Spending, Life, Income and Food Updates…

Happy Monday everyone. I hope it was a great weekend. My weekend was good, I started it a little earlier because I took a half day on Friday. I took it for no reason, I just wanted a little bit of a longer weekend 🙂 And boy was that nice! I took the pups to get…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Written By:

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: May 24, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Happy Monday everyone. I hope it was a great weekend. My weekend was good, I started it a little earlier because I took a half day on Friday. I took it for no reason, I just wanted a little bit of a longer weekend 🙂 And boy was that nice!

I took the pups to get their vaccinations on Saturday. But that’s a post for tomorrow! I have a long animal costs post set up for tomorrow. You all know that I’m obsessed with my dogs so be prepared for a long post.

And I’m finally on WordPress if you couldn’t tell! WOOOHHOOO! To celebrate this, I created a giveaway. I will announce the winner next week for the $100 PayPal cash prize.

My updates:

Spending: We didn’t do a lot of shopping last week. I bought a couple of things for the house that we needed (new sheets, pillow cases, etc.).

Extra Monthly Income:My extra income wasn’t as high as last week, but it’s still pretty good. I made around $275 last week from extra income.

Food: We’ve been doing better, as I said yesterday, but we could be doing much better.

Being healthy: I’ve been doing much better! I’ve ran with my dog every day. We’ve been going to the track in our neighborhood every day also. My sister has been a crazy workout and healthy eating person lately, so she’s helped keep me on track.

How’s your spending, working out and extra income going?

 

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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Cindy H.

    I always try to plan out my meals for the week and only buy what I have to have at the grocery store.

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Thanks! Good luck 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Lynn

    Congratulations being on WordPress. Woo-hoo!

    Reply
  3. Lance @ Money Life and More

    Congrats on the new site with WordPress. You now have a snappy mobile theme too yay!

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Jennifer Lynn

    Money Saving tip: I tend to cut my own hair. My bangs need a trim every few weeks so I'll just go to town with the scissors. It will grow back, right? 😛

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Haha I would never trust myself with that!

      Reply
  5. alice

    Congrats on word press! yay!

    I've been working on our food spending. Moving my husband to a cash only system has helped! 😀

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Thanks! And yes the cash system is always helpful.

      Reply
  6. Carleen

    The main thing that helps us is the monthly budget. I keep our spending pretty up to date so it is easy to see if there is money left in a category.

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      That's great! We don't keep track, but we should.

      Reply
  7. Elle sees

    I try to make beauty products to save money

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Great idea!

      Reply
  8. Jennifer R

    Love your blog. We save money weekly by brown bagging it, and making dinners at home.

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      We always bring our lunch. Saves so much money.

      Reply
  9. Jessica @ budget for

    We don't own a tv! We watch tv shows on Hulu or rent movies from the library.

    Reply
  10. Newlyweds ona Budget

    Glad you finally made the switch!

    Reply
  11. Angella

    I always shop the return aisle at Lowes for appliances. Most the time people refuse delivery of brand new items because of a tiny dent or scratch. I was able to get my stainless steel fridge for $300 (was $1899) and my frontloading washer and dryer (HE) for $600, originally $1599/ea!! That's my money saving tip – always check the clearance aisle and ask associates what they can do for you price wise!

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      That is a great idea! I need to do this. My friend is about to buy a house also, so I'll let her know.

      Reply
  12. Stephanie

    That’s awesome that your dogs are motivating you to run! And my husband and I are just as obsessed with our pup, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s post! 🙂

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Yes they definitely motivate me! And haha hope you enjoy tomorrow's post.

      Reply
  13. Melanie T

    to save money i always bring my lunch to work. Saves $50 a week!

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      I ALWAYS bring my lunch. Saves so money money.

      Reply
  14. @Lbeemoneytree

    I save money by only allowing myself to buy something once I am completely out. Coupons be damned! I only shop when I need to 🙂

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      This is what I usually do, but lately I have been horrible. I need to stop going to Target.

      Reply
  15. moneyaftergrad

    omggg so exciting =)

    I am not being a good money-saver lately but one of my favorite money-saving techniques when I'm spending is to google a coupon from whatever online shop I'm at. Before I ever checkout my online shopping cart I always search online for a coupon. It's gotten me as much as 40% off at my favorite stores and takes 15 seconds!

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Yes very exciting! I always google for a coupon, almost always works!

      Reply
  16. Madison

    The biggest thing that's been helping me is by keeping cash as my spending money. The only times I use my card is for online bill paying, and when filing up the gas tank since I hate having to go inside. Any left over money in my checking account is going to be deposited into savings!

    Congrats on moving to wordpress. 🙂
    My recent post My September Goals

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      This is something that we are still working on. glad it works for you 🙂

      Reply
  17. gregjohnson975182420

    Our spending has sucked two months in a row. I am looking forward to a fresh start in October!

    Reply
  18. Erika

    I try to run minimal errands in a week and in only 1-2 days to save money on gas.

    Reply
  19. Jessica @ budget for health

    We don’t own a tv! We watch tv shows on Hulu or use Netflix and our local library to watch movies on the laptop.

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      Great way to save!

      Reply
  20. Tabitha

    I save $1, $5 and $10s that have 16 in the serial number.

    Reply
  21. Krystal M

    My money saving tip: If I want something expensive, I'll wait a few months before actually purchasing it. If I still want it after that amount of time, I'll know that I really wanted it and it wasn't just some passing fancy!

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      This is something that I try to do also.

      Reply
  22. plantingourpennies

    Hope the puppies are okay after the vet visit and that it wasn't anything bad!

    Reply
    1. MakingSenseofCents

      It was nothing bad, just their yearly vaccinations.

      Reply
  23. Nurse Frugal

    Yes…having an accountability partner is so key for being healthy and exercising regularly! I regularly run with some local girls and they definitely make sure that we all run together a few times a week and we talk about our good and bad food activities! It's so fun!

    Reply
  24. Loyce

    Hello. Great job. I did not anticipate this. This is a great story. Thanks!

    Reply
  25. MakingSenseofCents

    Haha well I didn't talk about him too much in detail. That would be a whole 'nother post! But I did talk a little bit. Enjoy it tomorrow!

    Reply
  26. MakingSenseofCents

    Thanks for entering!

    Reply
  27. MakingSenseofCents

    Aww that stinks.

    Reply
  28. MakingSenseofCents

    Sounds like an easy way to save!

    Reply
  29. MakingSenseofCents

    Yes that always helps us save too.

    Reply
  30. MakingSenseofCents

    Yay!

    Reply
  31. MakingSenseofCents

    Thanks! I'm excited about being on WordPress.

    Reply
  32. MakingSenseofCents

    I agree, she is definitely a motivator!

    Reply
  33. MakingSenseofCents

    I hope October is better!

    Reply
  34. MakingSenseofCents

    Great tip!

    Reply
  35. MakingSenseofCents

    Great way to save money 🙂

    Reply
  36. MakingSenseofCents

    WOOOHOO!

    Reply
  37. MakingSenseofCents

    This is something that I do as well.

    Reply
  38. Guerilla Advertising

    It is in reality a great and useful piece of info. I'm satisfied that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  39. How To Niche Market

    Generally I do not read post on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great article.

    Reply
  40. Allison

    I try to bring my lunch to work everyday so that I don't have to buy one. Lately I've been doing well, but sometimes it is a struggle. I've also been trying to walk to and from work more often now that it's (sort of) cooling down outside. The bus only costs 60cents each way, but every little bit counts!

    Reply
  41. shey

    nice list!

    Reply
  42. judy gregory

    we live 30 miles from town so, even when i'm really tired i try to do my shopping on my way home from work to save gas

    Reply
  43. Elena

    I use coupons, shop on sales and make a shopping list and stick to it

    Reply
  44. laurenw250

    I price match my groceries and coupon for toiletries. I hope to be better at meal planning to save even more money!

    Reply
  45. miranda

    I bring my own coffee!

    Reply
  46. petra

    I try to live below my means and limit costly expenditures that can add up quickly. I pack a lunch, don't have cable, don't own the latest gadgets, use coupons, shop sales, buy clothes at resale shops, and look for free or low cost entertainment.

    Reply
  47. Stephanie

    I always google coupon codes before I buy anything online.

    Reply
  48. Kelly D

    I stock up on items that I use frequently when I find them on a good sale.

    Reply
  49. Sara

    I try to rely on coupons for any extra spending.

    Reply
  50. Stephanie

    I cook a big batch of soup, chili or lasagna and then freeze individual portions to bring for lunch every day.

    Reply
  51. Cassie

    the envelope system. every pay check i withdraw $40. $10 goes into four different envelopes. entertainment, food, clothes and church. then when i have to go out i just go to my envelope, get the cash i need and that's all i can spend. yay! and saves me a trip to the ATM.

    Reply
  52. Kenny F

    Look for deals online!

    Reply
  53. Amanda Sakovitz

    I use a cash back site when i shop online

    Reply
  54. Cory

    Just pinch and save as you can.

    Reply
  55. lariatsandlavender

    We live on $465 a month, minus bills, pet stuff, etc. so we make sure we try and save for a little fun money, buy stuff on clearance, stretch our food money, etc!

    Reply
  56. Brittany B

    I save money by only buying things on sale (well besides necessities like groceries) I also meal plan to keep the grocery bill down.

    Reply
  57. jefferson @SDR

    We have been making great progress!! One tip: Use a program like Mint.com to track your progress! Seeing zeroes in those balance columns is very motivational!
    My recent post Teaching Kids About Money: Leading By Example

    Reply
  58. Michelle H

    My husband and I clip coupons and plan our meals weekly so we don't overspend. We stopped using credit cards a year ago and only pay with cash now. We also budget toward savings since we have household repairs coming up and don't want to finance any work done. We also got rid of our landline phone and only have basic cable now; we borrow movies from the library.

    Reply
  59. Jane

    We've started using a cash system. The first thing we do is put a certain amount in savings, then take cash out for groceries, gas, entertainment, fun money, etc. This helps us keep our spending to the budgeted amount.

    Reply
  60. Christine

    Here's my money saving tip: Before I make any purchase over $20 or so dollars, I sit on it for a day or two or six. 😉 Keeps those "impulse" purchases from adding up REALLY quickly. Even something as simple as a new sweater. I try and wait to make sure I really want/need it.

    Reply
  61. Deanna G.

    I always look for coupons before I shop online.

    Reply
  62. Mary

    I need a workout buddy like that!

    Reply
  63. Thomas Murphy

    I use coupons and shop sales to save money.

    Reply
  64. Amanda

    WP is the bomb! Congrats on the switch.
    My recent post Weekly Wrap-Up #64 (powered by just going out and doing something fun)

    Reply
  65. deenadollars

    I earned some extra coin today by selling clothes that I grew out of (errr, shrank out of?) to a used clothing store. Cha-ching!
    My recent post As Simple as Possible

    Reply
  66. raggammuffin

    i budget and use coupons

    Reply
  67. GHarkness

    I learn lots of money-saving tips here and on many of the budgeting blogs I read. Most recent: dryer balls to keep my laundry soft and cut drying time about 15%. One Good Thing by Jillee.
    My recent post Paying credit card bills? When is the best time for that?

    Reply
  68. Morgan

    I cut out the data plan on my cell phone as it wasn't seeming necessary. Saved about $40 a month.

    Reply
  69. Veronica

    I"m kind of late to the comment party, but I came here via Kim's post about the giveaway! Thought I'd give it a shot 🙂
    My recent post Tidal Wave of Updates Friday – Giveaway Included

    Reply
  70. raggammuffin

    i shop clearance racks with coupons in hand

    Reply
  71. meandbella

    i cut lots of coupons

    vanitizebaby at yahoo dot com

    Reply