Lost All Self-Control At The Grocery Store

Yup, I lost my self-control. I went to the grocery store with a big long list and only bought 3/4 of the items but my bill was still $135. That's way above the $20-$30 that I could have spend on just necessities. I used the 'stocking up' excuse to rationalize my extra purchases. For example: I wanted cashews. They are very expensive in those tiny little cans so I bought the giant bucket for $10. I'll be eating cashews for quite a while. Soda was buy 2 cases get one free so of course I HAD to buy 3. I shouldn't be drinking that much soda. Definitely a want, not a need. My favorite brand of ice cream, Dreyers, just made their containers smaller. They were 1.75 (I forget the unit of measure) and now they are 1.5 containers. They look sooo small and they are the same price as before. I bought Safeway brand instead which was buy one get one free. That was not a 'need'. Granola bars were on close-out for $1.50 a box so I HAD to buy 4 boxes. Popcorn, buy one get one free. Bagels and Hawaiian bread...just wants. And watermelon, not on sale for $7. But I NEEDED it along with the apple sauce, pudding cups, honey, and bittersweet chocolate chips that I eat like candy.

Looking back on my purchases I see that I bought a lot of snack food and no real main dishes. Interesting. Well, if I can make 2 chicken breasts and a package of hot dogs last for 2 weeks supplemented with tuna or cheese spaghetti, then I will be on vacation and then it will be June. That means I will only have gone over my food budget by $35. Then if I buy a Fry's gift card for $300 and get the $30 bonus I will have only over-spent by $5.

Rationing The Groceries

I made it to the end of the week without grocery shopping! That was my goal. Now I have to make sure I don't over-spend tomorrow. I need to stick to my list and menu. I think I will buy deli meat and have salads and sandwiches next week. I also need milk, soda, juice and iced tea. I am totally out of liquid except diet pepsi and water. Maybe I will just sleep in tomorrow and skip breakfast, then I won't have to eat my toast with water.

I was helped along this week because someone in the office brought in breakfast one day so I only ate a salad for lunch. Then they took me to lunch to celebrate my birthday which is this weekend. I have leftovers and cake! What could be better than that?

Almost Forgot My Forever Stamps

Since they announced the postage rate increase a few months ago, I have been planning to buy some Forever Stamps. I didn't get around to it and my mother reminded me last weekend that the rate change will happen May 12. I never seem to make it to a post office. I used to buy stamps at the grocery store but I haven't been shopping lately. I found one of those orange envelopes that the mail person leaves to order stamps but since I can't mail letters from my home I would have to go to the post office anyway to leave my order. Then I remembered that I could order online. Yea! I can use a credit card too. One thing I dislike as much as going to the post office is writing checks. So, I ordered 3 books. That should get me through next year. There was a $1 shipping charge but I am ok with that for the convenience.

I am going to cancel my business license since my house is no longer a short term rental. I had to mail in paperwork every month to report any rental income. That will save 12 stamps a year. The only other monthly bill that I mail is my Discover card. I'm just not comfortable with giving Discover access to my bank account. I suppose I should look in to online bill pay. If I can pay the bill for free online I could save another 12 stamps. Save a stamp and save the hassle of mailing a letter...I like it!

Practicing Shopping Avoidance

The best way for me not to spend money is not to shop at all. Every time I go in to a store I see something that I "forgot" that I needed and I just have to get it. Commercials for stuff aren't too tempting so at least I can still watch TV. The only ones that get to me occasionally are the food ads. Pizza Hut's new pastas are very tempting but when I really think about it, I can make my own pasta and it tastes better for a lot less money.

I went in to the Habitat store the other day with a co-worker. We needed a couple of tables for the office. I love that store. Technically I can use my donation budget for purchases from the Habitat store because I consider it a charitable donation. I love some of the furniture that they have. One day I would like to build and furnish my entire house out of items from that store. It is a good thing that I don't have anywhere to put more stuff right now. My mobile home is full and there definitely isn't any room in the RV. So I can't even subdue my shopping craving at the Habitat store.

The only place I can still shop is the thrift store, and for clothes only. And then I must get rid of the same amount that I buy. My closet is small. I haven't been there in a few weeks. I think it is time to go back this weekend. The office wardrobe needs some rejuvenating. That will help the shopping craving, at least for another month.

Mortgage Payment Plan Progress

Another $1,200 extra principle payment for my mortgage! Only $64,800 to go until job freedom! That's the day when I no longer have to work to support my mortgage. I will be free to work less hours, change to a more enjoyable job regardless of pay, and pursue my passions!

4 years and 8 months left of my plan if I only contribute an extra $400 a month and move back in for all but one month a year. But any extra rent payments will knock months off the end of my payment plan. If I rent the house out for 3 years straight and continue to pay $1,200 each month towards the principle, I can have the mortgage paid off in 3 1/2 years. I think that is the quickest version of my plan. I have a spreadsheet with every scenario I can imagine including selling anything I can get my hands on to speed up the plan and using my emergency fund but I think I shouldn't stretch my money too thin. I wouldn't want to get in to financial trouble just before I pay off the house. I need my safety net.

I love watching my mortgage shrink. I am very glad I decided to payoff my mortgage instead of investing the money right now. Watching interest rates is too stressful. After my mortgage is paid off, then I will worry about investing. I'll either continue to rent out the house and live on the rental income or sell the house if the market is good and invest the money, using the interest to support myself. I have plenty of time to decide. 4 years and 8 months or less!

Examining The Wants And Needs On My Grocery List

I would usually go to the grocery store now. I am bored with the food that I have and my usual staples are dwindling. The grocery store is also where I overspend every month and with prices going up, I can't keep doing that. I made a list of all of my wants and needs and then thought about the food that I have left.

I want milk, juice and rootbeer. I have powdered milk, water and diet pepsi.

I want hawaiian bread and bagels. I have a frozen loaf of wheat bread.

I want some microwave dinners for the times I don't feel like cooking. I have hot dogs, frozen chicken and pasta that just needs to be cooked.

I want watermelon and strawberries. I have 3 oranges, lettuce, carrots and some fruit cocktail.

I want cookies. I have all the ingredients for cookies, I just have to put them together and bake them.

So, it looks like I don't NEED to go to the store just yet. I think I can make it until Saturday if I try.

One Good Thing About Being Technologically Behind

People who are 'with it' upgrade their electronics and I get the cast-offs. I have to admit...I still have a cassette tape walkman. I haven't listened to it in quite a while. I used to take it with me on plane trips. It started eating batteries too fast to be of any use so I stopped taking it. I remember one very short layover in San Francisco where I dashed off the plane to buy some very expensive AA's from the gift shop. Too much trouble. After that I took a book or magazine or just read one of the many papers people leave behind.

During the last few trips that I have made I started missing being able to listen to music and I almost considered dusting off my walkman. I thought it might be a little embarrassing. Then, one of my coworkers mentioned that she bought a new mp3 player and she didn't need her old one anymore. She gave it to me. Didn't even want any money or anything. She was just happy that it was going to a new home. I am thrilled. It took a little work but I was able to figure out how to transfer music from my cd's. Now I can listen to music on my upcoming plane trip and it didn't cost me a dime!

There is one little catch though. I don't have a big cd collection because I am too cheap to buy them. I transferred a dozen of my favorite songs and now I want more. They cost 99 cents to download. How tempting! Just one or two or twenty songs wouldn't hurt right?