Weis this Week....What is Worth Buying 12/31/09-1/6/10

Here are the Best Deals using coupons at Weis this week.  I am a bit late so you have to get there by Wednesday night as the sale ends then.  Frankly, Weis is a snoozfest this week....MHO folks.lol

BEST DEALS(=Free or almost Free)
Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta  $1.25
--use the $.75/1 ManuQ and if your store doubles it's either FREE or if your store doubles up to $1 it's .25¢ a box

Yakisoba Noodles  $1.00
--use the $.50/1 ManuQ(10/18SS or last week's SS coupon)and if your store doubles it's FREE

GOOD DEALS(=Cheap)
All Detergent $3.99
--use the $2/1 ManuQ(12/6RP or 1/3RP) and pay $1.99

Sun Crystals  $2.00
--use the $1/1 ManuQ(11/1RP or last Sunday's insert RP) and pay $1.00 a box(50 ct.)

CATALINA DEAL
Buy assorted items(Progresso Soups/Progresso Panko Crumbs/Bunches of Fiber One items/Betty Crocker Warm Delights and/or Gluten Free Mixes/One-A-Day Vitamins/Slim-Fast bars/Ensure Drinks/etc.) Spend $20/Get a $7 OYNO Cat Coupon OR Spend $12/Get a $3 OYNO Cat Coupon

Remember to use the regular shelf price when calculating how much you have spent, Not the sale prices.  There are assorted Manu or IP Qs out there for these things.  Since I am interested in the Progresso and Fiber One items only IF I can get my butt to a Weis that will take IPQs I might do this deal.
But it's far from thrilling and I doubt I can get the totals using Qs down so that subsequent rolling of the Cat will be free or under $2, so I might pass if I can't get motivated.

The BIG NEWS with WEIS this week is they have announced they are going back to a Sunday to Saturday Weekly Sales Ad.  Yep, they are abandoning ship on the old Thursday to Wednesday midweek running Ads as of January 17th or so.

I am conflicted on this change.  On the one hand I always hated this midweek ad because there was never a sales flyer in the Sunday paper, just the midweek paper.  I don't buy mid week papers, just the Sunday one, so if I wanted an actual sales flyer to study I'd have to go to the store to get one just to plan my shopping there.  Which is an extra trip, wasting my gas and just an overall PITA.

The good side of mid week sales was if something was on sale and a coupon came out on Sunday, there was still a few days to get it using the coupon.  Some stores they put something on sale, sale runs Sunday to Saturday, and the day AFTER the sale ends, a coupon comes out.  Having 1 store run midweek, sometimes you could still get said item for cheaper at Weis since the ad was still running past Saturday.  I hope this makes sense.lol

At any rate, goodbye midweek ads, hello Sunday flyer in my paper again! ;-)

So what are you or did you get this week at Weis?  Any deals there you couldn't pass up?
Leave a comment and let us know what ya found!

Sluggy

Finishing up Last Week's Deals at Rite-Aid...12/27/09-1/2/10

I made 3 trips to Rite-Aid on Saturday to do the deals. #1 & 2 with Hubby and another trip later for something I forgot.

Trip #1
5 x Soy Joy on sale @$.60=$3.00
1 x Crest Toothpaste on sale=$2.49
1 x Metamucil Capsules on sale=$9.49
1 x Oral B Toothbrush on sale=$5.00
1 x Xmas Mint M&Ms on clearance=$1.99
SubTotal....$21.97

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 AdPerks Rite-Aid IPQ=$5.00
1 x $1/1 Crest Toothpaste ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Metamucil ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $3/1 Oral B Toothbrush ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $1/1 Wellness CRT Q Any Seasonal Item=$1.00
Coupons Total....$13.00

$21.97-$13.00=$8.97
$1.57 put on Gift Card=$7.40 OOP

SCRebates qualified for....
$3 Soy Joy
$1 Crest Toothpaste
$5 Metamucil
$2 Oral B Toothbrush
Total...$11.00 in Rebates

$7.40OOP-$11SCR=$3.60 Moneymaker!

There is a $1/1 Oral Care Wellness Q available that I forgot to use.  I could have used 1 on the toothbrush and 1 on the toothpaste for an additional overage of $2, making this a $5.60 Moneymaker.....sigh....

Trip #2
1 x Oral B Toothbrush on sale=$5.00
1 x Pantene on sale=$3.00
2 x Natrol Acai Berry Capsules on sale BOGO=$13.99
1 x Xmas Paper on clearance=$1.99 *Not Pictured*
SubTotal....$23.98

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 AdPerk Rite-Aid IPQ=$5.00
1 x $3/1 Oral B Toothbrush=$3.00 Again, I forgot the $1/1 Oral Care WellnessQ
1 x $2/1 Pantene HomeMailer=$2.00
2 x $3/1 Natrol Vitamin IPQ=$6.00 These wouldn't scan but cashier manually put them through
2 x $2/1 Any Vitamin Item $2 or more Wellness IPQ=$4.00
1 x $1/1 Any Seasonal Item CRT WellnessQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$21.00

$23.98-$21.00=$2.98 OOP

 Single Check Rebates qualified for....
$2 Oral B Toothbrush for BIL's Account

$2.98-$2.00=$.98 OOP

I forgot to do the Nyquil SCR for BIL so it was back for a quicky that evening.....

Trip #3
1 x Nyquil on sale=$4.99
1 x Glade Candle on sale=$2.79
1 x Physician's Formula Lipstick on clearance 75% off=$2.48
2 x Cover Girl on sale BOGO=$3.39 for both
1 x Xmas Candy on clearance=$1.79
SubTotal....$15.44

Coupons Used
1 x $3 off $15 Rite-Aid Purchase Wellness IPQ=$3.00
1 x $1.50/1 Nyquil ManuQ=$1.50
1 x $2/1 Any OTC Cough or Cold Product CRT WellnessQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Glade Product ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Any Beauty Item Wellness IPQ=$4.00
1 x $1/1 Any Seasonal Item CRT WellnessQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$13.50

$15.44-$13.50=$1.94 OOP

SCRebates qualified for....
$2 Nyquil for BIL's Account

$1.94-$2.00=$.06 Moneymaker

Well, not quite as good as I would have liked but ok.  This is what happens when you don't take your calculator and have to rely on your brain.lol  I had and could have used 3 x $2/1 Wellness Beauty Q(since I had 3 beauty products), but since it was almost closing time on Saturday night, the staff had removed all the sale signage for the week's ad and I couldn't remember if the CoverGirl was BOGO or B1G50% 1, so I ended up being 6 cents short to use all 3 of my $2/1 Qs!ugh  If I had bought a pack of Ramen noodles or something similar in price I could have been OOP only .50¢ or so, for an approx. $1.50 Moneymaker.
Live and learn.

My Rite-Aid OOP for the month so far........$12.88
My Rite-Aid Single Check Rebates so far....$26.00
Overage of $13.12 for January SCR Period


Sluggy 

OUCH! It Hurts!

Daughter had 2 of her wisdom teeth removed this morning.  The Orthodontist wanted all 4 removed but the uppers weren't descended enough not to cause a possible problem removing them, as they were so close to her sinus cavity.

So we are starting 2010 with a $1175.00 Oral Surgery bill. 8-(
And at some point in the future, we get to do this all over again for the other 2 teeth....sigh....

Though my checkbook is feeling a bit poorer, Daughter is feeling fine at the moment as she has a prescription for Vicodin and Strawberry milkshakes as far as the eye can see.
Needless to say I haven't done much else today besides chauffer to the dr. and back, run for meds and shakes, prepare jellos in an assortment of flavors and make appropriate "you poor thing" noises at her.

I hope she either recovers quickly and WANTS to go back to school asap or she has enough pain, she wants the Vicodin and sleeps through the next 48 hours or so.
In the nursing department I am ok but that's with a cooperative patient.  Daughter does NOT fit the profile....lolol

I'm hoping to get around to posting my 2010 Hopes and Wishes, my Shopping Reports from late last week, and some other goodies I've been working on.
But that all will have to wait until later.  I need a nap and the rest of the family needs to eat so I've got to get hopping with other stuff.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....January 4th Edition....More Eating Down the Freezer

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

All I can say is I had a great meal plan but except for the 1st 2 days, we didn't follow it.lol
Hubby was off from work for the week, kids off from school.....  Seems like most nights the teens all had other plans with friends so I did very little cooking.  Not saying that that's a bad thing now and again to get some time off from cooking!  I made a dent in the soup supply and hubby had plenty of leftovers to work on.
  I did get rid of some meal-in-the-bag type things in the freezer that hubby and I ate. And one night he wanted fish and I didn't have it on the menu so we substituted fish from the freezer for the meatloaf.  So I have most of my Meal Plan already done for this week, as I'll just cook what I had planned last week and didn't get to and add in 2 fresh meals.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 5 this Week.....

MONDAY--Chicken Cashew Stir-Fry-this is from a kit(stockpile/freezer/using leftovers)
TUESDAY--Taco Salads or Tacos(diners choice)(freezer/stockpile)
WEDNESDAY--Date Night w/Hubby-the teens will fend for themselves
THURSDAY--Homemade Pizza(freezer/stockpile), Salad
FRIDAY--Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf for #1 son(freezer), Mashed Potatoes(stockpile), Cauliflower/Carrots/Broccoli(freezer)
SATURDAY--BBQ Chicken(freezer), homemade Mac & Cheese(stockpile/freezer), Peas(freezer)
SUNDAY--Chicken Alfredo(stockpile/freezer), Green Beans(freezer)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple, Brownies, Cookies, Pecan Pie

Last week I spent $72.52 on food/toiletries. $38.33 was at the grocery Outlet, $24.63 was at Price Chopper(Seltzer sale/Nabisco Crackers which will end up costing $1 after rebate/$1lb. boneless pork loin), and $12.88 at Rite-Aid(which will net me $13.12 MORE than I spent after rebates). Beyond the milk/juice at the Outlet none of what I bought was necessities last week. We were almost out of seltzer and it was finally on special, the crackers were for the rebate, replenishing some spices, garlic and other grocery items, plus great deals on fish and breaded chicken strips at the Outlet and 8lbs. of pork loin for $8 at PC.  Stock up Opportunities that just popped up and I just went for it.  After the rebate money comes in my $72.52 will end up costing $36.52 OOP.  The Regular Retail Value of all these items purchases amounted to $282.72, a savings of 74.35% on the $72.52 spent or 87.08% after rebates so I feel I spent the money wisely.

Food Waste Report....no waste this week, beyond the usual veggie parings into the compost.  Hubby was working hard to eat all the leftovers before going bad....and he succeeded!lol
By next Monday I should be able to do my full Freezer DeFrost and Inventory if I cook all this week's meals.  

This week's menu doesn't require many grocery purchases, since it's last weeks menu and I have most of it already.& I'll need to pickup milk and fresh salad greens as I am almost out. Daughter had her wisdom teeth out this morning so I'll need to get a few things for her as she's on a liquid/soft food diet and needs jello/pudding/yogurt/applesauce for a couple of days.  The grocery ads this week here are pretty lame so I'm not tempted there.  I'll have to make a Rite-Aid run later today for the "SCR deals" and I might venture back to Wags and/or CVS this week.  I'll try to keep the expenditures low.

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

Sluggy

$60K Savings Challenge DECEMBER Totals & The Year End TOTAL

I have posted my DECEMBER End of Month 60K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right(near the bottom) for the specific numbers.

We had another Excellent month growing our Savings in December!

I have to report that we finished up December in the Black again.

The amount we ended the month of December with was..........$2,104.79!
And that amount was AFTER Christmas spending so I am pretty excited for the total.

Besides Hubby salary we had a hefty amount in Rebates, some rolled Coins and I sold a few things on eBay.  While not a large sum of money, it does add up and help to beef up the savings amount.

As for the expenses in December.....
The electric bill jumped $60 from November, as December was quite a bit colder overall here and the heat was on full time.
The water bill jumped $17 from last month. No explanation for that one.
All other regular bills...Cable, Internet, Phone, etc. are the same each month. 

The Food Budget costs for December are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food/Toiletries spending in December was low after rebate income was figured in and compared to the value of the items bought we saved just over 92%.

We had some out-of-the-ordinary expenses in December.  There was Christmas & daughter's birthday spending(gifts, travel, special food, etc.), though we didn't spend all of the $800 we budget for that so we are under on that expense.
But there were unexpected bills such as--the veterinary hospital($182.90), an electrician visit($109.55), an additional car insurance fee($209.51)since the daughter got her license this month, and 2 car repairs/maintenance bills($1072.94).  If not for these $1574.90 in unusual expenses, the amount to put into savings would have been 50% larger.

The credit card bill,which is paid off EVERY MONTH,($826.58) wasn't very high considering 1/3 of that Dec. bill was Christmas gifts bought early and now are paid for already.  We only have about $170.00 in Christmas & Birthday purchases that will be on the January credit card bill.

The way things turned out, those unusual expenses I was anticipating having to pay out on in December are going to be due in January instead.  These would include Oral Surgery for both Daughter and #2 Son and Orthodontic Work for #2 Son.  It will be a very expensive month for our family's teeth. 8-(


At the end of TWELVE MONTHS of this $AVING$ Challenge, and we have a Savings Grand Total of $23,865.36  for the Year!

While it is nowhere close to the $60 THOUSAND I shot for, I am pretty pleased with the Total we were able to save.  Believe me when I tell you that every penny of that is safely snuggled into an account earning interest.

So what exactly is $23,865.36?

$23,865.36 is paying CASH for a Nice Car!
Not that I would ever spend it that way.lol

$23,865.36 is a total kitchen remodel or a bathroom addition on your home for CASH!
Ok, this is a way I might consider spending it.

$23,865.36 is sending your kid to college for a Year with NO LOANS!
Oh yeah, that's a most excellent way to use that money.

$23,865.36 is paying off a car loan, a student loan, a second mortage or line of credit, or putting on the principle on your mortgage so you are one step closer to being DEBT FREE!

$23,865.36 is a ready made CASH Emergency Fund so that the next time Life hits you with a money emergency, Life can't kick your ass and make you put that emergency on a credit card!


So how was your December financially?  Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good.   Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out?  Let us know!

And what are your plans for your money in 2010?  Do you have a Budget or some kind of Plan for your Money laid out IN WRITING for 2010?  It's time to start thinking about how to get a fresh start to Financial Freedom in the new year!  You need to let your money know what you expect it to do for you.  If you don't, your money will do what it wants and just fritter away.  Don't be left standing at the end of 2010 with nothing to show for all your hard work!
Make a plan!
Do it NOW!!


Sluggy