The House I Grew Up In....

I just found a real estate listing from the not so distant past.
The house I grew up in was for sale recently!

Go HERE and then click on the first house on the left.....the red brick one with the single dormer.

Wow!
Did that bring back a flood of memories.....it was a great place to be a kid!
This is the house that had the mulberry trees McVal. ;-)

Wish they had more photos on the listing.
The house is across the street from the Lafayette River.  This area got put on the Historic Registry awhile back.  I hope they fixed the really bad plumbing in that house first.lol

Anybody got a spare $369K to buy it for me?
Hey, I know all the flaws so I bet you could talk them down to $330K.... ;-)

Sluggy

JUNE Food Stamp Challenge....Days Twenty & Twenty One

This post is part of the June Food Stamp Challenge located over HERE.

As we head into the last third of the month for the June Food Stamp Challenge I have an update to my Budget to make.

Since Daughter didn't return from her training for her summer employment, due to the fact that she was offered 2 additional weeks of work, I need to adjust our Food Stamp Challenge Budget to reflect 1 less person to feed for the last 11 days of the challenge.

At $101 a person, the daily budget per person is $3.36, so when I subtract her food budget for those 11 days, that amount comes to $37.02.
Our $410.72 food budget is now $373.70.
At this point we have spent $167.33 and have $206.37 remaining.

**Actually, we have spent More than $167.33 in food costs for items used/eaten that were bought before June started.  I am keeping a tally of food eaten at other meals as well as drinks and snacks that include foods bought before June started, and will add all of those costs in at the end of the month.  It's the simplest way I can figure to keep track of it all.**

On Day 20-Sunday-DH was out of town depositing #2 son to camp.  I ate leftover Sesame Chicken from the night before for lunch and DH had his plate of leftovers when he returned that evening for dinner.  I munched on leftover cantaloupe and made myself a grilled cheese sandwich for supper.  Yes, I use every opportunity I can find to use that badass industrial cheese slicer I blogged about HERE.  Cost of meals on Sunday for food bought before June....cheese .41¢, mayo .05¢=$.45.
Cost of fast food lunch & 2 coffee purchases for DH=$5.49.(1 coffee was free as a Father's Day Promotion where he stopped.)
Sunday total=$5.94

On Day 21-Monday-I took the last 3 slices of ham out of the freezer from one of the free hams I had gotten in April of 2009 (talked about HERE).  It is at the tail end of it's usable 'life', even with my mad wrapping skillz.  I thawed them and just pan grilled 2 of them, made potato salad from scratch(heavy on the mustard!) and broke out a package of frozen brussel sprouts.  The larger third slice will go into a casserole I have planned for Wednesday's dinner.

Photo courtesy of my camera which is still wheezing & gasping....lol.....

Day 21 food costs for items bought before June......ham Free, condiments .20¢, brussel sprouts .80¢.
Monday total=$1.00

Both Days combined costs....$6.94

We haven't been to the grocery store since last Thursday(our trip for bread products).  We've been out of milk since Friday but as the kids aren't here, we could go another couple of days without buying more, if we had to, unless I wanted to cook something requiring fresh milk.  There is always the powdered milk or the evaporated milk in the stockpile in a pinch.   
 I have enough food in the house to finish the month off without shopping again if I had to.  The grocery sales aren't very good this week so if I do food shop, it won't be a very large shop.
On Sunday, I had the opportunity to do a Catalina Deal 3 times and score $74.89 worth of food for just over $30(plus have a $7 catalina coupon giving me $7 of free food next week).

But being on this Food Stamp Challenge made me stop and think before I picked up the keys and headed out the door to the store.  Yes, it would have been a 'deal' and yes, I would have had that 'high' from getting the deal and spending that money.  But seriously, none of the food products were things that we needed.  I have plenty of spaghetti sauce, tea bags and salad dressing already.  Very few people who are actually on food stamps probably have the stockpile of food items I do presently.  It just felt wrong to go buy more of the same.....we have enough already. ;-)


June Food Stamp Challenge Update
Spent to Date....$174.27
June Food Budget Left....$199.43
Days of Challenge Left....09



Sluggy

Garden June 18th Update.....22 Days

With this unseasonably warm weather for June, the garden is starting to take off!
I snapped these photos on Friday, 12 days after the last set of pictures I took.

You can see the tomato plants here have shot up.....they need cages already.
This is what they looked like 12 days earlier....

The eggplant plants are just hanging in there.....

These tomato plants are not growing as fast as the ones at the other end of the bed.  Less sunlight and the soil is not as nice....

The green beans and squash/zuke plants have started coming in at the front of the house.....

And here is the end of the front bed....

The holes in the center of this shot are where the evile chipmunks have dug up the sunflower seeds every time I replanted them, dang them!!
Something buglike has been eating on the collard plants on the right in the photo.  I need to make up some soapy spray to drive them off.....those leaves are for MY MUNCHING Pleasure, not yours so bug off!lol
I guess I'll replant some of the cuke plants I need to thin out in the back bed and put them in here.

More bean plants and the salad greens spottily coming in....

Here is what the salad greens looked like 12 days earlier for comparison.  You'll notice the green beans weren't 'up' yet....

The aforementioned cuke plants.  #1 son sowed these and I do believe every single seed took!  40 cuke plants in the space of oh....3 feet!lol

These collard plants the bugs haven't dined on...yet!lol

And the cauliflower plants just about ready to start heading....

Here is what the collards and cauliflower looked like 12 days past....

Notice how the weeds have begun to take over too......ugh.  I have a very hard time bending down and weeding this bed as it has a definite slope and my old body has a hard time keeping my balance while bending over to weed.  I may need to look for some kind of weeding tool with a long handle.....I used one at the CSA we use to belong to but it's not a cheap tool.

So how is your garden growing?
Are you getting any good eats out of it yet?

Sluggy

More Rite-Aid Booty.......How Much Hash is Enough?!

I finally got out to Rite-Aid right before dinner last night.

Here is the damage I did.....

Transaction #1
2 x Pantene 'Poo on sale $3.50=$7.00
1 x Finish Quantumatic 50% off=$5.49
1 x Airwick Sprayer 50% off=$4.99
3 x Hormel Hash on sale $1.50=$4.50
SubTotal....$21.98

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $1/2 Pantene Homemailer(Vocalpt.) Q=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Finish Quantumatic IPQ=$3.00
1 x $4/1 Finish Quantumatice AdPerks/VV IPQ=$4.00
1 x $4/1 Airwick Sprayer ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $1/$10 Household Purchase Wellnedd CRT Q=$1.00
1 x $3 +Up Rewards(Motrin)=$3.00
Coupon Total....$21.00

$21.98-$21.00=$.98 OOP put on free RA gift card
SCR qualified for--BIL's account....$3(Pantene)special emailed link SCR=$3.00
+Up Rewards earned....$3(Pantene), $3(Motrin)=$6.00

Then I went back in and did this....

1 x Nice 'n Easy 20% wellness discount=$6.39
2 x Rembrandt Toothpaste 20% wellness discount($6.39)=$12.78
1 x Finish Quantumatic 50% off=$5.49
1 x Airwick Sprayer 50% off=$4.99
1 x Motrin PM on sale=$3.00
2 x Hormel Hash on sale $1.50=$3.00
SubTotal...$35.65

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $25 Wellness Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $1/1 Nice 'N Easy ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $2.50/1 Nice 'N Easy In-Ad Q=$2.50
2 x $3/1 Rembrandt Toothpaste IPQ=$6.00
2 x $3/1 Rembrandt Product AdPerks/VV IPQ=$6.00
1 x $1/$10 Oral Care Purchase Wellness CRT Q=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Finish Quantumatic IPQ=$3.00
1 x $4/1 Finish Quantumatice AdPerks/VV IPQ=$4.00
1 x $4/1 Airwick Sprayer ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $3/1 Motrin PM ManuQ=$3.00
Coupon Total....$35.50

$35.65-$35.50=$.15+$.03 tax=$.18 OOP put on Free RA gift card
 SCR qualified for....$3.00(Nice 'N Easy)on BIL's account
+Up Rewards earned....$2(Nice 'N Easy), $3(Motrin)=$5.00


Then I hit a different Rite-Aid on the way home....

Transaction #3
2 x Bounty Basic towels on sale($.99)=$1.98
1 x Rembrandt Toothpaste 20% off w/wellness discount=$6.63
1 x Glad Kitchen bags on sale=$5.99
2 x Purex 3-in-1 Sheets on sale($3)=$6.00
1 x Finish Quantumatic 50% off=$5.49
1 x Colgate Toothpaste on sale=$2.99
SubTotal....$29.08

Coupons Used

1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $1/2 Bounty towels ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Rembrandt Toothpaste IPQ=$3.00
1 x $3/1 Rembrandt Product AdPerks/VV IPQ=$3.00
1 x $10 Oral Care Purchase Wellness CRT Q=$1.00
1 x $.55/1 Glad Peelie Q=$.55
2 x $1/1 Purex 3-In-1 Sheets IPQ=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Purex 3-In-1 Sheets AdPerks/VV IPQ=$4.00
1 x $3/1 Finish Quantumatic IPQ=$3.00
1 x $4/1 Finish Quantumatice AdPerks/VV IPQ=$4.00
1 x $1/$10 Household Purchase Wellness CRT Q=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste ManuQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$28.55

$29.08-$28.55=$.53 OOP put on Free RA gift card
 SCR qualified for....$1.00(Glad)on BIL's account
+Up Rewards earned....$1(Purex), $2(Colgate)=$3.00

Monday's totals....
OOP....$1.69 put of gift card
Value of Items....$148.06
SCRs qualified for...$7.00
+Up Rewards earned....$11.00
+Up Rewards spent....$3.00

Again, the Motrin, the Finish Quantumatic & the Rembrandt(when I bought 2 in the same transaction and paired it with the $1/$10 Oral Care wellness Q)gave overage.  The Pantene, Purex and Hair color were free with sales/coupons/+Up rewards/rebates or a combination of any of those.
I went to the 1st store looking to buy Purex sheets but they were out so that's why I stopped at the 2nd store on the way home.  Being out of Purex sheets meant I had to changed up the plan in store #1 but I had other options and coupons to use so no big deal.
You will note for the record that I am up to 9 cans of Hash.  I'll have to hit an additional Rite-Aid location to get more as none of them seem to stock very many cans. ;-)


Bringing forward the Monthly Totals....

Number of Transactions......13
Total Spent....$45.66--all put on free Gift Cards/Certificates
SCR qualified for....$55.98 in cash and $35 in Gift Cards
Other Cash....$15 MIR from Neutrogena
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$5.00 Gift Card from Gillette(for survey)& $20 in Prepaid Debit Cards=$25.00
+Up Rewards earned=$47.99
+Up Rewards spent=$20.00

Total Cash I'm getting Back=$70.98
Total Gift Cards I'm getting=$60.00
+Up Rewards left to spend=$27.99

**I just realized I did a transaction I forgot to account for 2 weeks ago involving diapers.  I'll post that one  and add the results to the monthly totals tomorrow.  My OOP was something astronomical like $6!lol  As always this was put on a gift card..... ;-)


Sluggy

Lovely Fun at Rite-Aid this Week!....Bringing FREE Stuff Home Again

While I didn't even bother to go to Rite-Aid last week.....I don't know, the thought of cheap or free Deodorant and more Herbal Essences Poo did nothing for me.....I went back on Sunday to scoop us some good buys!

Here's what I bought.  I started this week with NO +Up Rewards Coupons to use since some didn't print the week before and I just got off the phone with Corporate now and they are mailing the +Up Rewards to me.

Transaction #1

1 x Motrin PM on sale=$3.00
1 x Sunday paper w/20% Wellness Discount=$1.20
2 x Purex 3-in-1 Sheets on sale $3.00=$6.00
1 x Nice 'N Easy Hair Color on sale $7.49 but I got it for less w/20% Wellness Discount=$6.39
1 x Colgate Toothpaste on sale=$2.99
SubTotal....$19.58  **Again, I hadn't planned on the discount on the hair coloring so I am under $20.**

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $3/1 Motrin PM ManuQ=$3.00
2 x $2/1 Purex 3-in-1 AdPerk/VV IPQ=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Purex 3-in-1 IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2.50/1 In-Ad RA Q=$2.50
1 x $1/1 Nice 'n Easy ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Colgate Tpaste ManuQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$18.50

$19.58-$18.50=$1.08 OOP put on Free Gift Card so ZERO OUT OF POCKET

+Up Rewards earned....$1Purex(WYB2), $2Colgate, $2 Nice 'n Easy,$3Motin=$8
SCR qualified for.....$3(Nice 'n Easy)=$3.00


Rite-Aid sent out another of those "special secret" SCRs for Nice 'n Easy last week so check your emails from Rite-Aid.  Go through the link in the email and if you bought Nice 'n Easy you can get a $3 rebate on it.

ONLY the PUREX Reward did NOT print!  And the 2 clerks working the weekend shift had no clue about what to do to correct the situation other than to say to come back during the week and speak with the MOD.  So I just called Corporate and they are mailing me the +Up Reward.
So going into the next scenario I had $7 in +Up Qs, not $8.

Transaction #2 was a major screw up because of me....lol....

2 x Bounty Basic towels on sale .99¢=$1.98
2 x U Kotex on sale $3.50=$7.00
1 x Motrin PM on sale=$3.00
1 x Colgate Toothpaste on sale=$2.99
2 x Hormel Corned Beef Hash on sale $1.50=$3.00
6 x Mounds/Almond Joy Candy Bars on sale BOGO(.88)=$2.64
SubTotal...$20.61

Coupons Used
1 x $1/2 Bounty towels ManuQ=$1.00
2 x $1/1 UKotex IPQ=$2.00
1 x $3/1 Motrin PM ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste ManuQ=$1.00
3 x $.50/2 Mounds/Almond Joy AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.50
1 x $3 +Up Reward(Motrin)=$3.00
2 x $2 +Up Rewards(Colgate,Nice.nEasy)=$4.00
Coupon Total....$15.50

$20.61-$15.50=$5.11
**The cashier put in an extra $1 Q somehow so it became ....$20.61-$16.50=$4.11 OOP put on a free Gift Card for ZERO OUT OF POCKET.

Well that wasn't right either.  After I got to the car I checked the receipt and saw I FORGOT TO GIVE THE CASHIER my $5 off $20 Purchase Q!
Ugh!
So I went right back in and told them about the forgotten Q and the extra $1 that came off my receipt.
Neither of the clerks wanted to deal with having to cancel the sale and reringing everything so they just took my $5 off $20 Q and scanned it into the register(which worked)and he opened the drawer and handed me a $5 bill.
Hey, cash works for me!!lolol

If I had given him the $5/$20 Q to begin with and that extra $1 hadn't come off my total, my transaction would have been $20.61-$20.50=$.11 OOP--put on a gift card.

SCR qualified for....$3(Kotex)=$3.00
+Up Rewards earned.....$2(Colgate), $3(Motrin PM)=$5.00


Onward to the last transaction.........

1 x Motrin PM on sale=$3.00
2 x CBeef Hash on sale $1.50=$3.00
1 x Finish Quantum on sale 50%($10.99)=$5.49
1 x Airwick Sprayer on sale 50%($9.99)=$4.99
1 x Glad Kitchen Bags on sale=$5.99
2 x Mounds Candy Bars on sale BOGO(.88¢)=$.88
SubTotal....$23.35

Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $3/1 Motrin PM ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $3/1 Finish Quantum IPQ=$3.00
1 x $4/1 Finish Quantum AdPerks/VV IPQ=$4.00
1 x $4/1 Airwick Sprayer ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $1/$10 Household Purchase Wellness CRT Q=$1.00
1 x $.55/1 Glad Trash Bags Peelie Q=$.55
1 x $.50/2 Mounds/Almond Joy AdPerks/VV IPQ=$.50
1 x $2 +Up Reward(Colgate)=$2.00
Coupon Total....$23.05

$23.35-@23.05=$.30 OOP put on free Gift Card=ZERO OUT OF POCKET!
+Up Rewards earned....$3(Motrin)
SCR qualified for....$1(Glad)=$1.00

Sunday totals....
OOP=$.49(after you account for the $5 I got back) put on gift cards
Value of Products=$112.35
SCRs qualified for=$7.00
+Up Rewards earned=$16.00
+Up Rewards left to spend=$7.00($1of it is in the mail).


About what I bought.....
The Finish Quantum Qs gave overage, the Colgate was free after Q and +Up Reward, and the Purex, Motrin PM & Hair Coloring were better than free after Qs and +Up Rewards(and SCR for the Hair Coloring).
Overage that Qs(including the $5 of $20 Purchase Qs)gave me went to help cover the other items that weren't free.  I bought Hash as #2 son would live off of this stuff if I let him and our stockpile of it is gone....it is also a very good price even if you can't get it for free after overage and Qs.  It rarely goes on sale for $2 at the grocery store here so at $1.50 a can I am buying every.single.can.I.can.get.
We are also almost out of kitchen bags.  I know, I know....plastic is evile but DH insists on them.  As he does the garbage I don't want to rock that boat just yet. ;-)
At any rate, it is all stuff we will eat/use.....well, that Airwick thing might go into the next BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY! 8-))

Add Sunday into my Rite-Aid total for the month....

Total Spent....$43.97--all put on free Gift Cards/Certificates
SCR qualified for....$48.98 in cash and $35 in Gift Cards
Other Cash....$15 MIR from Neutrogena
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$5.00 Gift Card from Gillette(for survey)& $20 in Prepaid Debit Cards=$25.00
+Up Rewards to spend=$20.99

Total Cash I'm getting Back=$63.98
Total Gift Cards I'm getting=$60.00
+Up Rewards to spend=$20.99

And I'm not done at Rite-Aid this week.....stay tuned!

Sluggy