Since the name was a tie I've used some parts from tied titles :lolsign:
Welcome back old friends and welcome aboard new folks, here's to a great March :)
avoncallingu - April Showers of Savings
Since the name was a tie I've used some parts from tied titles :lolsign:
Welcome back old friends and welcome aboard new folks, here's to a great March :)
avoncallingu - April Showers of Savings
reserved for goals, challenges or what have you
My goal for the month is not to have extra spending beyond what ive budgeted for and hopefully stay under budget in some categories.
I also want to do at least 2 computers for extra income (i have one scheduled for the first of March so far) and finsh off BF's moms Blanket
Winter has been expensive for us. Higher utilities, van purchase. DH's new job is great, BUT there are "gremlin" expenses (as mentioned in the previous thread). His pastoring requires relationship-building and networking...which means socializing. Coffee dates, more lunches out. These expenses aren't covered in his ministry budget because often times they are not things that have to be done, but should. We are trying be smarter about these expenses.
Our goal for March is the same as February and eliminate deficit from January shortfall (not including new vehicle LOC). With DH's new job, I didn't think eliminating shortfall was unreasonable for February. It is going much slower than anticipated. I will couple this with saying "no" more often and keeping things simple. With March Break in March there will be huge opportunities to spend debt repayment on fun things. We are doing Disney on Ice for the kids (Grandma's treat) and that is it. While we did reduce deficit in February by 20%, I want to get working on the vehicle portion of the LOC.
My goal for March is to set aside some money for a trip across the boarder at the end of the month. My Birthday is at the end of the month so hoping to take a trip across the boarder the weekend after my Birthday since it is Easter Weekend which means we could leave Thursday night after work and come back Sunday to give us a little bit more time. This trip will be to stock up on items we cannot get here or that are much cheaper cross the boarder. I have a love for Costco US.
Great Goals Saundyl and Granger.
You will both look back when your my age and look at these times as wonderful, some of my best memories with my now grown kids are the 'remember when we did this' moments when we did frugal activities. It is a journey and a great time in your lives!
Good choice on the name Nancy!
My March goals are to continue a no spend month, only the necessary groceries. I have my grandaughter for a few days for pd days and March Break but there is always some fun to be had doing crafts and enjoying nature!! I need to get going on sewing some nice spring summer clothes but not feeling it right now!! Hopefully next week I will! I also need to recover all my patio cushions, the outdoor sunshade fabric is half price this weekend at Fabricland and I have been waffling all day about going to get it.Not a huge expense maybe 40.00 and I could use carry forward from my Feb. budget,I just find the fabric store too hard to stay focused..to many wonderful things!!
great goals @saundyl @Granger @SassyAshley @thriftygranny
My families goals for March are the following
Financially speaking (lol)-
- make last installment payment to CRA for 2014 - DONE
- make new installment payments to CRA for 2015
- photocopy T4's and send to my employer for proof of incomes for 2014 - DONE
- MAIL paperwork for more income tax be deducted for 2015 going forward in March (I have the papers filled out, just need to attach a letter) - DONE
- FOLLOW up 2 weeks after mailing to ensure it's taken off by end of March otherwise I need to make another installment payment to CRA.
- put $ aside for our cottage taxes & boys cottage lot which are due in April - NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
- post new items for sale and start bumping old items especially when heading into town so I could meet people and put $ towards ongoing renovations
- drop off income tax to accountant - DONE
- stock up on meat sales hopefully and stay out of the stores otherwise
Renovations they never end but we are making progress!!!
- move Logan into Jaden's old room which is has undergone mudding, sanding, painting, new closet door installed, closet shelves etc.
- finish painting downstairs where dh did some sanding & mudding
- install Jaden's new bedroom door which should arrive mid March
- some odds and ends in Jaden's new room
My March goal is a continuation of Feb. I need to stick with the crocheting a bit more to get a bigger stockplie built. I`m hoping that sales start to pick up by the end of the month...I really want to get that CC paid.
Sent up a prayer for you and DH Avon.
Prayer sent avoncallingu. :love:
This weekend was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, but I spent it cleaning three bathrooms. Funny, but when you have a mobile little one, your standards of cleanliness doesn't change, but the speed at which you clean changes dramatically. Normally, I don't mind hearing the sound of "Mama?", but today, when I heard it, I scrubbed like a maniac, trying to get the toilet bowl clean and lid down before LO rounded the corner. It fills me with dread to have her see me with my hand halfway down the toilet and entertaining thoughts of trying it herself. :cheesygrin: Today, not only did I clean, I had to clean up after myself with all the excess water and fast rinsing.
Also today, I made enough for LO's lunch for the week and did the grocery shopping. It's amazing how a one and a half year old impacts the food budget. I have no idea how LO drinks as much milk as she does at daycare. I wonder if they're dumping half of it? She never drinks as much at home. We're buying a bag of 4 L homo milk each week. We also have to buy a large amount of fruit. She loves grapes and strawberries and somehow polished off about 6 lbs of them this past week. Maybe it's because she's been so sick the week before and ate practically nothing. Our food costs increased that week too because the food we prepped for her eventually got tossed.
Today's efforts were only made possible by putting her in disposable diapers. I guess trying to be frugal in one area takes away from another sometimes.
From last month's thread, there were some comments about the "latte factor" or people buying coffee each morning from a take-out shop. I think some people like the convenience. DH leaves so early, he'd never be able to make a single serve coffee in the morning and claims that buying one on the way home keeps him alert and alive. He's got such a long commute and he's so exhausted and overworked all the time. In comparison, I'm the sort of person who would postpone buying something to save items for my Christmas list, only to return it and repurpose something I own even if it's inconvenient. DH doesn't see the point of saving all your pennies for retirement if you're just going to make yourself suffer for 65 years to have an extra few dollars. So...I think it's okay for people to spend their money on what makes them happy as long as they don't go into debt to do it. I suppose if DH is facing a cat food diet after retirement, I am his retirement fund. He's not allowed to have any expensive hobbies, but I'll make sure he's not eating cat food. :-)
Last week, I was hoping DH would save the coupons that arrived in the paper at work for me. Unfortunately, the new person they hired recycled everything in a large bin when DH was in the washroom. Argh!! This week I told DH he must grab the RedPlum as there is a very important coupon in there for us!
-avon prayers for your hubby
-guess what my great day was -daughter came down /her hubby we all went to a restrarant on locke street"earth to tablebread bar "awesome restarnt-daughter and had homemade white bean pea soup with a bread yummm
-then son asked us to babysit so they could go out withfriends for his 30th birthday yesterday-well what he didnt know was for the past month my daughter-in-law was planning a surprize party for him
-well 30 people were at his house we all yelled surprize -so we didnt babysit that was an excuse from his friends -so he didnt catch on and think nothing was going on for his birthday it was nice
-i took a veggie tray 15.99,brocolli 1.99 hellavudip 2. 99=20.97-20.00 in p.c points=.97cts for me
Oh, and I seem to be obsessed with laundry lately. Tomorrow is major laundry day with four loads scheduled, with going out to buy washer fluid and some groceries that weren't at RCSS. I'm going to try a new formula for freshening towels.
Our hydro bill is insane! Thanks to some of the others who have commented that theirs are high too or I would have thought there was a door open somewhere! I've kept records of what we've been paying since 2010 (when we moved in). In 2010, our February bill was $134. In 2011, our February bill was $112. In 2012, our bill was $106. $128 for 2013 and $156 for 2014. Our bill was $190 this year! Since when did we move to the dark side of the moon?!
I'm glad our mouse has evaded DH so far. I feel terrible for the poor thing. It ate the food from both traps and escaped relatively unscathed, except maybe for missing some hair from his bottom. Some got caught on DH's sticky trap. I think it's days are numbered though.
LO needs new clothes again. She's taller than some of the kids who are older than she is and I feel that she outgrows the labels on her clothes by about two months. I've had to put away some of her coats because it hurts her to get into them. I'm dreading having to buy a snowsuit for the few weeks that they take her out in daycare. Come on, spring!
Goals for this month (so far): complete taxes for DH and I! First step, track down all paperwork.
I thought of another goal. Find a new phone/internet provider. Every year, I say the same thing, but I think I've just had it with Bell. For 2011/2012, we had it at $55. Then it crept up to $57 in 2013, $82 in 2014, and now $100 this year for less service than we used to have in 2011. The least amount of service, the most amount of money. That's nuts. Any suggestions or recommendations on where we should move to?
If you haven't already I would call bell and ask to speak to someone about the rate you are paying. I called just before my surgery and was offered a renewal on my current discounts which were expiring, $10.00 off house phone & $10.00 off satellite.
Because we are rural and Rogers, etc cannot provide service I was pleased with the discount but if you are able to get other providers then I would certainly shop around and call Bell back to let them try and compete, just a suggestion, best of luck in your decision
March....where is the time going....wishing everyone a wonderful day & a specatacular month filled with savings, debt repayment, great food sales, etc.....AND health
Good morning, everyone. :)
My friend & I had dinner & drinks at the wine bar at the Longo's (yes, only in downtown Toronto can you interrupt your grocery shopping to have a glass of wine :P). The SCer I was meeting up with, I hadn't met before, so it was interesting that she & her DH sat at a table beside us, wondering if I was the one she'd been chatting with online & vice versa. :lolsign:
The concert itself (as HTeam mentioned) was amazing! I've seen Bryan Adams at least a dozen times over the years (he's in my top 3 for best performers) and gone to literally hundreds of concerts over the years (waiting for comments about my age from the peanut gallery that I was at Bryan's first Reckless tour 30 yrs ago :yikes:). My friend & I are already counting down the days til he comes back for the next tour. :P
Today will be a day of rest...at least the morning will be. Off to another concert tonight (yeah, I have a life!) about the music that either influenced or was referenced in Don McClean's American Pie.
Better go make breakfast for the brats & blast some Bryan Adams. ;) This was the song of my youth, back in my dancing days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DuGhHv8puQ
Hope everyone has a wonderful day. :)
Good Morning All,
So much to get done today, guess it is the price I pay for doing nothing the last 2 days. Good news is Mom is working today which means I have the house to myself and can do everything at my own pace.
What I need to do today:
Put through the increase for work so we are ready to roll tomorrow morning
Do laundry, we have not done a proper laundry in over 2 weeks so our basket is over flowing and insane for 2 people
Find my Tax stuff, I left it on the coffee table before my trip and now it is gone, Step Mom will drop off with account next week so have to get it to my Dad this week
Need to get stuff ready for lunches this week, I have not been eating properly as I have not been prepping
On that note I also found out I will be travelling again in March, I will be going to 2 if not 3 locations. Pretty sure it will be 3 locations as all 3 will have new staff. One location already has it's new member a new branch manager so I just need to figure out who is going to be there when as next week both my bros are there so no point in me being there as well as there is only so much room within the branch for all of us to set up and work. The other two applications had to be in by Friday so it will all depend on how quickly they find someone and get them in place. Thinking I will aim for a week in each location but we will see if my boss says no.
Hope everyone has a great day my over flowing basket of laundry is calling me to the basement.
my goal this month is to spend a little less on groceries( I say that but may not I loveshopping)-I was doing great til the last few days -helped with a few extra items for my son's 30th birthday-also saved 20.00 in p.c points on his veggie tray
-o well I am taking a bottle of club soda back 1.67 in my pocket and gonna check the price on one item from forties -might be a scop
i had a friend at my son's house comment that she wish she was more like me -saving with coupons ,talize shopping
-tired today-my body aches from standing a lot last night -but I picked up "ashlyn" out of the blue at the partywhen I was walking around with her she gave me a lovely kiss on my cheek and I didn't even ask or it- 4 small little ones were there
Good Morning Everyone :) Wow!!! First day of March. Where did Feb. go. LOL. My Mom always says Feb. is a short month and always flys by so I'd better gather my Income Tax.....I always say lots of time yet .....Yikes....I'd better giddy up and get on that :) Moms are right on soooo many things :) Plan on trying to only spend what I have to this month ( milk, bread ,eggs, vegs., fruit, etc. ) and use up items in the pantry and freezer. I do soooo well when I plan a weekly menu so will do this every Sunday. I plan on only picking up Free or near Free items this month. My magic # is 1.00 or under :) Well off to check my PM's so wishing everyone a wonderful Sunday :)
Hello, everyone...gosh, this is, as far as I can recall, the first time I've seen this thread...there was one before?
I'm not much if a goal-setter at this age, but there is one I'm very excited about: driving again! Getting my independence back!
I got the all-clear from my physiotherapist and I think my hubby is as anxious as I am, having been my chauffeur for the past 9 months, bless his heart, lol...!
Like Thriftygranny, I'm considering sewing a few pieces for summer that don't have stripes, sparkles, foil prints, writing or pockets on my boobs!:tongue:
Good luck to everyone in attaining your goals!
Sweet Sparrow: we had the same issue with our phone line from Cogeco, the cost just kept creeping up. We still have young kids and I am not ready to cut the home phone but 48.00 a month was insane. So in April of last year we went with Ooma. There is a cost to buy the device (maybe 100.00 from Costco) and now we pay 3.98 a month. We have had a few outages, but given the savings it has been worth it.
Well welcome to march indeed, hoping the good things that started happening continue for us.
goals lets see:
work at, get taxes done.
hopefully find a job myself, in addition to ds.
clean out freezer and organize.
continue clean out of cupboards, while dh works on basement. (plan is IF/when we have to move it doesn't take a week ;) )
get a few projects going, need to get the yarn out of my cabinet before spring
paint cabinet when spring arrives. lol.
call around for a better deal on phone,internet,tv, way too $$$
watching my diet/exercising would be good too. on that note
make appt with dr. (lots to discuss)
anyway. thats enough for this month. need to do a little tidy here and there, laundry calling as always. put soup on for dinner.
may have to see about making a quick trip to store for lunch items forgotten yesterday.
going to see if i can post pic i was talking about yesterday. pretty sure it will be self explanatory.
take care all. have a good one.
I taught at a Catholic school on Thursday and told them that I am expecting twins. I brought a photocopy of some of the ultrasound pictures so that I could share. When I got home from work that night dh had bought red roses for me. The card said that they were for me and the twins. I hadn't been given flowers since LO was only a few weeks old. I had told dh that I wanted flowers about a month ago, but he didn't give them to me for my birthday. I later specified that I didn't want them for Valentine's Day. We've been together over a decade, so I have learned that I sometimes need to be specific. My twin nephews were born late on Thursday in Regina, so I haven't met them yet. One baby was 7lb 3oz, the other was 6lb 5oz. Everyone seems to be doing just fine.
We picked up a KFC meal yesterday for supper. We will likely be eating it for lunch. Later today I plan on doing some meal prep. I'm teaching the next three days and have things I need to do after work on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'll make chili and rice later today. I'll also boil potatoes and get a shepherd's pie ready to wait in the fridge, I'll bake it in the oven another day. This will also ensure leftovers for my lunches.
Lovely Tribute to the little one you lost Mrs. Sunshine.
Mrs. S. beautiful job on your memorial for your precious angel