I did post my July budget update here.
4. Put at least an extra $100 a month on Joe's Credit Card starting in May -- I was able to put $200 extra on the credit card this month.  That is such a nice feeling.  At this rate, we should have this paid off in less than 2 years.  That's the plan anyway.  

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'm not even planning to work in this until later in the year, possibly not until Fall, we'll see.
2. Continue to work on Howard's baby book 
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 -- Did not happen again -- I am seriously considering putting this off until next year, but, we'll see.

How was your July?