This Week on the Dining Table

The "How the Mighty Have Fallen From Grace" Edition.........

Poor old Mario Batali.  Once the darling of the food world until his sexist ways were brought to light in the #MeToo scandals.
Hubs and I were in the Amish discount grocery outlet late Summer and saw this sad, slightly crushed box of Mario branded spaghetti sitting on a shelf there, priced at 49¢.  I am sure before Mario's career hit the skids this baby went for big money.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Chicken Fajitas

3. Tuesday--Leftovers or FFY

4. Wednesday--Potato crusted Cod, Cole Slaw, Veggie TBD

5. Thursday--Chicken and Chile Enchiladas

6. Friday--Beef Goulash, Rice, Spinach Souffle
7. Saturday--FFY(Fend for Yourself)

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Chicken Enchiladas

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Chicken Fajitas

5. Thursday--Hot Dogs, Beans, Potato Salad

6. Friday--Chicken Tenders, leftover Potato Salad, Mac and Cheese
7. Saturday--Pork Tenderloin sandwiches w/LTO(lett., tom., onion).

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 0 nights of Eating Out.  
The fish and the goulash didn't happen.  The hot dogs were a last minute meal(didn't take stuff out to prep in time so needed something quick and easy)and the pork sandwiches happened as I got that deal on a big hunk of pork.

 A flurry of grocery shopping at the Bread Outlet, a little bit at Ollie's and 2 med. sized trips to Weis brought the weekly food spending to $104.18 and brought the November total to $104.18.

I have 25 days left in my shopping month for November.

My savings percentage last week was 49.65%(without Rite-Aid trips)and November's monthly savings total comes to 49/65%(w/out R-A)so far.

Leftovers going into this week......1 helping rigatoni w/meat sauce and fajitas filling, 1 enchilada, 2 hot dogs, 1 helping beans, 2 pork tenderloins(need cooking). Not enough to feed a family(everyone the same thing)so this will all be lunch fodder for this week(mostly Hubs will eat it all).

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

1. Sunday--Chicken Marsala, Rice 

2. Monday--Meatloaf, Baked Potato, Salad

3. Tuesday--Beef Goulash w/Sweet Taters, Noodles

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Roast Chicken, Veggie TBD

6. Friday--Fish, Cole slaw, Broccoli, Fries
7. Saturday--Chili w/Beans, Cornbread

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 night of leftovers/FFY, 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu? More mushrooms and broccoli.  That's it. 
A good deal of beef roast, ground beef, BSCB, frozen fish(and that whole chicken I bought last week) will be utilized and free up a bit of freezer space.

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  

Weis Shopping Last Week........

I went to Weis on Wednesday before the sales ad changed so I could get a pork tenderloin for $1.47 lb.(great price here!).  I bought all this.......

5 x Borden shredded cheese on sale=$10($2 each wyb5)
2 x Capn Crunch cereal on sale=$3.14
2 x Quaker Oatmeal on sale=$3.14
1 x Trop. OJ on sale=$1.57
1 x Hatfield Pork Teriyaki Loin on sale=$6.00
2 x John F Martin Beef Franks on sale=$9.00
1 x whole Pork Tenderloin(9.13 lbs.)=$13.42
2 x Cape Cod chips on sale=$5.00 *not pictured
2 x Spring Mix Salad bags on sale=$5.00 *not pictured
2 x Smithfield fresh deli lunchmeat on sale=$6.00
SubTotal......$62.27

Coupons Used
2 x $1.50/2 Borden cheese ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $1/2 Quaker Oatmeal items ManuQ=$1.00
2 x $2/1 Instant discount sticker on hot dogs=$4.00
1 x .50¢/1 Fresh Express storeQ=.50¢
1 x $1/1 instant discount sticker on 1 lunchmeat=$1.00
Coupon Total......$9.50

$52.77 OOP

I also earned back $7.60 in Ibotta rebates to put toward the grocery spending in Dec.


Then I went back on Friday(Fantastic and Freebie Friday)and bought all this......

1 x Weis Waffles the Friday Freebie=$0.00
1 x Argo cornstarch on sale=$1.
1 x Weis cornstarch=$1.31
4 x Weis eggs on sale .99¢=$3.96

1 x Scott TP FFriday Deal=$4.00
1 x Scott PTowels FFriday Deal=$4.00

They also had a bin full of Goya products for 50% off so I scarfed up a few of those.....

4 x Goya corn oil 50% off=$5.96
2 x Goya EVOO 50% off=$3.58
2 x Goya hot sauce 50% off=$1.88
2 x Goya Bouillon 50% off=$1.18
2 x Goya white beans 50% off=$1.98
2 x Goya pink beans 50% off=$1.58

I also got 2 bags of potatoes for $5.00 *not pictured*

Total before Qs was $36.44.
I had a $1/1 Scott tp Q and a $1/1 Scott paper towels Q plus a $2/2 Scott digital Q loaded to my loyalty card came off so the paper products cost me $2 each(!)and my total OOP was $32.44.

I got $1 cash back at Ibotta for buying the Scott tp and .25¢ for buying eggs so another $1.25 in rebates.

And I have $16.16 spent toward a Spend $25/Get $5 cash back on SavingStar for all that Goya.  If there is anything left when I go back to Weis this week I might get a bit more Goya.

Sometimes the Fantastic Friday Deals are worth going for and other times not.  This week it was worth the trip.


Sluggy

Rite-Aid This Week.........

I had a Save $8 wyspend $50 in one transaction Catalina that expired on Saturday so I did a little Rite-Aid shopping on Wednesday.........

9 x Pantene shampoos/conditioners on sale but Wellness disc. was less $3.99 each=$35.91
2 x Olay body wash on sale=$10.98
2 x Secret deodorant BOGO50%=$9.73
SubTotal......$56.62

Coupons Used
1 x $8 wyspend $50 CatalinaQ=$8.00
2 x $5/3 Pantene ManuQ=$10.00
1 x $5/3 Pantene L2CQ=$5.00
2 x $1/1 Olay body Wash ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Secret deodorant ManuQ=$2.00
Coupon Total......$27.00

But then a $1/1 Secret L2CQ also came off so $28.00 in Qs off.

$56.62-$28.00=$28.62+$1.68 tax=$30.30 paid for with Bonus Cash.
I earned back $16 in new BC($10 wyspend $30 select P&G, $6 wyspend $20 select P&G).

I earned $36.62 toward the "Spend $50 on select P & G beauty products-Venus/Secret/Pantene/Olay/Ivory/Safeguard, Get a $15 prepaid Visa card.  If I can figure out a way to get to $50(after Qs used)cheaply I'll "buy" more stuff and send for that Deal.

I also earned $46.89 toward a R-A Deal(spend $50 on select "beauty" products, Get $10 R-A gift card).

So I went back to R-A on Friday and bought this.........

1 x Tresemme hair mister on clearance for $3.49.
I used a L2CQ for $2/1 hair mist and paid $1.58 w/tax using Bonus Cash.
That put me over $50 and I earned this on my receipt...........

Cashed it in for a $10 Rite-Aid gift card.

Total BC spent was $31.88, total earned back $16 BC plus a $10 R-A gift card so "spend down" was  $5.88.

Sluggy

Price Chopper Shopping

I hit Price Chopper this week for a little grocery shopping.
They had some good in-ad coupons and a special on mushrooms(which hardly ever go on sale here at a good price).

Before I bought anything I purchased $50 in select gift cards to earn a $10 OYNO Catalina.
But I didn't see the Catalina print so I went to the customer service desk and they gave me a $10 PC gift card.
I then went and bought the groceries......

I had planned to get 2 x the 24 oz. mushroom packs for $3.99 but they had older 12 oz. packs marked with $1.50 instant discount stickers so I bought 2 of those and it was $2.98 for both after the discount(so cheaper than the larger sale priced packs).  I only used those two packs on a dinner this past week and will do something this coming week w/the rest of the mushrooms.

The 2 x OJ had $1 off instant stickers on them so were $2 each after sale and stickers.

The whole roasting chickens were a Q item and was .59¢ per lb.

The 2L of soda was another Q item deal and was .49¢.

The pineapple juice was reg. price but I used a .75¢/1 ManuQ that doubled to $1.50 off so that was .89¢.

The Kind bars were $1.99 each and I earned a $2 rebate so both cost me $1.98 after that.

The Fiber One bars were a Q item deal(1 for. .99¢ w/Q)so $2.98 for both(second one was $1.99).  I used a .50¢/2 ManuQ(which doubled to $1 off)so both were a total of $1.98).

The chobani flips were another Q item deal(buy 10, use Q and pay .79¢ each)so $7.90 for 10.
I used 2 x $1/4 Chobani items ManuQ and also used the 2 PC Doubler Qs on those ManuQs so it took $4 off the yogurts, meaning I paid $3.90 for all 10 yogurts or .39¢ each.

I also bought 2 x Panko house brand containers, a bag of grapes and a 6 pack of Snapples for the Daughter.

I used the $10 PC gift card and paid $27.80 OOP.
Not bad.

Then when I got home I found this in the bag with the gift cards.........

Oops!   I guess the $10 Catalina did print out after all but the cashier jammed it into the bag so fast I missed it.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday...........the November 2nd Edition

Let's see what frugalisciousness went on at Chez Sluggy this week...........

* I found more change last weekend while we were out shopping!

1¢ in the Ollie's parking lot and 1¢ in the Rite-Aid parking lot.  At this rate, if I live to be 250 years old I may amass a million dollars. lolz

I almost didn't get the penny at Ollie's.....there was only one checkout open and a very long line and I had spied the penny waaaay ahead.  They opened a second checkout which we were shunted over to so I couldn't just get to the penny and surreptitiously pick it up.  After we checked out I had to walk back up the first checkout line and bend over in front of everyone and pick it up. I have no shame evidently,....Kim is rubbing off on me. lolz

*  I am still harvesting garden goodies!

Everything is dead out there except my oregano as we haven't had a good,, hard frost yet.  Here is what I've dried so far in a quart jar.  I doubt if I'll get this jar filled up but I'll be picking/stripping/drying some more oregano this weekend.

*  I earned $17.38 in cash rebates this past week.
$13.38 on Ibotta(including $3.50 in bonuses)and $4 on SavingStar.(I've pretty much given up on Checkout51.)

*  I got the Weis Freebie last Friday.........

Or rather I sent Hubs to get it.  A free whipped topping aka fake whipped cream.  I prefer the real stuff but Ex-College Boy will be more than happy to put this on his pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving.  8-)

*  Last weekend at Walmart I happened upon 5 items of garden food for $1 each.

It's all tucked away in the shed until Spring and will save me lots getting the garden going next season.

*   While we were in New England somewhere, our mailbox at home was run over and demolished.......

A neighbor's pick-up truck was idling in his driveway, the gear somehow slipped into neutral and his truck rolled down said driveway into the road, crossed the road, went between our street sign and a tree on our property, collided with our mailbox, swerved and just missed Hubs car(which we had gotten back just before leaving on this trip from the accident our son had with it)then crossed our street and hit the large pine tree on another neighbor's property across our street and next to the neighbor directly across from us.
Yikes!

So after Hubs and Kim's Hubby tried to fix the post(it didn't work), Hubs went and got a new mailbox and post and put installed it all.
The neighbor responsible for the carnage has a bad back so he couldn't help to do the work.

Said neighbor came over this past week and paid for the new mailbox.......

This will go right into the bank to cover those costs on our credit card this month.
And then said neighbor gave Hubs this...........

A $50 gift card because he couldn't help do the work and as an apology for being a bad neighbor. ;-)

Ok, that's about it this week other than the usual frugal stuff we do every week.

Tell us about the frugal wins  you had this past week?

Sluggy