Week 3 Low Spending & Decluttering Challenges Results

Week 3 of Carla's Double February Challenge is done....at least for me it is!

First the Mini-Challenge.....where you are suppose to help someone.  That would be today, when I used my mechanically prowess to help #2 son with his problem.
Yah see, his friend gave him a guitar flanger pedal for his Birthday.  It's a little hunk of metal and plastic that you plug your electric guitar or bass into and it distorts the sound the instrument produces.  #2 son says "this pedal makes your guitar sound like it's on acid."
Okay....
Anyway, it worked for the first few minutes he used it but now it won't work at all.  He's been nagging me to order him a new one on Amazon since Sunday.  No, he can't wait to take it to the music store and see if they can fix it first.  He has to go out and drop $30 on a new one.....and pay for Express shipping to boot!
So "hell no you don't need express shipping" mom goes on Amazon.....and she starts reading the reviews on this item since she knows nothing about guitar flangers, heck, she didn't even know what a flangers was until #2 son told her about them.
And mom reads in a review that there is a battery inside this nifty little device, so mom asks #2 son if he has opened the flanger up and changed the battery inside.  To which he responds no.
You see where I am going with this now, don't you?
So mom opens and changes out the 9Volt battery and Voila!....It's a miracle!!....his Flanger works!
I saved him $30.
Of course after all that I don't get a thanks mom....he just grumbled some more when I told him he owed me $4 for the battery. ;-)


As for the Low Spend part.....
Food shopping.......$73.02
I actually spent money on something other than food though.  #2 son is in need of new footwear as he has holes in every last pair now.  So I went on eBay and bought him 2 pair of Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers.  We usually hit the Converse outlet in Rehobeth Beach to get them for a discount price but he wore the last pair out sooner than expected.  I got them on eBay and with the shipping they were the same price as at the outlet-but without paying for gas for the car to get there.lol
2 pair Converse....$72.98

As for the Decluttering Challenge.  This week was the Productivity Challenge.
I am working on my dining room/living room.
I don't think I was very productive though.

Before I show you my living room, let me explain that it isn't really a living room yet.   I've used it for storage....stored various things over the years.  First we moved here sort of in a hurry so it held lots of moving boxes.  Then after I got that stuff put away we got another load of my mother's things....my mother passed away the week before we moved here. So the next 2 years, as my brother settled her estate, we had to cart my inheritance stuff home from VA and find places for all that stuff. Then my eBay inventory grew so some of it got shoved into the living room.  At one time the room was wall to wall boxes of crap.....very similar to one of those Hoarding shows, except without the trash and animal feces. lol
We also had 4 dogs-one of which was very destructive-at one point and there is a white carpet in that room, so we had to gate off the living/dining room.  The destructo dog is gone but we still have 2 dogs, 1 of which is paper trained but she also considers the dining room her toileting area, so we still have to gate the rooms off.

I have almost gotten the living room emptied at this point.  I am tired of waiting for the last 2 dogs to pass on to fix up my living room, so I am working on getting repairs made and the room painted and furniture bought so we can use it as a living room.
*Deep Breath*

Here are the before shots.....

 That old rug is there from when the Xmas tree was up.  Not quite as bad as leaving your lights on your house all year, but close.lol

 Tubs of eBay merchandise that hasn't sold yet....and that isn't even listed right now.lol

I emptied the ugly plastic shelving unit and got rid of it.
I also got rid of 2 boxes of trash.....

And I gathered all this to donate......

And here are the after shots.....

I cleared the paperwork off the table(for the most part).  The stuff in the chair are my Xmas presents I still haven't opened. lol

I washed and rehung the curtains.

 I gleaned and restacked the eBay merchandise that's left.

 Other than sending some Christmas stuff back upstairs where it belongs and trashing that plastic shelving unit, I still need to work on this part of the room at another time.

The same goes for the table at the bottom of the stairs...though some of this is stuff that is going upstairs.

So that is that.  I am not done but progress was made this week.

Sluggy

Wild Fun with the Hubs on President's Day!

This is a quickie post while I sit and rest from tackling my Week 3 Decluttering Challenge today.

Hubs had off for the President's Day holiday yesterday so we did something wild and crazy.....well, wild and crazy for a couple of old coots like us.
We had lunch at Bob Evans(I used a Coupon too!)and then we went to Big Lots to walk off lunch and bought groceries.
Yes, we live life on the EDGE!!

*Hubs wanted some applesauce cups for when he brings his lunch to work. $1
*I needed a bottle of garlic powder as I am almost out.  While I like to use fresh or minced in the refrigerated jar, I use the powder for certain things....like in pizza sauce. $1
*The conchiglie(seashell)pasta was my idea.  I haven't been able to find this shape/size around here for a good price at the grocery stores.  I like this shape for making mac & cheese or to interchange with rigatoni when I make rigatoni and sauce, as it holds the sauce well like a rigatoni noodle. $1
*The chocolate graham crackers were half price, as they are coming up on the USE BY date on the box.  Contrary to what a lot of folks think, just because the Use By date is past, doesn't make the crackers inedible or toxic. ;-)  I hope to get a chocolate graham crusted pie out of the box IF I can keep them out of #2 son's clutches!lol $1.25
*We were out of wet dog food so I picked up these cans for a good price for Pedigree.  I use wet dog food as a condiment on the kibble and real food blend I give the puppies....like a sauce to tempt them to eat.  It helps with the chihuahua because she is so picky and won't eat real food(veggies & fruit scraps either alone or mixed with meats).  Using this gets her eating and she doesn't realize there is real food under it until it's all gone.  Yes, I am a master of dog psychology.....lol  $1.15 each
*Prego is our favorite jarred sauce but it's hardly ever on sale here at the grocery stores.  This jar was HUGE and even less expensive per ounce than the Ragu and such at the grocery stores on sale.  Since we can't use a huge jar up nowadays in 1 meal with only 3 of us at home, I'll have to make multiple meals in a single week that call for spaghetti sauce OR make 2 lasagnas or such and freeze one for later OR wait for the other kids to come home to cook something and use it. $4
*My favorite purchase was the cans of 100% juice concentrate.  I had a EUREKA! Light Bulb Moment in the store yesterday when I saw it.  This concentrate requires you to add 3 cans of water to reconstitute it to full 100% juice strength.  I've been trying to get #2 son to drink less juice, even though it's not the nasty loaded with HFCS or cane sugar varieties.  It's loaded with calories, even if it's 'natural' and he should drink more water and less juice.
So I am going to buy this and pull the trick I use to pull when my kids were little.....water down their juice.  I can make it less sweet but still sweet enough so he won't notice.  Less calories, less natural sugar and more water consumed.  Yes, I am a Sneaky McSneakerson and don't you dare rat me out to my kids! $1 each

Back to the dining/living room now....

Sluggy

February Food Spending Week 3, Meal Plan February Week 4

*I am taking part in Precious' MONEY SAVING CHALLENGE again for 2012.  You can find her blog FRUGAL MAKES CENTS and a list of other participants and their blogs  HERE.

Check it out.  You might find some new ideas for incorporating frugality into your life there!*


I love searching around for old photos and advertisements featuring kitchens from years gone by.  These are mostly the kitchens from my youth in the 1960's or earlier. 

This week I give you the kitchen of 1945.....

 With the war over, the US saw a flood of servicemen coming home and a rise in the marriage rate and the numbers of new households being formed.  It ushered in a time of economic growth and innovations having to do with domesticity and the home.
While this kitchen in many ways is stuck in the materials and design of the 1930's(the lino patterned floor, the color scheme and the lack of coordinating cabinets, appliances-color and fabrication, etc.), there is a VERY domestic feature this one showcases--the "Baking Center".  This was a large cabinet/door-ed area that combined tool and pantry storage and work space.  You closed the door when not in use and your kitchen looked neat as a pin with nary a spatula or tea towel out of place or showing.  Your kitchen could look ready for a ladie's magazine photo shoot at any time.

I am liking this design idea enough to consider it for our next home.  What do you think about it?

Enough of that, onward to the Meals and Food Spending. 8-)

Last week's meal plan is in the books.  Here is what actually happened....

SUNDAY--Burger King burgers(in celebration of an excellent report card, at #2 son's request)

MONDAY--leftover Enchiladas

TUESDAY--Hubs is taking me out to local Asian restaurant, I'll make cheese steak for #2 son

WEDNESDAY--Spaghetti & Meatballs(homemade meatballs leftover in freezer), Spinach Salad

THURSDAY--leftover lasagna or tv dinners in the freezer(these are old and need to be used up)

FRIDAY--leftover spaghetti or burritos and leftover corn  *I had a PBJ sammie & strawberries.

SATURDAY--Quiche, Salad

Maybe not on the night it was suppose to happen, but we pretty much had what was planned, except the Roast Chicken and Veggies, since I couldn't find whole chicken for a good price last week.  *Sunday the local store had it for .88¢ lb. so I bought 2 yesterday morning....this trip goes under Week 4 food shopping spending.

The weekly food spending was $35.12.  1 trip to the local grocer where I mostly stocked up on OJ concentrate and then bought celery, strawberries, chicken breast, pie shells, ice cream and a cherry pie for Hubs.  Hubs picked up 2 dozen eggs at Price Chopper on sale for $1 dozen.

3 Weeks in and I've spent $155.75 of my $300 February food budget.  $144.25 left for the month plus $92.32 leftover from January that didn't get spent.

Going into February Week 4, we have an entire quiche leftover.

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Toasted Chicken with Veggies, Stuffing(boxed)

MONDAY--Quiche, Tossed Salad

TUESDAY--Pork Chop with Maple Glaze, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas

WEDNESDAY--Red Robin Free Meal for #2's birthday

THURSDAY--Leftovers(quiche or chicken or pork chop or ?)

FRIDAY--Fish, Rice, Teriyaki Veggie Melange
SATURDAY--Not sure yet....maybe Chinese take-out or Breakfast for Dinner

This menu gives us 4 or 5 new meals, 1 or 2 eating out and 1 night of leftovers.

Items needed to buy for this menu are...the whole chicken which I bought Sunday.  I have all the other ingredients on hand.  I'm using up a bag of potatoes, carrots, celery, older box of stuffing, a rice mix, 2 bags of frozen veggies which are getting "long in the tooth".

We'll be buying milk as usual. The only stocking up opportunities I see so far are some jarred mandarin oranges(I can't stand the ones in metal cans), more whole chickens and flounder @ $3.99lb.

I might go hog wild and spend $60 this week...yikes!lol

So what is everyone else eating this week?  

Sluggy

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

It's Sunday night, which means it's time for Chit-Chat with CARLA.

I

This is a shot I caught last week of my 2 goofy dogs.  Every day around 3pm Cherry the beagle lays down and rolls on her back and just lays there and waits for Penny the chihuahua to notice.  When Penny notices she comes over and starts barking at Cherry, as Penny just can't stand it when Cherry lays there belly up.  Penny yaps and yaps until I either come over and roll Cherry over and tell her to stop begging for a belly rub or I pick up Penny and give her pets.
Usually I'll just go get their dinner bowls ready and they forget all about this "one upmanship" game. 8-)

If you haven't guessed they are both female and they both want to be top bitch.lol

Reading?

A funny book called "Do Over".  This guy goes back to watershed moments in his life that went badly and attempts to do-over his life.  He's done-over his horrible Kindergarten experience so far.  fun stuff....


Watching?

At 9pm EST I'll try to watch Hoarders.  After that I'll be primed to go gather up some things for Salvation Army.  It's my AA meeting.....keeps me motivated.


Listening to?

Hubs has some Harry Potter movie on behind me.  Plus the beagle is snoring.....the music of my life.lol

Cooking/Baking?



I went to the grocery's this morning and bought 2 roasting chickens.  I cooked one with veggies today for dinner.  That sure hit the spot!  And there is enough meat for another meal/dish or a big bowl of chicken salad.  I've never been a big fan of "salad" meat spreads(besides tuna)but we are craving chicken salad lately around here.  ;-)

Happy you accomplished this week?

Got taxes x 6 finished(and 4 of them filed online/via telephone) and we got the FAFSA x 2 filled out(but I still need to submit those online on Tuesday).  It's a weight off my mind and shoulders....and NOW I can get my dining room table cleaned off....yay!!!

Looking forward to next week?
Catching up on my Week 3 Decluttering Challenge.  Monday is set aside to get most of it done.

Thankful for today?

Everyone is mostly healthy, roof over the head, no big problems at the moment with the kids, no big expenses or repairs this month(other than the ones I planned for)and enough money put away for what may come that I don't have to worry about it.

Sluggy

Sunday in the Rite-Aid with Sluggy

I stopped back into Rite-Aid yesterday as I had to go out to the local grocer's so I picked up this....

1 x Got2B hair product on sale=$3.99
I used a $3/1 ManuQ and paid $1.05(w/tax)on my gift card.
It's a Winter Reward qualifying item, so BIL's card has $57 tracking toward the $20+UPs Reward going into Sunday.
My card has $74 tracking going into Sunday.

Sunday's rounds began with this transaction on my card.....

1 x Brainstrong toddler vitamins on sale=$13.00
I used $2/1 IPQ HERE (click where it says to get coupon)
$13-$2=$11.
I used $10+UPs(2x $5), put $1 on the gift card.

I received $13+UP back.

Now I goofed bigtime, as I thought this item was a qualified item for the Winter Reward.
Nope....but with that $2Q it was a moneymaker, so still worth buying.
And who can't use more free vitamins, right?lol

Tracking on my card remains at $74.
Carry forward $23(1x$10, 1x$13)in +UPs.

On BIL's card I then did this....

4 x Colgate toothpastes on sale $3.50=$14.00
I used 1 x $1/1 Colgate Total toothpaste ManuQ(that's all I had).
Total was $13 and I paid with the $13+UP I received in the previous transaction, so ZERO OOP....my favorite kind of OOP. ;-)

I received $14 back in +UPs(4 x $3.50+UP)AND 1 x $10(for getting to $25 in Colgate/SoftSoap spending....remember Friday's Soft Soap purchase.)=$24 +UPs.

Tracking on BIL's card is now at $71.
+UPs carrying forward $34($10,$10, 4x$3.50).

Another transaction on BIL's card.....

3 x 12-packs Coke on sale $3.66=$10.98 *regional sales price*
1 x Brainstrong vitamins on sale=$13.00
1 x Vaseline lotion(the new one)on sale=$2.97 *not pictured*
2 x Cella cherry w/20% wellness discount=$.52 *not pictured either*
$27.47 subtotal.
I used 2 x Free Coke 12 pack Qs earned with codes from MyCokeRewards, $2/1 Brainstrong IPQ(see above), $1/1 Vaseline ManuQ(1/29 RP insert), so $10.32 in Qs.
$27.47-$10.32=$17.15....I used $17 in +UPs(1x$10,2 x $3.50)and put the .15¢ on my gift card.

I received back $18 in +UPs($13 vitamins, $3 Coke, $2 Vaseline).
Added $13 in tracking to BIL's card for a total of $84.  It should have rounded up to $14($10.98+$2.97=$13.95), making the total $85, but the system may due so at a later date if I have some odd partial dollar amounts.

+UPs going forward are $35($13, $10, 2 x $3.50, $3, $2).

Then I did this transaction on my card....

4 x Colgate toothpaste on sale $3.50=$14.00
1 x Vaseline(the new kind-Total Moisture) on sale=$2.97
1 x Cella cherry w/20%wellness discount=$.26
Subtotal of $17.23.
I used 1x $1/1 Vaseline ManuQ and the total was $16.23.  I used $16 in +UPs(1x $13, 1x $3)and put the .23¢ on my gift card.
I received $16 in +UPs(4 x $3.50, $2 Vaseline).

Added $17 to my tracking for a total of $91 for my card.
+UPs carrying forward.....$35(1x $10,2x $2, 6x $3.50).

If the system doesn't right itself I'll need to call CS.....yet again!.  BIL's card didn't get credit for $12.00 of the Neutrogena skin cleanser we bought on Friday evening.  We got credit for $18 of it(3 of the bottles)but not for 2 of the bottles(we bought 5 total).  We bought 2 types of cleanser that didn't qualify so returned it and rebought the proper ones.  The system is slow to record, correct and update that change so we'll give it another couple of days before we go chew someone's head off.

IF that $12 in spending kicks in, BIL's tracking goes from a total so far of $84 to $96.
I'll either buy some little thing to get to $100 this week or wait until next week and get the Stopain topical analgesic that qualifies AND has a SCR attached to it's purchase.

Then the last transaction on my card.....

5 x Colgate toothbrushes on sale $2.49=$12.45
1 x Cella cherry=.26¢
Total of $12.71.
I used $12.50 in +UPs(3x $3.50, 1x $2), put the .21¢ left on my gift card.
I received 4 x $1.50(1 for each of the 1st four toothbrushes)=$6+UPs.
And why did I buy the 5th toothbrush if I didn't get any +UPs for it?
Because I needed to get my Colgate purchases over $25(remember the toothpaste I bought earlier?), so I qualified for the Buy $25/Get $10 in +UPs reward.
I figured with the $16 in +UPs associated with this purchase(and a cost to me of $12 in +UPs)it was a no brainer and I should do the Colgate $25/$10 Deal.

So I got 4 $1.50 +UPs for the toothbrushes, 1 x $10 +UPs for spending $25 and this purchase put me over $100 and I got the $20 Winter Reward +UP for a total of $36 in +UPs for this transaction.

I have $58.50 in +UPs going forward, one card is done with the Winter Reward and the other will be at $96/$100 spending when the system slogs things forward.

There is light at the end of this long Winter Reward tunnel! ;-)

So what are you buying this week at Rite-Aid?

Sluggy