This Week on the Dining Table

The "Ready for Company" Edition--

All systems are go and I am ready for Kim's arrival! lolz

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This  is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Breakfast for Dinner

2. Monday--Leftovers or BLTs

3. Tuesday--Ravioli in Sauce w/Sausage, Salad

4. Wednesday--Tacos or Taco Salads

5. Thursday--Chowder, Bread

6. Friday--Pizza, Caesar Salad
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Breakfast for Dinner

2. Monday--Chinese Take-Out

3. Tuesday--Ravioli in Sauce w/Sausage, Salad

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Cheese Steaks

6. Friday--Homemade Pizza
7. Saturday--Leftovers

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 night of leftovers/fend for yourself/tv dinners, 1 night of Take-Out or Eating Out.  
We got another spat of unseasonably hot weather so Monday we got take-out and the tacos and chowder didn't happen this week.  I had roast beef that needed eating so Cheese Steaks happened instead on Thursday. No one wanted salad with the pizza either.

Nobody offered to cook this week for me. **sad face**

Two trips to Weis, a trip to Giant and a trip to the Surplus Grocery Outlet brought the weekly food spending to $131.58 and brought the monthly total to $418.79.
I have 6 days left in my shopping month for September and have -$18.79 left in the food budget. lolz  I need to get some things this week, plus I found my Walmart receipt from earlier in the month that I didn't record(sigh)so I am hoping to stay under $500 now for the month.

October will be all about being austere with the budget and using up what we have and buying very little grocery shopping other than milk, fresh produce.  I've got to reign it in for a month and October will be that month!  Usually there are no great grocery store deals around here in Oct. and things heat up in November for holiday deals and food buying.

My savings percentage last week was 56.36%(without Rite-Aid trips)and September's monthly savings total came to 54.42%.

Leftovers going into this week......2 ears of corn, fettuccine Alfredo, potato salad, ravioli w/sauce, pizza.  Little bits of these things.

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

1. Sunday--Hamburgers on Rolls w/Tomato, Fries

2. Monday--Fish, Mac and Cheese, Brussels Sprouts

3. Tuesday--Beer Brats, Grilled Onions, Veggie TBD

4. Wednesday--Tacos

5. Thursday--BBQ sandwiches, Cole Slaw

6. Friday--Eating Out
7. Saturday--Eating Out

This week will see 5 new meals cooked, 0 nights of leftovers/FFY, 2 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu?Lettuce(maybe), milk.

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

Blog Business--Giveaways....Are You on the List?

Ok, I've got a few folks entering the giveaway who I have NO contact information for again.
If you aren't on the master list then I don't have your email info and your entry is NOT valid.

Specifically at the moment I am talking to the following people......
* Jamie Wilmer
* Mimi of "Life Drawings" blog
* Mallory of "frugal&awesome" blog
* "Jean" who left a comment on 9/22 Sunday.

You all need to email me so I have that email attached to your names or you can't win and your entries will be deleted.
My email is on the right side bar under "About Me" on the blog.
Or leave your email information in a comment on the Giveaway post and I can add you to the Master List of folks who enter my giveaways.

Here is the updated list of folks arranged alphabetically by first name/nom de plume.
If you aren't on here and you wish to enter giveaways then contact me.

Sluggy

GIVEAWAY EMAIL LIST 

Alice Williams

Amanda 

Amber R

“American Dreamer” 

Amy Walter 

Annamarie Voss 

“Anne in the Kitchen” 

Angie

Barbara 

Barbara G

Barbara S 

Belinda R

“Bellasmom"

Bobbie 

Bonnie Swanson 

Carol Pavlick 

Carolsue 

Cheryl Soergel 

“chopf” 

Chris T

Coleen C

Crystal Hankey 

cskies 

CT Bargain Mom

CT MOM

Dana Matthews 

D.A. Vick 

Debbie 

Debbie S

Deb G. CT

Diane 

Donna F

Elena Pendell “Ellie” 

“farmgirl”

Frances Moseley

Gaby “violinista” 

Gayle Binkley

Gerry T

Grammy Goodwill 

Gwendolyn Jordan

Heather H Temp 

Heather McC

“j.rontal” 

Janet Mendonca 

Janie Junebug 

Jean Lange 

Jen G.

Jenifer Rigby

Jess

Jessica Fletcher-Fiero 

JoAnn

Joyce 

Julie M.
Jull

Kathi Davis in FL 

Kathy Sheffield

“kat kaz” 

Kelly M. 

Kim H. 
Kim N.

Kimberly 

Laura H.

Laurie 

Linda "lindvXXX"

Linda “practical parsimony” 

Lisa C “ladybug” 

Lisa R

Lori R

Lorraine 

“Lucy-A Dime at a Time” 

Lucy 

“Making Cents of it All"

Marcia 

Marcia C “miserly mac”

Marie Galtier 

Mary G

Mary L

“McVal” 

Melissa Storms 

Meme “Ellen” 

Meredith M 

Michelle 

Michelle D

Michelle H

“nives” 

“pamintexas” 

Pamela J 

Patti

Patti or Precious People Preschool 

Patti 
Peggy Lineberry

Rachel D

Ranee Milliman in MN 

“Rhitter” 

“rivulet”

Rosemary Ford

“SAM” 

Sandi 

Sandie in CT 

“seyrey” 

Sheila Womack “Sheila”

Shirley 

“sparky136” 

Sue "sweetiesuzy"

Susan Lasker “Sue” 

Susan Steiner “SMS” 

Susanna Smith 

Tebble 

Teddie 

Tammy 

Terri S. 
"thriftmaven"

”Urspo” 

“vaj” 

VanessaKC

“wondrfluf” 

Wendi

Wendy Clark 

Frugal Friday.....the September 21st Edition

Let's see what frugalness went on here at Chez Sluggy this past week.......

*  I visited a couple different Rite-Aid stores this week(along with my own)to use up my Always Discreet Qs before they expired.........

 This transaction "cost" $12.60 in Bonus Cash and earned back $21.00 in new BC.

This transaction "cost" $20.16 in Bonus Cash and earned back $24 in new BC.

This transaction "cost" $17.50 in Bonus Cash and earned back $21 in new BC.
I have now maxed out the Always Discreet monthly deal on all 3 cards and have grown my BC a little bit in preparation for the Holiday Deals at R-A.
The Always pads and liners will be distributed thusly....given to the food bank(they take toiletry items and household goods), my sister in-law(who uses these)and some will stay here(because I am getting "that" old). lolz

*  I earned $11.70 in grocery cash rebates this past week, $10.45 on Ibotta and $1.25 on SavingStar.

*  Did the Mix and Match "Buy 6/Get $3 Off Instantly Deal" at Weis on Wednesday by buying this.........

4 x Perdue breaded chicken
5 x LOL butter tubs
2 x Breyer's ice cream
1 x Talenti dairy free ice cream
Cost before sale prices.....$44.52
Cost after sale prices......$31.92
Cost after coupons......$24.52
Cost after Qs/Instant $6 Off...$18.52(no tax)

I also did a Hormel Deal(did the chili in 3 transactions so all my Qs would double).....

10 x Hormel chili on sale $2 each=$20.00
Used 5 x .55¢/2 chili Qs which doubled to $1.10=$5.50
Paid $14.50
Got a $5 OYNO Catalina Q for spending $20 on select Hormel/Coke items.

I also found a bunch of clearance items on that trip(which were all at least 50% off).......

Lime Jello-large boxes
Orange Jello
Vanilla Pudding
Mounds dark chocolate Pudding
Furman's tomatoes with ancho chiles and cumin(will be great in taco meat filling!)
Reese's pieces for baking(small size bits)

*  Still picking tomatoes from the garden(as well as the lurking zucchini)......

We are up to over 102 lbs. for the Season with a few more tomatoes out there still to come.

*  Speaking of tomatoes, I used the previous week's batch to make pasta sauce with sausage which we had on Monday night with cheese ravioli. Nom Nom Nom


*  Last Friday the Freebie at Weis was an 8 oz. block of  cheese, which I of course went to get......

Free cheese?  Yes, please!!  8-)))
Don't forget to check your grocery store freebie this week!  Even if it's something you won't/don't use, you can always give it to the food bank or when some organization comes around to collect for the hungry/needy. ;-)

*  We went to the Grocery Outlet yesterday in the town West of us while we were out and about.........

Best deals were...
--Martin's tortilla chips, 3 bags for $5 or $1.67 per bag
--Stacey's bagel chips, .50¢ per bag
--Heinz Ginormous can of NE clam chowder(6-8 servings)for $1.99  I can't make clam chowder from scratch for that price!


*  While we were in that town, I finally used a $25 Giant gift card I've had for a few years(won it at an auction).........

They had a Spend $20 get $5 off Instantly Deal too on Hormel and Chi-Chi's products.  12 items came to $20 I used $5.20 in Qs(only the first of a specific Q doubles at Giant so 2 of my Hormel Qs didn't double)and the Instant $5 off gave me $10.20 in discounts making it $9.80 OOP for all 12 items.
They also had a "buy 5 select GM cereals/Get $5 off Instantly Deal".  Each box was $3 so 5 boxes came to $15.  I had 5 x .50¢/1 GM cereal Qs(1 was a duplicate so only 4 doubled to $1), so $4.50 in Qs and $5 off instantly gave me $9.50 in discounts making it $5.50 OOP for all 5 boxes.

The Starbucks coffee was on sale for $5.99 when you bought 3.  I had no Qs but I got back $1.65 per bag on Ibotta so the coffee after rebates was $13.02 or $4.34 per bag.

I also bought a Hellman's ketchup on sale for $2.99.  I got $1.50 on an Ibotta rebate and since I now bought 1 Hellman's mayo and a Hellman's ketchup I received a bonus $1.50 on Ibotta as well, making this ketchup -.01¢  ;-)

I also found a meat markdown of boneless skinless chicken breasts for $5.07(4.29 lbs. so $1.18 per lb.)and 2 packs of Johnsonville breakfast sausage patties marked down from $3.99 to $1.59.

After sale prices, coupons, instant discounts and my $25 gift card I spent $19.11 OOP and earned back $9.20 in Ibotta/SavingStar rebates on this shop so $9.91 spent in the end.

*  I did NOT buy anything at the big online fat lady website 50% off everything sale this week.  Yes, I put lots of stuff in my virtual shopping cart but I left everything in there and let the sale expire.  Sure, I would have liked a few new clothing items but I have not lost enough weight yet to justify so many new clothes and I still have a few things I bought during the last sale in the Spring that I haven't even worn(well, I really haven't gone anywhere since buying them either lolz)! 
Sure, we have the $$$ but it's not a need at this point, just a want so I didn't spend anything on that.

That's all I can think of this week.

What frugal wins did you have this past week?


Sluggy

Interesting Article on Genealogy/DNA

I saw this article and found it interesting enough to share here.

ARTICLE HERE

Seems mathematically that everyone alive is related to every one else at some level.
See?  Me being related to friends/practically all the people I know is NOT so bizarre and out of the question. lolz

As the guy says in the article,"Charlemagne for Everyone!"

Supposedly from the research I have done the closest I have come to being descended from Charlemagne is that he is the 34th x Great Grandfather of the Husband of my 1st Cousin 8 x removed(Susannah Stith-c.1752 to 1802).

I have found my link to William the Conqueror(28th Great Grandfather-c.1028 to 1087)and a famous Viking named
Rollo or Rollon or Ganger-HrÓlf(33rd Great Grandfather-c.860 to c.930 ad)Spelling depends on which language you take his name from.

I guess it makes senses now that I take such a thrill from pillaging Rite-Aid....it's in my genes!  8-)))


Sluggy

When Family Lines Intersect

Sometimes I think about that silly children's song, "I Am My Own Grandpa" when I consider my maternal ancestry.

Seems like I am always running into branches that double back on themselves.

For instance I just found that I am related to a specific family surname of OVERBY or OVERBEE by marriage through both my maternal Grandmother AND my maternal Grandfather's lines.

This Overby line goes back to John Overby.  Before 1860 his middle name was given as Wesley, perhaps named after John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism.
Currently no one has the definitive answer to where John was born....some say England, some say North Carolina.  All the records that can be found have him living in Wake County, North Carolina his entire life.....except for during the Civil War.
Family oral tradition is that John had a small plantation in North Carolina before heading off to fight the Yankees.  He was a POW for 4 years and had a hand crippled by a musket ball.

John Overby came home after the war to find his property had been confiscated and his 1st wife was dead.  Indications are that the wife, Catharine Cunningham Overby had died around 1855.  The 1860 census seems to support that Catharine died prior to 1860 as John and 4 children are listed in the same household in 1860, but no Catharine.  This means that John lost his wife about 10 years before the war.

After the war John Overby married again, to Elizabeth Frances "Betty" Cannada or Canady.  John also gains a new middle initial, "D." and many speculate that the "D" stands for David or Davidson.
John and Betty went on to have five children-twin sons Charles David and John David, Rosanna, Robert Clingman and William Burton.

My cousin Ruby....in the center of this photo(in jean jacket)......

had a brother Warren Rayford Sublett who died in 2017.  Ruby and Rayford are/were my mother's 1st cousins so my 1st cousins 1 x removed.  This connection is through my mother's father, Wirt Harper and his sister, Ollie Harper.  Ruby is Ollie's daughter and my mom was Wirt's daughter so my connection is through my maternal grandfather.

                               Warren Rayford Sublett

Rayford married a woman named Barbara Wills Overby.  Barbara's father was Clifton Lee Overby and Clifton's father was William Burton Overby, John D Overby's youngest child, making Barbara the great granddaughter of John Overby.  This link makes me related to the Overbys through marriage to my 1st cousin 1 x removed, Rayford Sublett.

While noodling around on my maternal grandmother's side of the family, I was filling in another of my mom's cousins' branches.  Mom's mom, my grandmother Lillian Vassar Harper had a sister Rosabel Vassar(my Great Aunt)who married Raymond Foster(Raymond is also related to me not only trhough marriage but directly through my 3 x Great Grandfather Wesley Baxter Foster, so my 2nd cousin 2 x removed).  Their second child was Hilda Janet Foster. 

Hilda dancing with her cousin's husband back in 2014 at the Family Reunion.
Hilda passed away in early 2016.
Hilda and my mom were quite close as children and remained close throughout their lives.

Cousin Hilda Foster's third husband(she had four)was Kenneth Sledd.  Kenneth's first wife was Barbara Ann Fuller.  This Barbara's parents were William Henry Fuller and Hattie Sue Overby.
There's that Overby surname again!

Hattie's parents were Martha Chitty and Charles David Overby.  Charles David was one of the twin son's of none other than John Overby and Betty Cannada/Canady.
This makes me relate by marriage to the same Overby family through Hilda Foster, my 1st cousin 1 x removed.
So through my maternal grandfather AND my maternal grandmother lines I am related by marriage to the same Overby family line.

And to just make things more confusing....how can it possibly get worse!?...lolz....I see that Barbara Ann Fuller second husband was John Robert Couch Jr..

John's father was Cleveland Mason Harper.  Hmmmm, I already had Cleveland Harper's father, Richard Washington Harper on my tree but it's not "my" direct Harper line.

Every time I find an answer it leads to new questions.  ;-)

Any interesting discoveries in your family tree lately?


Sluggy