Food Spending July Week 3 & Meal Planning Week 4

Well my mouse seems to be the culprit(ie-my keyboard possession of last week), so I'll be going out to get a new mouse later today.  I know that was worrying all of you.....


I actually went to the store last week!  Well I didn't go to the grocery store but I bought food at Rite-Aid and Big Lots.


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And here is the "meal plan" that actually happened last week.....

SUNDAY--Leftover Chinese(from our Dinner Out)
MONDAY--Marin Joe's Special

TUESDAY--Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zucchini

WEDNESDAY--Hamburger Helper type casserole, leftover Squash casserole

THURSDAY--Kielbasa on Rolls, homemade Pickles, Green Beans

FRIDAY--Take-out Italian

SATURDAY--Leftovers
Everything was cooked/served as planned except for the Quiche on Friday.  I didn't get out for a pie crust so we got Italian from the local joint.  I had Lasagna and Hubs had an Italian Sub.  That was all the eating out/take-out we did all week. 

The weekly food spending was $42.36 done in 2 trips to Rite-Aid and 1 trip to Big Lots.  A large chunk of that($33+) was stocking up on Gatorade for #2 Son and Juice.   I didn't darken the door of a grocery store at all last week.  ;-)

 

The regular retail value for all was $132.59 so I had a 68.05% savings rate. 

As I reset my July Food Budget to $300, I now have $158.97 left to spend on food/toiletries this month.  8 shopping days left in July.  I think I can make it! 8-)

Going into the new week I have the following leftovers to use up......1 piece of cornbread.

The garden has decided to finally produce something other than radishes, so I have a big pile of green beans and 4 yellow squash going into this week.

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This week's menu.....Hubs has vacation this week, so I am not going to designate which meals for which days.  He might want to be spontaneous(imagine that!lol)and go or do something with little notice so I am keeping my plan loose & flexible this week.

MEAL 1--Dinner out at Ruby Tuesdays(did this already on Sunday)

MEAL 2--Corned Beef and Cabbage

MEAL 3--Grilled  Squash, Hamburgers

MEAL 4--KFC chicken, Green Beans

MEAL 5--Tacos or Taco Salads

MEAL 6--Fried Fish and Squash, Pickles

MEAL 7--?? Leaving open/probably take-out or eating out

What I need to buy this week to serve this menu?.....
Cabbage, Salad Greens and other fresh produce to put into salads.  We also need milk, fruit, lunch meat for Daughter.

So what's on deck for your menu this week?

Sluggy

Sunday Shopping....Big Lots & Rite-Aid

Hubs and I went to Big Lots on Sunday while we were out.

10 x Old Orchard 100% Juice on sale $2=$20.00
2 x Ground Cumin $1=$2.00
1 x Nido dry milk=$3.00
1 x Tuna Helper=$1.00
Total....$26.00

The juice was $2.50 and marked down to $2.00 so we stocked up.  I only buy the 100% stuff, never the juice "sugared up cocktail" varieties.lol
I was out of cumin.
I wanted to try the Nido dry milk as I've heard of it for years but have never found it on the shelf around here before.  It was $3 and makes 2 gallons.....I have no idea if that is a good price but since fresh milk is regulated by the PA Dairy Board(ie-the price is artificially inflated and regulated and does not fluctuate due to supply and demand like it does in the rest of the country), we pay almost $4 a gallon for milk.  So 2 gallons for $3 is a deal to us.

The Tuna Helper......well, it was an impulse buy.  We haven't had it in ages and if I don't get a bare minimum of processed crap my brain might seize up. ;-)

Then I went off to Rite-Aid by myself.
I went because I had a $4 Hydro Razor Q that was expiring on Sunday to pair with a Rite-Aid emailed $2 Q.  I planned to get the Hydro 3 razor and after 20% Wellness discount and Qs it would have cost me .67¢.
Well, the plan was great.....except that the store was out of 3's and only had the more expensive 5's.
Ugh.  The $1.63 THAT razor would have cost was a good deal but I didn't get it, because I didn't need a razor.  Hubs like cheap single blade disposable razors....go figure!
But I just couldn't leave Rite-Aid without SOMETHING, now could I?LOL

2 x Powerade on sale .88¢=$1.76
2 x Extra Gum on sale 2/$2=$2.00** RANG UP w/ 20% Wellness discount instead $1.03=$2.06
1 x St. Joseph Aspirin 200 ct. on sale=$5.99
4 x Oreos on sale 2/$6=$12.00
SubTotal......$21.81

Coupons Used
1 x $1.50/2 Powerade AdPerk Q=$1.50
2 x .50¢/1 Extra Gum AdPerk Q=$1.00
1 x .50¢/2 Extra Gum IPQ(walmart site)=$.50
2 x $1/2 Oreos AdPerks Q=$2.00
2 x $1/2 Oreos IPQ(Smartsource dotcom)=$2.00
Coupon Total....$7.00

$21.81-$7.00=$14.81
I used $11 in +Up Rewards....$14.81-$11.00=$3.81 + .04¢tax=$3.85 OOP


$3.85 OOP sort of....

I was suppose to get $11 in +Ups back($5 St. Joseph, 2 x $2 Oreos wyb2, $1 wyb 2Extra Gums).
But the Gum was NOT coded to produce +Ups OR come up as $1 purchase price.
So I put $1.10 on my free gift card(a moment of silence for the end of the gift card please....), paid $3.75 in cash.
When I told them the Gum $1 +Ups didn't print, they gave me a dollar back.....so I "paid" $2.75 cash.
I didn't notice that the gum rang up 6 cents too much.  If I go by there this week, I'll get my pennies back for that.

So I paid $2.75 and got $10 +Up Rewards back.
But that's not all....

I bought $12 of Oreos and there is a $2 SCRebate this month for that, so I'll get $2 cash back next month for that.
There is also a St. Joseph's SCRebate.  It's advertised in the Weekly ad as on sale for $5.99 AND a $2 SCR available for this same size product.
But if you look in the SCR catalog, the rebate is for the 300 ct. bottle of aspirin, so I'll submit it and see if it comes through.  If it doesn't come through AND I want to be a hard ass I could call Corp. CS and argue about false/misleading advertising and such until they make good on it.
Whatever.....

I paid $.99 in the end for the aspirin and that's a great price on this 81 mg. stuff!  And it's something I use as I am on a baby aspirin regime. ;-)

So I paid $2.75 OOP, got $10 +Ups back and I'll get either $2 or $4 in cash back.
Either way, it's a good deal!


Cookies and Powerade going into the Marching Band supplies, Gum goes in the Xmas stocking box and the Aspirin goes into me. 8-)

As of now, my Monthly Rite-Aid Stats for JULY are....

Out Of Pocket....$16.36 cash
Value of items bought....$65.52+$49.25+$49.19 + $36.01=$199.97
Single Check Rebate due....$6.00(or $8.00)

+Ups at beginning of month...$33+
+Ups used....$55+
+Ups received...$32+
+Ups currently...$10+ 


Food Budget spent today.....$28.75

Did you find any good deals anywhere this past week?


Sluggy

What I Bought at Rite-Aid This Week

I had $7 in +Up Rewards to spend/roll.
Here is what I got this week.....
And so you aren't shocked later on in this post, let me tell you I actually SPENT MONEY this week at Rite-Aid! 8-(

15 x Gatorades on sale $1 each=$15.00
2 x Milky Way bars on sale .50¢=$1.00
2 x Extra Gum on sale .99¢ each=$1.98
1 x Gillette Custom 3 Plus disposable razors w/20% disc.=$6.39
1 x Gillette Shaving Cream w/20% disc.=$3.03
SubTotal.....$27.40

Coupons Used
1 x $1/2 Milky War bars IPQ(no longer available)=$1.00
1 x $.50/2 Extra Gum ManuQ(AllYou Magazine)=.50¢
2 x .50¢/1 Extra Gum AdPerks IPQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Gillette Custom 3 Plus razors ManuQ(P&G)=$2.00
1 x Buy G. Razors Get Shave Cream Free ManuQ(6/10 insert)=$3.03
Coupon Total.....$7.53

$27.40-$7.53=$19.87 + $.74tax=$20.61

Used my $7 +Ups...$20.61-$7.00=$13.61 OOP

I received back $11 in +Up Rewards.....(2 x $1 WYB5 Gatorades-limit 2, $5 WYB15 Gatorades-montly deal, $4 WYB select Gillette Razors)

Now I know I could have broken this into 2 transactions and paid about $4 less OOP in the end and wound up with $7 +Ups instead of $11 +Ups.
But I was in a hurry to get somewhere else so I bit the bullet and spent $13 instead of $9 OOP when all was said and done.

*With Marching Band camp about a week away, cheap Gatorades(.53¢ each)tempted me.lol

*The candy bars were free so a no brainer.

*The gum was .24¢ a pack so almost free(these will be stocking stuffers).  If you can find the Key Lime Pie flavor of Extra Gum it's ringing up on clearance so would be much cheaper, maybe even free with overage if you have the right coupons.

*The Gillette razors are part of a deal where the $12 and such non-disposable razors are on sale for $9.99 this week AND give a $4 +Ups back on purchase.  This particular disposable package IS pictured with the non-disposable ones on sale AND also gives the $4 +Ups.  At my store this disposable pack is $7.99 reg. retail, so with 20% Wellness discount comes out to be $6.39.  With the $2 Q and $4+Ups, it ends up costing me .39¢ for the package.

*I saw on A Super Savvy Saver that there is a coupon in the 6/10 inserts(Red Plum) you can pair with these razors that will give you a free can of shave cream too.  Thanks Sheila! 8-)
So the razors and shave cream cost me .39¢ OOP.

As of now, my Monthly Rite-Aid Stats for JULY are....

Out Of Pocket....$13.61 cash
Value of items bought....$65.52+$49.25+$49.19=$163.97
Single Check Rebate due....$4.00

+Ups at beginning of month...$33+
+Ups used....$44+
+Ups received...$22+
+Ups currently...$11+ 


What did you find good to buy at Rite-Aid this week?


Sluggy

I Hope That I Die Herrrrrrrrrre!

After yesterday's post full of numbers and money and Sunday's post full of historical grimness and violence, how about we finish out the week with....oh, I don't know......sarcasm and laughter?!

Works for me!

To get you all up into Downton Abbey mode before the 3rd Season begins on PBS......whenever THAT may be!........go have a lookie at these episodes.

You need to recap what has happened or get up to speed.
Now repeat after me......the rich people live upstairs, the servants live downstairs......

Episode 1



Episode 2



Have a great weekend!

Sluggy

Personal Finance Q&A Time

I saw some financial Q & As that have been making the rounds in the Personal Finance Blog world, over at Slay The Monster, and I thought I'd play along.

Given our age and how long we've been keeping the finances, Hubs and I are near the end of our journey both through life and through the money maze.  So not many will be able to take any ideas away from this.  Maybe folks can see how it looks on the "other side".....once you get the cars, mortgages and debts paid off though.

Question #1 What is your income?  Hubs is not comfortable putting that info out there.  I will say that we are now upper middle class as far as his salary goes.   We started out in student loan debt when we got married.  I was a waitress and he worked whatever job he could get.......including dishwasher, inventory taker, clerk in a law library and night security guard.  A few years later we had to pack our lives up and move 400 miles away to finally find a good job for Hubs.  He got hired by a large insurance company and worked his way around the firm to find his niche in the pension and retirement business end of things.
 Me?  I am a SAHM so I generate no income outside of small side jobs on an irregular basis.  I am "support staff" so that Hubs can spend his days working for "the man". lol

#2 What are my fixed expenses?
Utilities(electric/water/cable/internet/landline)
Food(though this varies)
Cell phones(pay-as-you-go)
Garbage
Sewer
School taxes
Local taxes
Property taxes
College tuition x 2
House Insurance
Car Insurance x 3
Health/Medical Insurance(includes Dental & Eye care)x 5
Long Term Care Insurance x2
Life Insurance x1
Retirement Savings


 #3 What would happen if I died tomorrow?
Hubs would have to take over the day-to-day finances and all the household stuff which I handle now.  Since I don't work outside the home, there is no life insurance on me now.  Use to have some, when the kids were little and they would have had to be taken care of while Hubs worked.  The expenses would go down(no more paying for my medical or long tern care insurance)....and I wouldn't be eating either.lol
Things would go on as usual after awhile if I died tomorrow.  They would however have to give away or sell my fabric hoard....lol

#4 Where would you get $500 for an emergency.
From the checking or the emergency fund savings accounts where the spare money is liquid.  At our ages and after having been saving for as long as we have been(almost from the beginning of our marriage 30 years ago), we have much more than this to yank out for an emergency at this point.

#5  What would you do if you got fired from your job?
I'll answer this from Hubs persepective, as he is the one making the money.  He is so close to retirement age that we would get a lawyer first thing.  Firing him(without a cause such as theft, etc.)would be grounds for an age discrimination lawsuit.  He is in the retirement business(one area that is growing by leaps and bounds), so being let go would be suspect.  IF for some reason the business shrank and they had no choice but to fire him, we would look into his being offered an early retirement package(where they bridge his income to retirement age)or some such concession.  He could mostly likely also be hired in his field as a consultant.  That would give him a short term income near the level he makes now....and might be enough to get him to retirement.
Now for me, if Hubs lost his job?......I'd shut down any spending that was NOT basic.  The cable would go, the landline but we'd keep internet for now.  No credit card spending on anything!  Food budget would drop like a rock!lol  Would be more vigilant on utility usage.  Medical costs would go up as we'd be forced onto COBRA.  We'd probably take oldest son off of medical/dental since he'll be out of school in the Spring(if it happens after that).
We would shrink the "nut" we needed to live for a year as small as possible to make the money last until Hubs pension money and/or social security kicked in.  We'd get jobs of some kind, as would any of the kids living at home and the kids would contribute a portion of their income to the household.
After #3 kid finishes high school in 2 years, we would sell the house and move.  We'd downsize and go to an area near family and/or somewhere cheaper to live.

The last thing we'd do if we had no other choice..... the college funds would be kept for living expenses.
The kids would have to finish up school on their own dimes.


#6  How will you live in your retirement?
Not sure yet exactly where.  We are looking at retirement in 4-6 years.....probably more toward 6.  We have run the numbers and unless things change drastically, we will have enough income in retirement to be comfortable.  We want to travel a bit at first before settling down somewhere.

#7  What could you sell for extra cash if needed?
The extra car.
Part of the collection of jewelry my mother left to me.
We really don't have much else that is valuable to anyone else.

#8 Does your spending align with your values?  We try to do this.  We don't buy stuff just to buy it.  We buy very few wants.  We try to buy local and made in this country.  We try to buy quality.  That being said, sometimes price overrides these.lol  We believe in people being responsible for their choices in live and living the consequences of those choices so we don't hand money over to everyone who has their hand out.  We give thoughtfully and to those we truly feel are the most in need.  Though we will help family in true need, we don't believe in enabling family members who misbehave with money or giving money to family who can work but choose not to.  We'd rather pay a bill to keep their lights on than hand them cash so they can go to the mall and buy another designer shirt with it.


#9  What are you teaching your kids about money?
It's a tool and how you use that tool will decide what kind of person you will be as an adult.
It's like "the force" and you need to understand it and while you are at it?....use it for good. 
And if you want to have a life filled with nice things, you need to make a lot of it and spend it wisely.   ;-)

My older 2 kids "got it" once they had to start spending their own cash.  I still need to work on the youngest kid.  16 year olds with their hormonal brains aren't the best students when it comes to teaching this stuff.lol

#10  What steps can you take today to improve your financial situation?
We waste so little now it's hard to come up with ways to make our situation better, other than me finding a job that pays me a large salary......and that is not going to happen.lol




Sluggy