Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Random Stuff Lately

Let's see.....

*  The "spare" car(the one CB drives when he is home)konked out before we left on our trip.
The battery died apparently so Hubs recharged it.  It ran fine the day before we left when Hubs took it for a spin.
Then when we got home from IL Hubs tried to take it out to get a Sunday paper and the battery was dead, again!

Then Hubs recharges the battery again and takes the blasted car up to the auto shop and they can't find anything wrong with it.  The battery is now holding a charge and no other electrical system item is draining the battery.
So Hubs says to just replace the battery and do the inspection that is due.
The auto shop checks the paperwork and this battery was 6 days past being in warranty.
Great!
Well we are just good customers for so long here that the auto shop guys replaces the battery for free.
Nice!!!

So far so good it's still running and we are only out the cost of the yearly inspection.
I thought going in this would be an expensive repair but it didn't turn out that way.



*  This is the state of the Candy Supply on the morning after Halloween.  I had two mostly full gigantic bowls and now we are down to 1 bowl plus a little bit.
We had hardly any ghouls at the door wanting candy last night.  It's a good thing I didn't buy tons of candy, huh?
It would be such a shame to have to eat all that stuff myself. lolz
We were the only house on the cul de sac with their porch light on giving out treats.
I guess all the families here are older now with no kids left at home or older teens.
I think this will be our last Trick or Treating Season.


*  We got lots of work done around here this weekend.  Hubs raked leaves, got the garden mostly put to bed, did some housekeeping in the garage, put all the deck furniture away, cleaned out the kitchen junk drawer, my desk drawer and I cleaned the door shelves in the fridge(I spilled an entire bag of walnuts on them so sort of HAD TO clean them then. lolz).

Now it's on to cleaning out a couple of boxes in the living room and getting some things on eBay.



*  There is a woodpecker here that has fallen in love with our vinyl siding.......
I can't get this stupid bird to leave our house alone!   Hopefully he will realize it's vinyl and stick to the trees in the yard.

*  I can't believe that Thanksgiving is less than a month away now and we have to pick up College Boy in 3 WEEKS for the holiday.
Then it's back 2+ weeks later to pick him up for Winter break until late January.
Didn't we just drop him off for this semester?
Where does the time go???



*  The weather here this week is crazy warm for November.  Highs in the 70's the next few days
This is November in Northern PA!?!
I will have the windows open this week for the last gasps of fresh air until Spring 2016.....

Another good thing is that the heat is NOT ON....in November!
Yay!
I'll take the savings where I can get them.


*  I heard from a childhood friend yesterday I haven't been in contact with since 2007.  She had been on my mind strongly when the calendar rolled over into October.  She isn't online at all and the only number I had for her was a 20 year old landline but her daughter I knew was on FB, but I couldn't remember her married surname.  It finally came to me right before we went on vacation and I sent her a friend request.  When we got back from our trip she had "friend-ed" me so I asked her if her mom was still living at the addy I had for her.  She went on to give me her new phone number and let me know that my friend's husband had died the beginning of October.  I never met her husband George. They were married 10 years.  This was my friend's third spouse(divorced x 1, widowed x 2).
No wonder she was on my mind earlier in the month......

So I called her last week but it went to voice mail.  She called me back yesterday and we talked for a long time.  She's doing good despite life events and she's contemplating relocating to a different part of the country.  I invited her to visit here anytime and the next time I am down in VA I'll make a point of getting over to see her.




*  In Rite-Aid news......I'll be returning to Rite-Aid to do some shopping during their Black Friday sales.  I don't have enough Plenti Points to just buy all the freebies they'll be offering in one fell swoop(on either of our Plenti/Wellness cards)so I'll buy half and go back the next day and get the other half of the freebies once the points kick in.
Speaking of freebies everything offered is really low cost items this year there for BF.  It's disappointing.  I'd like it better if they offered less freebies but of higher cost/value and more the things I need.
And again this year those Philips ear buds offered as a freebie......really?  These have been a BF Deal freebie for something like 6 years now!  How about some different items howaboutit?

The only coupons(which after points would turn these freebies into moneymakers)so far I can find for any Freebie Deals are for Clean & Clear shampoo.  If you go HERE and sign up for email offers you'll get to print 2 copies of a $1/1 shampoo coupon.



The other Rite-Aid new is that they are being bought up by Walgreen's.  Of course this is a big merging(making them the biggest combined drugstore chain in the US)so it will take eons to do this deal, thus stores won't be consolidated and/or closed for a long time yet so no immediate worries on your drugstore shopping plans.
But they will be forced by industry regulations to close or sell-off between 500 and 1000 stores.

There is no doubt that Rite-Aid stores will close around here.  R-A is Harrisburg, PA based so there are many many stores in this region.
Just in my area there are 3 Wags and 10 R-A stores which when combined as Wags stores would over-saturate this area.
If they rebrand the R-A stores then mine will become a Wags but it is in no danger of closing as there is no nearby Wags to compete.

Will be interesting to see how this all shakes out but I am NOT looking forward to dealing with the Walgreens system of offers/deals/rewards.  I may have to go back to CVS hounding again.  bleh.
Plus all those Rite-Aid employees will have to learn the new Wags Points and Rewards systems and there will undoubtedly be problems and issues for customers.
double bleh.


*  My laptop is having issues.  It may be time to "put er down".
Being able to get online comes and goes these days and accessing my email program is spotty at best. I am trying to get it running better but if I throw it through the window in frustration give up I might be looking at purchasing a new machine soon.
As of November my laptop is closing in on 3 years old.  I got it right after my dr. tried to kill me back in Feb. 2013.

So if I don't update in a timely manner(for me)that's probably why I am not around.  I can jump on Hubs laptop to check my web based email so if someone needs to contact me try my "slugmama atyahoo dotcom" email instead of the email linked to my blogger account until my world is back in balance.

*  As for the money here--things are going swimmingly(except for maybe having to buy a new computer).  3 paychecks in October did good things for our bottom line.  Just trying to keep as much of the money that comes in from going back out again. ;-)  Eating from the freezer this month, keeping the heat off while it's unseasonably warm, staying out of the stores(or online)to shop for entertainment and jumping back on eBay at the Holidays to make a little extra change all help in that regard.

What's up in your world?

Sluggy


Monday, November 2, 2015

This Week on the Dining Table


It's the "Back from Vacation and I Don't Want to Do Anything" Edition--



Back home and I just have no "umph".  Not many photos taken this week nor did I go anywhere except 2 stores for groceries so the photo is of a beer I had Saturday night.  A coconut porter from Maui Brewing I bought while in Fredericksburg, VA.  I must say I was not impressed and there was no coconut evident in this brew.

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week.......

1. Sunday--Cheese Ravioli with Meat Sauce, steamed Mixed Veggie
2. Monday--Fish or Shrimp, Butternut Squash, Cole Slaw
3. Tuesday--Pork Chops, Harvard Beets, Garlic mashed Potatoes
4. Wednesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs(Hubs request), Collards
5. Thursday--Chicken something, Roasted Veggies
6. Friday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Leftover Veggies
7. Saturday--Leftover Pork Chops, Corn Casserole, ?

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Cheese Ravioli with Meat Sauce, steamed Mixed Veggie
2. Monday--Potato crusted Cod, Butternut Squash, Cole Slaw
3. Tuesday--Dinner out at TGIFriday's(I had a big salad)
4. Wednesday--Pork Chops, Harvard Beets, leftover Cole Slaw
5. Thursday--Spaghetti and Meatballs(Hubs request), Caesar Salad
6. Friday--Chicken Parm, Stir-fry Veggies
7. Saturday--Broiled Salmon, Corn Casserole, leftover Butternut Squash

First week back from vacation so there were no leftovers starting out.
I'm on a mission to make room in the freezer presently so I wanted to pull meals from frozen stuff last week.
I only made 2 pork chops so didn't have chop leftovers for later in the week.  The Tuna Noodle Casserole also didn't happen but I broiled some Salmon instead.

As for my grocery spending last week......Maine Source and a small(free)trip to Walmart saw my food spending last week come to $45.30.  This brought the October grocery spending to a total of $237.64.  Quite low for a whole month and I'll gladly take it! 8-)

Leftovers going into this week....cheese ravioli w/meat sauce, harvard beets(I made double for planned-overs), spaghetti and meatballs and corn casserole.
Here is this week's "food plan"--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ravioli w/Meat Sauce, sauted Cabbage(leftover from the Cole Slaw head)
2. Monday--Pan Grilled Chicken w/sauce, Spinach Salad, leftover Corn Casserole
3. Tuesday--Leftover Spaghetti w/meatballs, Caesar Salad
4. Wednesday--Kielbasa on Rolls, leftover Beets
5. Thursday--Tacos or Taco Salad
6. Friday--Tuna Noodle Casserole or Broiled Rock Fish(depending on my mood), Tossed Salad, ?
7. Saturday--Leftovers of some kind

What I need to buy for this menu?.........nothing.  I have or bought everything needed for this menu last week at the store.
Not much so far I want in Loss Leaders at the stores except some eggs on sale for $1.67 dozen.  Don't know yet what the Weis ads will have starting Thursday.
What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?    

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy

November 1 Net Worth Snapshot


We are $13,411.70 up from last month's net worth(only liquid cash/investments, as I don't count housing or car values).  Over $6K of that if due to savings put away in November from our household accounts.  The other half of the uptick is from our retirement/investment accounts.

We are also $136,670.49 up from one year ago, the November 1st of 2014 net worth.


Sluggy

Friday, October 30, 2015

Drunk Fish.......Our Trip to IL PART 2

Since we got more than halfway to our destination on Day 1, Friday, Day 2 was taken at a more leisurely pace.

I realized that our timing was impeccable by the way, staying overnight on a Thursday rather than a Friday.  Our hotel room was about $70 before all sorts of taxes were added but had be stayed there on a Friday night the room would have cost $200 before taxes...Yikes!!

I guess the rate zoomed up because of Notre Dame playing a football game that weekend.  What a rip!

Here's a couple shots outside of the hotel in Michigan.........


Nothing too exciting....

We drove down back toward the Indiana Toll Way to South Bend.
Anyway, on the way out of the Michiana area we stopped at a....you guessed it!.....liquor store.  8-)


You knew you were in a college football playing town right away in this store.


I love the sense of humor some of these craft brewers have when naming their beers.


Hipster Repellant IPA

Kentucky Ryed Chiquen, complete with a chicken feather under the top seal. lolz


I am so not commenting on this label..........


Space Station beer giving the middle finger salute.

After buying of few things we headed west into the "Land of Lincoln".
There was a stop at a World Market to buy a few things, mostly Christmas gifts.  Alcohol may have also been purchased but I'll never tell.

Then feeling puckish we found a nearby cafĂ© for lunch in the shopping plaza where the World Market was located.

Hubs got a turkey sandwich and I got a roast beef sandwich.
Take a look at the difference in sizes between those 2.......


I was going to suggest we get 1 sandwich and split it before we ordered.  Well it's a good thing I didn't say it out loud in regard to getting my selection and splitting it! lolz

If we had done that, we would have had to stop again for another lunch before hitting Sonya's house.

We hit a little local traffic after having lunch but we pulled into Sonya's driveway a little after 4pm.

I got out of the car and when she opened the front door I yelled across the yard wanting to know if she had found me a FISH FRY for dinner.

Yes, I was all hyped up on wanting to have FISH on Friday up here in IL.  Two years ago I had the BEST Fish sandwich of my life on a Friday after we left Sonya's house and drove down to Mendota IL to have lunch with Pam and Robin(online friends from my beanie days). 
We had Walleye that Friday and it was the first time I'd ever had it and man, was it good!

Since we were coming into town on a Friday I told Sonya to look up some places for dinner that have a fish fry.  She seemed kind of lukewarm on the idea on the phone so I did some research and found a place that served a fish fry just over the border in WI near her town.

So after downing a drink that was thrust into my hand after I got inside the house(why does this always happen at her house?!?lol)we set out with Den driving to go eat some fish.

Well here is where we ended up at.........


Remember how I nearly got 3/5 of my family murdered in a biker dive bar back in July in VA?
Yep, this would be another great dining choice.....
I just seem to know how to pick 'em, don't I?

This place was a hole in the wall locals bar and we sure got the once over by the clientele sitting at the bar when we walked in.  I thought for sure I heard banjos playing in the distance too.

I thought Sonya was going to bolt back out the door until she spied gaming machines in the back corner.  Unfortunately they were "play" machines and you couldn't actually win money on them so her glee turned to despair right quick.


So we ordered our meals and chatted and laughed before the repast hit the table.


I swear this is the only photo I got of Den the entire time we were visiting!  The man had an uncanny knack for avoiding my camera.
Sonya Ann was not to be so lucky however......much to her chagrin.

This is one of the lovely pictures adoring the wall at Grumpy's Pub and Grub.


The food arrived and we wolfed it down.  Den unfortunately chose the only "All You Can Eat" fish option(cod)and it turned out to be the premade/frozen/breaded type.  Hubs and my fish plates were freshly prepared however and were very good.
so what did Sonya Ann order in the land of fishy goodness?
A BLT.

Ok, so that's why she said, "We don't go out for fish." on the phone when I requested a fish fry and she didn't seem too thrilled with Grumpy's(after the gambling was a no-go).

Some woman(the owner, bartender, patron....who knows?)came over after we were done eating and offered us each a cookie out of the box she was holding.
So we got free chocolate chip cookies with our meal....score!

Then the bill came and Den tried to give the waiter his credit card.
And then this happened........
 


Figures! I'd pick a place that was seedy and only took cash....lol

So we go back to their house and as they say, "the hilarity ensued".


Just one of the beverages imbibed that evening.

I should have filmed Sonya Ann taking out the recycling the next afternoon.  It looked something like this.......


Next time we should try this with all our empties....
 


Or this.....



It was a long pleasant evening, however I can't share anything else that happened mostly because I can't remember anything else.
Let's just say that "What happens in Sonya's house stays in Sonya's house" and leave it at that. ;-)

Sluggy

2015 Food & Toiletries Spending.....October Update


Onward to October's food spending report.......



Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for OCTOBER 2015.

I have posted October's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2015 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.  I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in September.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 3(2 at home this month). No kids under 19. 

******************
BIG LOTS
OOP  $30.76
Value  $47.70
Savings 35.51%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $5.00
Value  $7.50
Savings 25%

GROCERY OUTLET
OOP  $16.96
Value  $27.16
Savings  47.55%

JEWELL
OOP  $18.61
Value  $25.78
Savings  28%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $45.30
Value  $80.61
Savings  43.80%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/gift card $126.67
Value  $126.67
Savings  100%
 
SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $19.37
Qs/Ads $11.85
Value  $31.22
Savings  38%

SURPLUS OUTLET
OOP  $28.57
Value  $52.04
Savings  45.10%

WALMART
OOP  ($6.72)on free gift card
Value  $8.87
Savings  100%
 
WEIS MARKETS
OOP  $73.07
Qs/Ads  $103.78
Value  $176.85
Savings  58.68%
 

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid and Walmart(tied) at 100%, Weis at 58.68% and Grocery Outlet at 47.55%.  My WORST savings rate was Dollar Tree at 25%.

I shopped at 10 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket........ $237.64
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$346.76
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$584.40
TOTAL Savings of...................................59.34%
TOTAL Savings without Rite-Aid...........48.08%

This closes out the October food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into October wanting to do a $300 food budget for the month and I only spent $237.64, leaving me with $62.36 leftover in the budget.

The monthly savings percentage went down by 1.43% in October to 59.34% compared to September's high 60.77% savings average.  Still a great savings rate though for October.

The savings rate for the whole year so far now stands at 59.21%.  That's a .01 increase in savings over September's YTD total(59.20%).  It's still hanging in well over a 40% savings rate for the year so it's all good. 

I have spent a total of $3,723.41 on food/toiletries in 2015 so far at this point in the year. That averages out to $372.34 per month.  That's still under $400 per month average for the year.

LOOKING AHEAD To NOVEMBER.........

We'll try for a $300 food budget for NOVEMBER again like I did in October, since it's just Hubs and I at home now.  No pets either.  But College Boy will be coming home for Thanksgiving for a few days this month.  And there is that behemoth food Turkey Day this month.  Even so, I've already got some of the foods and ingredients in the house for that meal, including a large turkey breast, pumpkin, various squashes and veggies, potatoes, pie and roll making ingredients too.
Plus the freezer and pantry are PACKED otherwise with foodie goodness.  8-)
$300 food budget for November is very doable.
 
If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.
 
*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in October?
*  Do you track your yearly food spending?
*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?
*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?
 

Sluggy