Tiggerish
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 17, 1999
- Messages
- 2,322
My budget is a generous $750 and the zero day goal is 10.
Auto $75/ $55 left
Eating Out/Entertainment $125 / $14 left
Giving $150 / $18 over
Groceries/Household Goods $250/ $55 left
Medical $25
Misc. $125/ $107 over
No spend days goal = 11/10
Coupon savings = $51.13
Christmas 2010 running total of spending = $416
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9/1 $0
9/2 Misc. $12 - parking; Groceries $16
9/3 Misc $68; Eating out $25
9/4 Eating out $12
9/5 Giving $50 (church); Eating out $4
9/6 Groceries $8; Eating out $3
9/7 $0
9/8 $0
9/9 $0
9/10 $0
9/11 $0
9/12 Giving $25 (church); Giving $20 (stuff to donate to food pantry); Groceries $57 (Sam's Club) and, Eating out $26
9/13 Eating out $5
9/14 $0
9/15 Groceries $52 (k-cup order for 2 months); Eating out $10 (lunch for me and my Dad); and Misc. $20 (newpaper delivery)
9/16 $0
9/17 Auto $20 (gas); Eating out $3 (coffee); Misc. $20 (data plan for cell phones)
9/18 $0
9/19 Giving $25 (church); Groceries $2; Misc. $28 (new mickey mouse watch and six greeting cards)
9/20 Eating out $20; Groceries $5; Christmas $140 (7 gift magazine subscriptions which also suppports the local Christian school)
9/21 $0
9/22 Eating out $3 (hospital cafeteria food is very inexpensive)
9/23 Groceries $19; Misc. $3 postage; Giving $13 (American Cancer Society and seminar so I can tutor a child this school year for Kids Hope)
9/24 $0
9/25 Groceries $37
9/26 Giving $25 (church); Misc. $39 for winter clothes and $65 for a new reading lamp
9/27 Misc. $15 (Book and Map and 4 wrist bands for Art Prize)
9/28 Eating out $50 (Breakfast and dinner for 4 while doing Art Prize)
9/29 $0
Two off topic items -
The good one = Art Prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan was amazing. We went two days and saw 4 major sites and 3 smaller ones plus alot of outside stuff. It was so neat. Downtown was buzzing on a Tuesday which was great to see. And you could actually do it for free since there were places to get a free map and all the sites are free. I just splurged with the book, deluxe map and wrist bands which lets you ride the city bus for free for two weeks plus an Art Prize shuttle which runs between the six main venues. I am going to try to get to the two main venues we did not have time for, another day since my wrist band is good until Oct. 10 and I love riding the bus, makes me feel so green and virtuous.
The bad one = am waiting on the cable tv guy at my parents which apparently has been out for at least two days and spent over an hour on the phone getting a billing error corrected. The first person kept telling me the bill was correct and when I insisted I had papers that said otherwise, told to go stand in line at the one and only office in the area which is a 25 minute drive and at least an hour in line (been there and done that). I was equally insistent that I wanted a supervisor and was told no just leave your number and someone will call you back. Since I had tried that 3 times in June and July when the folks were having cable trouble with never any returned call, I got upset and said was not hanging up until I tlaked to a supervisor. Two more time the woman put me on hold only to return and say no one could talk to me. So finally, I said fine, please call Attorney __________ at __________ and she will take it from here. Low and behold, a supervisor immediately became available. It was not an idle threat since I have a law license (retired) and was giving them my name and number. Eventually, figured out that when the cable company upgraded to digital the service tech installed an extra box that was not ordered because that is how many tvs he saw in the condo. They agreed to come and take it out and refund the charges then offered to give it to me for $3.95 instead of $7.95. Since their grandkids like the free on demand stuff that it came with, I said okay. Now waiting for the repair person which willl be a whole new adventure. The most recent time the cable went out (July), I saw the repair person for three days in a row before they got it fixed. I had to get permission from the condo association for them to dig up the neighbor's lawn and drill a hole in the basement wall. They never did that work, saying they figured out something else. The service guy was an independent contractor the cable company was paying and he told me it was not going to last but the cable company insisted he go with a bandaid solution the cable company's repair supervisor came up with instead of the complicated stuff which was what he believed was actually needed.
Auto $75/ $55 left
Eating Out/Entertainment $125 / $14 left
Giving $150 / $18 over
Groceries/Household Goods $250/ $55 left
Medical $25
Misc. $125/ $107 over
No spend days goal = 11/10
Coupon savings = $51.13
Christmas 2010 running total of spending = $416
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9/1 $0
9/2 Misc. $12 - parking; Groceries $16
9/3 Misc $68; Eating out $25
9/4 Eating out $12
9/5 Giving $50 (church); Eating out $4
9/6 Groceries $8; Eating out $3
9/7 $0
9/8 $0
9/9 $0
9/10 $0
9/11 $0
9/12 Giving $25 (church); Giving $20 (stuff to donate to food pantry); Groceries $57 (Sam's Club) and, Eating out $26
9/13 Eating out $5
9/14 $0
9/15 Groceries $52 (k-cup order for 2 months); Eating out $10 (lunch for me and my Dad); and Misc. $20 (newpaper delivery)
9/16 $0
9/17 Auto $20 (gas); Eating out $3 (coffee); Misc. $20 (data plan for cell phones)
9/18 $0
9/19 Giving $25 (church); Groceries $2; Misc. $28 (new mickey mouse watch and six greeting cards)
9/20 Eating out $20; Groceries $5; Christmas $140 (7 gift magazine subscriptions which also suppports the local Christian school)
9/21 $0
9/22 Eating out $3 (hospital cafeteria food is very inexpensive)
9/23 Groceries $19; Misc. $3 postage; Giving $13 (American Cancer Society and seminar so I can tutor a child this school year for Kids Hope)
9/24 $0
9/25 Groceries $37
9/26 Giving $25 (church); Misc. $39 for winter clothes and $65 for a new reading lamp
9/27 Misc. $15 (Book and Map and 4 wrist bands for Art Prize)
9/28 Eating out $50 (Breakfast and dinner for 4 while doing Art Prize)
9/29 $0
Two off topic items -
The good one = Art Prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan was amazing. We went two days and saw 4 major sites and 3 smaller ones plus alot of outside stuff. It was so neat. Downtown was buzzing on a Tuesday which was great to see. And you could actually do it for free since there were places to get a free map and all the sites are free. I just splurged with the book, deluxe map and wrist bands which lets you ride the city bus for free for two weeks plus an Art Prize shuttle which runs between the six main venues. I am going to try to get to the two main venues we did not have time for, another day since my wrist band is good until Oct. 10 and I love riding the bus, makes me feel so green and virtuous.
The bad one = am waiting on the cable tv guy at my parents which apparently has been out for at least two days and spent over an hour on the phone getting a billing error corrected. The first person kept telling me the bill was correct and when I insisted I had papers that said otherwise, told to go stand in line at the one and only office in the area which is a 25 minute drive and at least an hour in line (been there and done that). I was equally insistent that I wanted a supervisor and was told no just leave your number and someone will call you back. Since I had tried that 3 times in June and July when the folks were having cable trouble with never any returned call, I got upset and said was not hanging up until I tlaked to a supervisor. Two more time the woman put me on hold only to return and say no one could talk to me. So finally, I said fine, please call Attorney __________ at __________ and she will take it from here. Low and behold, a supervisor immediately became available. It was not an idle threat since I have a law license (retired) and was giving them my name and number. Eventually, figured out that when the cable company upgraded to digital the service tech installed an extra box that was not ordered because that is how many tvs he saw in the condo. They agreed to come and take it out and refund the charges then offered to give it to me for $3.95 instead of $7.95. Since their grandkids like the free on demand stuff that it came with, I said okay. Now waiting for the repair person which willl be a whole new adventure. The most recent time the cable went out (July), I saw the repair person for three days in a row before they got it fixed. I had to get permission from the condo association for them to dig up the neighbor's lawn and drill a hole in the basement wall. They never did that work, saying they figured out something else. The service guy was an independent contractor the cable company was paying and he told me it was not going to last but the cable company insisted he go with a bandaid solution the cable company's repair supervisor came up with instead of the complicated stuff which was what he believed was actually needed.
I always do well on the months I start with a $0 day, here's hoping!
He's been working 80 weeks and needed this so bad. We got the kids off to school, spent the morning together, went to lunch (I had a coupon) and then came home and took a nap. It was a fantastic day and sorth every penny! I literally cried mid day, it was that perfect of a day. So, lunch $16 (including tip, dessert and lots of leftovers for tomorrow) Gas for my car $45, bread store $30 (stocked up on jams, DD8 is a PB&J addict) and finally $35 for some additional lunch things.
Then we made the 2 hours drive home. After I hit the grocery store, $80.83 and got DH some slipper and DD15 some medicine $18.22. After all that I was too tired to think about dinner so I got a pizza for $7.50. I spent a ton on groceries this week as I am refilling my freezer. I ahve piles of sloppy joe, a tray of lasagna and a tray of shells in there now (we had another tray of lasagne last night.) Tomorrow I will make stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage and freeze much of it. I also will be putting pulled pork in the crock pot before I go to bed tonight so it can be frozen in the morning. I will also be making banana and zucchini bread tomorrow. Soooooo, that is the reason for the higher grocery bills this week. 
It was maintence (60,00 mile stuff, new tires, new brakes, oil change) and as my DH put it, a bill. So I am calling it as such and calling today a $0 day. But OUCH, that hurt!
Otherwise I could have made it!
thanks!
)
