Frugal Friday 2021....the January 15th Edition

 Here's what passed for frugal last week around Chez Sluggy.........

* I finally! returned some clothes I got on clearance last January for Ex-College Boy to give him for Christmas in 2020.  Seems when he moved out in July he found a bunch of never worn clothes similar to these in the disaster that was his bedroom so he no longer needed these items.  I wanted to make sure he didn't need the clothes so I waited until Christmas was over and I ALWAYS keep receipts. lol

Just short of $49 in shopping credit back to spend on ME! ;-)

*  My CBD oil order finally arrived safely.  I ordered this back in early December.  According to the UPS tracking it made it to the NEPA distribution center here and then UPS sent it back to the company!  I got an email that it was delivered right after Xmas so went outside to find it....nope nothing there.  So I expanded the details and Shannon from the loading dock  received the package.  Hmm, no Shannon's here and we don't have a loading dock so it seems UPS sent the package back to the company in IL. lolz

Long story longer, said company reshipped it and UPS decided to actually deliver it to me this go 'round.  The company is still waiting on an explanation why they did that other thing last time.

I'm just happy it arrived NOT broken(glass bottles were not packed well).  I got a great deal on this lot-buy 1 bottle and get 5 free plus free shipping.  go. me.

* I found money!

I found 3 pennies at Dollar General last Saturday.  Two near the register and another on the sidewalk outside the building as I was walking in.

Then I found this dime at Rite-Aid.  It was in the sliding door entrance track just waiting for me to cross the threshold and pick him up!

Found Money This Week.... .13¢

Found Money This Year...... .17¢

* I found an on sale Larabar at R-A on Tuesday with a peelie coupon........

Paid .49¢ in Bonus Cash and the Coupons dotcom app sent me $2.29 to my Paypal account for buying it. ;-)

*  I finished the Ibotta $10 Bonus this week between offers at CVS, Rite-Aid and Walmart(plus shops last week at Weis and Rite-Aid)......

I also earned $ on ShopKick, Checkout51 and Fetch Rewards for some of this, stacking various rebate offers.  I used $30 in free gift cards at Walmart to bring the total OOP at all stores down to $45.79 and earned $108.39 back in cash rebates.

*  I also got a refund one one R-A transaction because my 20% Wellness Discount didn't come off of the regular priced items..........

This money went into my Refund/Post Coupon envelope and basically converted $7.73 of Bonus Cash into real cash.

*  We got Stromboli from a local pizza joint last Friday as Ex-CB came over. I made a Caesar Salad to go with it. Finished using a gift card for that joint so only had to pay OOP for a little more than half of the cost of the Strombolis.  It was a lot of food and we've had the leftovers twice for lunches this week(plus sent some home with Ex-CB).  

We also got lunch out at Applebee's on Tuesday and used a $25 gift card so only $12.63 OOP including the tip.  Gotta keep on top of these gift cards!

* On the "Use Down the Pantry/Freezer" Front.......

This is an old popcorn barrel I washed to reuse to store dry goods.  I filled it 3/4 full last year with a bulk elbow pasta buy at one of the Amish grocery outlets around here for very little money.  We've been working our way through this dried pasta supply all of 2020.  I made macaroni salad yesterday in prep for tonight's dinner.  I think one more dish of mac and cheese, American Chop Suey or a soup with noodles with finish this off.  rah.

That's about it from my part of the world.

What's going on frugal-wise in your corner of the world?

Sluggy

2020 4th Quarter Small Economies Grand Total

 

2020 4th Quarter Review..........Small Finances Year End Totals

The fourth quarter of 2020 is in the books now.
Let's see where some of my small pots of savings look like for the Year End.
These stats are all effective as of December 31st, 2020.

*  Rolled coins--$3.50.  1 roll of nickels and 3 rolls of pennies.  This is my personal change from my WAM after cleaning out my change from my wallet.

* Found Change--$54.55  Finding money is the best!

This photo is only the coins I found, not the bills.  I did something different with that, which you'll see. ;-)

*  Refunds & "Post Coupons"--$126.98 Mostly Weis(PMITA)Markets and Rite-Aid.

*  Cash Rebates--
   * Ibotta--$1,255.49
   * SavingStar--$52.75 

   * Coupons app--$23.50        

   * Shop at Home--$23.27

Grand Total......$1,540.04 in small economies monies.

(I also had about $11 in the Checkout51 app but not enough to cash out so I am rolling that amount over into 2021.)

But this year I am not using it ALL to put toward the food/toiletries spending.

I am only putting the found change($14.55 of the $54.55 found)toward the food spending.  (I used the $40 in bills I found to buy food to give to the food bank.)

I am still putting the Refund/Post Coupon cash, and all online rebates except the Shop at Home one toward food spending.(Not using the Shop at Home monies as I didn't buy any food/HBA/Toiletries/paper goods for that rebate.)

My OOP spending on groceries came to $4,714.40 for 2020.
Add in the $1,473.27(what is left without the rolled coins, $40 of found $ and Shop at Home rebate)toward the grocery spending and the food/toiletries spending drops to a Grand Total Spent of $3,241.13 for 2020.

Do you stash non-income money aside to put toward a goal?
Tell us about it and what strategies work for you in savings money!


Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the September 25th Edition

 Here's a rundown on what frugal wins we had around Chez Sluggy this past week.....

*  I went to Rite-Aid on Wednesday.  I had $3-$4 in Bonus Cash that was expiring soon so I  brought this stuff home....

1 x Ric Krispies on sale=$1.99

2 x Febreeze small spaces deodorizer 20% Wellness discount($3.11)=$6.22

SubTotal....$8.21

Coupons Used

1 x $1/1 any Kellogg's cereal from my Kellogg's Points account=$1.00

1 x BOGOFree Febreeze ManuQ(up to $3.00)=$3.00

Coupon Total.......$4.00

$8.21-$4.00=$4.21+.20¢ tax=$4.41 using Bonus Cash.

I also earned .60¢ on Ibotta for buying the Rice Krispies plus a Giveaway entry, so converted .60 in BC into cash. ;-)

*  I finished off the Ibotta "Seeing Green" $10 Bonus.  I needed 11 items(and after the box of cereal at R-A it was 10 items)I went to Weis(PMITA)Markets.....

3 x Kellogg's cereals $2.49 wyb3=$7.47(2 different rebates)

2 x Jello gelatin cups on sale=$3.00

2 x Jello pudding cups on sale=$3.00

2 x Cracker Barrel cheese on sale=$5.38

2 x Banza chickpea pasta clearance=$4.18

2 x Cliff energy drinks on sale=$4.00(2 different rebates)

1 x St. Joseph low dose aspirin on sale=$2.00

1 x Daisy sour cream=$1.99 *not pictured*

SubTotal.....$31.02

Coupons Used..$4.40

Total after Qs.....$26.62 OOP

Then I earned back $13.80 on Ibotta for 10 different rebates plus hit the 30 item mark and earned the $10 Seeing Green Bonus too, so $23.80 in rebates/bonuses back meaning all 15 items cost me $2.82 OOP.

*  I already blogged earlier this week about the $4.10 refund at Weis(PMITA)Markets that made my package of diced chicken better than free....

*  Hubs took the window a/c out of two rooms upstairs.  When he went to put the screens back in he saw that one was beyond patching so he bought a roll of screen and used his rescreening tools to replace the screen.

Ta-Dah!  Much cheaper than buying a whole new window screen and frame.

*  I got 2 packs of chicken and a pack of hamburgers(and some snacking cheese)on clearance last Friday which I already showed you....

But when I went back on Wednesday to finish the Ibotta Rebates and that $10 Bonus I also picked this up in the way of meat deals....

Another pack of hamburgers, 1.33 lb for $1.98 after discount and $2 instant sticker on the package.

And a pack of 1.69 lb. of thin sliced chicken breast for $3.31 after half price(BOGOF at Weis, if you just get one it's half-price)and $2 instant sticker on the package.  This will be good on nights my hands are hurting and I can't pound or slice chicken for stuff like Marsala or Parm.;-)

These went immediately into the freezer.

*  I found money!

I found a penny at Rite-Aid when I went there last Friday.

I went to a cashiered register at Weis(PMITA)Markets last Friday. The register wouldn't take any of my legit IPQs so they suspended the transaction(as this snafu was holding up the line)and they made me go to Customer Service to finish the transaction and get my Qs to scan.

After finishing up at the CS desk as I walked past the self-checkouts I spied a coin under one of the self-checkouts but someone was using it right then.  So I pulled my shopping cart off to the side and looked over my register(the same receipt they overcharged me on that pack of chicken...maybe I should have REALLY paid attention to that receipt, huh?lol)and waited for the guy to finish and pay and move away from the checkout.  Then I swooped in and snatched up the coin which turned out to be a dime...so worth the wait. ;-)

Then when I went back to Weis on Tuesday to get a refund on the overcharged chicken I found this penny near the Customer Service desk.

And I went to Rite-Aid on Wednesday to use some expiring BC(see first photo of transaction above).  I cleaned some expired Qs out of my coupon envie while in the store and went to put them in the trash can outside the door of the store as I left and found this penny waiting for me near the trash can.

Found change this week..... .13¢
Found change this year so far...$48.28

*  We had Ex-CB and his roommate over for dinner Thursday.  As it was a shot day we ordered Domino's(plus I was able to put together a tossed salad to serve with the pizza).

I used a gift card(long ago paid for)plus since I order online I had a FREE Pizza to redeem so instead of $23.96 + tax the order was $17.97 + tax.

That's about all from here this past week.

What frugal wins did ya'll have this past week?  Let us know!

And to Jen G.--I am certain that I will NEVER be the cause of any national tofu crisis.  Other than a little in my Hot and Sour soup when I order that, I have to stay away from soy beans(it's a long story).  There will be no tofu hoarding here! ;-)

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the September 18th Edition

 Here's what passed for frugal around here this past week.....

* First off I forgot to mention I used all my Weis Points accumulated by Sept. 7th when they expired.
I had Hubs go back to Weis(PMITA)Markets on the 7th, get another 18 ct. of eggs for .99¢(using 100 points)and then he filled my car's gas tank using the last 300 points(which was .30¢ off a gallon of gas).

* I printed off my second Playtex/Walmart $5 rebate gift card.  I used the first rebate gift card on a Walmart purchase the previous week.

* Remember those 6 bars of Neutrogena soap I got earlier this Summer doing a Johnson and Johnson deal at Walmart?

Those 2 x $10 gift card/rebates finally showed up on the same day via snail mail(and I DO mean SNAIL!).

I spent under $6 per 3 bars(which will be donated/used/giveaway fodder)and got $10 Visa prepaid cards back for each 3 bars.

Nice.

*  I found money!

This dime and penny were nestled under the candy rack by the register at Rite-Aid last Friday.

I also had a penny snatched out of my clutches at Weis(PMITA)Markets.  It was just past my shopping cart on the floor as I was checking out.  I should have pushed my cart over it to keep it safe until I was finished with the cashier.  Some woman scooped MY PENNY up as she walked by and left the store....humph, the nerve!

And no, I didn't drop everything and chase her out of the store. lol

Then on Tuesday I found another penny at Rite-Aid when I went in to finish up my Bonus Challenges.

rah me. lolz

Total Change found this week. .12¢
Total Change found this year....$48.15

* I got a single cup of Brown Cow brand yogurt at Weis last Friday.  It was on quick sale for .50¢ and I got .25¢ back on Ibotta for buying it.  But the cashier scanned the reg. barcode so it rang up $1.25. Yikes!

I went to Customer Service and got a .75¢ refund to tuck into my refund/post coupon envelope.

*  I remembered to get my PandG Summer Rebate mailed in before Sept. 14th.  That will be another $15 prepaid Visa card and hopefully it arrives before the year ends.

I tried to send it electronically but I had too many items to use their online form.  That form only let you add 7 items and I had way more than that. ugh.

* We had Subway for dinner one night and I used a gift card that was paid for last year(and had earned me BC at Rite-Aid too).  Ordered online so I got a free sub for purchasing 2.  Hubs and I split the free sub for lunch the next day. ;-)

That's about it around here.  As of yesterday, when I write up these weekly FF posts, I had only been to R-A this week and spent Bonus Cash and no actual money.  There will be more shopping this weekend(Weis and Price Chopper)but that will go on next week's post.

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

Tell us all about them!

Sluggy

2019 2nd Quarter Review.....Small Finances

The second quarter of 2019 is in the books now.
Let's see where some of my small pots of savings look like halfway into this year.


*  Rolled coins--$11.50.  Two rolls of dimes and three rolls of pennies.  Rolled coins have taken a big hit since Hubs stopped working for a living. lolz

*  Found Change--$35.25  Finding money is the best!  Nobody can argue with that, right? 8-))

*  Refunds & Post Coupons--$85.08  Mostly Weis(PMITA)Markets and Rite-Aid.

*  Cash Rebates--
   * Ibotta--$166.39(Still have $21.93 pending too from motel reservations.)
   * SavingStar--$32.25
   * Checkout51--$38.75
   * ShopatHome--$9.41(I think I need $20 to cash out of this.)

Total.........$378.63 to put toward the grocery spending come December.
6 months in and I have almost enough in small finances to cover December's food spending.
Now how cool is that?!?

Next update on the Small Finances coming at the end of September/beginning of October.


Sluggy