Just CS/NS July

[ses]

Ready for another month?


A few months back Honeylioness had an impassioned plea to get us back to the focus of our thread. The fundamentals. The basics. Plus the friendship. Did y'all know we've successfully planned vacations together? Life keeps on going with new babies, relationships, homes, challenges, jobs and financial hurdles but we stick to it. So, get sticky!

Here are some way to get your goals to stick:

#1. Post your numbers - just put it at the top of a post in bold and let us know how you're doin' and what you need help with
#2. Track your numbers - technically this should be #1 but you know it. If you need ideas for tracking post and ask the veterans for guidance
#3. Share your life but please keep it somewhat financially related - we know that everything influences finances especially when we're stressed, tired, excited and busy. BUT this is a financial accountability group, not a therapy session If you want to go off topic consider starting a fresh thread and posting a link so those who are interested can support you there.

For the new people there are no real set rules here, you set your own. The basic goal most if not all of us have are to keep track of the days we don't spend and hopefully by that work on saving money. Some are looking to put it into savings others to pay down debt.

For some they only count the day as a no spend day if they spend nothing at all. Others will count it if they keep their total under $5. Some count all spending others only count a certain part of their budget. For example MittenKitten personally take $400 out of the the bank in cash for everything that is not related to vehicle expenses (like gas, oil changes, insurance etc) or the house (mortgage, utilities, HOA) If I spend out of the $400 I count it as a spend day (although if it is less then $5 I usually count it as a no spend day.) You set your own rules. Any questions feel free to ask.

You can post your no spend days daily or whenever you want, just put it in bold at the top with the first number being the number you want me to record. If you are doing daily then:
Today (or yesterday) $0 Spend day

More then one day at a time:
4/31 days $0 Spend Which translates into 4 out of 31 days in July have been no spend so far. Some use the bigger number as their goal number so do 4/15 No spend Days which means they have a goal of 15 no spend days this month.

[ses]

Sorry I'm so slow.  

I have been practicing walking everyday and I can walk around a room if I am slow and careful.  I walked down the hall all by myself today, carrying my cane but not using it!  I have muscles I had forgotten I have and have not used for years.  I still do stairs VERY carefully and I haven't tried walking on the lawn or any unpaved surfaces yet.  When I think what a really short time it has been since surgery  I am amazed at how well I am doing.

Moneysquirrel--Was your conference as good as you thought it was going to be?

3cats--I am still working on next months' budget, too.  I have two outstanding hospital bills to take care of then I will be back to a normal month.  

Have a wonderful Fourth !!

[3catslady]

3catslady:  2/?  NSD, 1/? CSD, 0/3 eating out days.

I got 5 extra hours next week.  Instead of starting at 5 pm I now start at 4 pm.  And we are losing 2 of the ladies that I can work with most of the time.  I have trouble working with the others because they don't clean up after themselves and they are still in "kindergarten" most of the time.  The only time I have seen them act like an adult is when the "big wigs" from Sunbury are around and I can't stand impostors.  

I've still got some tweaking to do to my budget, hence the question marks, before it is to my satisfaction.  And I realized last night that I am not as "frugal" as I used to be.  Two tea bags would last me 5 cups of tea but I am using them only once now.  I used to save them after my first cup, which I would only brew for one and a half minutes or two, and make a second cup from that bag and let it brew longer.  Then I'd get a second bag and brew my first and second cup, and then put the two together and get a third cup from them. Oh well, I can adjust.  And I've used up my stash of laundry soap and now I have to start buying again.  It was so nice to not have to buy for a couple of years but it helped me get some bills paid off.  I still have 5 bottles of Mr Clean so I am good there.

[ses]

3cats--Perfect timing for two thoughts to collide, so I have to share while I am thinking of it.  

I make my own laundry soap, which turns out to about $.03 a load.  I get a box of Borax and a box of Washing soda from Walmart (in the laundry section) and they last about 3 years.  In a one gallon pitcher/bottle/jar I dissolve 3 T borax and 3 T soda in 2-3c of boiling water.  After they are dissolved add 2T Dawn detergent and more water to make a gallon.  I use 3/4 - 1 cup per load.  I have soft water, if you have hard water add a splash of white vinegar.

It does a good job for me.  I don't know how it would do with really dirty clothes, I have used it as a pre-treat on some clothes.

I can't begin to imagine how much I have saved over the past few years.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  3/? NSD, 1/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  4/? NSD, 1/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 2 nsd and 1csd
I'm back for another month.  I hope to rack up more days this month -- I do much better when I am back at school so I am hopeful but not sure how it will go as this is the last few weeks of not having a schedule etched with bells.

I have been pretty good about sticking to the basics.  I have been trying to get items that are more needed than wants. 

SES -- the conference was great.  Came home overwhelmed with the information overload.  Lots of ideas to try to incorporate in the classroom.  Hope to add one or two new ones at a time.  Some will be fun, some will help with organizational techniques and all will help the kids progress in their skills.  Me too as I learn something every time I attend one of these conferences.  Looking forward to the one next year and hoping that the school will send me again.

3cats -- wishing you more peace in your environment.  You have made great strides in the last few years and I know that with His help that you will overcome anything that you have to.

Time for bed.  Will check in soon.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  5/? NSD, 1/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I had our monthly lunch with my girlfriends.  We ate at a new restaurant and the food was good.  It did take 20 minutes for it to arrive  at our table and they weren't that busy.  We started at noon and we left the table at 2:30-3 pm so I'd say we had a good time.  We even had some left overs.  

This week starts a 5 hour-5 day week for me.  I had only been working 4 hours because I watch the grandkids until the oldest gets home from school or mom comes home.  Now that mom is home and not working, I can go in earlier.  I don't know about any of you but when you are used to working 4 hours on concrete floors and they add an extra hour to your schedule, your legs and feet hurt.  So I will be taking an extra Advil before I go to work.  I had been down to only 2 Aleve in the morning and that is all I have been taking and now I will be adding 2 Advil in the afternoon before I go to work.  That is good for my savings account anyway.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  5/? NSD, 2/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I got enough ham and swiss for 2 sandwiches and a rice Krispie treat bar for dessert.  That's all I spent, $5.16.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  6/? NSD, 2/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

[3catslady]

I am going for groceries at Wal-Mart and I so want to buy something for myself but right now I don't have the money.  Can you ladies please get in my head and stop me again?

[3catslady]

3catslady:  6/? NSD, 3/? CSD, o/? eating out days.

I bought myself another shirt for work, got my hair cut, 2 music cd's, and got a Subway for supper.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 6 nsd and 1 csd

I have been staying pretty close to home and except for budgeted expenses -- monthly bills, gas and groceries, and yearly doctor checkups bills -- have not spent on other items.  I do have a feeling that this may change soon as a new craft store is opening soon and after checking their web site I have located several items that I have been looking for.  I will inspect the items to make sure that the pictures on the website matches the item in the store.  

Also, since all of my doctors keep asking me about my exercise routine I have decided that I would break down and hire someone to train me properly on the machines at the gym.  I have been doing the treadmill and sometimes other cardio machines but have avoided the ones I need for strength training.  I will bite the bullet and do this for me and my well-being.  I have been thinking about it now for at least two years so now it is time for me to act.

3cats -- Sorry, I wasn't on here to get into your head earlier.  I do think that now that you have treated yourself to these items -- most of seem to be needed ones -- then you will get back on track.  Remember is it a want or a need.  I need to remember this also for myself.  See above.

  

[3catslady]

money:  I didn't NEED the cd's or the Subway, but I needed a haircut and I wanted another shirt for work.  It didn't help that I was mad at myself because I was ready to go at 10 this morning but waited until 2 this afternoon and missed making my deposit at the bank by an hour and a half.  I hate when I do things like that.  I found out that there is a gym opening up at the mall about 5-7 minutes away from my place sometime this fall.  I might look into that because I need to lose at least 50 pounds.  I am tired of the way I look and am ready to do something about it.  Sorry, I think I am headed for a "pity party" and I need to bring myself out of it.

[ses]

Been a busy week, although I can't make a list of accomplishments for the life of me. I do have a cleaned out pantry, a new batch of laundry soap, and every plate, pan and counter washed.  I have been making an effort to cook healthier to get my blood sugars down since I have been home.  That is such a slow process.  At least I haven't gained back the pounds I lost in the hospital, I hope they never find their way back.

Leo is helping as much as he can.  When I try to have some potato chips with my lunch sandwich he has his face on my plate trying to steal chips. Not the little crumbs and pieces but the big whole chips!

We are getting ready for the big city festival blowout starting tomorrow afternoon.  I am going to try to get all my errands done early before the tourists and traffic get crazy.  Not too many-post office, bank and Safeway.  I have a list and plan to STICK TO IT!

I think all my medical bills are paid except for two or three.  I will be glad to get that over with.

3cats--hang in there and eat healthy. Walking is the best exercise and it is free!

[3catslady]

3catslady:  6/? NSD, 4/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I bought peanut butter and chicken legs tonight.  I had the peanut butter on my list for the past 3 days and I forgot it every time.  Tonight when I went to work, I picked up the jar and took it with me to my work station.  I wasn't going to forget it this time.  I like getting the legs at work because they would be thrown out otherwise.  We do rotisserie chicken and take the breasts off the ones that are left over at the end of the night.  I asked the woman that does the chicken to save me 6 legs.  I bought 6 bags of frozen veggies that are in the steam fresh bags and I do a bag of them with one leg/thigh for my meals.  Sometimes I add steamed rice or microwave mashed potatoes to the mix and that is my meal for the night.  Then I either have diced peaches or applesauce for dessert.  I got some mandarin oranges also so I might have them.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  7/? NSD, 4/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I had gotten some RAID for the bugs but I didn't use it.  I didn't read the label when I picked it up.  I got home and it says not to use around pets or children and since my cats are indoor cats and there is a door between my place and the kids, I didn't want to use it.  I did get Dawn and apple cider vinegar.  I took the RAID back and got my money back.

[3catslady]

3catslady: 9/? NSD, 4/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I feel like I am accomplishing something in the NSD department.

[ses]

I like getting the legs at work because they would be thrown out otherwise. We do rotisserie chicken and take the breasts off the ones that are left over at the end of the night. I asked the woman that does the chicken to save me 6 legs.


3cats--That is such a smart move.  Did you have to pay regular price or a reduced price for the chicken?  You ARE doing well on your NSD days.  I hate to shop at Walmart, it is so difficult to stick to a list.

sending you a PM

[3catslady]

ses:   The manager let me have them for $1 each, including leg and thigh.  There is still a lot of meat on the chicken that is thrown out.  The back and wings have a lot of meat left and they just don't clean a chicken the way my Mom taught me to.  I would like to take the bones home and boil them for some good stock but I won't to be watching the kids until school starts again in September.  I may make chicken corn soup or chicken and dumplings at that time.  Maybe even a pot of home made chicken vegetable soup and freeze it for the winter.  I don't yet what I am going to do.

I read your post  and thought it was good.  I guess they just don't know what it is to be on a strict budget with very little to spend on food.

[ses]

3cats--thanks that makes me feel better.  I think some still have not learned a lot from the past hard years--or they have forgotten.

[3catslady]

ses:  Or like my DS, they use credit cards and just pay the minimum balance and go on their merry way.  I have to get ready for work so I am going off line until after 10 tonight.  Have a good day.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  9/? NSD, 5/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I had to get a loaf of bread and a can of Readie Whip for my strawberry cake-in-a-mug, and that's all I bought.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  10/? NSD, 5/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 9 nsd and 3 csd

I'm still around.  I have been trying to get as many things done as possible before I have to report back to school at the beginning of the month. Only a few weeks left and I have so many things still on the list to be done.  Also having the beginning signs of a sinus flareup so I did not leave the house today and have begun preventive measures that I hope will work.

I got a few items for school.  I decided to beat the mobs by going early.  The store had a steady supply of early shoppers like me but nothing like what will happen in three weeks.

Finally finished one of the three detailed beading projects on my to-be-worked-on-until-finished list this morning.  Only two more to go.  Will pull the next one out tomorrow to try to get restarted on it.  I have been squeezing less detailed ones in-between work on these.  I have completed a few of these in the last few weeks.

Have still been mainly eating out of the freezer/pantry.  Have had to add a few things to it and will have to do a major shopping trip before school begins but trying to work out the older stuff before then.  Not too much of that is left.

Will check in later.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  10/? NSD, 6/? CSD, 0/?eating out days.

I got gas today because it was at $3.449 at the store about a mile below me and $3.799 at the store where I work about 8 miles.  I also got laundry done.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  11/? NSD, 6/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I can't say that I spent money on eating out yet.  I bought a hoagie from a boy scout and haven't paid for it yet.  His mother was to work until 5:30 pm tonight but was gone when I got there at 4 pm.  I did eat the hoagie but haven't paid for it and until I pay for it, I am not counting it.

[3catslady]

3catslady:  11/? NSD, 7/? CSD, 0/? eating out day.

[3catslady]

3catslady: 12/? NSD, 7/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

[3catslady]

3catslady: 12/? NSD, 8/? CSD, 0/? eating out days.

I got groceries and cold pills but did not spend much else.