For those who use Gail's Jar system....

What do you use your 'other' jar for?

She suggests allowance, pet food, bank fees etc. I have a separate category for allowance and pet food comes out of the food budget (They're ppl too LOL). The bank fees come straight out of my account each month so there is no point in putting $ in the jar for that.

I have never used an 'other' jar before but was changing budget for next month and FINALLY adding a clothing and gifts jar, and thought I should put in the 'other ' too but I have no clue what I'd really use it for. I tentatively have $20 a week going into it, but if I don't really need the jar, I sure have other places I could whap that $80 a month.

Thoughts? ideas? your experiences?

Weekly Menu

In an effort to get the grocery money under control, again, back come the menus.

Sunday - Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and peas 
             Pot Roast and fixings at my mom's
Monday - Homemade pizza (hawaiian and cheese methinks)
Tuesday - Creamy chicken and noddle casserole, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday - Grilled Pork Chops, rice, corn
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Note to self: Must buy chicken for Tuesday as roast chicken sunday did not happen to provide leftovers.

Saturday this and that

• it's raining here. Still. We had two days of  no rain in the past 8 days and we're due to get rain/snow until Monday. Oh boy. Everything here is saturated. Absolutely we needed rain, particulary the fields, but perhaps not quite so much  in such a short period of time. There is water lying everywhere. Friends of mine live just outside of Lethbridge, Alberta and they have been wetvaccing up water from their basement for the past three days.

• DS1 will be 16 this fall and the hunt is on for a small car for him. We debated over small truck and small car and he felt he was more comfortable with a car. It needs to be fantastic on gas and not outrageous to put plates (insurance) on. It doesn't matter if it is standard or automatic. My father is of firm belief that everyone needs to know how to drive both and when he was old enough to drive out on the fields and around the farm, he was driving dad's standard. I think his indoctrination started at about age 11 in large open areas on the farm where there was nothing to hit. His father and I disagree on the cost of it. His father seems to forget that there are plates to buy for it and taxes on prices and all of that needs to come into consideration before we buy.

• We are heading to a belated windup party for one of the boys' sports teams. We were supposed to go outdoor paintballing but this weather precludes it. Friends, laughter, games and pizza. Cost to me? ZERO. wheeeeee

• I have to get my hiney busy on a project for school. Deadline is Sunday night to get the document all typed out and all the reflections done. I am 75% done thank goodness. Nothing hard left to do. Just type and type and type.

• My bank statement came yesterday and showed my progress on the loan. Instead of 49 payments, it showed 47 regular payments plus a final one that is $210 less than full payment. That reflects the one month I've killed off the end of theloan through my lump sum payments, as well as some interest I've saved.  I knew I had the one month gone but seeing it in official writing is always a great feeling.  I can't wait to see those numbers keep on going down. My goal was to pay off at least 1 year early. So 11 months to go.

• I've been working on a baby sampler cross stitch for my niece's 'soon to be born' son. I only started it last Friday night but the rain last weekend and me avoiding some housework to work on the cross stitch instead has put me at about 3/4 finished. Of course it is all the small details of the last 1/4 that will take the most time lol

Month 2 on the jars

Well another month has come and gone. We've had blistering 30C heat ( for me more than 23 is blistering LOL) and cold rain and snow.


The jars continued along nicely this month though I have to say, I really don't like writing in the binder and documenting everything. I barely did it at all. Since I am not carrying over anything in them, perhaps the motivation to write things down  isn't quite there. I just tally up the total of what is in the jars at the end of each week, blog it on here and then stuff it in a holding jar to the end of the month.


I have one more month on this budget and then, as of the end of  June, I am tinkering with the numbers and making my jars align more with Gail's Magic Jars.


I may decide to keep the carry over in the jars as of the new budget and force myself to write in the blasted book  :-)


For this month, I was able to save $300 for the whole month, out of my jar allottment. That's a darn fine amount of snowflakes if I do say so myself. Here is what I plan to do with it:

• $80 was used as part of a lump sum payment earlier this month so I could check off one full month at the end of my loan being paid off
• $100 of it will go in my home 'stash' whose purpose I have yet to determine.
• the remaining $220 will be added to the next lump sum I make after my June loan payment.

How did I save so much? denial mostly. I really have done well narrowing down the fast food we consume. I am by no means cured, but it's a good start. I have cooked a lot out of my pantry and freezer. Now that can't continue on forever as they are the emptiest I have ever seen them. I will have to begin restocking and hopefully find  a few decent sales to help me on my way.


I recognize that with the upcoming budget change there will be fewer snowflakes. They are addictive lil suckers LOL

thank god for extended warranty

Last year with some money he got as 'early inheritance', my husband bought a new flatscreen Samsung TV. Not sure how many inches - that's more of a man thing....no inappropriate pun intended.

Today the picture tube went on it. It was not an inexpensive TV. It was $1000 plus taxes.

We took a minute to find our information on that. I found mine from when I blogged about it last May 18th (I think). He found his receipt and information.

Purchased on May 16th, 2009

I never buy extended warranty on appliances. Or the insurance thingie.

Fortunately, this was a purchase my husband actually made and he bought four year extended warranty for an extra $200 I think.

We called today and the store gave us the 1 800 number to contact the main company tomorrow (they are closed today). They have a repair service in our wee town that is under their warranty so they will make us an appointment there. If it is cheaper to fix, they will fix it. If it is more costly to fix than to replace, they will replace.

Given that the price of these TVs have come down a couple hundred since we bought, and given the cost of labour, I almost wonder if it will not be cheaper for them to replace?

I just wonder what will happen to the remaining 3 years on our warranty

It will be an interesting experience, but hopefully, not a saga!!

I will keep you updated.