Uber Frugal January

[tortoiseshell]

Day 1: $10.00 (church offering)
Day 2: $0
Day 3: $2.00 (DH coffee)
Day 4: $27.93 ($9 groceries, $18.93 OTC medication)
Day 5: $0
Day 6: $85.75 (internet: the price was raised this month; I have to work on getting it down.)
Day 7: $23.75 (groceries, including cat food)

Week 1 Total: $149.43

Day 8: $10.00 (church offering)

Challenges: On Saturday, I warped one of our saucepans, which I thought was salvageable, but it is not. We are going to hold off on replacing for now, which is a challenge on its own (it was our most frequently used saucepan).

[Adventures With Poopsie]

We had such good intentions... The outer Brisbane heatwave annihilated us though and we bought a portable air conditioner. We held out for as long as we possibly could. Oh and the next day? A cold front moved in and we haven't needed to use it since. It is supposed to heat up again this week though...

We also took advantage of a sale at Spotlight and bought replacement blinds for our bedroom. We've only had them up for one night and we're already sleeping better because the streetlight isn't keeping us awake. Sure, not a necessity but we had been "on the hunt" since September and we got them for almost 50% off.

But ultimately, we're not doing great. Back on the horse tomorrow!

[Fresh Bread]

The plumber successfully unblocked our pipes but it was tree root damage. We'll be OK for a while but we'll need to replace them in the near future. Not entirely unexpected as it's an old house.

[jesse_runs_far]

Day 1 (Sun, Jan 1): $0
Day 2: $40 (groceries), $43 (unlimited yoga for the month)
Day 3: $0
Day 4: $0
Day 5: $0
Day 6: $45
Day 7: $250 (Costco, Bulk Barn, helmet for son)

Week 1 total: $342 - I can do better this week!!!

Day 8: $13 - snacks at movie theater - I'm a sucker for movie popcorn!

Small win - I was overcharged by about $20 on my swim registration a few weeks ago, so I'll be getting a small credit on my CC this month. Score!

[jesse_runs_far]

Having a tim horton's in my building at work makes this one tricky!

I was impressed before, but this is a whole new level of coffee avoidance! :)

Thanks! I think it's actually more the break that I like....the walk down, the time away from my desk, a bit of human interaction. I've started walking to a bathroom that is on the other side of the floor - at least that gets me away from my desk for an extra minute or two!

[Anatidae V]

I had my first day back at work for the year, and both DH and I took a packed lunch. No spend day!

[Juslookin]

1-1 $0.00 spent
1-2 $0.00 spent
1-3 $0.00 spent -
1-4 $0.40 spent.  CC Balance
      $10.37 co-pay for a medical bill
1-5 $0.00 spent
1-6 $0.00 spent
1-7 $21.00 gift from DH 
      $109.50 dog meds. 
      $39.59 quarterly garbage collection bill
1-8 $51.54 Costco -
       $8.21 Aldis

Sat down with DH last night and had a "financial operations" meeting.  It may or may not have involved some wine.
Anyway, the dog meds he bought are an eight month supply and not three months as I thought.  That's great!  I mean we would have bought them regardless, but that's a budget WIN.

We outlined our spending for the rest of the month and discussed when our propane tank may need filled.  It looks to be a quiet month and hopefully a quiet February as well as far as spending is concerned.  We're going to give grooming our dogs ourselves another shot.  It usually turns out a little scary when we do it ourselves, but hey, there's always doggy sweaters if it goes too ugly. :)

Eating for breakfast a pumpkin baked oatmeal from Budget Bytes.  I'm always hungry in the morning and not really an egg person so early so I was looking for a baked oatmeal kind of thing, I tried hers today. I highly recommend this oatmeal.  I had it with a scoop of greek yogurt and I am very satisfied.

[nessness]

My mom visited this weekend and we had a spendy weekend - eating out twice, going to the aquarium, getting manicures, and seeing a movie. My mom paid for most stuff but I paid for the movie ($18) and parking at the aquarium ($5). Plus I bought groceries, gas, and new wiper blades, but those things are hopefully less facepunch-worthy.

Back on track this week. I only spent about $35 on groceries and should be able to avoid buying any more until Friday.

Trying to decide if I can justify going to the chiropractor this week. Not exactly uber-frugal, but I'm 8 months pregnant and having a lot of back and hip pain.

[marielle]

Jan 1: $526 rent + water
Jan 2: $37 Aldi groceries + dustpan
Jan 3: $0
Jan 4: $8 pool league, $5 toothpaste
Jan 5: $25 gas
Jan 6: $0
Jan 7: $0
Jan 8: $2.33 groceries
Jan 9: $25 electric from Nov 14 - Dec 14

Total: $628.33

Maybe I can keep it under $1000 this month for all rent/bills/food/etc. Fingers crossed.

[I'm a red panda]

Updating for the weekend:

1/1: $0
1/2: $0
1/3: $30.37 (me)  and $17.08 (DH)
1/4: $3.56 (me) and $7.42  (DH)
1/5: $0.60 (me) and $6.93 (DH)
1/6: $0 (me) and $30.35 (DH)
1/7: $34.15 (me) and $0 (DH)
1/8: $0
Monthly Reoccurring Bills paid: $96.42

On the 7th I got gas for my car and paid to mail something I sold. The shipping was covered by the sale price, but for me the point of this challenge was to reduce spending, not to bring in money, so I'm still counting it as money spent- since I gave money to a store clerk.

The reoccurring bill is our cell phones. We use a pre-paid plan with unlimited talk, text and 2 GB of data. It's $45 per line, plus tax. My company reimburses $40 to me for BYOD, however, I'm that is taxed, so it doesn't quite pay as much as it sounds like... But these prepaid plans are cheaper than what our contracts used to be, and it's nice the company gives me some money for it.

I had another medical appointment, but since it was just labs, I THINK that is 100% covered, so no copay to expect. I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy, so appts are becoming a lot more frequent.

Weekend wins:
1) Dinner out. DH's boss took his office and +1s out to dinner at a restaurant we like to go to. Nothing fancy, but I was able to get dinner, and take out that will give me dinner tonight.  DH got dinner and 2 fancy beers, though he didn't have enough to bring home.
2) Amazon sent that Betrayal at House on the Hill (board game) was going to be a lightening deal. We've wanted it for awhile, our  friends with the best stocked game closet are moving, so we said "If it's less than $22, we will go ahead and get it."  It was just over $23. We looked at it and said "it's a minimum 3 player, and that's just above the line we drew, so we are going to pass."

[andy85]

I just saw this thread, definitely in! I need a low month after many months of quite the opposite. Goal is $1750.

I'm sitting at $169.15 spent so far this month. I haven't paid any of my monthly bills yet though...mortgage, utilities, car insurance. I'm pretty confident I will come in under $1,500 for the month.

[frooglepoodle]

Eating for breakfast a pumpkin baked oatmeal from Budget Bytes.  I'm always hungry in the morning and not really an egg person so early so I was looking for a baked oatmeal kind of thing, I tried hers today. I highly recommend this oatmeal.  I had it with a scoop of greek yogurt and I am very satisfied.

I highly recommend this recipe as well! My toddler loves it so we stock up on canned pumpkin at Aldi when the price drops to $.79 per can after Thanksgiving so we can make it cheaply all year. The custard from the recipe also works well for baked French toast or bread pudding if you have old bread to use up!

No spending all weekend for us. I ordered a backup of our toddler's favorite stuffed animal this morning as it badly needs a wash but he won't let it out of his sight, much less nap without it. I applied the available points on my Amazon credit card to get the price down to $5.20 - money well spent.

[pachnik]

I am refreshing my participation in UFJ.    I've been slipping, sliding and thinking of bailing out but decided hell no! 

Here is today's planned spending:

$1.60 for the newspaper.

[Captain and Mrs Slow]

Sat down with DH last night and had a "financial operations" meeting.  It may or may not have involved some wine.

We outlined our spending for the rest of the month and discussed when....

Finally realized the only time the wife and I talked budget was when we were in a crisis. No wonder she hated talking money. We took advantage of the UFM to talk our spending goals. I laid out my thoughts ideas and explained where we could cut and both agreed no Amazon this month (tough 😫) or eating out etc.

So far looking really good, spending is coming in way under our 3 month average.  Even moving to organic I,m coming in way lower. Guess sticking to a list really works lthough it does feel kind of weird only buying 1 or 2 items I stopped in for not an extra 4 or 5 that look interesting

   

[Captain and Mrs Slow]

Challenges: On Saturday, I warped one of our saucepans, which I thought was salvageable, but it is not. We are going to hold off on replacing for now, which is a challenge on its own (it was our most frequently used saucepan).

Ha ha can so relate bought a new matching pan a while back and it is sooooo nice and I'm sooooo temped order it's bigger sister. I also want to buy some shelving for the basement along with some seat cusfor the coach. This UFM has really helped me to identify spending triggers!!!!

[Tyn]

Not going as well as I originally thought, I've been ill so got the tube to work a couple of times (rather than biking) and I'd forgotten that my sister is coming to visit.  It won't be outrageously expensive (she's quite happy with movie nights in and free museums) but will include a couple of lunches out and tube fares.  I'll also need to top up my electricity this month so I don't expect my savings to be as high as I'd initially planned.

On the positive side my food expenses have been pretty low and I've switched to a new mobile plan which will give me more texts and (10x) data each month, for £3 less than I currently pay.  Also the problem my new (to me) phone was having with the battery running out (and needing to be charged twice a day) seems to have been solved by turning off the screen rotation option, so no need to shop for a replacement battery.

[OmahaSteph]

I'm so pissed at myself. I got an email this morning from Paypal saying that HelloFresh had requested a payment and $69 would be coming out. Guess who forgot to "pause" this week's delivery? I only signed up to get the free box a friend offered last month. Needless to say, I've canceled the subscription. ARG!

[swick]

So I'm copying this from another thread. But I wanted to share here too in case anyone has not come across these awesome posts fro Erica. Going through this sheet has saved us tons of money the last few years. Now it has pretty much become a habit for us.

Blogs recommendation: Northwest Edible Life's money category:
http://www.nwedible.com/topics/productive-home/frugality-finance/

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE THING:http://www.nwedible.com/mini-money-challenge-occupy-your-brainwhat-you-want-isnt-really-what-you-want/

Print out the blank worksheet: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/35224895/NWEdible_What_I_Really_Want_From_My_Purchases_Chart.pdf

DO THIS FOR EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE. HAVE YOUR WIFE DO THIS FOR EVERY PURCHASE.

Those "diet" full of sugar, fake snack foods? Why do you want them? What is the purpose those are meeting? What are the FEELINGS you think it will address...what do you REALLY want?

Same with the TV, same with the extra freezer...everything. You have to start thinking critically and thinking deeper. Print out multiple copies of this worksheet. Share your thought process if it helps. This is something you can do RIGHT NOW that will make a BIG difference.

[alleykat]

Well, I think I am out of the uber January race because I bought a glider yesterday. However, for me, I am still doing pretty damn good. While, I haven't been recording my expenses, my expenses are reasonable and I haven't purchased any clothes, makeup or other things I don't need.  The glider I bought used off of craigslist for 40 bucks so even that is super cheap. I didn't want to wait on it because losing weight this year is one of my biggest goals and I thought this would help me build up some stamina, which I have none of. 

Anyway, I am not going to let that sway me. I am still aiming for a super low spend January.

[Juslookin]

So I'm copying this from another thread. But I wanted to share here too in case anyone has not come across these awesome posts fro Erica. Going through this sheet has saved us tons of money the last few years. Now it has pretty much become a habit for us.

Blogs recommendation: Northwest Edible Life's money category:
http://www.nwedible.com/topics/productive-home/frugality-finance/

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE THING:http://www.nwedible.com/mini-money-challenge-occupy-your-brainwhat-you-want-isnt-really-what-you-want/

Print out the blank worksheet: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/35224895/NWEdible_What_I_Really_Want_From_My_Purchases_Chart.pdf

DO THIS FOR EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE. HAVE YOUR WIFE DO THIS FOR EVERY PURCHASE.

Those "diet" full of sugar, fake snack foods? Why do you want them? What is the purpose those are meeting? What are the FEELINGS you think it will address...what do you REALLY want?

Same with the TV, same with the extra freezer...everything. You have to start thinking critically and thinking deeper. Print out multiple copies of this worksheet. Share your thought process if it helps. This is something you can do RIGHT NOW that will make a BIG difference.

Interesting read, I'll play:

What I want: A fancy $10.00 mug from Sur La Table that has red and pink hearts all over it.

Why I want it: Because I like to have a special mug in the morning for my tea and the one I currently use has a big chip out of it and is probably one dishwasher trip away from death (So I'm hand washing).  A pretty mug makes me smile in the morning the way a plain white one doesn't.

Problem I think it will solve: Probably none, I have other mugs to serve as a vessel for tea, so its not needed for that.  Maybe the problem of starting at work at 6:00 am and the need for something cheerful at that hour.

Feelings I think it will address: My crankiness about starting work at 6:00 am.

What I really want: I guess I don't want to start working at 6:00 am anymore.  I can change my hours, but I have been a little loathe to switch them.  Part of me likes the early hour before anyone else starts, and part of me hates it.

Huh, who knew I had all those feelings about a stupid mug.  And unfortunately I am being completely serious and honest and was rambling and just talking out loud with this post.  Apparently I do think things can make me happier. 

[Kerowyn]

I am really happy with how we've been doing on food. I was going to say we've spent under $150 this month, but then I remembered that the first grocery shop I'm thinking of was actually on December 31st, so we're well under $100! We definitely have enough food for this week, including plans to potentially feed friends if they come to visit this weekend. At least half of next week is covered, too. My husband keeps exclaiming at how empty the fridge looks. And I got him to put back a marked-down bag of granola by pointing out that we'd agreed not to buy any treats this month.

We did have to run errands this weekend. In addition to the groceries, we went to Home Depot for potting soil and a drain cover. We looked at discount holiday lights, but they didn't have any of the kind we wanted. That ended up being under $10. While we were at the shopping center, we got cat food, also under $10. We weren't out of cat food, but we would have had to get more this month, and this way the errands were combined more effectively. And I didn't stop at the Michael's or DSW in the same shopping center ;) Also took a quick trip to the library.

I've invited friends over to play board games this weekend, though it might get put off for another weekend since it's a two-hour drive. They're into board games and would bring some of their own; my husband and I have each been given games that would be a lot more fun to play with people besides each other (a game where you put historical events in order and Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit, respectively). I have a plan for feeding them (nachos) that would be much cheaper than going out, which is what we've always done when we've had friends over.

[Bracken_Joy]

I went to costco again today- very much a staples trip, we were getting low on rice. I ended up with a couple of *fierce* internal debates, about spending as little as possible January, vs buying things at a good price. Good price won- perhaps if we were trying to meet a goal for this month for an amount we *needed* to save, or a bill we *needed* to pay I would have skipped. But here's what I got: frank's hot sauce. My costco only has this intermittently, and it is easily half the price if not less as buying it in the grocery store (and even substantially cheaper than the sales). I use it every morning for breakfast. I also got ziplocks- there was a $2.75 instant rebate on them, and we were low. We're brand loyal (the cheap ones leak and since we mainly use them for meat- bloody messes are not fun), so not cheap generic option. Bought both gallon and ziplock sizes, so this will last us a long time. I think it's been 6 months to a year since we bought them last, IIRC.

They were still out of bulk feta =( I asked, and it comes back next week. Grrr. Guess I'm glad I picked extra up at TJ's, even though it's (way) more expensive there.

Frugal win though: I am going to up my game and shred my OWN damn brussel sprouts. I bought a food processor for this very reason, and I need to just bite the bullet and do it. It's $2.40/lb at costco for them, whereas pre-shredded from Trader Joe's works out to $3.66/lb. I KNOW. And actually, I should *really* just buy the broccoli at costco instead ($1.90/lb) since they're basically the same thing, but *whine* I like roasted brussels better.

Okay, whininess aside ;) Trying to analyze EVERY PURCHASE for cost savings, especially the ones we do often!

[Kerowyn]

BJ, why shred Brussels sprouts? I usually just halve or quarter them before roasting (yum). Also I'm jealous of that apple price you mentioned a few pages back. I would have gotten apples at the store if I'd been able to find any I wanted to eat for $1.99/lb (all they had at that price was Granny Smith and Red Delicious) and I've never seen them lower than that.

swick, thanks for posting that link. I've read that post before but never actually did the exercise. It would be good to go through that next time I want to buy something with my "fun money" (not this month, as I'm determined not to buy anything "fun") and also with my husband over future household purchases.

[Bracken_Joy]

BJ, why shred Brussels sprouts? I usually just halve or quarter them before roasting (yum). Also I'm jealous of that apple price you mentioned a few pages back. I would have gotten apples at the store if I'd been able to find any I wanted to eat for $1.99/lb (all they had at that price was Granny Smith and Red Delicious) and I've never seen them lower than that.

swick, thanks for posting that link. I've read that post before but never actually did the exercise. It would be good to go through that next time I want to buy something with my "fun money" (not this month, as I'm determined not to buy anything "fun") and also with my husband over future household purchases.

Most apples in the US come from WA (although there's a ton of OR growers too), so it makes sense they're cheaper here =) I usually put up a ton of applesauce in the fall because you can routinely find local good varieties for less than $0.75/lb. So by comparison, $1.39 (I typod the $1.99!) isn't that good. As a result of moving and working on the house though, my food prep and storage efforts were awful this year. =(

As to the shredding: because they get way crispier that way. I'm weird, and like my roasted vegetables *right* on the line between "burnt" and edible, haha. So just personal preference. I didn't like ANY brassics for a long time, so I figure as long as I've found a way I like them, I should embrace it. Good dietary choices and all. I used to have a pretty hard time with most vegetables in general, I had a pretty limited palate.

[swick]

So I'm copying this from another thread. But I wanted to share here too in case anyone has not come across these awesome posts fro Erica. Going through this sheet has saved us tons of money the last few years. Now it has pretty much become a habit for us.

Blogs recommendation: Northwest Edible Life's money category:
http://www.nwedible.com/topics/productive-home/frugality-finance/

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE THING:http://www.nwedible.com/mini-money-challenge-occupy-your-brainwhat-you-want-isnt-really-what-you-want/

Print out the blank worksheet: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/35224895/NWEdible_What_I_Really_Want_From_My_Purchases_Chart.pdf

DO THIS FOR EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE. HAVE YOUR WIFE DO THIS FOR EVERY PURCHASE.

Those "diet" full of sugar, fake snack foods? Why do you want them? What is the purpose those are meeting? What are the FEELINGS you think it will address...what do you REALLY want?

Same with the TV, same with the extra freezer...everything. You have to start thinking critically and thinking deeper. Print out multiple copies of this worksheet. Share your thought process if it helps. This is something you can do RIGHT NOW that will make a BIG difference.

Interesting read, I'll play:

What I want: A fancy $10.00 mug from Sur La Table that has red and pink hearts all over it.

Why I want it: Because I like to have a special mug in the morning for my tea and the one I currently use has a big chip out of it and is probably one dishwasher trip away from death (So I'm hand washing).  A pretty mug makes me smile in the morning the way a plain white one doesn't.

Problem I think it will solve: Probably none, I have other mugs to serve as a vessel for tea, so its not needed for that.  Maybe the problem of starting at work at 6:00 am and the need for something cheerful at that hour.

Feelings I think it will address: My crankiness about starting work at 6:00 am.

What I really want: I guess I don't want to start working at 6:00 am anymore.  I can change my hours, but I have been a little loathe to switch them.  Part of me likes the early hour before anyone else starts, and part of me hates it.

Huh, who knew I had all those feelings about a stupid mug.  And unfortunately I am being completely serious and honest and was rambling and just talking out loud with this post.  Apparently I do think things can make me happier.

Thank you for sharing! It is really useful to see someone else go through the process! We have started using it in regards to time commitments as well. Talk about eye opening!

[Bracken_Joy]

Juslookin- I'll play too. I found myself veering into the clothing section at Costco, in spite of UFM and the No Clothes Buying challenge. 0.o

What I want: a jacket for DH

Why I want it: so he stays warm, and doesn't have to wear an overly heavy jacket (and stink up his nice jacket) at his oh-so-smelly work sites

Problem I think it will solve: keeping DH comfy

Feelings I think it will address: probably that he's working too much and I feel like there's very little I can do to ease his burden, and buying him clothes is like... a way of taking care of him when I can't do anything else.

What I really want: More time with DH and less stress for him

Is this the best way to solve this issue? ...probably not, as he already has a sweatshirt he could wear. It just isn't zip-up, and I don't want it to be stinky at home. Hmm. I'll reflect on this for a while, and if I decide he needs something I'll try to find one at the store we have a gift card for. Or source through an employee store through friends for much cheaper.

[swick]

Juslookin- I'll play too. I found myself veering into the clothing section at Costco, in spite of UFM and the No Clothes Buying challenge. 0.o

What I want: a jacket for DH

Why I want it: so he stays warm, and doesn't have to wear an overly heavy jacket (and stink up his nice jacket) at his oh-so-smelly work sites

Problem I think it will solve: keeping DH comfy

Feelings I think it will address: probably that he's working too much and I feel like there's very little I can do to ease his burden, and buying him clothes is like... a way of taking care of him when I can't do anything else.

What I really want: More time with DH and less stress for him

Is this the best way to solve this issue? ...probably not, as he already has a sweatshirt he could wear. It just isn't zip-up, and I don't want it to be stinky at home. Hmm. I'll reflect on this for a while, and if I decide he needs something I'll try to find one at the store we have a gift card for. Or source through an employee store through friends for much cheaper.

Ohh I have gone through this exact experience. I ended up coming up with a two-fold solution. One was to get him a couple of "work" jackets that he could leave at work from the thrift store. They are probably going to get trashed (or smell horrible) anyways so it doesn't make sense to buy anything new. 

As far as feeling the need to easing the burden and taking care of him...I have gotten much much better at simply telling him how much I appreciate him, the work he does and how he provides for us/our dreams on a regular basis. I also keep a gratitude log where I write three things I'm grateful for each day. At the end of the month I've started pulling it out and telling him all the different ways he is featured in it and how I am grateful for the time we do spend together - eve doing little, inconsequential things. This has also helped refine our spending because going through these after the fact makes us both realize that we don't need much and what we are most grateful for doesn't cost a ton or (usually) come in a package.

[Bracken_Joy]

Juslookin- I'll play too. I found myself veering into the clothing section at Costco, in spite of UFM and the No Clothes Buying challenge. 0.o

What I want: a jacket for DH

Why I want it: so he stays warm, and doesn't have to wear an overly heavy jacket (and stink up his nice jacket) at his oh-so-smelly work sites

Problem I think it will solve: keeping DH comfy

Feelings I think it will address: probably that he's working too much and I feel like there's very little I can do to ease his burden, and buying him clothes is like... a way of taking care of him when I can't do anything else.

What I really want: More time with DH and less stress for him

Is this the best way to solve this issue? ...probably not, as he already has a sweatshirt he could wear. It just isn't zip-up, and I don't want it to be stinky at home. Hmm. I'll reflect on this for a while, and if I decide he needs something I'll try to find one at the store we have a gift card for. Or source through an employee store through friends for much cheaper.

Ohh I have gone through this exact experience. I ended up coming up with a two-fold solution. One was to get him a couple of "work" jackets that he could leave at work from the thrift store. They are probably going to get trashed (or smell horrible) anyways so it doesn't make sense to buy anything new. 

As far as feeling the need to easing the burden and taking care of him...I have gotten much much better at simply telling him how much I appreciate him, the work he does and how he provides for us/our dreams on a regular basis. I also keep a gratitude log where I write three things I'm grateful for each day. At the end of the month I've started pulling it out and telling him all the different ways he is featured in it and how I am grateful for the time we do spend together - eve doing little, inconsequential things. This has also helped refine our spending because going through these after the fact makes us both realize that we don't need much and what we are most grateful for doesn't cost a ton or (usually) come in a package.

Oh I LOVE this idea swick! Thank you. I used to keep a 3 bullet gratitude journal, but I always did it in the morning, so it was variations of "coffee, Old Miss, SirB" every single day hahaha. I haven't done that in a couple years, I should do that again! I bet I even have the same journal, so no need to purchase new!

And yes, I should do thrift for the jacket! For some reason that doesn't occur to me for jackets? Odd blind spot there I just realized. Come February I'll probably do that, unless he goes back to more "colder area" work. (Some areas are super hot, some super cold, and it varies where he is).

Does Mr. Swick work in industry of some sort as well?

[swick]

And yes, I should do thrift for the jacket! For some reason that doesn't occur to me for jackets? Odd blind spot there I just realized. Come February I'll probably do that, unless he goes back to more "colder area" work. (Some areas are super hot, some super cold, and it varies where he is).

Does Mr. Swick work in industry of some sort as well?

Yep, he works in a pulp mill, so I totally get the whole super cold, super hot thing. Constantly changing temperatures, often from one hour to the next depending on where he is in the mill. Also have to worry about the fire risk of any materials that are plastic based. Thrift is a good place for 100% shirts that otherwise would cost an arm and a leg. If your DH has a locker or something along those lines you could get him a few different pieces so he has some variety. Also, it may not be applicable to his work environment but the single biggest thing that got Hubs all mushy  and feeling loved was just starting to pack an extra pair of socks in his lunch kit. H
e always forgets but between steel toes and temperature changes he kept having wet feet from about lunch onward.

[Bracken_Joy]

And yes, I should do thrift for the jacket! For some reason that doesn't occur to me for jackets? Odd blind spot there I just realized. Come February I'll probably do that, unless he goes back to more "colder area" work. (Some areas are super hot, some super cold, and it varies where he is).

Does Mr. Swick work in industry of some sort as well?

Yep, he works in a pulp mill, so I totally get the whole super cold, super hot thing. Constantly changing temperatures, often from one hour to the next depending on where he is in the mill. Also have to worry about the fire risk of any materials that are plastic based. Thrift is a good place for 100% shirts that otherwise would cost an arm and a leg. If your DH has a locker or something along those lines you could get him a few different pieces so he has some variety. Also, it may not be applicable to his work environment but the single biggest thing that got Hubs all mushy  and feeling loved was just starting to pack an extra pair of socks in his lunch kit. H
e always forgets but between steel toes and temperature changes he kept having wet feet from about lunch onward.

If you live where I remember you living, I will give it 20% odds our husbands have met, haha. (He goes all over the PNW). And God yes the steel toe issue. One thing I started doing is setting his steelies next to our heat vent- when he leaves in the morning he has built in toe warmers. I like the sock idea. Sadly DH has no locker since he changes sites relatively often, but he keeps a backpack with him all the time. I stuff it full of snacks naturally.

Do you have any good sources for FR clothing? Or do you just avoid plastic-based materials?

[Juslookin]

I also got ziplocks- there was a $2.75 instant rebate on them, and we were low. We're brand loyal (the cheap ones leak and since we mainly use them for meat- bloody messes are not fun), so not cheap generic option.

Lol, this was the same argument I used with myself for getting the same deal on Ziploc bags at my Costco.  I am trying to spend as little as possible, but at a certain point common sense has to prevail.  If I'm just putting off buying a staple in my house until next month and the price is cheaper now, then clearly in my opinion I should spend the money now, which I did.  And congrats on the careful consideration before buying things....that's really one of the things we're trying to accomplish right?

[Bracken_Joy]

I also got ziplocks- there was a $2.75 instant rebate on them, and we were low. We're brand loyal (the cheap ones leak and since we mainly use them for meat- bloody messes are not fun), so not cheap generic option.

Lol, this was the same argument I used with myself for getting the same deal on Ziploc bags at my Costco.  I am trying to spend as little as possible, but at a certain point common sense has to prevail.  If I'm just putting off buying a staple in my house until next month and the price is cheaper now, then clearly in my opinion I should spend the money now, which I did.  And congrats on the careful consideration before buying things....that's really one of the things we're trying to accomplish right?

Yes exactly! Even if the answer is "yes, spend the money", I stopped and really THOUGHT first.

Also, I did a sub-$50 costco trip. Pretty sure that's a first for me? I'm pretty impressed with myself!

[Juslookin]

Swick:

Thank you for the link.  I'm going to use if often and teach it to my teenagers.

[swick]

If you live where I remember you living, I will give it 20% odds our husbands have met, haha. (He goes all over the PNW). And God yes the steel toe issue. One thing I started doing is setting his steelies next to our heat vent- when he leaves in the morning he has built in toe warmers. I like the sock idea. Sadly DH has no locker since he changes sites relatively often, but he keeps a backpack with him all the time. I stuff it full of snacks naturally.

Do you have any good sources for FR clothing? Or do you just avoid plastic-based materials?

That is a great idea - warming the boots! I'll have to try, usually he doesn't wear them home though, but I'll check! usually we just put it out there for Christmas and Birthdays that if anyone wants to get him clothing, FR is best! Otherwise, we just look for plastic-free and no metal detailing (ARC flash possibility)

[Juslookin]

I also got ziplocks- there was a $2.75 instant rebate on them, and we were low. We're brand loyal (the cheap ones leak and since we mainly use them for meat- bloody messes are not fun), so not cheap generic option.

Lol, this was the same argument I used with myself for getting the same deal on Ziploc bags at my Costco.  I am trying to spend as little as possible, but at a certain point common sense has to prevail.  If I'm just putting off buying a staple in my house until next month and the price is cheaper now, then clearly in my opinion I should spend the money now, which I did.  And congrats on the careful consideration before buying things....that's really one of the things we're trying to accomplish right?

Yes exactly! Even if the answer is "yes, spend the money", I stopped and really THOUGHT first.

Also, I did a sub-$50 costco trip. Pretty sure that's a first for me? I'm pretty impressed with myself!

And you walked out without purchasing any clothes (but of course that's another thread entirely :) Congrats!)

[gaja]

Not the best day. Left my lunch at home, so I bought a sandwich at work ($4). Then the kids remind me they are going skating at school tomorrow, the oldest has grown out of her skates, and the youngest needs to get her skates sharpened (don't know if that is the correct English term). And then, at the store, we find out the oldest also has grown out of her winter boots, without bothering to tell us. According to her, running shoes are fine footwear for -14C. Found both things at a discount, but I wasn't planning on these types of purchases now. The youngest also had grown out of her winter boots, but she fit a pair I wasn't using. Total for skates, boots, protective gear, and sharpening: $146.

The ice rink is municipal, so they skate for free, but they have to bring their gear; no place to rent it.

[Sailor Sam]

Can I be delt into the game?

I didn't want to join earlier, because my wife was in town for the first 10 days of Jan. The wife, and uber frugal spending do not mix. She's just too damn cute. And I had to get the most expensive haircut of my life.

I figure I can still do 31 days of uber frugal spending. It's just that my 31 days will be frameshifted. My larger goal for 2017 is to understand my grocery habits better. No matter how many blogs and posts I read on grocery hacking, actually implementing the steps seem murky and impossible. So, my UFM goal will be to cut my grocery bill by 20%, down to $240. I already pre-plan my menu and grocery list each weak, batch cook weekday meals, and brown bag my lunch. Solid wins! The hard part will be eliminating convenience food, particularly snacks. I never pre-plan snacks, and just choose whatever catches my fancy at the market. If I can knock this behaviour off, shaving $60 off the month will be essentially automated.

My second goal for 2017 is to find a quick go/no-go mental checklist that will automate the purchasing of needs and wants. It's something I struggle with, and other people's checklists have never worked for me. Time to find my own. So, UFM goal will be to knock up a draft, and implement for every. single. purchases. New cars to chewing gum. It will be slow and clunky, but that's exactly the point.

[I'm a red panda]

Total for skates, boots, protective gear, and sharpening: $146.

My skates cost me $500 (with blades) and a single sharpening is $20- so I think you did pretty well :)

[I'm a red panda]

1/1: $0
1/2: $0
1/3: $30.37 (me)  and $17.08 (DH)
1/4: $3.56 (me) and $7.42  (DH)
1/5: $0.60 (me) and $6.93 (DH)
1/6: $0 (me) and $30.35 (DH)
1/7: $34.15 (me) and $0 (DH)
1/8: $0
1/9: $45.14 (me) and $27.97

My spending was for an amniocentesis done in October and the hospital just now billed and iron pills because I'm apparently quite anemic this pregnancy, despite the prenatal having iron in it. DH's was on groceries that were planned (no packaged foods, raw ingredients). I think our grocery bill is going up though as I now need a special diet for the rest of the pregnancy.

[Juslookin]

1/1: $0
1/2: $0
1/3: $30.37 (me)  and $17.08 (DH)
1/4: $3.56 (me) and $7.42  (DH)
1/5: $0.60 (me) and $6.93 (DH)
1/6: $0 (me) and $30.35 (DH)
1/7: $34.15 (me) and $0 (DH)
1/8: $0
1/9: $41.23 (me) and $27.97

My spending was for an amniocentesis done in October and the hospital just now billed. DH's was on groceries that were planned (no packaged foods, raw ingredients). I think our grocery bill is going up though as I now need a special diet for the rest of the pregnancy.

I'm sorry to hear that and I hope everything is OK.

[Bracken_Joy]

Day 1: gas, $33
Day 2: groceries, $18
Day 3: gas, $20 and groceries $51, general household $14, dog nails clipped $13

1/4/17- $0
1/5/17- $0

1/6/17- $0
1/7/17- $45.53 groceries, $18 pet food
1/8/17- $0
1/9/17- $25.07 groceries, $18.88 general household

$139.60 for groceries so far this month. Really pleased with that, honestly, that's great for us.

[snacky]

Today I was picking up meds at the pharmacy and got pulled in to the homemade perogy place next door. I bought a pack of amazing, incredible perogies, and cooked them up as soon as I got home. Classic impulse spending.
But they were so good!

[I'm a red panda]

 I think our grocery bill is going up though as I now need a special diet for the rest of the pregnancy.

I'm sorry to hear that and I hope everything is OK.

Should be fine once I figure out what the heck I can eat with my food preferences and aversions. I'm still throwing up anything that tastes slightly off, so introducing new foods will be tough. Right now it's sounding pretty impossible though. LOL. But I failed my gestational diabetes screening. My numbers last year were great, and these ones weren't too high, so hopefully it isn't that hard to control and goes away as soon as I'm not pregnant.

[HappierAtHome]

Can I be delt into the game?

Yes, but you get 100 pushups because it's dealt, not delt :-)

[Sailor Sam]

Can I be delt into the game?

Yes, but you get 100 pushups because it's dealt, not delt :-)

I'M BAD AT SPELLING, IT'S NOT MY FAULT, GOD MADE ME THIS WAY, AND ENGLISH IS STUPid, ALSO I DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LITTLE TWITTERINGS.

So, yeah. I'll start with 200, shall I? #totallyworthit


ETA:
In other news, I finally got around to meal planning for the week. I usually plan on Sat and shop on Sunday, but the conjugal visit disrupted my schedule. I started by staring into the cupboard, and deciding there was nothing that resembled food contained within. Then I made a couple lists, and ended up with a plan through Friday. Whoop!

The Plan:
Tuesday
B: oatmeal w/ coconut milk
L: Roasted broccoli over rice. Spicy Chinese sauce of unknown name
D: Hot & sour soup

Wednesday
B: oatmeal
L: Hot & sour soup
D: House salad w/ tuna

Thursday
B: oatmeal
L: Tikka Masala w/ naan (frozen meal)
D: Roast salmon, braised carrots, couscous

Friday
B: ??? traditionally a donut with my boss. Might be a moment of weakness
L: Bean soup
D: restaurant (but I'll eat some extra soup before going, and order something cheap)

I've got some cereal bars, and some peanut butter crackers for morning & afternoon snack. Served as necessary. I think an UFM will overlap nicely with my Stop Being So Fat month.

[katscratch]

Also I'm jealous of that apple price you mentioned a few pages back. I would have gotten apples at the store if I'd been able to find any I wanted to eat for $1.99/lb (all they had at that price was Granny Smith and Red Delicious) and I've never seen them lower than that.

Most apples in the US come from WA (although there's a ton of OR growers too), so it makes sense they're cheaper here =)

Oh man, hahaha!  I grew up in apple country --by that I mean central WA...not Minnesota -- Just last week I got into a full on argument with coworkers about this!  They were adamant that more apples come from the Midwest because the farmer's markets are full of Minnesota varieties, and all the BEST apples are Minnesota varieties.  "But that doesn't mean we grow the MOST" hahahahaha rinse repeat!

I mean, yeah, a Zestar or Honeycrisp are hands down better than Red Delicious but we're not exporting them like mad ;)

[Bracken_Joy]

Also I'm jealous of that apple price you mentioned a few pages back. I would have gotten apples at the store if I'd been able to find any I wanted to eat for $1.99/lb (all they had at that price was Granny Smith and Red Delicious) and I've never seen them lower than that.

Most apples in the US come from WA (although there's a ton of OR growers too), so it makes sense they're cheaper here =)

Oh man, hahaha!  I grew up in apple country --by that I mean central WA...not Minnesota -- Just last week I got into a full on argument with coworkers about this!  They were adamant that more apples come from the Midwest because the farmer's markets are full of Minnesota varieties, and all the BEST apples are Minnesota varieties.  "But that doesn't mean we grow the MOST" hahahahaha rinse repeat!

I mean, yeah, a Zestar or Honeycrisp are hands down better than Red Delicious but we're not exporting them like mad ;)

DUDE. THEY CANNOT judge us on that red delicious BS. It is in no way delicious. We have fantastic apples out here- janagold, gala, jazz, fuji, cameos, braeburns... Albertsons produce department up here is like 1/2 apples during the fall. I mean, I'm glad minnesota has tasty apples, but you can't base our apple quality here on what we're shipping there vs what you're getting locally there... the best apples are the worst shippers!

...sorry, I went on a little rant there. I may be a *touch* passionate about our agriculture out here.

[MonkeyJenga]

I spent $9 at Target after I returned a gift for $10 in store credit. I HAD TO SPEND. THEY GAVE ME NO CHOICE.

Also I really needed laundry detergent. They had it on sale. Plus cheap oranges.

This will prevent me from spending more on drop-off laundry, so go me.

[horsepoor]

Spent 1.05 on coffee at the airport, then no other travel spending.  In my apartment now and spent $51 on groceries at Safeway.  Didn't get much, but it's DC so I kind of expected that.  Will check out Trader Joe's  on my way home from work tomorrow. 

Also, I assumed that this furnished apartment  would have a hair dryer, but no.  Will probably buy one tomorrow because 8 weeks of working in our national office with bad hair isn't going to work.

[SingleMomDebt]

And I have a hair dryer that is sitting in a box to be donated.

No spend day for me.