Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

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

Re: Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

Post by HappyDaze »

Major sticker shock at the grocery store last night! I am back on a stricter menu plan and all cooking from scratch - I had eased up on that a bit due to being so busy at work and so tired all the time - but gotta get back to it.
"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
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

Post by HappyDaze »

I forgot to mention there was a mistake with payroll this past time and they didn't pay me $368.67 of overtime. Normally I am one of 3 people who review payroll and catch those things - but I was off and nobody caught it. They caught the error before I noticed it (but too late to fix) and offered to cut me a check - I said to just put it with next time's pay. It was an honest mistake and I make my share of those - I am not mad about it.

Also forgot to mention I picked up a dozen store brand yogurts for .34 cents each - the "best by" date is 10/26 - I'm going to enjoy them for breakfasts this coming week, with some trail mix thrown in - will give me a nice break from all the oats and grits - and cheap!
"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
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

Post by HappyDaze »

I have been able to get all of DD's Christmas gifts so far using Amazon credits earned by doing surveys. I will pay out of pocket for her Save A Lot gift card of course - and for DS & DDIL's Tractor Supply gift card - that's okay.

Sticking to the out of pocket Christmas budget is a little challenging but so far so good. I made a "beef jerky gift basket" for DD's significant other - 4 different flavors of beef jerky (that stuff is NOT cheap!!) and a beef jerky scented candle (YUCK) from Amazon - paid for with points. Not what I had planned to gift him - but I had coupons for some of the jerky - AND it was on sale - AND I got points on Ibotta and Fetch Rewards for some of it - and - most importantly - he loves the stuff.

My pay increase that I got a couple months ago is all going into my 403(b) so I'm living on what I was making before - with all the rising prices - so everything is well thought out, planned, etc.

I have switched my dogs to a much better quality food - so that is costing more - but they're worth it. DD (very kindly, not in a bad way) pointed out that what I was feeding them was basically garbage - she wasn't wrong. They are doing well on the new food and seem to love it. The outdoor cats are another story - I still feed the cheap stuff, mixing in just enough warm water and canned food to make them like it. When the brutal cold of winter comes, we will feed them twice a day instead of once - so that will cost a little more. Isn't it always something?
"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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MackerelCat
Posts: 7259
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

Post by MackerelCat »

We find when we feed ours a high-quality food, we don't have to feed them as much. They eat a very good kibble and we make a "gravy" of a little canned food thinned with water and mixed with their dry food for their main meal of the day.
Mackie
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

Post by HappyDaze »

I have gone round and round with "Causebox" (now renamed "Alltrue") this week - they renewed the subscription box I got DD for Christmas last year and charged my bank card almost $300. In the end, the money is back in my bank account - but it was a battle royal. Don't mess with my money, lol.
Not doing any black Friday or Cyber Monday, etc. shopping. I am almost done Christmas shopping and everything I still need to pick up I am getting at local stores.

I am doing another "no grocery" week this coming week - so some planning and cooking will be done over the weekend.
"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
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: Small Goals - Pennies to Dollars

Post by HappyDaze »

i ordered two big packs of canned cat food from Amazon - the price was good! 24 (5.5 oz cans) for just over $12 - making them under .50 cents per can. There went my gift card points for an essential oil diffuser I wanted to buy myself - but that's okay. I am also going to run with Mackie's suggestion about cooked chicken parts for the cats. I feel a little weird about it but I'm going to ask the guy behind the meat counter at the grocery if he has any gizzards and such that he can package up and sell. It won't hurt to have those handy in the freezer. The thought of hungry cats out in the cold that I can't feed is just too much!
I am starting to think about some "extreme savings challenges" that I can do in 2022. Some of my thoughts might seem silly, crazy to some people but I feel that I'm living proof of how little, tiny amounts of money add up and make a difference. I first got a handle on my debt and turned my situation around by focusing on those little amounts, little places to save a little money.
One think I thought of - coffee. Every morning, I get up and fill the pot with water up to the "6" line and use 3 scoops of ground coffee. Some days I don't finish it all. In the summer, that is fine because I make coffee ice cubes with the leftover. Currently, there is no room in the freezer for that. My plan is to only fill the pot to the "4" line and use 2 scoops of ground coffee. I'm guessing this will save me at least a couple containers of coffee over the year. Nope, it's not a lot but it's one of many little things that will add up.
"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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