FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

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HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

Post by HappyDaze »

floridacatlover wrote: Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:47 pm I spent $16 including tip on lunch yesterday. Paid in cash with my envelope money. I have $129 left in the envelope. I also have $28 in my “Christmas Club” envelope and a $5 in my wallet.

So far this month I have not bought gas and I’ve spent $110.29 on groceries. I’m getting ready to resubscribe to the local newspaper, hopefully $8/month as a “new” subscriber since I haven’t had the paper for the past month. I’ve only spent $10 on gifts this month for a Special Olympics donation. Friend’s birthday lunch is later this month. I already have several really nice “friend” cards purchased at Dollar Tree last year. I’ll put my lunch plus my share of friend’s lunch under entertainment rather than gifts.
Florida, I also put any meals eaten out (or take out eaten at home) in the entertainment category. I have a donations category for charitable giving. So far this year that is $5 as I have that amount deducted from each paycheck to go to our local United Way to benefit home delivered meals for seniors, literacy for children, parent education classes, etc.

It is great that you have your friend's birthday lunch to look forward to!
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
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Jackielou
Posts: 13425
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

Post by Jackielou »

floridacatlover wrote: Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:47 pm I spent $16 including tip on lunch yesterday. Paid in cash with my envelope money. I have $129 left in the envelope. I also have $28 in my “Christmas Club” envelope and a $5 in my wallet.

So far this month I have not bought gas and I’ve spent $110.29 on groceries. I’m getting ready to resubscribe to the local newspaper, hopefully $8/month as a “new” subscriber since I haven’t had the paper for the past month. I’ve only spent $10 on gifts this month for a Special Olympics donation. Friend’s birthday lunch is later this month. I already have several really nice “friend” cards purchased at Dollar Tree last year. I’ll put my lunch plus my share of friend’s lunch under entertainment rather than gifts.
Just like HappyDaze I put meals eaten out/takeout delivered and eaten at home under entertainment.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
floridacatlover
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

Post by floridacatlover »

Two recent frugal fails, both related to my former employer. My subscription for my magazine (where I worked for 21 years) ran out a month ago and I waited to renew. The renewal notices all said $14.95 so I mailed a check last week. Then in Saturday’s mail I got a renewal that said $10! Too late. I actually think I should be on the comp list and probably could get on it but don’t want to make a fuss. Thirteen years since I retired and at least half the staff are still people I worked with and several are good friends. Many, many print magazines have failed (or are shadows of their former selves) and I’m very happy that my magazine is still doing quite well so I can’t complain too much about the small frugal fail.

Next is the newspaper that owns my magazine. After letting my subscription end, I just renewed for $8/month. Then last night on my phone I got a pop-up on the paper’s website offering $1 for six months. Grrr! Truth be told I took advantage of this $1 offer once in 2022 so I might not have qualified. My paper (like most local newspapers) has really struggled but seems to be on more solid ground now. I want them to survive. I’ve supported their local journalism fund and have the fund in my Will. But somehow the frugal fail on the subscription cost seems different!
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Jackielou
Posts: 13425
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

Post by Jackielou »

floridacatlover wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:15 am Two recent frugal fails, both related to my former employer. My subscription for my magazine (where I worked for 21 years) ran out a month ago and I waited to renew. The renewal notices all said $14.95 so I mailed a check last week. Then in Saturday’s mail I got a renewal that said $10! Too late. I actually think I should be on the comp list and probably could get on it but don’t want to make a fuss. Thirteen years since I retired and at least half the staff are still people I worked with and several are good friends. Many, many print magazines have failed (or are shadows of their former selves) and I’m very happy that my magazine is still doing quite well so I can’t complain too much about the small frugal fail.

Next is the newspaper that owns my magazine. After letting my subscription end, I just renewed for $8/month. Then last night on my phone I got a pop-up on the paper’s website offering $1 for six months. Grrr! Truth be told I took advantage of this $1 offer once in 2022 so I might not have qualified. My paper (like most local newspapers) has really struggled but seems to be on more solid ground now. I want them to survive. I’ve supported their local journalism fund and have the fund in my Will. But somehow the frugal fail on the subscription cost seems different!
I would say those are still pretty good deals Floridacat. Subscriptions for anything up here in Canada are usually double that.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
floridacatlover
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

Post by floridacatlover »

Even though I ended 2022 more than $1,600 over budget (mostly gifts) I ended the year or started 2023 with a good amount set aside for car insurance, home insurance, flood insurance, umbrella insurance and travel. This is mostly from end of year dividends. So today I moved $3,850 insurance money (yes, this is outrageous) from checking to savings earning 3.3%. Even just leaving it there for 6 months I’ll earn more than $60. I also moved some travel money but may use that in April but still it will earn a bit.
floridacatlover
Posts: 8057
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: FCL’s Alternative Frugality 2023

Post by floridacatlover »

I bought $24.19 in groceries today at Publix and I’m up to $170.18 for the month. I’ve set my budget at $250. I bought Post Shredded Wheat and Bran cereal B1G1. I don’t buy it unless it is B1G1 but like that it has a lot of fiber. For a long time it was $3.79. Today it was $4.69. Still under $2.50 a box on sale but a big jump in price.

I bought $30.03 in gas ($3.37/gallon). It only filled my tank 3/4 full. I’m thinking of going on a day trip on Monday depending on the weather.
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