Dollars and Cents

September's food budget was $550 less previous months overages of $71.67 = Budget of $478.33.  Well, let's just say I went over the $478.33 but did manage to reduce the year to date overage a little bit.  I ended the month at $533.45.  I tried.  I even resorted to using $20 worth of PC points in the last week to try and stay under $550 which worked as I needed some items that had to be bought, regardless of what time in the monthly budget it was.  In order to get on track to meet the yearly budget October's grocery budget is $494.88.


However, my fridge is full and so are the cupboards.  Mom is using some grocery points to buy a turkey today for Canadian Thanksgiving which is this coming weekend and I have all of the rest of the ingredients for our holiday meal with the exception of celery for the stuffing and a pumpkin pie.  No, I am not making one.  It would seem cheaper but simply isn't in terms of time and ingredients as we are so busy right now.  Costco has very tasty Pumpkin pies for $6.99(huge!) and we are buying one this year. Mom and I were at $1.49 day last week (our monthly date lol) and she wondered what she could use her Quality food points for.  I started telling her and we suddenly realized she has over 300,000 points which is quite a lot.  Enough for almost 2 turkeys!  I use my points at that store as I go as for 49,000 points I can get 4 litres of milk for free which helps reduce my monthly grocery bill.  As she lives alone and doesn't need any more tchotchkes at this point in her life buying a turkey for the family dinner (which I will cook and send her home with plenty of leftovers) is the best use of these points.  Originally she wanted to buy the turkey before we realized she had so any points so this saves her $15-$20.  Now I just have to find space in my apartment-size for a few days before I can thaw it out as she only has a small fridge compartment freezer.

Gratuitous Buddy shot - Mr Chicken legs isn't keen on Sunday Night Baths

I have decided I shall begin spending the grocery points/dollars/amazon bucks that I have been hoarding for Christmas as that will both allow me to stay on my annual grocery budget and I can pick up Christmas goodies over the next two months with the goal (as always) to be done shopping by December 1.  Some will be spent on groceries, some on gifts. With two adult kids coming for Christmas this year there are also stockings to be filled (yes, we do that, only inexpensive practical things).  I have some ideas but this way I can combine the points with sales.

So this is where the points ended for Christmas 2016: - $283.34!
PC Plus Points $50 (used $20 in September so now have $30 left)
Amazon.ca GCs from Swagbucks $83.30
Shoppers Drug Mart Points $115
Cash $35.04 from a grocery class action lawsuit plus a couple of small grocery rebates

All of that money is what I consider free money and every cent I don't have to take out of our wages for spending is really 1.3 cents after tax.  One of my best years to date.  I also have $1100 in saved cash for gifts and travel expenses (the $35.04 is included in this figure) so hopefully Christmas 2016 is sorted.  Whatever points/GCs are leftover as of Dec 25th will roll over into next year.

I wanted to share with you a bargain that I bought around November 1 last year.  In Canada because Thanksgiving is usually the first weekend of October if there are fall type decorations to be sold they have to be gone by October 31st Halloween or they get slashed to rock bottom prices.  Mom and I happen to be in Michael's (craft store) where they had large grab bags for $2.50.  I bought one and it contained two of these centerpieces.  I gave Mom one (hers is a bit different but same idea with pumpkins and gourds) and I kept this one.  Pretty good for $1.25 a piece when the original price was $75 each.  No one in their right mind would spend that much money on it.  I do think it is missing something though - I think I am going to buy a dollar store crow and perch him on the top for a bit of Halloween decor.  Or maybe two mini skeletons?

In less than two weeks we get to run away to Gabriola Island for 4 days/3 nights which we both consider our Anniversary weekend.  You may recall I was selling excess household items off on our 24 hour bidding site to raise funds for that and now our June 2017 trip to Greece.  Total cost of the Gabriola weekend not including gas is $587 (3 nights in waterfront cabin including extra fee for bringing dog plus ferry).  At the time I booked it there was only $177 in the weekends away fund and the rest was to come out of our regular travel fund.  As of today there is $247 in the fund and by tomorrow there should be $50 more as I have two items listed right now where the bidding is going much higher than I thought.  I intend to list one item each day until Saturday (items must be picked within 72 hours of when bidding ends so I have to be home to do that).

We had leftovers last night (yummy bbq ribs, rice and salad-cleaning out the freezer is not always bad!) and hubby made soup yesterday afternoon for our supper tonight so I get a night off of cooking - yippee!

Other than continuing health/mental health issues with my Mother-in-law life is good and we are taking that one day at a time.  An old work friend had a great saying - Whatever will be will be.  I think that is a great way to live your life and am taking up the motto - it's time to stop worrying about crap that in the end you have zero control over.