Monday, March 18, 2024

This Week on the Dining Table....the March 18th Edition

The "Using Up Leftovers" Edition.....



So I had leftover asparagus and most of a carton of baby bella mushrooms to use up last week.  Hubs got some Arborio rice at Walmart(paid full price!)so I made Risotto on Sunday.  Not a big ricer eater but I did have a bowl of this for a leftover lunch last week.  I loves me some mushrooms!

This is day 281 of the new "way of eating".  Down 59 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 67 lbs.).  
Kicking the weight loss up again with intermittent fasting this week,

Onward to the meal planning!
This is what was planned for last week...........
1. Sunday--Mushroom/Asparagus Risotto
2. Monday--TV Dinners
3. Tuesday--Grilled Trout, Roasted Potatoes, leftover Roasted Veggies
4  Wednesday--Teriyaki Pork Loin, Green Beans
5. Thursday--Leftovers FFY
6.  Friday--Leftover Pork and Green Beans
7. Saturday--Liver, Onions, Taters, Beets

And here's what actually happened......
1. Sunday--Mushroom/Asparagus Risotto
2. Monday--TV Dinners(Mine was some Chicken, Cranberry, Apple, G Beans and Orzo thing)
3. Tuesday--Grilled Trout, Roasted Potatoes, leftover Roasted Veggies
4  Wednesday--Teriyaki Pork Loin, Green Beans
5. Thursday--1/2 Subway sub
6.  Friday--1/2 Subway sub
7. Saturday--Pizza, leftover Green Beans

What got taken out of the freezer last week...
*  2 Trout Fillets
*  Small Pork Loin
*  2 TV Dinners
*  1 Frozen Pizza

What got put into the freezer last week....
*  5 bags of frozen veggies
*  2 frozen pizzas
*  1 hunk of salmon

Last week we spent $218.94 on grocery shopping for March.  

Total shopping comes to $564.70 for March.   
There are 13 shopping days left in March.

Rebate monies earned this month so far.....
I've earned $188.04 on Ibotta in March.
I've earned $43.00 on Shopmium in March.
I've earned $10.00 on Alexa app in March.
I've earned $30.50 on Kroger Cash Back in March.
I've earned $28.32 on TaDa in March.
I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in March.
I've earned $5.00 on Aisle.
I've earned 25,430 points on Fetch from food shopping in March.
I've earned 4,572 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in March.
I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in March.

That is $259.36 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Fetch/Alexa)on $564.70 of grocery spending so in reality it's $305.34 in food spending after the 4 rebate apps I count(the ones that give me cash back, not the ones that I turn the points into gift cards, or Alexa that gives me Amazon credit, and I count when those points are cashed in).  Some of what I spent was for Food Bank donations(I'll start not counting those items in our personal grocery spending going forward.)

My savings percentage for the last week was 39.75% and the monthly savings total for March comes in at 38.32% spent so far. 

Leftovers going into this week....a big container of Broccoli/Cheddar Soup, Small piece of Pork Tenderloin, Green Beans, Sweet Corn Grits Casserole, Hubs homemade Venison chili.

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Braised Corned Beef, Colcannon, Cheesecake Factory Rolls
2. Monday--Liver, Onions, Gravy, leftover Colcannon
3. Tuesday--Rueben Sandwiches
4. Wednesday--Teriyaki Stir-Fry w/leftover Pork Loin, Rice(for Hubs)
5. Thursday--Cheeseburgers(bun optional), leftover Veggies or Sweet Potato
6. Friday--Salmon, assorted leftovers
7. Saturday--?

I tried to replicate a local chain-Southern Classic Chicken's Sweet Corn Grits recipe last week.  It wasn't the same but we'll need to finish it this week so if Hubs doesn't eat it for/with lunches it will make an appearance(or two)at a dinner.  There will be Corned Beef, Colcannon and Stir-Fry Veggies leftover so these will be incorporated into various meals.  I'm figuring Hubs will knock off the leftover soup but if not, it will become part of Saturday's dinner.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  
Not much going on here this week at the grocery stores.  I had to go back to Kroger because 3 of my items(multiples of them)didn't ring up the sale price that was on the shelf tags and one though it was tagged that there was a digital store Q, it didn't apply. Add in that I never got my $15 in KCB for those keychain flashlights I bought March 1st.  I had two separate "chats" with agents and instead of KCB going into my account they said I got "store credit" but where they said I could see it on my account via website it's not there.  So when I went to get refunds on those items that I was overcharged on, on Sunday, I tired to buy a markdown pack of Ground Beef and use this "store credit" and the cashier couldn't find it.  I'll try calling one more time about this and if I get someone I can't understand and/or they tell me the same shit, those keychain flashlights are going back to the store. sigh  I am just tired of whatever not working.  

Sluggy    

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Erin Go Bragh!

 I've got Gaelic ancestry on both my family branches, more on the paternal side which is 75% Irish and 25% English.  One of my immigrant ancestors, a 3rd Great Grandfathers came over in 1852(thank you Great Potato Famines!-there were two not one)from Derry to New York state.  His wife's father(my 4 x Great Grand(from Derry to NYS as well) and his 2nd wife arrived in 1837(this is the one who moved West  repeatedly and ended up in Montana.

I have 2x Great Grandparents from Limerick, Maurice(pronounced Morris)O'Brien and Mary Ellen Roche who immigrated in 1880.  These are ancestors on my paternal grandfather's wife's side.

On my Grandfather's first wife's side, my Great Grandparents, Dennis Timothy McCarthy and Mary Kelleher arrived 1880 and 1904 respectively from County Cork making my paternal Grandmother a first generation American born.  Throw in some Healeys, Careys and Desmonds on that branch too going back to "the Old Country".

On my maternal side it's more of a mixture of English, French Huguenot, Scottish, Welch, but there is a smattering of Irish too.   I have a Moses O'Drisceoil, born 1689 in Ireland(place unknown)who immigrated to America before 1730.  His son, Daniel, was born in Virginia that year and dropped the "O'" from his surname  and Anglicized the name to Driskill at some point and he is one of my Patriot Ancestors who supplied troops in the Revolutionary War.  So yes, I come from a long line of troublemakers. ;-)


O'Sluggy

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Cajun Louisiana Video

 I enjoy these videos by Peter Santenello where he goes to places many people have never been and talks to folks in those communities. 

This video he is in Cajun Country in Louisiana.
Enjoy!


Sluggy

Friday, March 15, 2024

Frugal Friday....the March 15th Edition

There are very few Frugal wins this past week but here goes....

*  I successfully used up odds and ends and incorporated them into new meals and no food got thrown out. 8-)

*  I did some Ibotta rebating this past week and ended up spending $6.56 total after all the Qs/Rebates/Points.  Some of what I got that we don't/can't use will be donated.

*  We used a Subway coupon for 3 subs for $17.99 on the last day it was valid. $6 each for a sub(like in the pre-Covid days)and we used a partial gift card up.  Hubs got what he wanted, I got what I wanted and we agreed on the third sub because we would split it.  Lunch for me was half a tuna sub and dinner was half a chicken sub.  I've still got the other half of the chicken sub so that will be lunch or dinner today. Hubs is on his own since he ate his whole 12" sub for lunch yesterday. lolz

*  I got my eyeball zapped last Friday at the creepy eye doc's office.  My supplement plan paid the 20% Medicare didn't pay so no OOP for that.



*  I found money!


The March 9th Walmart trip I found 3 pennies in various spots in the store.


And on the March 12th trip I found a dime in the self-checkout coin return and then another penny by the drink cooler while leaving the self-checkout area.

Total Found in last Week.... .14¢

Grand Total Found this Year.......$2.03

That's all I got.  

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy    

Thursday, March 14, 2024

A Couple of Trips to Walmart & Possibly Free Energy Drinks

I bought some things at Walmart last weekend....

 


1 x Knorr rice cup $1.98
1 x Dove body wash $9.97
1 x Airwick 2 refills $6.98
1 x 24 ct. wet dog food $27.96
1 x Purina canned dog food $2.38
1 x Dove new deodorant $11.98
1 x Snuggle dryer sheets 70 ct. $3.74
1 x Children's Claritin liquid $12.26
Total.......$77.25

I earned back--

$28.85 Ibotta
$16.00 Shopmium
$6.00  Tada
Which was $50.85 off making this lot $26.40

Then I got 1,625 pts.($6.50)Shop Kick and $7.00 worth of points from Fetch(the dog food).
The 24 pack of dog food is for when we take the dogs to be boarded for our cruise.

Grand Total after all the points are cashed in is $12.90.

Then I went back on Tuesday for this stuff, even though I never received a Midweek Bonus on my account......


1 x 12 ct. wet dog food $16.96
1 x Pronamel mouth wash $6.98
2 x Axe deodorant(new scents)$11.94
1 x Cover Girl eyebrow pencils $4.47
1 x Febreeze trial size spray $1.97
1 x Johnson's trial size baby lotion $2.16
Total....$44.48

I earned back--

$16.30  Ibotta
$15.00  Shopmium
$4.00   Tada
Which comes to $35.30 making this lot $9.18

Then I got 2,155 pts.($8.62)Shop Kick and $7.00 worth of points from Fetch(the dog food).

Grand Total after all the points are cashed in comes to a $6.44 moneymaker.

So combined these two trips will end up costing me $6.56 for everything pictured.

While the dog food kept both of these trips from being better than free it's something we need to buy.  Hubs wanted the mouth wash and I wanted the small lotion for the cruise.  The Air Wick scent is gardenia and I dearly love the smell of gardenias(plus it was better than free so why not?) 8-))

There is an offer on Aisle for $5 back when you buy 2 Rock Star drinks.  Depending on where you find these drinks(if they are $2.50 each or less)it might be a moneymaker.  I'll be looking for Zero Sugar ones when I go out on Friday.  Here's the link with my referral code......

https://rockstar.gotoaisle.com/?referralCode=kq98hepHXk

That's all I got for today. 8-)

Sluggy