March Money Review

End of March, end of the first quarter of 2019. Where do we stand?

In March, we spent $163.98 on groceries (food items) and another $13.38 on household items. That brought the monthly total to $177.36, just nudging over the $175.00 monthly mark I am aiming for in 2019. Okay, I confess: some of that "extra" expense was buying a large salmon filet, marked down, at Aldi. With the discount, the salmon came to a little over $13.00. So if I hadn't bought the salmon, our monthly totals would have sailed in under $175.00.

It was totally worth it. Chopped into thirds and frozen, that salmon will bring a huge smile to my face somewhere later in the year. More than once, in fact!

Our eating out expenses were $98.34, darn close to $100.00. We had several meals out, including after last Sunday's concert, when we were both so tired we could barely function. Warren, of course, had put in 15-hour days leading up and including the day of the concert, in which he also played. With the exception of the opening fanfare (each concert this season opens with a different 40 second fanfare commissioned by the Symphony for its 40th anniversary), the remainder of the concert was Verdi's Requiem, which is stunning, moving, massive in length, and takes a lot of timpani playing. So we ate out after we came home and changed enough to get comfortable (Warren was not heading out in his tux). And, in the spirit of transparency, about $18.00 of that is attributable to my having coffee "out" with friends.

I look at the eating out figure and have conflicting feelings. On the one hand, I don't like dropping money on eating out, period. It's not where I want to spend my/our dollars. On the other hand, well, maybe there is no other hand. No, that's not true. One meal was breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall diner in a nearby community and there was the satisfaction on knowing those dollars were going right back into the local community. In fact, when I look at where we spent our money eating out, all but one expenditure—a $2.00 McDonald's milkshake Warren bought following dress rehearsal (and a 15 hour day)—were made at a locally owned small business. While I have no delusions about keeping the local economy going with our $96.00 heavy spending, I also know that every bit helps.

I also speculate the eating out figure may stay higher this year than I want, not because we are profligate, but because there are going to be times due to Warren's schedule and my health when grabbing something to go is going to top making something. I don't know. I know that I am starting to struggle, and I don't use that word lightly, with energy and capacity. We'll see.

For now, though, we have the first quarter behind us, and spring is coming. My dad and I have talked gardening; I'll grow tomatoes if he grows zucchini (our garden isn't so large that I want to give up space for zucchini). We are just now finishing off all the zucchini I sliced and froze in 2018, so I am excited to restock the freezer this summer. I scored four free (FREE) long planters in excellent condition in which I am hoping to grow lettuces this year so, at least during the summer, we will eat salad for pennies.

I can almost taste that first tomato.