This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Strange Dinner Combination" Edition--

On Thursday I fixed an assortment of foods people usually don't eat at the same meal.
First I had a crab meat and a container of half n' half I bought before Xmas to use up so I made a crab bisque soup.....

Then I doctored up a can of black eyed peas with onions, garlic and salt cured ham pieces so they were edible.  We hadn't had our New Year's BEPS yet so this ticked off that requirement....yes, in the South it is de rigeur to eat BEPS at the new year for good luck..........

And I was going to purchase a pre-made Broccoli Cheese Gratin that I saw Weis had on clearance after the Holidays for $4.99 to serve on Thursday since College Boy is fond of this food.  When I went to the store to buy it, they were all gone so I came home and took a bag of frozen broccoli, toasted some Panko crumbs, grated some cheese and used half of the roux/crab soup base(before adding seafood stock to it and the crab and seasonings)and used that as a cheese sauce base to make my own broccoli casserole, no preservatives added version of that dish...........

Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Chicken Parmesan, Brussels Sprouts
2. Monday--Steak Sandwiches(using leftover Prime Rib)
3. Tuesday--Haddock Loins(fish), Mixed Veggies, Cole Slaw
4. Wednesday--Beef Stew w/Beer(using leftover Prime Rib)
5. Thursday--Lasagna, Salad
6. Friday--Fried Shrimp, Cole Slaw, Steak Fries, Corn
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Chicken Parmesan, Brussels Sprouts
2. Monday--Steak Sandwiches(using leftover Prime Rib)
3. Tuesday--Beef Stew w/Beer(using leftover Prime Rib), leftover dinner rolls
4. Wednesday--Pepper and Onions Sausages on Rolls, Tossed Salad
5. Thursday--Crab Soup, Black Eyed Peas, Broccoli Cheese Gratin
6. Friday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself(I had a can of soup)
7. Saturday--Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage in Sauce, Tossed Salad, Garlic Bread

6 meals cooked at home(4 new meals and 2 using up leftovers in new dishes)and 1 night of boring old leftover leftovers. 8-)
Everything planned was served, except for no Lasagna or Fried Shrimp as I had a container of crab meat to use up and I bought UTOF(Use Today Or Freezer)Pepper and Onions Sausages last week which we used some of those.

I had to do something with all that ground beef I bought last Monday so I made a batch of 74 meatballs up, baked and used 27 with 1/3 of the large package of Italian sausage gotten for .91¢ lb. last Monday at Weis to make a Spaghetti dinner on Saturday instead of having that this coming week. The fish moved to Sunday dinner(which technically is This week).

As for my grocery spending last week......$135.03 and that's counting the CVS spending.  This includes 4 trips to Weis, 1 to local grocery in town South of here and 1 item bought at local Shursave market. A goodly portion($50.08)of this spending was for food/tp to send back to school with College Boy this coming weekend.  I have $164.97 left in the January food budget to spend.  This week will see very low spending on groceries but more spending for CB's needs.

Leftovers going into this week......beef stew, crab soup, broccoli black eyed peas, spaghetti, meatballs and Italian sausage.

Here is this week's "food plan"--

1. Sunday--Cod Loins(fish), Cole Slaw, Mandarin Blend Veggies
2. Monday--Leftovers
3. Tuesday--Chicken TBA, Veggies TBA(not sure exactly what dishes yet)
4. Wednesday--Chili(from freezeer)(I'll have leftovers or soup)
5. Thursday--Turkey Roulade and Stuffing(from freezer), Butternut Squash
6. Friday--Fried Shrimp(from freezer), Cole Slaw, Steak Fries, Corn
7. Saturday--Leftovers or Take-Out

This week will see 3 new meals cooked and 4 meals of leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu?  Potatoes.
I also need eggs and onions this week and to pick up some more items for CB to take back to school.
There is also 1 Deal I want to do at Weis which will net me 4 jugs of bleach and a mega pack of bacon for $5 OOP.

$20 should cover my needs as I will buy a 10 lb. bag of onions and 2 dozen eggs on sale and a small bag of potatoes(as we don't eat that much taters)and do that 1 Deal.  CB's needs will run about $50.

After College Boy leaves next weekend my food spending should calm down a lot.  While I have been using some of what is already in the freezer we will buckle down into freezer-mode even more.

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 last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?

Sluggy

It's That Time of Year Again....For Gosh Sakes!

Ok Folks I am dragging out this dinosaur of a post yet again.
The reason?
It still rings true and is, unfortunately, still relevant today in 2016.

Don't let the advertisers and stores talk you into buying into the "new year, new storage containers=organization".
NO, no it doesn't!

More containers bought is NOT organizing.

The problem is most people own TOO MUCH STUFF.
If  you have too much stuff(meaning more stuff than you can easily fit into your storage areas)you will NEVER get organized!
No matter how many Rubbermaid totes or other gimmicky containers you buy.

When you declutter and get rid of stuff and then have only a-what sparks joy in your life, b-is useful and/or c-fits into your life and space easily THEN and only then can you truly get organized.

Having mountains of stuff such that you can't use rooms for their intended purpose and/or can't move easily about your space and/or can't easily find what you need, then you need to "LET STUFF GO!" before organizing can happen.

Decluttering is an ongoing process not a one and done deal.  It would be a one and done deal if we didn't keep shopping and buying more stuff.....but who doesn't shop?!?
I can't think of a single person who doesn't have the need to shop for something at some point.

So JUST SAY NO! when you pass those shiny new bins and container displays in Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, The Container Store, etc.
Do the hard work first in your physical home and in your emotional and financial life and dejunk your life!

Then and only then when you have purged your life, if you need containers, you have my permission to get a few.
Yes, I know you were waiting to get my permission...... ;-)

But make sure they are clear and label them so you don't forget what you have and go buy duplicates of your stuff. lol

And another thing....a quick rantlet......this way overblown KonMari shit about the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing or whatever it's called?

Let's get this straight--the Japanese did NOT invent decluttering and organizing!

And I find it hysterical that Westerners have jumped on this bandwagon to such a degree because someone took decluttering and organizing and put a cultural spin on it.

It's the same old "clean up your shit" mantra people have been preaching for eons.
So save your money and don't buy decluttering books.  Buying a book about decluttering isn't the answer if you don't actually DECLUTTER anything!  And it's really really bad too if you are already a book hoarder.  ;-)

Just CLEAN UP AND DECLUTTER YOUR FREAKING LIVES AND HOUSES ALREADY, OK?!?!

And yes, that was me yelling........

Sluggy

****************
Reposted from January 2014.

The Resolution We Can't Keep in This Country.....Non-Consumption for 2016

When we start a new calendar year, we tend to want to start fresh in all areas of our lives.
One of the prominent thoughts at the new year is to get organized or get MORE organized.
Being organized is ALWAYS a worthwhile goal, isn't it?

This is when we see stores haul out big displays and sales on Storage Containers and Organizational Systems of all kinds: from filing systems for the paper in our lives, to the clothes in our closets, to the foodstuffs in our cabinets, to ?.  Every area of our homes is ripe for storage improvement.
And the retailers stand at the ready with shiny new stuff for us to buy to make our lives more contained and organized.

It's true that in order to live a life that's streamlined and functioning well, we need to stay on top of everything in our lives, especially our "stuff".  But do we need to pull out the credit card or bank card or money envelope every January to buy something to achieve a functioning home?
The retailers will tell you YES you DO!
I say not necessarily.

Personally I feel that we don't have an organizing problem in this country, we have a "stuff" problem. 

Now think about this......
How many people start out the new year buying containers, spending more money, and either abandon the plan to organize or find that just buying pretty containers and dumping your things in them is not a real organizational plan.

How many do this and by the time next January rolls around, the plan is forgotten and they are again, seduced by all those pretty containers enough to part with more of their money and start the cycle of buying containers all over again?

Do you realize that a fair percentage of people who are clinically referred to as hoarders follow this pattern of wanting to organize their things, purchasing containers/systems, and never do the emotional/physical work to change their habits and organize?  The containers just add to the clutter of their stash and every time they return to this phase of the cycle, more containers are added to the chaos.

Most new year attempts at getting our "stuff" organized are much like those new year resolutions we all make and promptly break or forget by February.  They seem like a good idea at the time, but the follow-through is just not there.

And if after all this organizing and storing away we still can't fit all  the "stuff" into our abodes, there are always garages and storage sheds we can buy, build and utilize.

And if that isn't enough extra space, there is a whole industry that is growing at an alarmingly fast clip that would love to rent you space for all that stuff you have that you don't need access to as often.  Yes, I am talking about the Storage Facility business.....a Billion Dollar industry that has grown up around our inability to throw things away.

Our homes in the US now are on average double the size of the homes our grand and great grandparents lived their lives in.....and usually with fewer PEOPLE living in these homes to boot.

We have double the space for the stuff in our lives than they did, yet we still can't organize it all in such a way to fit into the space we have allocated for it.

We have more clothing & shoes, we have more furniture, we have more kitchen gadgets, we have more dishware, we have more food, we have more cars and related equipment.  And let's not forget all the electronic toys they never had, and all the hobby stuffs and sports stuffs.

And then there are the collections of every type, shape and size.  Most Americans collect something and a large percentage of those who collect have MORE THAN ONE COLLECTION of stuff.  And if you are stuck in a perpetual cycle of buying containers every year to corral your stuff, those containers ARE a collection themselves!

If you can no longer use a room in your house or apartment for it's intended purpose because your "stuff" has taken over that room, you may have a problem.

Sure, if your collecting brings you joy and you have the extra space for it, that is great!

But if your things are taking over the space in your home AND taking the place of people in your life and costing you money that you can't afford to be spending on it, perhaps it's time to take a good hard look at your life and the choices you are making.

If you bought less "stuff", would you have more room in your home?
If you bought less "stuff", would you have more time because you would have to organize and clean less?
If you bought less "stuff", would you have more money in your pocket to spend on needs and not be stressing out at the end of each month that your income would last?
If you bought less "stuff", could you spend that money on the people in your life instead?(And I don't mean buying THEM stuff instead.)

Make 2014 the year you break the cycle of spending on things that are NOT needs, and on this perpetual cycle of cluttering and decluttering.
Make every purchase you make an INTENTIONAL, well thought-out one that fills a need!

Sluggy

Rite-Aid, After Christmas, Groceries and Frugal Hacks This Week

Back to Rite-Aid to finish off my buying for the week.

2 x Bic pens/pencils on sale=$2.00
5 x Nestle bottle water on sale 2/$6.50=$16.25 *not pictured*
1 x Dove men's shampoo on sale=$3.99
SubTotal........$22.24

Coupons Used
2 x $1/1 Bic writing item ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Dove men's shampoo ManuQ=$2.00
Coupon Total......$4.00

$22.24-$4=$18.24 using Plenti points.
I earned $15 in new Plenti points($5 wyb $15 water Deal, $10 wyb $30 Bonus Deal #2 completed).
$18.24-$15 new points means I spent "down" $3.24 on my Plenti points on this transaction.

But......take that off the $31.27 I am "up" in points from earlier this week and I end here being $28.03 "up" in points.

Then I went back for this stuff........

4 x assorted dry spray deodorants on sale $5.49=$21.96
1 x Suave green bottle shampoo on sale=$2.49
SubTotal.....$24.45

I forgot to hand over my coupons before the cashier finished the transaction but $6.50 in Load2Card Qs came off.
$224.45-$6.50=$17.95+$1.08 tax=$19.03 using Plenti Points.

Even though I did the Unilvever products Deal(Spend $12/Get $4 PPs)x 2 this week I forgot that even though the dry spray deos are NOT Starting Point items and don't count toward the Bonus $10 Deals this week, they ARE giving $2 in PPs all month(limit 4 deals per card)as they are a "Buy Rite" item.
And they are at the lowest sale price in the month THIS Week so it was worth getting them now as opposed to later in January.

After paying with Plenti points, I got cash back for the $9.00 in Qs I had.
AND....I'll get $7 in Saving Star cash rebates for buying all 5 products(Dove men's deo $2, Suave 'Poo .50¢, 2 x $1.50 Degree deos, $1.50 Dove women's deo).

Spend $19.03 in PPs, get $8 in new PPs and $16 in cash for rebates/coupons making this a $4.97 "moneymaker".

Add this to the $28.03 "moneymaker"for the week that I had going into this transaction and I "made" $33.00 plus I got all the goodies I bought at Rite-Aid this week for FREE!

If it seems like I did a lot of shopping this week between After Christmas sales, grocery deals and Rite-Aid you are correct! lolz

As for the "regular" grocery store spending front this week, here are the highlights.......

Applegate natural hot dogs with sale and instant meat discount stickers 3 x $2 a package.
OJ with sale/coupon 2 x $2 a carton.
3.49 lb. of Italian sausage @$3.99 lb. marked down to $6.18 and with a $3 off instant discount sticker making it $3.18 or .91¢ per lb!  8-)))
5 x 6 packs of Diet Pepsi bottles for $9 after sale/Q.
2 x Blue Diamond almond tins for $2 per can after sale/stacked Qs.
2 x Arnold's bread for $2.99 for both after BOGO and $1 Q.
20 x Musselman's applesauce packs.........

Weis had this item on special this past sales ad(ended Wednesday) for $1.37.
Sunday's inserts had $1/2 reg. packs adn $1/2 big cup packs.  I had 5 sets of inserts so 10 Qs to use so I got 10 of each variety.

Hubs goes through a lot of applesauce cups in his workday lunches through out the year.
Usually these go on sale for $2 each around here so why not take advantage of the better sale price and stock up?
So I paid $17.40 for all these.

I also found in my coupon file a rebate on this item good through 3/31/16.

Buy 20 packs and send in the qualifiers to receive a $10 gift card to one of the listed stores/restaurants.
So I'll get a $10 Best Buy gift card for buying all these to tuck away for next Christmas's gift giving.

I also received these in the mail this week......

6 x certificates for free 12 packs of Coke products.  Over the Holidays I was able to snag 6 of these for a mere 30 Coke points each by checking their site periodically.(I also got a $10 Amazon gift code for cheap too.) This reward usually "costs" 275 points other times during the year.
I have until the end of March to cash these in but I'll wait for either a BOGO sale or a reward of some kind(drugstore points)to surface to turn these into product.  Why not make the savings go even further, right?

Added all up and it sure seems l went through some cash this week but I am not worried since I don't spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave.....albeit a frugal drunken sailor on shore leave, most of the year.
I figure it's better to spend what appears to be lots of $ now which will save me spending more $ later in the year.

Sluggy

Look What I Did Now

While out and about hauling in the After Christmas Deals I went into CVS, some place I hardly EVER go into anymore.

And this stuff followed me home..............

When you purchase $15 in select Gold Emblem/Abound snacks/nuts this week you earn a $5 Extra Bucks Reward.
I happened to print off some CVS Qs for these items before I went and all 6 items were also on sale(not all that qualify for this offer are on sale).

$15.96 before Qs, $4 off w/Qs  made this $11.96 OOP.

$5 ECB back.
Now I just have to make sure I remember to go back to CVS before this expires to roll/use it.
All but the crackers are for College Boy to take back to school as part of his "snack/alternate meal 'because the dining hall food is inedible tonight' stash".  ;-)

I have spent quite a bit this week restocking College Boy with goodies for next semester and it's all coming out of the $100 I put aside of the $300 food budget this month for that use.

Frankly I don't care to be playing more than one Drugstore Game at the time and I will be bowing out of CVS-ing again as soon as I can.  I just wanted to reacquaint myself with CVS again since my beloved Rite-Aids will be becoming Walgreens later this year and I don't see a future for us together when this comes to pass.  8-(

Sluggy

The After Christmas Haul....Mostly Rite-Aid

Once we got back to PA I spent a goodly amount of time earlier this week hitting all the after Christmas sales.
Well not ALL of them, just the ones at Rite-Aid(3 different stores), 1 Walmart(since I was driving by it and the parking lot wasn't a ZOO!)and 1 Weis(PMITA)Markets near that Walmart.

Here is my haul from Rite-Aid.......

The 3 shops at Rite-Aids included cologne set and women's bath set, some large metal jingle bells(for a wreath I plan on making next Christmas), 2 gift boxes of chocolates, 4 boxes of chocolate covered cherries, 1 Terry Chocolate Orange, 2 huge peppermint sticks, a Megasized 1 lb. York peppermint patty, 2 pair of Holiday toe socks, a large bag of Kisses, 4 bags of Snickers, 6 bags of PB M&Ms, 2 bags of Reese cups, 2 bags of RS coconut Santas, a snowman tin of cocoa mix, a box of peeps with a Santa Peep stuffed ornament/toy, 2 boxes of Andes mints, 3 pine candles and 1 pine air spray.
All this stuff---the cologne, bath set, peeps, York pp patty,  chocie Orange, Andes mints, 2 boxes of chocolates, socks and peppermint sticks are destined for gift giving either next Christmas or for February and April birthdays/Valentine's/Easter during this coming year.
The kisses are to make my bourbon fudge next Christmas, the PB M&M's and Snickers are destined for cookie baking.  Hershey's kisses and m&ms keep like forever it put in a cool place during the Summer. 8-)
The chocolate covered cherries are all mine however! ;-)

Also from Rite-Aid(that I couldn't fit in the photo above)I bought 3 large cinnamon candles(for burning next Fall) and assorted Christmas cards(as we were on our last 2 boxes this year).
And not pictured was one of those big decorative popcorn tins I got for College Boy to munch on until he goes back to school.

Everything was 75% off.
I keep these purchases separate from my regular Rite-Aid shopping and pay cash.
All this cost me $65.89 OOP w/tax.

The rookies descend on the sale goodies at 50% off but I wait until things go down to 75% off. 8-)

At the Walmart I stopped into I got all this for $17.48 w/tax.  The gingerbread marshmallows(most excellent in hot cocoa!)were .50¢ a bag, the peppermint M&M's(I will use for next Christmas baking)were .72¢, the mincemeat was $2.50 a jar(Hubs adores mincemeat pie and I owe him a couple of pies!), the nut tin was $4 and the nut brittle was $3.50.  The gift box was $2.47.

I don't usually splurge on $4 tins of nuts but I figured whattheheck this year! ;-)

Also picked up at Weis(PMITA)Markets was this oversized mug for $1.24(gift stash)......

3 rolls of Star Wars paper for .75¢ per roll,  Rudolph ring pops(.32¢ each)for stocking stuffers next Christmas and 2 boxes of Russell Stover's Pecan Delights for $2.49 each.  The pecan delights weren't Christmas clearance but this Weis was discontinuing to carry this variety of RS so they were 75% off.

My Valentine's Day and Easter candy spending is done!  Woot!!

Total spent at Weis.....$9.97 w/tax.

So the Christmas 2016 spending has already begun!

8 Christmas gifts already checked off my list now.

I'll keep my receipts for all this stuff separated so that when the Holidays roll around again I can add what I spent here for the Holidays to what I spend for the Holidays later this year.

Only 351 more days until Christmas......

Sluggy