A good-sized chunk of that included general and stocking gifts (including some very thoughtful ones from the Brick), as well as seafood for the Seven Fish Dishes (and a lobster dinner waiting in the freezer for Son #1, who had to miss Christmas Eve this past year). It also represented several six-packs of beer and a bottle of champagne. I think it included some gift cards, too. But to have it total up that way...no wonder our credit card bills seemed way out of line last month.
Thankfully, this month's food costs went back down closer to the $50-or-less we spend per week, if I'm not artificially holding things down. All the same, I have no big plans to go hogwild with groceries and such for the next few months.
January brings a certain restlessness and irritability. It's easy to pick fights over little things, and even easier to get overwrought about news events. (I would say I'm not the only one, based on the recent brouhaha about drums and MAGA caps.) Do you struggle with this, too?
I read a lot of books this month, and tried hard to remind myself not to spend. Not going out much to stores helps -- but staying off Amazon is even harder. The Brick is headed to NC to see his big brother in early February. I'll stay home, get work done, and take care of Charley and Ruby. I miss the Brick already.
Meanwhile, we get a mini-blizzard every three days or so, with just enough time in between to shovel out the drifts, clean off the truck's windshield and take care of necessaries. This is a lot of precipitation for us in Colorado's flatlands -- usually it's pretty dry.
Makes me wonder what February has in store.
FRUGAL HITS
*Food purchases were largely kept to a minimum -- mostly milk, butter and eggs. That included a free 8-lb bag of tater tots -- and another big bag each of fries and tater tots, about 55 cents/lb. These are great on winter nights, baked and sprinkled with cheese. I did get a package of chicken breasts (99 cents a pound), pork chops (1.02/lb) and whole chicken (83 cents a pound -- the latter two from Sam's Club). We won't be starving anytime soon.
Safeway had a stock-up sale: 99-cent canned chili and soups, plus 39-cent canned beans of various sorts. I took advantage of that, as well as two half-priced yogurt packs, but didn't do any grocery shopping the last two weeks, until the very end of the month. Even that was minimal: milk and a dozen eggs. (I know: Big Spender.)
*Safeway must have gotten a wild hair. After weeks of nothing, it offered four freebies -- all at the same time. King Soopers, on the other hand, no longer has a fer-sure-and-fer-certain Friday freebie. Darn. I also take advantage of both chains' Friday/Saturday (and occasionally Sunday) specials.
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| The Michigan apples in the crisper are nearly gone. (Caramel fruit dip, via Betty Crocker) |
*Held off on a haircut...I wasn't going anywhere much. But now's the time -- and look into a new pair of glasses.
*Grouped errands and trips like crazy. Not only did this save gas, but time...and not having to deal with slippery roads. And the Brick came with me occasionally.
*Piano lessons started up again. I hope to trade piano lessons for drum lessons in the next few months.
*Cheap tickets for a first-run movie (Green Book, which we both liked very much). We paid for the tickets; our friends paid for a Kentucky Fried Chicken lunch afterwards. (This should make perfect sense to anyone who saw the movie, That, or Italian food.)
*Two rolls of Christmas wrap - 90% off. It's neutral enough to use in winter, at least.
*Used some vouchers for (almost free) plane tickets. I got these last year when I was 'bumped' on a trip. Thanks to a Southwest sale, and a lot of finagling, the Brick managed to stretch them into plane tickets for Cabo, a trip to Grand Rapids (for both of us - usually just one goes), and a single ticket to NC, with a little still leftover. What a guy!
*More two-dollar videos from the library's sale room -- one 3-for-$2 set, plus a tv series for $2...and a free book thrown in. (The tv series -- Copper -- was a real woofer, and got donated back to the library.)
*Started researching for the next book -- most of it by interlibrary loan and requests. It's been saving both $$ and space.
*Half-priced Christmas candy, from several places. (Just realized this may also have padded the December food totals. Ouch.) Most of it will be Valentine's Day presents. (Also got several 2-for-$1 Valentine's cards at the dollar store, while I was at it.) Bought a few half-priced presents for next season, but not many -- we'll have to put these in storage until then.
*Sold a book and two videos on Amazon! That's always nice. Also sold some copies of Ghosts & Legends.
*Used part of a $25 Amazon giftcard (the Brick's Christmas gift) to buy a Colorado treasure book. When it arrived, he pointed out that he'd given me the same book years ago! Aaarrrrrgghghghgh...it will go as a present to a friend, instead.
I also bought two more books via Amazon at reasonable price, one on Amelia Earhart (one of my hobbies) and another Colorado treasure book. We hope to explore more on the latter when we move into the trailer this spring.
*The Brick earned an additional $25 giftcard, using Swagbucks. Still a great way to earn, doing the shopping and searches you normally would, anyways. (Go here for more.)
Used bonus cards from Outback and Red Robin -- and coupons, online and otherwise, for free stuff. This isn't always easy to do...I forget they're there until the expiration date is past. Then guilt sets in. (I'm guessing this is what the businesses are hoping you'll do, especially with the giftcards.)
We also took advantage of BOGO Red Robin specials, while also redeeming the bonus cards.
*Traded dog care with the neighbors. Dogsat for another neighbor.
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| 'Nobody's trading me!' |
*Bought a summertime dress for myself -- less than $10. I hope to use it Down South.
*Picked up some more teaching/speaking gigs. More appraisals, too. (Finished what I had.)
*Gave a talk for the local chapter of ASA (American Society of Appraisers). No fee paid (darn) -- but free supper, at least.
*Ate at Culver's (with coupons) on our anniversary trip. Nice, considering how scary it was to get there. Free breakfast at the hotel each morning. Brought snacks; used coffee provided by hotel. (No groupons for Glenwood Hot Springs, darn it -- but the Brick had one for the hotel.)
*Put away stuff. Found other stuff I'd forgotten I had. These will come in handy for birthdays and other occasions throughout the year.
FRUGAL MISSES
*Paid for the Personal Property Conoisseurship Conference, mid-March in Santa Fe.
On the plus side, I'm required to take a certain amount of education credits, to keep my ASA accreditation fresh. As Daughter #2 pointed out, I would have been paying much more per credit, if I did this via other venues. Not only that, I'll be hearing from and meeting some of the best in the country for Southwestern art, as well as gallery and style experts (furniture, folk art, rugs, etc.), the IRS, etc.
Another plus: location. This is close enough for us to attend via trailer -- which means the Brick and the dogs can go with. Saves on a hotel room, food...and I get to be with my family.
The negative is kicking that money out en masse, when no jobs were in sight. (January is always a quiet time, for both the website and work, although some bookings did come in.) At least I got an earlybird plus ASA member discounts for registering now, and bonus points from using the credit card to pay.
*Bought a group of items on Ebay for resale separately...an experiment. We'll see what happens.
*Did the annual sales tax report for Brickworks. Next are income taxes -- oh joy.
*Used the rest of my Christmas present Amazon giftcard to replace an antique lamp part -- that fell off the table and broke.Because I knocked it over. So no more extra goodies from Amazon until I can earn my Swagbucks giftcard.(Sorry, Brick.)
*Splurged on a Christmas house snowglobe, at 70% off. No, I don't need it. Yes, I wanted it. I'm not sorry, either.
On to February.
Charmers like Brandy at The Prudent Homemaker often blog their frugal accomplishments -- and help keep me on track. I'm grateful for them.
For last year's January report, and the 2017 January report, click on them. For last month's report (December 2018), click here.
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