2 Nights Down, 6 to Go!

I'm a couple of days late here thanks to my computer difficulties but I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all my friends and readers a Happy Hanukkah!

The video below is especially for my friend Joe, if he reads my blog anymore...



Shalom,

Sluggy

November Budget Results....Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for NOVEMBER 2010.

I have posted November's totals on the right side bar under Total Grocery Savings for 2010 and updated the Yearly Totals.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in November.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home this month)& 2 dogs. No kids under 14.

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $8.56
Value $32.61
Savings  73.75%

CARONE'S(small local independent store)
OOP  $59.32

Qs/Ads  $28.32
Value  $87.64
Savings  32.31%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $10.06
Value  $24.30
Savings  58.60%

OLLIE'S(regional discount chain-takes no coupons)
OOP  $8.71
Value   $17.98
Savings  51.64%

PRICE CHOPPER(Northeast)
OOP  $30.99
Qs/Ads  $20.60
Value    $51.59
Savings  40.0%

REDNER'S(does not double coupons)
OOP  $70.90
Qs/Ads  $71.62
Value  $142.52
Savings  50.25%

RITE AID
OOP $21.61 (whole amount put on free Rite-Aid Gift Cards)=$.00 actual OOP
Qs/Ads  $1,405.67
Value  $1,427.28
Savings  98.49% before gift cards/ 100% savings after free gift cards

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town/doubles up to $1 total)
OOP  $63.78
Qs/Ads  $78.70
Value  $142.48
Savings   55.24%

I don't track Rite-Aid's +Ups here, nore CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN NOVEMBER
Pinecone Research....$3.00
Subtotal........$3.00

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

VISA Preloaded (Giveaway win)...$10.00
Dunkin Donuts(Giveaway win)....$5.00
Staples Ink Recycling Reward....$12.00

Subtotal....$27.00

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received...$30.00

COUPONS and FREEBIES

DOVE....free Deodorant Sample
HEALTHY CHOICE...BOGO Free Coupon
MEGA RED....free 2 month supply
VOCALPOINT...Barilla Pasta Coupons(1 was for a free box)


My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 100%, The Bakery Outlet at 73.75% and Weis Markets at 55.24%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$252.32
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1,674.08
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$1,926.40
TOTAL Savings of..........86.90%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$3.00

TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$249.32
TOTAL Savings of..................................87.06%

This closes out the November spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-

I went over my budget for November by $2+, but with my WHOOPING HUGE Cash rebates this month(LOLOL)offsetting the spending, I kept the food/toiletries expenditures just under my $250 limit.  I was able to pick up some extra baking supplies for the stockpile and discounted meats in November and still stay close to my budget.

What's ahead for December 2010.....

I'm keeping the food budget set at $250.  #1 son will be home for a couple of weeks this month, plus there is the added costs for providing a Holiday meal(Christmas).  My blogging buddy Annie Jones is doing a Pantry Challenge for December HERE.  I might try to join in on this one.  If I do, I hope to spend alot less than what I've budgeted.  We shall see how this goes....

As always, any rebates received in December will be added to the food budget to offset what we spend.

With eleven months of the year behind us, we have averaged $199.28 per MONTH after rebates on food/toiletries spending for 2010 for a family of 4-5 adults/teens + 2-3 pets.
That's approx. $46.64 a week.  I'd call that pretty darn good for a family our size! ;-)
How did you do in November with your Food Budget?  Leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.


Sluggy

Technology Shmechnology!

Well it's confirmed by an independent source.
My computer is gone.

Gosh I hate when that happens.

Even worse is the fact that I hadn't backed up a few things before it rolled over and died.
Like some emails with CSN gift codes I had won in giveaways & hadn't used yet!
Ugh!!!

I am using Hubs machine which is a dinosaur and it is throwing me so far off my game it isn't funny.
I feel like Alice swirling around down a rabbit hole....up is down and down is up.
I feel all off-kilter and topsy-turvy.

And I can't access my email program either.

Add in that I can't upload photos to my blog or to my eBay listings, which I really need to be writing and uploading.
Since I can't tend to eBay properly until I get a new machine, I have to shut down my store there....right in the middle of the high selling season!
Double Ugh!!!!!

And I just feel miserable.
It's so bad.......I don't even want to go to Rite-Aid!
Yep....that's bad.....

So somebody leave me some happy comments please?
I can use some uplifting words...like now! ;-)

Sluggy

Technical Difficulties....Please Stand By!

Just a quick update to let everyone know my computer is dead in the water at the moment.
Figures this would happen right when I get my eBay store opened for the Holidays, right?lol

So until I can get back online I won't be blogging.
Hopefully it's something we can fix soon.

Take care everyone and pray that my machine gets revived.... 8-(

Sluggy

Oh Virginia, there is no Santa Claus at RITE-AID!

Well as reported on many Rite-Aid reporting deal blogs now, the sad news is that EVERY FORM of PAYMENT on your purchase at Rite-Aid except for CASH, GIFT CARDS or CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS is disallowed toward your total to qualify for the GIFT OF SAVINGS Promotion.

I submitted 1 of my receipts on the Rite-Aid Website and here is my GOS total.....try not to laugh too hard!lol

Purchased	Store	Reg	Trans	Product Name	Qty	Amount
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Gil Sensor 3 Sns Skn 4Ct	1	$5.49
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Vas Men Xstrngth Ltn 10Z	1	$2.99
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Ckp Duracell Aa 4Pk	6	$15.00
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Colg 360 Actflx Man Fhm Tb	1	$1.77
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	$1 OFF COLGATE TOOTHBRSH360	1	($1.00)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	WELLNESS PLUS COUPON $1.00	1	($1.00)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	MERCHANDISE TAXABL	9	($11.75)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	WELLNESS PLUS COUPON $2.00	3	($6.00)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	$5 OFF $25 NONPERSCRIPTION	1	($5.00)
Total					24	$0.50

*Sigh*

Oh Rite-Aid......how un-Holiday Spirit of you......
Ok, I won't whine much longer, seeing as I get tons of good deals besides this one case, and I heart the employees at my Rite-Aids around here.

Sluggy