Budget Shopping

 I calculated that I could buy 12.8 items at the Dollar Tree with $17. This amount included tax just in case. We were in walking distance of another discount store so we took our money there instead.  My first thought was look for items that were a $1 each.  First problem, I did not see a dollar area.  My two shoppers were on board and one took to using the calculator.  We spent $14.89.  Not bad.  The only item for a dollar was a loaf of bread.  We did get two Ramon items for 56 cents.  A couple items were less than the Dollar Tree, red sauce and spaghetti with meatballs.  Eggs were $3.05 for a dozen.  I did find a clearance section at the store.  I am not sure if they had a food clearance section.  

For comparison, I would like to go to another store and buy similar items.  I know that milk has increased in price recently so I would expect that eggs might be on the rise also.

Grocery Shopping 2020

 I came across a breakdown of a food run from January 10, 2010.  I decided to breakdown a receipt from 2020.

Food 2010 / 2020

41.02 / 83.20; Including Milk 3.68 / 4.30

Drinks 2010 / 2020

21.18 / 16.41

Snacks 2010 / 2020

28.73 / 17.48

Household Supplies 2010 / 2020

25.92 / 15.97

Baby Products 2010 / 2020

82.26 / 0

Interestingly both food orders contain Lemonade and Pink Lemonade.  The price was pretty similar although in 2020 I needed to buy 3 bottles to get the sale price. The Lemonade was 1.49 in 2010 and 1.66 in 2020 buying 3 for 5 dollars.

The bread category varied.  One loaf was priced at 1.29 and one was 2.19 in 2010.  The bread in 2020 was 1.99.

Dishwasher detergent was 4.19 for 20 count in 2010 and a bottle of the same brand was 4.99 in 2020.

Diapers were 18.99 for 96 count size 3 in 2010.

Happy shopping!

Buying a Car During a Pandemic

Car dealerships are open.  Now what?  Does everyone need a new car?  Probably not.  If you do need a new car how do you go about it?
Chances are you will probably not be test driving a ton of cars.  Many dealerships and other companies will bring cars to your homes or places of employment.  You can have a contactless transaction. 
We bought a car during a pandemic in June 2020.  The vehicle was brought to us but we were not allowed to test drive it while they were there.  Luckily we had already test drove the make and model of the vehicle back in January. 

Happy car buying!

Halloween Costumes

Growing up I had three costumes that I put together rather than buy the costumes.  There was a cowgirl, a gypsy and an angel.  I also borrowed a costume one year and was a clown.  All of the other costumes from what I can recall were store bought.  Normally a plastic mask and a plastic costume were involved.  I enjoyed getting the candy but probably did not enjoy the costumes very much. 

Two of my children have made their own costumes but for the most part they are still store bought.  We have had a candy, leprechaun and a pot of gold, bat man, bat man and a princess.  A duck, Pokemon, dragons, Superman, a ghost buster, star wars characters, Harry Potter characters, scream ghosts, and a werewolf.

We have never had family themed costumes.  I do remember getting a shirt from a shirt transfer place so I could be a Pokemon Catcher for my Pokemon children.  Two of my children have a Halloween parade at school and would prefer not to dress up this year.  Maybe they could dress up for a career. 

I still enjoy the candy part of Halloween.  My daughter enjoys the decorating even if she starts in August.
Happy ghosting!

We Got A Dog!

Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of when our dog passed away.  Last week we adopted a new dog.  The adoption fees cost $250.  The food bag cost $14 and a toy was $8.  Stool sample test was $34.  Happiness for the family priceless.  Welcome home, Moe!

Small Zoo

We encountered a small zoo on vacation.  This time I left wishing I could have spent more money feeding the animals and less on merchandise.  I spent $14 on animal food and about the same on merchandise.  Feeding the animals was fun.  Each item cost two dollars and could sometimes feed multiple animals.  How many times do you get the opportunity to feed goats, pigs, a bear, raccoons, monkeys, lemurs and alligators?  Over all the cost of admission was reasonable and the gift shop had a good selection if you ended up buying a souvenir t shirt or a small necklace. 

Saving for an Emergency Fund

If you currently have an emergency fund, how large is it?  What do you consider an emergency?  Food, shelter and medical attention are important.  What about a gift for a wedding or a shower?  How about school fundraisers?  All of these things should be closely monitored and considered when you are building up your emergency fund.  Do your kids need lessons after school every season?
What about your summer plans?  Can you do a stay cation?  How many animals does your family have or need?
One year we bought a generator,  It was the last one in stock and we did not have any electricity.  Did we sit down and say how much will this cost us per day?  Or did we snap it up feeling that if we would be without electricity too long we would need to pay for a hotel.
So many things come up that will prevent you from saving for your future. Outgrown clothes, a new shirt to take a yearbook photo, an expensive school field trip, a broken down car or a replacement water pump.
Let us break these items down into the necessities vs wants.
Necessities are similar to satisfiers and dissatifiers.  When you are satisfied with something you don't necessarily appreciate it but when you are dissatified you might complain.
My son needs a new dress shirt for his 8th grade photos.  True.  Is it a necessity, no.  Does he have a suitable dress shirt?  No because he outgrew it.  What happens when you go to the store?  Do you only buy a dress shirt or do you buy a matching tie and a suit.  How did a suit even come into the picture?  I would like to call it bargain shopping. A suit is on the radar for May and June events.  If the previous dress shirt purchased last year is too small chances are the previous suit is going to be on the smaller side also.
My oldest son is not too familiar with hammy downs while my youngest children often get hammy down toys and clothes.  This year one even got a hammy down back pack when theirs broke less than half way thru the year.
School trips might not always be expensive but some can definitely be on the pricier side.  A bus trip out of state with theater tickets, lunch and dinner is certainly on the more expensive side.
A school trip and a new shirt might be very small expenses compared to a broken down car, a generator or a water pump.  Some of these items can be saved up for so that you do not need to touch your emergency fund.  Chances are when your older car is inspected you will need certain things such as new tires, brakes, windshield wipers and various lights.  A generator might be needed only every few years for a short amount off time.  Can you make do without one?  For some a generator may be a necessity while for others it might just be a want.  Most things beyond food, shelter and medical treatment could be considered wants.  A third car may be a necessity for three drivers in a family and other families find ways to share the two or one cars that they own.
Good luck in determining your needs and wants in the upcoming months.