This Week on the Dining Table.....the April 8th Edition

The "We Don't Need No Stinkin' Meal Plan" Edition.....

I've been to Iowa(and Indiana)and this is just a bit of an exaggeration when it comes to a pork tenderloin sandwich.

Dang, you could feed a family of 6 on that thing!  lolz

This is day 302 of the new "way of eating".  Down 59 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 67 lbs.).  

Won't be loosing any weight in the coming weeks but hope to maintain.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week...........

1. Sunday--Roast Turkey w/Gravy, Stuffing, Asparagus, Deviled Eggs, Grilled Pineapple

2. Monday--Salad or Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Wild Rice Soup w/Mushrooms and Asparagus, Garlic Bread

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Leftovers

6. Friday--Whatever needs using up

7. Saturday--No Clue

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

1. Sunday--Roast Turkey w/Gravy, Stuffing, Asparagus, Deviled Eggs, Grilled Pineapple

2. Monday--Salad or Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Steak, leftover Green Beans

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Leftovers

6. Friday--More Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftover Steak, Asparagus, Sweet Potato

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  1 Turkey

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

*  1 pack of Burritos(hub's)

Last week we spent $370.66 on grocery shopping for April. (Don't be hating, there were some super good deals last week!)

Total shopping comes to 370.66 for April.   

There are 22 shopping days left in April.

Rebate monies earned this month so far.....

I've earned $147.58 on Ibotta in April.

I've earned $20.50 on Shopmium in April.

I've earned $32.50 on Alexa app in April.

I've earned $8.50 on Kroger Cash Back in April.

I've earned $33.43 on TaDa in April.

I've earned $1.50 on Checkout51 in April.

I've earned $5.00 on Aisle, etc.

I've earned 23,382 points on Fetch from food shopping in April.

I've earned 7,336 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in April.($29.34)

I've earned 2,641 Points on My Points in April.($16.63)

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

That is $262.48 in rebates(not counting Shop Kick/Fetch)on $370.66 of grocery spending so in reality it's $108.18 in food spending after the rebate apps I count.  Some of what I spent was for Food Bank donations(I didn't start separating those items spent on from our personal use items yet.)

My savings percentage for the last week was 38.06% and the monthly savings total for April comes in at 38.06% spent so far. 

Leftovers going into this week...not a blessed thing.

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

1. Sunday--Twisted Root Burger

2. Monday--No Clue

3. Tuesday--No Clue

4. Wednesday--No Clue

5. Thursday--No Clue

6. Friday--No Clue

7. Saturday--No Clue

No Clue this week except to say I'll be having many Coke Zeros, drinks with tiny umbrellas in them, bourbon and good, dark beer(hopefully).

As for meals, it's anybody's guess. ;-)

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   

Frugal Friday.....the August 14th Edition

 Here are a few things that happened around Chez Sluggy this past week that we call frugal.......

* I had 13 items from a Weis trip last Friday that gave me an extra Midweek $1 Bonus(12 were needed to hit the bonus so I did 1 beter).  

These 13 were also tracking toward a Buy 30 items/Get a $10 Bonus that was running until mid month in August so while I was in Walmart earlier this week I finished that Bonus off.

I got......

1 x 3 pack Renuzit air fresheners($1.00)

5 x single Renuzit air fresheners($2.00)

1 x Ritz toasted chips($1.00)

1 x Townhouse pita crackers(.25¢)

1 x lg. Buddig lunch meat pack($1.00)

1 x Lily's baking chips(.75¢)

1 x Kraft mac and cheese box(.15¢)

1 x Serious Bean Co. can(.50¢)

2 x Stouffer's Veggie Lasagna single serve($1.00)

3 x Banquet Pot Pies(for Hubs to make next week)(.50¢)

1 x Perdue Ground Chicken($1.25)

1 x Country Crock "Plant" Butter sticks($1.00)

1 x Country Crock "Plant" Butter tub(.50¢)

4 x Bella wet dog food tubs (.50¢)

5 x Hall's Energy and Sleep packs($6.25)

1 x Poise pads($3.00)

1 x Fage yogurt split cup(.55¢)

Plus I earned .10¢ each on sleep aid, crackers and chips(.30¢ total), the $10 Extra Dough, a $1 Renuzit Bonus and a Cash Giveaway entry for this trip.

Total rebates earned was $32.50 and I used an old Walmart gift card $50 to pay plus another $4.84 w/sales tax total OOP(after using $3.50 in coupons also)for all this.

* I found money!

I found this penny last Friday as Hubs and I were leaving Weis(PMITA)Markets.

Last Saturday when entering the Dollar General not in my little town I saw this dirty quarter outside.  It sort of blended into the walkway but my eagle eye was on point that morning! ;-)

Then when leaving the register after checking out I spied this shiny penny halfway tucked under the candy rack.

Then the glint off the sunshine in the parking lot at Rite-Aid made me look/find this penny near my car as I exited it.  No abandoned change inside my R-A that day however.

Hubs and I went to Price Chopper to get lobster on Thursday and I found 2 pennies there-1 in the check-out lane and another in the foyer of the store on our way out.

Total Change found this week. .30¢
Total Change found this year....$47.50

* I hit the Bread Outlet for 2 loaves of Arnold Bread and a package of hot dog rolls.  Total OOP was $4 for all 3 items.  Buying just one loaf of Arnold's bread reg. retail at Weis(PMITA)Markets can run over $4!

* While I was at the Bread Outlet I went next door to Malacari's produce market for 3 types of lunch meat, 1 lb. of sharp cheddar cheese slices, 2 heads of lettuce and 5 cukes and a head of cabbage for $16.95 total.

*  Don't hate me because I had lobster and salad for lunch on Thursday..........

The Price Chopper ad last Sunday had a coupon for $4.99 lb. lobsters so Hubs and I went on Thursday to check it out.  

There were other coupon deals we did($1.99 case of water, $1.99 lb. 80% ground beef(3 lb. or more packages), $1.99 for 1 lb. of butter, and select GM cereals and/or NV granola bars for 4/$8 and you get a free gallon of Milk)plus we had to spend $15 on non coupon deal items(that's how the PC Qs always work)so we picked up a nice piece of Salmon, 3 chopped salad kits(all of them had $1.50 instant savings stickers plus were already on sale), a 24 oz. container of whole mushrooms(also with a $1.50 instant savings sticker on it). I found a gallon of distilled water too over on the markdown/damaged goods shelves with a .25¢ instant savings sticker on it so that ran me .75¢ instead of $1 I usually pay.

I also stacked a $1/2 NV granola bar peelie Q and a $1/2 GM cereals IPQ with the PC 4/$8 and get free milk ad-Q so I paid $6 for 2 boxes of cereal, 2 boxes of granola bars and a gallon of milk(here in PA whole milk by the gallon is $3.94-it's price regulated by the PA state dairy board-so that's nothing to sneeze at!)

We also picked up 2 packs of muffins for $5 and a lemon meringue pie for $3.99 and of course the 2 lobsters.  Total OOP was $53 and change for all which was a really good deal.

I don't often go to Price Chopper but when I do I have deals to get. ;-)

* I did one Rite-Aid shop so far this past week that I already posted about.

Be sure and go get your free or moneymaker toothpaste and toothbrush(or mouth wash) before the sale ends on Saturday!

*  We got Domino's on Wednesday for dinner using a gift card.

*  Things kept me occupied this past week(beyond grocery/R-A shopping)at home...........

As energy and my leg have allowed I've been slowly working on reorganizing and de-cluttering the house now that Ex-College Boy's room was emptied.

Hubs had vacuumed and shampooed the carpeting and cleaned the baseboards in there. Ex-CB came over on his day off to help move furniture and since then Hubs and I have been moving the toiletries stockpile, Xmas tubs, kids crap around in our version of Tetris.  I hope to get that room tidy and functional as a guest room before my surgery next Wednesday.  Updates and photos at some point later.  The upstairs hallway(were we've staged some stuff is looking quite empty now.

After that it's on to sewing room and those supplies then another purge of the linen closet in the hallway.  Yippee!

That's about it to report in from here.

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

Sluggy

Frugal Friday...........the November 2nd Edition

Let's see what frugalisciousness went on at Chez Sluggy this week...........

* I found more change last weekend while we were out shopping!

1¢ in the Ollie's parking lot and 1¢ in the Rite-Aid parking lot.  At this rate, if I live to be 250 years old I may amass a million dollars. lolz

I almost didn't get the penny at Ollie's.....there was only one checkout open and a very long line and I had spied the penny waaaay ahead.  They opened a second checkout which we were shunted over to so I couldn't just get to the penny and surreptitiously pick it up.  After we checked out I had to walk back up the first checkout line and bend over in front of everyone and pick it up. I have no shame evidently,....Kim is rubbing off on me. lolz

*  I am still harvesting garden goodies!

Everything is dead out there except my oregano as we haven't had a good,, hard frost yet.  Here is what I've dried so far in a quart jar.  I doubt if I'll get this jar filled up but I'll be picking/stripping/drying some more oregano this weekend.

*  I earned $17.38 in cash rebates this past week.
$13.38 on Ibotta(including $3.50 in bonuses)and $4 on SavingStar.(I've pretty much given up on Checkout51.)

*  I got the Weis Freebie last Friday.........

Or rather I sent Hubs to get it.  A free whipped topping aka fake whipped cream.  I prefer the real stuff but Ex-College Boy will be more than happy to put this on his pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving.  8-)

*  Last weekend at Walmart I happened upon 5 items of garden food for $1 each.

It's all tucked away in the shed until Spring and will save me lots getting the garden going next season.

*   While we were in New England somewhere, our mailbox at home was run over and demolished.......

A neighbor's pick-up truck was idling in his driveway, the gear somehow slipped into neutral and his truck rolled down said driveway into the road, crossed the road, went between our street sign and a tree on our property, collided with our mailbox, swerved and just missed Hubs car(which we had gotten back just before leaving on this trip from the accident our son had with it)then crossed our street and hit the large pine tree on another neighbor's property across our street and next to the neighbor directly across from us.
Yikes!

So after Hubs and Kim's Hubby tried to fix the post(it didn't work), Hubs went and got a new mailbox and post and put installed it all.
The neighbor responsible for the carnage has a bad back so he couldn't help to do the work.

Said neighbor came over this past week and paid for the new mailbox.......

This will go right into the bank to cover those costs on our credit card this month.
And then said neighbor gave Hubs this...........

A $50 gift card because he couldn't help do the work and as an apology for being a bad neighbor. ;-)

Ok, that's about it this week other than the usual frugal stuff we do every week.

Tell us about the frugal wins  you had this past week?

Sluggy

3rd Quarter Review...Small Finances

So we are three quarters of the way through 2018.
How did that happen so fast?? lolz

I went through the various small pots of monies and here is where it all stands as of September 30th.
I save up all my rebates/spare change/refunds to apply toward the food bill in December.
(I don't put monies from things I sell during the year into this kitty.)

*  The spare change was rolled and counted September 27th......

$39.00 to put toward the food budget come December.  Now that Hubs isn't working and doesn't have as much WAM we don't get as much change accumulating at Chez Sluggy.  I rolled $15.50 from Hubs' change cup but he wanted the bills($15)and let me have the .50¢ roll of pennies so I only had .50¢ to add to my spare change stash this quarter. 8-(  I guess since 95% of the spare change in the cup is from his WAM it IS his to keep.

*  Here are the current cash rebate app totals for 2018 thru the end of September.......
   Ibotta  $170.33
   Checkout 51  $6.75
   Savingstar  $57.15
A total of $234.23 in cash rebates to put toward food spending in December.

*   My Weis Refund envelope has $25.75 in it.

*   My Rite-Aid Post Q/Refund envelope has $146.48 in it.

Altogether I have $445.46 at the 3/4 point in the year to apply toward food spending in December.  Since my normal monthly food budget is $400 per month I can cover all the December food shopping!!  Even is I go over a bit I'm good.  8-)))

*   Not part of the grocery monies but my leftover WAM from the first 9 months of the year came to $586.00.
That was until Kim showed up and we hit the road.  I fear my WAM accumulation will change significantly once this trip is over.......

Do you keep track of small streams of cash you receive?
Do you ear mark any of it for something special?

Sluggy

Half Year Small Finances Review

So we are halfway through 2018.
How did that happen so fast?? lolz

I went through the various small pots of monies and here is where it all stands as of June 30th.
I save up all my rebates/spare change/refunds to apply toward the food bill in December.
(I don't put monies from things I sell during the year into this kitty.)

*  The spare change was rolled and counted June 30th......

$38.50 to put toward the food budget come December.  Now that Hubs isn't working and doesn't have as much WAM we don't get as much change accumulating at Chez Sluggy.

*  Here are the current cash rebate app totals for 2018 thru the end of June.......
   Ibotta  $55.40
   Checkout 51  $6.25
   Savingstar  $26.25
A total of $87.90 in cash rebates to put toward food spending in December.

*   My Weis Refund envelope has $19.81 in it.

*   My Rite-Aid Post Q/Refund envelope has $98.47 in it.

Altogether I have $244.68 at the halfway point in the year to apply toward food spending in December.  If this pace keeps up I may be able to fully cover food shopping in December with these odds and ends I save up.  8-)))

*   Not part of the grocery monies but here is my leftover WAM from the first 6 months of the year.....

I've still got a little over half of my WAM for the year so far, $366.
Almost enough to buy a plane ticket outta here! lolz

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the January 26th Edition

So here is are frugal things we did last week.........

*  On Wednesday I hit up Weis and did the Mix and Match Buy 6 Items/Get $3 off Instantly Deal.....

4 x MM OJ on sale($2.49)=$9.96

1 x Salad kit on sale=$3.49

1 x Ben and Jerry's ice cream slices on sale=$3.99

Subtotal.......$17.44

I used 4 x .55¢/1 MM OJ Qs which doubled fully to $1.10=$4.40 and got $3 off this lot---$17.44-$7.40=$10.04 for all 6 items.

Then I received a cash rebate on Ibotta for $1.75 back on the ice cream so $8.29 OOP for all.

I also bought this.........

Furmano's and Hunts tomato products as well as Bumble Bee chicken were .77¢ each if you bought in lots of 7 items.

7 x .77¢=$5.39 and I used 2 x $1/3 Furmano's IPQs so $3.39 for all the items on the left in the photo.

Contadina tomato products were $1 each last week(reg. $2 each).  I printed out 8 .50¢/1 IPQs from 4 different computers here.  These Qs doubled to $1 off each so all 8 cans of tomatoes were FREE!

Everything in this photo cost me $3.39 or .23¢ per item.  9-)

*  Besides the $1.75 cash rebate for the ice cream I bought this week I also earned $1.25 rebate on this........

A Zero artificial sweeteners Light & Fit Greek yogurt cup.  They were on sale for $1 each plus I had a .50¢ IPQ that doubled to $1 so I paid Zero for it and then I got $1.25 cash back for "buying" it.  lolz

*  I went to the PO last Saturday and bought 100 stamps before they went up in price again.

This lot should see us through another year or two of mailing letters.  It's only a penny savings per stamp but every penny counts, right? ;-)

*  I blogged about what I got at Rite-Aid(so far)this week already.........

 The Kleenex purchase also earned me another $13.98 toward the $20 Allergy Reward spending($75 in spending needed to earn that reward).

In addition to all this I also got 2 cases of water and two more Scott tp packs.  I've spent down my Plenti Points(plus converted $20+ of them to cash), spent a $20 Bonus Cash.  I have $15 in Catalinas and a $20 Bonus Cash left on this Wellness card.

*  I took my free $10 Birthday voucher up to Kohl's and got this........

A Springweight nightgown in lavender.

It was a discontinued style and on sale for $16.00.

I also had a 30% off coupon so ended up paying $4.20.

The best news is it's a size smaller than I use to wear. 8-)))

So that's about it for me.

What did you do that was frugal this past week?

Sluggy