Sunday, July 21, 2013

Talking Sexy Grocery Talk

Well I didn't get by on groceries this week with spending $25 but I did only spend $42.19 total.

I got the few things I needed for this week's menu(milk, ricotta, deli meat, lettuces), but Weis(PMITA)Markets had a $5 off $50 Coupon in the flyer so I figured I'd pick up a few more things we can use soon(and that were on sale this week) and get to the $50 mark(before coupons)so I could get that extra $5 discount.
I ended up buying $81.86 worth of groceries for $42.19 after Qs and discounts used.
That's a 48.50% savings rate. ;-)

Here's what I got....

Weis Ice Cream for #2 Son...$1.49 wflyer /Q
Cheez-its for #2 Son....$.99 w/flyer Q
2 Bagels....$1.18
2 containers of Ricotta Cheese....$5 on sale
1 bag of Salad.....$1.95 w/50% discount sticker
1 loaf garlic bread....$.99 w/50% discount sticker
chicken deli meat.....$5.99 on sale
container of milk....$1.83
2 diet drinks.....$2.00 on sale
8.50 lbs. of chicken breast.....$6.98 * on sale w/$6 in instant Q
large bag of dog kibble......$9.99 on sale & w/$1 IPQ
6 large cans of wet dog food.....$6.00 on sale

Subtotal before all Qs was north of $60.
After all Qs the subtotal was $39.39 and the tax brought it to $40.52.
I also bought a head of green leaf lettuce this week at a different store on sale for $1.67.

* The chicken was a great deal.  Reg. $2.99 lb. split chicken breasts were BOGO free this week.  I walked into the store to find some packages were getting close to the sell by date so they had $3 instant discount stickers on them.  I found 2 packages within .63¢ of price to each other and paid the higher $12.98 price for 8.50lbs. total.  Then 2 x $3 discounts came off at the register making my chicken $6.98 for all.  That's .82¢ lb. for chicken breasts.
The packages got broken down at home and smaller portions packed into the freezer for use later next month.

Basically by buying some things ahead & a couple of treats real cheap, for #2 Son using store Qs in the flyer,  I saved an extra $5 on stuff I would have bought in the next 2 weeks anyway.

I am left with $98.50 in my July food budget for shopping the 22nd through the 31st.
10 days and we have lots of stuff here already so this should be a walk in the park to stay under budget in July.  I'll be making my menu up this weekend for those 10 days using proteins & grains/bread already on hand.  The grocery monies will cover fresh veggies and fruits I find at a good price and in season this coming week.

Sluggy

Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Rare Occurance...Enjoy The View While You Can!

I can't believe I forgot to mention this before now!

Lookie at the view out my front door I've had all week.....



If you are new here and you have no clue why I am showing a picture of my neighborhood, looking down the street, here is what is usually parked across the street from my house.....



We call it the "Behemoth".
Well that is the polite thing we call it.

8-)

No clue how long I can continue to bask in not having that eyesore parked there.
But I'll enjoy it however long it lasts.

Hey!
I got nothing against having a huge ass travel trailer.
Just don't park it in your driveway all year, especially if your driveway is barely long enough for it.

Sluggy

I Scare People

Ok,
I can't help but feel "painting envy" when I go over to Alex's Blog and see that the guy painting her living room is almost done and by the end of the weekend, Alex will have put back together her room for the grand reveal.
So jealous.....

It's been over a week(9 days to be exact)since the local handyman franchisee came over to our house to take photos and take down all the information on all the projects we want/need doing over here at Chez Sluggy.
A week and not a peep outta these guys on an estimate of what it will cost us.

We ended up with 7 separate "projects" that need doing here, when the handyman was finished writing them all up.

1.  Repair/patch ceilings/wallboard/doorway edges in assorted rooms.
2.  Paint entire downstairs and upstairs hallway.
3.  Finish crown molding in living/dining rooms.
4.  Fix and rehang hall closet bi-fold door.
5.  Rip up carpet and install bamboo flooring in living/dining rooms.
6.  Replace trim around garage door and replace decorative shutters on 3 windows on front of house.
7.  Clean and paint(or replace with metal/vinyl) decorative attic vent on front of house.



Do you think I scared him away?
I do.

Maybe I should have eased into this by only letting them know about 2 or 3 projects.
And then when those were completed we could contract with them to do the others.
Yah, maybe I should have done that.

But I didn't.....because I have NO PATIENCE dang it!!
I want this stuff done and I want it done, like yesterday.

It's been so long since I've had an actual living room that looks and is used like a living room.
I just can't help myself.

So I sit here trying to not glance furtively at the telephone and by using my mind control abilities WILL IT TO RING!
Grrrr......AAArgh......sigh loudly......*drop head on desk and whimper softly*.......

And someone please if you see my Hubs in real life, remind him that I am waiting for him to take the pile of broken electronically crap out of the center of the living room and drop it off at Best Buy NOW.
Doing it yesterday would be even better.

Do you believe me now when I said I am no patience?!

I swear, if I could lift that TV it would be sitting out on the curb as of 2 months ago.
So tired of it.

So what do you think?.......did I scare him off?

Sluggy




 

Friday, July 19, 2013

Can It Be? Why Yes, It's a Road Trip!

Tanner talked about taking vacations today on her blog.
That got me into the mind of telling everyone about our "big vacation adventure" for the year we are starting shortly here at Chez Sluggy.

Hubs sister is getting married.....again.
Ok, that wasn't nice was it?
She was married a few years before Hubs and I did the deed back in the early '80s.
But that one only lasted until about 1984 when she and her hubs divorced.
She's been single ever since.

She finally found someone she wants to share her life with again and they are getting married next month......out in Illinois.

So Hubs and I are using this as the starting off point to plan a vacation.
Since there is little to see/do in the part of IL where she lives(other than watching corn grow), we are planning on making a big adventure and many stops along a route that will begin in eastern PA, swing through OH and IN, into IL and then to TN and through western VA and back up to PA and home.
10 days of meandering across 9(or 10) states in a 1,500 mile loop.

Yah, I am tired just thinking about this..... lol

I have gotten in touch with a few people who we are making stops to visit with so this trip is getting a bit more interesting.
And we are trying to do this thing on the frugal dime.
Well except for the car rental since we aren't using our vehicles to do all this driving.

So I am taking ideas for things to see/do along the way.
It can be a quick short thing/sight to see or something more substantial.
And remember we enjoy seeing/doing weird stuff like....



walking Indian mounds


visting dead ancestors in Confederate cemeteries


going to farmer's markets



shopping for grocery deals on vacation


going up in dizzily tall bridge towers


eating fresh seafood at roadside shacks



smuggling Cuban cigars across the US/Canadian border(did I really do that???)
No, I meant going to a Chocolate Museum in Canada......yah, that's it......



eating at truck stops....on purpose!......


stalking Stephen King's house

Plus many more offbeat things.

And if you are in the area(or think you are located where we'll be passing through or stopping), and think your life would be greatly improved by meeting me and Hubs, shoot me an email privately and I'll see if the planets will align and allow a meet up.

Sluggy

 

Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway......Time to Enter to Win It!


Can it be?
Is Sluggy giving away another box of awesomeness already?!
 
Well the answer to that is.....Yes, yes she is!
It's another of Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY!
 
Here's how it works if you are new here.......
 
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.
 
This time the Box of Goodies is ALL ABOUT THE LADIES with things for your Girly side.
No shaving cream or manly stuff in this box folks!

Here is what went into the Box today......
 
 
 
1.  Lots of little sample tubes and bottles of creams, lotions, sunscreen, facial scrub, etc.
2.  4 samples of name brand perfumes.

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 address and a COMMENT on this post.  

This week I want to hear about how you feel about Summer and Summer weather.
Has your Summer been a good one?
Are you ready to see it go and move onto Autumn or no?
Hot weather is my least favorite of all.  I grew up in the south(if you hadn't heard me say that a billion times already)but I never got use to being uncomfortable in the Summer due to the heat and humidity.  By mid-July I am SO ready to move onto the Fall.
 
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.
 
These giveaways run about 4 weeks, depending on how often I get a blog post done.  The winner will be drawn from all valid entries received before the closing date of the giveaway.


 Any questions?  Just email me.

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy