This Week + on The Dining Table....Dec. 15th to Dec. 29th

 The "Christmas Ornament" Edition........

Here is one of the splurge purchased I made during the After Christmas sales.  It's a Cheetos bag ornament.  When I was a kid I loved Cheetos.  Recently, Flavorwiki had me taste test Flamin' Hot Cheetos.  I have never been one for "hot" food so I don't know why they picked me to do that survey.  Do you want to guess whether I gave them the thumbs up or down? lol

Onward to the meal planning!

Here is what was planned for the last week I did a meal plan.....

1. Sunday--Cod, Squash and Onions

2. Monday--Cheeseburgers(bun optional), Leftover Green Beans

3. Tuesday--Whatever needs using up(soup, squash, green beans, etc.)

4. Wednesday--Whatever else needs using up

5. Thursday--?

6. Friday--?

7. Saturday--?

8. Sunday--?

9. Monday--?

10. Tuesday--Fajita Bar at friend's house

11. Wednesday--Turkey

12. Thursday--?

13. Friday--Cracker Barrel

14. Saturday--Chili's

15. Sunday--?

And here's what actually happened....

1. Sunday--Cod, Squash and Onions

2. Monday--Cheeseburger(no bun), Leftover 

Green Beans

3. Tuesday--Don't Remember

4. Wednesday--Used by what was left

5. Thursday--Cracker Barrel

6. Friday--Cracker Barrel

7. Saturday--Golden Corral

8. Sunday--Chick fil-A

9. Monday--Don't remember

10. Tuesday--Fajita Bar at friend's house

11. Wednesday--Turkey and lots of sides

12. Thursday--Standing Prime 

Rib, Salad

13. Friday--Cracker Barrel

14. Saturday--Chili's

15. Sunday--McDonald's

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

*  2 pieces of Cod

*  Hamburger Meat

*  2 Chicken Biscuits(breakfast)

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

*  Nothing  

                   

Last week we spent $227.37 grocery shopping.

There are 0 shopping days left in December.

Rebate monies earned in December.....

I've earned $201.96 on Ibotta in December.

I've earned $9.50 on Checkout51 in December.

I've earned $190.72 on Aisle, TaDa, SwagBucks, Flavorwiki, etc. in December. 

I've earned 7,760 points on Fetch from food shopping in December.

I've earned 17,925 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in December.($71.70)

I've earned 865 points on My Points in December.(not sure what the conversion rate is here)

That is $402.18 in rebates(not counting Shop Kick/Fetch/MyPoints where I earn gift cards or send $$ to my Paypal account and count it at the end of the year)on $432.66 of grocery spending so in reality it's $40.38 in food spending after the rebate apps I count. I now separate out the Food Bank donations and don't count those in the grocery spending(but I do count any rebates on those items) so it's a win/win--the food bank gets a large donation of goods and I get a lower grocery bill.

My savings percentage for the last week was 42.48% and the monthly savings total for 50.49%.

Leftovers going into next week.....nothing

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

1. Sunday--Zalads from Zaxby's(using gift card)

2. Monday--Cheeseburgers, saute Cabbage

3. Tuesday--Shrimp, Baked Sweet Potato Fries

4. Wednesday--TV dinners

5. Thursday--Pasta, Salad

6. Friday--Chicken Tenders, Veg TBD

7. Saturday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Saute Yellow Squash

Nothing inspiring here.  Just trying to eat what is here,

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? 

Sluggy 

What a Slug I've Been!

Gosh, I've just done practically nothing since getting home on Tuesday!
Ok,, I DID go to Rite-Aid since I had another $25 in +Up Rewards expiring but as you can see(or would that be NOT see?!?)I haven't even posted about that shopping trip.

See? What did I tell ya........just a slug!

It's already the 17th of the month and I have yet to pay a single bill even.

College Boy is going back to school tomorrow and I still need to finish gathering up his goodies to take back with him(toiletries, food, etc.).

Hubs told me he put away all the Christmas stuff while I was gone.
Ha!
By "put away" he must have meant I've put some of it away and the rest is still sitting in boxes/tubs or is sitting on the dining room table and YOU need to finish this job.  8-(

While away in Virginia I was suppose to contemplate my goals for 2015 and frankly, the thought never crossed my mind while I was there.
8-/

I've also got to get a handle on the food/grocery situation here.  Hubs will eat strange things and combinations of foodstuffs rather than cook or go to the store when he is left to fend for himself and as a result will let perfectly good food sit unloved.
That is the only reason I can think of to explain why an entire homemade apple pie I made for the Holidays is still sitting in the fridge untouched!!
The man is seriously ill(or in his own little world)to let a pie go bad......

And there is also the making of the plan for next week's dinners to work on and Hubs is no help.
I ask him, "What do you want to eat this week?" so I can work in his wants/needs to the plan.
So he answers me with, "How about chicken?"
"OK", I say, "There are only FOUR THOUSAND ways to make 'chicken'.  Which way were you thinking?!?  Narrow it down a little for me, willya?!"
This is what I'm working with here.............

So between paying bills, packing the kid up, cleaning out the fridge and meal planning/preparing and then figuring out our goal plan for the coming year I've got more than enough to keep me busy this weekend.

I am not a big fan of January.
January, post-holiday, is always stressful to me.
It's too cold.
All the year end financial stuff needs attending to.
I get post-Holiday blues.
It's too dark and snowy. (And today it's 5F degrees. bleh.)

I have usually fallen off the eating right wagon w/the Holidays so I don't feel as well as I should.
There are Yearly taxes and FAFSA to attend to. bleh.
I have to pay full price for prescriptions as the high deductible kicks back in on Jan. 1. Happy New Year my ass!
And to top it all off, Hubs paychecks are lighter at the beginning of the year(due to all kinds of local taxes being taken out in Jan.).

The only bright spot is that January contains my birthday(this Wednesday).
Otherwise I'd be happy to just punt January off the calendar.

I did accomplish one thing this week(besides surviving it).
I got maintenance on my Sonic scheduled and completed.
What an ordeal THAT turned out to be!!(Don't ask.)

This fancy pants new car displays a message when you need to take it in to change the oil, have the system reset, rotate tires, etc.  And you have 600 miles once the message displays to have the car services OR ELSE......they don't say what happens if you don't but it sure sounds ominous.

Of course the message came on while driving back from Virginia.  I have been so paranoid lately about that message coming on while I was not at home in Pennsylvania and not being able to get the car serviced before that 600 miles.  I've fretted bout it happening when I went to the Family Reunion in Sept., we rented a car for the trip in Oct. to OC so it didn't happen then, and again on 2 trips to get College Boy.
So of course it happens while in Virginia, right? lolz
But we were only 200 miles from home so it turned out ok.
The car is good to go and happy again with new oil/filters/etc.

So car tuned up, Rite-Aid +Ups spent and a few groceries picked up this week.
Now it's on to the weekend chores and getting back into the regular routine at home.
Or maybe I'll just go back to bed, pull the covers over my head and ignore my life for a couple more days. ;-)

What are you up to this weekend?

Sluggy