February's grocery budget was $450 plus $1.97 from January underage for a total $451.97. Actual Spent was $447.92. Success! $1.50 coupons used. This category includes all over the counter medications, personal grooming items, soaps, cleaners and household items for two adults who eat at home 99% of the time. $4.05 left over will be added to the March budget.
I bought another huge boneless ham and cut it up in smaller packages which will be good for casseroles, breakfast ham and toppings for pizza. It should last two months. There is still a large salmon and some tilapia left - but I am so tired of fish, officially - I don't like fish but buy and eat it because it is good for us. I am not buying any this month at all. Hubby likes fish way more than I do and the only way I really like it is on the BBQ but that has been more difficult than usual because of our recent crappy weather. Anyone have any fish ideas? Maybe encrusting it? I really don't want to deep fry it as that takes away all the benefits. Recipes would be appreciated. There are still some packages of Costco porkchops (best ever) which are individually wrapped plus boneless chicken thighs and some chicken legs. I am totally out of skinless boneless chicken breast which is a staple for us - great for soups. Fortunately I see a sale on Tuesday at our local Safeway. I will miss Safeway as there is recent news that our store is shutting in three months and a whole bunch of people will be laid off. They always had the highest prices here, and finally competition has driven them out. I only shopped there when they have the very best prices plus they offer Airmile deals which is one of the ways I get so many free air tickets. They have great loss leaders every week which I cherry picked and it is sad to see our economy can no longer support this store.
Hair Budget $175 per year
Zero spent in January, $18.23 spent in February on a cut. I plan on timing my next haircut the first week of April right before our holiday. Left in the budget for the year = $156.77. My flat iron croaked yesterday after four years so I forked out $40 for a new one but as this is an actual appliance it does not go in the hair budget, only cuts, colors and styles. I used to own a $150 salon flat iron but after dropping it on the floor and the ceramic breaking, I vowed never to pay such a ridiculous amount for them again. The cheap ones work just as good as the expensive ones FYI.
Clothing Budget $200 per year
Spent this month? Zero. $190.39 left to go in the clothing budget for the year. I have been looking but not found anything to spend my hard earned pennies on. I need to buy some good shoes before our trip as we expect to be walking a ton on our holiday, up and down the hills of Lisbon and wandering around the canals of Amsterdam.
As we will be gone half of April the April food budget will be reduced by half and the $225 will go into the travel fund for meals. Most of our breakfasts will be included with the hotels and I have been researching inexpensive places to eat dinner. You would think renting an apartment with a kitchen would be cheaper but no as I have been able to get extremely good deals on all of our accommodation and kitchens would have cost several hundred Euro more. We will have minifridges for most of the trip so will try and take advantage of that for drinks and snacks. So goodbye February, hello March. Everyone is ready for you to bring on Spring!
You've done really well to keep to that budget
ReplyDeleteIt is habit now, I feel bad when I get out of line. A few years in now and it seems to work. Thanks!
DeleteDon't forget fish tacos! You can also bake the tilappia, flake it and mix with bread crumbs and a little parm and other good stuff and use it to stuff a mushroom or pepper or something like that. I have to get back to making at least one fish meal a week again. I've been lazy about that!
ReplyDeleteI will keep fish tacos in mind, do you fry the fish when you make yours? How do you prepare it?
DeleteYou always amaze me!! Safeway was my favorite grocery store but it let years ago! When I was in San Francisco last fall I shopped at one and fell in love all over again. I guess HEB is now my favorite - but none close to me! Looking forward to your trip!!
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure our Canadian unions did them in, unfortunately when they have to pay their workers $10 more per hour than the next store they can't compete.
DeleteToo bad about your Safeway. They always have good produce and good staff. Sobeys have bought the chain but ours is fine as it has no competition. I can only shop there once a month as it is 100 miles one way from home.
ReplyDeleteHopefully with the stores that are left in town there will still be enough competition to encourage good sales. Safeway was great for their loss leaders.
DeleteYou are doing really, really well on all of your goals!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt keeps me on track, might be boring reading but I keep reminding hubby without a budget we wouldn't be able to live the way we do. Cheers!
DeleteLove your budget updates. I want to start doing something like this every month too, will be fun to show you can eat healthy food on a very low budget when you're creative. Hell, you can live an awesome life on a low budget. Love the cheap life. :D
ReplyDeleteGirlfriend,I wish everyone got it but they don't. Your standard of living goes up so much when you realize that you can have an awesome life on a low budget - well said!
DeleteWe eat lots of fish, but always cook it on the BBQ. Fortunately, our front porch at the cabin allows us to use it virtually every night of the year. If I'm lucky, Wayne lets me make soup once in a while for a change. I heard that our Powell River Safeway is going to turn into a Sobeys rather than closing. That surprises me. It is right next door to an Overwaite (I still refuse to call it Save-on-Foods) and a relatively new Quality Foods has a huge following down the street. - Margy
ReplyDelete