Frugal Friday.....the December 8th Edition

There are very few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  I went to PT 3x this past week.   Good thing I've hit all my deductibles and co-pays so I'm not shelling out cash for this service.

*  Grocery shopping this past week for December--didn't do any I can think of.

*  I found money!

On Saturday, I found a penny inside of Walmart and one in the parking lot.  Guess which is which?

Stopped into Dollar General Market on Wednesday for some gift card presents and found this shiny guy at the register.

Total Found in last Week.... .03¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.50

That's all I got.

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

Blogging will be taking a backseat to getting me healed so there might not be many posts here for the foreseeable future.8-)

Sluggy   

Frugal Friday....the September 29th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   And really, what a week of highs and lows it's been!!!

There are a few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  Grocery shopping this week........

At Kroger late Friday, I picked up what's pictured above with Ibotta rebates and some also had digital Qs.  The boxed Kraft was given away to son in-law.

I spent $32.75 OOP on all this and got back $13.94 on Ibotta.

This is what got bought at Walmart on Saturday with Ibotta rebates and again the boxed Kraft went to the son in-law. I spent $44.04 OOP on what is pictured and got back $28.91 on Ibotta plus another $5 for hitting the Weekend Bonus between the Kroger shop and this one.

And I received $9.00 on Shopmium and $4.00 on Alexa so $15.94 OOP in the end on all this. (I also earned $3 worth of Shop Kicks too and .25¢ of Kroger Cash Back but those get counted once I cash out on those platforms.)

I'll also picked up a load of stuff on Thursday, mostly some prepackaged salads, frozen veggies as we were almost out, fresh fruit and veg to use up this coming week before we fly to Ohio, a can of tomato paste, a bag of pet treats, 3 bags of frozen chicken, and Hubs wanted a frozen pizza and a rope of Cajun boudin sausage.  That all came to $67.42 after my 5% Senior discount(since we went there on SD day).  We saved $33.06 over regular retail prices too.   I know this puts me over $400 for the month of September on food but it was either going to happen in September or October.  This is the discount grocer for Brookshire's a regional chain.  They sell Brookshire's branded items here but they charge less for them.  And I usually buy fresh produce here as it is cheaper than Walmart or Kroger.

*  Our granddog who is getting up there in dog years broke a tooth off a couple of weeks ago but 2 of the roots were still left in her gums.  Being elderly the vet is reticent to use anesthesia on her(due to her heart)but you can't do extraction on a dog without it.  They ran tests and daughter took the gamble she would pull through.  Got the word on Tuesday evening that she survived the operation and is recovering!

Cinnamon is the dog that lived with us in PA for 3 years while Daughter was finishing her degree.  She was my constant companion for those 3 years(before we adopted Chester)and I have a soft spot in my heart for her.

* Our power went out again.  This time due to a hellacious lightning storm on Sunday night(it stormed off and on all day and then into Monday and the strikes were so close a few actually shook our house).  We had nothing to eat(no way to cook or heat it)and had to go get bags of ice to try to save our freezer/fridge food.

We ended up going to a local restaurant for lunch because they had power still.  I ordered a chimichanga, which is my favorite thing to eat if it's Mexican.  What they brought me was not up to par.....

I choked down about half of the chimi only, as I was starving and as it was NOT fried as it should have been.  I'd had this before here(2 times)and it was cooked properly then.  This one was a gloppy oily mess.  Then they dumped what appeared to be processed cheese sauce on top of it(or a sort of melted Velveeta).  The beef was not seasoned beyond a bunch of salt.  The rice was not fully cooked either.  There were many crunchy grains plus it had no flavor.  I gave my refried beans to Hubs as they tasted sour and had a glob of sour cream on them which did nothing to hide the off flavor.

It was a crappy meal and I regret paying good money for it but Hubs wanted to go there.  Even the basket of restaurant made tortilla chips were flavorless.  At the Mexican restaurant I worked at in VA years ago, at least we put a good dose of garlic and salt on our tortilla chips.  These were nasty but I couldn't eat them anyway(empty carbs)so no loss for me plus their salsa has fresh cilantro in it so with my genetic anomaly it makes the salsa taste like soap.  ick.

*  Then my subpar PCP almost blew up my knee replacement because instead of doing a proper cardiac clearance on me for surgery, they did a half-assed EKG which was unacceptable to the surgeon's office.  I knew when they were preforming it that it wasn't going to pass muster as the nurse couldn't get a good reading with the inadequate equipment they were using.  Then the surgeon's office waited 4 DAYS to let me know it was unacceptable!  So I blame both parties for this.  After much gnashing of teeth and complaining loudly to all parties I got a stress test scheduled before I was suppose to fly to Ohio.  Hopefully this won't cost too much OOP but I am so done with every doctor I have seen here in Lousiana(and that isn't a typo). ;-)  I can't wait to get out of this place!!!  

Thankfully I complained loudly enough to the PCP that she had the nurse refer me to a real cardiologist to run the needed tests to clear me for surgery.  I had those Wednesday and the cardiologist called me late that afternoon and told me I had passed with flying colors.  We got the results to the surgeon in Ohio and the surgery didn't get derailed after all but it was a very stressful couple of days, mentally, emotionally and physically.  I am thankful that this cardiologist that the PCP referred me to was competent and actually he was awesome! and that they could squeeze me in.  As I am 2 months away from Medicare had the surgeon's office had to reschedule this surgery I am sure it wouldn't have been in time for me to still qualify for this program through our private insurance.

I don't think I'll owe anything for these additional tests as I've met all my deductibles and co-pays too that is a blessing as well.

*  We went to the lawyer's office and signed all the paperwork Thursday for our legal documents(will, living will, healthcare POA, Financial POA).

I brought home these very nice ballpoint pens for free(the lawyer offered them, I didn't pilfer them).  They have advertising for the lawyer on them but this side is lovely. 8-)

I thought getting to take home the pens(plus some chocolates in a bowl from his waiting room)would make the sting of having to shell out $2,400 for his services would help but no, it didn't. lol  But it was something we had to have and spend on.  Asking around I find that his rates were fairly low for what we got so my mind is at ease on all accounts.

*  I found money! Finally!!

At that place we went to that served mediocre Tex-Mex food.  Found by the door as we left never to return again.
Adios Trejo's and gracias for the nickel!

Total Found in last Week.... .05¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.10

That's all I got. 

 Just sitting home is frugal, right?

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them since I don't seem to be able to find much!

Sluggy   

Frugal Friday....the June 24th Edition

 So here are a very few frugal things that happened here at Chez Sluggy this past week.......

*  I finally got my election paycheck.  There was a snafu with the paperwork I filled out(they said I hadn't but I had at the polls so it somehow got lost between there and the offices at the courthouse-makes me wonder how secure the election results from our polling place were if they lost my paperwork which was in the secure bags with the polling data. hmmm).  Had to redo the paperwork and my check arrived this week.
I'll try not to spend this massive amount all in one place. lolz

*  My J and J rebate cards arrived this past week...

One was for $10, the other for $5....except they were both suppose to be for $10.  Whatever, I am too over it to complain and get it corrected. 8-P

*  I've been using pantry and freezer items to make meals this week.  We did go out for lunch on Tuesday though to the Chinese Buffet(Hubs' request).  Eating leftovers or fending for ourselves mostly.

*  One of the projects on the house was pruning an overgrown ornamental tree on the side of the house.  It was rubbing on the siding and on the roof so Hubs and I pruned it ourselves 2 days ago.  Then a storm came through and took down another large branch so the tree is well off the house now without having to pay someone to cut it back. 8-)

*  I have done no food shopping this week.  That may change today as we need a couple of things.  ;-)

*   I found money this past week!  

When I was out last Saturday I found a penny in Rite-Aid by the drink cooler.  Whoopee..... ;-)

Total Found in last Week.... .01¢
Total Found This Year.....$13.05

That's about all I've got for this past week.  It was a lowkey week not going places and staying home by and large.

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

And have a good weekend!  

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 1st Edition

Sorry to be a day late on the Frugal Friday posting.
I do have a good excuse--Halloween night a tree fell on a power line down the road from us so we were without electricity for 18+ hours until almost 6 pm last evening. ugh.

A quick look around here to see what frugal stuff went on at Chez Sluggy this past week........

*  I ran Ibotta deals........

Finished off some Bonuses and regular Ibotta rebates this past week.
$32.14 in Ibotta rebates and $1 in SavingStar rebates so a total of $33.14 in cash rebates earned this past week.

* Remember that refund the Hospital sent me awhile back in July?

A medical co-pay overpayment I made.  the refund was in the form of a prepaid Visa card.
If you wanted the actual CASH back you had to request a check and then it would be another 4-6 weeks before seeing that.
So I dug the card out finally and took the card to my bank and did a cash advance and emptied that prepaid card.

* I had a $5 chit for Kohl's about to expire on Oct. 31st.  I went into my local Kohl''s last week but didn't seen anything worth buying that wouldn't have made me spend much actual monies out of pocket.  I went back this week and an item I eyed on the last trip in that was on the clearance table was marked down about.........

This tabletop fountain was marked down to $20 last week........

Now it was marked down again to $13.39.  I don't usually buy things for myself there but I had a 20% off Q+$5 chit so I got this.

It cost me $7.41 w/tax out of my WAM.
A $66.99 fountain? No thanks.
A $7.41 fountain?  Yes please! 8-)))

* I found money!

I found this slightly groddy quarter at the Weis in the town West of here last Friday.

I also found a change purse in that Weis.  Turned it into the Customer Service and the owner was standing there conducting some business and hadn't even noticed she dropped it.  The purse had her rent money in it and she couldn't thank me enough times to have it back. ;-)

And I found this quarter at Rite-Aid on Thursday right near the register.  Who drops a quarter and doesn't pick it up?!?! lolz

*  Some freebies at Rite-Aid..........

Pantene Shampoos and Conditioners, Olay body wash, Toothpaste and Dental Floss.
I'll pick up some more of this sort of thing today before the sale ends and finish out some of the various deals that stacked this week on P&G stuff.

* A new bank opened up in my town and they had an Open House last weekend.  I went in to look around, get some free food and maybe win a BMW they were giving away..............

Didn't win the car but I won this nifty coffee mug! lolz  I brought this chocolate covered rice krispies treat home along with a bottled water, a slice of nasty pizza(which Hubs ate, of course!lol)and a small container of bbq from a local bbq joint that opened up here.
The cue was good which is nice because we won a gift certificate for there at the church auction last month. ;-)

*  I sold something on eBay!

This throw blanket went for $32.  Better to sell it than have it sitting around my house for another ten years, right?  I made $22 gross on this sale(haven't figured out the net yet after fees, stupid fees).

That's about it for this week in my world.

What frugal wins did y'all come up with this week?
Tell us all about it!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the September 27th Edition

Here is the frugalisciousness that happened around here this past week.............

*  A trip to Rite-Aid for this stuff...

Rolled some BC and converted some to cash through Ibotta rebates.

*  I stocked up on TP............

$33.80 + sales tax for lots and lots of tp!

*  I used a snail mailed Booking dotcom code to book at motel stay for our return trip to Daughter's wedding...........

After we complete the stay I'll get a $45 rebate back on my c/c.  Actually I should count this in 2020 since we aren't going until then. ;-)

*  I also booked our 4 nights in Shreveport through Hotels dotcom.

I used a $200 gift card bought last year which meant the stay only cost $179 OOP.  I sure wish they'd let you use 2 gift cards per booking....then I wouldn't have spent any $ OOP this year on it.


*  I found money!

I went to Weis to get the Freebie but they were out so no pancake syrup for me.
But I did find this penny on the way out of the store.

When I got all that TP at Weis at 50% off I found all three of these pennies at the self-checkout.

Went to Rite-Aid on Monday too and found this .03¢ in three different places in that store...1 at register #1, another at register #2 and the third one in the parking lot next to a car I passed by.

.07¢ total for the week. 8-)))

*  I forgot to put in that we used 2 gift certificates for pizza and stromboli this past week.  These were won last year at the church auction we go to.


That's about it for the week for me.  Other than spending $$ at Weis and OSJL I stayed home and amused myself here by cleaning and rearranging stuff, doing paperwork, getting items up on eBay(and all the work that entails), reading or playing with the puppies.

What frugal wins did y'all have this past week?
Let us know!


Sluggy

Frugal Friday......the June 21st Edition

Here's the awesomeness we call "frugal" that happened at Chez Sluggy and on the road this past week...............

*  I got the Weis(PMITA)Markets Friday Freebie last week........

A full sized (52 oz.)bottle of Weis brand OJ.
That was a really nice one for a change!

*  I got a LOT of free(except for tax)Kokie nail polish last week..  I think the final count was 18 bottles?

The Spend $12/Get $6 BC Deal stopped working on Thursday at my store but I called them on Friday and got the $6 BC on Daughter's card to work.  I bought 6 more between the 2 other cards after that on Saturday and the Deal didn't work on either of those cards then but I didn't call about those bottles.  Might when I get back or I might just return them.

*  We found cheap for MA gas on Monday driving up to see my cousin.
The Sunoco was $2.71 a gallon and with our gas card Hubs got another .05¢ off a gallon.
Last gas I got at home was $2.84 and we saw $2.79 when we left town there.
We'll take it!

* I found money!

On Tuesday I found a penny at Mardens in Sanford ME and another penny at Rite-Aid in Ogunquit ME.  The Marden's penny was an easy pick-up by the register as we were leaving the store.  The Rite-Aid penny was wedged between the trash can and the smoking butt station outside the door in front.  I couldn't get my arm in between or move the containers(both very big and heavy)so I used one of the make-up brushes on the way out to stick in there(in the package!)to move it to where I could reach it.  Of course some strange old man was just loitering by the trash can when I came out(not throwing anything away)so I had an audience while I bent down to do this.  He seemed fascinated so at least I could entertain the old coot! lolz

*  We stayed with my cousin on the first night of this trip.  She lives in a resort town where accommodations are NOT inexpensive in the season so we didn't have to shell out lots of money for a motel/hotel.  We went out to dinner and they picked up the bill(as we had picked it up last Fall when we took them out to dinner).  The best part was spending time with this cousin. ;-)

*  I got almost free(wish I had that Q!)deodorant and then better than free make-up brushes at Rite-Aid this week...........well the deo was free too because I "spent" Bonus Cash for it.

*  Father's Day was spent at home grilling steaks and making sides for my Hubs.
You won't see us going out to dinner on holidays like this.  Yes, we spend money eating out on Birthdays usually but I don't eat out on those holidays were there is a "special" limited menu or a set dinner so that everyone's meal is the same price.  The meal you get may be worth what you are expected to pay but the service is shitty as the waitstaff is overworked and overwhelmed on this shifts plus the kitchen staff is just trying to keep up cranking out what may not be their best work plus the crowds(need I say more?)so yah, that's why we stay home.

*  We fit some frugal shopping into this vacation(of course she did you are all thinking in your heads).

I left these slug/snail decorative watering cans on the shelf  however.  I'll report in next week on what we picked up on this trip. ;-)

*  Going to Porcfest, while not a cheap action(spending money to take a trip)we tried to do it in a frugal manner.
I booked our motel stay through Booking(dot)com.  They sent me a special offer(book a stay and get a rebate), plus I went through a rebate site to reserve the room.  I have an account w/them and they send me another % off in addition on the room. Granted, go through Booking I was limited to motels they deal with but even so among the 3 motels/hotels nearby I could choose from I booked the cheapest one(and it was cheaper through Booking).  It was the most basic motel of motel but we were only sleeping there and not spending time at the motel.  Too much other stuff to do!!

We also bought our Porcfest tickets early and got a $30 discount that way too. Spend $50 during the Early Bird period and don't pay $80. '-)

*  I got some free swag at Porcfest!
Haven't even gone through the few things in the bag but I picked up a free keychain from some game developers, a stack of books for giveaways, a cookie and drink and a slice of birthday cake.


*  Hubs and I found money!
Well he got to it faster but I snatched it from him "like a Kim". lolz

It was tucked under my bed at the motel. 8-)))))))))))))
We asked if anyone had reported missing money and no.  This is an awesome addition to my "found change" envelope.
Sweet.

That's about it around the "Sluggy Traveling Show" this week.

Any good deals or frugal wins in your life this past week?



Sluggy