The Weather is Odd This Summer

Gosh it has been raining here almost non-stop since late June.
I do believe we had 4 days without rain in July!
So far in August maybe 1 day?  Wednesday it's suppose to clear finally.....before raining again on Thursday. lolz

Of course all this rain means all the rivers/streams/creeks around here are overflowing their banks such that, this area made the national news yesterday

All the towns and counties around us seem to be flooding out or having flash flooding.  One town in the county South of here has been hit three times since Spring with flash floods.  Surprisingly the only river that hasn't overflowed into banks is the Susquehanna, which is the one river that is the usual suspect around here, flooding the valley and the large city to our North.
We are fine in my teeny tiny town(except maybe over by the trailer park here).  If my town ever floods out you'd ALL better start building an ark because we are located on a mountain! lolz

The plants are loving the rain since we had a very dry May and June.
Speaking of plants, this is the view out my living room windows........

The front of the house gets full sun most of the day and the tomato plants we planted at the back of the front flower bed are as tall as me now(not that that's very tall lol).

We harvested a nice load on Sunday out in the garden........

This lot was 16.35 lbs.
In all we've harvested 58.67 lbs. of veggies this Summer.

The back garden bed is starting to wind down a bit now(except for tomatoes).  We've had deer visitors recently.........

The morning glory vines have been munched on at the three foot or higher level......

Plenty of morning glories left for both the wildlife and us.

And over on the shady side of the yard where the pine trees are are these.........

Lots and lots of toadstools........

The whole side of the house is covered with fungi.  Hubs even saw a squirrel when he was out there working on something eating a mushroom.
I did not know that squirrels ate them.
But evidently, after watching lots of Youtube vids, they do..........



Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Lots of Veggies to Use Up Now" Edition--

I grabbed this off of someone on Facebook.  It made me laugh hard! lolz
It also made be think of you McVal.  8-)))

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

1. Sunday--Hot Dogs on Rolls, leftover Macaroni Salad(Hubs can handle this)

2. Monday--Pizza, Fried Zucchini(If I can get ex-College Boy to make the zuke)

3. Tuesday--Tacos or Taco Salad(Hubs can handle this)

4. Wednesday--Leftovers, Squash and Onions(Hubs can handle this, at least the leftovers part)

5. Thursday--Chicken and Dumplings(If I am well enough to traipse downstairs)

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--?

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Hot Dogs on Rolls, leftover Macaroni Salad

2. Monday--Pizza(Hubs got take-out)

3. Tuesday--Tacos or Taco Salad(Hubs made this.)

4. Wednesday--Fried Zucchini

5. Thursday--Meatloaf in the freezer, Squash and Onions, Garlic Mashed Taters

6. Friday--leftover Eggplant Parm, Tomato and Cuke Salad
7. Saturday--Mexican Stuffed Zucchini

Last week saw 6 nights of home cooked dinners, 0 night of leftovers/fend for yourself, 1 night of Take-Out or Eating Out.  
Since I was bedridden for 3 days Hubs handled dinner(and I told him what to make/do).  He did Sun, ordered a pizza on Mon, Tues, the daughter handled Wed and some of Thurs.
The chicken and dumplings didn't happen obviously so it moves to this week.

Two trips, one to each of Weis and the Shursave Markets brought the weekly food spending to $24.99 and the monthly total to $85.43.
I have 18 days left in my shopping month for August and have $314.57 left in the food budget to spend this month.

My savings percentage last week was 35.20%(without Rite-Aid trips)and August's monthly savings total comes to 48.52% so far.

Leftovers going into this week......

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

1. Sunday--Pork Chops, Squash Casserole, leftover Fried Zucchini(Daughter cooking)

2. Monday--Breakfast for Dinner(Meat, Eggs, Waffles)

3. Tuesday--BLTs

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Ham and Zuke Quiche, Tossed Salad

6. Friday--Something on the Grill, Tomatoes
7. Saturday--Chicken and Dumplings

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 nights of leftovers/FFY, 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.
Using up garden veggies this week(squash casserole, Waffles, Quiche, Salads)or freezing them.  Only running the oven 2 nights(for casserole and quiche)and those will give us leftovers.  I may make a cake while the oven is on for the quiche too.

What needs buying for this menu? Half and Half for the quiche.  I am waiting until later in the week to make/serve this as half and half is going on sale at Weis. ;-)  I'll be picking up some loss leaders and almost freebies w/Qs.  Other than that I have all the meats but just have to dig something out of the freezer to grill.

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

The August Giveaway is OPEN!

August means it's time for the ninth Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway for 2018. 8-)

This one is chock full of Summer time essentials....shampoo, make-up, topical pain rub, vitamins, electrolyte tablets and M&Ms!

A nice box of goodies will head to whomever's name is picked from the entries.
Somebody has to win and it might just be YOU!

Here is what you can win if your entry is picked.

1 x Zim's Max Freeze
1 x Suave shampoo
1 x 2 pack GE LED lightbulbs
1 x Centrum Flavor Burst vitamins
1 x Crest toothpaste
1 x Hydralyte tablets(grape)
1 x Arm and Hammer battery powered toothbrush
1 x Sour Patch Kids(watermelon)
1 x Cover Girl mascara
1 x Cover Girl eye shadow palette(Ice Princess)
1 x Neutrogena eye concealer
4 x M&Ms candy(2 pretzel/2 peanut butter)


About $70 in regular retail of goodies.
Closeup shots of the goodies up for grabs......

Within reason I'll also let you swap out something here for something else(if I have it).

I'll leave this giveaway open until Monday, August 20th at 11:59pm Eastern Time, so that gives everyone a full week to enter this one.  On August 21st 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 will only be ONE way to enter this time by leaving a comment on this post.  Tell me what your garden is producing, the best thing you did this Summer, the best grocery deal you got recently, or the thing you most want to win.....those sort of comments.
You may enter once each day by leaving a daily comment on this post before August 20th at 11:59pm Eastern time.

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 am still having to disqualify entries due to this issue and I sure don't like doing that.  Thanks!

So let's get this started!

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Porn....30% off Sale

I went up to R-A yesterday to refill some meds and see what damage I could do during the Friends & Family 30% off Sale.
I had a Get $6 OFF wyspend $30 Q too.

Here's what I got......

2 x R-A nutritional drinks BOGO50%(1 was more expensive than the other one as it wss high protein type)=$12.23
1 x Hello toothpaste on sale=$5.00
5 x Colgate toothpaste on sale but 30% lower($3)=$15.00
2 x PayDay candy bars on sale=$1.00
SubTotal.....$33.23

Coupons Used
$6 off wys $30 mailedQ=$6.00
1 x $1/1 Hello IPQ=$1.00
4 x $1/1 Colgate optic white IPQ=$4.00
1 x .50¢/1 Colgate manuQ=.50¢
5 x $3/1 RA In-AdQ=$15.00
Coupon Total...$26.50

$33.23-$26.50=$6.73 + tax except........
I forgot 3 of my $1 off Qs a home AND I bought 1 toothpaste that wasn't on sale for $3.50 and $3 after the 30% discount.
$34.42-$23.50=$10.92
Ugh.
I paid with Bonus Cash and earned back $5 in BC(Hello toothpaste)so this spent down $5.92 of my BC.
I did do a "post Q" Saturday morning for the $3 in Qs I forgot.......

I'll probably go back this week and return the $4.19 Colgate toothpaste which will give me back $4.19 in BC which means this all will have "cost" $1.73 in BC and I got $3 cash for those Qs so I am down a bit in BC but up a bit more in cash.
Got it?  ;-)

Then I when back today to get my meds and bought all this(still 30% Sale going on plus I had a Save $10 wyb $50 mailed Q on a different card........

4 x Dial body wash on sale($7/2)=$14.00
1 x Mitchum deodorant 30% discount=$3.84
1 x Purex detergent on sale=$1.99
1 x Right Guard 30% discount=$3.35
4 x Colgate toothpaste 30% discount=$12.00
3 x Nivea In-shower lotion 30% discount($5.94)=$17.82
SubTotal.......$53.00
Except I bought 1 toothpaste that was $3.49 instead of $3 with the 30% off. sigh.
So SubTotal was $53.49

Coupons Used
1 X $10 Off wyb $50 R-AQ=$10.00
2 x $1/2 Dial body wash IPQ=$2.00
4 x .50¢ R-A Dial peelie Qs=$2.00
1 x $3/1 Mitchum R-A mailedQ=$3.00
1 x $1/1 Purex ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Purex R-A mailedQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Right Guard ManuQ=$1.00
2 x $1/1 Colgate IPQ=$2.00
4 x $3/1 RA in-AdQ=$12.00
3 x $2/1 Nivea in shower IPQ=$6.00
Coupon Totals....$40.00

$53.49-$40.00=$13.49 + $1.32 tax=$14.81
Except.........
the register wouldn't take 4 of the Qs(the R-A Purex, both Dial body wash and the Right Guard)so we had to do another "post Q", this one for $4........

So it was $53.49-$36 in Qs=$17.49 + $1.32 tax=$18.81 paid for with Bonus Cash.
I earned back $10 in new BC($5 Dial, $5 Nivea)so after that and the $4 cash this transaction "cost" $4.81.
Again I'll return the "expensive" toothpaste I bought by mistake so that's $3.49 back in Bonus Cash so I am only down $1.32 in BC for this all.

I guess sitting in bed for three days dulled my Rite-Aid spidey senses.....lolz
I'll try to do better next time.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....August 10th Edition

It's been an ultra-frugal week this past week, mostly since I was confined to my room for 3 days.
Can't spend if you can't leave your bed. lolz

Here's the few frugal wins we had this week.........

*  The $50 Target card I sent for arrived.........

I'll pair this free with credit card points gift card with a $10 off when you buy $50 Target coupon I was mailed and get free+ food at Target sometime in the next 3 weeks.

*  Harvested lots of garden veggies.....

We are in the process of using or freezing them all with more coming.

*  I haven't grocery shopped this past week.  Hubs has run out and bought....1-Taco shells for when he made tacos on Wed., 2-a watermelon because I wanted one(lolz)and 3-ice cream because we were out.  At least #2 and 3 were both on sale.  8-)

*  I received .25¢ more on Ibotta for buying that hair coloring and Cover Girl I bought at Rite-Aid last Friday so am up to $5.25 in cash rebates on it.

This all cost me $3.60 in BC and I earned $10 in new BC.

This cost me $5.92 in BC and I earned $4 in new BC AND earned $5.25 in cash rebates.
I haven't gone to Rite-Aid since last Friday.  I am sure I missed out on free Hello and Colgate toothpaste this week.

I did get this at the checkout last Friday.........

Friday(today)and Saturday there is a 30% Friends and Family Sale at Rite-Aid.  (Also valid online using the code THANKS.)
I need to go refill some meds so I might pop in today and have a poke around.

But that's it for my frugal exploits this week.

What about you?  Any good frugal-ness to report this week?

Sluggy