Frugal Friday.....October 13th Edition

Here's the frugal stuff I did this week.........most of it involved saving while spending money.

*  Did a Rite-Aid Deal yesterday which I talked about HERE.

*  Hit both my usual grocery stores this week for loss leaders.

5 lbs. of potatoes for .99¢
4 lbs. of sugar for .99¢
5 lbs. of flour for .49¢
1 lb. pasta for .88¢(plus will get a .50¢ rebate so .38¢ OOP)*not pictured

I picked up meats with instant discount stickers--
4.81 lbs. chicken thighs for .76¢ lb.
1.38 lbs. ground beef for $2.81 lb.(85% lean)
1.35 lbs. sweet  Italian sausage for $1.89 lb.

I also picked up some produce deals 50% off--
2 x bagged salad kits for $1.99 each
1 x large clam shell of spring mix greens for $1.74
1 x 1 lb. whole mushrooms $1.99

And 1 frozen food item, a Shrimp Toast appetizer, for 50% off Plus it had a $3 off sticker on it so this $8.99 item was $1.49 OOP.  We'll save it for the Holidays when we entertain and need nibble type foods to set out.

* Weis(PMITA)Markets had a Mix and Match 6 select items, Get $3 off Instantly deal which included the Minute Maid OJ last ad.  I got 3 Minute Maid OJ cartons on sale for $1.99 each and earned another $2 OYNO Catalina which is good until 1/5/2018.(I already had bought 2 toward the 5 cartons I need to earn this Catalina in a previous week.)
This makes 2 of these Cats I have so far.  I am hoping to get another sale on MM OJ before the year is out, stock up on 5 more OJs, which will give me $6 in store script to spend in December at Weis.

* Hubs wanted to replace our ladder(ours is old and not very safe to use anymore)so he researched online for the best deal on what he required, located the ladder at Lowe's and I gave him a $100 Lowe's gift card I earned with c/c points to go purchase it.

* Hubs wanted to have a lunch out this week(we were both getting a little stir crazy)so I found a coupon to a local restaurant to apply to the bill.  The Q brought the bill down enough to cover our tip.

* Since retiring we've gone over the budget/bills/money and Hubs has decided he wants to eat out a little more than we have been(regular eating out, not trip eating out)so I am finding ways to do this on the cheap. (See previous item.)  I just bought a $30 voucher for a local restaurant for $15.  Paying less than market price for a meal helps keep Eating Out costs lower.  I just have to remember to use this before Dec. 31st as it expires then.

* Since we were out down the mountain we hit the Bread Outlet.

I would much rather pay $1 a package there than even sale prices at the grocery stores.
This lot cost me $3.

What did you do that helped you be frugal this week?


Sluggy

Rite-Aid Porn....This Week's Moneymaker Haul!

So here is what I did at Rite-Aid this week.  It sure pulled me out of my funk at least for awhile and it was fun since the Deals worked without a hitch! 8-)))

I started with a $5 off $50 purchase Catalina Q that spit out last week when I picked up an Rx.
There is a diaper deal($10 Cat wys $30-limit 2 per card to pair with sale prices this week, IPQs and $10 in Plenti Points earned when you also spend $30), a bonafide double dip with the PPs and Catalina.
These diapers also triple dip with a spend $50 on select items/earn a $25 Toys R Us gift card.
In order to get the $10 Cat wys $30 to print twice I have to break up the diaper buying into two transations.  I also need to spend $50 on one of these transactions in order to use that $5 of my order Cat.
I get to the store and they only had size 5 diapers so I made sure I could exchange them for other sizes once they get more in(size 5 don't sell locally as well as smaller sizes).

I had with me.....
a Rain check(for Tummy Zen)
2 x $2/1 Tummy Zen Qs
8 x $2/1 Huggies Qs(also had 2 x $2/1 Load2Card Qs attached to my account but these sometimes don't work so I make sure I have enough IPQs to do the Deal instead too)
1 Free Item Dove Q(thanks Chris!)
$5 off $50 Purchase Catalina attached to my Wellness card

Transaction #1

4 x Huggies diapers on sale $8.49=$33.96
I used 4 x $2/1 Huggies IPQs.....$33.96-$8.00=$25.96
I spent $25.96 of my Plenti Points to pay.

I earned $10 back in new PPs and a $10 Catalina good on my next purchase, making my Plenti Points "spent down" by $15.96.(I used the $10 Cat in the second transaction so that's the second $10 Cat in the photo for illustration purposes.)
And I had $33.96 tracking toward the $50 needed to earn the $25 gift card.

Transaction #2(I need to spend $50 in this one before Qs.)

4 x Huggies diapers on sale $8.49=$33.96
2 x Tummy Zen(rain check for $2.50)=$5.00
1 x GE light bulbs on sale=$7.99
1 x Dove Deodorant spray 20% Wellness disc.=$6.63
SubTotal........$53.58


I used the $5 off $50 Purchase Catalina
$53.58-$5.00=$48.58

I used $18.63 in Qs(4 x $2/1=$8 diapers,2 x $2/1=$4 Tummy Zen, $6.63 Free Dove Q).
$48.58-$18.63=$29.95

I used the earned in Transation #1 $10 OYNO Cat.
$29.95-$10.00=$19.95

I paid with $19.95 in Plenti Points.
I earned $15 in new PPs($10 wys $30 diapers, $5 wyb light bulb).
$19.95-$15.00=$4.95
I am $4.95 "down" in PPs now.

But...
I earned another $10 OYNO Catalina.
I earned a free $25 Gift Card(for spending $50+ on select items that qualified).

I earned a $3 cash rebate for the Tummy Zen purchase on my Ibotta account.
I have 8 bags of diapers I can sell on the local yard sale site for between $40-$44 so my cash back potential is between $43-$47 total.

Spent down PPs by $20.91 total on both transactions in exchange for $3 cash in rebates, $10 store script, $40-$44 in cash and a $25 gift card.  So basically I just exchanged $20.91 in PPs for between $43-$47 in cash, $10 in more Rite-Aid products and a $25 gift card meaning I am "up" $22.09-$26.09 in cash and $35 in various store script.(Rite-Aid and Toys R Us).

I also have another $17.92 tracking on this account toward another $50 to earn a second $25 TRU Gift Card if I choose to do the gift card deal again(which I probably won't unless I can put together $32.08 in spending on qualifying items that costs me much less than that in my Plenti Points).

Then I got a reloadable AmEx gift card.............I heard it was giving double the Plenti Points back that it was suppose to.

I put $10 on the card(the minimum you can)and paid that plus the $2.95 fee=$12.95.

And as you can see it credited me with 2 x 500 Plenti Points or 1000 PPs(equal to $10 in PPs).

The limit on the AmEx card deal is two EXCEPT that after doing it once it showed as having reached the limit.  That's ok by me. 8-)
The cashier ran over to the gift card rack and bought one too after we saw that it gave double the PPs.
She then called her sister to tell her to go buy one at her local store and as I was leaving the store the cashier was telling all the customers at the checkout about the "deal" and telling them to go get a card too. lolz
* Be aware that you have to pay with cash to buy these AmEx cards and can't use a debit or a credit card.*

So I spent $12.95 and I got $20 back($10 in PPS and $10 in gift card credit)making me $7.05 "up" on the Deal.
A few caveats about these reloadable AmEx cards....
1. AmEx is accepted as less stores than Mastercard/Visa/Discover.  The card inside the packaging is a temporary card that needs no activation.
2. Though the card is good for about 5-6 years from purchase after 30 days AmEx starts charging at $4.95 fee to keep the card balance active so be sure to use whatever you load on that card within 30 days.
3. I have been told that in order to reload the card(that's free to do)you need to register the card and jump through hoops which some folks find a PITA to do.  Though reloads are free there is that $4.95 monthly fee thing.

I went into this knowing all the negatives and I only put the minimum amount on the card so it will be used up quickly.  And I don't plan on reloading it, especially if it will cost me $4.95 a month to carry a balance.
Basically I did this(X 3 Wellness accounts I have access to)to earn $7.05 in Plenti Points on each account.  This will come in handy(having lots of free PPs on each card)come Xmas shopping/Black Friday time when all those Rite-Aid Deals are available for the Holidays.

The only hitch is that I have to hold onto the diapers until I can exchange them for smaller sizes before I can sell them but I can live with that temporary hiccup.

Not a bad day's work, right?  8-))

Sluggy

I'm Still Here, Just Hiding From October

I'm here but I've got nothing for anyone today.
Not much going on here.  We are just bopping along for the most part.

Hubs and I went grocery shopping.....well I went and he just tagged along and got in the way while in the store. lol  I tired to show him how I food shop.  Does the phrase, "In one ear and out the other" ring a bell?  ;-)

I'm not having a good week so far.  Was at the doctor's yesterday for an HS flare up. Ugh.  Painkillers and antibiotics and I am better today just not up to being productive.  I'll be napping as soon as I get this posted.
And the weather is still so muggy and today it is raining as well(which we need though).

I love Fall weather but the Fall of the year causes me sinus/allergy issues(I am allergic to trees)plus some seasonal depression too.  October has also always been a challenge health wise(remember last year I had a bad reaction to an ACE inhibitor when my face swelled up until I looked like the Elephant Man?and a few years before that I developed a blood clot in my ankle?....those both happened in October).  So I am always cautious about my health and not demanding much of myself  during October except for some walking or exercise each day.

At least there are new tv shows/episodes on again.  I've been binge watching all the "Call the Midwife" episodes too.  And I'm loving this new Jeopardy champion.  At least he has some personality not a weird geek like many of them are.  Well he IS a weird geek since he's a Jeopardy Champ.  lolz

I need to finish revamping the Blog Roll too.  I've removed a couple and added a couple.  If you have any suggestions for blogs I don't have on there that you enjoy, leave a comment or send me an email.  I think all the links there work now but we can always use more interesting blogs to check out.

I may be back on Friday with some new material other than rambling thoughts.  8-)

Sluggy

October Giveaway......Come Enter!

This is the seventh 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.  Some "girly girl" type stuff, some practical stuff and chocolate......

1 x GE LED bright stik light bulbs 40W(2 pack)
1 x Simple moisturizing facial wash
1 x Dove shampoo
1 x Similisan Arnica Active skin spray
1 x Centrum vitamints
1 x Physician's Formula lash boosting mascara
1 x Cover Girl  aqua smooth powdered make-up(spf 15/natural ivory/#715)
1 x Oral-B toothbrush
1 x Colgate Enamel Health Toothpaste
1 x Eucerin skin calming lotion(sample size)
1 x Wet n' Wild nail color(clear)
1 x Wet n' Wild nail color(yo soy)
1 x Revlon lip stick(plum)
1 x Julie nail color(super villian)
1 x Nutra Nail instant nail strengthener
1 x 10 ct. #2 pencils
1 x pack of Glide dental picks
12 x Cadbury Chocolates(5 x Dark Choc. w/Sea Salt & Caramel/7 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 Wedsday, October 25th, at 11:59pm Eastern Time, so that gives everyone a full 2 weeks to enter this one.  On October 26th 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 if you decorate for Halloween, if you like to travel in the Fall or any favorite Fall foods you enjoy at this time of the year.

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

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Eeeek! in the Garden" Edition--

Before Hubs could prepare the deck for staining/sealing we had to dismantle the garden bed.  My poor garden was severely neglected this season what with us gone for a big chunk of the Summer.
After we got home, whenever I put the dog out back she kept going to the deck railing at a specific part of the garden and was intently sniffing something.
Turns out it was a dead snake.  The snake got entangled in the netting/fencing and expired from hunger after a time.
Hubs sure let out a big scream when he pulled up the part of the netting with Mr. snake in it as he didn't know it was dead. lolz  We measured said snake before burying it-24 inches!  Good thing it was a garter snake.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Meatloaf, Butternut Squash, leftover Mac and Cheese

2. Monday--BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Cole Slaw

3. Tuesday--Fish, Squash Casserole, Cole Slaw

4. Wednesday--Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zuke, Rice

5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Meatloaf, Butternut Squash, leftover Mac and Cheese

2. Monday--Chinese Take-Out

3. Tuesday--BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Cole Slaw

4. Wednesday--Fish, Squash Casserole

5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Tuna Subs
7. Saturday--Steak, leftover Cauliflower w/Cheese Sauce

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 1 night of leftovers and 1 night of take-out.  
I started cleaning out the kitchen freezer over the fridge and found 3 different steaks so we had that Sat. with some leftovers.  I was feeling out of sorts on Monday plus it's been Summer humid weather here(!)since last Monday so we got take-out that night.  Everything cooked last week was with an eye to not heating up the kitchen-bbq pork in the crock pot and the sauce on the stove top, steaks on the grill outside and for the subs we ran the broiler briefly.  Wednesday was a tad cooler so I ran the oven that night and hubs cooked Sunday's dinner using the oven as the weather wasn't hot last Sunday either.

Last week's grocery spending at Ollies, Big Lots(stocking up at both of those), Weis and the Shursave Market came to $100.34.  $78+change was the stocking up stores and the regular groceries only ran $22+. That brings October's food spending to $180.27.

My savings percentages last week was unusually low at 36.28% and the monthly savings ends up at 44.46%(without Rite-Aid trips added in).

Leftovers going into this week.......bbq, cole slaw.  That's about it since all the other leftovers were eaten for lunches this past week.

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

1. Sunday--Primo Subs take-out

2. Monday--Leftover BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Cole Slaw

3. Tuesday--Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zuke, Rice

4. Wednesday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread

5. Thursday--Chicken Parm, Salad
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--?

This week will see 5 new meals cooked, 2 nights of leftovers and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating-Out.
The weather is suppose to cool off a bit on Tuesday so I'll not run the oven until then(or later if it cools down later in the week).

What I need to buy for this menu?  Salad Greens.  Tues. and Wed.'s meals are carryover from the previous week and I have everything for those meals.  I don't have a clue about next Saturday's menu yet.

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