My Uber Thrifty Month In Review - September

I began the month with $2 in my checking account and a $35 check for mileage reimbursement in my purse and I was happy to have that much after all the August expenses.  I also had a quarter tank of gas left in the car.

My first paycheck did have an extra day of pay on it since it was a longer pay period as well as a little bit of overtime so I was off to a pretty good start.

Our credit union merged with another one, which is great because now we have a branch located much closer and more conveniently to our home.  But it also meant that I had to order new checks and change my direct deposit at work.  I have two bills I still have to pay by check - the water bill and our orthodontist.  A friend allowed me to use her Costco card to order new checks and I now have enough to last two lifetimes, I'm sure.  The rest I pay online.

Once my paycheck arrived in the mail I dashed down to the new credit union and got it deposited right away along with my mileage reimbursement check.  I paid all of our monthly expenses.  I wrote a check to the water company and because it was late (while I waited for the new checks to arrive) we hopped in the car and delivered it to their drop box so it wouldn't be delayed any further.  Fortunately the water company is rather forgiving.

I made a good sized payment toward my debt elimination goal.  I also added more funds to my retirement and savings accounts.

I topped off the gas tank in the car.  I had enough rewards points stockpiled to give me a 30¢ per gallon discount at the pump!

I was very careful with the grocery shopping.  While I still managed quite a bit of stocking up of the pantry I kept it in check and stayed very close to my budget.  We ate quite well from the items we already had on hand and supplemented with fresh produce and dairy items I purchased throughout the month.

With the girls fully outfitted and back in school it was time to turn a little attention to Mom.  I needed to update my walking shoes and get some new athletic socks.  I was able to accomplish that by getting the shoes and socks on sale and then using a coupon for an additional $10 OFF.  I also picked up two dry-wick shirts ($4.49 and $7.49) and a pair of workout pants ($7.49) off the clearance rack.  Now I am adequately outfitted to keep on trucking even when the weather gets cooler.

I put together several birthday gifts and Christmas gifts using items I already had on hand as well as additional items I purchased using coupons to defray the costs.  One item I actually got for free.  Once I was done I wrapped them with gift wrap supplies I already had.  I spent a total of $38 to complete a dozen gifts.

Using label stock I already had I printed out address labels and return address labels for the Christmas cards I plan to send out this year.  I also have all the cards we need and will not be making or purchasing any new ones.  I even had some stamps leftover from last year.  The only thing I'll need to do is to purchase a book of stamps for the rest of them when it comes time to mail the cards out.

We typically seem to need new ink for our printer this time of year.  I purchased two new ink cartridges from eBay.  I got a really good price for a tri-color cartridge and an extra large black one, sold together as a set for $36.99.  That should keep us well supplied through the school year.

All in all it was a much thriftier month for us with not a lot of spending.  It was a welcome relief to be sure, especially after last month.  My hope is that October is much the same.