Doggie Doppelgänger And Different August 2022 Bills

Birthday Brewery Bash!

Hill Farmstead beer

Mr. FW celebrated his thirty ninth birthday in August and my in-laws graciously stored our youngsters for 3 days (and two nights!!!!)! We determined in opposition to touring this 12 months–final 12 months we went kid-free to Cambridge, MA–and as a substitute stay-cationed it up. After I requested my husband what sort of cake he needed me to bake, he replied, “beer.” Wonderful.

We made a reservation at Hill Farmstead (ranked the very best brewery on the earth) and spent his birthday lounging on their garden, viewing the mountains and sipping beer. Perfection. We additionally went climbing, purchased some used snow tires for the Subaru and took a day journey to Burlington, VT. A number of different breweries made their manner onto our itinerary: Foam, Queen Metropolis Brewing, Burlington Beer Co and Lawson’s. Vermont is actually ample with breweries!

Different Individuals’s Birthdays

Many individuals have August birthdays, it appears, together with three of Kidwoods’ buddies. Child birthday events introduce a brand new spending conundrum: items! Prior to now, I’ve been capable of finding new (with tags/wrappers on) toys at yard gross sales to reward to the birthday youngsters. Nevertheless, I haven’t been so fortunate as of late and didn’t have any new items to repurpose. What to purchase? I spent a while on the outdated web and got here up with the next gem: make-your-own flower crown and headband kits (affiliate hyperlink). At ~$10 every, these are ideally suited! I like that they’re a craft and a dressing up. I like that they aren’t digital. I like that they don’t require the child to be right into a sure character/e book/theme. To this point, the three recipients appear delighted and I’m going to journey this prepare till subsequent 12 months.

Doggie Doppelgänger

OG Doggie hanging out with the autumn decor

Littlewoods’ very favourite, very required stuffy is Doggie. Doggie goes to mattress along with her, on automotive journeys, out to the backyard… he has been prevented (many occasions) from accompanying us to the seashore. For causes which might be possible apparent, Doggie is now on a lifetime ban from the hen coop and hen pen. Resulting from his well-traveled nature, Doggie has additionally been forgotten in inopportune locales and required emergency extraction.

Moreover resulting from his well-traveled nature, Doggie requires frequent machine washing, which A) places him out of fee throughout the wash and dry cycles; and B) Is quickly degrading his fur and different integral traits, together with however not restricted to his stitching. In mild of the travails and travels of Doggie, we determined it will be prudent to spend money on a backup Doggie Doppelgänger. Fortunately, Doggie is commercially out there. OG Doggie was, after all, a hand-me-down. Doggie Doppelgänger, alternatively, needed to be bought new (affiliate hyperlink). 

Oil & Propane High-Up

As seen on a current hike: FALL LEAF

I do know it’s fall as a result of we simply topped off our oil and propane tanks! Whereas we warmth primarily with our woodstove (burning wooden that Mr. FW harvests from our land), now we have baseboard oil back-up warmth. It’s crucial for us to have back-up warmth to forestall in opposition to frozen pipes within the occasion that: 1) temperatures dip precipitously in a single day and the range can’t sustain; 2) we have to exit of city through the winter months.

The propane is for our cooking range and oven, which we hope to transition to induction sooner or later to capitalize on our solar energy! However for now, we’re caught with propane.

Neither the propane nor the oil was wherever close to empty, however I make it a behavior (custom?) to fill each up each fall. Within the uncommon occasion that we would have liked extra gasoline in the midst of winter, there’s no assure the supply vehicles would make it down our driveway. In actual fact, they’ve informed me they gained’t ship to us in inclement climate. Living proof: two years in the past an oil supply truck received caught on our driveway. In the course of dry, balmy September. Yep.

I’ve been watching oil costs and debating when to order, however I lastly simply did it. I concern costs will go up this fall, so I felt good locking within the costs now–although it’s practically double what we paid final 12 months. YIKES.

Right here’s what we paid this 12 months:

252.8 gallons of oil at $4.78/gal = $1,208.38

+19.7 gallons of propane at $3.93/gal = $77.42

= $1,286.80 (we paid $1,261.99 with our “immediate pay” low cost)

Kidwoods + our ripe blueberries

I realized just a few years in the past that the majority oil and propane firms provide a reduction for what they name “immediate pay.” In the event you pay your invoice in full inside a specified time-frame, you get a reduction! And so, our complete was really $1,261.99. Woohoo! All the time, all the time, all the time ask if there’s a reduction for paying a invoice in full on the time of service–any service! I received the identical sort of low cost on my Lasik eye surgical procedure years in the past. By no means hurts to ask.

Longtime readers will recall that I used to name each single oil and propane firm in our area to match costs, which I do suppose nets the very best worth. Nevertheless, I received lazy just a few years in the past and joined a gasoline membership, which negotiates the costs on behalf of all membership members. Right here’s a deep dive into how I’ve saved 1000’s on propane and oil over time.

Since I discover all of our rural programs considerably overwhelming, I began a Google doc once we first moved right here to maintain us on monitor with our:

• Oil and propane deliveries
• Chimney sweeping and inspection (for oil and wooden chimneys)
• Septic pumping
• Boiler servicing

Lots of this must be completed in intervals–not on a easy, annual foundation–so I discover this doc is the one manner I can maintain monitor!

I Love the Free Expense Tracker from Private Capital!

I exploit a free on-line service known as Private Capital to maintain monitor of our cash: our spending, our internet price, our investments, our retirement, the whole lot.

Fall apple selecting

Monitoring bills is likely one of the greatest–and best–methods to get a deal with in your funds. You can not make knowledgeable selections about your cash in the event you don’t know the way you’re spending it or how a lot you’ve gotten. In the event you’d wish to know extra about how Private Capital works, try my full write-up.

With no holistic image of how a lot you spend each month, there’s no method to set financial savings, debt compensation, or funding objectives. It’s a should, of us. Private Capital (which is free) is a good way for me to systematize our monetary overviews because it hyperlinks all of our accounts collectively and supplies a complete image of our internet price.

In the event you’re not monitoring your bills in an organized style, you may take into account attempting Private Capital (be aware: the Private Capital hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks). 

Credit Playing cards: How We Purchase Every thing

We purchase the whole lot we will with bank cards as a result of:

1. It’s simpler to trace bills. No guesswork over the place a random $20 invoice went; all of it reveals up in our month-to-month expense report from Private Capital. I additionally spend much less cash as a result of I KNOW I’m going to see each expense listed on the finish of the month.

2. We get rewards. Bank card rewards are a easy method to get one thing for nothing. By the playing cards we use, we get money again in addition to lodge and airline factors for getting stuff we had been going to purchase anyway.
3. We construct our credit score. Since we don’t have any debt, having a number of bank cards open for a few years helps our credit score scores. It’s a grimy delusion that carrying a steadiness in your bank card helps your credit score rating–IT DOES NOT. Paying your playing cards off IN FULL each month and maintaining them open for a few years does assist your rating.

For extra on my bank card technique, try:

Money Again Playing cards to Take into account

In the event you’re now cash-back curious, there are a selection of playing cards available on the market providing fairly good money again percentages. Listed here are just a few I believe are a superb deal:

Apple drops from our Crimson Duchess tree

1) Blue Money Most well-liked® Card from American Categorical:

• 6% money again at U.S. supermarkets on as much as $6,000 per 12 months in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% money again on choose U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% money again at U.S. fuel stations and on transit (together with taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and extra).
• 1% money again on different purchases.
• Earn a $350 assertion credit score after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your new card inside the first 6 months.
• $95 annual price. Charges and charges particulars right here.
• Phrases apply

2) Blue Money On a regular basis® Card from American Categorical:

• 3% money again at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $6,000 per 12 months in purchases, then 1%).
• 3% Money Again at U.S. fuel stations, on as much as $6,000 per 12 months, then 1%.
• 1% money again on different purchases.
• Earn a $200 assertion credit score after you spend $2,000 in purchases in your new card inside the first 6 months.
• No annual price. Charges and charges particulars right here.
• Phrases apply.

3) Capital One Quicksilver Money Rewards Credit score Card:

• 1.5% money again on each buy, on daily basis.
• $200 money bonus after you spend $500 on purchases inside 3 months from account opening.
• No annual price.

Littlewoods having fun with the best of summer time

4) Capital One SavorOne Money Rewards Credit score Card:

• Limitless 3% money again on eating, leisure, common streaming companies and at grocery shops (excluding superstores like Walmart and Goal).
• 1% again on all different purchases.
• 8% money again on tickets at Vivid Seats by way of January 2023.
• $200 money bonus after you spend $500 on purchases inside the first 3 months from account opening.
• No annual price.

5) Chase Freedom Limitless®:

• Earn an additional 1.5% on the whole lot you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months), which is price as much as $300 money again:
  • 6.5% on journey bought by way of Chase Final Rewards
  • 4.5% on eating and drugstores
  • 3% on all different purchases.
• After your first 12 months (or $20,000 spent), you earn:
  • 5% money again on Chase journey bought by way of Chase Final Rewards
  • 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply service
  • Limitless 1.5% money again on all different purchases.
• No annual price.

6) Chase Freedom Flex℠:

• 5% money again on as much as $1,500 in mixed purchases in bonus classes every quarter you activate.
• New 5% classes every quarter.
• 5% money again on journey bought by way of Chase Final Rewards
• 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply service
• Limitless 1% money again on all different purchases.
• $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
• No annual price.

In the event you’re all for journey rewards, folks love the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card®. You’ll be able to earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, which is $750 if you redeem by way of Chase Final Rewards.

Big caveat to bank card utilization: you MUST pay your bank card payments in full each single month, with no exceptions. In the event you’re involved about your means to do that, or suppose utilizing bank cards may immediate you to spend extra, persist with a debit card or money. However when you’ve got no drawback paying that invoice in full each month? I like to recommend you bank card away, my pal! (be aware: the bank card hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks).

Money Again Earned This Month: $68.89

Littlewoods + me on our lunch date

The silver lining to our spending is our money again bank card. We earn 2% money again on each buy made with our Constancy Rewards Visa and, this month, we spent $3,444.56 on that card, which netted us $68.89.

Not some huge cash, nevertheless it’s cash we earned for getting stuff we had been going to purchase anyway! Because of this I really like money again bank card rewards–they’re the best method to earn one thing for nothing.

To see how this provides up over the course of a 12 months, try How I Made $712.59 With My Money Again Credit score Card.

The place’s Your Cash?

One other simple method to optimize your cash is with a high-interest financial savings account. With these accounts, curiosity works in your favor versus the rates of interest on debt, which work in opposition to you.

Having cash in a no or low curiosity financial savings account is a waste of assets–your cash is simply sitting there doing nothing. Don’t let your cash be lazy! Make it give you the results you want! And now, take pleasure in some explanatory math:

Let’s say you’ve gotten $5,000 in a financial savings account that earns 0% curiosity. In a 12 months’s time, your $5,000 will nonetheless be… $5,000.

Let’s say you as a substitute put that $5,000 into an American Categorical Private Financial savings account, which–as of this writing–earns 1.75% in curiosity (affiliate hyperlink). In a single 12 months, your $5,000 could have elevated to $5,088. Which means you earned $88 simply by having your cash in a high-interest account.

And also you didn’t need to do something! I’m an enormous fan of incomes cash whereas doing nothing. I imply, is anyone not a fan of that? Apparently so, as a result of anybody who makes use of a low or no curiosity financial savings account is NOT being profitable whereas doing nothing. Don’t be that individual.

Be the one who earns cash whereas sleeping. Extra about high-interest financial savings accounts, in addition to those I like to recommend, right here: The Greatest Excessive Curiosity Charge On-line Financial savings Accounts.

Sure, We Solely Paid $28.43 for Cell Telephone Service (for 2 telephones)

The women harvesting the greens they grew!

Our cellphone service line merchandise shouldn’t be a typ0 (though that definitely is). We actually and really solely paid $28.43 for each of our telephones (that’s $14.22 per individual for these of you into division). How is such trickery potential?!? We use an MVNO!

What’s an MVNO?

Glad you requested as a result of I used to be going to let you know anyway: It’s a cellphone service re-seller.

MVNOs are the TJ Maxx of the cellphone service world–the identical service, A LOT cheaper. In the event you’re not utilizing an MVNO, switching to at least one is a simple, slam-dunk, do-it-right-away manner to save cash each single month of each single 12 months ceaselessly and ever amen.

Listed here are a two MVNOs to contemplate:

For extra, I’ve a full chart of suppliers and their costs right here: How one can Save Cash on Your Cell Telephone Invoice with an MVNO: I Pay $12 a Month*

*the quantity we pay fluctuates each month as a result of it’s calibrated on what we use. Think about that! We solely pay for what we use! Will wonders ever stop. These MVNO hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks.

Expense Report FAQs

• Wish to know the way we handle the remainder of our cash? Try How We Handle Our Cash: Behind The Scenes of The Frugalwoods Household Accounts
• Don’t you’ve gotten a rental property? Sure! We personal a rental property (also called our first dwelling) in Cambridge, MA, which I talk about right here.
• Why do I share our bills? To provide you a way of how we spend our cash in a values-based method. Your spending will differ from ours and there’s no “one proper manner” to spend and no “good” funds.
• Are we probably the most frugal frugal folks on earth? Completely not! My hope is that by being clear about our spending, you may acquire insights into your individual spending and be impressed to take proactive management of your cash.
• Questioning the place to start out with managing your cash? Take my free, 31-day Uber Frugal Month Problem.
• In the event you’re all for different issues I really like, try Frugalwoods Recommends.
• Why don’t you purchase the whole lot regionally? We do our greatest to help our area people and purchase as a lot of our meals as potential instantly from our farmer neighbors. Our city doesn’t have any shops, so we depend on on-line ordering and large field shops for requirements. The closest shops are 45 minutes away and we go there just a few occasions a month to replenish on what we will’t get from our neighbors or on-line.

However Mrs. Frugalwoods, Don’t You Pay For X, Y, Or Even Z???

Questioning about widespread bills you don’t see listed beneath?

• We don’t have a mortgage as a result of we paid it off (particulars right here)
• We pay payments in full the month we obtain them. That’s why you gained’t see month-to-month funds for issues like automotive insurance coverage or property tax. These bills present up as the total annual (or bi-annual, and so on) quantity within the month we pay them
• Right here’s what we do for medical insurance.
• We don’t have any money owed and we paid money for our vehicles.
• Right here’s how we make charitable contributions: How We Donate To Charities Like Billionaires and in addition How We Make Significant And Tax Environment friendly Charitable Donations.
• Right here’s an outline of how we save for our children’ increased schooling: How We Use 529 Plans To Save For School
• We stay on 66 acres in rural Vermont, so our utilities and family bills are totally different from conventional city and suburban houses:
  • We don’t pay for water, sewer, trash, or heating/cooling as a result of now we have a effectively, a septic system, our city doesn’t present trash pick-up (we take it to a switch station as soon as every week in luggage we buy from our city), we warmth our dwelling with wooden we harvest ourselves from our land, and we don’t have central air con (we use window models through the hottest components of the summer time).
  • There are, after all, prices related to sustaining these programs (similar to having our septic system pumped and inspected) and people bills present up within the months we pay them.
  • We’ve photo voltaic panels, which account for our low electrical energy invoice.
  • For extra on our rural way of life, try my collection This Month On The Homestead in addition to Metropolis vs. Nation: Which Is Cheaper? The Final Value Of Residing Showdown

In the event you’re questioning about anything, be happy to ask within the feedback part!

Alright you frugal cash voyeurs, feast your eyes on each greenback we spent in August:

How was your August?