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 

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   

To-Do List January Edition

Here's what was on my list of things to do in January...........

*  Pay Bills--DONE  All paid, early or on time.

*  Go to many Dr. appointments--DONE  All related to my injury in Maryland.  Six appointments in January counting the stitches removal.

*  Clean and Organize stuff in House--PASS  Though I'm not making much progress as I am restricted on walking around now, Hubs has made great strides in setting up his room.  He's made the bulk of purchases(curtains, rod, bookcases, a locking cabinet and a file cabinet)too and has his room finished.  Go him!  I think I bought a curtain rod and a set of curtains for the bedroom only in January.

*  Clean out Coupon Envie--DONE  Not that this is the monthly chore it use to be as we don't buy the local newspaper for the coupons.  The only coupons I get are printable ones I decide to print or the few that come on Wednesday with the weekly ads.

*  Edit More Photos--PASS  I've kept up with current photo editing.  I need to get some old photos done though.  I could do better here.

*  Post about Old Trips--FAIL  Haven't done any posting on those in January.  Just didn't do it.

*  Work on Genealogy--PASS  I've done a bit in January.  Nothing major.

*  Go to Dentist--DONE  Hubs and I finally got out teeth cleaning scheduled and done in January.  I received bad news on the tooth front(thanks for the bad teeth dad!)so over the next 3 months I'll be spending a lot of time in the dentist's chair before we lose dental insurance at the end of April.

*  Organize Clothes--PASS  With my injury and not being very mobile right now I still have tubs of clothing not hung up or organized.  I had 2 large closets in the PA house to use but haven't figured out where/how to organize my clothing here yet.

*  Move $$ around--DONE  I didn't get the money I wanted to shift around shifted.  This  moves to February.  Not a "big" deal but will result in a little more interest income once it's finished.

*  Celebrate my Birthday--DONE  It was low key but lovely.  I heard from both my sons and my daughter here took me out for the day.

 

Considering I am limited on movement I had a pretty productive month.  

How was your January?

Sluggy

Your Name Is Important

This is just my way of telling y'all I'm gonna be a Grandma!!!

I.

Can't.

Wait.

Sluggy Grandma To-Be or Mimi or ?

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Death By Sodium" Edition.....

On Saturday I was going stir crazy not leaving the house and the home health person on Friday didn't have the restrictive bandaging system the NP wants me to wear so I could actually get a shoe on my right foot.  So we slipped out to Lucky Palace for lunch.  Like I mentioned before it's attached to a shady old motel and you have to go through the motel lobby to get to the entrance.  It calls itself an "extended stay" motel but houses more than a few Section 8 type welfare clients.  I snapped a photo of one of the vending machines on my way in.......

They had a soda machine and a snack machine.  This was the bottom corner of the snack machine.

Ok, so I've seen single served laundry packs in vending machines and headache meds(and condoms are usually in machines inside bathrooms, aren't they?)but the lighters(without a cigarette machine around?)and curiously, a can of Armour Vienna Sausages??  

And the wording on this sign on the machine struck me as strange....

"Do Not Shake vending machine under any situation!" lolz

I can think of a situation where I'd want to shake the machine.  Since you give no refunds, I'd shake that sucker to kingdom come to get my money back if it didn't give me my Vienna Sausages! ;-)

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--Pizza and Salad

2. Monday--Beef Stroganoff over Rice, Green Beans

3. Tuesday--Fend for Yourself

4. Wednesday--Maybe a Linner Zalad at Zaxby's?

5. Thursday--Something frozen

6.  Friday--Tempura Shrimp, Cole Slaw

7. Saturday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Pizza and Salad

2. Monday--Beef/Mushroom Stroganoff over Rice, Green Beans

3. Tuesday--Sesame Chicken w/bag of Veggies

4. Wednesday--Whopper Burger

5. Thursday--Subway subs(I had 1/2 a Tuna sub)

6.  Friday--Lasagna from "Lasagna Love"

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself(Had Chinese out for lunch)

Found clearance fresh mushrooms at Kroger late the week before last so the Stroganoff was mostly mushrooms with a little beef.

Hubs fixed his frozen pizza Sunday but I didn't fix mine and just had salad that night.  Used a Chinese frozen meal and a bag of veggies, got take-out food 2 nights and my request from the Lasagna Love finally got fulfilled on Friday.(I requested a meal when I first injured my leg, well when we got home from the flight.  I figured I was in bad enough shape and not suppose to stand a lot so didn't feel like a freeloader for requesting a meal from this organization.)

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

* 2 1/2 gallons of ice cream

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

*  1 box of Sesame Chicken

*  1 bag of stir-fry veggies

*  1 baggie of beef strips

*  1 frozen Pizza

*  1 bag of Green Beans

Last week Hubs picked up stuff at Super 1 Foods and spent a total of $19.47.  Mostly ice cream, onions, potatoes and other fresh produce we were out of.

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $325.01 for February so far.

There are 8 shopping days left in February.

I've earned $112.60 on Ibotta in February.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in February.

I've earned $7.00 on Coupons dotcom in February.

I've earned 3,271 points from shopping on Fetch in February.

I earned 30 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in February.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in February.

That's $119.60 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $325.01

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $205.41 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 54.12% and the monthly savings total for February comes in at 30.86% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....a little Stroganoff but no rice, half of a lasagna.

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

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

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  I can finish the head of cabbage I bought for Cole Slaw by saute-ing it up to have with the catfish.  I need to buy collards and sweet potato which are both on sale.  I bought liver the week before at Walmart and will have liver and onions meal on Saturday and my daughter is coming over for that(She and I both love liver and my NP wants me to up my protein intake so this is quite literally what the doctor/nurse practitioner ordered. lol)  We also need milk and fruit as I finished the cherries we had though I do have canned stuff if Hubs doesn't pick me up something fresh on Monday.  Might stay under $400 for this month, might go over.  I resisted doing any Ibotta deals this past week/weekend.

Go me.

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 

Frugal Friday.....the February 17th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

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

*  Didn't go anywhere except to wound care this past week and a trip last Friday to Walmart(where I got to run over people with their motorized carts).  I guess staying home all week is frugal(ie-not spending money)but it's boring as hell!

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

  *  1 free Zero Sugar Starry soda(no photo because I drank it already)

  *  2 free Pepsi Zero Sugar sodas(Pic of only one because I drank the other one)

  *  1 free Air Wick Essentials Starter Kit
  *  1 half price Yogurt cup

*  I had Hubs run out on Tuesday to Super 1 Foods for ice cream........

They carry Blue Bell Ice Cream around here(we are only 10 miles from Texas after all).  Super 1 had the half gallon containers for $4.97.  That's $3.01 less than even Walmart so it was a deal.  I highly recommend this "Moo-llennium Crunch" flavor.  It reminds me of Ben and Jerry's with all the textures of toppings mixed in. ;-)

*  Hubs gave me a $200 gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond for Christmas. Not a wise move if you ask me as they've been having financial diffculties.  Of course, this week BBB announced they were closing the local to us store and my leg is in no condition to spend it at the store anyway.  So I went online and spent it on necessities for the house-a cabinet to put my printer on and store supplies in, a runner for the top of the buffet(I only have a Turkey day and Xmas one so need something for Spring/Summer), another set of shelving for the laundry/utility room so I can keep pantry goods on, and a stainless steel set of cookware.  We still can't find the lids to my All-Clad cookware and Hubs thinks that box got tossed in the move.  On sale and with a coupon this set was about $50.  I am hoping these lids fit my regular set, if not, I'll have to use these new pans/pots when I need a lid on it.  sigh  Of course, once the new set arrives we'll find the box of lids, right?  Never fails........
Anyway, I used the gift card up before they go out of business and got some good deals on things we needed.

*  This past week in honor of Super Bowl Subway was running a BOGOFree deal on subs(It ends today, use code FLBOGO).  We did the deal twice this past week using a gift card I bought at Dollar General around Thanksgiving that was discounted by 20% making it better than half price.  Double win there. 8-)

*  I found money!

Nope.  Only went to the Wound Care on Wednesday and home again.  Did make a quick trip last Friday to Walmart though.  No money at Walmart even. 8-(

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found this Year....... .36¢

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

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

Sluggy   

Hubs is Such a Card!

Hubs is one to always give me cards on Holidays....Christmas, my birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc.

Well with having to run me to the dentist, doctor's offices and the grocery store so much as I can't drive right now plus running the many errands he's having to do, I figured no card today on V-Day.

Well I was wrong.

I got up and found this on top of my laptop this morning.....

Under the sticky note was this.........

Well it's a card....a baseball card!  Hubs has been getting his man cave room in order and I suppose he found some of his old baseball cards among the shit he moved here and the rest is history. lol

Have a Happy Valentine's Day no matter what form it takes. ;-)

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "Better Than Smek" Edition.....

There was an Ibotta rebate on this new product at Walmart last week when we were there so I thought I'd try it.  I got a laugh when I took the lid off and saw the inner lid.......

I'll save you having to look up what smek means in Swedish....it's sex. lol

Mmm the ice cream is not even close to being that good. ;-)

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--Cheeseburger, leftover Cabbage

2. Monday--Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry, Rice

3. Tuesday--Fend for Yourself

4. Wednesday--Rigatoni w/Mushroom and Meat

5. Thursday--Something frozen

6.  Friday--Pizza, Salad

7. Saturday--BBQ Chicken, Veggies TBD

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Cheeseburger, leftover Cabbage

2. Monday--Chicken Teriyaki w/Stir-Fry Veggies

3. Tuesday--Chicken Tenders, Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

4. Wednesday--Rigatoni w/Mushrooms and Meat, Cherries

5. Thursday--FFY(I don't remember what I had)

6.  Friday--Subway subs for Linner(no dinner)

7. Saturday--Leftover Rigatoni

The Pizza got moved to this Sunday and the BBQ Chicken didn't happen.  BBQ chicken is not a fav so may not happen for awhile. 8-)

I can count on Hubs to make short order on the Rigatoni leftovers however. lol

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

*  1 Pizza 

*  1 bag of Chicken Tenders

*  1 bag of Pot Stickers

*  1 bag of Ravioli

*  1 pint of Ice Cream

*  1 almost quart of Ice Cream

*  1 package of Liver

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

*  2 containers of Ground Beef

*  1 bag of Teriyaki Chicken

*  2 bags of Stir-Fry Veggies

*  1/3 of bag of Chicken Tenders

Last week we picked up stuff at Kroger and Walmart and spent a total of $160.11

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $305.54 for February so far.

There are 15 shopping days left in February.

I've earned $112.60 on Ibotta in February.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in February.

I've earned $7.00 on Coupons dotcom in February.

I've earned 3,146 points from shopping on Fetch in February.

I earned 30 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in February.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in February.

That's $119.60 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $305.54

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $185.94 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 25.89% and the monthly savings total for February comes in at 28.55% so far.  

Not a good week for savings but ok for here and what I've got to work with.

Leftovers going into this week.....Rigatoni and Mushroom/Meat Sauce.

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

1. Sunday--Pizza and Salad

2. Monday--Beef Stroganoff over Rice, Green Beans

3. Tuesday--Fend for Yourself

4. Wednesday--Maybe a Linner Zalad at Zaxby's?

5. Thursday--Something frozen

6.  Friday--Tempura Shrimp, Cole Slaw

7. Saturday--Liver and Onions, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu? A head of cabbage to make slaw and maybe some Salad Greens.  Not a very inspiring plan, just easy basic stuff mostly that I can delegate prep to Hubs(except Friday and Saturday)so I can stay off the leg.

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 

Frugal Friday....the February 10th Edition

 Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

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

*   I had Hubs pick up these Rind dried fruit snacks...........

There was a BOGO offer on them at Kroger on Ibotta and then an Aisle texting app rebate offer(yes Aisle is back in a way-less rebates).  I submitted for both so Free!  I believe this deal is still available if you haven't done it yet.

*  The freebies/moneymakers or almost freebies from last week's grocery trips other than the Rind products---

  *  2 Core protein bars for only .18¢ each
  *  3 travel size Old Spice body wash bottles for moneynakers
  *  Bic Easy Rinse razor for free

*  I found money!
Yes I did.

On the 3rd at Walmart I found a dime at the pharmacy counter and a penny at the checkout machine.  

At Kroger on the 6th, I saw a penny under a self-checkout machine we were not at and didn't get a break in the action on that machine to scoot over there and get it. 8-(

On the 7th Hubs and I got salads at Zaxby's.  When the employee at the drive-thru handed the receipt out the window to Hubs it blew away.  So Hubs got out of the car to retrieve it and picked up another dime and penny on the ground there.  Since I should have rightfully scooped up that change if I wasn't injured he left the change on my side of the bed for me to find. lolz

We had been looking for our coin roll wrappers since moving and Hubs found them yesterday and threw this on my desk.  He had taken the wrappers and the change out of his change cup from his dresser and put it all into a baggie and threw it into a moving box.  He finally opened that box yesterday as he was squaring up his man cave.  Of course this was a couple of days AFTER he went to the bank and asked for coin wrappers meaning we are now swimming in coin wrappers. lol 

He said I could have the change but I am not including it in my found change total.

Total Found in last Week.... .21¢
Total Found this Year....... .36  ¢

*  On Thursday we got a $40 refund check from Hubs eye doctor in PA as they overcharged us for something.  That puppy is going right into the bank though Hubs thinks he should buy beer with it.  Not on my watch darling as you just bought two bottles of wine. ;-)

That's about all I've got for this past week.  

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

Sluggy   

"Gee Toto, I Don't Think We're in Pennsylvania Anymore"

This is just a post about weird to me stuff in Louisiana.  If you've lived here or grown up here these things won't seem odd to you I reckon.

I bet most Walmart frozen food sections don't include these items......

Boudin balls, Shrimp or Crawfish Étouffée or Fettucine and Gumbo.

**The nurse at the wound care place says this is the best place for Bouudin Balls......HERE.

And if you want your own raw ingredients to cook go to Bergeron's for your boudin and Cajun meats....HERE or at their other locations across the river.

Mardi Gras isn't just a day, it's a season......

You can't escape the purple green and gold no matter where you go!   Not that I mind purple and green....

Here's the string of beads I got on my birthday from the hardware store that's Mardi Gras Central in these parts......

For those who asked, a proper King Cake is more pastry than cake.  It's a filled oval pastry or Danish(fillings vary but most have cream cheese and cinnamon at least),topped with icing and colored sugar.  If you like sweets(Kim, you listening?)you will gain 50 pounds eating here during the Mardi Gras Season. lolz

You can get a very good King Cake shipped from where we bought ours.  They are expensive and cost about the same to 2 day air it to you as you pay for the cake.  Their website is HERE.

Did I mention that they have drive-thru Daquiri stores here?  You can get a King Cake Daquiri just in season however so get down here soon!

Another local pizza chain is called Johnny's Pizza House HERE.  I have only ever had their Muffuletta sandwich, which is very good even though it's not served on proper muffuletta bread.   They have a pizza called "Sweep the Kitchen" which has all kinds of toppings(the reference is to what a pizza kitchen looks like with bits and pieces on it at the end of the night...not a very appetizing picture if you ask me).

During Mardi Gras they run a Kajun Krewe "Sweep the Swamp" promotion and they send our flyers and coupons........

Here's what's on a Sweep the Swamp pizza--Shrimp, Crawfish, Taste of Crab, Cajun Spices, Andouille Sausage, Onions, Bell Peppers, Jalapenos and Mozzarella Cheese.

Umm, no thanks.

And the last odd thing(for now)is you can't find frozen ravioli very much down here.  All we've been able to find is the Great Value brand at only ONE Walmart so far.  Up in PA you could find at least 5 brands in any grocery store you walked into....Celentano, Rosina's, Buitoni, etc.  Here?  It's like nobody ever heard of ravioli.  To busy eating étouffée and boudin I suppose.

Sluggy

Income & Spending 2023........the January 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 January report---

I had 2 goals for January......
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 January in the black

The amount we ended the month of January with?...$6,253.85

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in January---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $3,235.81(after tax withholding)

*  SS income of $3879

*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $144.96

*  Paypal payment from rebates/coupons of $443.46

*  Ibotta payment from rebates of $552.39

*  PA car insurance refund of $533.76

*  401K quarterly withdraw of $5,200.13

Total "Income" for January....$13,989.51

Expenses in January---
* Irregular bills in January were $1,964.28

* Variable Expenses in January came to $3,500.39

* Health insurance premiums totaling $2,270.99

Total Expenses....$7,735.66

$13,989.51-$7,735.66=$6,253.85

Slush into January of $59,556.21 in that Fund, add overage of $6,253.85 in January and we get $65,810.06 into January's 2023's Slush Fund.
The Slush Fund on it's Page(tab at the top of the blog)shows a subtraction of $1,962.08

Outgo

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

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  The cell phone and internet were the same as last month.

*  The water bill was $2.66 lower than in December

*  The electric bill was $9.19 lower than last month.

*  The WAM was $200.00 lower than in December.

*  The Mastercard was $1,487.71 lower than last month.

*  My Amazon c/c was $92.09 lower than in December.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  The health insurance premium went up by $44.86 in 2023.

*  Hubs Amazon c/c bill was higher by $119.29 from December's bill.

*  We had irregular bills due in January too--

  *   I paid $1,709.55 on the Norwegian Cruise c/c-I only put cruise charges on this one.  I prepaid out gratuity charges in December for the 2023 cruise before those charges went up among other charges.

  *  Our LA property tax bill for 2022 was due in the amount of $94.11.  

  *  We had to make a first payment for Hubs Medi Gap monthly bill of $94.11.  Those don't kick in every month until he turns 65 in April.

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

FINAL THOUGHTS on January 2023---It was a great month financially!  Only the healthcare premium and Hubs Amazon c/c bill were higher among all the bills.  The best is the Homestead Exemption on our Louisiana Property tax bill.  PA had an exemption(it was a whole $40 or so a year)and we were paying right around $5K per year for taxes.  Generally the first $75K value of your property in LA is exempt from taxing if you occupy it.  Plus Hubs turns 65 this year so he can apply for a property tax freeze at whatever the amount we pay in 2023 is for the remainder of our time here.  Sweet!

THOUGHTS going forward into February 2023--

Well we had a large overage amount for January due to that quarterly 401K withdrawal.  But all of it will be applied to the next cruise which I paid off in February.  Not going anywhere this month(except to medical and dental appointments)so the bills should be stable at January's level.  The only exception is having to purchase stuff for the house(like bookshelves, a bed frame, curtains, etc.)  I may have to break down and replace items we can't find from the move that are still missing(lids for the cookware, my food processor and my pasta machine).  I wouldn't hate anyone who wanted to send me gift cards to replace those items. hehehe

So how was your January financially? 

Did you spend less than the income you had in January?
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   

Food Spending 2023....the January Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JANUARY 2023.

I have posted January'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 January.  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  $146.62

Qs/Ads  $122.14

Value  $268.76

Savings  19.40%

SHOPPER VALUE

OOP  $9.89

Qs/Ads  $6.08

Value  $15.97

Savings  38.07%

SUPER 1 FOODS 

OOP   $41.55

Qs/Ads  $29.67

Value  $71.22

Savings  41.66%

WALMART
OOP  $216.62

Qs/free Gift Cards  $52.14
Value  $268.76
Savings 19.40%

*********************
My best 2 Store Savings Totals were at Super 1 Foods at 41.66% and Shopper Value at 38.07%

I only shopped at 4 different stores in January.   8-)

TOTAL Spent in January................$414.67

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$211.61

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$626.28

TOTAL Savings of ............................33.79%

This closes out the January food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....well my spending/percentages went up as I wasn't able to grocery shop much due to having to stay off my injured leg.  Having Hubs shop isn't the best way to keep spending down and I couldn't be in the store to snag clearance deals as Hubs sticks to a list I have to assemble for him. ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 9.39% in January 2023 to 33.79% compared to the December's 43.18% savings average.  It's really not a great comparison between these 2 months as we weren't home and cooking for most of December and largely housebound in January. 

With 1 month accounted for, I have spent a Total of $414.67 on groceries in 2023 so far.

2022 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$414.67

2022 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$626.28

2022 Grand Total Saved...............................$211.61

2022 Yearly Savings Total..............................33.79%

The average per month amount spent is $414.67 in 2023

LOOKING AHEAD to February 2023...

Still in recovery mode and can't stand to cook for long so it's limited grocery shopping and meal choices.  The word for February is perseverance.

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 January?

*  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

This Week on the Dining Table

 The "It's No Longer January" Edition.....

I received two cards for my birthday, one from Hubs and one from my brother.  I guess the younger generation no longer believes in sending cards since none of my kids sent me one.   Now we are in February or still the Rainy Season in Louisiana.  Might need to put a call into Noah if the rain keeps up as it's been in January. lolz

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned.......

1. Sunday--I had a Greek Salad

2. Monday--Chicken Parm, leftover turkey sides or salad

3. Tuesday--Kielbasi, Cabbage

4. Wednesday--I'm getting a tooth pulled so applesauce or something similar, Hubs is on his own

5. Thursday--Ditto

6.  Friday--Leftovers or ?

7. Saturday--?

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--I had a Greek Salad

2. Monday--Kielbasi, Cabbage

3. Tuesday--Subway sandwich for Linner

4. Wednesday--Jello(Cherry)

5. Thursday--Jello(Peach), leftover Mashed Potatoes

6.  Friday--Salmon, Spinach Souffle, Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

7. Saturday--Chicken Parm, leftover Cabbage

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

*  4 Stauffer's Spinach Soufflé

*  1 Kielbasi ring

*  1 pack of Turkey Bacon

*  2 frozen Chinese dinners

*  1 box of ice cream bars

*  1 frozen Pizza

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

*  Kielbasi

*  Salmon

*  1 Spinach Soufflé

*  Chicken Parm

Last week we picked up stuff at Kroger, Ollie's and Walmart(I went to Kroger to get $1.99 lb. cherries but they were out so I bought lots of other stuff yay!)and spent a total of $145.43.

This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $145.43 for February so far.

There are 22 shopping days left in February.

I've earned $38.77 on Ibotta in February.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in February.

I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom in February.

I've earned 2,239 points from shopping on Fetch in February.

I earned 10 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in February.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in February.

That's $38.77 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $145.43

 in grocery spending so in reality it's $106.66 in food spending after the 3 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 31.27% and the monthly savings total for February comes in at 31.27% so far.  

Leftovers going into this week.....Kielbasi and Onions, Turkey slices, Corn Casserole, Rolls.

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

1. Sunday--Cheeseburger, leftover Cabbage

2. Monday--Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry, Rice

3. Tuesday--Fend for Yourself

4. Wednesday--Rigatoni w/Mushroom and Meat

5. Thursday--Something frozen

6.  Friday--Pizza, Salad

7. Saturday--BBQ Chicken, Veggies TBD

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Mushroom, other Veggies for Sat. and Salad stuff.  Not a very inspiring plan, just easy basic stuff mostly that I can delegate prep to Hubs so I can stay off the leg.

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