Money Matters

So, when I started "Money Matters" the goal was to spend 10% LESS overall this year. as it stands, I am currently about 4% over what I spent last year in bills and such. Inflation and a green lawn is making things a bit difficult.

I need to do a shout-out to my friend Ben, who introduced me to Mint.com . This site is free to use and was developed by Intuit. It is great for breaking down current transactions and helping with budget creation. I have only been using it for a few weeks, but it has been a great tool for helping me analyze my spending and break things down... all without a lot of effort on my part. This allows me to spend more time on other things.

One thing I have noticed over the last few weeks as I have been doing more BBQing is that the leftovers tend to stay preserved slightly longer than normal cooking, especially if frozen afterwords. This has led to me BBQing more at once and then freezing the leftover.  It is also nice because I can buy a lot of food that is either in bulk or clearance and cook it up while it is still good, for up to 50% off the regular price!

I am expanding upon my garden this year as well. As soon as my new planter box is done I will be checking out the clearance plants at the local stores to see what needs help. I am hoping to have a good yield this year, if I can ever get the stuff planted.  Otherwise, everything will be ready for next year, or I may try to make a clear cover for my new raised bed that I can do some winter gardening in.

One nice thing is that all medical bills are paid off. Luckily I have good insurance so it wasn't that much to begin with, but it is nice to know that I do not have major medical bills looming overhead.