2021 Mindful Spending - Need vs Want

[Livin Large]

I need to be more mindful about my spending as the last couple of years it has been out of control. My intention is to use this thread to evaluate need vs want vs stockpile and to help hold myself accountable for reckless spending.

Jan 1 - no spend

Jan 2: $81.20

Need:
$45.53 Animal food and medicine
$14.95 People food

Stockpile:
$12.71 cream cheese, will be canned next weekend
$7.99 - Gr. Northern Beans so I can can bean soup this weekend

[Livin Large]

Jan 3: $123.87

Need:
Lemons
carper spot cleaner
CO detector
oranges

want:
$1.21 - 4 flexible cutting mats on clearance, reg price $4.86

Stockpile:
3 frozen turkeys - $0.56/#, savings of $0.93/#. will be canned tomorrow
4 Elderberry flavored Airbourn, 20 tablets per box (like EmernenC) - 50% off, $6.50 ea
pack of 10 chapstick - $4.

[dlrcpa]

I am mostly stockpiling because still concerned about shortages. Jan 1-3: bought dog food dry & canned, used $10 coupon. This week use CVS ExtraBucks and coupons for TP and laundry detergent.

[jettsmom]

01/01 - Spent $90 for BBQ for the family. Had lots leftover. Ate it for several days.02
01/02 - Dh spent something on a tool from Harbor Freight
01/03 - No spend
01/04 - Hope to be a no spend day. We'll see if dh needs anything. Maybe postage to send a couple of packages.

dlr - I know what you mean about stockpiling. I still can't get toilet paper and paper towels. I can find cleaning wipes. I try to add some each time I shop, but it's usually out of stock or not available for pick up.

I'm just not going in stores anymore. I'm liking the grocery pickup. I spend less.

[Livin Large]

1/4 - no spend

[MaggieTru]

1/4 I spent on gas because I was near cheap gas.
1/5, no spend

[miteigenenhaenden]

We have been keeping a budget book with all income and expenses for many years. So we always know where the money has gone and what we have left.
At the end of the year we always do the accounting. For 2020 it looks like this. https://miteigenenhaenden.wordpress....de-des-jahres/
The numbers from Europe can certainly be compared with those in America, but you certainly know what I want to tell.

[MaggieTru]

M: impressive! I track daily and total monthly. I haven't done annual totals but I suppose I should.

The daily record keeps me mindful. Expenses vary wildly year to year as I go from saving up for something to spending that fund down. In 2020 I spent more than I earned because I saved up to. Build a house.

[miteigenenhaenden]

Building a house is expensive. That includes saving a little and then earning more than you make. That is clear. But the house seems to be very beautiful!

[Livin Large]

1/5 - ate lunch at work $5.88 Ouch - too lazy to pack a lunch, that won't happen again!
1/6-1/14 lost of spending!

Needs:
cleaning supplies
new weight for my canner
laundry supplies - detergent, clothes pins, clothes line
gas for the car

want:
milking machine for the goats - I'm not milking them yet but wanted one on standby

Stockpile:
backup solar panel for my solar generator - used a $10 coupon
pinto and kidney beans
minute rice
electrolytes - used a $2 coupon

[Livin Large]

1/15

Spent a TON today!

Home Depot - all Needs, tools and supplies for projects
Ace Hardware - all Needs, tools and supplies for projects
Feed Store - All Needs -Animal food and medicine
Grocery store - cat food and coffee creamer - Need, 3 50% off pork shanks - want

[dlrcpa]

LL if the goats are not used to being milked at all how are you going to train them to accept a machine? Seems you would start out hand milking. Just seems like a giant leap.

[Livin Large]

LL if the goats are not used to being milked at all how are you going to train them to accept a machine? Seems you would start out hand milking. Just seems like a giant leap.

The goats I currently have are not milkable because they are not tame enough. I've taken babies at 2 days old, kept them in the garage, bottle fed them and within 24-48 hours they will follow me anywhere and at a week they want nothing to do with the rest of the herd. I sold those but I'm thinking about keeping the next female baby and raising her to be a milk goat. So milking a goat is a future plan and nothing that will happen for about a year.


Spent today - Gas for the car.