Food Spending NOVEMBER Week 2, Meal Planning Week 3

Doesn't that look yummy?

It's a picture from when I made French Onion Soup a few weeks ago for dinner.  I'll be sharing some more photos and the recipe I use after I get Thanksgiving out of the way here.


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And here is what actually got served last week....

This week's menu....

Sunday--Halushki with Bacon

Monday--Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday--Tuna Casserole, Beets

Wednesday-Pizza for some, Leftovers for others

Thursday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad

Friday--Pizza for some, Leftovers for others

Saturday--Leftovers

The food spending last week was $.11 for $51.11 reg. retail worth of goods. And if you don't believe me, go look HERE.  I've spent a total of $202.65 so far in November on $396.59 retail price of food.  This isn't counting my Rite-Aid purchases.

Last week, I used all but $10 in free food certificates/gift cards/catalinas I had accumulated to spend only 11 cents this past week of groceries.  I'll be heading out to spend my last $10 free food chit today to pick up the last of what I need to prepare Thanksgiving Day's meal.  We are down to 5 for dinner since #2 Son's sometimes job called him into work on Thursday-it's a restaurant.
The Daughter also has to work Thanksgiving....her retail job, thanks to all you Black Friday people! 8-( ....but she gets to eat because she goes in late and works through the night so people can buy MORE tvs, small appliances, pajamas and electronics that they don't need to fill up their empty lives and their already overstuffed houses!
But hey!, who am I to judge, just because in order to keep her job she is forced to work when she should have the option of being home with her family on a National Holiday. ;-)

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Going into this week, I have leftover NOTHING!  Every blasted leftover got snarfed up. Ok, I misspoke...I have a bit of grilled chicken breast that wasn't used for the pot pie.  I made 2 lasagnas last week.  We ate one and the other went into the freezer for later.  So 1 single serving of a leftover item to use this week.

This week's menu....

Sunday--Chili, Cornbread

Monday--2 people Taco Bell, me that leftover chicken in a homemade Quesadilla, Corn

Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs(stockpile and freezer), Green Beans(freezer)

Wednesday--Leftover Chili, Cornbread

Thursday--Turkey Dinner, Pie

Friday--Subway Sandwiches

Saturday--Leftovers

This week I want easy.  The big pot of chili they can eat on multiple meals.  I'll throw the leftover of that into the freezer after 2-3 meals.  Spaghetti meal items are all here and I'll only make enough for 1 full meal because between the chili and turkey leftovers, that's plenty!   I'll use up the leftover chicken for myself tonight and Hubs & #2 Son will get Taco Bell on the way home from son's music lesson.

Left to buy this week?.....4 items for Thursday's Thanksgiving feast and milk.  I'll be spending right around $10 this week but it won't cost me anything because of my $10 certificate.  But come Friday?....I'll be hitting some sales and the Bread Outlet and be back to spending the food monies!lol
I still think I'll end November with a surplus of $$ in the food budget.  That will be sweet....

Are you cooking the Turkey Day meal this year or are you lucky enough to have family/friends to visit and let them do the cooking?
How about the rest of the week.....are you cooking the whole week or making it a simple meal plan or eating out?


Sluggy

Used My Expiring +Ups..A Rite-Aid Post

Went out last night to use the last of my $8 in +Ups expiring on Saturday.
I bought this on my card.....

2 x Dove Men's Body Wash (raincheck price of $2.50)=$5.00
1 x Axe Gift Set(w/Wellness 20% diacount)=$9.59
SubTotal.....$14.59

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 Load2Card Dove Men's Body Wash=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Dove Men's Body Wash IPQ=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Any Dove Body Wash VV/AdPerks IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Axe Gift Set VV/AdPerks IPQ=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Axe single items VV/AdPerks IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$12.00

$14.59-$12.00=$2.59+.28¢tax=$2.87

I used $2 in +Ups and put the .87¢ on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received back $3+Ups(Axe gift set), so all this was FREE and gave me $1 back in +Ups.

Then I got called home for a car emergency.  Had to go jump Hubs car and he needed to take my car to run an errand, so my shopping Friday night was done.

I now have 2 nice Christmas presents for my son's that didn't cost me a dime.....thanks Rite-Aid! 8-))


On Saturday I hit Rite-Aid again because I still had $6 in +Ups expiring.

I wanted to get Ziploc bags this week but my store was out, so I had to change it up.

Here are my gets on the BIL's card......

3 x R-A napkins on sale $2.50(3rd pack suppose to be $2.69 but rang up $2.50)=$7.50
2 x Tums Refreshers on sale $4.50=$9.00(1 is missing from the picture)
2 x ID Gum on sale $1.00=$2.00
SubTotal......$18.50

Coupons Used
1 x BOGO ID Gum(Target site ManuQ)=$1.49 *
1 x .25¢/1 ID Gum VV/AdPerks IPQ=$.25
2 x $1/1 Tums Refreshers Tearpad Q(on shelf)=$2.00
2 x $1.50/1 Tums Refershers VV AdPerks IPQ=$3.00
AND HERE IS WHERE IT GETS CRAZY.....
1 x $1/1 Tums Refershers Load2Card Q=$1.00
1 x $2.50/1 Tagament Load2Card Q=$2.50 **
1 x $1/1 Debrox EarWash Load2Card Q=$1.00 **
Coupon Total.....$11.24

$18.50-$11.24=$7.26+.21¢=$7.47
I used my $6 in expiring +Ups and a $1 +Ups from the ID Gum I bought earlier in the week to pay and put the .47¢ on my R-A gift card.

I received back $7 in +Up Rewards($3 wyb $7 in paper goods, $1 wyb2 ID gum, $$2 wyb2 Tums, $1 wyb2 R-A tissues/napkins), so I am "even" on the +Ups count n this transaction.

* First off, the cashier took the full reg. price off on the Gum and not the sale price.  The coupons had a limit of $1.29 so I need to go back next time and give them some change back.

** Now why did Tagament and Ear Wash Qs on the Load2Card come off for this transaction?  From what I've heard, all 3 of these products are made by Glaxo Smith Kline and that is what triggered them to attach to my Tums.  It would also explain by the single item $1 Axe Qs are attaching to your transaction if you only buy the Gift Set.....same brand name owns both gift sets and single items.  Now I can see this since they are BOTH Axe products, but it's truly crazy that those GSK owned different brands came off on my Tums.  But I am NOT complaining! lol  My 2 Tums cost $9 and I got $9.50 in Qs off of the cost between my $5 in VV/AdPerk and Tearpad Qs and $4.50 in Load2Card Qs.

I was NOT expecting that extra $1 +Ups for buying the napkins.  The ad stated "Spend $7 in Rite-Aid paper products, Get $3 +Ups".  I spent $7.50 on 3 packs of napkins and got the $3 and an additional $1 +Ups that was specific to the napkins.  And I got tracking on my receipt "Buy 2 RA Tissues/Napkins, Get $1+Up(Limit 2)".  I would suppose this is some kind of Monthly Deal for the Tissues/Napkins.
After both +Up Rewards on the napkins they ended up "costing" $1.17 a package(if you had to spend cash and don't have +Ups to spend).  That's not a bad price for 250 ct.!

My +Ups are good to go for another 2 weeks if next week's ad has nothing I want/need.  I can concentrate on Turkey stuff this week instead. ;-)

These trips--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items....$53.00

GRAND TOTALS so far FOR NOVEMBER.......

Out Of Pocket....$1.25  cash
Value of items bought.....$168.38
Savings Rate of  99.25%
Single Check Rebate due....$0.00
Other Rebates due......$0.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $0.00
Savings Rate  99.25%

+Ups at beginning of month...$10.00+
+Ups used....$47+
+Ups received...$50+
+Ups currently...$13+

 Sluggy

I Will Cut You....Meh

Remember this cute baby?

 It made the internet rounds with the caption...."I WILL CUT YOU!"...a few years ago.

Well I have met "I will cut you" and she isn't a baby.....she's a dermatologist.

I had some outpatient surgery the other day.  No biggy, just some growths cut off my face and no, not the important ones. 

But I am in more pain than I thought would come from this.
So I'm taking a few days off from posting on the blog.  I can't seem to do much of anything more than post some complaining comments on a few blogs and then go annoy some clueless socialist liberals on Facebook.

I got nothing coherent to say here.
And the pain in my face is keeping me from being my jovial, off-beat self.

I'll leave you with this YouTube video.
I about peed my pants the 1st time I watched it.
And before you get all uppity and call me a racist, the humor has nothing to do with this guy's skin color.
(This is probably what I sound like after I've had a few drinks too.)
We seriously need this man to audition for American Idol next year!

Somebody contact his representation management firm STAT! ;-)



Have a good weekend folks,

Sluggy

Week 4 of the Boring Blog Box Giveaway.....Enter Again!

Here's another installment of......

Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY!

Here's how it works.....

I put things in the box(mostly what I have gotten for free or almost free)each week and when the box is filled we draw a winner from all the entries received.

Here is what went into the Box today......we have a bit of a theme going on for this week....

1.  1 tube of Aim Toothpaste

2.  1 tube of Aqua-Fresh Toothpaste
3.  1 Colgate Toothbrush

4.  1 Reach Toothbrush

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways HERE.  *As always, if you are located outside the US, you CAN enter and win but weight restrictions/shipping costs may mean your prize box will contain less items.*

***Time to enter.....You can enter on this Giveaway post until I close this post to entries.

1 entry per person per day on THIS POST.
Leave your name/email addy and a COMMENT on this post.  

This week in your comment I want to hear about whichever Winter Holiday you celebrate, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Bodhi Day, Yule, Saturnalia, Pancha Ganapati or Kwanzaa.
Do you make a budget for your celebrating and what is your target amount to spend?  How do you pay for what you spend at the Holiday time or do you just not worry about paying for it until next year?
Do you foresee spending more or less than you have in the past years at the Holiday time?

You can come directly to this blog post or find it through the link on the right side bar to leave 1 comment per day.  The current Giveaway Post will be linked right at the top of the side bar.

Please NOTE--You MUST be a follower to enter the Giveaway.  If you aren't one, just click on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of my blog to become a follower.

There are 2 ways to get 2 EXTRA entries on this and each new Giveaway Post.......

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with the URL of your blog so I can go check it out. **If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in an extra entry comment once each week of this giveaway.

2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog with a link to this post.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with a link to your blog post so I can go view it.  You can do this extra entry once each week of this giveaway.

I think there is room in the box for 1 more lot of items so the next post on the giveaway will be the last before I draw a winner.
Any suggestions on what I should choose to put in the space left in the prize box?  Let me know!

As always if there are any questions?  Just email me.

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

Do You Want to Live in a Free Market Society or One Controlled by Government?

I found this video on Youtube today that explains why Free Market Economics run counter to Government Controlled Markets, using the current SuperStorm Sandy example.
And in regard to those $30 flashlights?.....I'll contend that given the prices in Manhattan, $30 for a flashlight is NOT gouging anyway.  I've had to buy things in Manhattan and that place is ridiculously high anyway on EVERYTHING!lol

So are you a Keynsian or a Hayekian when it comes to economic theory?
Do you believe in truly free markets(not what we have now in America, which is NOT a free marketplace but Crony Capitalism)?
Or do you believe that government should control our marketplace and cause artificial dips and highs?

Sluggy