This Week on the Dining Table

The "Traveling Again" Edition--

Hubs and I went down to VA for a few days to help Eldest son deal with some "stuff" and hang out with him.
It was a great visit and so nice to see him again.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Cuke/Tomato Salad

2. Monday--Beef Pie

3. Tuesday--Ham, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato Cornbread

4. Wednesday--Haluski

5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Cuke/Tomato Salad

2. Monday--Beef Pie

3. Tuesday--Ham, Brussels Sprouts, Leftover Corn and Leftover Zuke Casserole

4. Wednesday--Haluski

5. Thursday--Leftovers/Eating-Out
6. Friday--Leftovers/Take-Out Pizza
7. Saturday--Leftovers/Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff over Rice, Grapes

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers(or 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of take-out/eating-out for me and Hubs) and 0 nights of Take-Out.  

Hubs and I took an unscheduled trip down the Eldest son's apartment to help him on Thursday so we weren't here the last 3 days of my menu plan.  We left Daughter tons of leftovers(plus a couple of tv dinners in the freezer)and she was suppose to eat on those if she didn't feel like cooking.  Daughter cooked a small ham shank I had in the fridge and ate a few leftovers but didn't finish anything(sigh)so we'll be eating on those leftovers this week as well.

I made 1 trip to Weis Markets and 2 trips to the Shursave Market which brought the weekly food spending to $59.62 last week, and bringing food spending in September to $208.32 so far.   

My savings percentages last week and for the month to-date?   Last week's percentage was 39.53% and the monthly ends up at 45.05% as well(without Rite-Aid trips added in). 

Leftovers going into this week.......1 kielbasa hunk(which Hubs will have for lunch on Monday), a hunk of baked ham, Beef Pie, Halushki, Spaghetti and Meatballs.

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

1. Sunday--Leftovers(or Eating-Out while on the road)

2. Monday--Leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad

3. Tuesday--Leftover Beef Pie

4. Wednesday--Leftover Haluski

5. Thursday--Leftover Ham, Sugar Snap Peas
6. Friday--Leftovers if still available or ?
7. Saturday--Leftovers if still available or ?

This week will see 0-2 new meals cooked, 5-7 nights of leftovers and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating-Out.
Depending on how long the leftovers hold out I may not be cooking at all this week, just reheating leftovers and adding a tossed salad or veggie side to augment the leftovers.
If needed I have all the makings to do a lasagna or fix pork tenderloin sandwiches if we need "new" food this week.

What I need to buy for this menu? Nothing.  Daughter needs some lunch meat but I don't plan on getting anything much beyond that as the grocery ads are "bleh" this week.

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

Frugal Friday.....September 15th Edition.....Delayed

So I don't have a Frugal post today because I am on the road again.
I might or might not have time later to work on this today......or this weekend.....or Monday.
There are more important things in my life right now than posting like family stuff.


Back when I can.
Have a good weekend if I get back later rather than sooner.

Sluggy

Last Week Rite-Aid & This Week at Weis(PMITA)Markets

So like I said I'd probably do, I went back to Rite-Aid last Saturday and did another round of dental freebies and the cheap light bulbs..........

After Sale prices/Plenti points earned and Coupons used all 4 Dental items were free and the pack of GE LED light bulbs was $1.35(with tax)paid in Plenti Points.
$42.35 in retail items for $1.35 in PPs.  All of this will be coming to a Giveaway box soon.

This week I've been trying to eat from the pantry/stockpile plus I haven't been very inspired by the sales ad at Weis.
But I did go to check on discounted meats(got 1 package of ground turkey)and do 1 round of the Buy 6/Get $3 off Mix and Match items.........

2 x Minute Maid OJ on sale=$4.98
2 x Daisy cottage cheese on sale=$4.98
1 x Huggies diapers on sale=$6.99
1 x Huggies wipes on sale=$1.99
SubTotal.........$18.94

Coupons Used
2 x .50¢/1 Daisy product IPQ(doubled to $1)=$2.00
1 x $1.50/1 Huggies diapers ManuQ=$1.50
1 x $1/1 Huggies diapers WEis bookletQ=$1.00
1 x .50¢/1 Huggies wipes IPQ(doubled to $1)=$1.00
Coupon Total......$5.50

$18.94-$5.50=$13.44-$3 M and M Deal=$10.44
$10.44 for all 6 items.

I'll be able to sell the diapers for between $5-$6 locally so that brings my total down to between $4.44-$5.44 for the other 5 items I'll keep and use.

Plus there is that Minute Maid OJ Catalina running at Weis until Dec. 31st(buy 5 OJ/Get a $2 Catalina oyno)so I have 2 cartons toward earning another Catalina.

So what good deals did you find recently?

Sluggy

Are You a Serial Debtor?

Getting into debt seems to get easier and easier to do.
That's how most financial institution make money off of the public, by getting and keeping them in debt.  These entities grow rich on fees and interest.

Take the big automakers.  It came out years ago that the reason they offer in-house financing is because they make the bigger profit not on the sale of the vehicle but on the interest they charge you to finance said vehicle.
Let that sink in for a moment......

With most banking institutions they only way they will give you "free" checking accounts is if you keep X amount of dollars in either your checking or one of their other financial products(savings, money market, cd, stock portfolios, etc.).  But then again, your checking account isn't "free" really, is it?  Since the bank has access to the money in your financial product to move around, lump it with other folks' money on deposit and shuffle it all around(as one big freaking pile of cash!)to turn a profit for themselves...something a lone investor/person with capital can't possibly do on that  massive level.

Businesses encourage John Q Public to go into debt in many ways because it puts money into their corporate pockets.
Corporations love debt and use any trick they can think of to keep you mired in debt.

Refinancing schemes are one way they do this.
Refinancing can be a great way to get out of debt.  If you can't handle the payments of your debt by consolidating and restructuring them you can A-make them more manageable for your income level and B-lower the rates in a refinancing plan.

But be very careful!

Yes, you can lower the rates but if you don't see the "extra" cash left at the end of your month(if there is any extra cash) as "extra" and spend it on wants.  You are just inflating your lifestyle and won't actually extract yourself any faster.  And if you use that "extra" cash to extend yourself into a new financing scheme(put something on time and use the "extra" cash for a downpayment)then you have just mired yourself further into your quicksand of debt.
Also, most refinancing schemes while they lower your interest rate also extend how long it will take to pay off that debt.  Don't fall for this ploy either.

The only way I would ever refinance a debt(if I had a debt and my back was against the wall)would be to get a 0% balance transfer credit card and move debt from one instrument to that one.  Of course all 0% balance offers do have an end date by which the 0% interest terminates and usually balloons up quickly to a large rate of interest you are required to pay on the remaining balance so watch out for that(and some refis also make you responsible for all the interest you thought you got out of IF you had paid the loan off before the 0% rate expired).  And don't EVER do a 0% balance transfer and then use that credit card to make new purchases!  If you do, you have just negated any financial good that transfer did you and you'll be in worse financial shape very quickly.

There are folks who don't "get it" at first, but then wake up one day and realize, "WTF!?! I am in debt and how do I get out?!"and make plans to extract themselves from said debt.

Most people "gets it" about debt at some point in their adult financial life.
But then there are those other folks.

You know.....the ones who get into various types of debt and then have an epiphany one day and get serious about extracting themselves from their predicament.
But they go overboard and tighten down their spending too much and start throwing all their money at their debt.
And then at some point they just can't stand not spending on something they "want" another minute because they are too restrictive and go off the deep end and go spend with wild abandon.  And usually this wild abandon period equates to buying something big like a car, a pool, an RV, a pricey cruise, etc.

And when they do this they usually undo any good their previous financial fasting has done them and then they are right back to the same level of debt as before or sometimes a larger level of debt.

Then the guilty or remorse or whatever you want to call it sets in and they severely tamp down their spending again and throw themselves into debt pay down and the cycle starts all over again.

I have seen a few folks online who fit into this category.  They cycle in and out of debt or cycle from moderate debt to massive debt to moderate debt but never truly get out of their debt.

Beyond their own self-defeating "get out of debt disorder" add in that emergencies happen that also need their ready cash at some point in the cycling and basically nothing ever changes in their lives beyond the change in the level of debt they are mired in.

They will never break the debt cycle until they deal with the deep seated psychological reasons behind their money/debt issues.  Some issues are easier than others to address but this type of serial debtor needs to take a good hard look at why they are in debt and can't get out.

Are their debts just too large to get out from under?
Do they not understand the difference between a need and a want?
Can they not say no to themselves or others when it comes to money?
Do they have no self-control with their finances?
Are they not mature enough to understand delaying gratification?
Do they need some rudimentary budgeting lessons?

And add a spouse or significant other who isn't on the same page with money, and the psychological games couples play about finances, and there is just more baggage to deal with to break out of this cycle of serial debt.

This ARTICLE may explain it better than I can.

It's never too late to face up to your finances and change how you deal with your money if what you have been doing isn't working for you.
Money is a great tool to get you where you want to be in life......IF you use it wisely.
Used recklessly and it can make your life a living hell.

Sluggy

Back to the Giveaways!.....Come Enter

This is the sixth Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway for the year.
Come on and enter.
Somebody has to win and it might just be YOU!

Here is what you can win if your entry is picked.  Lots of "girly girl" type stuff this time and chocolate......

1 x Colgate Optic White Toothpaste
1 x Clean Shampoo(trial size bottle-Total Care)
1 x Pantene Smooth & Sleek Shampoo(w/Bonus Airspray)
1 x Dove Women's dry spray Deodorant
1 x Revlon Nail Polish(clear)
2 x Sinful Colors Nail Polish(Chopstick, Dusk)
3 x Sally Hansen Nail Polish(Green w/Envy, The Real Teal, Purple Potion)
1 x Revlon Matte Lipstick(Nude Attitude)
1 x Cover Girl Eye Shadow(Swiss Chocolate)
1 x Revlon Eye Shadow(Violet Starlet)
1 x Cover Girl Brow and Eye Pencils(w/sharpener)
1 x L'Oreal Infallible Lip Liner(Plum)
1 x Rite-Aid Nail Clippers
1 x Revlon Tweezers
1 x Ace Disposable Cold Compress
1 x Oral-B Toothbrush(Battery operated w/Replaceable Head)
1 x Raio citrus mint Body Lotion(sample size)
1 x Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo & Conditioner(sample packs)
1 x Clear Total Care Shampoo & Conditioner(sample packs)
1 x Conair Hairbrush
1 x Mentholatum Nighttime Vaporizing Rub sample
1 x Banana Boat SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion
10 x Cadbury Chocolates(6 x Dark Choc. w/Sea Salt & Caramel/4 x Milk Choc. w/Raisins & Almonds)

Over $60 in regular retail of goodies.

Closeup shots of the goodies up for grabs......

I'll leave this giveaway open until Tuesday, September 26th, at 11:59pm Eastern Time, so that gives everyone a full 2 weeks to enter this one.  On September 27th I'll mark all the valid entries and use Random dotorg to pick a number and that corresponding person's entry wins.

*Please note the rules*
I'll post the name/Id of the winner on this blog and that person has 48 hours from then to contact me privately via email(my email addy is listed on my "About Me" page).
If I am not contacted via email I'll attempt to contact the winner via the email they supply with their entry and if that email is not responded to within another 48 hours I'll pick another winner.

There are three ways to enter--1 Daily and 2 One-Time Only........

1. Leave a comment every day.

2. Be a follower of this Blog(Hit the "Follow" button on the right hand side bar.) Let me know if your comment for this entry the name you follow under to verify.  You can do this entry once.

3. Post on your own blog(or on your Facebook page)about the Giveaway and leave a link in your comment/entry to where I can find it.  You can do this entry once.
In your Daily Entry tell me in your comment......something like what here is the thing here you most would like to win, or what your Fall plans are, will you be vacationing and where, what thing/place you'd most like to see in your life or just tell us something about yourself.

Disclaimer--This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses within the US only.
As the cost of postage to foreign countries has gotten to high I am sorry to say I can no longer afford to mail boxes outside the US.  These giveaways are not sponsored by any companies, I pay for it all(cost of items given away and the postage to mail it all)out of my own pocket.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you in your comment.

If you're not a registered Blogger User with your contact information on your User page, please put your email addy in your comment or email me your email addy privately when you leave a comment so I can get a hold of you. If your Blogger associated user profile is a GOOGLE one with those Google Circles nonsense I CAN NOT CONTACT YOU as Google Circles doesn't show your contact info.

If I can't contact you then you can't win.  I have had to disqualify more readers than I care to due to this issue and I sure don't want it to happen again.  Thanks!

So let's get this started!

Sluggy