Frugal Friday....the April 30th Edition

 This week's Frugal post will be short as I am rushed for time.

* I did a crazy number of Rite-Aid transactions the end of last week..........

These photos don't include the two online orders I placed.  Total OOP was $2.52 just because the online orders wouldn't let me use part of a R-A gift card. 8-(  

*  I made a trip to the P and R discount outlet for some produce last week.  They had freebies with a purchase up by the front door and I picked up these bags of cooked cannellini beans.......

I may end up freezing them and waiting until Fall to make a ham and bean soup for Hubs.

*  I knew I was leaving town soon so when I was over by the cheapest gas station this week I filled up.  With the discount I paid $2.84 per gallon rather than $3.02 at the most expensive station closer to home.

*  I found money!

First was 3 pennies at my Rite-Aid last Saturday.

I found a penny by the Customer Service desk at Weis(PMITA)Markets while I was talking with the CSM there.  I showed it to her and said that's cool but next I wanted to find something better, like a quarter!

So I go over to check-out and found a quarter at the self-checkout!.  Of course after I finished checking out I HAD to go  back and show the CSM the quarter.  She laughed and said I needed to buy a lottery ticket. lol

Then I found a penny at Walmart on after I checked out and was leaving the store.

Total Found Money This Week.... .29¢
Total Found Money This Year....$2.78

I did find a quarter when I was cleaning out my car on Wednesday in preparation for my short trip but that was already my quarter so I am not counting it here. 8-)

That's about all I can think of right now.

What frugal wins did y'all have this week?

Sluggy

2021 Food Spending....the April Report

 One more day until the month ends after today but I am finished food spending for April at this point so I am posting this a bit early.  Anything spent in these last two days on groceries will go onto May's tracking.

Onward to April's Food Spending report......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for APRIL 2021.

I have posted April's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in April.  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 4(2-3 eating at home this month). No "kids" under 25. (I don't count all the "freebies" I get at the Discount Outlet in my totals either.)
*****************

BREAD OUTLET

OOP  $14.00

Value  $52.10

Savings 73.63%

DOLLAR TREE

OOP  $2.00

Value  $3.49

Savings  42.69%

MALACARI'S

OOP  $10.65

Value  $19.22

Savings  44.59%

OCEAN STATE JOB LOT
OOP  $0.00(used free gift card)
Value  $11.00
Savings  100%

P and R DISCOUNTS
OOP  $34.36
Value  $78.33
Savings  56.13%

RITE-AID
OOP  $2.52
Qs/Ads/BC  $1,999.95
Value  $2,002.47
Savings  99.87%

TARGET

OOP  $0.00(used free gift card)

Value  $76.61

Savings 100%

WALMART
OOP  $223.10
Value  $547.02
Savings  59.22%

WEIS

OOP  $139.80

Qs/Sales  $157.11
Value  $296.91
Savings  53.15%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Target at 100%, Ocean State Job Lot at 100% and Rite-Aid at 99.87%.

The worst rate was at Dollar Tree at 42.69%  I'll take that all day long! ;-)
I shopped at 9 different stores in April.

TOTAL Spent in April.........................$423.91

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards......$731.26

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased....$1,155.17

TOTAL Savings of ...............................63.30%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for April w/R-A...............$426.43
TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards w/................$2,731.21
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid...$3,157.64
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items....................86.50%

This closes out the April food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into April without a plan other than eating down some of the frozen assets and staying under $400 for the month.  Didn't quite stay under budget but we did eat down freezer/stockpile.  Spending was a bit high but my $360.55 in just the Ibotta cash rebates makes my "actual" spending almost nil for the month so there is that. 8-)))

The monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 7.58% in April 2021 to 86.50% compared to the March's 78.92% savings average.  Any month I get a lot of items at Rite-Aid my savings percentage goes waaay up! ;-)

With 4 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $1,250.94 on food/toiletries in 2021.

2020 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1,250.94

2020 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$7,922.58

2020 Grand Total Saved...............................$6,671.64

2020 Yearly Savings Total.............................84.21%

The average per month amount spent is $312.74 n 2021 so far.

LOOKING AHEAD To May 2021...........

I really haven't thought about May much yet.  I plan to take a break from Ibotta next month so there will be less shopping.  I will get the deals I find however as always.  I hope to be at around $300 spet for the month.

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 April?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

*  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

To-Do List......the February & March Updates

FEBRUARY

* Pay Bills   PASS

* Read 1 Book  PASS

I read this one.........

"Rivals Unto Death: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr" by Rick Beyer

Not a big book but interesting about the love/hate relationship between Hamilton and Burr.  Sometimes they were friends and allies and at other times they were on opposite sides of an issue or down right enemies.  The term "frenemies" may have originated with these two.  If you didn't read the Ron Chernow book or you want more on this part of history then pick this one up.

* Organize Pantry  FAIL  Just didn't get to it.

* Hold Giveaway  PASS

* Mail Giveaway  PASS  It was mailed and received though I hear the chocolate didn't last long. lolz

* Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie  PASS  

The stack of old expired stuff that got pitched.  Go me.

* Finish Editing Old Photos  FAIL  Didn't get to it all but I did a bit.

* Post about Old Trips  FAIL  Nope.

* Work on Genealogy  PASS  I was on fire in February with genealogy research!

* Re-Organize Toiletries Stockpile  PASS  The guest room/toiletries room got done.  I don't think I took a photo though(can't seem to find one anyway).  But with all the freebies I've got at R-A since then it's a big old mess again. sigh.

* Fill 6 more Giveaway Boxes  PASS  I didn't take a photo evidently but trust me, they are sitting stacked up on the floor of the dining room(well 4 of them that are left are).

* Roll/Spend ECBs  PASS  Yep, did that.

* Roll/Spend Bonus Cash  PASS  Yep, did that too.

* Clean my Desk  HALF and HALF  Cleaning my desk is an ongoing chore/project.  As soon as I pitch stuff and/or organize things it just accumulates more stuff.  I'll either keep this on EVERY To-Do list or just drop it altogether because we all know it's something that needs doing every danged month! ;-)

* Stay Warm  PASS  Yep, I managed to drop the heat a couple of degrees and donned a sweater or hoodie to keep warm without letting the electric bill get outta control!

* Eat down the Freezer/Pantry  PASS  We got down a level or two on the archaeology dig I call a freezer.  Of course, with new deals I managed to add back a new layer. lol

MARCH

* Pay Bills  PASS  Always at the top of the financial things to complete each month.

* Read 2 Books  HALF and HALF

Well I only read one book, not two.

"Hottest Heads of State Volume One: The American Presidents" by J.D. and Kate Robson

I totally misconstrued the title of this book when I bought it at Ollies(Good Stuff Cheap!).  I thougnt "hot" meant foul tempered, mean, rotten, etc. not "hot" as is handsome, a dreamboat or desirable as a mate.  lolz  My bad.

But still, it was a light, fun read full of sarcasm, which I like.  And I still learned a couple of quirky things from it.  It was fun and funny and a change of pace for me and parts of it did make me LOL.

* Have Financial Meeting  PASS  Hubs and I had two meetings in February.  The immediate issue was about taking a 401K withdrawal to cover some irregular bills like the taxes, etc.  That was the easy part.

Then we talked about what made sense for us in terms of starting to take Social Security.  Now since I'll be claiming on Hubs since mine would be much lower than half of his we need to figure when he should claim since I can't claim until he his.  If he waits until full SS at 66 years and 10 months that pushes my claiming back until I am 66 and 1 month.  We did some calculating and with all our savings(401K/non 401K)and our annuity we actually will be more than fine if he claims later this year(and then I can claim too).  Still stewing some stuff over but right now that's the plan.

* Organize Pantry  PASS  Yep, I finally got to straightening the pantry out.  Now I just have to straighten out the stockpile in the garage....again.

* Hold Giveaway  PASS

* Mail Giveaway  PASS

It got mailed out quickly and received in a timely manner and was much appreciated by the recipient.

* Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie  PASS  No photo of this clean out but enough inserts got pitched as to fill up my small wastebasket. 

* Finish Editing Old Photos  HALF and HALF  I did edit a few photos on the computer but I worked more on scanning old family photos from my mom's scrapbooks to digitize them.  Here's an example.....

This is my maternal Great Great Grandfather(my mother's paternal Grandfather), Robert William Harper taken in 1950.  Born in 1881, Robert had a hard childhood with both of his parents dying before he turned 15.  He outlived his wife, 7 sisters and a daughter as well.  He was 69 in this photo and had written on the back "Looking good for 69.".  He died before I turned 2 so I have no memories of him.  I'll have to ask my brother who is 6 years old then me what he remembers the next time I see him.

* Post about Old Trips  FAIL  Nope.

* Work on Genealogy  PASS  See the item above on photos. lolz

* Roll/Spend/ECBs  PASS  I managed to extricate myself from the CVS merry-go-round in March.  No more ECBs to roll and I don't plan on going back(at least until Black Friday if their deals tempt me enough). ;-)

* Roll/Spend Bonus Cash  PASS  Yep!

*Clean my Desk  PASS  I did clean it good in March.

* Eat down the Freezer Pantry  PASS  We had a low spend month again in March and managed to eat from the freezer/stockpile a good bit instead of bringing more into the house(besides Ibotta deals).  Go us!

So now I am caught up at least for a few days until April ends. lololz

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

   The "Mother Nature is on Crack Evidently" Edition.......

Last weekend it got into the 70's then two days later it snowed on and off for the next two days and we woke the first morning to a heavy dusting.

It's the end of April for gosh sakes!  I posted on Facebook--Dear Mother Nature,

Stop the drinkin' and the tokin' and for gosh sakes PLEASE go back on your meds!

Signed, Pennsylvania

Onward to the meal planning!
Moving On-

This is what was planned....

1. Sunday--Shrimp and Crab Ravioli in White Sauce, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Chicken Strips

3. Tuesday--Salmon, Sweet Potato Wedges, Brussels Sprouts

4. Wednesday-- Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Rice or Noodles
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Tacos or Taco Salad

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

And this is what really happened.......

1. Sunday--Shrimp and Crab Ravioli in White Sauce, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Chicken Strips

3. Tuesday--Salmon, Sweet Potato Wedges, Sugar Snap Peas

4. Wednesday--Chinese Take-Out
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Roasted Chicken and Assorted Veggies, Sourdough Bread

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself(I had Hot and Sour Soup)

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY and 1 night of Take-Out/Eating Out. The tacos and the teriyaki pork stir-fry didn't happen, might move to this week.  Ex-CB came over on Friday so I roasted a chicken and veggies that night instead.

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  1 frozen Pizza

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

* 1 package of Chicken Strips

* 1 bag of Ravioli

* 3 portions of Salmon

* 1 box of Sugar Snap Peas

* 1 Whole Roaster Chicken

We spent $15617 on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods last week on a trip to the Bread Outlet, the Discount Grocery but the bulk if that was at Walmart. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $415.50 for April so far.   I didn't even darken Weis(PMITA)Markets door last week but I still managed to spend quite a bit. ;-)

There are 4 shopping days left in April.

I've earned $308.62 on Ibotta in April.

I've earned $5.00 on Checkout51 in April.

I've earned $21.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in April.

I've earned 5,622 points from shopping on Fetch in April(haven't submitted all my receipts yet tho)which equals $5.62.

I've earned13,137 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in April which equals $52.54.

I've earned 3,705 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in April which equals $37.05.

My savings percentage for last week was 50.67%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for April and the monthly savings total for April comes in at 62.47%.(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week--1 small piece of Chicken Marsala, some roast chicken and roasted veggies.  I'll need to cook this week.

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

1. Sunday--Pizza, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Cheeseburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

3. Tuesday--Ham and Beans Soup

4. Wednesday--Fend for Yourself
5. Thursday--No Clue

6.  Friday--No Clue

7. Saturday--No Clue

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing.  I might finish up my $10 Ibotta bonus this week since I won't have the opportunity/time to do it after this week and before it expires.

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 Pillaging for the Week of April 18th....Whoa Nelly!

 Get ready for your Rite-Aid porn cousin!

Here is everything I "bought" this past week at Rite-Aid in two photos because I couldn't fit it all on the dining room table together. lolz

Not pictured are two large DiGiorno pizzas as well as the two online orders I placed that haven't arrived yet.  Independent of the 4 different coupon codes you could also do an online order per card/account as well.  Online there was an extra discount of $10 off your order if you hit $65 total before digital Qs or that $10 discount.  It will be about another week before 6 x Magnilife products, 2 x 7th Generation Paper Towel bundles, 2 x 7th Generation Dish Soap bottles and 6 bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide arrive but I have included them in the totals.

I was also forced to spend $2.52 on a credit card for one of my online orders as I was short that much in Bonus Cash and the form wouldn't let me use a gift card. sigh.  So I won't have a 100% savings rate this month. 8-P

Here are the numbers for R-A from last week.......

Bonus Cash Used/Rolled  $423.05
Gift Card Used                   $11.04
Credit Card                          $2.52
Total Spent                       $436.61

Bonus Cash Earned          $378.00
Ibotta/Coupons dotcom      $21.00
Cash Refund on 3 items       $8.34
Total Back                        $407.34

$436.61-$407.34=$29.27 OOP either on the c/c($2.52) or spending down BC($26.75).

Not quite free but it's a living. 8-))
I'm taking a break from R-A this week as it's not a great deal week(no coupon codes either)and I don't need to roll my BC anytime soon.

Now to work on my Walmart/Ibotta numbers from Friday.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday on Saturday....the April 24th Edition

*** Don't Forget To Enter The April Giveaway!  You can enter once a day.  Go to the post or the link on the  right sidebar under Giveaway to enter.***

Life has been crazy business this past week.  Between RL stuff and preparing for a trip and working on Ibotta and going to Rite-Aid a bazillion times(plus repairing a friend's pair of jeans)I've gotten not much else done and what got done wasn't done in a timely manner.  Such is life.....  Which means FF on Saturday as I am a day behind.

Here are some wins from the past week.........

*  My desk lamp(actually a standing lamp next to my desk)finally got replaced.  It was a cheap clearnce find at a Walmart in West Virginia years ago but the screw on shade finally cracked all the way around so it was a bare lightbulb deal for the last few months and I felt like I was being interrogated by the coppers when using it. lol
I looked online for an inexpensive replacement lamp but came up empty, then we had to go to Lowe's to scope out replacment fixtures for the bathroom we are having redone and I wandered down the lighting aisle there and found a lamp that worked for me!

The best part it was free since I used the last of an old Lowe's gift card I earned through my credit card points. 8-))

*  Since I've spent almost nothing of the various "stimmy" checks Uncle Sam sent me and my desk chair was getting uncomfortable/worn out I had found one I liked online but the price was too high so I got on their notification list for if it ever went on sale/the price was reduced.  I know, I know....it was "free" money to begin with but I still wasn't going to spend more than $XX on a chair. ;-)  Finally got it as the price came down....

Now all my adult gamer children are lusting after it....except it's purple! lolz

*  I have been making Rite-Aid my bitch this week, using those 4 different Coupon Codes.  No photos yet because I am going out this morning to finish up and what's here is still laying in bags on the floor in the dining room. #notagreathousekeeper  

I'll do a massive haul photo shot tomorrow, probably just for Sonya Ann's enjoyment. ;-)

* Other than R-A I've hit two different Walmarts this week working on various Bonuses.  I did a blog post a day or so ago about the first Walmart trip so I'll get something done up about trip #2 from Friday later on and how much I "spent" OOP after rebates on various apps.

*  I found money!
Not a stellar week for change finds but it was something.

There may be another penny or two hidden amongst all the crap on my desk but I haven't had time to find it so 3 pennies it is.  It was all found last weekend or earlier this week so I don't even remember when or where but the probability is high they were all found at Rite-Aid since the only places I've been this week are at multiple R-As and Walmart.

That's all I have for this week.

Tell us your wins and remember to stay frugal my friends!

Sluggy

Ibotta Midweek Bonus & 4 Other Rebate Apps...Not Free But Still Alright by Me

Here's how I did the Bonus on Ibotta this week.  

First at Rite-Aid I bought.....
2 x Almay make-up wipes on clearance=$3.24
2 x Got2Be stylers on clearance=$3.84
2 x Haribo Z!ng gummies on sale=$3.00

Total OOP was Zero(used Bonus Cash and combined these items with others so I could use a Spend $50/Get $15 in Bonus Cash Q).

Then at Walmart I bought.....
1 x Butterball Turkey Sausage=$2.34
1 x Breakstone cottage cheese=$3.14
1 x Gatorade Zero drink=$1.78
1 x Gatorade Super Shake=$2.98
1 x Godiva chocolate bar=$2.98
1 x Nestle spring morsels/chips clearance=.87¢
1 x Celestial Seasonings Tea=$2.37
1 x Airwick scented starter kit=$2.97
1 x Colgate Renewal toothpaste=$6.96
6 x Renuzit air fresheners=$5.82
2 x Cremo shave cream(online price adjusted)=$10.84
1 x Cheerios multigrain w/strawberries=$3.64
1 x Larabar cereal=$6.48
1 x Wonderworks Keto cereal=$6/98(yikes!)
1 x Shea Moisture men's shampoo clearance=$1.00* not an Ibotta offer but earned me 600 pts. on

Total OOP at Walmart....$57.40+$1.25 tax=$58.65  This was after using 3 coupons on 3 items(Gatorade, Celestial Seasonings, Colgate)totaling $2.25 in discounts too.

$7.00 in regular rebates at Rite-Aid
$24.60 in regular rebates at Walmart.
General Mills Bonus of .50¢
Alba Botanical/Celestial Seasonings Bonus of $1.00
$5.00 Midweek Bonus for doing 15+ reg. rebates.
$38.10 in rebates on Ibotta.

I also submitted to Coupons dotcom for a $2.75 rebate for the 3 cereals I bought($1 off Larabar, $1 Wonderworks, .75¢ off  Cheerios).
I submitted the Walmart receipt to Shop Kick and got 600 Kicks for the Shea Moisture men's item($2.40).
I submitted the Walmart and Rite-Aid receipts to Fetch and got 3,196 points back($3.19)/
I submitted the Walmart receipt to SwagBucks and got 253 points($2.53-it should have been 503 pts. but they shorted me 250 pts.on the toothpaste).
All these came to $10.87 in rebates.
When added to the Ibotta rebates the Grand Total earned is $48.97 in rebates on $58.65 spent OOP so $9.68 including tax for everything.

I would have been a slight moneymaker as I tried to use a $10 prepaid Visa card at Walmart but the self-check out wouldn't take it and I wasn't going to bother the CSM on duty for a third time to get it accepted.  I'll just use it at Weis where I know I won't have a problem with it(of course, now that I've written that, there will be a problem at Weis(PMITA)Markets.). lolz

Not a bad day of shopping. ;-)

Sluggy

How About Another Giveaway?!?

Who's ready for the Fourth Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway for 2021?!?

It's April and Spring has sort of sprung so let's get this Giveaway started.  You only have a limited number of days to enter this Giveaway so don't delay!      

Let's take a look at what is in the Giveaway Box this month.........

1 x Kid's Colgate Toothpaste

1 x Starbucks Maple Pecan ground coffee

1 x Suave 2 in 1 shampoo

1 x Nivea body lotion

1 x Speed Stick men's deodorant

1 x Colgate Minions battery toothbrush

1 x Oral-B manual toothbrush

1 x Ricola Cool Relief drops(Lemon Frost)

1 x Crest toothpaste

1 x Yardly bar soap(oatmeal)

1 x Listerine Ready Tabs

2 x Freman face masks(Peel off Gel Mask and Clay Mask)

1 x Cover Girl black-brown mascara

1 x Carmex lip balm tube

14 x assorted Lindor/Lindt Truffles

Close up shots of these goodies.....

There is a caveat.....the Starbucks coffee has a Best By date of Feb.13 2021.  Coffee stays fresh unopened for quite awhile and it smells great still but if this is a problem for you then don't enter this giveaway, wait for the next one. ;-)

Depending on where you shop, the winnings have a reg. retail value of between approximately $50-$60.

Here's how this is going to work.....

* The giveaway is open to ALL readers, previous winners or not.

* There is a limit of ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER DAY.  Come back each day to enter again.

* Only VALID entries will be posted.  A Valid entry is a limit of one per day and I MUST HAVE VALID CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOU(either you are on the Giveaway Contact List which I maintain, your comment is connected to a Google/Blogger profile which links to your email address or you email me directly(my email is in the side bar on the Blog)your email address.

IF YOU ENTER THE GIVEAWAY AND DON'T SEE YOUR COMMENT AFTER A DAY OR SO(Give me time to post the entries each day)THAT MEANS YOUR ENTRY ISN'T VALID DUE TO ONE OF THE ABOVE REASONS AND IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIX YOUR ENTRY!

I will no longer spend time hunting down folks.  If you want to win, read ALL the rules and do the work.

From all the VALID entries I receive I'll pick a winner at random and the winner has 48 hours from when the post goes live to contact me with their full mailing address.

In your entries I'd like to hear about your plans for Spring....Gardening?.....Getting Vaccinated?.....Travel Plans and where?.....Having family over?.....Any remodeling plans if you can locate someone to do the work?lol........Updates on your family, your kids, your life, etc.?  Whatever you want to share.

If you are on my Giveaway emails list just leave a comment and your name(with last name initial please)to enter. If you aren't on the Giveaway emails list make sure you leave your email in your comment OR email me your email privately after you leave a comment(my email is in the side bar area under "About Me").
I'll leave this giveaway open until May 3rd, Monday at 11:59 pm Eastern  Daylight Savings Time. On May 4th, Tuesday, I'll draw the winning entry and post the Winner. 

*Please note these rules*
I'll post the name/ID of the winners on this blog on  and those persons have 48 hours from the time stamp on that post to contact me privately via email(my email addy is listed on my "About Me" page, as well as on my side bar).

Disclaimer--This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses within the US only.  As the cost of postage to foreign countries has gotten too high I am sorry to say I can no longer afford to mail boxes outside the US.  These giveaways are not sponsored by any companies.  I pay for it all(the cost of items given away and the postage to mail it all)out of my own pocket.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you in your comment.

If you're not a registered Blogger User with YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION on your User page, please put your email addy in your comment or email me your email addy privately when you leave a comment so I can get a hold of you. If your Blogger associated user profile is a GOOGLE one make sure your email info is linked to your profile.

So let's get this Giveaway started. Good luck to everyone!!!

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

   The "Funny Dog Photos" Edition.......

This pic came up on my FB feed as I "liked" Crocs a long time ago.  I just thought it was too cute!

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned....

1. Sunday--Leftover Lasagna, Veggie TBD

2. Monday--Primo Hoagies

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday-- Chicken Marsala, sauté Cabbage
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Fend for Yourself

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

And this is what really happened.......

1. Sunday--Leftover Lasagna, leftover Brussels Sprouts

2. Monday--Primo Hoagies(Hubs had a BOGOF offer for his birthday)

3. Tuesday--Eating Out(I had a Fish Dinner)

4. Wednesday-- Fend for Yourself(I wasn't up for anything but sleep that day/night)
5. Thursday--small tv dinners(I had chicken alfredo with broccoli and noodles), Green Beans(Hubs "cooked")

6.  Friday--Pot Pies(Something easy from the freezer)

7. Saturday--Chicken Marsala, Mashed Taters, Broccoli

Last week saw 1 night of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY, 2 nights of frozen meals, and 2 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.  
We had to go North for my 2nd Covid shot on Tuesday so we stopped on the way home for an early dinner at a pub with a scenic view.  Wednesday I wasn't up for much of anything but sleep and I don't know what Hubs ate(we had a few leftovers and I had bought him burritos at Walmart the week before).  Hubs heated up small tv dinners and a box of frozen green beans Thursday and we had pot pies from the freezer on Friday since I went out that day and it wiped me out(plus my chicken cutlets hadn't thawed in time to cook them that night).  Saturday I made a "proper" dinner....the first one all week! ;-)  It was a dismal culinary week meal-wise but we ate food and lived to tell the tale. lolz

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  2 packages of Chicken Cutlets(w/discount stickers and BOGO)

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

* 1 package of Chicken Cutlets

* 1 box of Green Beans

* 4 small pot pies

* 2 small tv dinners

* 1 bag of Broccoli

We spent $119.22 on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods last week. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $259.33 for April so far. 

There are 11 shopping days left in April.

I've earned $228.47 on Ibotta in April.

I've earned $5.00 on Checkout51 in April.

I've earned $18.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in April.

I've earned 522 points from shopping on Fetch in April(haven't submitted all my receipts yet tho).

I've earned $31.80 worth of points from food shopping on Shop Kick in April.

I've earned 1,234 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in April.

My savings percentage for last week was 54.98%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for April and the monthly savings total for April comes in at 67.19%.(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week--a helping of Lasagna, a little Broccoli and Taters and 3 small pieces of Chicken Marsala. Another week where I have to cook a lot.

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

1. Sunday--Shrimp and Crab Ravioli in White Sauce, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Chicken Strips

3. Tuesday--Salmon, Sweet Potato Wedges, Brussels Sprouts

4. Wednesday-- Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Rice or Noodles
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Tacos or Taco Salad

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Might need more stir-fry type Veggies.  Otherwise everything else is coming out of the freezer/fridge/pantry.  It's not an exciting food week but it will get the job done.

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

For Sonya's Viewing Pleasure

Cousin Sonya gets her jollies looking at my Rite-Aid pillaging so even though nobody else wants to see this, I indulge her now and again on the blog.

Here ya go Gurl!

Here is everything I brought home(at least I "think" this is everything)last week from Rite-Aid.  This photo includes 10 packs of baby wipes, 8 bags of clearance Epsom salts, 7 Nivea men's face products, 10 bottles of Vitamins/Supplements, 2 boxes of clearance hair dye, 2 packs of Preparation H wipes, 2 bags of dishwasher tabs, 2 bottles of spray disinfectant, 2 bottles of clearance Gray Away hair powder, 3 rolls of paper towels, 1 big jug of liquid hand soap, 1 bottle of clearance Eucerin lotion, 2 bottles of clearance Gain dish soap, 2 Kerasal foot masks, 12 big bags of candy, 2 Got2Be clearance stylers, 1 Got2Be clearance hair chalk, 4 Almay clearance cosmetic items, 5 Revlon clearance cosmetic items and 1 tube of clearance Mederma scar away.

Between all the Bonus Cash used and also used about half of a free R-A $50 gift card and all the BC earned back, Ibotta rebates, Coupon dotcom digital Qs monies earned back plus a whole .30¢ earned back on Swag Bucks on a roll of paper towels, I have "spent down" my BC/Gift Cards by $8.68.

This week there is a "Spend $50/Get $15 in Bonus Cash" Coupon Deal.  Supposedly there are 4 different coupon codes but I haven't found the 4th one yet.

Sluggy

F Word Warning For the Sensitive! 8-)))

This song says it all for me today.........lolz

I'm just over lots of stuff lately so let's say it in a rousing way!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the April 17th Edition

 Here are the frugal wins for this past week........

*  Well I lied last week.  We DID have Take-Out/Eating Out last week.  I totally forgot about going out for Hubs birthday to Outback. Duh!  The good news is we had an old partially used gift card for that place so one of us ate free. lolz  I only ate half my meal saving the other half for lunch the next day. ;-)

*  Because of the $10 off $50 Rite-Aid coupon there was a bit of R-A pillaging......

You can read all the details in previous blog posts I wrote on those trips if interested.

*  Last Saturday this arrived in the mail.........

A prepaid debit card with a refund of an overcharge from 2018.  Back then Daughter was still on our insurance and we were paying her co-pays and this is a refund for something they overcharged us for.  I'd prefer they sent a refund in the form of a check but I'll take this anyway.  I can add this to my food budget and leave the equivalent amount on this card in our bank account instead. 8-)

*  I found money!

Last Friday's trip to Walmart netted me this penny tucked under a magazine rack while I was checking out.

On the way home on Friday I treated myself to a Chalupa at Taco Bell(using a gift card).  I did a little stretching exercise to reach this penny on the ground in the drive-thru lane.  I got it without falling out of my seat in the car even though I have inordinately short arms. lol

On Monday I hit the trifecta of pennies at my Rite-Aid.  That brown floor mat in front of the register counter camouflages pennies it seems because I spied 3 of them when it was my turn to check-out.  Woot!!

While waiting to get my Covid shot at the R-A 80 miles north of here on Tuesday I found 4 pennies on a table next to the chair I was sitting in in the waiting area by the pharmacy.  I reached for them and snagged one then Hubs "penny blocked" me and wouldn't let me take the other three.  Nobody else was around and coming back for them as they were obviously abandoned as being worthless pennies.  Hubs gets embarrassed when I pick up change because as he says, "We don't need it!".  He thinks it's demeaning to pick up change. Silly rabbit!  I'll remind him he said that the next time he tries to beat me to a nickel laying under the Amazon lockers in Walmart! 
I should have told him I'd be right there when we left the store and then gone back for Abe's 3 little friends in the back of the store. ;-)

Total Change This Week.... .06¢
Total Change This Year......$2.46

That's about it for this week unless you count getting 2 free Covid shots in order to hopefully stay out of the hospital and not come down with this horrible illness.

What frugal wins did y'all have this past week?

Sluggy

More Rite-Aid & My Shot!

While I was waiting in Rite-Aid for my Covid shot on Tuesday(and then afterwards before they let me leave)I looked around to see if I could put together a transaction using that $10 off $50 Q.  And guess what?  I did!

4 x Caramels and Tootsie Pops on sale=$10.00
2 x 7th Generation wipes 20% Gold disc.=$7.18
2 x Got2Be styling items clearance=$3.98
3 x Almay eye shadow clearance=$6.72
2 x Nivea shave balm 20% Gold disc.=$12.78
2 x Nivea face wash 20% Gold disc.=$11.98
4 x R-A Epsom Salts clearnce=$2.56
SubTotal........$55.20

The only coupon I used was the $10 off $50 so the total was $45.20+$1.74=$46.94 paid for with Bonus Cash and a free R-A gift card.

I earned $15 in new BC($5 wyb2 7th Generation, $5 double dip on the candy bags, $5 wyspend $20 on men's Nivea).

I submitted to Ibotta and earned $21.20(2 x $1.50 Got2Be stylers, 2 x $1.75 Nivea shave, 2 x $2.85 Nivea face wash, 3 x $3.00 Almay eye), .75¢ Nivea Bonus and the $3 Mid Week Moneymaker Bonus so a total of $24.95 cash back.

$15+$24.95=$39.95 earned back so after converting some BC to cash I spent down the BC by $6.99.

Mission accomplished.

I'm feeling less fatigued today so thanks for all the well wishes.
Here's a bit of fun for your Thursday afternoon......

Sluggy

No Post Today & I Don't Know About Tomorrow Either

 I went to get my second Covid shot yesterday and got up this morning to it kicking my butt.  So I won't be posting today(other than this message)and we'll see about tomorrow.

I did want to share this clock at the bar Hubs and I stopped at afterwards for a bite of lunch.

I know the photo is fuzzy but I took it from across the room.  The numbers go from 12 to 1, not 1 to 12 and it runs backwards.  What looks like a few minutes before 9 is actually a few minutes before 3. lolz  I tell ya if you were drinking heavy in this place and looked up at that clock you'd be ready to see pink elephants next. 8-)))

Back tomorrow or the next day.  I'll be lounging in bed if anyone needs me.....

Sluggy

Ibotta This Week-A little Weis & Little Rite-Aid

 I have a $3 for 8 Offers Bonus this week on Ibotta.  First off I went to Weis9PMITA)Markets and picked up an almost freebie, a loaf of Nature's Own bread for $3.29 which had a $2.99 rebate back on Ibotta.  I also got an almost free Secret deodorant there.  There was a $2.30 digital Q at Weis on that(reg. price of $3.29), so after the Q and the .45¢ Ibotta rebate it was .54¢ OOP.  Add in the Dial men's body was on clearance at 50% off($2.64)and a $1 rebate I spent a total OOP on these 3 items of $2.48 and only need 5 more rebates for that Bonus.

So I went to Rite-Aid(of course!lol).  There are two different Spend $50/Get $10 Off Qs this week so I put together a transaction to spend down my Bonus Cash on one card.........

4 x Caramel Creams bags on sale 2/$5=$10.00

1 x Soft Soap liquid soap jug on sale=$4.99

2 x Gain dish soap clearance=$1.78

2 x 7th Generation baby wipes 20% gold disc.=$7.18

4 x Epsom Salts 75% clearance=$2.56

2 x Prep H wipes 20% gold disc. better=$12.78

1 x Got2Be hair chalk 75% clearance=$1/74

1 x Eucerin gold 75% clearance=$2.32

2 x Almay cream eye shadow 75% clearance=$4.48

1 x Almay mascara 75% clearance=$2.24

2 x MandM minis on sale=$1.76

SubTotal.......$51.83

Coupons Used

1 x $10/$50 R-A Q=$10.00

1 x $2/1 Soft Soap In-AdQ=$2.00

1 x $1/1 Gain dish soap L2CQ=$1.00

2 x $2/1 Prep H wipes IPQ(website)=$4.00

1 x $2/1 Eucerin IPQ(NLA)=$2.00

1 x $1/2 MandM minis IPQ=$1.00

1 x $3/1 Almay IPQ=$3.00

Coupon Total.....$23.00

$51.83-$23.00=$28.83+.35¢ tax=$29.18 paid with Bonus Cash.

I earned back $16 in new BC(double dip candy-2 x $1 wyb2, 1 x $3 wyspend $10, $1 Soft Soap, $5 wyb2 7th Generation, $5 wyb2 Prep H)and I had tracking toward the Eucerin deal even though that was a clearance item.

Certain Nivea lotions double dip with a weekly deal and a monthly deal but make sure the variety you are buying has both tags.

I also submitted to Ibotta and got $11.75 back(1 x $2.50 Got2Be hair, 3 x $3 Almay eye, .25¢ any item)which gives me 6 rebates toward the $3 bonus and I only need 2 more to get there.

$16 back in Bonus Cash and $11.75 back on Ibotta makes it $29.18-$27.75 back so I didn't really spend down much($1.43 spent down)but rather converted most of that BC to cash.

Total spend OOP at both stores.......$2.48

Total Ibotta earned at both stores....$16.19

2 more days to buy two more items for an extra $3 Bonus.

Easy Peasy!

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

  The "Kim's Christmas Present" Edition.......

I found this toy at Ollie's at Xmas time and immediately thought of Kim.  A little doll with a sewing machine, a mannequin and fabric. Too precise!

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned....

1. Sunday--Lasagna, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2. Monday--Dinner out(Hubs' birthday)

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Hot Dogs, sauté Cabbage
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what really happened.......

1. Sunday--Lasagna, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2. Monday--Dinner out(Hubs' birthday)

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Hot Dogs, sauté Cabbage
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Chinese Take-Out

7. Saturday--Leftovers

Last week saw 2 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY, and 2 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.  The hot dogs may have happened on a different(I can't remember now).

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  1 pack of Beef ribs

*  1 pack of Burritos

*  2 bags of plant "Chicken" nuggets

*  3 smalll tv dinners

*  1 bag grilled Chicken strips

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

* 1 frozen Lasagna

*  Hot Dogs

We spent $79.58 on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods last week. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $140.11 for April so far. 

There are 18 shopping days left in April.

I've earned $119.02 on Ibotta in April.

I've earned $5.00 on Checkout51 in April.

I've earned $7.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in April.

I've earned 522 points from shopping on Fetch in April(haven't submitted all my receipts yet tho).

I've earned $10.40 worth of points from food shopping on Shop Kick in April.

I've earned 500 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in April.

My savings percentage for last week was an incredible 75.02%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for April and the monthly savings total for April comes in at 73.34%.(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week--a few helpings of Halushki and half the Lasagna.  That's it.  That also means I have to cook this week. meh.

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

1. Sunday--Leftover Lasagna, Veggie TBD

2. Monday--Primo Hoagies

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday-- Chicken Marsala, sauté Cabbage
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Fend for Yourself

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Mushrooms.  As for most of the meals I have no clue.

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