Another Giveaway Winner

Since I still have so many items left after Gerry filled her giveaway box I've decided to pick another winner to fill a box in May!
Yes, a Surprise Giveaway!!!

So if you entered the Giveaway and your entry was valid you are also eligible to win this giveaway.
Here is the photo of goodies you can pick from to fill your box..........I might also be persuaded to add an item or two besides what is pictured if you know you want something and I have it.  ;-)

110 valid entries left and Random.org picked this one to win.......

megMay 12, 2018 at 7:27 PM

My granddaughter loves hairbrushes, she is 2 and love to brush hair.
Mary G.
g.mariellen@gmail.com

Congratulations to Mary G!

Please email me Mary from the email you supplied on your entry within 48 hours of this post going live. My email is arcure(at)ptdprolog(dot)net. I need your complete name and mailing address and in order of preference which items you want in your box. (I bet that hairbrush in #1 on your list. lolz)

Sluggy

Food & Toiletries Spending .....May 2018

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for MAY 2018.

I have posted May's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in May.  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 3-5(4 at home this month). No "kids" under 22.

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

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $18.50
Value  $59.66
Savings  69%

DOLLAR GENERAL
OOP  $40.12
Value  $67.87
Savings   40.89%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $16.00
Value  $31.66
Savings  49.46%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $46.47
Value  $74.66
Savings  37.76%

OLLIE'S
OOP  $28.62
Value  $68.88
Savings  58.45%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PP/BC  $815.68
Value  $815.68
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE
OOP  $28.06
Qs/Ads  $26.42
Value  $54.48
Savings  48.49%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $253.45

Qs/Ads  $168.33

Value  $421.78

Savings  39.91%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bread Outlet  at 69% and Ollie's at 58.45%.  My worst savings rate was from Maine Source at 37.76%.

I shopped at 8 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May..........$596.99

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales...$544.92

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.........$1,141.91

TOTAL Savings of ................................47.72%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May.....$596.99
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$1957.59
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales.........$1360.60
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items........69.50%

This closes out the May food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
May was a frugal challenge here.  Between good stock up deals, company coming and Daughter's "diet" my food budget got sunk.  I was $196.99 over what I like to spend per month.
On a whim I bought 11 lbs. of T-Bone steaks at half price to put into the freezer so that when we get a hankering for a good hunk of beef this Summer we have it to throw onto the grill.  The steak alone was $44.54 of that overage I spent. 8-(

But not to worry, we have the cash to pay for it all so I'll just dust myself off and begin anew in June to stay below $400 per month on food spending.
And after all, I am feeding 4 adults on that amount which even in a good month is a challenge. 8-)))

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 5.42% in May 2018 to 69.50% compared to April's 74.92% savings average.
The free stuff from Rite-Aid skewers my averages but without R-A I am at 47.72% savings.  So even without R-A we are doing well on the "savings" front.

With 5 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $2219.41 on food/toiletries in 2018 which is a 74.38% savings rate for the year so far and averages out to $443.88 spent per month in 2018.  We were almost at $400 per month average spending last month but my overshooting the food budget in May blew that goal up for now. lolz


LOOKING AHEAD To June.......
Keeping with that $400 food budget for June. If I can stay under $400, more's the better.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

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

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Remembering the Fallen" Edition--

Bernard J. Wingo

Sept. 25, 1892

Oct. 7, 1918

Supply Co. 323 Div. 81

Died in France while in the service of his county.

Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I took this photo for Find A Grave while in Drakes Branch VA photographing my 2 x Great Grandparents headstones a few years ago.  After I added this World War I veteran's headstone to the FAG database I did some research on him--

Bernard Jackson Wingo served in the US Army as a Wagoner and was part of the American Expeditionary Forces in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive(also known as the Battle of the Argonne Forest).  He was part of the US Army's 81st Division of the 4th Infantry(the famed NC Wildcat Division), in Supply Company 323.
He was KIA 7 Oct 1918, just 33 days before the Armistice was signed. Bernard had turned 25 just 13 days before his death.

Bernard was a farm boy from rural South Central VA who according to his WWI registration card was the support of his mom and dad before he was shipped out to Europe.

Bernard was not interred at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery near the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon in Meuse, France, like over fourteen thousand of his fellow patriots who died there, but was brought back to his home in Virginia to be buried near family.

Coincidently I did find out later that Bernard Wingo is related to me by marriage.....his sister Alma Lee Wingo married two of my cousins-Pascal Lee Holt(3rd cousin 4 x removed)and when Pascal died, Richard Hammersley(4th cousin 4 x removed).

Remembering all our veterans who perished during service today.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Chicken Tenders, Pear Gorgonzola Salad

2. Monday--Catfish, Cole Slaw, Sweet Potato Fries

3. Tuesday--Roast Turkey Breast, Stuffing, Asparagus, Cranberry

4. Wednesday--Ravioli, Salad, leftover Garlic Bread

5. Thursday--Pork Roast, Green Beans, Garlic Mashed Taters

6. Friday--Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage or Fend For Yourself

7. Saturday--?

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Chicken Tenders, Pear Gorgonzola Salad

2. Monday--Catfish, Cole Slaw, Potato Fries

3. Tuesday--Roast Turkey Breast, Stuffing, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cranberry

4. Wednesday--Ravioli, Salad, leftover Garlic Bread

5. Thursday--Graduation/Birthday Dinner Out

6. Friday--Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage or Fend For Yourself

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

Pretty much the meal plan went off as planned except the sweet potatoes went bad so we had regular old french fries.  The roast pork wasn't needed so moves to this week's plan.

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 1 night of leftovers/fend for yourself, 1 nights of Take-Out or Eating Out.  
2 grocery trips to Weis, 2 trips to Dollar General(for a butt load of chili for the menfolk), a trip to the Bread Outlet and a spur of the moment trip to Price Chopper for steaks brought the shopping to $217.40 for the week and brought May's food spending total to $596.99.   
I am in about as much shock as you are over this!lolz

I've got negative $196.99 left in the food budget for May and 3 days left in my shopping month.   Yes, I am over by almost $200 for the month.  EEK! 8-(

My savings percentages last week was 48.13%(without Rite-Aid trips)and May's monthly savings total so far is at 47.72%.

Leftovers going into this week.......potato salad, garlic bread, turkey, stuffing, ravioli, red beans w/sausage, rice.

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

1. Sunday--Fend for Yourself

2. Monday--Burgers, Hot Dogs, Roasted Veggies

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Pork roast, Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Green Beans

5. Thursday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself

6. Friday--Marinated Beef w/Broccoli, Rice

7. Saturday--Chicken Fajitas, Refried Beans

This week will see 4 new meals cooked, 3 nights of leftovers/FFY and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu?  Some fresh Veggies to roast(getting today). 

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

A Little More Rite-Aid on Saturday

I went up to Rite-Aid on Saturday because the Mentholatum Ibotta rebate was back in my account($1.50)and it was the last day R-A was having it on sale($3-a Monthly Deal)and it gave $2 back in BC.
They also, surprisingly got a big load of the cheapest Visine back in stock in their Friday shipment so I could finish doing the Spend $40/Get $10 in BC Deal on it.  I had already bought 2 Visine earlier in the week.............

7 x Visine($4.63 w/20% Wellness disc.)=$32.41
2 x Suave deodorant on sale($1.19)=$2.38
SubTotal..........$34.79

Coupons Used
7 x $2/1 R-A In-ad Q=$14.00
3 x $2.50/2 Visine CatalinaQ=$7.50
1 x $1/1 Visine ManuQ=$1.00
Coupon Total......$22.50

$34.79-$22.50=$12.29(no tax due).
I paid with $12.29 in BC and earned back $12 in new BC($10 wys $40 Visine, $2 wyb2 Suave).


I also did this on my Daughter's card........

4 x Suave deodorant on sale $1.19=$4.76
1 x Mentholatum on sale=$3.00
SubTotal......$7.76

No coupons were used.
$7.76+.30¢ tax=$8.06 paid with Bonus Cash.

I earned back $6 in new BC(2 x $2 Suave wyb2, $2 Mentholatum)
$20.35 spent on these two transactions in BC, $18 new BC earned back and $1.50 Ibotta cash rebate earned so .85¢ short of being totally free.  ;-)

After BC earned, sale price, Qs stacked with In-AdQs all 9 bottles of Visine bought this week "cost" me $2.17 in BC.
And all that Visine earns toward the $20 Allergy Reward so that card is at $66.62.  Only $8.38 to spend on qualifying products to earn that $20 BC.

I need to concentrate on rolling the BC on my card in the next couple of weeks.


Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the May 25th Edition

Let's see what frugal wins we had this past week......

*  Got the Weis(PMITA)Markets Friday Freebie last Friday........

Of course the digital Q didn't come off so I paid .50¢ for this.  I made Hubs get my money back when he had to go up to Weis later that day.  Hubs seems to have a way with the Customer Service lady....lolz

*  I already recounted the Rite-Aid porn.......

I spent down $5.38 in BC and earned back $1.25 in cash rebates from Ibotta for all this.

*  Here are my best grocery deals this week.....

8 cans of small size pineapple products.  On sale at Weis earlier this week for $1 each so $8 subtotal.  I had .65¢/2 Qs that were set to expire next week, which doubled to $1.30 off on 2 cans, making them .35¢ per can after sale/Q.  Nice.

I also made a rare trip to Dollar General this past week as I had a "$5 off $25 spent" Q that was good until Monday.  We needed a few household type things(drink pitcher, grill brush, coffee filters, camp chair though I didn't get the chair)so I combined those needs with a 12 pack of wet dog food for Chester $5.21(+ a $2 off Q for that one too), a bottle of  Gator-Ade for CB .48¢(+ a digital Q for that), 3 bottles of Snapple for CB to take to work($2.17)and 2 bags of candy for him for .86¢ ea., 2 cans of baked beans($2.58), 4 cans of canned spaghetti products($2.60), and 3 cans of Hormel chili($3.44).  I saved $11.75 on this $24.18 trip.
Even without a Q the Hormel was a very good deal at $1.15 a can. That's even cheaper than the Weis brand chili on Tuesdays when I get the 10% senior discount on it.  I may go back Saturday with another $5/$25 Q and load up.......the guys here go through a ridiculous amount of chili. lolz

*  I earned $2.00 back in Ibotta cash rebates for various items bought this week.....not the bigger rebates for buying certain name brands but just the little .25¢ here, .25¢ there type of cash back and $1 for the light bulb I got at Rite-Aid.

*  We finally got a chance to do Hubs birthday meal out.  We combined it with a Graduation dinner out for ex-College Boy. We've been trying to get this done since April but nobody's schedules aligned just right on a weeknight until now.

Ex-College Boy started his new job last Monday and he was tired(sure looks tired in this photo)but that didn't keep him from scarfing down his meal. lol
We went to Red Lobster....some place I rarely go to these days.  I bought gift cards for there last Fall on a Rite-Aid deal so the $ was already accounted for in last year's spending.

I printed off and used a Q for $4 off 2 adult dinners(like that hardly paid the sales tax on this meal!lol).
After the Q was applied the bill came to $80.71 for the 4 of us.

Gift Cards applied and I've got $19.29 left to spent there.
Of course I had to pay the tip out of my WAM but hey!, I hardly spend any of that so I had plenty left to cover it.


*  And finally...........

This was the best thing this week.  We received a bill for another year of insurance on the LA house.
I guess the billing department didn't get word in time that we don't own that house anymore.

$900+ I don't have to pay ever again!  WOOhoooo!!!

What good frugal things happened in your week?


Sluggy