Time for. a quick update! This is going to turn into an on-going list for the month so be prepared for a long post by the time April 30th rolls around.
Identify need-to-buy purchases
- My daughter’s prom tickets, dress, and up-do— My daughter decided to use a dress she bought for a previous dance, plus shoes she had. She’s also going to do her own nails and hair.
- Take my husband out to dinner for his birthday – We went to our favorite restaurant and paid $150 for a dinner for 2, including a nice tip for the lovely waitress.
- Buy my youngest son a birthday gift – this is already in our budget.
Shop better prices for pending purchases
- Windshield Wiper Fluid – We’ve noticed that windshield wiper fluid runs about $6 to $7 per bottle. On Amazon, we found concentrated tablets that can be added to distilled water. I have a few empty milk jugs to mix the wiper fluid. The cost was 100 pieces for $11.52. In the winter, we can add de-icer or menthol to the mix to prevent freezing of the fluid. Plus I have a car budget to pay for this.
- Wiper nozzle for Honda Pilot – On a recent trip to Pennsylvania, one of the wiper nozzles failed on my car. My husband macgyvered a workaround until we could get home and look at the problem. Since the system needs to be functioning to pass inspection, my husband ordered a $6.85 nozzle kit to fix the issue. Thanks to working with a friend on their cars, he’s feeling more comfortable handling these types of issues on our cars. Plus I have a car budget to pay for this.
- Fish fertilizer and pressure sprayer for garden – I used up my current bottle of fish fertilizer this weekend. I found a big bottle for half the price per ounce for my small bottle on Amazon. I have a gallon milk jug and a hose attachment I use for applying the fertilizer. Both are a bit annoying. We decided to invest in a 2-gallon portable sprayer like the one I use for deer spray, also found on Amazon. $29.97 for 32 ounces of fertilizer which should last all season and $25.10 for the new sprayer. They’re coming on Friday which gives me an extra 1% back on my Amazon credit card. Plus, I have a gardening budget to pay for these items.
- Heartgard/Nexgard for my English lab – I’ve been having some difficulties with getting my dog’s monthly medications through an online pharmacy. I went back to our vet which had a competitive price and bought a 6-month supply, saving more on the cost. And, I have a pet budget to pay for this.
Eliminate wants
- Use rewards points for free Starbucks drink – technically, I haven’t eliminated the want, however, I used my points for a free drink. I also chose the Tall size instead of the Grande.
- Cancel Kindle Unlimited membership – when I clicked cancel for my membership, I was offered a free month of Kindle Unlimited. My next payment would be May 11th.
- No more doggy daycare – My English lab has been getting himself into trouble. To buy myself some time during a busy period last month, I took him to doggy daycare. We did 2 more days this past week, and that’s it for the month. I’ll walk Winston every morning, hopefully with my husband who wants to walk, and then fit in shorter walks throughout the day. We also have a nearby trail to hit once a week.
Research Needs for May
- 2 tires for my car – Unfortunately I had to buy new tires today (4.7.25). Over the weekend, I ran over a bolt with my front passenger tire. I took the car to a local shop for a tire repair. This was the second repair on the tire, and it was one of the tires needing to be replaced for inspection. I bought 2 new tires and had my car aligned. The 2 old tires had not worn evenly due to alignment issues. I made a notation to align my car in a year or 10,000 miles. Alignment costs about $90; the Michelin Defender 2 tires cost about $227. I’d rather pay for the alignment than the tires! I also have a car budget to pay for these items.
2 dogs and a house 
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