Walmart & Rite-Aid This Week to Get to My Bonuses

 Trying to spend down and/or convert my Bonus Cash to cash through Ibotta so I hit up Rite-Aid on Monday and brought this home..........

2 x Colorista temporary spray color 75% off=$5.26
1 x Almay eye product 75% off=$2.24
1 x Almay face product 75% off=$3.49
1 x L'Oreal lipstick 75% off=$2.37
3 x Vaseline tiny tubs clearance=$1.47
1 x Vaseline cocoa butter tub 20% Gold Disc.=$1.59
SubTotal.....$16.42

Coupon used was the In-Ad Colorista $4/2 R-AQ so Grand Total was $12.42+.75¢ tax=$13.17 paid for with Bonus Cash.

I earned $8 in new BC(2 x $4 Vaseline)and converted $13 via Ibotta on everything but the Vaseline products.

I then had 4 of the 15 offers for a $3 Midweek Bonus on Ibotta.

Tuesday I went to Walmart and got this stuff........

1 x Good Moo'd reduced lactose milk=$3.68

2 x Suave men's body wash(large ones on clearance-.75¢ ea.)=$1.50

1 x Suave lotion=$1.72

1 x Jergens lotion=$3.48

2 x Ritz toasted chips rollback=$5.00

1 x Frigo feta cheese=$2.12

1 x Sargento creamery cheddar slices=$2.95

1 x Cracker Barrel block=$3.18

2 x U by Kotex pads=$10.94

1 x 6 pack Deer Park water=$2.12 *not in picture

1 x Colgate Renewal toothpaste=$6.96 *not in picture

2 x XXX item=$6.22 (can't show/mention it as it's a gift)

1 x Old Tyme Raisin Bread=$2.78

Subtotal........$52.69

I used $11.25 in Qs so $41.44+.23¢ tax=$41.67

I used a $25 free Shop Kick gift card which brought my OOP down to $16.67.

I earned rebates back on the milk, all 3 cheeses, the Jergens, the Colgate, the XXXX items and the pads=$17.00 on those 8 rebates plus a $2 Level 3 June Bonus.

Then I hit a different R-A near that Walmart and got all this..........

8 x Vaseline tiny tubs on clearance=$3.94

3 x boxes of candy on sale=$3.00

5 x Health Warrior protein bars on clearance=$2.45

1 x Revlon brow kit 75% off=$3.24

1 x Revlon lip crayon 75% off=$2.49

SubTotal....$15.10+.58¢=$15.68 paid for with BC and gift card. (I used no Qs.)

I earned back $16 in new BC(4 x $4 Vaseline).

I also converted some BC to cash via Ibotta earning $12 there plus hit the $3 Midweek Bonus.

Total OOP for all 3 trips......$16.67

Total BC earned.......$24.00

Total Ibotta rebates earned....$47.00

Spent $16.67, earned/converted $71.00.

And my Bonus Cash pile is dwindling as planned. 8-)

Sluggy

Well It Figures.......

 This happened near where I live......

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pa-police-break-up-exorcism-in-home-depot-lumber-aisle/2861028/

Just when you thought you'd heard/seen the wackiest things.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table...HaHaHa

 The "Sort of Back to Meal Planning"...

I think this fortune cookie I cracked open in June says it all as far as life here right now. lol

(If you can't read it, it says "Don't panic.)

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--FFY-I had a small tv dinner

2. Monday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges

3. Tuesday--Spinach Salad and TBD

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

6.  Friday--Salad, Pizza(homemade on flatbreads)

7. Saturday--Leftovers

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

1. Sunday--FFY-I had a small tv dinner

2. Monday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges

3. Tuesday--Chinese Take-Out(I had Hot and Sour Soup)

4. Wednesday--Spinach Salad(didn't need anything else)
5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself(We had Father's Day lunch out)

6.  Friday--Salad, Flat Bread Pizza

7. Saturday--Leftover Chicken Sausage, Collards

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

* 8 pack of burrito

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

* 2 tv dinners

* 1 pack Chicken Apple Sausages

I went a little wild with food shopping this week. *Sluggy hangs her head in shame.*

We spent a whopping $271.24 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at Target(both in store and online), P and R Outlet, Aldi and Walmart.  No Weis(PMITA)Markets again. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $326.50 for June.   Hopefully I'm done with June and can claim it a success in keeping under $400 spent!

There are 2 shopping days left in June.

I've earned $263.24 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $8.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in June.

I've earned 15020 points from shopping on Fetch in June which equals $15.02.

I've earned 5,531 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June which equals $22.12.

I've earned $25 in Target gift cards.

I've earned $7.44 back in a rebate from Snuggle(hopefully that one pans out).

I've earned 1021 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in June which equals $10.21(if they ever finish fixing my ticket).   

That's $271.24 in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch/Snuggle/Target gift cards)on $326.50 in grocery spending so in reality it's $125.06 spent after the Ibotta and Coupons dotcom rebate apps.

My savings percentage for last week was 32.82%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for June and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 51.41%.(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week...some carnitas, 2 helpings of Collards and 1 hot dog.  It's going to be hot as blazes here for late June/early July so I really don't want to cook hot food(or eat it for that matter). bleh.

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

1. Sunday--BLT Sandwiches(finally got ahold of a "good" tomato

2. Monday--Chicken Thighs, Zuke in Tomato Sauce, Rice

3. Tuesday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges, Green Beans or whatever

4. Wednesday--Salad, Flatbread Pizza
5. Thursday--more BLTs maybe"

6.  Friday--Salad, Whatever, it will be too hot to cook

7. Saturday--Cook-Out at Son's place(I'm not cooking)

You can tell I am not enthused about cooking this week, can't you?;-)

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this "sort of" menu? Not a single thing.  I hope to not grocery shop this week. 8-)))  Sluggy plans, God laughs....

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

Frugal Friday.....2 Fridays Worth of Weeks the Sunday June 27th Edition

 I know I've been MIA a lot lately.  Between bathroom renovation, organizing stockpile sale, going to Boston for awhile, mailing out the June Giveaway Box(it should be on the way Debbie!!!), doing stuff for Hubs for Father' day and having the stockpile sale again plus all the other Real Life stuff, I just haven't had time to blog but in spurts and fits.  Things should settle down shortly but I have lots of chores to do here including still changing out my Summer clothing.

As I was up near "Bastahn" last Friday the 18th I owe y'all two Frugal Fridays so here goes............

Week of June 11th to 18th--

* I only spent $27.64 on groceries in that time frame.  Too overwhelmed with finding what to wear to the funeral and other things to go out and spend money.  Hubs just ate what was here and didn't starve. lol

* I got a $26.61 refund at Rite-Aid on the 12th. *sorry no photo of that*

* I found money!

I found .76¢ at Rite-Aid. as the customer 2 people in front of me threw his coin change on the counter and left.  The person checking out in front of me ignored it.  When my turn came I said, "I will save this abandoned money!" lol

Then while unpacking my computer bag at the hotel outside of Boston I heard jingling in one of the pockets.  Opened it up and .44¢ fell out on the desk.  Hmmm.  Now this is the same bag that went with us to Ocean City in 2019 and I found cash in it then.  I thought when I got home I had thoroughly searched...

Either I hadn't actually OR the alternate explanation is that Kim's Sissie had planted change in the bag as I brought it to her house in May on our beach trip, left it downstairs and she had access to it for most of my stay at her house.  And after she left that quarter on my bed when I got there so I had a head start beating Kim at the "change finding adventure" I am thinking it's Sissie's doing. 8-)

Total Found This Week...$1.21
Total Found This Year.....$5.36

* Having to make a last minute trip to Boston is not frugal in itself but I drove my little purple car so the gasoline bill was not as bad had I taken Hubs car and when I had to refill I looked for lower rate stations.

* I saved some money on eating while away.  I took breakfast with me on the trip there and spent $1 on a large iced tea at McDonald's.  One of my other cousins took me, my aunt and his granddaughter out to dinner Thursday night and paid.  I did the free hotel breakfast(and paid a $2 tip to the server since with Covid there guests can't go into the room where the breakfast buffer is laid and she has to bring what you want out to your table).  After the funeral mass there was a catering reception at a restaurant my cousin lived when they lived in this area of MA.  I paid $3 with tip for a ginger-ale.  I could have gotten ice water or coffee for free but opted not to.  The buffet was good but smallish and personally I didn't feel like eating much at this point after the day's "activities".  I did try to sneak two small portions of a 3 ft. sub sandwich(it was cut into 2" lengths)into my purse to take back to my room so I did have to go out and pay for more food that night.  I only had some unused Kleenex in my purse and the napkins there were cloth so I couldn't wrap them in anything but the clean Kleenex. After taking my aunt home and checking in with her sons I was indeed famished so I stopped at a nearby Micky D's for iced tea, a hamburger happy meal w/milk and apple slices and I treated myself to a small cone($7 total).

  I had forgotten about the sub pieces until I smelled them.  I took them out and salvaged the turkey and cheese but the veggies and bread were beyond saving.  So I had a turkey and cheese hamburger.  Here is what came out of the bottom of my purse when I got home even after cleaning it out in the hotel room!

Now my Vera Bradley purse smells like an Italian Deli.  Time to wash that baby! ;-)

I skipped the hotel breakfast having saved my apple slices from dinner to have before I hit the road on Saturday for home along with a bottled tea and ice water I had brought with me.  I made one stop for food in NY at a Mickey D's we stopped at in 2018(near where my 4x GGrandfather is buried).  Last time here I had found a boat load of change in the drive-thru but alas, I got skunked this trip.  I did get another Iced Tea and 2 of those fruit pies(apple)they sell($3 spent).  This made my food spending $16 for the entire trip. :-)

NOW LET'S MOVE ONTO..............
The week of June 19th to 25th

* Back home and I hit the grocery/rebate app deals with a vengance given I hadn't spent $122.06 through the first half of June.  There was a Target online on some foods.  My total came to $62.44 before discounts and digital coupons and I paid $60.92.  I have gone over what my total should have been three times and even with tax and the discounts it's suppose to be $53.25.  I did ear $20 in gift cards($5 dog treat deal, $5 wys $15 drinks, $10 wys $50 on food)but still.  I need to contact them on the errors.  I had 3 items in my order that were cancelled....perhaps they still charged me for those?

Hubs and I also did a Target in store shop, spending another $39.39 and getting a $5 Gift Card and I've sent for a full price rebate of $7.44 on the Snuggle.  We hit P and R outlet, then I hit Aldi and Walmart in the town south of us so tomorrow's food spending for the week will NOT be pretty. lol
But I did get a LOT back via the rebate apps and finished a ton of Bonuses on Ibotta.

* I found money!

This lone penny at Rite-Aid on the 22nd on the hand sanitizing station base back by the Pharmacy so I could pick it up an conveniently sanitize it. ;-)

Back at R-A on the 23rd for something and I found a quarter sitting on the walkway at the entrance right next to the trashcan outside!

Found Change This Week.... .26¢
Found Change This Year.....$5.62

*  We've been washing/drying clothes in the evening as usual as we get a time of day discount during certain evening hours from our electric provider.

* Other than taking Hubs out for his Father's Day meal on Thursday there has been no Take-Out/Eating-Out food.  He was Jonesing for Mexican so that's what we got(even though it's not high on my list as an eating out option.  He got to pick and I paid. yay.

* I had a refund of $8.10 at R-A and then a $1 post Q situation there last week so $9.10 cash monies back in my pocket too.\

* Just setting up for another Stockpile Sale on Saturday and getting my back to stop hurting took up a lot of my week otherwise which kept me from shopping more(thank Goodness!).

Ok, now my frugal things are all caught up.  Now I need to go clean....desperately!

How was your past 2 weeks?  Any frugal wins!  I'd love to hear them!!

Slugguy

Recent Rite-Aid Shops

 I hit Rite-Aid last week one time before leaving for MA last week and picked all this up.........

2 x Hydro Schick razors=$14.98
1 x Hydro women's razor=$8.49
1 x US Bic razor=$8.39
1 x US Bic razor refill=$9.99
1 x Tide on the go wipes 50% off=$3.14
1 x 6 pack Dove lavender bar soap=$6.99
1 x Aspercreme=$9.35
1 x Garnier Nutrisse color reviver 75% off=$2.25
4 x Health Warrior protein bars 50% off=$4.36
1 x Almay eye pallette 75% off=$2.74
2 x Colorista blue temporary hair coloring 75% off=$5.26
2 x Degree women's deodorant=$11.18
2 x Degree men's deodorant=$11.18
1 x Nutriss Garnier hair color 75% off=$2.25

Total after $48.75 in Qs including that $15 off $60 one from that week was $54.21 paid with Bonus Cash and gift card.
I earned back $16 in BC and $10.10 on Ibotta for this too.  Don't recall what/if any Shop Kick or Fetch I got.  Spent down the BC and converted a little to cash monies.

Then on this Tuesday I got all this and used one of the $10 off wyspend $50 Qs.....

2 x Quaker Oatmeal=2/$5.00**
2 x Sport tampons BOGO50%=$8.98
2 x Nerd Gummies=$2.00
1 x Boston Baked Beans=$1.00
2 x Dove men's deodorant BOGO50%=$10.93
2 x Dove women's deodorant BOGO50%=$7.33
5 x Health Warrior protein bars 50% off=$5.45
1 x Revlon eye palette 75% off=$2.74
1 x Revlon eyeliner 75% off=$2.74
2 x Revlon lip stick 75% off=$5.25
1 x Tide to go Wipes 50% off=$3.14

After $24(should have been $27 but a $3 Playtex L2CQ didn't come off so I had to call to get $3 in BC back on my card)in Qs the total came to $39.81 paid for with Bonus Cash and gift card.  I earned $11.00(counting that $3 snafu)in new BC and $25.50 on Ibotta.

** The new cashier had problems.  first they hit the pay button before I handed over my coupons and then when they had to rering it all they forgot to charge me for an oatmeal, so I had to go back the next day and return the one I was charged for at reg. Gold discount price then rebuy 2 containers for the sale price.  

I am purposely trying to spend down the BC to zero before August because I am tired of the whole rebating and Rite-Aid and such. 8-P

Now excuse me while I go take Hubs out to the Mexican Restaurant he wants to go to for his Father's Day dinner. 8-)

Sluggy

And the June Winner Is..........

 Here's what was up for grabs this month.........

And the winning comment was............

Debbie H!

Debbie HJune 16, 2021 at 8:25 AM

We're vaccinated :) We are currently away for a week...up north in our state. We're here with two of our four daughters and their husbands. Wish it could have been all, but it's hard with so many work schedules and the kids' limited pto. My husband and I also go often to our camper, currently on a seasonal site this year. Planning on next year's out of state travel for a couple of family get togethers in WA and OR. Plus there's always house and yard projects! A lot gets crammed into our MN summers..haha!

Congratulations to Debbie and I need you to email me your mailing information to my personal email on the right sidebar under "About Me".

You have 48 hours after this post goes live to get in touch with me.  After that, I'll have to draw another winner.

Thanks for everyone who participated this month.  Come back in July for some more chances to win some of my crap. ;-)))

Sluggy

Last Day to Enter the Giveaway!

Today is your last chance to enter the current Giveaway.

Go HERE to enter before 11:59PM EDST tonight, June 22nd

Sluggy

Meal Plan? MEAL PLAN?? We Don't Need No Stinking Meal Plan!!

 The "Meal Plan?"...

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Chinese Take-out

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Grilled Chicken

3. Tuesday--Some Protein TBD, Sweet Potato Wedges

4. Wednesday--Chicken Parm, Spinach Salad
5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself

6.  Friday--Steak, Baked Potato, Tossed Salad

7. Saturday--Leftovers

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

1. Sunday--Chinese Take-out

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Grilled Chicken

3. Tuesday--No Clue

4. Wednesday--I had a slice of Raisin Bread
5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself

6.  Friday--FFY

7. Saturday--More Chinese Take-Out

Last week saw 1 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY and 2 night of Take-Out/Eating Out and 1 night of Who Knows!?.

I was out of town most of the week but I know I thawed and cooked up 5 thin chicken cutlets-one went into the Caesar Salad on Monday and Hubs did what he wanted with rest of them while I was gone. I would bet dollars to donuts that at least one dinner while I was gone involved pasta as well. lol When I got home late Saturday all I wanted was Hot and Sour Soup and bed.

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

* Nothing

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

* 5 chicken cutlets

We spent a whopping $18.33 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at Weis(PMITA)Markets before I skipped town.  Not home and didn't shop much-not to say I didn't also hit up Rite-Aid and use Bonus Cash before I left town too. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $122.06 for June.   

There are 9 shopping days left in June.

I've earned $142.25 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $3.50 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in June.

I've earned 7053 points from shopping on Fetch in June which equals $7.05.

I've earned 1036 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June which equals $4.14.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in June which equals $0.

That's $120.46 in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $103.73 in grocery spending.

My savings percentage for last week was 44.00%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for June and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 66.80%.(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week...some carnitas is all.  Hubs will take care of that for 1 or 2 lunches.

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

1. Sunday--FFY-I had a small tv dinner

2. Monday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges

3. Tuesday--Spinach Salad and TBD

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

6.  Friday--Salad, Pizza(homemade on flatbreads)

7. Saturday--Leftovers

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu? Nothing I can think of yet.  My brain still isn't back here totally. 

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

Feeling Low About the Death of my Cousin

 I got word that my cousin, Mel, died yesterday morning.  My mother was an only child and my father had one sister, my aunt.  So my only cousins are her 3 kids so now I have 2 cousins remaining.

My family lived in Virginia and they lived in Massachusetts so growing up we really didn't see them much.  They visited us in 1969 and we made a couple of trrips to see them and my grandmother in Massachusetts on a couple of Summer camping trips that are now infamous in our family.

This is a photo from the mid 1960's of my Aunt, Mel and her 2 older brothers in their backyard in MA

Then both our families fell apart because of divorce when we were both teenagers.  I visited with my Aunt, Grandmother and my cousins in the Summer 0f 1979 when I was doing Summer Stock theater in New Hampshire. I saw Mel at my Grandmother's funeral as Granny was buried down in Virginia with her second husband in 1981 the Fall after I graduated college and my Aunt and Mel came to the funeral.

I finally tracked Mel down on Facebook in 2015-she was married and I had a devil of a time finding out her married name.  Mel and I reconnected  via Facebook in 2015 and about that time we were both done raising our kids and readdy to "get our lives back" and travel, etc. she organized a small family gathering at her home in 2016 with all but 1 member of my father's family(aunt, cousins, their kids, etc.)present,

And then about 6 months later came the news of Mel's Lou Gehrig's Disease(aka ALS)diagnosis. sigh
Hubs and I saw them the Fall of 2018 when we took Kim and her hubby up to explore New England(we al had dinner with Mel and her hubby one night on that trip).

Then in 2019 on our way to Porcfest hub and I stopped by for a night to visit on our way to New Hampshire.  We had some laughs and went out to dinner and meandered around the harbor there.  She was still doing well even with the progression of that insidious disease.

Last Summer any plans to visit had to be put on hold(stupid COVID!)so there was just a little Facebook communication and then she took a turn for the worse about 6 months ago and went downhill fast and on Tuesday morning I got a call from her brother that Mel went to be with Granny and her dad(who passed in 2020)and heaven gained another angel.

I feel badly especially for her husband.  They seemed to have been deeply in love and I know he is hurting badly right now.  And is he special because he took care of Mel with love during her long(or short depending on how you look at it)illness.  He is a special kind of man.  Mel and her husband raised two fine sons together and dang it if she didn't become a grandmother before me. even though I am more than 2 years older than her.  ;-)

Mel was a kind, funny woman.....the light of my Aunt's eyes(not that she doesn't love all her children)but Mel was special.  Our lives seemed to have many parallels in them though we weren't close growing up or later in life.  I am so glad I reached out and reconnected as older women because she added something special to my life as she did to anyone she chose as her friend.  

Please do me a favor and reach out to someone in your life today you haven't seen or heard from in awhile.  Don't wait until later because you don't know if you'll get another day and another chance.
Mel didn't even make it to her 59th Birthday.  None of us is immortal and the older we get time is the enemy.  Embrace each other and every moment, both the mundane and the extraordinary.

Sluggy

New Giveaway...It's June? Whaaa!!

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

It's June already and May sort of slipped by me(due to my trip with the Fearsome Twins)so I'm due for a Giveaway..let's get this one 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........

2 x Kokie nail polish(Pop the Champaign, Forget Me Not-Gold w/glitter, blue grey)
1 x Vaseline spray lotion

1 x Suave sleek and shine conditioner

1 x Pantene shampoo

1 x Schick ladie's razors

1 x Colgate optic white toothpaste

1 x Doan's pain reliever pills

1 x Cover Girl concealer(medium)

1 x Rimmel mascara(2 pack)

1 x Riesen chocolate caramels

1 x Kokie lip gloss(On Fire-red)

1 x Revlon color correcting pen

1 x Oral B toothbrush

1 x Listerine ready tabs

1 x Carmex lip balm

1 x Almay eye shadow palette(160-Thrill Seeker-teals)

1 x Trident orange gum

1 x Rimmel eyebrow pencil(black)

1 x e.l.f. blending eye brush

Close up shots of these goodies.....

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 Summer....Have you gotten vaccinated?  Do you plan to travel and where or do you plan to have a Stayaction?  Your favorite places to go and do? 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 June 22nd , Tuesday at 11:59 pm Eastern  Daylight Savings Time. On June 23rd, Wednesday, 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!!!

This Week What Might or Might Not Be on the Dining Table

The "Donuts Everywhere Edition"...

I meant to post this last week for National Donut Day in honor of Kim but Hubs didn't send the photo to me from his phone in time. Found these dog frisbees at Ocean State Job Lot and thought of her. lol

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Pizza, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Soft tortilla Carnitas

3. Tuesday--Bratwursts on Rolls, leftover sides

4. Wednesday--Chicken Enchiladas
5. Thursday--some sort of Seafood, Sweet Tater Wedges

6.  Friday--? or Fend for Yourself

7. Saturday--Leftovers

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

1. Sunday--Pizza, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Soft tortilla Carnitas

3. Tuesday--Bratwursts on Rolls, leftover sides

4. Wednesday--Leftovers
5. Thursday--hot dogs, potato salad

6.  Friday--Fend for Yourself

7. Saturday--Corn on the cob, Leftovers

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.  We had lunch out on Friday while shopping so we just scrounged for dinner,

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

* 1 container of ice cream

Most of what we bought was toiletries and produce.

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

* Whiskey flavored pork roast

* 4 Bratwurst

* 4 hot dogs

We spent a whopping $36.60 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at 2 different stores(Walmart on Wednesday and the Produce Outlet on Friday).This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $103.73 for June.   

There are 16 shopping days left in June.

I've earned $116.96 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $3.50 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in June.

I've earned 7053 points from shopping on Fetch in June which equals $7.05.

I've earned 1036 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June which equals $4.14.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in June which equals $0.

That's $120.46 in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $103.73 in grocery spending.

My savings percentage for last week was 79.67%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for June and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 79.03%.(w/out R-A).  Higher than usual savings rate due to clearance at Walmart and cheap produce at the Produce Outlet.

Leftovers going into this week... potato salad, a helping of teriyaki pork stir-fry, lots of brown rice, some carnitas and 2 helpings of quiche.

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

1. Sunday--Chinese Take-out

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Grilled Chicken

3. Tuesday--Some Protein TBD, Sweet Potato Wedges

4. Wednesday--Chicken Parm, Spinach Salad
5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself

6.  Friday--Steak, Baked Potato, Tossed Salad

7. Saturday--Leftovers

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu? Nothing really.  Got the proteins and lots of fresh produce here from last week's shop.  Just need the "umph" to whip up the meals.

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

Frugal Friday....the June 11th Edition

Staying home most of the week leads to a not so exciting frugal week but we did have a few wins........

*I did go to Rite-Aid and got some free Daylogic razors among other things  when I went to pick up my Rxs.

* While at my unscheduled Walmart stop on Tuesday I tried the Freeosk and it was actually working!

I got this baby degree deodorant for free!

* Got a dr. appointment yesterday and this happened.......

Got a steroid shot in my knee joint. ouchie!  Not really, it wasn't bad and much less than hobbling around on what is was like. lol  Hopefully this helps stave off a knee replacement for awhile. ;-)

It's frugal as we have good medical insurance so this won't cost as much as a knee surgery if it helps.

* Been setting up for the Garage Stockpile Sale on Saturday and have posted the ads online for it this morning.  I have a bit more to set up and price plus I had a backlog of bags of crap to put out once I sell some of it. lolz Wish me luck and wads of cash!8-))

* I found money!

 While cleaning stuff out of the garage we came across an ugly handmade mug our daughter made in high school art class and left here.  I found a penny inside of it!

Monday I found 4 pennies at my Rite-Aid.  1 was on the floor and the 3 others someone left on the register counter and didn't want.

Total Found This Week... .05¢
Total Found This Year...$4.15

What good frugal finds did y'all have this past week?
Have a great Friday and Weekend!

Sluggy

Surprise! A Post!! Sort of.....

 Got almost everything staged in the garage and now it's time to price sticker it all. ugh.  Not quite as hot as the last few days....low 80's I can handle with breaks in the a/c now and again. 

I'll share photos at some point.

I also have a last minute dr. appointment for my knee in a couple of hours.....probably will result in a cortisone steroid shot.  fun times.  Then I get to come home and shot myself too in the leg for HS.
good times, good times.  Hopefully by Sat. morning I'll be able to function and run this sale.

No shopping at all for me except that Walmart run earlier in the week.  Ibotta hasn't sucked me in again....yet. lol

Sluggy

To Paraphrase Blobby & Urspo-I got nothing!

Well actually I do have stuff....soooo much stuff!  I just don't have time right now for much blogging.  I am preparing for a big stockpile sale on Saturday and it's so blazing hot out I can only stand being in the garage for limited amounts of time.  I finally got Hubs to help me arrange the furniture/shelving so now I  can lug shit out there and set it up, then take photos and post on various local websites.

And price stickers!  I went to Buck a Branch(aka Dollar Tree)yesterday to get little sticky dot price tags and they had NONE!  Which meant I had to then go to the Evil Empire(aka Walmart).  While there, after finding the sticky dots, I did a small haul to finish my Grand Slam and my Midweek Bonuses and paid a whole $6.28 OOP on all the Ibotta goodies after using a free Fetch $25 Gift card.  After rebates earned and a .50¢ coupons dotcom rebate on the ice cream too) rebates came to $36.43 making this trip was a $30.15 moneymaker(just counting the Ibotta items bought).

 I lucked out and found 2 vitamin clearance items that were $2.50 moneymakers plus another one that was free after rebate. I also found 3 items that were $5 total on clearance that didn't have Ibotta rebates but they were so cheap and stuff I could use(Move-Free, which might help my knee and some vitamins)so I brought those home too.

And I still haven't gotten a response from my Dr. about my knee issues.  I looked online and my message from 6/3 still hasn't been read by staff as of today, 6/9. Grrrr.  I suppose the doc is on vacation so nobody is in a hurry to check his messages.  Just another irritation on a hot humid sweltering day, right?

And the bathroom reno continues.  We had a delay as the shower walls still hadn't come in(and they still aren't in!)but everything else is done except sanding the spackled walls so we can paint....oh yeah, and buying paint. ;-)

Here's sneak peak at the floor........

It's a greyed laminate waterproof plank wood flooring.  All the stuff in there will be white with chrome or nickel accents(faucets, towel bar, etc.).  Nice and bright and clean looking as opposed to the big blob of  ugly tan it all was before.

I am off to gather more crap to sell and I may not be heard from again until Friday's frugal post.

Stay out of the heat y'all and have a good midweek!

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

  The "LOL" Edition.......

I got a big kick out of this meme.

Onward to the meal planning!
Moving On-

This is what was planned.....

1. Sunday--Mushroom Quiche

2. Monday--Dogs and Burgers, Pasta Salad

3. Tuesday--Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Veggies

4. Wednesday--Leftovers
5. Thursday--More Leftovers or FFY

6.  Friday--Pizza?, Salad

7. Saturday--Leftovers

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

1. Sunday--Mushroom Quiche

2. Monday--Dogs and Burgers, Pasta Salad

3. Tuesday--Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Veggies

4. Wednesday--Leftovers
5. Thursday--Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

6.  Friday--Grilled Teriyaki Salmon, Mixed Veggies

7. Saturday--Leftover Stir-Fry

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.  Most of what was planned happened but not necessarily on the correct night.

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

* 8 pints of ice cream 8-) It's summer!

* 2 lbs. bratwurst

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

* 2 pie shells

* 6 burgers

* 8 hot dogs

* 1/2 bag of mixed veggies

* 1 teriyaki pork loin

* 1 hunk of salmon

* 1 bag of stir-fry veggies

We spent a whopping $67.13 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at 2 different stores(Walmart on Friday and Weeis(PMITA)Markets on Sunday).This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $67.13 for June.   

There are 23 shopping days left in June.

I've earned $66.88 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $3.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in June.

I've earned 6,860 points from shopping on Fetch in June which equals $6.86.

I've earned 360 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June which equals $1.44.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in June which equals $0.

That's $69.88 in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $67.13 in grocery spending.

My savings percentage for last week was 56.67%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for June and the monthly savings total for June comes in at  56.67%.(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week...pasta salad, potato salad, a helping of teriyaki pork stir-fry, lots of brown rice and 1 whole quiche.

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

1. Sunday--Pizza, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Soft tortilla Carnitas

3. Tuesday--Bratwursts on Rolls, leftover sides

4. Wednesday--Chicken Enchiladas
5. Thursday--some sort of Seafood, Sweet Tater Wedges

6.  Friday--? or Fend for Yourself

7. Saturday--Leftovers

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu? Domino's will make Sunday's meal for me lol but otherwise I've got everything here.  Don't "need" anything immediately but I am 13 rebates away on Ibotta from that $10 Bonus so that will happen sometime this week or weekend. 8-)

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

Income & Spending 2021.....the May Report

 Now that we are living on an annuity and 401K$ withdrawals(some months), I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.

  I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out.  8-)

On to the May report---

I had 2 goals for May.......
The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fun may be to apply toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2021.

I can report that we finished up May in the black.
The amount we ended the month of May with?.....$282.14

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in May---

* Monthly annuity payment of $3,222.24(after tax withholding)
* RMSA(Healthcare account)reimbursement of $1,971.99
* Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $205.69

Total "Income" for May.....$5,399.92

Expenses in May---

* Healthcare Premium for May was $1,971.99(paid for with RMSA reimbursement)
* Irregular bills in May were $607.68(car insurance 6 mos.)
* Variable Expenses in April came to $2,538.11
Total Expenses....$5,117.78

$5,399.92-$5,117.78=$282.14

Slush into May of $46,882.97in that Fund, add the $282.14 in overage and we get $47,165.11 going into Mune.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows an addition of $282.14 for May..

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this April, here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  Internet and cell phone were the same as in April.

*  The WAM was the same amount taken as last month.

*  The electric bill was $24.13 lower than in April.

*  The water bill went down by $5.02 from last month.

*  The credit card bill was $407.86 lower than in April.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The gas bill was $5.42 higher than in April.
*  The Amazon bill was $147.06 higher than last month.
*  We had an irregular bill, the semi-annual car insurance payment of $607.68

The Food Budget costs for May are in another post, which is located HERE .  Food costs are included in the credit card payment(mainly but sometimes our WAM cash too).

FINAL THOUGHTS on May---Stayed under the food budget and most other bills wer trending down(except gas and Amazon)and we had money leftover so I'll call May a win. 8-)))
 

THOUGHTS going forward into June 2021----Well we are having the main bathroom renovated and we bought a new deck swing as the old one was rusted out.  The only irregular bill in June are the long term care premiums and we got a notice these are going up by about $100 each per quarter. bleh.

So the reno will cost us a chunk of our Slush fund which is looking quite healthy for now so I am not too worried about having a month where the bills are more than the income in June,

So how was your May financially? 

Did you spend less than the income you had in May?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?
Did you pay off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or a retirement account?
Or did you blow it on a want?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check out your progress too and celebrate or commiserate with you!


Sluggy

Walmart Ibotta & Fetch Haul

 Well I held off as long as I could but I ended up going to Walmart on Friday......

1 x Soft Scrub
2 x Splash water
1 x Deer Park water
1 x Zest soap pack
1 x Poise liners
1 x Pepsi Mango
1 x Bayer aspirin
1 x St. Joseph aspirin
1 x Trolli gummies
2 x Zantac
1 x Colgate Renewal toothpaste
2 x Clairol hair dye
2 x Campho Phenique
1 x Craisins packs
1 x Sun Sweet prunes
1 x Bowery Farms salad greens

I spent $67.24 after paper coupons for 22 items and then used a $25 Walmart gift card free from Shop Kick so $42.24 spent OOP.

I earned back...

*$1.40 on Shop Kick
*$6.86 on Fetch
*$3.00 on coupons dotcom
*$40.63 on Ibotta.

I don't count the Shop  Kick or Fetch until I cash out for a gift card so between coupon dotcom and Ibotta rebates and various bonuses I earned $43.63 making this haul a $1.39 moneymaker.

A couple of things double dipped and a couple of things I didn't have coupons for plus I misread the Campho Phenique rebate(I bought two but it was a limit of 1 for the rebate so I would have been better off using the $1.50/1 Q and buying one instead).  I finished the Weekend Warrior and I am almost half way through the $10 Grand Slam bonus as well.

Whatever, I am alright with free or better than free!

Ibotta keeps luring me in....make it stop! lol

Sluggy

Frugal Friday...the June 4th Edition

 A few frugal wins from this past week........

*  We went to our favorite nursery last weekend and got a flat of assorted veggies and flowers. Hubs planted everything with my supervision as my knee and back are still wonky this week.  Not a big garden but a few favorites that the flat of plants will provide.

*  We didn't eat out and mostly ate down the freezer and leftovers from the Memorial Day cook-out.

*  And contrary to belief I didn't hit ANY grocery stores.....well, until today but my frugal week runs Friday to Thursday anyway so it goes on next week's report. ;-)

*  I watched some free movies with my Amazon Prime account.

*  I've been cleaning out stuff to get ready for my stockpile sale as my old body has allowed me to.

*  I grew a couple of my Rite-Aid accounts Bonus Cash.  I found a store near the nursery that had Sally Hansen nail polish on sale for $1.49 per bottle and it counted toward the SH polish deal this week When you buy 2/Get $4 in BC back.  After sales tax it grew my BC by .85¢ per 2 bottles purchased.

*  I found money!

On my big outing last Friday I found this Quarter tucked behind the self-checkout machine I was using.

Then I stopped in at my Rite-Aid on the way home and found this nickel in front of the register counter.

Total Found This Week... .30¢

Total Found This Year....$4.10

That's it for this week.

I hope y'all had some frugal wins too!

Tell us all about them. 8-)

And have a good Weekend....

Sluggy