Frugal Friday.....the August 31st Edition

Happy Labor Day Weekend to everyone!

So let's get to the frugal things that happened this past week at Chez Sluggy.........

*  I went to Weis Markets last Friday and got the freebie plus used a rain check..........

The seltzer was the freebie with a Weis digital coupon.
The ice cream was $2.99 per box with my rain check, plus I had 2 x .75¢ IPQs which each doubled to $1.50.  And I had a digital .75¢/1 Q in my Weis account which also doubled to $1.50 and came off on this order so I got both Ice creams and the seltzer for $1.48 total.

I also earned $2.25 back on SavingStar for buying the ice cream so I got paid .77¢ to bring all 3 home.  ;-)

*  I found some money in the Rite-Aid parking lot.......

A quarter!  This goes into the change pot and will get applied to the grocery budget at the end of the year.

*  Still harvesting garden veggies too......

Not many but I have another photo I haven't taken yet of what's been picked since last Friday.

*  Hubs and I went out for our Anniversary Lunch on Tuesday to Longhorn Steakhouse.  I had an old gift card with $38+ on it and I brought along a $3 off 2 lunches Q.  With tip after Q and gift card our steak lunches cost $13.11 OOP.

*  Hubs and I went to a pick your own farm on Monday and picked all this.......

23 lbs. of tomatoes and 19 lbs. of peppers.
With the corn, cabbage and eggplant we didn't pick but  bought as well it cost $29.60.  Had I bought all that at the grocery stores it would have cost $78 or so OOP.
Just going to the source of fresh produce and doing a bit of the work yourself can save you loads on your food bill.

*  Lots of grocery shopping this week.........

Some of the freebies from Target(using a free gift card to pay).

 Freebies from Rite-Aid(using sales, coupons and Bonus Cash).

Cheap shopping trip to Weis(PMITA)Markets. 

*  I earned cash rebates totaling $19.50 this week on Ibotta and SavingStar.  I love when I get paid to buy stuff!  Those rebates brought down my weekly food spending to $91.13 from $110.63(though I add the rebates back into the food budget at the end of the year, not when earned).

*  Don't know if this is very frugal but I have taken lots of produce(both from our garden and from the farm we visited)and turned them into canned veggies for use this Winter........

Here are 6 quarts of tomatoes(there is another one in the fridge)canned and processed on Wednesday.

And here are 14 pints of my secret recipe Pepper Relish I also processed that day.

Like I said, after you add in all the costs(produce, gas to get to the farm, electricity to can them, other items needed)this might not be frugal but.........
I know what goes into this stuff I can(no preservatives other than lemon juice in the maters)and with the relish, if I didn't make it, we wouldn't have it because you can't buy this stuff in a store, as nobody sells something exactly like it. ;-)

So what frugal wins did y'all have this week?

Sluggy

A Flurry of Food Shopping

I did not mean to spend the whole rest of my August food money this week but.............yep, it happened.

I needed cheese so off to Walmart we went(as they have the best price every day and no real cheese deals were to be had here this week)........

2 x Sparkle pt, 1 x Scott tp, 1 box of Sweet and Spicy tea and 3 x 2 lb. blocks of cheeses came to $25.68 after using coupons too.
I also earned $1.75 in Ibotta rebates on some of this.

Then it was off to Target(twice in two weeks!)since they had cases of water on special........

I got 6 cases of water for $1.69 each, 2 boxes of crackers on sale for $1.87 each, a jar of mayo on sale for $3.00 and 1 packet of chicken w/a 40% Cartwheel was .98¢.
I earned back $2.25 at Target on Ibotta($1.50 mayo, .50¢ chicken, .25¢ for buying any item).

I also bought 2 lbs. of 93/7 ground beef.......

$3 off discount stickers made these $2.69 each.  Not bad for 93%/7% beef.  Even better was I had free gift cards enough left that this was all FREE, zero OOP.
8-)))

I also hit Weis(PMITA)Markets on Tuesday(Senior Discount Day)for a few things and happened upon some clearance deals too.......

2 x Quacker Overnight Oats cup on sale=$3.00(and I had $1 in Qs)
2 x Del Monte peaches cups on sale=$3.54
1 x Tabasco big bottle=$3.39(and I had $1/1 Q)
6 x Snickers bars on sale B2G1Free=$4.00(and I had $3 in Qs)
2 x Tutturosso diced tomatoes on sale=$2.00

And then I found some clearance/discontinued items.....
7 x Tutturosso San Marzano whole tomatoes 50% off $1.14 can
6 x Furmano ground/peeled tomatoes 50% off .83¢
2 x Classico parmesan cheese 50% off  $3.24(cheaper than Kraft even if I had a Q for Kraft)
2 x sugar-free ZZZquil 50% off $2.74 each(and I had $1/1 Qs)

I also found some meat discounts....
1 x cut-up whole fryer chicken 2.97 lb for .71¢ lb after discount sticker
1 x Perdue B/S thighs 1.83 lb for $1.65 lb after discount sticker
1 x package sausages 1.40 lb for $1.56 lb after discount sticker

Grand Total after discounts/clearance and Qs was $55.35.

I also earned back $6.50 in Ibotta rebates($1 Tabasco, .75¢ Del Monte, $1 Quacker, .75¢ Tutturosso, $3 Weekend Warrior-buying 7 items over a certain period of time)so $48.85 after rebates too.

We also went and played field hands on Monday.....one of the hottest/muggiest days of the year.  Not the best planning on our part. lolz
We weren't out in the sun long but it seemed like forever once I had filled that mesh bag and had to haul it across the fields and up a hill back to the farm stand. UGH
We did bring home lots of fresh produce........

Fresh corn-6 ears for $3-which is already gone.

6 Japanese eggplant-3 for $1.

A huge cabbage for $2
23 lbs. of tomatoes at .40¢ a lb.(We picked these.)
19 lbs. of peppers(no green) at .60¢ a lb. (We picked these too.)
$29.60 spent OOP for all this.  Had I bought it all at the grocery store it would have run $73.99 or thereabouts.

I am about shopped and pick your owned out for this week. lolz

The August food budget has $1.80 left in it.  I got some screaming deals and didn't go over budget for the month so I am happy as a pig in sh&t! ;-)

Any good deals in your neck of the woods lately?

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Porn for This Week

Here's the R-A haul for this week.
Went to the downtown location while out with Hubs and found that store had the 4 Tums sugar-free containers I needed to finish the $10 Back Digestive Deal.

4 x Tums sugar-free on sale $3.99=$15.96
2 x 4 pack Kleenex on sale $3.99=$7.98
2 x Oxi-Clean on sale $3.99=$7.98
4 x Sally Hansen nail polish clearane priced to $2.49=$9.96
SubTotal.....$ 41.88

Coupons Used
1 x $8 off wys $40 CatalinaQ=$8.00
4 x $2/1 Tums sugar-free receiptQs=$8.00
2 x $1.50/2 Tums ManuQs=$3.00
1 x $1/4 Kleenex bundle ManuQ=$1.00
1 x .50¢/4 Kleenex bundle IPQ=.50¢
2 x $2/1 Oxi-Clean ManuQ=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Oxi-Clean R-A adQ=$2.00
Coupon Total.......$26.50

$41.88-$26.50=$15.38 + .47¢ tax=$15.85 paid for with Bonus Cash
I earned back $21.00 in new BC($10 wys $30 Tums, $1 wyb2 Kleenex, 2 x $5 wyb2 Sally Hansen)so all this was a $5.15 moneymaker.

I found bunches of Sally Hansen nail polish in a clearance bin and these also earn the $5 when you buy 2 Sally Hansen items this week.

I also bought this on a different card at that store.......

3 x lip balm clearance priced to .32¢=.96¢
1 x SH nail clearance priced to $2.24
1 x SH nail clearance priced to $1.99
SubTotal.....$5.19 + .32¢ tax=$5.51 paid for with Bonus Cash.

I earned back $5 BC for buying the 2 Sally Hansen nail polish so this transaction "spent down" the BC by .51¢.

I hit my Rite-Aid on the way home and found some E.L.F. brushes, the $1 ones that give $2 in BC when you buy 2.  With the 20% Wellness discount they cost .80¢ so a .40¢ for every 2 you buy after BC earned.
2 x $1=$2-.40¢ Wellness disc.=$1.60 and earns back $2.00 in Bonus Cash.

I got 6 brushes total, 4 on one card and 2 on another card so I am "up" $1.20 in BC on these.


Sluggy

Still Crazy After All These Years

Today marks me and Hubs 36th Wedding Anniversary.

We've been "together" for 41+ years, married for 36.

I can't believe I am this old sometimes!



I found these photos recently we took on one of our first vacations to Maine in 1989......

Proof that Hubs use to have Hair! lolz

Sluggy at the falls in Machias, Maine with a very unfortunate hair style.  ;-)

Here are what some things cost 36 years ago....

Dozen Eggs  .84¢
A Loaf of Bread  .50¢
Gallon of Milk  $2.24
Tomatoes  .39¢ lb.
US Postage Stamp .20¢
New Car  $7,983
New House  $82,200
Monthly Rent Avg. $320
Commodore VIC 20(home computer) $29.95
19" Color TV  $499

US President....Ronald Reagan
The Average Income in 1982.....$21,050
Unemployment Rate.....7.6%
Fed Interest Rates......11.50%
Inflation Rate USA....6.26%

News events from 1982........
* In Chicago 7 people killed by ingesting potassium cyanide laced Tylenol capsules
* EPCOT opened
* Dutch Elm disease destroyed millions of trees
* Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands
* The wreck of the "Mary Rose" flagship of King Henry VIII was raised to the surface after lying at the bottom of the Solent for 437 years.
*  AT&T was ordered to break-up their communications monopoly by the Justice Dept. due to na anti-trust lawsuit brought in 1974.
* Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album is released.

And speaking of music here are some songs from 1982.

1982 was all about disco, funk, rock and a resurgence of Girl Bands.

I was heavily into this group in 1982......



And this one..........



And this girl group........



1982 saw this classic tune.......



And another iconic song debuted that year.......



Another band that was big during this time.........



And the beginning of the Music Video Age saw some interesting tunes....



And here's a true classic..........



Here's a slightly disturbing music video...........



And a One Hit Wonder.........


And this tune that just keeps going and going and going......




This guy was John Cougar back then........



And this strange video and song became an ear worm to many........



And the top Billboard song of 1982........



And let's end with one of my all-time favs.......




Have a great day and have a drink for me today!

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Not Much to Share From Last Week" Edition--

I shared this on Facebook last week(I think).  Made me laugh(and cry).

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This  is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Chinese take-out

2. Monday--leftover Chinese take-out or ?

3. Tuesday--Roast Turkey Breast, Corn on cob, Stuffing, Gravy

4. Wednesday--No clue yet

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

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--No clue yet

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Chinese take-out

2. Monday--leftover Chinese take-out or other Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Roast Turkey Breast, Corn on cob, Stuffing, Gravy

4. Wednesday--Lasagna Hamburger Helper, Cuke and Tomato Salad

5. Thursday--London Broil, Eggplant in Hoisin Sauce

6. Friday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches w/Veggies
7. Saturday--Chicken Parm, Spinach Souffle

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 1 night of leftovers/fend for yourself, 1 nights of Take-Out or Eating Out.  
Lots of cooking since we didn't have many leftovers from the previous week(other than squash).
Too hot to run the oven for quiche so it's off the menu until the weather turns.

Two small trips to both Weis and the Shursave Markets and the Target trip(along with the Bread Outlet trip I forgot last week)brought the weekly food spending to $101.18 and the monthly total to $287.57.
I have 4 days left in my shopping month for August and have $112.43 left in the food budget to spend this month.  Hopefully I can stay under budget with 4 days left. ;-)

My savings percentage last week was 65.86%(without Rite-Aid trips)and August's monthly savings total comes to 58.06% so far.

Leftovers going into this week......turkey breast, gravy, eggplant in Hoisin sauce, chicken Parm, London broil and 1 pork tenderloin.

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

1. Sunday--Leftover turkey breast w/gravy, roasted broccoli

2. Monday--various meat leftovers and squash and onions

3. Tuesday--Anniversary Dinner Out(36th)

4. Wednesday--Something out of the freezer

5. Thursday--Lobster, Cole Slaw, Mac and Cheese

6. Friday--Leftovers or BLTs
7. Saturday--Pizza(homemade), Salad

This week will see 2-3 new meals cooked, 3-4 nights of leftovers/FFY, 1 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu? Lobster, Cabbage.  Lobsters are on sale this week at Price Chopper.  I do need to get cheese at Walmart(lowest reg. price and lower than sale prices at other grocers)this week too.

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