Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Thinking About What Tomorrow Holds

After some friends(and blog friends/readers)experienced having their spouses die I have spent some time thinking about what my life will/would be like if Hubs were to predecease me.  I know I have more health conditions than him but you never know who will go first(for want of a better expression).

I do know I could muddle along with keeping up the house and could ask my son in-law to fix anything I am incapable of doing myself(which is a lot).  But this house sits on 5+ acres and I'd have to resort to paying someone to keep it up(grass cutting, tree trimming, weeding, etc.)Not that I am adverse to paying for yard work but do I really want to worry about all this land needing upkeep.

I would only have my 2 dogs to keep me company if Hubs passes and once the dogs die I can't see myself living here all by myself and would need one of my kids to take me in most probably, if they would have me.

All this sort of thinking was so far off my radar until Kim's hubby died on Christmas.  Now living after Hubs death is about all I can think about.  Gosh, I am old and feel like I am running out of time. ;-)  And all this is inevitable unless Hubs outlives me(which is highly possible).

I don't mean to sound so morbid but this is where my mind goes to lately.

I saw this Youtube piece recently too that has me thinking...

Sluggy

Monday, March 20, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Spring Has Sprung" Edition.....




On the way to my wound care appointment last Wednesday I noticed massive amounts of Wisteria vines had bloomed everywhere.  Much prettier than the massive pollen dump I've been seeing the last few weeks.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......
1. Sunday--Cheese Ravioli, Salad
2. Monday--Chicken Enchiladas
3. Tuesday--Shrimp Alfredo, Creamed Spinach
4. Wednesday--Lunch out after dr. appt.
5. Thursday--Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry w/Veggies, Rice
6.  Friday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sweet Potato Wedges
7. Saturday--Chicken Tenders, Veggies TBD

And here's what actually happened........
1. Sunday--Cheese Ravioli, Salad
2. Monday--Chicken Enchiladas(I just had Spanish rice as I don't care for Enchiladas.)
3. Tuesday--Shrimp and Primavera Alfredo Fettuccine
4. Wednesday--Lunch out after dr. appt.
5. Thursday--Leftovers(I has sweet potato fries)
6.  Friday--Corned Beef, Cabbage, Baked Tater
7. Saturday--Leftover Fettuccine

Friday changed as I didn't realize it was St. Patrick's Day when I made the menu last week.  And we were out of fettuccine noodles so that dish was made with linguine.
Thursday, Friday and Saturdays planned meals didn't happen(again).

What got put into the freezer last week....
*  1 box of Beer Battered Fish
*  a pan of Chicken Enchiladas

What got taken out of the freezer and used...
*  1/2 bag of Ravioli
*  1 large Chicken Breast
*  1 bag of Shrimp
*  1 bag of CA Medley veggies

Last week Hubs picked up 2 items at Walmart, picked up Zero sugar Soda at Dollar General and we both hit Kroger on Wednesday and spent a total of $103.33.  
This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $347.77 for March so far.

There are 11 shopping days left in March.

I've earned $69.46 on Ibotta in March.
I've earned $2.96 on Checkout51 in March.
I've earned $28.50 on Coupons dotcom in March.
I've earned 29,073 points from shopping on Fetch in March.
I earned 691 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in March.
I've earned 517 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in March.

That's $100.92 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $347.77 in grocery spending so in reality it's $246.85 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 41.09% and the monthly savings total for March comes in at 35.77% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....some cabbage, corned beef, broccoli. 

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Chicken Parm, Roasted Asparagus
2. Monday--Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zucchini in Tomato Sauce, Rice
3. Tuesday--Tacos or Taco Salad
4. Wednesday--Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry w/Veggies, Rice
5. Thursday--Dental Work so ??
6.  Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Leftovers

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing. Kroger had asparagus and zucchini on sale so I crafted those meals around the fresh produce.  The Taco will use cooked ground beef sitting in the fridge.  Lots of dental work on Thursday(yay me!)so I'll probably be relegated to Jello for dinner and Hubs will have to fend for himself.  If the leftover don't hold out for Fri. and Sat. maybe a Zalad from Zaxby's will be in my future on one of those evenings. 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 deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Oh Goody Medicare Time!

Our finances are going to be changing next month as Hubs turns 65 and goes on Medicare.



The good thing is our monthly health insurance premium gets cut in half as I am the only one who will be covered under that policy so it will be a $1061.00 outlay instead of $2270.99 per month(that's over $27K per year to just have medical coverage....using it is even more $$$).  Hubs Medicare will cost $164.90 for Part B and $94.11 for the supplement he chose so his part goes from $1061.00 to $258.90.

That $2270.99 healthcare premium includes vision for Hubs and dental care for both of us.  The dental care goes away when Hubs turn 65 in April.  He can get dental as there are plans for 65+ year olds but I am SOOL until next year when I turn 65 unless I can find a policy that isn't ridiculously expensive to cover me for 8 months.  So  I am getting everything taken care of before April ends.  I'll probably need a cleaning come Fall and our dentist charges under $100 if you have to pay cash and don't have coverage so I'll be vigilant about flossing and brushing from now on(as we all should be). ;-)  And hoping nothing bad/expensive pops up before January 2024.

$2270.99 in healthcare premiums in 2023 versus $1320.01 starting next month, a savings of $950.98 monthly.

But along with this good news, there is not so good news...Hubs monthly  annuity payment goes down.  His annuity was front loaded, meaning we received larger payments until he hit 65 yr. old(sort of to offset what we had to pay out of pocket in healthcare premiums), then the monthly payment goes down by $553.96 per month.  Between the two changes(healthcare payments going down and annuity payments going down)we are in more the black by almost $400 per month still so it's not all bad news.

It might take a few months to see where the budget lands as all this changes.

Then in the Fall(October or so)I get to do the Medicare supplement decision dance.  I can't wait.**see Sluggy roll her eyes.

Sluggy




Friday, March 17, 2023

Frugal Friday.....the March 17th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are a few Frugal wins this past week......

*  We went to trivia on Monday and we won 2nd place!


Next time drinks at Trivia are free!



*  I don't "do" Ibotta all the time now(I just don't go to the store enough to do all the weekly, weekend and big bonuses).  But I do a few now and again.  On Wednesday my big wins at Kroger were these.....

There was an 80¢ off digital Kroger Q on the Ragu making it $1.39 OOP, the Chili was $1.29 after Kroger Q x5 plus a .50¢ Ibotta rebate making it .79¢ per can(got 5 of those for Hubs), the Kraft salad dressing was $1.29 w/Kroger Q and the Heinz ketchup was $1.79 after a $2.50 Ibotta rebate(limt 2).

I also picked up .99¢ lb. aparagus, $1.19 lb. zucchini and a 1/2 price corned beef which I am cooking tonight.

*  I've cobbled together a pantry in the laundry/utility room using metal wire rack shelving.  The only problem is cans and bottles fall over if not placed just right on the shelves.  Instead of spending $$ for plastic liners they sell for these I cut out cardboard from some of these boxes we used in the move and made liners out of that.


 I found money!


Hubs went to Walmart on Monday and found this penny.

I found this nickel at Kroger on the side of the self-checkout machine.  I also spied a penny at a different machine but someone was using it so I couldn't pick that coin up. 8-(

Total Found in last Week.... .06¢
Total Found this Year....... .66¢ 

That's all for this past week.  

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

Sluggy   







Tuesday, March 14, 2023

It's Gonna Be A.....

 My son and daughter in-law had a gender reveal on Sunday morning(our time).

We joined in via Zoom and saw that we are going to grandparents to a.....

Baby GIRL!

Mimi Sluggy

Monday, March 13, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "WTF?!" Edition.....



Will someone explain to me what the heck this billboard means?  "The Multiverse of Gordon".

Now Gordon McKernan is a local ambulance chaser lawyer.  He's got billboards everywhere and has tv commercials running non-stop.
I heard this commercial of his was even played during this year's Super Bowl........


I guess this Multiverse thing is related to the comic world?
I know this has nothing to do with meal plans but I feel so old that I don't "get this". ;-)

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......
1. Sunday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli and Strawberry Shortcake
2. Monday--Pecan Chicken, Green Beans
3. Tuesday--Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice
4. Wednesday--Lunch out or Take-out
5. Thursday--?
6.  Friday--Catfish, Cole Slaw
7. Saturday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sweet Potato Wedges

And here's what actually happened........
1. Sunday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli 
2. Monday--Pecan Chicken, Green Beans
3. Tuesday--Zaxby's Zalad for lunch
4. Wednesday--Subway for lunch, no dinner
5. Thursday--Cheeseburger/Hubs had leftovers
6.  Friday--Chicken Parm, Broccoli
7. Saturday--Catfish, Cole Slaw, Corn

Chicken Enchiladas didn't happen but I cooked up the chicken and Pork Tenderloin sammies didn't happen either.  Moving these items forward to this week.

What got put into the freezer last week....
* 1 box Tyson Chicken sandwiches
*  2 bags of frozen Veggies
*  2 boxes of frozen Veggies
*  Almost 3 lbs. of Ground Beef
*  2 tubs of Ice Cream

What got taken out of the freezer and used...
*  1 package of Liver
*  1 bag of Broccoli
*  2 packages of Chicken Breast
*  1 bag of Green Beans
*  a bag of Catfish
*  a Chicken Parm
*  a bag of Broccoli

Last week Hubs picked up 2 items at Kroger, some items at Shopper's Value and we both hit Walmart on Wednesday and spent a total of $164.48.  
This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $244.44 for March so far.

There are 18 shopping days left in March.

I've earned $47.69 on Ibotta in March.
I've earned $1.96 on Checkout51 in March.
I've earned $23.50 on Coupons dotcom in March.
I've earned 28,568 points from shopping on Fetch in March.
I earned 680 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in March.
I've earned 517 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in March.

That's $73.15 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $244.44 in grocery spending so in reality it's $171.29 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 32.23% and the monthly savings total for March comes in at 33.23% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....1 piece of pecan chicken, broccoli, half a piece of catfish, cole slaw.

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Cheese Ravioli, Salad
2. Monday--Chicken Enchiladas
3. Tuesday--Shrimp Alfredo, Creamed Spinach
4. Wednesday--Lunch out after dr. appt.
5. Thursday--Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry w/Veggies, Rice
6.  Friday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sweet Potato Wedges
7. Saturday--Chicken Tenders, Veggies TBD

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing.  I've got everything I need.  Just trying to use up some lingerers in the freezer.

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

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

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

Friday, March 10, 2023

Frugal Friday....the March 10th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are a few Frugal wins this past week......

*  I had a burst of energy on Sunday and was trying to put more stuff away in the Master Bathroom.  There are 4 drawers in the middle of the double sink cabinet there.  I noticed that the bottom drawer barely wouldn't fully close and I was wanting to put things away in it.  I had a hunch so I pulled the drawer out and used my trusty broom to clean the slot that held it and here is what I found.....


All this--a pack of wax melts, a pair of cheap sunglasses, a comb attachment to some grooming tool, 2 plastic covers to an unknown appliance and a package of Benadryl--were behind that drawer keeping from closing completely.

The Benadryl was crushed but unused so that went into our medicine stockpile so yay for free OTCs!

 And with the Pollen in full dump mode here I am sure it will get used shortly. 8-)

We haven't had this severe a dump but I noticed Hubs car was yellow/green instead of the Champagne color it usually is on Wednesday.

*  I don't "do" Ibotta all the time now(I just don't go to the store enough to do all the weekly, weekend and big bonuses).  But I do a few now and again.  On Wednesday my big wins were these.....



A pack of mandarin oranges for .88¢ after using a $2/1 Q.


A bottle of Claritin for $2.86 after Ibotta/Coupon dotcom/Fetch.


A bottle of some new Allergy med for a $2.17 moneymaker after Ibotta/Coupons dotcom/Fetch.  These are children's meds but adults can use them too, might have to increase the dosage but still, almost free!


Another Air Wick essential oils air freshener for a $2.02 moneymaker after Ibotta and Coupons dotcom.

If I just count the items I bought that had rebates/coupons and count the $20 gift card I had from past Ibotta purchases I only spent $10.16 OOP on those 28 items after $41.44 in rebates, $23.50 in digital coupons and $8.40 in Fetch points.

*  I found money!


After our doctor's exam on Friday we hit the local Chinese restaurant for lunch.  I spied .06¢ under the counter when Hubs went to pay.


On Wednesday after our trip to the Wound  Care Clinic I snagged an electric cart at Walmart and we picked up groceries and a couple of Rxs. I snagged the nickel just lying in an aisle and the dime under the self-checkout machine we used to pay.


I did a load of laundry on Thursday and as I was putting the broom back(need to use it to reach clothes in the washer because I am too short to reach stuff in the very bottom)I spied a white round disc jutting out of the floor/wall trim.  Went and washed it and found a penny under all that dirt/washing powder/oxidation.

Total Found in last Week.... .22¢
Total Found this Year....... .60¢ 

That's all for this past week.  

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

Sluggy   

Thursday, March 9, 2023

To-Do List......February Outcome


February has come and gone.  At least we didn't float away is all I can say.


Here's how we did with the February Goals.....

* Pay Bills--DONE  Everything got paid on time or early and in full.

* Go to many DR appointments--DONE  6 trips to the Wound Care NP and 5 Home Health Nurse visits.  Another couple  of weeks is what the NP is saying now.

* Clean and Organize stuff in House--IN PROGRESS  Needless to say I haven't gotten very far on organizing due to not being able to walk around much.  Plus now I need a knee shot so that's an issue.   If I get one now I am not due until the beginning of June while we are on the cruise which means I won't be able to do a lot of walking then since I won't be able to get a shot until after we get home. ugh.

* Buy Stuff for House--IN PROGRESS  Hubs bought bookshelves and a file cabinet for his man room.  I got a cabinet to set my printer on and store supplies inside.  I got a new set of pots and pans just for the lids(which we still can't find the ones that supposedly came with us in the move!!).  Most of the buying stuff for the house has been Hubs' area as we've been procuring bits and bobs to repair and replace pieces for appliances, etc.  If I could go back in time I'd have had us put all the repair/replacce purchases on one dedicated credit card.  Oh well.

* Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie--DONE  Not much in there anymore to clean out. lolz

* Edit More Photos--IN PROGRESS  I don't seem to be making much headway in photo editing.  I edit 10 but take 16 more snapshots that then need editing. lol

* Post about Old Trips--FAIL  Nope, haven't had the time or inclination to post trips.

* Work on Genealogy--DONE  I've done a little bit of my personal genealogy stuff and I've been working on a friend's Hubs' family history mostly.

*Go to Dentist x 2--DONE  We lose dental insurance at the end of April so I'm trying to get all the work I need done.  I had a problem tooth pulled at the beginning of Feb. and I just had a small filling and got fitted for a crown on another tooth.  It was an old filling in there that was failing now so I've got a temp crown right now.  They put so much Novocain in the right side of my mouth I was numb for 2 days, including my NOSE!  I've never had my nose get numb with Novocain before.  I tried to smile and I looked like I had a stroke because one side of my mouth wouldn't go up. lol  Even with a straw I sounded like Hannibal Lecter sucking water back into my mouth so it didn't waterfall out.........



* Organize Clothes--FAIL  Nope, I need to finish the sewing room organizing first to finish up organizing my clothing.

* Find a New Bank--FAIL  Haven't been able to go anywhere except on Wednesdays.  The new bank search has to wait.
  
* Cash Savings Bond--FAIL  We were going to use Capital One as our main bank now since they have actual physical locations down here but a savings bond matured and they refuse to cash it(as in deposit it into our account with them)!  So now we have to find another bank but it's not a top priority yet.



That's all I've got for February.  Not a great month for getting anything done unless it was urgently needed done.
Sluggy

Monday, March 6, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Interesting Potato Chip  Flavor" Edition.....


At the Bread Outlet last week they had a whole row of chips.
Have you ever heard of/had Spicy Cajun Crawtators before?
It's a Zapp's product with all the flavors of a crawfish boil.  Not being a fan of crawfish I'll pass.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......
1. Sunday--Stuffed Red Peppers, leftover Collards
2. Monday--Big Salad w/Chicken on top
3. Tuesday--Pork Tenderloin on Bun, Corn
4. Wednesday--Lunch out or Take-out
5. Thursday--FFY
6.  Friday--Catfish, Sauté Cabbage or Cole Slaw
7. Saturday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, either Green Beans or Beets

And here's what actually happened........
1. Sunday--Stuffed Red Peppers, leftover Collards
2. Monday--Big Salad w/Chicken on top
3. Tuesday--Mac and Cheese for me after dental work
4. Wednesday--Gyro for lunch, leftover peppers and spinach souflé for dinner
5. Thursday--Salmon, Sweet Potato wedges
6.  Friday--late Lunch out Chinese
7. Saturday--Leftover Meatloaf, Sautéed Cabbage

Catfish, Liver and Onions and Pork Tenderloin didn't happen again butt Salmon did happen.  Those 3 meals move to this week and some day I will fix them. lol

What got put into the freezer last week....
* 2 packs Nathan's Franks

What got taken out of the freezer and used...
*  Ground Beef
*  Chicken Tenders
*  Salmon
*  Spinach Soufflé

Last week Hubs picked up items at the Bread Outlet(I went there too)and Kroger and spent a total of $79.96.  
This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $79.96 for March so far.

There are 25 shopping days left in March.

I've earned $6.25 on Ibotta in March.
I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in March.
I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom in March.
I've earned 10,090 points from shopping on Fetch in March.
I earned 0 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in March.
I've earned 502 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in March.

That's $6.25 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $79.96 in grocery spending so in reality it's $73.71 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 35.18% and the monthly savings total for March comes in at 35.18% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....a leftover red bell pepper.

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli and Strawberry Shortcake
2. Monday--Pecan Chicken, Green Beans
3. Tuesday--Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice
4. Wednesday--Lunch out or Take-out
5. Thursday--?
6.  Friday--Catfish, Cole Slaw
7. Saturday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sweet Potato Wedges

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Cabbage or Cole Slaw mix, might need Jack cheese too.  Another week on me not shopping. Oh goody.

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

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

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Income & Spending....February Edition

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals and social security payments, 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 February report---

I had 2 goals for February......
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 2022.
This month I also had a goal to survive the move and have a little fun.  So far, so good.;-)

I can report that we finished up February in the Red.
The amount we ended the month of February with?...-$4,626.81

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in February---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $3,235.81(after tax withholding)
*  SS income of $3879.00
*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $174.04
*  Check payment from Checkout51 of $50.94
*  Medical refund of $40.00

Total "Income" for February....$7,379.79

Expenses in February---
* Irregular bills in February were $7,277.72
* Variable Expenses in February came to $2,457.89
* Health insurance premiums totaling $2,270.99
Total Expenses....$12,006.60

$7,379.79-$12,006.60= -$4,626.81

Slush into February of $65,810.06 in that Fund, subtract shortfall of $4,626.81 in February and we get $61,183.25 into March 2023's Slush Fund.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows a subtraction of $4,626.81.

Outgo
As for the variable expenses this February here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  The cell phone, WAM, Health Premium and internet were the same as last month.
*  Hubs Amazon c/c was $1,255.74 lower than in January.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The water bill was $2.37 higher than last month.
*  The electric bill was $59.42 higher than in January.
*  My Amazon c/c was $131.47 higher than last month.
*  The Mastercard c/c was $69.21 higher than in January.

*  We had irregular bills due in February too--
  *   I paid off the rest of the May/June cruise bill to NCL.
  *  Paid off the American airlines c/c for our checked bag fees for last year's cruise.

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

FINAL THOUGHTS on February 2023---Other than the cruise payment it was an ok month financially.  All that 401K withdrawal in January(and that overage last month)went toward that cruise bill and was planned for.  Our regular bills($2,457.89)were slightly less than they were in January so that's a win.

THOUGHTS going forward into March 2023--
Still having limited mobility so we still need to unpack stuff. ugh.  This has got to be the slowest unpacking and setting up a household I've ever been a part of! lolz  I think the house insurance payments are all done for the year so that's one good thing.  But we are still nickel and dime spending on miscellaneous repairs on the house and haven't even addressed the big ticket items that need to be purchased./fixed.

So how was your February financially? 
Did you spend less than the income you had in February?
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   

Friday, March 3, 2023

Frugal Friday....the March 3rd Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are a few Frugal win this past week......

*  On Monday I had to get out of the house.  So we hit a craft burger place/bar that does Trivia on Monday evening.  We ate at home and just got a beer and water.  Had We eaten here too it would have cost $50+.

*  On Wednesday we found a bread outlet and went to check it out.


$1.30 for a loaf sure beats $4.49 at the grocery store.  They even had some Dave's killer bread/bagels for $3.00 each.  Most of what we bought got put into the freezer.  Daughter loves strawberry shortcake and I got strawberries so if she makes it over for liver and onions on Saturday I've got dessert for her. 8-)

*  Hubs bought another interior door handle for the Master bedrooms to replace the exterior door handle that was on that door.   He also replaced the innards of the 2 sinks' faucets in that bathroom. Inexpensive to replace ourselves vs. paying a handyman and plumber to do this.

*  I found money!
Nope.  Skunked again.

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found this Year....... .38¢ 

That's all for this past week.  

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

Sluggy   

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Food Spending....the February Edition

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




Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2023.

I have posted February'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 February.  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. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************
KROGER
OOP  $148.9
Qs/Ads  $86.90
Value  $235.88
Savings  36.84%

OLLIE'S
OOP  $10.49
Value  $22.73
Savings  53.85%

SHOPPER VALUE
OOP  $41.08
Qs/Ads  $9.63
Value  $50.71
Savings  19.99%

SUPER 1 FOODS 
OOP   $19.47
Qs/Ads  $22.97
Value  $42.44
Savings  54.12%

WALMART
OOP  $221.45
Qs/free Gift Cards  $108.71
Value  $330.16
Savings 32.93%

*********************
My best 2 Store Savings Totals were at Ollie's at 53.85% and Super 1 Foods at 54.12% .

I shopped at 5 different stores in February.   8-)

TOTAL Spent in February................$441.47
TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$240.45
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$681.92
TOTAL Savings of ............................35.26%

This closes out the February food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....another less than stellar month for food spending.  I'm ok with it given my physical limitations at the moment.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 1.47% in February 2023 to 35.26% compared to the January's 33.79% savings average.   A slight improvement even with having Hubs doing 90% of the food shopping.

With 2 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $856.14 on groceries/HBA /paper goods in 2023.

2022 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$856.14
2022 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$1,308.20
2022 Grand Total Saved...............................$452.06
2022 Yearly Savings Total..............................34.56%

The average per month amount spent is $428.07 in 2023 so far.

LOOKING AHEAD to March 2023...
Still in recovery mode but looking to resume normal cooking activity later this month. 8-)

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 February?

*  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

Monday, February 27, 2023

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Would You Drink This?" Edition.....


I am so out of the loop I hadn't even heard of this--a Marshmallow Peeps flavored limited edition Pepsi drink.  It doesn't sound very appetizing to me and I know Kim would never drink this for two reasons, 1-it's not diet and 2-it's not Coke. lolz
Would you drink this?  I'd take a sip just to say I've tasted it but I'm not about to pay $2.18 for a whole bottle!

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......
1. Sunday--Tempura Shrimp, Cole Slaw
2. Monday--leftover Lasagna, Salad
3. Tuesday--Collards, Chicken Parm
4. Wednesday--Zaxby Zalad w/Chicken
5. Thursday--Brats on Roll(or not), baked Sweet Potato Wedges
6.  Friday--Catfish, Sauté Cabbage
7. Saturday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie TBD

And here's what actually happened........
1. Sunday--Tempura Shrimp, Cole Slaw
2. Monday--Zaxby's Zalad w/Chicken
3. Tuesday--Collards, Chicken Parm
4. Wednesday--Catfish Lunch w/Okra, Corn, Fries(no dinner)
5. Thursday--Brats on Roll(or not), baked Sweet Potato Wedges
6.  Friday--Fend for Yourself
7. Saturday--Hamburgers, Salad

The Catfish meal and the Liver meal didn't happen.  We had catfish out on Wednesday and the Daughter had to work Saturday so the liver is still tucked in the freezer hoping to get made this Saturday. 8-)  Everything else got made but not necessarily on the day I planned.

What got put into the freezer last week....
*  2 bags of broccoli
*  2 bags of stir-fry veg
*  3 Chicken Parms
*  2 bags of Chicken Teriyaki
*  2 bags of Burritos

What got taken out of the freezer and used...
*  1 box of Chicken Parm
*  1 bag of Shrimp
*  1 pack of Bratwurst

Last week Hubs picked up items at Shopper's Value Mart, Kroger and Walmart(I went to this one too)and spent a total of $116.46.  
This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $441.47 for February so far.

There is 1 shopping days left in February.

I've earned $147.25 on Ibotta in February.
I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in February.
I've earned $19.00 on Coupons dotcom in February.
I've earned 3,508 points from shopping on Fetch in February.
I earned 40 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in February.
I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in February.

That's $166.25in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $441.47 in grocery spending so in reality it's $275.22 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 45.03% and the monthly savings total for February comes in at 35.26% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....a little Stroganoff but no rice, Collards and 2 or 3 Brats.  Hubs will take care of most of these for lunches.

Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Stuffed Red Peppers, leftover Collards
2. Monday--Big Salad w/Chicken on top
3. Tuesday--Pork Tenderloin on Bun, Corn
4. Wednesday--Lunch out or Take-out
5. Thursday--FFY
6.  Friday--Catfish, Sauté Cabbage or Cole Slaw
7. Saturday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, either Green Beans or Beets

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  I am almost out of flour so that's something to pick up.  Hubs can make the Monday to Thursday meals(and half of the Friday meal).  It is more difficult for me to walk/stand as the doc has increased the compression on my leg(wound).  It is painful to walk due to the compression dressing on my ankle and foot so I'll be more sedentary for the next little while until they discontinue this compression. ugh.  So meals need to be simpler or things Hubs can prepare as I can't be walking around much.

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

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

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy 

Friday, February 24, 2023

Frugal Friday.....the February 24th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are a few Frugal win this past week......

*  Didn't go anywhere except to wound care, Walmart and lunch on Wednesday this past week.  We went to a Catfish house after my appointment.  Some much food we didn't need dinner so that's a win, right?

*  While we were out Wednesday I had Hubs swing by Ollie's to return a curtain I had bought there on the 1st of Feb.  Remembering to make returns before the 30 day window closes is a win.  I figured I had fabric already to make a curtain for the front door glass(and I've picked it out from my stash)so that's frugal!  Now I just have to finish setting up my sewing stuff and make it. ;-)

*  The freebies/moneymakers or almost freebies from last week's grocery trips---


*  A free Gatorade branded energy drink and a vegan cream cheese at Walmart.


*  An almost free/cheap razor.  After digital coupon and Ibotta rebate it was .67¢.


*  And 2 Air Wick refills for better than free after a $7 digital coupon and $8 in Ibotta rebates.

Nice.

*  Hubs bought new interior door handles for 2 of the bedrooms to replace the exterior door handles there were on those doors.  Inexpensive to replace ourselves vs. paying a handyman to do this.

*  I found money!
Oh yes I did!

A penny by the check-in counter of the seedy motel at the Chinese restaurant.


And another penny at the Walmart self-checkout on Wednesday after the Wound Care appointment.

Total Found in last Week.... .02¢
Total Found this Year....... .38¢ 

That's all for this past week.  

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

Sluggy