Meal Plan Monday....December 14th Edition....Eating Down the Freezer/Stockpile

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

Well I don't have one this week because I never got around to doing a Meal Plan.  Ssshhhh....don't turn me in to the Meal Plan Police, ok?
In fact, I looked at past posts and I haven't done a Meal Plan Monday since Nov. 30rd, due to having the flu and just the general craziness around our home lately.
And if you refer to your calendar, today is Wednesday......so I'm more than a bit late this week!lol


Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....

MONDAY--Kielbasa on rolls(freezer), Brussel Sprouts(freezer)
TUESDAY--Manicotti with Sauce(OAMC in freezer), Tossed Salad
WEDNESDAY--Apricot glazed Pork Chops, Rice(stockpile), Green Beans(freezer)
THURSDAY--Clam Chowder(homemade from scratch/stockpile), Biscuits(stockpile/fridge)
FRIDAY--Asparagus Quiche(stockpile/fridge), Tossed Salad
SATURDAY--homemade Pizza(stockpile/freezer)
SUNDAY--Not sure but probably Bacon wrapped Meatloaf as #1 son returns from college and it's one of his favorites(freezer/stockpile), Carrots(freezer), Mashed Potatoes(root cellar)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Bread Outlet purchases(donuts/danish/pie), apples, grapes

Last week I spent $39.89 on food/toiletries.  All of that was at Rite-Aid(except for 1 receipt)....seems I've been going there alot lately and nowhere else. Of that amount spent, I'll be getting $18.99 back in Rebates at Rite-Aid, so after rebates I spent $20.90....and $10 of my OOP spending last week was at the Bakery Outlet on breads and snacks.  We've been splurging lately on ALOT of snacks.  It's the holidays ya know.....lol
I did not set foot in a grocery store last week!  I've been on an "Eating Down the Freezer/Stockpile Mission" this month.  After 2 weeks of limiting food purchases to immediate needs for the week's meals, I am really noticing space opening up in the freezer.  Not so much the stockpile though.
The next 2 weeks will see me getting more and more "creative" with meals as the freezer/stockpile gets lower.  I'm going to attempt to use up more older items that have been hanging around here a bit longer so I can start the new year next month with a fresh 'food slate'.

The only items I need to buy this week for the menu are celery(chowder) and cream(chowder & quiche), as well as the weekly milk purchase.  $10 should cover it.  That leaves me extra cash this week for some more Rite-Aid deals. ;-)

Food Waste Report....some bread that didn't get eaten went moldy.  I wanted to make a bread pudding with it before it turned but being sick, it just didn't get done.  Other than that, we've been successful at giving the dogs most any leftover we can't finish, mixed in their kibble for dinner, so no waste otherwise.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

CHEAP CHOCOLATE this Week at Rite-Aid & a Prell Update

Got Holiday Chocolate?
Get chocolate this week for cheap at Rite-Aid.
Here's how.....

Grab a $5 off $20 AdPerks IPQ for watching videos.
Then grab 2 x Buy3/Get1 Free ManuQs for Hershey's Kisses.
Also grab 1 x $1/2 Hershey's Candy Bags ManuQs.

Go to Rite-Aid and buy.....
8 x Hershey's Kisses bags on sale this week for $1.99 ea.=$15.92
2 x Hershey's Candy bags(not Kisses tho)on sale this week for $1.99 ea.=$3.98
1 x Hershey's Single Candy Bar on sale this week for $.50=$.50
SubTotal....$20.40

Use your Coupons...
$5 off $20 purchase=$5.00
2 x Buy3/Get1 Free $1.99 x2=$3.98
1 x $1/2 Hershey's Bags=$1.00
Coupon Total....$9.98

$20.40-$9.98=$10.42 OOP

Submit for the SCR#44(Buy $20 of Hershey's/M&M's, Get $5 Rebate).
$10.42-$5 rebate=$5.42 OOP.
10 bags of chocolate for $5.42, or just over $.54 a bag!

If you would rather get M&Ms instead of other non-Kisses Hershey chocolate you can buy 2 bags of M&Ms instead of the 2 Non-Kisses bags and use the $1/2 M&M's ManuQ in the RP insert for the same OOP.

As for the Prell 'Poo Hunt.....I checked out a different Rite-Aid this evening and they don't even carry Prell Shampoo.  My usual R-A carries it but they have just 1 slot for it, so not many on the shelf here and it's on the bottom row too.  All they have room for is 5 on the shelf anyway....I should check back and see if they actually ordered any more for this week, with the sale on and all.
I'm going by another RA tomorrow so I'll pop in and see if they carry it.  I remember when I was younger, Prell was a big name in the 'poo biz....they even ran tv ads.  Breck is another 'poo brand you just don't see anymore either.  I guess I am dating myself, huh?

Has anyone been able to find any Prell out there?  Let us know what state you are in if you have.

Sluggy

Sunday at Rite-Aid....Serious Moneymaker!

Not a great week for Rite-Aid freebies but I was able to put together an awesome Moneymaker.

5 x Prell Shampoo on sale $.99=$4.95
1 x Chapstick Fresh Effects=$2.99
1 x Nivea Lip Gloss=$2.99
1 x SpinBrush on sale=$5.99
1 x Revlon Eye Shadow on clearance=$1.74
1 x Revlon Tweezer on clearance=$.61
1 x Revlon Pumice Stone on clearance=$.94
SubTotal....$20.21

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 RA/AdPerks Q=$5.00
1 x $2/1 SpinBrush ManuQ(sometime in Oct./also 1 in recent insert)=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Revlon color product ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Revlon beauty tool ManuQ=$2.00
Coupon Total....$11.00

$20.21-$11.00=$9.21+$.47=$9.68 OOP

Not a very low OOP BUT.....
here are the SCRs I qualified for with this purchase--

1 x Chapstick $2.99(full purchase price rebate)
1 x Nivea Lip product $2.00
1 x SpinBrush or refill $2.00
5 x Prell @$2.00 EACH=$10.00(you can do this rebate up to 5 times!)
SCR Total....$16.99

$9.68OOP-$16.99Rebates=$7.31 Moneymaker

Oh Yeah!!!

Also worth doing this week if you wear make-up is the Cover Girl SCR.  It's on sale for $3.99 this week and paired with the recent $1/1 Cover Girl ManuQ, you pay $2.99 AND can submit for a $2.00 SCR.  The limit on this SCR is 5, so grab a $5 off $20 AdPerks Qs, 5 of the $1/1 Cover Girl Qs and do this....

5 x Cover Girl Make-up @$3.99=$19.95
Add another item with a SCR, like a bottle of Prell(which would make this scenario a MM)or the Chapstick(full purchase price SCR)or a teeny tiny priced filler item.
With the $5/$20 and the CG Qs, the make-up will cost you Zero OOP.


**And be sure to check your Rite-Aid for CLEARANCE in the Make-Up Dept.  I found those Revlon things for 75% OFF!  Plus the $1/1 Revlon Tool and $2/1 Revlon Color Product made them BETTER than free!  The Qs did NOT adjust down and the cashier didn't bat an eye about that.lolol
That kind of makes up for the fact that we didn't get any Cover Girl Qs in our region's inserts, so I can't do the Cover Girl Deal at Rite-Aid but I can still get free make-up anyway.lolol


Sluggy

Hurry and do This Deal at Rite-Aid before Saturday Night!

Ok folks, go grab your P&G insert from 11/29...harvest 3 of the 4 Old Spice Qs--the B3Deodorants/G1Body Spray, the B3Deos/G1Cologne, and the $1/2 Old Spice Deos.
Grab a $5 off $20 Purchase Ad Perks/Rite-Aid Q too.

Get up to Rite-Aid before they close Saturday night.
Buy.....

3 x Old Spice Deodorants on sale $2=$6.00
1 x Old Spice Body Spray=$4.99
1 x Old Spice Cologne=$6.99
SubTotal....$17.98

Buy a couple more things to get to $20.....I bought 6 Candy Bars that are on sale $.50ea. this week.
My SubTotal was $20.98.

Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 RA AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x Old Spice B3Deos/Get1Body Spray ManuQ=$4.99
1 x Old Spice B3Deos/Get1Cologne ManuQ=$6.99
1 x $1/2 Old Spice Deos=$1.00
3 x B1G1 Mars Candy Bar ManuQ=$1.50 (From the 11/15 RedPlum insert)
Coupon Total....$19.48

$20.98-$19.48=$1.50+$.78tax=$2.28 OOP

And then submit your receipt for the $1 SCR WYB 2 Old Spice Deodorants.
That makes this transaction $1.28 OOP after Rebate.

You get $27.73 worth of items for $1.28 OOP.

If you have an Old Spice friendly person to get a gift for this Christmas, just wrap these all up in a basket or tin and you've got a great present for $1.28!

If you don't have the candy bar Qs, how about printing a $3/1 M5 Magnum Razor Q on coupons.com and pairing it with the Rite-Ad In Ad Q for $2 off the razor?  The $5.99 purchase price with the Old Spice items brings your before Q total over $20 and after these 2 Qs & the Old Spice and $5 off $20 Q, your total OOP would be $.99+tax and after submitting for the rebate on the Deos, you are just OOP the tax, minus 1 penny!

Sluggy

Christmas Decorating or Lack Thereof....

Since our tree still sits nekkid and unadorned I thought I'd share a picture of the Christmas tree from 2008.
I don't even have a good photo of the WHOLE TREE, just this bottom/presents shot. sigh  I am sooo bad about taking photos at holidays....
 
Yes, we are those kind of people who put up a fake tree.  And not only that but it's not even green!
Well, we do have another fake tree that is smaller and green.  It's the older tree we keep as a spare or if some day we get the spirit, we may put up TWO trees.....but don't hold your breath.  This white one I picked up a few years ago for 90% off or something ridiculous like that from KMart in January.
Me pay retail for a tree??
Not on your life!
I'm sure I still have the receipt filed away and could go check on the exact amount spent....but that would involve motivation, and that is something I am pretty low on at the moment.


We have done everything from a live small Norfolk Pine, to a dig-your-own-and-replant-it-in-the-yard-Tree, chop down your own at a tree farm, a cut tree from the corner lot to assorted fake trees.
I love the smell of a fresh cut tree.  But I don't love the cost nowadays, not having a good way to recycle or dispose of it around here or being a 'live tree killer'.  I know trees are grown/harvested and renewable but it sure takes a lot of years to grow a nice one.  A fake tree works fine for us plus there is no mess to clean up from dropped needles and it helps keep the 3 dogs from having ideas about messing with it or 'watering' it...if you know what I mean. ;-)

The kids don't seem to be 'into' decorating the tree anymore so it's hard for me to get enthused enough to do it myself this year.  Hubby is not allowed to decorate the tree, unless he has 'supervision'.  Needless to say, he is not the artistic one in the family.lol

As for other 'decorating' in the house......there usually isn't much.
Besides the tree, some garland on the stair banister and a festive tablecloth, candles and holiday dishes on the dining room table is about the extent of the decorating inside.
Oh, and I put the Christmas tablecloth on the kitchen table too, as you can see in any of my shopping trip photos recently.

I did have a burst of holiday spirit for Thanksgiving however and did this to the sofa table....notice that the sofa table is NOT behind a sofa, but at the bottom of the stairs in the living room...

I had a piece of fall themed knit fabric I draped over the table.  Then I put some candy corn Kisses in the Candy Jar, a candle in the candle holder and drug out a copper dish with holiday decorations with a fall candle and plopped it down on the table.  (The old photo of the kids from 1996!lol, was there already but the Fitz & Floyd Musical Santa was just put out this week for Christmas.)


So are you a Holiday Decorating Fiend in your home or not?
Tell us about your great tips for making your house shine at the Holidays.

Sluggy