This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Using Leftovers in New Ways" Edition--

This is my dinner from Sunday night.  Last Friday I roasted a chicken.  My "Go To Plan" for using up leftover roasted chicken is to make Chicken and Dumplings.  But I also had leftover Collard Greens I had also prepared with the Roasted Chicken.  Though I most always put carrots in my C&Ds I thought why not ramp up the veggie content and throw the leftover Collards into it too?
It worked out well but next time I'll cut up the Collards into smaller pieces. lolz

Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Spinach Salad
2. Monday--Lasagna, Tossed Salad or Cooked Green Veggie
3. Tuesday--Salmon or Rock fish(freezer), Potato Salad(pantry), Green Beans(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Tacos or Taco Salad
5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Roast Chicken(freezer), Mac and Cheese(pantry), Collards(freezer)
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Spinach Salad
2. Monday--Lasagna, Leftover Spinach Salad side
3. Tuesday--Rock fish(freezer), Potato Salad(pantry), Green Beans(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Tacos or Taco Salad
5. Thursday--Leftovers(I had lasagna/Hubs had halushki)
6. Friday--Roast Chicken(freezer), Mac and Cheese(pantry), Collards(freezer)
7. Saturday--I had Halushki, Hubs had Lasagna

Most everything eaten as planned(with a couple of side dish alterations).7 meals cooked at home(5 new meals and 2 using up leftovers).  We did get Subway for Lunch on Saturday and that comes out of the Eating Out Budget.

As for my grocery spending last week...... I have spent $349.97 "all in" for January.  Anything I bought for the food bank isn't part of this food budget and some shopping I did the last few days of January are coming out of February's grocery monies.

Leftovers going into this week......lasagna, roasted chicken, collards, taco fixings, enchilada sauce, mac and cheese, and potato salad.  The lasagna and leftover extra sauce will be combined and put into the freezer for a later date as we are "burnt out" on lasagna at this point. '-)

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

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings(chicken from freezer)(I'll put the leftover Collards into this too)
2. Monday--Beef & Green Chile Enchiladas(using leftover taco meat & enchilada sauce)
3. Tuesday--Bacon/Mushroom Quiche, Brussels Sprouts(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Fried Shrimp and Scallops(freezer), Cole Slaw, Corn on cob(freezer)
5. Thursday--Kielbasa(freezer)on Rolls, leftover Cole Slaw, Calif. mix veggie(freezer)
6. Friday--Broccoli Soup, Biscuits
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 4 new meals cooked and 3 meals of leftovers(repurposed into new dishes or not).
The leftovers from last week will be used in meals on Sunday and Monday, sides eaten with my lunch, and/or put into the freezer for later.

What I need to buy for this menu? half & half for the quiche and soup(will also use up the milk in the fridge for these), cabbage for the cole slaw.
If half & half wasn't on sale this week I's have used evaporated milk from the pantry instead in the soup and quiche.
Loss leaders include Pickles so those will be bought(I "heart" dill pickles.), as well as a few other items plus laundry detergent(on sale & I have Qs)for the food bank.
I hope to take my donation up this Friday.
I am running low on cheese finally(from the massive stock up for very cheap last Summer)so I'll get some more as part of the "Buy 10 items/Get $5 off Instantly" Deal at Weis this week..

The weather is suppose to be in the mid 50's this week so I may just go buy at pork shoulder and smoke it for barbecue sandwiches. (Hey I am already making Cole Slaw this week! lolz)  If so, then the later part of the week's menu will change radically.
Stay tuned.........

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

Rite-Aid and Weis.....What Else Were You Expecting? lolz

A quick run into Rite-Aid on Friday and they still didn't have any Subway gift cards.
I'll have to hit up a different store today I am thinking.
But I did get this while I was there..........

On sale BOGO50% this week and I have 1 $2/1 Nexxus Q left from that Unilever booklet from Walmart.
$7.29 + $3.69=$11.08-$2Q=$9.08+.54¢tax=$9.62 using Plenti points.
I earned $10 in new Plenti points making this a .38¢ moneymaker.

I also bought some IHop and Applebee's gift cards(using Eating Out monies)and earned another $20 in Plenti points.

Then I ran into Weis(PMITA)Markets for food bank mayo plus a few other things for us.
I made a short video of that trip........



52% savings rate on the items I am keeping to use from that trip.
I'll go back on Monday to finish getting my weekly Deals at Weis and for the rest of my food bank donations.

Sluggy

2016 Food & Toiletries Spending....January Update

**I am posting this a few days early as I am done with my food spending.  The mayo I am picking up on special later today is for the food bank so not coming out of the food budget $.

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JANUARY 2016.

I have posted January's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2016 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.  I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in January.  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(2-3 at home this month). No kids under 19.

******************

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $9.00
Value  $31.64
Savings  71.55%

BOYER'S
OOP  $40.36
Qs/Sales  $28.72
Value  $69.08
Savings 42%

CVS
OOP  $11.96
Sales/Qs  $12.38
Value  $24.34
Savings 50.86%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $60.82
Sales  $36.71
Value  $97.53
Savings 37.64%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/gift card  $717,24
Value  $717.24
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $18.54
Qs/Ads $6.48
Value  $25.02
Savings  25.90%

WALMART
OOP  $19.01
Value  $26.61
Savings 28.56%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $202.24

Qs/Ads  $260.56

Value  $462.80

Savings  56.30%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bakery Outlet at 71.55% and Weis at 56.30%.  My WORST savings rate was Shursave Market at 25.90%.

I shopped at 8 different stores this past month.

** My TOTAL out of pocket for January food/toiletries was $373.30.
After I deduct the items I paid for that I am donating to the local Food Bank my OOP spending stands at $349.97.

TOTAL Out of Pocket........ **$349.97

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1079.95

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1,429.92

TOTAL Savings of...................................75.52%
TOTAL Savings without Rite-Aid...........50.89%

Value of items excluding Rite-Aid bought ones was $712.68.
Rite-Aid goods brought home totaled $717.24

This closes out the January food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into January wanting to do a $300 food budget for the month($200 for family spending and $100 to restock College Boy on food to take back to school with him).
After deducting what was spent on food bank purchases I spent $349.97 this month.
I didn't meet that $300 goal this month.  There were just too many deals and after the Holidays markdowns to stick to only $300 in January.  Approximately $50 over isn't terrible so I am happy with how things turned out.

The monthly savings percentage went down by 2.47% in January to 75.52% compared to December's 77.99% savings average.
While saving 3/4 on food every month is unsustainable I'll take it while it lasts. lolz

I have spent a total of $349.97 on food/toiletries so far in 2016.

LOOKING AHEAD To February 2016.........
Ok, since College Boy won't be home this month and we have no traveling plans and are hunkered down for the duration of this Winter and the freezer is still pretty full,  I will try for a $250 food month for February.  If deals on food come around this month I'll give myself an extra $50 and try to come in under $300.  This seems like the right amount as I tend to end up around $300 most months with food purchases.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.
Here's hoping y'all had a great year for spending less on food in 2015.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in January?
*  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?

Now let's start 2016 off right by tracking where your money goes on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods/pet needs.
Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

Big Change on the Horizon

It has officially begun.

Remember that bathroom remodel/renovation we were suppose to have done in 2015, that we put the money away for, but never got around to "pulling the trigger" on, as they say?

Well, it is happening.
And happening soon I think.

The project manager and the general contractor came to the house on Tuesday to measure and talk about the job.
I've picked out most of the stuff we need to buy......making decisions like this went quickly for me.

Besides flooring(tile)and wallboard and various unseen screws, nails, spackle, paint and trim,  etc. we are looking at $1800 for fixtures, cabinets, mirrors, tub, surround, toilet, doors......and it could easily top $3000 for all this other stuff combined.
Then there is the cost of all that labor......ick.
It's a small job he says though.

Even with all the spackling and waiting and sanding and spackling again and waiting again they should be in and out within 10 days if there are no back ordered parts or supplies.
And this might begin as soon as the middle of February.

While standing in the bathroom on Tuesday with the contractor as I was rattling off what needed to be done in there, he asked me if anything was going to stay in the room.  I replied, "Maybe the window valance." lolz
Yep, it's a total redo from the wall studs up.

I'll try to remember to take some BEFORE photos to compare to the AFTER ones.
I am just waiting now to get the call about the estimate and to go down to sign the contract so we can be put onto his work calendar and get a start date for the big Sluggy's Bathroom Project to begin.

We have had a mixed bag of results over our years of home improvement jobs, but mostly have been dissatisfied with the outcomes we get.  Except for the back deck we had built....those guys did a FABULOUS job!

I hope this job goes well and the money is well spent.

Unfortunately Hubs doesn't have a handy bone in his body so we pay through the nose in labor for every repair/renovation we undertake this is part of the reason why I am always reticent to spend money on renovations.
I don't mind paying well for it I just want it done correctly and I want the results to last more than a week before it all goes to hell.

And it will be soooooo nice to finally be able to take a shower in MY bathroom again!
And not to have to sit on a very pale minty green toilet EVER again....not even a nice vintage mint green one.  8-)

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Quickie

I went up to Rite-Aid on Tuesday, even though I said I wasn't buying anything there this week to get some Subway gift card(as they are giving Plenti points with purchase this week but the store was out of cards).
I also saw this in the sales ad at home before I left to go........

Spend $15 on select P&G items, Get $5 back in Plenti Points.
Between the $2/1 Tide Q in the coupon insert on Sunday and the 2 x $2/1 Tide Qs I printed at coupons dotcom this makes for some very cheap Tide.

I also had a $3 off wyb $15 on cleaning and/or laundry items Q that Rite-Aid sent me via snail mail to combine with this Deal.

3 x Tide on sale $5.34=$16.02

1 x $3 off $15 R-A Q=$13.02

3 x $2/1 Tide Qs=$7.02 + .78¢ tax=$7.80 OOP

I paid with Plenti points and received $5 new Plenti points so these 3 jugs of Tide cost me $2.80 in Plenti points.

Tide for less than $1 a jug.....who's gonna walk away from that!?!  ;-)

There is a limit of 1 of this Spend $15/Get $5 Tide/Bounty/Duracell Deal per card.

Sluggy