This & That Boring Stuff

* Since Sue L. asked.........My Taco Con Queso Casserole on my meal plan this week is simply a Velveeta boxes dinner(Sluggy hangs her head in shame that it wasn't a cooked from scratch meal but a 75% off boxed dinner from Ollies lolz)......noodles, cheesy spicy cheese sauce and chicken.  We didn't end up having it yet this week but when we do prepare it we will add veggies(corn, red bell peppers or green chiles, that sort of thing).  You can probably make something like this from scratch....just google it.
Mostly I see it served with or cooked with rice rather than pasta.

* About couponing since a couple folks asked.........
Digital coupons are those that attach to a loyalty card.  Most grocery stores have them so check with your store's website and/or app.  Weis(PMITA)Markets as well as Rite-Aid have digital Qs(known as Load2Card at R-A).  Other than checking with your store or checking out the the Coupons dotcom app on your smartphone I don't really have much more info on that whole arena.  If anyone reading is a digital coupon Goddess please give us from tips!

About coupon lingo and shorthand, go HERE for a pretty comprehensive list of coupon abreviations and explanations.  I'll add a couple Rite-Aid specific abbriviations--L2CQ(Load to Card coupon), WW refers to Wellness Wednesday(the first Wednesday of each month when one day Qs are available)so a WWQ is a Wellness Wednesday coupon.

* Friday and Saturday are 30% sale days at Rite-Aid.  You need a catalina or a coupon for it that printed out on your receipt in the last 10 days or so or if you are lucky, you store will have coupons available at the register or somewhere in the store(sales flyer kiosk, by the pharmacy, etc.)  Let me just say that having/getting/using a 30% coupon is a YMMV(Your Mileage May Vary)situation.  Some stores will be pretty aggressive with handing the Qs out, some stores will have a stack at the register or one taped to the register and automatically give you the 30% off(if the items is on sale for BOGO50% or at a sale price that is GREATER than a 30% off discount the 30% off won't apply).
Other stores........*whomp whomp*.....other stores don't give a rat's ass if you know about the Friends and Family sale, won't mention it, won't KNOW about the sale(depends on that store's management)and might even look at you suspiciously if you hand them a coupon for it.
If you didn't get the Q go on the Rite-Aid website and there should be a link somewhere there to either print it out or show at the register from you smartphone. 8-)

* Since Teddie asked........... My Korean BBQ from Sunday was using a bottled sauce for the marinade rather than making it from scratch.  Again, I got the sauce/marinade very cheap at a discount outlet.  It's called Bulgogi sauce and you can find recipes for many versions of the sauce online.
A tip that really helps is that you slice your beef(against the grain)when it's frozen so you can get it really, really thinly sliced.(Next time I'll also add pineapple juice to the marinade as it adds in breaking down the connective tissues in the meat....oh, I am so smart!lolz).
Anyway, proper Korean BBQ is cooked on charcoal grills but being February in Pennsyltucky I high heat cooked the beef in a cast iron pan to get the crispy bits on the meat like from grilling it.  Then stir-fried the broccoli with some of the marinade and dumped it all together with ramen noodles and called it dinner. ;-)

* The last few days of February have seemed to have taken weeks to finish.  Ok, so maybe it's because we cashed out a CD a few days ago and are waiting for it to fully process and set up a new, higher interest CD at a different financial institution.  It was heart stopping yesterday to go online and see the CD account was close with a ZERO balance but the monies hadn't showed up in the bank where it was suppose to go!!!  That's a whole boatload of cash to have suspended in the ether somewhere and freaked me out a bit.  Hopefully everything will get to where it needs to go and I can fund the new CD before we leave for down South the end of next week.

*  I am in full-on planning mode for this coming WW(see what I did there?)sale.  The WWL2CQs are now available online.  Load all the WWQs to your account(s)as they come off ALONG with the paper WWQs in the store that day.  There are suppose to be RMNQs in the inserts this Sunday(of course I don't get these here!)for Centrum and Enmergen-C that will pair with the double dipping R-AQs making these items a MM.
A Werther's candy Q just popped up on Coupons dotcom too which would make this an even bigger MM too. ;-)

Ok, that's enough outta me for today.
Time to go close the books on February here(except for the interest which doesn't come through until tomorrow).
Hope everyone out there is ready for March......because it's coming if you like it or not!  8-)))

Sluggy

Aggrafretted & Blah

"Aggrafretted" is a made-up word my mother's boyfriend use to use.  Yes, he was an old country boy who never finished high school and he had a habit of making up his own vocabulary.  I believe it's a combinations of aggravation and being frustrated.....at least it seems to me to be that.

So again, I have been feeling aggrafretted lately!

*  Dealing with high school cashiers at Weis(PMITA)Markets.  I should know better than to set food into Weis on a weekend, when these young part time job cashiers are working.  They generally don't know the store policies and are likely more than not to screw something up.  I just should avoid the grocery store on weekends and save myself the aggravation!

*  Again, with the cashier incompetence......bought some items at Ollie's end of the week.

These Country Time sparkling lemonade packs were 75% off, reg. $1.99 each, on sale for .50¢ a pack of 8 cans.
So I checked my receipt after checking out and the cashier had rung up 5 packs instead of the 4 packs I had bought.
I got back in line(no CS desk at Ollie's)to get this corrected and that's when the wheels fell off of that bus!lolz
Cashier seemed to know what she was doing in general but since it was a clearance return she didn't seem to know what to do to credit me .50¢ back on my c/c.  After what seemed like hours, she arrived at a return of $1.58.  $1.49 + tax of .09¢(even though being food there was no tax charged on this item to begin with).  I wasn't about to stand there another half hour while the line grew behind me(only cashier open)and the sighing got louder and louder so I just signed the danged receipt and left, paying a total of .42¢ for ALL 4 packs of lemonade.  8-)))

*  I have been off the crazy pills almost a month now after weaning off them slowly over 2 weeks time.  The good news is I haven't killed anyone(though the voice in my head does yell, "Off With Your Head!" at certain people, in certain situations....but then again, isn't that normal?!?).  I also don't go off on manic or depressive jags. 
I do however suddenly get teary at unexpected times.  I am not one to cry at sad movies, etc. but I began to blubber while watching "The Voice" last night at one moment.  This happens infrequently and isn't a big deal but now I am wondering if I have PBA(pseudobulbar affect)and I had a brain injury or stroke I don't know about.
Yes, it's always something around here. lolz
The bad news with going off the crazy pills is that I am still experiencing shaking.  I just have a suspicion that the shaking is neurological so I've got testing in my future.
FUN.

*  I can not WAIT for my daughter to graduate and LEAVE!  I love her but.......
She's 26 years old.
She's highly opinionated(gee, where does she get that from!?!?)
She's a smart ass(ditto the last comment).
She's got Senioritis.
She's been a big old PITA lately.

Hubs and I are constantly looking at each other when she leaves the room and commenting, "When is she leaving?!".

She has been difficult to live with lately and I am already making plans in my head for making changes in the house once she has left the building.


*  I gave Hubs a gift card to Dickey's BBQ at Christmas.  Hubs went out earlier today to run some of his errands and I mentioned it would be a good thing for him to take that gift card and pick us up some 'cue for lunch to bring home.
So I go online to see what I want him to bring me and dadgummit!! our Dickey's has closed up!!!
BBQ places just don't have a chance around here as they all go the way of the dinosaurs.  The only place here is Smoky Bones(a Darden chain)and I don't consider that either bbq or a good deal for the price.
sigh. Now we have to save that gift card to use on a trip.
 So aggrefretting..........

Thank goodness I am a woman of simple needs so I can balance out what aggrafrets me with simple joys like sleeping in, finding change, playing with Chester, keeping track of our spending(math geek!), blogging, etc. and a good stiff drink now and again.

            Chester with his "girlfriend" in his bed.

What keeps you sane in this crazy world?

Sluggy, who is counting the days until Graduation

This Week on The Dining Table

The "For the Coffee Addict" Edition.........

Spent some time last Friday wandering around Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)and saw these coffee mugs.  Too bad I don't know anybody who needs more coffe mugs as these were high quality, very cheap price and funny to boot!lolz

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ham and Mac and Cheese(just Hubs and I)

2. Monday--BBQ Chicken Thighs, Asparagus, Leftover Fried Rice

3. Tuesday--Birthday Meal Out(Ex-College Boy)

4. Wednesday--Breakfast-Scrambled Eggs w/Ham and Cheese, French Toast

5. Thursday--Brats on Rolls, Grilled Onions, Broccoli, leftover sides smorgasboard lolz

6. Friday--Leftover Lasagna, Tomato/Cuke Salad
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ham and Mac and Cheese(just Hubs and I)

2. Monday--BBQ Chicken Thighs, Asparagus, Leftover Fried Rice

3. Tuesday--Birthday Meal Out(Ex-College Boy)

4. Wednesday--Breakfast-Scrambled Eggs w/Ham and Cheese, French Toast

5. Thursday--Brats on Rolls, Grilled Onions, leftover sides smorgasbord 

6. Friday--Leftover Lasagna, Tomato/Cuke Salad
7. Saturday--Fend For Yourself

Last week saw 3 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 1 nights of Eating Out/Take-Out. 
Everything actually got cooked/eaten as planned AND the specific day planned!  Amazing!! ;-)
I did very little actual cooking last week so that was nice.  Unfortunately most of the leftovers are gone now....boo!.......so that means this coming week I'll be in the kitchen quite a bit.

What got put into the freezer last week.....
*  1 package of Brats bought for Thursday's dinner but not used

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.......
* Nothing because of using up leftovers

 Lots of little grocery trips..... smallish trips to Weis($6.64/$1.56/$20.94), a big $65.64 trip to Weis, a trip to Walmart($10.94), a trip to Maines for produce($14.17), a trip to Aldi for produce($14.55) and a trip to P&R Discount Outlet( $4.36)brought the weekly food spending to $138.80 and brought the February monthly total to $319.69 so far.

My savings percentage last week was 56.27%(without Rite-Aid trips)and February's monthly savings total comes to 60.91%(w/out R-A).  

I have 3 more spending days in the month.

Leftovers going into this week....1 helping of chicken teriyaki stir-fry, fried rice(more than 1 helping).

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Korean Beef BBQ, stir-fry Broccoli, Ramen Noodles

2. Monday--Dirty Rice w/Andouille Sausage and Red Beans

3. Tuesday--Lobster Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce, Tossed Salad

4. Wednesday--Pasta w/Turkey Italian Sausage Sauce

5. Thursday--Pork Chops, Green Beans, Sweet Potato Fries

6. Friday--Assorted Leftovers
7. Saturday--Taco Con Queso Casserole

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 night of leftovers/FFY, and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu? All the meats needed this week are coming out of the freezer.  I'll just need a little salad stuff, almond milk for Hubs and reg. milk for the rest of us.

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 Survivor's Story.....Part One

How about some genealogy for a change?  I haven't written any of these types of posts in forever.

As I've noted before I am related to many early American families of note in Virginia though my maternal ancestors.

I want to talk about a few of my long ago kin today and a salacious event involving them that occurred  in 1792.

I have many ties to the Randolph family of Virginia.  Randolph family members intermarried with other prominent Colonial VA families--the Carter, Byrd, Fitzhugh, Stith, Lewis, Isham, Bland, Cary, Harrison, Bolling and Beverly.
One of the early members of the Randolph family, William, and his wife, Mary Isham are often called the "Adam and Eve of Virginia".
Mary Isham Randolph, on this line, is my closest cousin, being a 2nd cousin 12x removed. We share a common ancestor in Mary's Great Grandfather(my 13th Great Grandfather),

It's like a Rubik's cube puzzle keeping all these folks straight what with all the intermarrying of first and second cousins.  I am surprised I am not insane and have 3 extra toes at this point! lolz

Now a bit of background information........

One of the Randolph clan, Thomas Mann Randolph, was born about 1740.  Thomas was the son of William Randolph III and Maria Judith Page. Thomas Mann Randolph and his 2 sisters(some accounts say there were 4 sisters w/3 sisters surviving their parents, so it's either Mary Page Randolph and Judith Randolph or an additional sister named Priscilla Randolph)were orphaned in 1745.

William Randolph, Thomas's father, was close to his cousin, Jane Randolph and her husband Peter Jefferson. William had put a codicil in his will that Peter and Jane would raise he and Maria's 3 children until his only son, Thomas Mann Randolph, became of age.

                      Tuckahoe Plantation

So cousin Jane and Peter Jefferson moved their 3 daughters and 1 son, named Thomas Jefferson(yes, THAT Thomas Jefferson)from Shadwell Plantation near Charlottesville, VA to the Randolph's Tuckahoe Plantation outside of Richmond VA and raised the Randolph and the Jefferson children together until Thomas Mann Randolph turned 13 in 1752.  This is how Thomas Jefferson came to grow up at Tuckahoe and the Randolph and Jefferson families became close.

 Thomas Mann Randolph married Anne Cary sometime before 1762.
Anne Cary's parents were Col. Archibald Cary and Mary Randolph.  Thomas Mann Randolph and his wife, Anne Cary, therefore shared a set of great grandparents(William Randolph I 1650-1711 and Mary Isham 1659-1735)making them 2nd cousins.
This also means that Thomas Mann Randolph is my 5th cousin and Anne Cary is my 7th cousin.
Got that?

Thomas Mann Randolph and his wife, Anne Cary, had 13 children together, the most notable being Mary Randolph(1762-1828), Virginia Randolph(1786-1852), Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr.(1768-1828), Judith Randolph(1772-1816)and Anne Cary "Nancy" Randolph(1774-1837).

* Mary Randolph, the eldest child, wrote an early American cookbook.  More on her in another blog post.

* Virginia was also an author who published four books after her husband'd death.  Her husband was Wilson Jefferson Cary(1783-1823)and they were also cousins......my head hurts too much to try to figure exactly how they were cousins right now so I'll just take the word of the information where I read this. PS-It's probably through their shared connection to the Bolling line that goes back to Pocahontas.

*Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. is probably the most notable of their children.  Thomas served in the US Congress, in the Virginia House and Senate, served in the rank of Colonel during the War of 1812 and was elected Governor of Virginia in 1819.  But his most notable achievement was marrying the daughter of Pres. Thomas Jefferson, Martha Jefferson. 

Martha was the only one of many acknowledged as well as unacknowledged children of Thomas Jefferson to live past the age of 25.

* Judith Randolph married her cousin(seems to be a theme here, doesn't there?)Richard Randolph.  They were 1st cousins 2 x removed to be specific. 
Except for one brief episode that brought scandal to the Randolph family, Judith and Richard Randolph disappeared into historical obscurity fairly quickly after their deaths(except for one other unusual stand they took upon their deaths).  Perhaps this accounts for not being able to find any portraits of them.

*  Anne Cary Randolph, known as Nancy Randolph throughout her life, is the person and story I want to delve into in the next post(since this one has gone on and on).

Anne was part of a Colonial Scandal that rocked the ruling class and ended with her being ostracized from her homeland, her social class and the esteemed extended family of American Founders she was born into.
But it's also a story of a real survivor who, given the odds, inexplicably rose to the top and earned a place in our national history.

The Oh So Juicy! Part Two coming soon......

Sluggy

And the February Winner Is.......

Sorry I am a bit late with this Giveaway post update.  Yesterday was a bit busy, being Ex-College Boy's birthday and all.

First to recap what was up for grabs.  All these lovely goodies.......

There were 44 valid entries for the February Giveaway.
Random dotorg was used to select the winner.

And the Winner is...........

Making Cents Of It All!

Making Cents Of It All February 15, 2019 at 9:27 AM
Hubby's birthday is in February so I have to love it.

Congratulations MCOIA!
Please email me your full name and mailing address and I'll get this out in the mail on Monday to you.

Thanks for everyone for playing along again.
Another Giveaway will be popping up sometime in March.  Just keep checking in here at this same Bat Channel. ;-)

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the February 22nd Edition

Let's take a look around and see what frugalness we came up with this past week............

*  Ex-College Boy's Birthday was yesterday.  Because of the weather this week(see "unpredictable")we had his Birthday Meal out on Tuesday(as he was off then).

He requested to go to the Hibachi place(like the Benihana chain but local and just as expensive!).
I discouraged alcoholic drinks(hate paying for overpriced booze out)but I was the only one who got iced tea. 8-(
#frugal fail

We did go on Free Appetizer Night so we got a free appetizer.  Yay!

And I finally remembered to use a $10 gift coupon(gotten from a birthday meal 3 years ago! but still valid)for one of these bday trips here.

Of course, because it's me, the waitress forgot to take the $10 off when she brought the c/c receipt to sign. sigh.
Hubs was perfectly happy just to sign the incorrect receipt and not say anything and not get our $10 off.
But y'all know me...........lolz
So "I" got it adjusted. ;-)  I
t helped take the sting out of the ridiculously expensive prices there.

How I yearn for the days when my kids were happy with a chicken tenders meal or a burger for their birthday dinner. lolz

*  I scored at Rite-Aid this past Sunday with clearance cosmetics paired with Qs meaning I only "spent" $13.30 in Bonus Cash and/or Prepaid Visa script(gotten free as well)to earn another $20 in Bonus Cash on 1 of my cards.

This spending earned me $20 in Ibotta cash rebates as well so overall a $6.70 moneymaker. 8-))

I also bought this last Sunday

The Rite-Aid I was in had this new Alka-Seltzer Mucus product which has a full price(after Q used)rebate if bought before Sunday-rebate info HERE.
Anyway I bought this on Daughter's card and used a $3/1 ManQ and promptly applied for the rebate essentially making this free once the $8.99 rebate is received.

I noticed that this item is part of the "Spend $50/Get $20 Bonus Cash" scheme too so you know what that meant?
Sluggy got her Revlon Qs and went out in search of more clearance cosmetics.  ;-)

5 x Revlon face stuff $3.74=$18.70
4 x Cover Girl 210 mascara(straight brush)$1.49=$5.96
2 x Revlon brow crayon $2.49=$4.98
1 x Cover Girl face powder=$2.57
2 x Revlon lip crayon=$4.98
5 x Nivea cherry lip balm(clearance .82¢)=$4.10
SubTotal......$44.29

Coupons Used
5 x Revlon $3/1 face make-up IPQ=$10.00
4 x Cover Girl $2/1 item IPQ=$8.00
2 x Revlon $2/1 brow item IPQ=$4.00
1 x Cover Girl $2/1 face item IPQ=$2.00
2 x Revlon $2/1 lip item IPQ=$4.00
Coupon Total.........$28.00

$44.29-$28.00=$16.29+63¢ tax=$16.92
Add that $44.29 spent to the $11.99 for the Alka Seltzer and I "spent" $56.28, paid $25.91 in BC/Prepaid Visa script, got $20 BC back and $8.99 in a cash rebate so a $3.08 moneymaker.
I'll probably  return a couple of items just because I was $6.28 over what I needed to spend and I don't strictly "need" everything for giveaways above(and that makes it an even better deal in the end).

Even better if the assorted Revlon Ibotta rebates come back on my list before these receipts expire I can get up to another $18 in cash rebates on all this(but not holding my breath).  8-)))

Moving on.........

*  While out on Tuesday picking up cosmetics I found this too...........

A quarter partially hidden under one of those floor mats by the register at the first Rite-Aid I went to.

And then this.........

A dime at the second Rite-Aid I went to under the candy racks by the register.
I am up .35¢ this week in free money!

And speaking of Rite-Aid, this printed at one of the stores this week for me..........

30% off Sale coming the first weekend in March.  Watch for it!

*  And then there was 75% off Valentine's Candy at Rite-Aid too..........

Cheap chocolates for giveaways....woohoo!

*  While I didn't get to use all my IPQs for free yogurt and soup before the sale ended at Weis(PMITA)Markets thanks to a snowstorm on Wednesday, I did get this on Tuesday evening.............

4 x Oh! yogurt
2 x Oikos triple yogurt
1 x Too Good yogurt
All were $1 on sale and I used Qs which doubled that made them all free.
I would have gotten more of the Too Good brand but that only had 1 cup left on the shelf.  If they had had 2 cups I could have gotten a $1 Ibotta cash rebate as well. sigh.
I also picked up 1 more pint of ice cream, the Weis brand gelato on 50% clearance for $1.73.
Being as it was Senior Citizen day Tuesday I also got .17¢ off the glelato too so I paid $1.56 OOP for everything I bought in that trip.

That was a nice surprise, getting that Senior Discount too.
Hey!....17¢ is .17¢, right?!?

*  I had a $5 Kohl's birthday reward to use soon.
A couple of weeks ago Hubs and I went to Kohl's just to check clearance things out.
Ex-College Boy is NOT a shopper and the kid is in serious need of new clothing(he wears things until they are rags)so I will go clothes hunting for him and now that he's gainfully employed, he reimburses me what I spend on him.
I didn't use my $5 reward but I did pick up $50+ worth of clothes for Ex-College Boy and they were giving out $10 Kohl's cash that week so I now have $15 in script to spend.

Hubs' birthday is coming up in early April so I went out to Kohl's last week(during the time frame I have to use that $10 Kohl's cash)to see if I could find something for his bday.
I found just the thing(but will show it after he gets it).  It cost me $16 so after my $5 bday reward and the $10 Kohl's Cash his Birthday gift cost me $1 OOP.  8-)))
I'll add this gift to the things I picked up at Sallie's when Kim and her Sissie were here and I am done with Hubs gifties. 8-)))

* While out on Tuesday I dropped by the Discount Grocery near the second Rite-Aid I hit just to browse.
I found a few things to bring home cheap.......

A jar of Korean Bulgogi sauce for .99¢, a box of garlic mashed taters for .79¢(2 pouches), a lb. thick cut Hatfield bacon package for $1.99(not pictured)  and a pack of OM hot dogs for .59¢(not pictured).  I would have gotten more of the hot dogs at that price for the freezer as Summer grilling season is approaching but I am still in empty mode in regards to the freezer.

*  And the best deal I got this past week.............

Back in late December I had an eye exam.  It had been 1.5 years since my last exam and my eyes had gotten a bit worse.  So I went to Vision Works as they were charging the least amount around here for a vision exam(I no longer had vision benefits on our insurance so hunting a deal on anything to do with my vision is even more important to the financial bottom line).
After the exam and armed with a new Rx, I perused their selection of glasses and came up with two possibilities and sat down with the salesperson to see what the cost would be.

Of course the pair I liked best was the more expensive $242.97 all in.
They offered me a BOGOFree Deal, 2 pair for $404.95 all in.
Not liking this amount I went home with nothing and proceeded to look online.

I found almost the exact same pair of frames online for a LOT less....the only difference was there was a little less "bling" on the arms(which I could certainly live with).  So I used my prescription and ordered those instead.

And they finally showed up this week!  It seemed to take forever but was really took just over 3 weeks to get here.

In fact GlassesUSA had a deal if I bought TWO Pair also, but their price for 2 pair was much LESS than what Vision Works wanted to charge me for ONE pair!
So I got 2 pair of these glasses(one to keep downstairs and one to keep upstairs)for $137 total and free shipping.

I spent $94.03 LESS than Vision Works for the same thing and basically GOT A FREE PAIR.

Here's Sluggy rockin' the purple specs. ;-)

Keepin' it Frugal and Livin' the Dream folks....

Tell us about all your Frugal Victories lately too!



Sluggy

Random Stuff from Sluggy

*  A personal loan offer......again!

I am forever receiving stuff like this.  Personal loan offers to pay off my credit card debt.
Umm, don't these folks ever look at my credit report first?  If they did they'd know that I don't have credit card debt and haven't had any since the early 1990s. lolz
I use credit cards but responsibly.....and pay off the balance before the end of each billing cycle.
The interest rate on these loans range from 5.99% to 28.99%.  I could see if you have a c/c balance with a higher interest rate transferring your debt to this but that person ain't me! 8-))

*  Some more crap you can buy if you have more money than you can spend.............

A gold plated musical porcelain box that says, "My Granddaughter I Love You With All my Heart".
Actual size is 4"L x 3.5"W x 1.75"H.  Also adorned with 5 sparkling "jewels".
For the bargain price of $59.95 + $9.99 shipping plus sales tax for your state this can be yours.
Yeah.  This fine offering is from the ubiquitous Bradford Exchange.
I'd say a much better way to say I love you to your grand kids is to take that $59.99 + $9.99 and sales tax and buy them a Savings Bond or invest it into a 529 Plan so they can someday go to college.  There are much better ways to honor your progeny than wasting $$ on crappy trinkets.

*  I got a few goodies this week at Rite-Aid.  The Valentine's candy was 75% off.....

Lots of goodies to stick into giveaway boxes....woohoo!

*  Speaking of Valentine's Day, here are the flowers Daughter got from her Fiancé......

Sort of droppy at this point(Vday was almost a week ago)but pretty white and pink tulips.


*  I also found this 75% off at Ollie's"Good Stuff Cheap!" last week..........

An entire box of King Size Oreo bars for under $2.00.

*  Here's a photo I took of the Full Snow Moon the night we took Ex-College Boy out for his Birthday Dinner.......

Sort of foggy out that night and the photo didn't do it justice on my phone.

*  Here's what we got the next morning..........

More snow and sleet and then freezing rain. STill digging out today.  bleh.  It's suppose to get close to 50F later today and then mid 55'sF on Sunday.
Crazy Winter.


*  Also from our friends at the Bradford Exchange, a Playful Pup necklace........

A sterling silver-plated pendant, from your choice of 30 dog breeds, hand painted enamel puppy with movable legs and tail(actual size of dog is about 1/2 inch).  Also on the included 18" silver-plated chain is a silver plated heart charm engraved with "I Love My(name of breed)" along with a "genuine diamond".
For the low price of $79(payable in 4 installments of $19.75)plus $9.98 shipping and sales tax this can be yours! ;-)

Have I mentioned yet how much I DESPITE getting these leaflets urging me to buy crap like this anytime I buy ANYTHING online?!?!?

*  And lastly I found this photo of someone we all know and love...........

The person in question is pictured on the left in this very very very old photograph. *snort*

Oh, she is going to hate me for this......

Any guesses? ;-)



Sluggy

Putting On My Traveling Shoes in March

March may be full of "Madness"(aka Basketball stuff)but for me it means traveling a bit.  I am leaving the screwy Pennsyltucky Winter Weather and heading South for a couple of weeks.

We will be stopping, in VA to see my brother, then on to Myrtle Beach SC for a few days, then we have 3 more days yet to book.  It is looking like Charleston SC or Savannah GA, not sure which yet.
Then 1 night up near Greensboro NC(after a lunch stop in Florence SC)before heading back to Chesapeake VA for a few more days.  Then it's home by way of Fredericksburg VA to see my son.
Myrtle Beach from 3/11 to 3/14, Charleston or Savannah from 3/14 to 3/17, Greensboro NC 3/17 to 3/18, Chesapeake VA from 3/18 to 3/21, and F'burg VA 3/21 to 3/23.

So any readers located along our route want to get together?  Shoot me an email(it's on the right side bar)and we'll see what we can do.  Mimi, that means you! ;-)

Anybody know any great(aka cheap)places to stay in either the Charleston SC or the Savannah GA areas?  Also any site seeing and good eats suggestions.

I'd also like to know if anyone knows of any discount stores in NC and SC we can hit.  Or any weird roadside attractions(besides South of the Border)y'all can recommend.




I am itching to hit the road and find some warmth!

Sluggy

Working The Pillaging at Rite-Aid!

So this week the scheme at Rite-Aid is "Spend $50 on select items/Get $20 Bonus Cash Back Deal".

I jumped on Coupons dotcom and printed off a bunch of $2/1 Almay and 4 different $2-$3/1 Revlon Qs and then went up to R-A to see how little I could "spend" to get to $50.

Did I mention that Rite-Aid has a bunch of Almay and Revlon at 75% off clearance?!
Dd I also mention that Almay and Revlon cosmetics are part of the "Spend $50/Get $20 BC Deal"??

First off I bought a clearance Revlon and a clearance Almay item to see if the clearance qualified for the "Spend $50/Get $20 BC" Deal.
And by gosh those items did qualify!

So here is all I bought at two different R-A stores.......

First off I had 2 x $1.25/1 Nivea lip balm IPQs.  I only got 2 printed off before it disappeared from Coupons dotcom(and I don't get Nivea Qs anymore in the Sunday paper b/c my paper no longer carries the RetailMeNot inserts *sad face*).  I would have printed off more it I had the chance because it was cheap after sale/Q and I love the Nivea lip stuff.

2 x Nivea lip balm on sale=$4.00
3 x Revlon face make-up on clearance for $3.49 ea.=$10.47
2 x Revlon nail color on clearance for $2.24 ea.=$4.48
4 x Revlon lip crayon on clearance for $2.49 ea.=$9.96
3 x Revlon brow crayon on clearance for $2.49 ea.=$7.47
7 x Almay mascara on clearance for $2.24 ea.=$15.68
SubTotal.........$52.06

Coupons Used
2 x $1.25/1 Nivea lip balm IPQ=$2.50
3 x $3/1 Revlon face item IPQ=$9.00
4 x $2/1 Revlon lip item IPQ=$8.00
3 x $2/1 Revlon brow item IPQ=$6.00
7 x $2/1 Almay any item IPQ=$14.00
Coupon Total.......$39.50 and ALL the IPQs scanned(shocking!).

$52.06-$39.50=$12.56+.74¢ tax=$13.30 OOP paid for with a combination of Bonus Cash & part of 1 of the 2 $20 Prepaid R-A Visa cards I earned back in January so ZERO OOP in real money.
Too bad I didn't have any Revlon nail color Qs as well....I would have "spent" $4 less than I did. ;-)

I earned $20 in Bonus Cash for buying all the stuff in the picture(plus the one mascara that didn't make it into that photo)because it all came to $50+ before coupons used.

Even better.......I also earned $20 in Ibotta cash rebates as the lip/face/brow items, all 10, qualified for a $2 cash back each-10 x $2=$20 back.

This was an awesome score and will all go into the Giveaway Box Pile of Goodies.  8-)


Oh and Valentine's Candy went to 75% off on Sunday too in case anyone was wondering........


Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "It's Not Suppose to Be this Warm Here in February!" Edition.........

In the car on the way to a different Weis(PMITA)Markets on Friday I snapped this blurry shot of the temp. on my car's dashboard.  If you can't make it out it says 59F.  A minute later it rolled over to 60F.
WTF?!?
Normal around here in February ranges from a high of 40 something to a low of -10 or so.
And I just read it's suppose to hit the mid 50sF again this week.

Crazy weather.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Pad Thai fake-out

2. Monday--Hamburgers, Tomato and Cuke Salad

3. Tuesday--Beef Lasagna, Tossed Salad

4. Wednesday--leftover Ham, Mac and Cheese, Veggies TBD(maybe leftover corn and peas)

5. Thursday--Chicken Thighs and something else lolz

6. Friday--Ham and cheese scrambled eggs, French Toast, Fruit
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Pad Thai fake-out

2. Monday--Beef Lasagna, Tossed Salad, Garlic Bread

3. Tuesday--leftover Ham, Mac and Cheese, Assorted leftover veg-corn and peas

4. Wednesday--Hamburgers, Potato Salad, Baked Beans

5. Thursday--Fend For Yourself(Don't remember what exactly)

6. Friday--Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry, Fried Rice
7. Saturday--Leftovers

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 0 nights of Eating Out/Take-Out. 
I used leftover roast chicken for the Pad Thai and the Teriyaki Stir-free.  The cuke got used somewhere else so we had beans and tater salad w/the burgers instead.
Breakfast for Dinner and Chicken Thighs meal didn't happen(I was sick one night and I wanted to use up the rest of the leftover roasted chicken in a stir-fry so we did that chicken meal instead of thighs.)and move to this week.

What got put into the freezer last week.....
*  15 pints of ice cream/frozen yogurt
*  2 large bags if cheese ravioli
*  1 box of breaded fish fillets

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.......
*  Nothing-It was all meats I already had in the fridge

 A couple of grocery trips.....3 smallish trips to Weis($16.16/$36.40/$31.45)and a trip to Malacari's Produce Market($23.40)brought the weekly food spending to $107.41 and brought the February monthly total to $180.89 so far.  And I forgot to include the trip on Friday where I bought 15 pints of ice cream(not going to go back and redo the numbers, I'll just add it to this coming week's total). ugh

My savings percentage last week was 58.85%(without Rite-Aid trips)and February's monthly savings total comes to 63.85%(w/out R-A).  

I have 10 more spending days in the month(plus that 1 trip to Weis to account for from last week).

Leftovers going into this week....ham, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, lasagna, potato salad, baked beans, 1 helping of chicken teriyaki stir-fry, fried rice(more than 1 helping).

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Leftover Ham and Mac and Cheese(just Hubs and I)

2. Monday--BBQ Chicken Thighs, Asparagus, Leftover Fried Rice

3. Tuesday--Birthday Meal Out(Ex-College Boy)

4. Wednesday--Breakfast-Scrambled Eggs w/Ham and Cheese, French Toast

5. Thursday--Brats on Rolls, Grilled Onions, Broccoli, leftover sides smorgasboard lolz

6. Friday--Leftover Lasagna, Tomato/Cuke Salad
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 3 new meals cooked, 3 nights of leftovers/FFY, 1 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu? Asparagus, a Cuke, milk(as usual). I'll be making a trip to Weis for more free yogurt and free soup this week.  Not much else on my radar yet.  ;-)

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  

Just Bit of Shopping & WTF Just Happened!?

So I saw a bunch of Almay in a clearance bin at Rite-Aid.

Almary mascara marked down to $2.24 from $8.99 makes it 75% off.

I used a $2/1 Almay make-up item IPQ and paid .26¢ for this(with .02¢ tax).
Almay is part of the spend $50/Get $20 BC next week so I'll go back with a fist full of more Qs and see if the clearance stuff qualifies for the BC Deal.
Spending .26¢ isn't too bad for giveaway goodies, yes?

I also hit up Weis on Friday.
I only planned to get a few things.....*cough*

These Jimmy Dean breakfast thingamabobs were $2.50 if you bought 3.  I had .55¢/1 IPQs that doubled to $1.10 off so they were each $1.40.  Just something new to try.

I found 3 Chobani marked down from $1 to .50¢ each.  I had a $1/5 any Chobani so picked up 2 flips to make it 5 items. $3.50 with markdowns-$1/5 Q=$2.50 for all 5 yogurts.

I had 2 x .50¢/1 Too Good Yogurt IPQs(which doubled to $1 off)so those 2 yogurts on the far right were free.

The 2 x Oikos triple zero cups and the 4 x Oh! Oikos were also $1 each and my doubled IPQs for those make all 6 of those free as well.

I forgot to photo the 2 dozen Eggland's Best eggs that were on sale for BOGO(reg. price $2.50).  I used a $1/2 ManuQ so 2 dozen eggs cost me $1.50.
I'm up to $5.70 OOP.

The Mix and Match Deal this week is Buy 6/Get $3 Instantly Off.  Not too thrilled on only getting $3 off and not $6 but the items above were worth grabbing.
Organic Progresso soups $1.99 on sale and Annie's granola bars $2.99 on sale.
SubTotal $13.94-$3=$10.94.
My 6 Qs that doubled came to $8 total so $10.94-$8-$2.94 for all 6 items(plus the Annie's has box tops on the boxes. woohoo!lol).
Now we're up to $8.64 OOP.

This 12 pack of wet dog food trays was $9.45 and had a $2 Q on it so $7.45.

Then I used a $5/1 12 pack Bella IPQ so paid $2.45 out the door for it. 
SubTotal for everything was up to $11.09.   8-)))

Then I went down the frozen food aisle and as the young folks say, "shit got real"........

Weis had certain flavors of Halo Top, Yasso, Enlightened, Talenti, Gelato Fiasco, Weis brand Gelato, etc. on clearance marked down by 50% for between $1.73 and $2.69 a pint!

The store started spinning, I texted my Daughter for an intervention but she egged me on and the next thing I knew I came to at the register with FIFTEEN pints of ice cream/frozen greek yogurt in my cart.

So much for all that space in my freezers...........

And my LOW food spending for the week.
Cheap ice cream is an exception to a low spending month, right?!? ;-)


Sluggy