Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Guess How Many Cars We Now Own!?


If you said 4, you would win the prize!

Oldest son came home for a few days.....ok, technically he was here for 2.5 days from the moment he stepped into the house Sat. night, until he left a few minutes ago.

I put the blog on auto-pilot mostly for the last 5 days because we've been dealing with buying another car.
Ugh.....didn't we JUST BUY ANOTHER CAR?!?!

This one if for oldest to use this year at school and then he will "buy" it from us when he leaves school, gets a job and can afford his own insurance policy.

So we've been busy finding a car the past 5 days.
And here is what we got.....
 A 2002 Hyundai something or other.
Yah see how interesting I am in cars?
I can't even remember what it's called.lol
* I've been informed it's a Sonata....thanks TANNER!

Anyway, we got a good deal from a local dealer we trust.  Out the door it was $5650 with tax, tags, registration and they give a 90 day warranty.
And it has 53K miles on it.

Technically this car didn't cost Hubs and I anything. The car and the extra in insurance for the next year  for it was all taken out of oldest's college fund $.  It's technically his car....we just hold the paper on it until he is graduated and working.  The remaining college money was divided into 2 halves and he gets 1 hunk to live on this semester and the other hunk to live on next semester.  And then the money is gone and he is on his own.

I also have been cooking.
Oldest wanted some barbecue so Sunday was spent on the porch with the smoker for a good piece of time.  We had his birthday meal out Sunday night at a steak house.
Monday he ran errands and packed, then we had the barbecue for dinner and the cake I baked him for his belated 21st bday....

Here's the backup shot with him pretending he just blew out the candles.....
What a ham.....

We sat down and went over his money situation and gave him half of what is left in his college fund.....Jan. he gets the other half and then the Bank of Mom & Dad is closing his account....permanently!lol

I printed out a budget form and when he gets back he and his girlfriend are going to sit down and budget the money.
I impressed upon him how good it would be to live on less than he had left for the next 4 months and to throw some money each month into a car account in case the car needs a repair, because we are NOT paying for anything else.  I hope he takes my advice.

Anyway, he was out the door bright and early this morning so he can get back to school for his girlfriend's birthday on Wednesday and to get settled into their new digs, buy groceries, get his books for this semester, etc.
But not before I could load him up with 2 big boxes of food/toiletries/laundry detergent from the stockpile too.


So that's what I've been doing the past 5 days.....when I wasn't going to Rite-Aid.

I can't wrap my head around the fact that we own FOUR CARS.  One for every licensed driver in this house.....until #2 son gets his license later this year.....eeshh!
Anybody want to come pick me up after I faint dead away when I get our next car insurance bill?!

What's going on in your life?

Sluggy

Monday, August 20, 2012

Food Spending August Week 3 & Meal Planning Week 4




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

Sunday--Salmon with maple glaze, Stir-fried mixed veg, mashed potatoes
Monday--BLT sandwiches with tomato from our garden...slurp!
Tuesday--tuna helper, Caesar salad
Wednesday--Leftover Rigatoni, Broccoli
Thursday--Meatloaf(leftover), Mashed Taters, Snow Peas
Friday--Taco Bell
Saturday--Leftovers

 
The weekly food spending was $9.91.  I was tempted to do the Kimberely/Clark Cat Deal at Weis(which would have stocked me up on a few things but would have meant spending alot more OOP) but in the end I resisted.  I used $12 in Cats to pay last week for the few needs we had which is why I spent so little.
I didn't stay within the $8 limit I set but it was close. None of what I spent was for items needed to make dinner.....it was all milk purchases and items for the Daughter's work lunches.

I have $82.02 left of my $400 food budget for August and 11 days left in the month.  I think we can make it to the end of the month before the end of the money. ;-)

Going into the new week I have the following leftovers to use up.......a portion of snow peas(I'll polish those off for lunch one day).


***********************

This week's menu.....
Sunday--Son's belated Birthday dinner out-Steak
Monday--Pulled Pork BBQ sandwiches, Cole Slaw, Birthday Cake
Tuesday--something Chicken, Rice, Green Beans(from garden)
Wednesday--Taco or Taco Salad
Thursday--Leftovers
Friday--burgers, baked beans, cuke salad
Saturday--Leftovers again
 
 
What I need to buy this week to serve this menu?.....rolls, cukes, maybe more lettuce.


So what are you cooking at your house this week?

Sluggy

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Rite-Aid Quickie!


Finishing up the "gots" for last week.....

More Stayfree and Oral-B/Glide floss and something new for me, 2 Duck brand mailers.

SubTotal....$12.08
Same coupons as I used on the Stayfree and Glide floss when I bought them before......$5.00
$12.08-$5.00=$7.08 and I used $7 in +Ups and put the .08¢ on my gift card.

I got back $8 in +Ups($2 Stayfree, 2 x $2 Glide, 2 x $1 mailers).
AND the mailers qualify for SCR #51(Duck brand), so there's another $3 in cash I'm getting back.

So I spent $7 in +Ups, Got $8 +Ups back and $3 cash.
Not bad, huh?lol

The mailers were awesome!  Reg. price of $1.49 and my Gold Wellness discount brought that down to $1.11.  Then each one generated a $1 +Ups, so .11¢ OOP at this point.
And I get $3 cash back next month on my SCR, making them a $2.78 moneymaker....sweet!
These aren't generating a $1 +Ups this week but if you have the Wellness discount it is still a MMer after SCR to pick them up.
8-)

Out Of Pocket....$.70  cash
Value of items bought....$324.87
Savings Rate of  99.78%
Single Check Rebate due....$5.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... -$4.30
Savings Rate  100%

+Ups at beginning of month...$14+
+Ups used....$93+
+Ups received...$110+
+Ups currently...$31+ 
 
**Don't forget to go to Rite-Aid this week for the FA+UR(free after +Up Rewards)items.
There are 4 of them I think......Max Freeze or Max Heat topical pain rub, Sleep Sheets sleep aid(dissolving sheets), Restless Leg Cream and RA brand Hand Sanitizer.

Sluggy

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Guess What Everyone is Getting for Christmas This Year?


After this week, Christmas 2012 "hair" at my house will be all about the Brush....hair brush that is! ;-)

I might catch heck for posting this so late in the week but so be it...lol
I had $9 in +Ups expiring this Sat. so up to Rite-Aid I trotted again and got this stuff....


1 x Stayfree on sale=$3.00
1 x Purel Sanitizer on sale $3.99 but 20% Wellness disc. less=$3.43
2 x Conair Hair Brushes on sale BOGO=$9.19
2 x Oral-B/Glide Dental Floss on sale $3.49 but one was cheaper w/Wellness disc.=$6.92
SubTotal.....$22.54

Coupons Used
1 x $1/1 Stayfree IPQ(HERE)=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Purel ManQ(All You Aug. ed.)=$1.00
2 x $1/1 Oral-B/Glide product ManQ (P&G insert)=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Oral-B/Glide product Oral Care Booklet=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$6.00

$22.54-$6.00=$16.54
I used $16 in +Ups(9+ expiring 8/18 + 7+ expiring 8/26 and 9/2).
$16.54-$16 +Ups=$.54 + $.16 tax=$.70 OOP.
I paid .70¢ cash since not only did I NOT bring my calculator this trip, I also forgot my R-A gift card.

I received back $13 in +Ups($2 Stayfree, $2 Purel, 2 x $2 Glide, $5 WYB $10 Conair brushes).
$36.24 in merchandise for .70¢ cash and spending down $3 in +Ups. ;-)

You'll notice my conair brush didn't quite cost $10, but that comb I bought last trip gave me $1.60 or so left to combine with this $10 worth of stuff.  It brought me over $10 and triggered the $5 +Up Reward.
This Conair deal is a limit of 2, so I am done with it now.

If you have the Oral Card book of Qs and the P&G insert Glide Q, each Floss is at least a .51¢ moneymaker after $2 +Ups.
IF you can find the floss in your store at this point in the week.

August Grand Totals so far this month.....

Out Of Pocket....$.70  cash
Value of items bought....$308.82
Savings Rate of  99.77%
Single Check Rebate due....$2.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket....Still -$1.30
Savings Rate  100%

+Ups at beginning of month...$14+
+Ups used....$86+
+Ups received...$102+
+Ups currently...$30+ 



Sluggy