Snowmageddon Jonas.......Not Bad Here

We got a mere 9.5 inches by the time the snow stopped flying around 4 pm......

I measured 8" at 2 pm on the back deck.....

So what do you do when you can't go to Rite-Aid because the roads are a mess?

In NE PA you make a big pot of Halushki......

And you brew some beer........

....though Hubs Session IPA won't be ready for a few weeks yet.

And then you send Hubs out to shovel down by the road before the plows come through again and pile it all up at the base of your driveway and it freezes overnight........

About an hour South of here got 2.5 feet.
College Boy who's an hour west and then an hour north of us didn't get a single snowflake!
Eldest son checked in at 6 pm with 2 feet and it's still coming down there in F'burg, VA.  I do believe at this point his school WILL be out of session for about a week. lolz

Sluggy

Friday at Chez Sluggy

Sorry for the radio silence yesterday on the blog.
It was my birthday.
I'd like to say that I was too busy partying and carousing with friends to write yesterday.
But the reality was quite different and I was holding a little pity party for myself.

Some folks on Facebook did send me some Happy Birthday messages which I appreciated.
But I am so bad about remembering other people's birthdays I am not surprised, nor should I be, that most folks don't make a fuse for mine.
Plus not having any friends in "real life" living around here doesn't help.

So I just got wild and crazy yesterday and went up to Rite-Aid and picked up a prescription, bought some air fresheners(will be a .30¢ moneymaker after Saving Star Rebate(lolz), then I went to Weis(PMITA)Markets and spent 33.43, saving 58% over regular retail.  I then got some soup for lunch at the Chinese restaurant and laid down and took a nap.

Hubs took me out for a Birthday dinner at a local steak place that evening and I splurged and got a flight of Long Island Iced Teas......

What's with that face I am making? lolz
And I don't even remember actually eating dinner after drinking those little tiny drinks.
I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking.....

This weekend Hubs will get a cake and sing to me, after I stuff cotton balls in my ears of course......yah, he can't sing.  ;-)

As of now it looks like the Jonas Snowmageddon will miss us mostly.  Only 2-5 inches of snow in these parts on Saturday.  We can do that standing on our heads!  Eldest says they are predicting 2 feet+ down in F'burg and they called school off for Friday on Thursday.  Scuttlebutt by other teachers in his building is that school will be out for all of next week there too if they get as much as what they think is coming.

As for the good "deals" I picked up at Weis yesterday........

4 cans of Pillsbury Grands! biscuits after sale/Qs were .50¢ each.  At this price I don't mind using some of them to make dumplings for chicken 'n dumplings next week because they are as cheap as the store brand whack biscuits I use for this dish usually.
 
4 packs of chewing gum for free after sale/Qs.

2 jars of peanut butter for $1 each after sale/Qs.

6 boxes of whole grain Barilla spaghetti for .55¢ each after sale/Qs. (These are headed to the food bank.)

1.04 lb. of steak for $2.67 after sale/instant $2 off sticker.

1 bottle of ketchup for .79¢ after sale/Q.

4 cans of Hormel chili for .75¢ a can after sale/Qs.

1 bag of fresh spinach $1.24 after 50% off sticker.

4 bags of Oreos(for CB)$1.99 bag after sale/Qs (I'll also get a $2 rebate from Checkout51 for buying these so they'll turn out to be $1.49 a bag in the end.)

College Boy likes Golden Oreos but I just had to get a bag of this one I haven't seen before, Cinnamon Bun.  I may have to actually try one of these before he gets home for break as I love anything Cinnamon......lolz

I'll be going back to Rite-Aid today to do some deals on my Plenti card(I already did some deals on Eldest son's card last Sunday).  I have $5.94 spending tracking toward #1 $30 Bonus Plenti points Reward from those air fresheners I bought Thursday.  I couldn't finish off the deal I wanted to do yesterday because they were out of some of the products so I have reformulated a plan and will go back later today to "work it".  After all is said and done I'll spend $43.96 in Plenti points, get back $40 in new Plenti points AND qualify for $15 in cash Rebates so another moneymaking opportunity!  8-)

Eating out this month...We have only gone out twice--for my birthday dinner last night and for breakfast on Monday(Hubs was home and I had a dr. appointment so he came with me and we hit Denny's for some eggs) and my take-out Birthday soup.  We have spent $75.99 on only 2 meals out/1 take-out meal.  I don't foresee anymore eating out this month so we will stay under $100 on that tally.

All the bills for the month are in and paid for January.  It's only been about a week since the credit card bill cut and we already have $500+ more on that one which will be due in February.  Half of that is for 1 drug refill(medical high deductible)so it's really not so bad.  We had a car that needed it's yearly inspection, another car needed an oil change/etc., CB needed a black shirt for symphonic band performances, we spent $75 at Lowe's and another $75 on CB's books for the semester and then CB's new glasses didn't come in until after he went back to school so I had to mail them to him yesterday so postage was put on the credit card.
The costs of just living your life do add up, don't they?  8-)))

I tried to work on a Giveaway to post yesterday but didn't get very far with it and certainly didn't get it all sorted so I could post it.  Maybe this weekend I'll finish that up and it will go "live" as they say.

Not much else new going on here that I can talk about yet.  I'll have something to share after next Tuesday so stay tuned..........

What's going on in your world?

Sluggy

You Just Never Know

Now and again I'll send for product samples.  I don't really seek them out as much anymore since I get most of my toiletries for free after deals/coupons/sales/points at Rite-Aid.
But if I see on one of the Deal blogs that I get emails from a sample that we can use I will send for it.

Usually, if the item is one we use, the accompanying high value coupon that is sent along with the sample is worth more to me than the actual product sample.

Well it was a pleasant surprise when this Axe Deodorant sample arrived...............

Not a sample but a full sized bottle!
No coupon but this was even better.......

So send for those samples because you just never know when that sample will be a free full sized item!

Sluggy

14 Goals for 2016

I have finally come up with my Yearly Goals for this Year.

Most of them are similar to or a continuation of 2015's Goals.

FINANCIAL

*  Save $40K of our income this year.  I did it last year so I am going to try to get to this amount in 2016.  Unless Hubs ups and retires during the year or we get hit with some other financial catastrophe this should be feasible.....a stretch and not easy but possible.  I just have to resist spending on "wants".  Easier said than done, right?  ;-)

*  Attempt to sell some stuff we need to get rid of.  There are some items we need to let go off that are like new or in very good shape that could bring in a few dollars so I need to get back into selling mode.  This could bring in potentially enough to fund a few months of groceries and I will earmark anything sold for that.

*  Take care of all the paperwork/bills/financial stuff in a timely manner this year.
Track spending monthly so we can adjust/correct any overspending/bad decisions asap and not come out the other end of 2016 with financial messes to clean up.

HEALTH

*  Continue with my exercise program, add to it, and do it every month.  It's a well ingrained habit, in that, even on days when I don't feel so well I still get on that bike and pedal way.  I need to add other components to this.  Maybe I'll see about paying a trainer to push me if it's not too expensive?  Because left to my own devices I will slack off if not held accountable to someone. 8-(

*  Do more Gardening than in 2015.   I think we will dig up where the pool use to be and use that as gardening space this year.  It's already cleared and it's in the middle of the backyard so gets sun most of the day making it perfect if we can fence it off from the rabbits.  More produce grown=more produce eaten=better health.

*  Do some canning.  Other than making some peach jam last year I didn't do any other canning.  I had no tomato crop so I couldn't make my relish(thankfully I still had enough so we won't run out before I can make some this coming Fall)or can any tomatoes.  I have plenty of jars so I just need to get the produce and do this....no excuses.

*  Lose 20 pounds.   While I am exercising on a regular basis since last March and we are eating better/less and feeling better overall I still need to drop some weight.  I have various health issues that keep me from doing more and medications that keep me from losing but I need to do something to make this happen. sigh.  Perhaps at my next dr. check-up I'l pick his brain on what I can try that is alluding me.

PERSONAL

*  Paint 12 Items in my Ceramic Stash.  After ignoring the basement for so many years I am facing up to all the unfinished product down there now.  If I don't get anything else done this year I NEED TO PAINT this stuff!!!  And after I do I get to have to problem of doing something with all this newly painted stuff.  Unless I can talk 12 friends into coming to see me this year and then I will have presents for all of them to take home. ;-)

*  Sew and COMPLETE 6 Projects.  I completed 8 sewing projects on my plate last year.  I still have a couple "already started" ones and I will start some new projects to get my 6 done.

*  Complete 1 crochet project.   I have the yarn and the hook I just need to sit down and do this.  Last year with the cataract surgery and all the eye problems this wasn't even feasible so it's back on the list for this year.

TRAVEL

*  Go on at least 2 trips for pleasure.   I am feeling like more of a homebody at the beginning of this year so I am not feeling that travel bug as much so I am thinking of ramping back the travel plans for 2016.  Only time will tell if I keep to this smaller amount of travel.   Perhaps no Family Reunion Trip this year and there will be no trips to find a kid an apartment and then back to move them.....so that's 3 less trips to make in 2016.   Maybe no trip to LA this year or we will fly out?  We have talked about going back to Maine this year as we haven't been in quite a few years and I really love Maine.  Perhaps I can stop in MA on the way and visit some family?
And then of course there is the invite to come see Kim in ID.  If Hubs retires unexpectedly this year we'll have the time to do that trip.  8-)

HOUSE STUFF

*  Have 2 House Repair/Improvement Projects completed. 
There is still the bathroom redo/repair on our plate that we put money aside to complete this last year but never got around to doing it.  Plus we need to figure out which other Project we can tackle in 2016.  I am thinking window glass replacement as we have at least 5 glass seals that have broken.  Plus we need new window screens for most of our windows.  Not things we can do ourselves but things we can put money toward and get ticked off the repair list.  We just need to wait and see how much Hub's bonus will be this year to see how much we have to work with to pay for the 2nd project.

*  Get rid of 6 boxes of possessions plus some larger items that need disposing of.  I still have some "stuff" to get rid of in the house, even after sending 11 loads to Salvation Army last year.   I need to figure out how to dispose of most of my ceramic molds from when I had a ceramic business.  And I need to help Hubs go through the shed this Spring/Summer too.  I don't usually go in there but I took a peak back in the Fall and I can easily see many items we don't need to hang onto like old pool stuff and bicycles from when the kids were smaller.  I am sure there are many more things we can pitch or recycle in there too.

BLOGGING

*  I will try to blog 6 days a week as this is pretty much how much I do now.  I have my regular weekly and/or monthly posts--Monday's Weekly Meal plans/results, End of month Savings Challenge.  Food Spending/Budget, and Monthly Goal Update posts.  

So that's my list of 14 action areas for 2016.
Now to turn these Goals into Reality, how do we proceed?
After all, a Goal without a Plan is just a Wish.

You can't hit a target if you don't name that target first.

Make a plan to reach your goals.  I plan to incorporate my Goals into my Monthly To-Do List which is posted on my blog side bar to the right.  


Wish me luck! 8-)

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "College Boy left home again" Edition--

Well we finally got rid of him sent him off again to finish off his Sophmore year of college.

I must have said something funny right before I took this shot. lolz


Onward to the meal planning!

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

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

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Cod Loins(fish), Cole Slaw, Mandarin Blend Veggies
2. Monday--Leftovers(I had spaghetti w/meatballs)
3. Tuesday--Turkey Roulade and Stuffing(from freezer), Butternut Squash
4. Wednesday--Leftovers
5. Thursday--Fried Shrimp(from freezer), Cole Slaw, Corn Casserole
6. Friday--Chicken Enchiladas
7. Saturday--Leftovers(I had a large Salad.)

6 meals cooked at home(3 new meals and 1 using up leftovers)and 2 nights of boring old leftover leftovers.
I also made 2 pumpkin pies and after the Pumpkin Pie Monster aka CB attacked them we are down to half of 1 pie.

Everything planned was served, except for no Chili since we had ample leftovers without thawing that out.
I also have been having leftover cod sandwiches most days this past week for lunch.

As for my grocery spending last week......$134.72.  This includes 3 smallish trips to Weis, 1 trip to the Bread Outlet for 3 packages of rolls and 3 Danishes and 1 trip to Maine Source for eggs, onions and tomatoes and some meats(beef, shrimp).  I have spent $288.76 so far this month and have $11.24 left in the January food budget.  I anticipate I will go over my $300 food spending limit this month.
Not quite $100 of what I spent this month went to restock College Boy's emergency school food supplies and snacks so I've already spent my $200 on the regular food shopping here.
Yeah, I suck at this this month.

Leftovers going into this week......beef stew, turkey and stuffing, butternut squash, meatballs and Italian sausage, chicken enchiladas.

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

1. Sunday--Meatball Subs, Veggies
2. Monday--Turkey Sandwiches(using up leftovers)
3. Tuesday--Butternut Squash Soup, Salad
4. Wednesday--Orange Chicken, Rice, Veggies
5. Thursday--Birthday Dinner Out
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Pizza or Leftovers

This week will see 3 new meals cooked and  3 meals of leftovers(repurposed into new dishes) and 1 meal out.

What I need to buy for this menu?  Not a thing.  But this probably won't keep me from grocery shopping the next 13 days of the month. lolz

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