Financial Week in Review 1/13-1/19

.This week not quite as frugal as last week. We needed some cleaning supplies, the SUV needed feeding, I picked up a couple of useful household items, we needed fresh produce, and I returned to my weekly bowling league on Tuesday. In addition I paid all of the remaining monthly bills with the exception of my cell phone bill (I am on a family plan with an older sister and I pay her...this will get done next weekend).

Sunday: $39 to fill up the SUV with gas (although I did buy gas at the cheapest station around here at $3.10 a gallon); $30.91 at BJ's for Smart balance spread,furniture polish, and dishwasher detergent; $26.14 at Target for Murphy's Oil soap, Lysol kitchen cleaner, & a heart patterned apron to wear for work next month (I also used a $25 gift card I got for Christmas to get two more throw pillows for the living room and a set of 3 heart shaped springform pans). $9.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a boot/shoe holder for by the side door (this will cut down on the number of times I need to mop the kitchen floor since we can remove boots/shoes and stick them in the holder to dry out).
Total out of pocket expenditures for my expensive Sunday: $106.04 (totally paid for from my twice monthly cleaning job with cash leftover for weekly bowling expense and trip to the Farmer's Market).

Monday: $0

Tuesday: Bowling $36 (this was for two weeks, even though the sub bowled last week I still had to pay) Farmer's Market: $28.02

Wednesday: $0

Thursday: $0

Friday: Electric bill :$104.95 (and still an estimated amount even after I complained to customer service, I will be braving the weather and reading my own meter from now on)
 Internet bill: $47.07 (seems like everytime I turn around this bill has been increased with some fee, I shopped around but to change would mean an initial outlay of $150 to purchase a modem. We are already on the 'slowest' plan there is with Time Warner. I will be keeping an eye out for deals that would mean a significant savings even with a modem purchase, so far nothing has appeared).
Loan Payment : $170.15. I requested a payout amount since I finished my taxes yesterday and have a healthy return due to me. Once those funds are in my account I will pay off this loan and pay an entire year of my property taxes which actually decreased this year! The additional $170 I will then have from not having this obligation will go into the savings account.

Saturday: $0

Total expenditures:
Gas: $39
Food: $34.02 ($5.99 for smart balance plus Farmer's Market run)..total food expenditure this month is around $101...very happy with that!
Household items (health/beauty/cleaning/papergoods): $61.05
Bowling: $36
Monthly bills: $322.17

Even with all that I had 4 'free' days with no expenditures at all!!

Looking forward to the next week I anticipate spending $103.00 on my cell phone (a ridiculous amount given the number of better plans but I'm stuck in the contract until December when changes will be made), about $25 on a birthday gift for one of my nephews, $50 to youngest daughter as my half of the cost of her trip to DC with church youth group,  $50 to youngest son for his birthday gift (he is saving for driver's ed), another $70 to purchase salad ingredients, ice cream and pop as my contibution to the joint nephew/youngest son birthday party next week, and I have to give middle sister my portion of the costs for surprise 50th anniversary party for oldest sister in February since total bill needs to be paid by Feb. 1st :$75 (since gentleman friend insisted on paying for both our meals plus youngest son and daughter's meals...sis and I are splitting the anniversary couple's costs and I am picking up the cost for another daughter who is going through a very tough financial period).  I do clean next weekend though so that cash will easily cover the birthday party expenses and most of the cost of anniversary party. Once again that twice a month cleaning gig is such a blessing.