Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

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alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

The bank returned the money that was taken out of my account with illegal use of my debit card. They said it would be 2 to 3 days but it was less than 24 hours. That is a relief.

I made out like a bandit today. I had not planned on buying anything until next week to use my Walmart $10.00 off coupon but one of our local stores had rotisserie chickens on sale for $5.00..today only. I had $4.00 in rewards money there and I earned $3.00 in cash from a survey recently so I went ahead and used the money. I went to Ruler to buy some lettuce, radishes, and a bag of potato chips.. The whole thing from both stores came to $ 8.27 but after using rewards and survey cash I only paid $1.27 out of pocket.Then we went to Petco for Teddi's dog food. I had earned $5.00 in rewards there so his dog food, which should have been $8.22, came to $ 3.22 with the cash from the Pals reward card. We did eat breakfast out and that was a bit pricey $7.99 with tip. I used slush fund money to buy it so it was ok..I did bring all of the scrambled eggs home and most of the hash browns. Teddi ate half of the eggs for his breakfast and I ate the hash browns with my dinner.. I can feed Teddi the rest of the eggs tomorrow for his breakfast so not too bad when you break it down in to portions. I gave a larger tip than usual to the waitress since I found out her son is blind. She was known to my aide and she told me about him. I figure it was not that much more for me to give and every little bit helps her. My aide used her car so I saved on gas also.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

I started off the day with enthusiasm but it went down hill. It has been so gloomy and overcast and it sort of drained my energy.. I usually like rainy and overcast days but this one did not go well. I planned on cooking ahead but just did not feel up to it.

I had the last of the keto sausage gravy with two small sausage patties from the freezer. I do not know why I left such a small portion of gravy it really could not be used for a meal. So I thawed out two small sausage patties to add to it.. I had made the patties small since I planned on making them breakfast sandwiches adding an egg and some cheese.. Still drinking free coffee but tomorrow will be the last day for that canister. Lunch was a lovely big salad with some of the free chicken I received yesterday. The lettuce and radishes were also free since I used survey money to buy them. Also threw in some pumpkin seeds and pickled jalapenos. I have used up all of the free Tuscan salad dressing from Amazon but I bought some on sale a while back 2 for 4.00 and used it. I saved the juice from the pickled jalapenos and will add some cauliflower to it to make pickled cauliflower. That is always a nice side relish when eating some things as well as adding to a salad. I had chips and sliced cheese for dinner with a small bowl of canned cream of potato soup. I just was not up to cooking. When putting the leftover soup in a bowl I thought this would make a nice base for a chicken pot pie so that is on my agenda for tomorrow if I am up to it. Dessert for lunch and dinner was some canned pineapple chunks.

Teddi is still eating free puperoni. His Nana had sent money to help out with his care.. Now that he is mine I think she will not be sending money very often or at all. Over the past year she has sent 100.00 which was nice.

We are expecting a wind storm later tonight with possible power outages so I am going to make some muffins.. I am a certified carboholic. Carbs are my drug of choice.. They calm me down and make life worth living..lol Anyway I need something in the way of a carb to have on hand for a quick snack or to go with a meal.
Janet Alliesmama
Momof2Still
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 10:05 pm

Re: Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

Post by Momof2Still »

Thanks Janet and DGflorida for the congratulations on my new job- I am so excited. Of course, my home has been taken over with boxes, bins and other classroom items. All I have left to pack up is my desk items. My last day at my current job is Wednesday.

I have not cooked all week. I have had left-overs for most meals. I did pick up Taco Bell on Thursday. I had skipped breakfast, too busy to eat lunch and stayed after work to pack up things and put them in my car to bring home. On the way home I started getting a headache so decided I needed food sooner than later before it turned into a migraine. I bought a meal box for $5.35, so not a huge dent in the budget.

Janet, I did not have motivation to cook today either. I ended up going out to lunch with a friend and then eating a quick packet of soup for dinner- took all of 3 minutes to prep. I do have to do some things in the kitchen tomorrow. I am thinking pasta since I have some tomatoes to use. I also need to make guacamole and will freeze it- I have several avocadoes that need using. I have a few citrus fruits that I am going to juice. I also need to make a pitcher of tea.

In between all the cooking and food prep, I need to do some laundry. I did not get any done last weekend, so it is now more like a mountain. I also need to at least sweep around the boxes and bins. I have cat hair tumbleweeds.
Well off to get ready for bed.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

Post by Dgflorida »

Cat hair tumbleweeds. :lol: :lol:
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

Momof2Still wrote: Sat Feb 23, 2019 9:37 pm Thanks Janet and DGflorida for the congratulations on my new job- I am so excited. Of course, my home has been taken over with boxes, bins and other classroom items. All I have left to pack up is my desk items. My last day at my current job is Wednesday.

I have not cooked all week. I have had left-overs for most meals. I did pick up Taco Bell on Thursday. I had skipped breakfast, too busy to eat lunch and stayed after work to pack up things and put them in my car to bring home. On the way home I started getting a headache so decided I needed food sooner than later before it turned into a migraine. I bought a meal box for $5.35, so not a huge dent in the budget.

Janet, I did not have motivation to cook today either. I ended up going out to lunch with a friend and then eating a quick packet of soup for dinner- took all of 3 minutes to prep. I do have to do some things in the kitchen tomorrow. I am thinking pasta since I have some tomatoes to use. I also need to make guacamole and will freeze it- I have several avocadoes that need using. I have a few citrus fruits that I am going to juice. I also need to make a pitcher of tea.

In between all the cooking and food prep, I need to do some laundry. I did not get any done last weekend, so it is now more like a mountain. I also need to at least sweep around the boxes and bins. I have cat hair tumbleweeds.
Well off to get ready for bed.
Sounds like you are doing the best you can with all of the things going on. Once you get thing moved out and then organize your new classroom you can settle down and work at being bottom line frugal. Besides being too frugal all the time can be stressful.. Sometimes it is just a snack out that will give me a good feeling that all of my hard work allows me to do something fun. As I have gotten older I realize it is the little things in life that are more important.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Our 2019 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

As usual I plan more things than I can do. Did not make the muffins or the chicken pot pie. Breakfast was the last of my spinach quiche and day old coffee. I do not mind drinking day old coffee. I know some people like their coffee fresh but I cannot afford to throw leftover coffee away.I put it inthe fridge and nuke it the next day. Lunch was the last of my egg salad with some potato chips. Dinner another big salad made with free lettuce and free radishes. Added some of the free chicken and chopped some cheese up. I did mange to strip the chicken carcass of the meat and put it in the crock pot to cook. I will use the meat picked off of the bones in my chicken pot pie. Then put the bones back in the broth and let them cook overnight to make bone broth. I weighted the chicken in 2 oz portions and put it in the freezer for sandwiches (2) sometime down the road. I diced some up and used it in my salad tonight and have more to use in the pot pie if needed or if not will use it a salad in the next day or so.

So far since Jan 1st I have spent $60.00 on food.. I have bought more groceries but due to using survey money and gift cards my out of pocket has only been $60.00. Not bad. We will be starting another month in a few days and I plan on using gift cards and a discount coupon at Walmart to buy $30.00 worth of free food. I am trying to decide what is most important to help me stretch what I currently have. I do have a lot of food stockpiled from sales last years Black Friday and Cyber Monday on line sales. Also my DB and DSIL sent me a gift box of meat from Omaha Steaks which has a nice variety of meat chicken, pork and beef.
Janet Alliesmama
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