Is it Just Me?....

.....or does anyone else think that the Coupon inserts for the last 3 months or so have been one big SNOOZE?

Not only are the values pretty low on most coupons but there are NOT a lot of coupons for food!  9 out of 10 coupons are for HBA or other non-food products.  And most of the food coupons are for junk food!  Well, there is ALWAYS a high proportion of junk coupons anyway....

Or is it just that manufacturers hate my region of the country and won't give us useful coupons in worthwhile denominations?  (Except for those toothpaste coupons which we always get tons of and for large amounts....)

Or am I just a whiney, unsatisfied, bored woman who enjoys complaining? lol

This time last year I was in my glory with the awesome sales and multiple catalinas at Acme(though I did have to travel a piece to get to an Acme)....

What I got at Acme in 1 week last August...the refrigerated stuff(milk, yogurt, etc) isn't pictured.  $58.81 OOP(most of that OOP was for the 1st order before I had Cats to roll)for $1,014.91 worth of food and toiletries.

And here's just 1 WEEK of my haul during the multiple Double Coupon Events at Kmart last year.
From Aug. 16-22.....

Total spent $16.86 OOP for $585.50 worth of items.  And that's not counting various manufacturer's rebates, free movie tickets, etc. I earned.  I logged a lot of hours inside my local KMarts last year....this year I think I've been there twice to buy clothes for assorted kids and haven't used a single coupon there.

Of course, some of the products I bought last year we've since sworn off of.....like Pop-Tarts, paper plates, pudding cups, house fragrance thingys, energy drinks, etc. so if I was to redo these trips there would be less bought.

I look at these photos and get nostalgic for the hunt & the thrill.....who says frugality is dull?

And then I remember how tired I was after those weeks were over and I get an overwhelming urge to go nap!lol

Last year was all about multiple large trips concentrated into 1 week.   The Acme trips were made in 2 days, going through the register up to 9 times in a day....it was truly a full day's worth of work planning and executing.  The KMart trips were spread out over a week's time for each Coupon Event Sale, but I'd make 2 or 3 smaller trips a day and sometimes hit multiple stores in 1 day.  Both methods were tiring and intense, but after the 2 days or the week of trips I could go for weeks and months without shopping(besides picking up a few necessities during any given week).
If I had to label it, last year was the "Year of Manic/Depressive type of Shopping".   Immense hauls in a short period and then no shopping for long stretches in between....if you don't count Rite-Aid.lol

This year has been about more frequent very small shopping trips for deals and catalinas.  My local stores haven't had anything approaching Acme or KMart deals of last year, nor has Acme or KMart. These little shops haven't been as lucrative as the mega-shops or as exciting, but they also haven't worn me out or taken the hours of strategic planning(=hours out of my day)either.
Weis would run 1 or 2 Cats with some things I wanted(ketchup or cooking oil or dog food, etc.) but usually there were no good coupons to pair with the Cats(or the Coupons would come out the week AFTER the Cat deal) so you would still have sizable OOP even after rolling the Cat a few times....thus higher OOP, so you don't stock up on as much.
You'd still get a deal but not as good as those megas of last year.

Since I have a stockpile, I guess I'd be happy with the type of shopping of this year(smaller hauls and a bit more OOP) as long as a big honking MEGA haul opportunity rolls around 2 times a year to augment my usual shopping.

So what do you prefer? 
Those large shopportunities spread out over the course of a year or smaller cat deals more frequently during the shopping year?

What have your shopping habits been like this year?
Have they changed since last year?
What kind of deals would you like to see that you don't?
If you use coupons, are you using more or less than you did last year?
Are you buying different products from what you bought last year or about the same?

Can you tell I am bored and avoiding doing what I should be doing today?lol

Sluggy

Bloggy Buddies are Giving Stuff Away.....Go Enter!

A few of my fellow bloggers are currently holding Giveaways.
And you know what that means, don't you?......You can win FREE STUFF! ;-)

Go check out A.Marie's Giveaway HERE for Yoplait Splitz.

Go check out Marilyn's Giveaway HERE for Pillsbury Sweet Moments.

Go check out Noreen's Giveaways HERE for Staples, HERE for Breyers Ice Cream & HERE for Seventh Generation.

And mention that I sent ya.... ;-)

Lots of goodies to win!

Sluggy

Meal Plan....What's a Meal Plan?.....Leftovers, Using What You Have & Less Shopping

 *The one where I ramble on about meal planning changes and leftovers.*

This week has got me swimming in circles here in regards to meals.
Though I haven't been adhering to a regimented Meal Planning for a couple of months, I was still cooking off of a loose framework, using what I picked in the garden or found for a good price at the farmstand/market as a guide.  Basically I pair some protein in the freezer with the fresh veggie du jour.

In a few short years, it will be down to Hubs and I for meals here.  #1 son is back to college soon, Daughter leaves for college next fall and 3 yrs after that #2 son follows.

For now, Daughter has started a new job(but still working some at the old job too)so most nights she isn't home.   #2 son is still doing Band Camp this week, so he's been gone from 9am until 8pm through this Friday and he doesn't want to eat when he gets home.  So that leaves Hubs and I most nights to eat alone.

Something I struggle with is not preparing too much food, which leads to food waste.  I find it hard to get use to cooking for 2 or 3 people when I am so use to cooking for 5.   I've used this week to try to prepare myself for cooking less amounts of food and also a narrower range of foods for the week, since once the kids are out of the house, I won't need to prepare as much food for a meal.

Hubs and I, unlike the kids, are perfectly happy to eat the same meals over and over again during the course of a week.  This along with cooking less amounts should help cut down on food waste and food expenditures in the years to come.

Here's what I've served since Saturday evening.....

#2 son had a sleepover here Sat. so I made them pigs in blankets and chili(all from stockpile).  I had a BLT(stockpile bread & bacon and tomatoes from the garden) and Hubs & Daughter ate leftover Pork Enchiladas from last Friday.  I way over made on the pigs in a blanket so there are 6 left over along with a whole bowl of chili.

Sunday was pancakes and bacon for breakfast & Chinese take-out for 4 for dinner.  Usually we eat half of the Chinese food since it's just so much food, and save the other half for subsequent meals....so there is Chinese leftover.

Monday I had eggs for Breakfast.  Daughter and I had leftover Chinese for lunch.  Dinner for 3, was BBQ chicken thighs-I made a package of 5(freezer/stockpile sauce)and salad(garden).  There is 1 piece of chicken leftover.

Tuesday I had a BLT for lunch, Daughter had the last Pork Enchilada.  For Dinner I cooked up a package of freezer ground beef and made Stuffed Yellow Squash(like Stuffed Peppers but with Squash)since we had 4 squash sitting in the fridge from the garden...I used 3 and made 6 halves.  I made wild rice medley with it.  There are 2 halves of squash leftover as well as 2 servings of rice.

Wednesday I had a bagel for Breakfast.  Daughter had raw veggies and salad dressing dip for lunch. Hubs was out of town for dinner(he ate a hamburger on the road-billed to his job) &  Daughter had work and didn't eat so I took some leftover ground beef that didn't go into the Stuffed Squash dish, a jar of pasta sauce and whipped up 1/2 a box of rigatoni.  I ate a serving of that for lunch and then another serving for dinner too.  There is 1 serving left.

At this point the leftovers are.....

6 pigs in blanket
1 bowl chili
Hub's Chinese food
#2 son's Chinese food
1 BBQ chicken thigh
2 servings of stuffed squash and rice
1 serving of rigatoni w/meat sauce

Thursday I'll probably have another Bagel and then a BLT for lunch....fresh tomatoes here still so I could eat that every day and not tire of it.lol  For Dinner, Hubs and I will have leftovers...if I had to guess, Hubs will choose his Chinese food and I'd pick the stuffed squash & rice.  If one of us wants the chicken or rigatoni, I'll prepare a salad or a veggie mix from the freezer.  Daughter is working again so she'll eat at her job or eat her brother's leftover chinese food that's still in the fridge before she leaves.

Friday is the Band Picnic/Preview.  I need to make something to take but am still at a loss about what to make. If I thought the kids would eat sour cream cucumber salad, I'd make that as I have a plethora of cukes here.lol   I guess I'll make a pasta salad since I have pasta, peppers, onions, salad dressing, celery, carrots and I can put cukes in it too.  Or I can add tuna in too and turn it into fancy pants tuna salad. ;-)
I'll have whatever is still leftover for lunch(or another BLT!) and when #2 son comes home at noon he can eat the leftover chili and hot dogs.  We'll be eating at the picnic for dinner.  If Daughter doesn't go she's on her own and will make something for herself.

Saturday we'll see what is still here in terms of leftovers and either finish those up or see what we can feed to the dogs if no one wants that particular item.  In this way, we start off Sunday with no leftovers to be forgotten and go bad in the back of the fridge next week.
I also only had to "cook" 4 days(not counting making BLTs).

Through Wed. I've used for the week.....
2 packages of hot dogs
2 tubes of crescent rolls
2 cans of chili
1 package of pancake mix
1 package of bacon
3/4 loaf of bread
3 tomatoes
1/4 head of lettuce
5 chicken thighs
big bunch of leaf lettuce
3 yellow squash
1.5lb. ground beef
1 qt. of home canned tomatoes
1 onion
2 packages of rice mix
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 box pasta
3 eggs
2 bagels
1/2 package of cream cheese
1/2 lb. grapes
2 cups of mandarin oranges
6 celery stalks
4 carrots
1 gallon of milk
some butter
some syrup
some mayo
some salad dressing

I've only spent $3.32 this week for a gallon of milk.
#2 son has taken $5 a day(for 3 days=$15) and assorted snacks/drinks from the stockpile to Band Camp for meals.  Tomorrow instead of $5 he gets a certificate I won for 4 free hot dogs to a local joint he can walk to from school and he'll share it with a buddy.  The buddy will buy their drinks and leave the tip.
The Chinese food came to $36 for 4 people plus leftovers.  The eating out comes out of the entertainment budget so I'm not figuring that amount in.

So far that means I've spent $18.32(with the $5 a day for #2 son)on 26 meals this week.  We will get at least another 6 meals/servings out of that amount of food.
Since the store sales suck this week I won't be stocking up on anything but I'll buy milk again for another $3.32, making my week's grocery shopping total $6.64 for milk and $15 for #2 son's Band lunches.

Next week, #1 son returns from working at camp for the summer and Band Camp is over so unless Daughter is working, we are back to 5 for dinners.  I think I'll do an actual Meal Plan for next week.

The following week, #1 son leaves for college, so we'll be down to 4 or 3 for dinner(depending on Daughter's schedule).
It's always changing around here lately.....

Sluggy

More Garden Goodies.....And a New Resident

The weather was a might cooler yesterday so I ventured out into the garden beds to weed and pick some veggies.
And the green squash on the left is our LONE Zucchini.
Imagine that....non-prolific zuke!!lol

This Harvest--
TOTAL....4lb. 7.3oz.

Garden Harvest Weight Total to date....33 lb. 8.22 oz.

I updated our Butternut Squash count. We lost one(it never grew beyond it's infancy stage and now it's rotting on the vine), so if the survivors continue to mature we'll have 9 butternuts in the Fall.
I had Hubs put little squares of foil under the ones that are laying on the ground, just to keep them from contacting the soil and all the nasty bugs living in there that might want to snack on them.
Here's one of the biggest ones.  It's turned that pale tint of yellow they are suppose to be....

Our largest specimen is still this color.....

All I can figure is that it's shaded by various plants so it's not getting direct sun exposure.
Or it could be an alien life form badly disguised as a squash and here to take over the planet.
You decide......

We have a young rabbit running loose in our backyard. He loves to hang out in the un-whacked weeds around the pool or under the towering fir trees next to the dog run.

But I found this new resident yesterday enjoying snacks in the side garden bed......

Can't see him?
Try this shot.....look for the EARS.....

Ok, how about this one?

Yep, it's another baby bunny about 4 inches long. I had seen him over the weekend in there too. He's so small he can squeeze right through the bird netting we use for fencing.
He really enjoys marigolds and green beans......*sigh*

So what's happening in your garden this week?
Do tell!

Sluggy 

Frugal Vacationing.....or Buying Groceries for Fun!

We try to be frugal even on vacations. 

We go to places that we are within driving range of instead of flying.  If it's a very long drive(2 days or more), we will rent a car if we can find a deal.  I figure if the trip is going to pack on the mileage to the vehicle I'd rather do it on someone else's car, not mine.
We stay at campgrounds that have RVs to rent set up already on the property or that have cabin rentals.  It's much cheaper than hotel rooms(nice hotel rooms, not cesspool hotel rooms), especially if you have a larger crew that won't fit into 1 hotel room.  It's also more economical because these kinds of set-ups offer cooking facilities so you don't have to spend a fortune eating all your meals out....unless you want to do that. ;-)

The drawback to renting RVs or cabins in most places I've found require a week's stay.  That's fine if you want to stay put for the whole week.  But I grew up in a family where we didn't stay put on vacations, my father moved us every day or two no matter...I still have nightmares involving Kettletown Park in CT when I was 9 or so.  Having grown up with this routine I find I get itchy feet and want to move on every few days.  Hubs on the other hand wants to hunker down in one spot. 

Another drawback is that campgrounds, if they are full, are crowded with people and the spaces are generally close to one another.  So it can be noisy but most have quiet hours and the places I've been usually do enforce them. 
But if you like being around people, campgrounds are for you.  It's very easy to get to know your neighbors if you want(and good if you have kids since they can find someone to play with easily).  And if you don't want to, just close your RV door and hike up the A/C.lol

The last way we save money on lodgings is to stay with friends or family.  A free bed for a night or two can help the vacation budget go much further.  And sometimes you luck into free meals as well. ;-)  But don't overstay your welcome or impose on your hosts and try to help out or at least take them out for a meal or pay for groceries.

We also find things to do that are cheap or free of cost.  It's just as enjoyable to do a free thing as it is to pay to do something, unless they only thing you are interested in is amusement parks and shopping.
The bridge observatory wasn't free but combined with the entrance to the military fort and the "Paranormal Fair" that was being held that weekend at that state park, it was a great deal for the money.  Both museums we visited were free(though the Penobscot one took freewill donations), as was the sightseeing we did and walking around the farmer's market(which had free live musical entertainment).
The internet can be a boon for information on free and cheap things to do wherever you find yourself going on vacation.

And speaking of shopping,  one of the most popular things people do on vacation is shop.  This would be why outlet malls have sprung up everywhere considered a vacation destination in this country.  You can't go anywhere people summer without being near an outlet mall!  There is a stretch in southern Maine on Rte. 1(Kittery and north of there)that is just ridiculous with outlet stores.  Like Wiscasset, it's a nightmare of a stretch of road to navigate in the summer.  We avoid southern Maine because of it.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to the Tom's of Maine Outlet Store in nearby Kennebunk because of this non-stop traffic.

Buying souvenirs is a vacation tradition going way back.  When the kids were small we'd give them each some money that they could spend on whatever they wanted.  Sometimes this worked but usually they spent it the first day or two and then whined for the rest of the trip for more stuff.lol  So we tried giving them a portion of their vacation money each day to spend or save up for something nicer.  This worked out much better for them and my patience.lol
Souvenirs for me was usually buying a t-shirt for everyone.  I learned not to buy them at the souvenir shops though, but to find the local drug store or discount store or even grocery store as many would carry souvenir items and at a much lower price.  On a trip to Atlantic Canada once I bought souvenirs at the local Walmart....and they were on clearance to boot!lol  Souvenir shop shirt=$25US equivalent.....Walmart shirt=$4US equivalent.  And the quality the cheap shirt was on par with the pricey shop's shirt.

Though I've changed from a recreational shopper in the last 4 years to a "I only shop out of necessity" shopper, I do shop for pleasure on vacation.  I'm a discount/clearance shopping from waaaaay back and I enjoy checking out the local discount stores while on vacation. 
So one of my activities in Maine was shopping.
Ok, I did buy some postcards, a piece of fabric and some shirts(for the kids), but the main thing I shop for on vacation is food.
Yes, I travel 500 miles to buy groceries!LOLOL

But I seek out unusual foods at a cheap price that I can't get at home.
I'll buy locally, like the wild blueberries I carted home.

All 3 quarts ended up in the freezer, since I had that virus when we got home and didn't feel up to making jam.  I may still take some and make a jar of jam at some point this Fall.

Here is some of what else I brought home from Maine....

The suet was one of the Marden's finds. 

Two of the discount stores carried a large selection of Bob's Red Mill items, including the Pastry Flour I like.  I'd pay double at the local health food store here for Bob's line.

I found large bags of dried cranberries for $3 each.  The instant coffee was $2.99 at Marden's.  The maple syrup was on sale for $14.99 at Reny's...I got 3.  The coconut milk was under $1 a can.  The Daughter loves coconut rice so I stocked up on those.

Ocean State Job Lot had these dehydrated mushrooms for between $1.75-$2.25 a package.  Not just regular old button mushrooms but Shiitake, Enoki, Woodear, Porcinni, as well as a few other varieties that cost an arm and a leg in the grocery store.  My favorite was a mixed Medley of types in a package.  I heart mushrooms....
I also stocked up on my favorite native Maine yellow eyed beans.  They look like a black eyed pea but have a yellow eye(duh!lol)and are a bit smaller.  It's the traditional bean used for making baked beans in Maine.
While you can't get them here in PA, they sell them in the grocery up there! 
My last find was 1lb. bags of wild rice from Minnesota.  Not a wild rice mix but straight wild rice.  I can use this and make my own wild rice mix with brown rice.  These were $3 a bag.  I've never even seen it sold like this before anywhere I've lived.

In all I spent $133.48 on groceries to bring home(not counting the suet since we aren't eating that!lol).  If I could have figured out a way to freeze lobsters and cart them home I would have.lol

All totaled we spent right around $1,000 on this trip.  I can't be exact on the cost since Hubs doesn't always give me the gas receipts when he pays cash so I'll have to live with an estimated cost.  If we had eaten out less and used that food I brought to cook we could have shaved off $100 or so.  But I am good with what we spent for 7 days of peace and quiet and fun. 
Just the hotel bill alone could have been $1,200 if we had stayed at the Holiday Inn so I think we did this trip fairly frugally.

Do you have any tips for being frugal on vacation?  Please leave a comment and let us know your secrets!


Sluggy