2016 Food & Toiletries Spending......September Update

* I've closed out the September books a day early as I am done shopping.  Anything bought in the next day will come out of October's funds. *

Onward to September's food spending report.......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for SEPTEMBER 2016.

I have posted September's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2016 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.  I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in September.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 5(4 at home this month). No kids under 20.

******************

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $3.00
Value  $9.77
Savings   69.29%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $15.65
Value  $42.36
Savings  63.05%

FARM STANDS
OOP  $23.25
Value  $52.86
Savings  56.02%

MALACARI'S PRODUCE
OOP  $5.55
Value  $12.55
Savings  55.78%

PANERA
OOP  $6.99
Value  $9.99
Savings  30.03%

RITE-AID
OOP  $2.99
Qs/Ads  $350.42
Value  $353.41
Savings  99.15%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $93.30
Qs/Ads $54.12
Value  $147.42
Savings  36.71%

TARGET
OOP  $6.70
Qs/Ads/Gift Cards  $86.23
Value  $92.93
Savings  92.79%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $564.08

Qs/Ads  $658.74

Value  $1222.82

Savings  53.87%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 99.15%, Target at 92.79% and the Bakery Outlet at 69.29%.  My WORST savings rate was Panera at 30.03%(for the bagels I bought there).  For all but 2 stores shopped at, the savings rate was at least 53.87%.
I shopped at 9 different stores this past month.

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$721.51

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1222.60

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1944.11

TOTAL Savings of...................................62.89%


This closes out the September food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into September wanting to do a $400(then changed to a $500)food budget for the month.
Things went waaaay off budget this month!  $221.51 over my revised higher budget.
What can I say?  Lots of awesome deals on items we use/need(cheese, pantry staples, facial tissue, etc.) and meat discounts so I loaded up.
My spending total also included supplies for making/canning my pepper relish so I'd be at about $700 without those costs.  Still high though.

It is looking like I won't need to shop much in October.  My budget may get a well deserved rest in the coming month.  ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went up by 14.84% in September to 62.89% compared to August's 48.05% savings average.
That's a big difference!  It seems that when I spend more on my budget I save a much higher percentage comparatively.  Crazy.

With 9 months accounted for, I have spent a total of $3658.00 on food/toiletries so far in 2016 which averages out to $406.45 per month spent.  This is $51.89 higher per month than the average in August was.  Yikes.  But then again I spent A LOT more in September.  At least the savings percentage rate was better meaning I paid less for what I did buy in September compared to August.


LOOKING AHEAD To October 2016.........

Other than chicken I am well stocked on every item I possibly could be stocked on(not counting fresh milk and produce and bread).
Maybe I will take a break from the grocery stores in October except for necessities.
That would be different, right?  8-)

If I am not planning on stocking up(and will try to avoid any Deals I find)I could try for a $300 budget on food in October.  Hey! Stop laughing out there.  It could happen......

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in September?
*  Do you track your yearly food spending?
*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?
*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

*Well I am 3 days late this week posting my Menu.  I still wanted to get it up anyway.*

It's the "Quick Weekend Reunion Trip" Edition.......

It was nice weather this year for the Reunion.  I was so relaxed that I didn't even take any photos while we were there, except for this one of a floral arrangement to commemorate my 1st cousin 1 x removed, Hilda, who died earlier this year.
I was able to connect with 2 of Hilda's daughters at the reunion this year as well as talk with another 1st cousin 1 x removed at length.
Between the heat that day and yakking I forgot all about my camera until late in the day.
Oh well.

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Beef Bourguinon, Mashed Potatoes

2. Monday--Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy, Asparagus

3. Tuesday--Paprika Chicken with Peppers and Onions, Noodles

4. Wednesday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Fried Green Tomatoes

5. Thursday--Leftovers

6. Friday--Crab cakes, Cole Slaw, Fries, Summer Squash

7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Beef Bourguinon, Mashed Potatoes

2. Monday--Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy, Asparagus

3. Tuesday--Paprika Chicken with Peppers and Onions, Garlic Noodles

4. Wednesday--Leftovers(I had manicotti and salad)

5. Thursday--Leftovers(I had Beef Bourguinon)

6. Friday--Pizza(from Papa John's)

7. Saturday--Golden Skillet Chicken Sammich(Out of Town)

5 meals cooked at home, 2 of them nights of leftovers, 2 nights Eating Out(we were away) and 0 night of Take-Out.
We had so many leftovers still that after Tuesday I stopped cooking and we ate leftovers exclusively until we went out of town.   Crab cake meal gets moved again and though it's on this coming week's menu, it may or may not happen this week too.

As for the grocery spending.....3 trips to Weis(1 just for carrots)and 1 trip to the Shursave grocery store brought my weekly spending to $113.02 and my September food spending total to $617.52 with 4 days to go in the month.
I just don't want to think about this month's food spending anymore. 8-(


Leftovers going into this week........beef bourguinon, 1 chicken thigh w/peppers, 1/2 turkey breast, stuffing.

Here is this week's "food plan".

1. Sunday--Leftovers
2. Monday--Subway sandwiches Take-Out
3. Tuesday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Sauted Squash
4. Wednesday--Meatloaf, Noodles, Fried Green Tomatoes
5. Thursday--Kielbasa, Halushki
6. Friday--Crab Cakes, Fries, Cole Slaw, Broccoli
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 4 new meals cooked and 1 nights of Take-Out and 2 nights of Leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu?  Cabbage maybe. Don't need much besides milk but that won't keep me from adding to the stockpile this week.

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 great deals on food at your stores this week?


Sluggy

Rite-Aid Porn

Rite-Aid had a Spend $30, Get $10 in Plenti Points Deal this week plus a couple of other "freebies" after sales/coupons/rebates so I had to go, right?

Here is what I got on my card........

4 x Oral-B toothbrushes on sale $3 each=$12.00

I used 2 x $2/2 Oral-B products IPQs=$4.00

$12-$4=$8.00 OOP
I used $8 in Plenti Points to pay and received back $8 in new Plenti Points(2 x $4 wyb2 toothbrushes).
There is a limit of 2 of this Deal each card.
Free toothbrushes! 8-))

Then I got all this on my son's card.........

First the $30/$10 Deal items(Limit of 1 of this Deal per card)--
5 x Pantene(4 poos/1 conditioner)$3.99 each w/20% Wellness discount(better than sale price)=$19.95
4 x Cover Girl Eye Shadow BOGO50%=$10.16
Then the rest of it--
1 x L'Oreal Shampoo on sale=$3.99
2 x Suave Gold Shampoo on sale=$6.00
2 x Tresemme Shampoo on sale=$8.00
2 x Right Guard Xtreme Deodorant on sale=$7.00
4 x Oral-B Toothbrushes on sale=$12.00
SubTotal.........$67.10

Coupons Used
1 x $2 off $20 R-A Purchase Catalina Q=$2.00
1 x $5/3 Pantene ManuQ=$5.00
1 x $4/2 Pantene ManuQ=$4.00
4 x $3/1 Cover Girl item IPQ=$12.00
1 x $2/1 L'Oreal hair product IPQ=$2.00
1 x $3/2 Suave Gold items ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $5/2 Tresemme 'Poo/Conditioner ManuQ=$5.00
1 x BOGO Right Guard Xtreme item(up to $3.47)IPQ=$3.47
2 x $2/2 Oral-B Toothbrushes IPQ=$4.00
Coupon Total.......$40.47

$67.10-40.47=$26.63 + $1.14 tax=$27.77 OOP which I used Plenti Points to pay.
I earned back $21 in new Plenti Points(2 x $4 Oral-B, $1 L'Oreal, $2 Suave, $10 P&G Deal).
$27.77-$21=$6.77 of my PPs were used or "spent down".

I also earned $9 in SavingStar cash rebates(2 x $2 Right Guard Deo, $3 wyb2 Tresemme, $2 wyb2 Suave Gold)and $6 in Checkout51 cash rebates($1 Pantene 'Poo, $1 Pantene Cond, 4 x $1 Cover Girl face products).

$6.77-$15.00 cash back=an $8.23 "Moneymaker"!

8-)))))))

P&G Deal I spent $30.11, used $21 in Qs making it $9.11 spent, then I got $10 in new PPs AND $6 in cash rebates so "got paid" $6.89 to take this stuff home.

Suave was $6, $3 spent after Q, then $2 in new PPs AND $2 in cash rebates making this a $1 moneymaker.

The Tresemme was $8, used a $5/2 Q making it $3 OOP in PPs.  Though no PPs were earned on this purchase I did get $3 in cash rebates back making these 2 items straight up free.

Toothbrushes were also straight up free after Qs and new PPs earned.

While the L'Oreal Shampoo was NOT free($3.99-$2Q=$1.99, earned $1 in PPs), it was only .99¢ when all was said and done.  If I had not bought it this transaction would have been an even bigger moneymaker of $7.88.  ;-)

While there were no points to earn on the Right Guard I still got paid to buy it.....paid $7, used Q that gave me back $3.47 of that $7 spent, then got $4 in cash rebates so "got paid" .47¢ to take it home.

These deals are available until Saturday night at Rite-Aid.
If you need to know where a coupon is found or have a question just leave a comment.

Sluggy

Awesome Grocery Trip

I hit Weis(PMITA)Markets on Monday.

Used bunches of coupons and stocked up on a few items we use a lot of.
I made a video about this trip......



 I misspoke on the video-the Old El Paso shells were on sale for $1.50 each(not $2 each)and the Refried Beans for $1.27.  After Q($1) and Savingstar Rebate($1)I paid $2.27 for all 3 of those products.

Plus I used a $5 off your purchase Catalina I earned last week which helped my savings rate a bit.

After SavingStar rebates my savings rate becomes 71.20%.
Woohoo!

Now I'm off to work on my Meal Plan for the week as it is waaaay late!

Sluggy

God's Country

Here's the scenery where I am at the moment.............

A few of you will know what these plants are but most I am thinking won't.

Back later with a post tomorrow.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend no matter where you are spending it.

Sluggy

Gary Makes the MainStream Media

If you missed it last Sunday, 3rd party Candidate Gary Johnson and VP running mate Bill Weld were interviewed on CBS's 60 Minutes Show.

Since they are the only 3rd party candidates on all 50 state ballots come November, if you are fed up with the two substandard Dem and Rep candidates you might want to take a look at this alternative choice.
Both Johnson and Weld were 2 term Governors(Johnson in NM, Weld in MA).  I think it makes sense to elect leaders who have actually run something well(besides campaigns and foundations that funnel money into campaign war chests).

LIBERTARIAN INTERVIEW HERE

It would be refreshing to have a POTUS who tells the truth and a ticket that wants to unite us and get something done for a change.

The two party system has run it's course.  It's time for a change if our country is going to survive, grow stronger and heal.

Not to sound like a commercial here but just trying to get the message out that there are FOUR candidates running, not two.  More choice equal better results and all.


I would suggest every voter, who wants to be well informed go to this site.....

On The Issues

On the Issues gives you all 4 presidential candidates's stances on the major issues plus the stances of their VP running mates.
Instead of making up your mind by listening to the media(which doesn't talk about the ISSUES but focuses on the sensational)find out which candidates align with your principles.

And make sure you are registered in time to vote.  Contact your local governement and get 'er done!


Sluggy

Garden Update.....It's Almost Done for the Year

We picked the third(and last)acorn squash last week.  Not a bad harvest for a plant I didn't buy or plant. 8-)))

Two more tomatoes were picked and eaten this week, weighing in at a combined 10.4 ounces.

One of those maters had quite the profile......

My Jimmy Durante tomato..........lolz

This brings our harvest total to 39.775 lbs for 2016 for my haphazard efforts this year.
That's from 1 squash plant, 2 zucchini plants and 12 tomato plants.

And there are still tomatoes waiting to be picked and used or processed.


Sluggy

A Few Deals Lately At the Local Stores

Here are a few deals I did last week..... My town's Shursave affiliate grocery store doesn't accept internet printed coupons(they are still in the dark ages it seems)however the Shursave in the next town over accepts manu Q printed as well as internet printed Qs. Since I was heading over near that store last week I picked these up.....

 

Campbell's tomato soup was on sale for .88¢ a can there.
I printed off 2 x $1.20/4 Campbell's soup products IPQs.

Bought 8 cans, using 2 x $1.20/4 IPQs making my .88¢ a can soup now .58¢ a can.
Regular price depending on which store you shop at here ranges from $1.19 to $1.49.
At .38¢ a can I can't match that price with store brands of tomato soup even when it's on sale!

This is an item I like to keep on hand for cooking and for "grilled cheese and tomato soup" Season.  ;-)


Then Weis(PMITA)Markets had Angel Soft TP on sale for $5.47 for 16 roll packs.....

I picked up 2 packages last week and 2 more yesterday.
There are $1/1 IPQs on Couponsdotcom.  These Angel Soft Qs have been resetting every month and the expiration date is 12/31/16 so I have a stack of those Qs tucked away already this year.
Then Weis set me a booklet of Weis Qs and there was a $1/1 Angel Soft Q in that which I can stack with an IPQ/ManuQ.

When I bought the first 2 packs at the Weis in the next town over the transaction was this.....
2 x $5.47=$10.94-$2(2 x $1/1 IPQs)=$8.94-$1(the Weis Q)=$7.94.

I found an Angel Soft Weis Booklet Q sitting on the shelf at the Weis in the next town over when I went to pick-up 2 packs there so now I had a second Angel Soft Weis Booklet Q to use when I bought the second 2 packs yesterday!

So all 4 packs looks like this.......4 x $5.47=$21.88-4 x $1/1 IPQs=$17.88-2 x $1/1 WeisQs=$15.88 for 64 rolls of tp.

But add in that there is a $4 when you spend $20 on Angel Soft Rebate on SavingStar so now my OOP is $11.88 for all.

Another Weis Deal I did this week.....

If you purchase 2 packages of select Chi-Chi brand items this week you get an instant $5 off of a Ground Beef purchase.
While Weis doesn't have any really low prices on Ground Beef this week I did find some marked $3.99 lb. that were close to $5 in price.
We are always needing flour tortillas for something around here and I like the bigger ones(the ones Dollar Tree has for $1 a pack are smaller and don't work for us as well but I buy them in a pinch).
These tortillas on sale for $2 a pack were cheaper than the store brand regular price so I bought 2 packs for $4.  The ground beef was $5.43 and I had a .50¢/1 lb. of ground beef pack Weis Q(that they had mailed to me), so with the instant $5 discount on the meat + the .50¢ off Q the 3 items were $3.93 OOP.  The deal would have been a mite better had there been valid Chi-Chi Qs available as well.

The sausage on the left in the photo was an instant Meat Discount Sticker find over in the meat department- 1 lb. of Andouille Sausage reg. priced at $6 with a $3 off sticker so half price.

So I paid after sales/coupons/rebates $21.85 on $66.57 of regular retail worth of food/paper goods which is a 66% savings rate.
I just wish I could acquire all my groceries at a savings rate of 66%.    8-)

Also picked up last week--reduced ground turkey for $1.88 lb. pack and roaster chickens for .78¢ lb.
My freezer is jammed full right now because of all the great meat deals lately.  Not a bad problem to have, right?

I just peeked at the new Weis ad and they are going to be selling Kraft shredded cheese bags for $2.50, which is not such a hot deal in my book(I like to get my cheese for $2 or less per 8 oz).  But there are $2/2 Kraft IPQs on Couponsdotcom now which will bring the price down to $1.50 a bag which is worth buying at that price point so if I am find room in the fridge some cheese may be coming home with me sometime after Thursday when the sale ad changes. lolz


Have you found any great deals of food lately?

Sluggy

More Rite-Aid? Yes Please!

So this "Rake in the Savings" Promo is limit of 2 Deals per week per card.
I had more Advil Qs so I went back to do the Deal again last week, plus I added in the Spend $15 Get $3 in Plenti Points on Burt's Bees items.  There were $2/1 In-Ad Qs for any Burt's Bees face/lip product making the tubes of lip balm $.87 after 20% Wellness discount off a reg. retail price and $2 Q....sweet!

I got all this in two separate transactions........

2 x Herbal Essences Shampoo on sale $3 ea.=$6.00
1 x Great Grains cereal on sale=$1.99
1 x Centrum Vitamints on sale=$6.99
4 x Advil BOGO50% sale=$20.36
6 x Burt's Bees lip balm 20% Wellness discount($2.87 ea.)=$17.22
SubTotal......$52.56
*I didn't need the cereal to reach $50 but what the heck, why not buy it if it's free and we can use it!lol

Coupons Used
1 x $3/2 Herbal Essence Load2CardQ=$3.00
1 x .75/1 Great Grains IPQ=.75¢
1 x $4/1 Centrum Vitamints IPQ=$4.00
4 x $3/1 Advil IPQ=$12.00
6 x $2/1 In-Ad Burt's Bees Q=$12.00
Coupon Total.....$31.75

*But a .75/1 Great Grains Load2CardQ also came off so the Coupon Total became $32.50

$52.56-$32.50=$20.06+.35¢tax=$20.41 OOP using my Plenti Points.
I earned $23 in new Plenti Points($20 Rake in the Savings, $3 Burt's Bees)so these items were a $2.59 moneymaker.

I love getting paid to shop. 8-)))

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Happy Doggie" Edition.......

 I had enough pancake batter Sunday morning for 1 more piece.  Everyone was full so instead of throwing out the batter(I don't save it because day old batter is crap)I made Daughter's dog(the granddog)a pancake complete with butter and lite syrup.

The pup "wolfed" it down. ;-)
Then I sent Daughter(who was at work)a photo of her pancake being eaten by her puppy.
Yes, I am evil like that.........

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Spaghetti w/Meatballs & Sausage, Salad or Zucchini Casserole Leftovers

2. Monday--Fajitas(using up Leftovers)

3. Tuesday--Mushroom and Onion Pork Roast with Carrots, Au Gratin Potatoes(leftover)

4. Wednesday--Crab Cakes, Fries, Cole Slaw, Broccoli

5. Thursday--Tacos

6. Friday--Homemade Pizza or Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Spaghetti w/Meatballs & Sausage, Salad or Zucchini Casserole Leftovers

2. Monday--Various Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Mushroom and Onion Pork Roast with Carrots, Au Gratin Potatoes(leftover)

4. Wednesday--Taco Salads and/or Tacos

5. Thursday--Fried Flounder, French Fries, Cole Slaw, Broccoli

6. Friday--homemade Pizza(1 pepperoni, 1 veggies)

7. Saturday--Leftovers(I had a big Greek Salad)

7 meals cooked at home, 2 of them nights of leftovers and 0 night of Take-Out.

We felt like fish instead of crab so the crustacean meal moves to this week.

As for the grocery spending.....3 trips to Weis and 2 trips to the Shursave grocery store brought my weekly spending to $143.70 and my September food spending total to $504.50 with 11 days to go in the month.

Yes I am waaaaay over this month but the meat deals have been incredible in September.  The goal now is to stay under $600.  Man, I hate the sound of that.  Either way I can afford to spend what I spend and am not putting any purchases on credit cards I can't pay off each month so it's all good. 8-)

Leftovers going into this week........manicotti, pork roast and veggies, spaghetti w/meatballs and sausage, taco filling, cole slaw, broccoli, pizza.  Unfortunately it's just a bite or 1 serving of each of these so it won't go far as a meal.

Here is this week's "food plan".

1. Sunday--Beef Bourguinon, Mashed Potatoes
2. Monday--Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy, Asparagus
3. Tuesday--Paprika Chicken with Peppers and Onions, Noodles
4. Wednesday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Fried Green Tomatoes
5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Crab cakes, Cole Slaw, Fries, Summer Squash
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 7 new meals cooked and 0 nights of Take-Out and 2 nights of Leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu? Not a thing.

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 great deals on food at your stores this week?


Sluggy

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like A Lot of Relish.....

Last Friday I decided that it was time for Pepper Relish Making Weekend.

So on Friday I drove out to the Farm Stand at Berger's Farm to see if the Red Bell Peppers were harvested yet.
The prices this year were way higher than usual at the farm, probably due to the lack of rain we've experienced here in the second half of Summer.  The late Summer crops have been lackluster at best.

They weren't selling the 'colored' peppers in bulk like in previous years but at .75¢ per pepper.  Ouch.
Only the green peppers were being sold at cheaper bulk prices.  While some of the green peppers in that bin were partially turning red there weren't enough of those to entice me to buy those peppers in bulk.

They did have a basket of "seconds" however.  These were molted red/green peppers who were "long in the tooth" and/or misshapen.  Still flavorful but just wrinkled and if served in a dish wouldn't be aesthetically pleasing but if I was going to chop them up anyway for relish it really didn't matter.

That large basket of seconds was only $4 so I bought that along with 5 "pretty" peppers for $3.75 for all 5.  Add in a peck of onions for $8 and I spent $16.25 on produce at Berger's farm.(I also bought 2 jalapenos for .25¢ each but not for using in the relish.)

Driving home, about 2 miles down from the Farm Stand I saw a white water barrel with a pepper and an arrow pointing up a house's driveway along the road, so I turned in.  Back behind this old house was a field of crops and a "Pick Your Own" business.
They had many varieties of peppers(from bell to jalapeno to cubanelle to banana to some Italian type I can't remember what it's called), as well as eggplant.
So on the hottest day in some time in these parts, and wearing a dress and not-so appropriate footwear for this sort of thing, I ended up lugging a large produce sack out into the fields to pick my own peppers at .50¢ a lb!

I lasted about half an hour at this and ended up with 14 lbs. of peppers in lovely colors of deep red, to orange to pale yellow.

The 14 lbs. for $7 total is in the red bag, the onions are in the middle, the $4 in seconds to the onions right in the photo and the pretty red/orange peppers are on the right.  2 jalapenos in the front.

Total spent on peppers and onions for relish making was $22.75.

I had enough peppers and tomatoes in the garden once I picked those for a double batch of relish.
Go me.
Cost of green tomatoes?
Free.

I spent some time Friday evening after dinner prepping peppers(coring, deseeding and slicing).

On Saturday morning bright and early the earnest work began after I set up the food processor.

Back in the old days, before I had a processor I use to hand chop all the veggies for this relish.
It took forever to do a batch that way, most of an entire day just to chop it all for a regular batch.
A double batch would have taken at least 1.5 days alone.

Now I get the chopping done in a fraction of the time, but I also do hand chop a portion of the veggies still since it makes the relish look so much nicer in the jar.

Here is the big bucket the veggies all go into with salt to soak for an hour before draining.

The rest of the supplies-vinegar, sugar, celery and mustard seeds ready to boil down into the 'sauce'.....

I had to utilize both of my large 8 quart stockpots, I had so much relish cooking!

Then the canning pot had to set to boil as I washed out canning jars, lids and rings.

Got the jars all ready(thanks to Hubs), filled and ready to go into the canning pot.  I had to process in 4 batches I had so many jars because the canner only holds 7 jars at a time.

By the end of the evening I was wiped out, my hand was sore from all that knife work, and the kitchen was a wreck but I had 16 pints and 5 quarts of relish done(plus about another pint it the fridge of "the pot dregs" to use first).  I usually make small jars of relish(for gift giving)but I couldn't find many small jars.  I suppose I've been giving the last batch I made 2 years ago away as gifts so I don't get the jars back, thus no small jars left in my supply. 8-)

And I spent most of the next day, Sunday, with my feet up, doing nothing.  I am just too old and worn out anymore to do a marathon of relish making and canning alone.

Plus I have about 8 lbs. of peppers left that I didn't use in the fridge, waiting on me to slice up to put into the freezer to use in meals this Winter.

I find I don't enjoy this sort of work much anymore in my dotage.  Maybe if I had help I wouldn't mind it so much.
This may be the last batch I make so it will have to last a good long while.

Sluggy

Decluttering Porn.....Cleaning the Shed

Sorry for being MIA on Friday.  I was out running errands for over 4 hours.
Crazy!
I usually like to spread them out a bit more but the day was lovely and I figured I'd get them finished in one fell swoop.  Here is my Friday post a bit late--

We've gotten a lot done this month so far at Chez Sluggy.

Years ago we started with 3 major decluttering areas in our home--the garage, the basement and the shed.
The garage got tackled years ago(though it does need a redo every couple of years but the major chore was done long ago)and we took on the basement earlier this year.
The last major chore has been on my hit list for years now! and I finally guilted/nagged Hubs into getting on it......Cleaning Out the Shed!!!

Here is a shot of the disaster I call this shed after Hubs had removed quite a bit of already--a wheel barrow, 2 large garbage cans(that hold kindling and firewood), 2 camp chairs, a lawnmower and tarps, many MANY tarps, as well as a few metal poles that had various pool cleaning attachments strapped to them.

Now remember that earlier in the Summer, before Daughter and the BF came to live with us, I had entered this shed from hell and removed a few big items I could disentangle from the mass of garbage contained within--2 bikes, as well as a few bicycle helmets and other "destined for the trash" items.

So after a few hours of work on both our parts, here is the pile of garbage we removed......

 Lots and lots of large white pool chemical buckets(most were empty), those metal poles, a pool cover, various pool pump parts you can't really see in this shot, as well as a pile of old empty cardboard boxes in various stages of decay/rot.
The pool chemicals that were left were handed off to the next door neighbor who still has a pool.

Here is a shot of the first load of garbage ready to take to the street for pick-up on the next Tuesday when our garbage disposal company guys make their appearance.
We have since disposed of two more large loads on subsequent Tuesdays.


Shots of items that were Salvation Army worthy........

Sports balls, camping equipment(we hadn't been "real" camping since College Boy was 4), a tent, and a plastic bin.

Four baseball bats.  We counted 8 bike helmets(all different sizes)and 4 broken plastic snowboards too which went into the trash.

This awesome wooden red wagon was also uncovered in the very back.  It hasn't seen the light of day since we moved here 16 years ago,  I didn't even know we had that. lolz

Hubs went back in this morning to clean out the shelves on the left side of the shed.  He came out with two more items to donate to Sallie's.......

 A Coleman lantern...

And a self-contained camp stove kitchen kit.

And here is the somewhat emptied and majorly decluttered result.......

I am so happy to be able to check this off our list!

Sluggy

The Grocery Trifecta & a Rite-Aid UPDATE

Stacking discounts is a great way to pay way less than retail on groceries/HBA/paper goods.

First, wait to buy items when they go on sale, and optimally when they go to the lowest price in the stores 6 week pricing cycle.   Keep a price book to know what/when the lowest sale price of the cycle happens.

Secondly, find a coupons if there is one, and if there are virtual Qs(Savingstar Qs)and/or store Qs stack one of those with a "real" Q for double the coupon savings.

Thirdly, look for cash rebate offers on the item you bought and apply for those.

On the Bush's Bean Deal I did last week, I got the sale price(may not have been the lowest which would have been better), had 1 Q to use(more Qs would have been better if available)and applied for 2 cash rebates(one for buying $X worth of product and one for buying certain varieties x 2).

Sale price, coupons and rebates......that's the grocery trifecta.  8-)

Weis(PMITA)Markets puts out a Weis Coupon Book a few/couple times a year.
They just released this one.........

It has a mixed of Qs for Weis brands as well as National brands of items.  These Qs are all Weis Qs so they can be stacked with a Manufacturer's Q.  Add in the sale price over something going that week for regular retail and you have a Grocery Trifecta.

Case in point, I got almost free Snapple single serve bottles of tea for free.
These Snapple "Straight Up" teas are regularly $1.49 retail but currently selling for $1 each at Weis.

There is a $1/3 Snapple bottles Q in the Weis Q book.......

There are hangtag Qs available at some Weis stores.......

So I bought 4 bottles=$4.00
Used 2 hangtagQs(which automatically ring up $1.49 off each)=$2.98
And I paired this Q with a Weis QBook Q at $1/3 Snapple=$1.00

$4.00-$2.98=$1.02-$1.00=$.02 OOP for 4 bottles.

When I spy these Weis QBooks at the registers I snag as many as I can over the course of the few weeks they are available.  With all my trips recently I've got 10 Q Books so far.
The Qs don't expire until Jan 25th of 2017.

*UPDATE*
On those 2 Rite-Aid trips I did earlier this week, seems I had 2 $1 cash rebate offers on Saving Star for items I purchased-$1 off Centrum and $1 off Advil.
So I will get back $2 cash between them.

This new information makes my first transaction a $3.94 moneymaker and my second transaction costing me .15¢ OOP(well in Plenti points).
I just hate when deals turn out even more awesome-r than you thought they would.  ;-)

Sluggy

The Money Just Keeps Rolling In....As In *Eye Rolls*

Yes, I am being snarky in my title.

The mail last week brought in the usual crop of "junk".
You know, all those pieces of advertising trying to separate you from your money.

I usually open even the junk mail because one never knows, do one?

Anyway, I opened this odd duck......

A survey from the Veteran's Administration and a $1 bill tucked inside.
If I returned the questionnaire and someone from our household was picked to do their survey that person would receive $20 for sending that in.

Unfortunately nobody living here will get to do that survey as nobody here is at least 59 years old, but I got a free George Washington just for opening that junk mail. 8-)

Then a letter arrived from my DME(durable medical equipment) supplier......

It stated that during a review of my account that an over payment was discovered and they had cut me a check for that amount and enclosed said refund.

Here is the over payment I got back..........

Ok, a close-up on the amount.....

Really?!?
WTF?

Ok, I pay this company money EVERY MONTH.  Seems to me it would have been most cost effective to just credit my account so I'd owe .01¢ less next month?

They probably spent at least a five hundred times that amount just paying wages for someone to take care of this, and for postage, paper and ink and the electricity to run the equipment to do this job.
Add up all these over payments they refund over the course of each year and no wonder medical costs are through the roof!
Honestly, where is common sense?

So I am rolling in dough now......I'll try not to spend this $1.01 in one place. Hahaha

I also picked up a freebie(not counting all that Rite-Aid stuff I bought Monday)at Weis(PMITA)Markets.
Awhile back the Catalina machine at the register spit out a Q for a free Gatorade Fuel/Energy Bar and I finally hunted down where this item was in the store and redeemed it......

This will be going into the Xmas stash, specifically into the BF's stocking.  He can use the calories as he does a physically demanding job.

On a roll,

Sluggy

A Rare Rite-Aid Run...Updated 9/15/16

So I got my Qs together and hit Rite-Aid on Monday.........

3 x Crest mouthwash(CB's new obsession)on sale $4.99 ea=$14.97
2 x Garnier shampoo on sale $3.49 ea=$6.98
4 x Advil pain relievers BOGO50%=$20.36
1 x GE light bulbs on sale=$7.99
1 x RA shopping bag 20% wellness disc.=.80
Total.......$51.10

Coupons Used
3 x $2/1 Crest mouthwash 500ml or larger IPQ=$6.00
2 x $2/1 Garnier shampoo ManuQ=$4.00
4 x $3/1 Advil 40 ct. or larger IPQ=$12.00
1 x $2/1 GE light bulb IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 RA shopping bag In-AdQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$25.00

$51.10-$25.00=$26.10+ .45¢ tax=$26.55 OOP
This should have been my total but a $1.50 Load2Card came off as well so this made my OOP $25.05,  Plenti points were used to pay so nothing OOP.

I think the L2CQ was for the Crest mouthwash.  That would explain why none of the crest Qs I handed over came off and had to be put in manually.

All items except for the shopping bag were part of the "Rake in the Savings" Promo so I qualified for the $20.00 back in Plenti points on this purchase + the light bulb pack gave back $7.99 in Plenti points as well so I spent down $25.05 in PPs and earned back $27.99 in PPs making this a $2.94 moneymaker.

Then I went back and did another transaction on my other card, buying mostly different items(except for the light bulbs and the shopping bag)that still qualified for the "Rake in the Savings" Promo........

4 x Aussie hair products on sale $2.50=$10.00
4 x Herbal Essence shampoo on sale $3.00 ea=$12.00
1 x Finish dishwasher tabs on sale=$4.99
2 x Centrum Vitamints on sale $6.99=$13.98
1 x Post Great Grains cereal on sale=$1.99
1 x GE light bulbs on sale=$7.99
1 x RA shopping bag 20% wellness disc.=.80
Total.......$51.75

Coupons
2 x $2/2 Aussie hair products ManuQ=$4.00
2 x BOGO Herbal Essence ManuQ=$6.00
1 x $2/1 Finish dishwasher ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $4/1 Centrum Vitamints ManuQ=$8.00
1 x .75/1 Post Great Grains IPQ =.75¢
1 x $2/1 GE light bulbs IPQ=$2.00
1 x RA shopping bag In-Ad Q=$1.00
Coupon Total......$23.75

$51.75-$23.75=$28.00 + $1.14 tax=$29.14

I used $29.14 in Plenti Points and earned $27.99 new Plenti Points so not exactly free as I "lost" $1.15 due mostly to the tax.
But a pretty good day for someone who's very out of practice at playing the Drugstore Game.

*UPDATE*
I forgot about two Saving Star Offers I had--$1 back on Centrum Vitamins/Vitamints and $1 back on an Advil Purchase, so I got $2 off the OOP for these trips.

Now Transaction #1 is a $3.94 moneymaker and Transaction #2 cost me .15¢ in Plenti Points.

I just love me some rebate deals! 8-)))

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "I'm Too Old to Do This Shit Alone Anymore" Edition.......

Well the Pepper Relish is done. 
 I made a double batch this year so there are 18 pints and 5 quarts in the garage(plus about a 12 oz. jar of extra in the fridge).
I used 6 of my purple canning jars, which make the relish look really dark and don't do anything to enhance the jar colors. lolz

And I am wiped out.  Relish making and canning kicked my ass this year and I spent most of Sunday recovering.  I am just too old to do all this by myself anymore.  Relish won't happen again unless I have at least 1 other person making it along with me in the future.  Daughter was too busy with work and school to help.(Hubs did wash my jars for me this year so that helped but it wasn't enough to keep me from overdoing.)

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Steak, Veggie Ka-bobs, Baked Potatoes

3. Tuesday--Manicotti, Salad, Garlic Bread

4. Wednesday--Chicken Fajitas

5. Thursday--Leftover Meatloaf, Brussel Sprouts, Noodles

6. Friday--Apricot Glazed Pork Chops, Mixed Veggies, Corn Casserole, Applesauce

7. Saturday--Crab Cakes, Fries, Cole Slaw, Broccoli

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Steak, Veggie Ka-bobs, Baked Potatoes

3. Tuesday--Manicotti, Salad, Garlic Bread

4. Wednesday--Chicken Fajitas

5. Thursday--Apricot Glazed Pork Chops, Sugar Snap Peas, Corn Casserole 

6. Friday--Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Thighs, Au Gratin Potatoes, CA Mix Veggies

7. Saturday--Leftovers

7 meals cooked at home, 2 of them nights of leftovers and 0 night of Take-Out.

As for the grocery spending.....12 trips to various grocery stores, bread outlet, Panera, produce market, Dollar Tree and farm stands bringing my weekly spending to $255.90 and my September food spending total to $360.80 with 18 days to go in the month.
Yikes!

I did a lot of stocking up on staples plus canning supplies and a splurge trip to Panera on Tuesday for discounted bagels.
With only 39.20 left in my $400 food budget for September I doubt I'll be able to stay under that amount.  I'll increase the budget as I need to but will keep an eye on the spending for the rest of the month.

Leftovers going into this week........manicotti, fajita fixings, 1 chicken thigh, zuke casserole, and 1 entire container of au gratin potatoes(I made double for "planned overs").

Here is this week's "food plan".

1. Sunday--Spaghetti w/Meatballs & Sausage, Salad or Zucchini Casserole Leftovers
2. Monday--Fajitas(using up Leftovers)
3. Tuesday--Mushroom and Onion Pork Roast with Carrots, Au Gratin Potatoes(leftover)
4. Wednesday--Crab Cakes, Fries, Cole Slaw, Broccoli
5. Thursday--Tacos
6. Friday--Homemade Pizza or Leftovers
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 7 new meals cooked and 0 nights of Take-Out and 2 nights of Leftovers.

The leftover manicotti, chicken thigh and zuke casserole will be eaten for lunches, the taters and fajita filling for dinners.

What we need to buy for this menu......Pepperoni if we have pizza this week.  We might need to eat more leftovers instead on Friday.

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 great deals on food at your stores this week?


Sluggy

A Pretty Good Deal

If you shop at Weis(PMITA)Markets you know they have been on this "Mix & Match Deal" kick the last few months.

The promotion is Buy X Number of Select Items and Get $X Back.
But it's not just one company's items deal, it's a wide assortment of companies and types of items and the Deal changes greatly every sales ad.

Sometimes there is nothing I'd buy and infrequently it encompasses some items I would consider buying.
And rarely I can pick and choose items worth buying and pair the deal with coupons.......this is when I actually do these deals.

I did the Mix & Match on Friday, paying $5.94 OOP for 6 items after the $3 off and coupons.

Pictured above, 2 jars of Prego sauce, 2 boxes of Ortega shells, a Butterball smoked sausage package(between the shells and the cheese slices)and the Hot Pockets food truck bites were what I bought/part of the Mix & Match Deal.
On sale those 6 items came to $14.94
I used a $3/1 ManuQ HP Food Truck Q, a $1/2 Prego IPQ, a $1/2 Ortega IPQ and a .55/1 Butterball IPQ(which doubled up to $1 at Weis).
Pairing this $6 off with the $3 Deal discount I received $9 off my total of $14.94, making my new total $5.94 or less than $1 for each of these 6 items.

I also bought 5 cannisters of panko for $1 each on sale as I was almost out of panko and was waiting for a deal on it.

The BF also goes through cheese slices at a good clip so I jumped on the BOGO Kraft slices deal this week as well.  $4.49 for 2 packages on sale.
Plus I used 2 x .75/1 Kraft IPQ(which each doubled to $1).  Even though Kraft slices are on sale BOGO you can still use 1 Q on each package.  Sweet.
So I paid $2.49 total for both packages.

I'm posting these deals in case some other Weis shopper wants in on these.

Sluggy

Busy Day, No Time to Post Much

The Relish making has commenced!

No time to post anything much beyond this photo today.
Once the relish making begins it is full steam ahead until it's completed.

It's a good day to be inside with the a/c on here too.

Hope your Saturday is fine.
Mine will be spent creating a disaster in the kitchen.....but that's only temporary thankfully.

More later,

Sluggy

A Meme for some Friday Fun

Blogging buddy Meredith over at grape writes posted her answers to a fun poll that another blogging buddy Urspo over at Spo Reflections had posted from his friend Karen from Facebook.

Ok, with all that out of the way, here are my answers to the Poll too because you just can't ever know enough juicy tidbits about Sluggy now, can you? ;-)

1. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?   Yes, sort of. My father's younger sister, my Aunt, named her first baby Denise.  She was born in June of 1957 and lived but two short days.  My mother asked my Aunt's permission upon having me if she could use the name Denise.  I don't know if it was to honor that baby and my Aunt(they were friends growing up)or if mom just liked the name(plus it fit in with her and my father all naming us kids first names beginning with the same letter).
I didn't learn about cousin Denise and this story until last month on a visit with my Aunt and her kids.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?  I am not a crier really, I am more of a sulker and/or a yeller.  I did cry a bit when I learned that cousin Hilda had died(months after the fact).

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?  I had better, after attending Catholic school for the first 12th grade years where I had nuns hover over me with rulers ready to whack your knuckles if your penmanship wasn't exemplary.
Or should I say I used to like my handwriting until I got old and now I either tire after writing a few lines or my hand shakes.  Getting old sucks.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?  Roast Beef or Smoked Turkey.  I have been known to enjoy a good Liverwurst and/or Lebanon Salami(it's a sweet style PA Dutch Salami).

5. DO YOU HAVE ANY KIDS?  3  What can I say?  We didn't learn our lesson after 1. ;-)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS?   Yes I am jolly good fun....when I am not depressed.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?  Sarcasm is my second language.  No, really!!  How can anyone survive in this world without it is beyond me.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?  Yes but I am missing my appendix....has anyone seen it lately?

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?  Not without being high as a kite and wearing a diaper....ask me then.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?   Multi-Grain Cheerios and Rice Chex but I have been known to eat Cap'n Crunch or Reese's PB Cup type, or most any cereal with nuts.  I really just should eat a bowl of nuts in milk as that is the better part of cold cereal.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?  I don't wear shoes with laces.  Haven't for years.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE STRONG?   Depends on how you mean strong.  Physically? Not so much.  Mentally?  I've survived my life so far so yeah, pretty strong.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?  3 favs-Black Cherry w/Chocolate Chunks, Pistachio, and Mint Chocolate Chip-in descending order.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?   Their attitude, whether they are open and friendly or not. Oh and if they have a big dick(both literal and figurative).

15. RED OR PINK?  I wear red sometimes and pink hardly at all.  Neither colors are favorites.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?   Well if it's the least favorite then it really wouldn't be something you like, right? lolz  I'd have to say that I seem to get my feelings hurt easily as I have never developed a truly thick skin.

17. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?  I am not wearing pants nor shoes.  Barefoot and in a nightgown is how I roll most days when I don't have to leave the house.  I am a nudist at heart. 8-)

18. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?    a Serving of Chicken Pot Stickers and a Romaine Salad w/Home Grown Maters and Greek Dressing. Nom Nom

19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?  The a/c blowing across the room. Ahhhhhhhhhhh

20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?   True Purple or some tint of the same.....or a nice Green shade like Lime.....or both.

21. FAVORITE SMELL?   Gardenia, Wisteria or Cinnamon.

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO?   My Daughter's dog.  Oh we have some great conversations. lolz

23. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?   Watching most sports bore me.  The exception being when I was watching a sporting game one of my kids was playing in.  I don't get this whole devotion to sports in our culture.  I'd rather watch a play or music concert.

24. HAIR COLOR THATS REAL?  Sort of.  I was born with a full head of jet black hair.  It promptly fell out as an infant and came in red.  After I turned 3 or 4 it turned mousy brown.  In high school I had a streak of blond for awhile and when I hit my 30's I started dying it reddish auburn as the grey started appearing.  Nowadays I mostly can't be bothered to dye it anymore so it's various shades of grey.

26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?  Never.  I started wearing glasses at 10 for nearsightedness.  After cataract surgery in 2015 I now no longer need glasses for distance but use "cheaters" for reading.  The last year has been an adjustment.

27. FAVORITE FOOD?   Anything that is fresh and prepared well.  I like most foods with the exception of peas and lima beans and head cheese.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?   Neither.  I like a good drama or a documentary as real life can be just as compelling as fiction.

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED.  I watched "The Big Short" online.  The last movie I saw in a theatre I believe was "The Imitation Game" 2 Summers ago.  I wanted to see "Florence Foster Jenkins" but it isn't playing close by so I'll wait until it's available for rental.

30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?  No shirt.

31. SUMMER OR WINTER.  I'd have to say Winter every time over Summer.  I grew up in the South and NEVER got use to the heat/humidity, even as a child.  I much prefer the shoulder seasons of Fall and Spring.

32. HUGS OR KISSES?  I am a Hugger if I believe the intended Huggee is amenable.

33. FAVORITE SWEET FOOD?  Cheesecake, Cannoli or Salted Caramel Apple Pie.

34. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?   "Growing Up" by Russell Baker.

35. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?  A PITT mouse pad my Daughter got as a freebie when she visited their campus in 2011.

36. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST?  Shameless on Netflicks.  Broadcast TV would have been a PBS cooking show as everything I like to watch on network tv(what little there is)is either off the air or in reruns.

37. FAVORITE SOUND?  Water or deep-toned wind chimes.

38. ROLLING STONES or BEATLES?   Never been a big fan of the Stones.  Was inculcated into the legion of Beatles fans as a young child by my older brothers.  The Stones never had a chance with me.

39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE TRAVELED?  Canada, Mexico, California, Florida and Maine.

40. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?   I have the brain of an absent minded professor.  I pick up odd bits and pieces of information and retain it, so after 50+ years of this I would probably make a very good Jeopardy or other trivia game contestant.
I am also very good as saving money.

41. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?  In Norfolk, Virginia, a couple/few weeks after Alaska became a US state but before Hawaii also joined the list of US states later that year.

So if you want to play along, post the questions and your answers on your own blog.

Sluggy

September 1st Net Worth

We are actually up $17k from July 1st's net worth overall(only liquid cash/investments, as I don't count housing or car values).  The retirement accounts were up $12K+ for September 1 from July's calculations and the cash reserve/non-retirement accounts were up almost $5K.
I didn't calculate an August 1st Net Worth as we were on vacation then so September 1st's net worth is two months worth of gain, not one.

We are up $86,178.38 from one year ago, in the September 1st of 2015's net worth snapshot. 

Once Hubs retires I will miss these little monthly look backs, when we move from acquisition mode with money to spend-down mode. ;-)

Sluggy

And the Deals Keep Coming.......

I just keep finding instant discount sticker meat deals lately......not that I am complaining about that! lolz
But it does mean I've spent a lot of time hopping over to the stores for groceries this week-Target, Weis, the Bread Outlet, Panera(Tuesday discount bagels), Malacari's Produce, Dollar Tree, Weis again, and Weis yet again again. And that was only from Monday to Wednesday!  ;-)

A few of the highlights--

I went up to Weis on Monday for steaks to grill out and stumbled upon this Deal on some Pork Roasts......

Center Cut Pork Roasts were on Buy One/Get One offer so I picked these two up for the price of one, $11.78.
Each of them had a $3 off instant Sticker on the packages so they cost me $5.78 for 4.70 lbs. of meat.
That's $1.23 per pound.  Much better than the package price of $4.99 lb.

One package will be sliced up into chops for tonight and the other goes into the freezer for later.

I also picked up a long weekend special at Weis..........

A large pack of chicken thighs for .75¢ lb.  Half of these will be grilled and teriyaki-ed this week and the other half, into the freezer they go.

I had to run to pick-up some onions and mushrooms Wednesday and picked up 9 cans of baked beans at Weis.

Weis had them for $5 for 3 cans and we were totally out.  I like to keep baked beans on hand for easy dinner sides(when I can't make my own from dried beans).

I had a $1/2 IPQ for the Grillin' Beans variety so this lot cost me $12.34 out the door with that $1 off Q.
But.....I already earned a $1.10 cash rebate on Checkout51(.55¢ wyb2 Grillin' Beans and another .55¢ wyb2 other varieties of Bush's), so I'm now $11.24 OOP.

And in about a week I'll get another $3.00 cash rebate from SavingStar for purchasing over $12 in Bush's bean products, so I am looking at $8.24 for all 8 cans.  Not spectacular but at $1.03 per can which is almost half price off what these go for($1.99)at regular retail around here I'll take it.


I plan on sitting home today to cook, and maybe I'll clean and ride the exercycle too.
Tomorrow I'll be running over to Weis(PMITA)Markets again as the new sales ads starts today and I need to pick up Panko for cheap.
Then to the Farm Stand to get pepper relish making supplies-red and green bell peppers + maybe another large bag of onions(if the price is right).

What homemaking activities are you partaking in this week?

Sluggy