Saturday, October 19, 2019

And the Giveaway Winner Is.......

We had 85 valid Giveaway Entries this time around.
And Random dotorg picked...............


Kim N.

My husband enjoys handing out candy for Halloween. We got about 20 Trick or Treaters last year. I already purchased chocolate to give away - mainly from CVS with ecbs/coupon.
Kim N.

Congratulations Kim N.!!!
Please email me your full name and mailing address within 48 hours of this post going live and I'll get this box out to you lickety split.

Thanks to everyone who plays along on these Giveaways.
There will be at least one Giveaway in November(maybe two?!?)so stay tuned for some fun next month too. ;-)

Sluggy


Friday, October 18, 2019

Frugal Friday.....the October 18th Edition

**Don't forget that today is the last day to enter the giveaway.  Use the link HERE.  Entry ends at 11:59 pm ET tonight.**

Now let's see what passed for frugal this past week in Sluggy's World............

* I had to give Kim a ride back to Sissie's house last Friday because Sissie had to leave a day early from our trip to OC due to work.  I didn't want to have to drive in rush hour around DC to get to my brother's house so I spent the night so no motel bill.

* When I left the next morning to go to my brother's house in VA I left 2 items.....a small package of country ham biscuit slices in the fridge and a bottle of Tums which fell off the nightstand and I forgot to pick up.  So Sissie is ham and antacid richer.
But I am mustard richer..........

Sissie had brought a cooler full of food to OC and somehow this got thrown into one of my bags by mistake and I didn't find it until I got home to PA on Wednesday.
I guess it's an even trade. lolz

*  I used 2 gift cards and 1 coupon while on vacation--I took Kim out to breakfast at IHOP(gcard)when we left OC, my brother and sister in-law to dinner at Cracker Barrel(gcard)and my son and his GF to dinner at Bob Evan's(coupon).

*   I found money!
On Sunday my brother, his wife and I went to Aldi.


I spied an un-corralled cart outside which yielded a free quarter when we were done shopping.
I also spied 2 pennies in a closed checkout and had to stoop under the strap across the lane to pick them up.


On Monday my brother took me out for breakfast at the Huddle House(like a Waffle House).  On the sidewalk outside I found a penny.


Also on Monday I did some laundry at my brother's house and I found this penny on the floor under their laundry sorter thing.


On Wednesday I fueled up by my son's apartment at a 7/11 and found a penny by the gas pump.



And when I stopped again for gas in Carlisle PA I found another penny by that gas pump.

On Thursday Hubs and I went to our local McDonald's as they were having a giveaway for their re-opening.


I found a dime in the dining room.


When I went back to the car I spied 13¢ in the drive-thru lane and scurried over to pick that dime and 3 pennies up and I didn't get run over. lolz

That makes .34¢ in found change for this past week.

*  The Giveaway at our local McDonald's I mentioned above..........


I won a pair of socks and Hubs won a free beverage.

*  Here are all the freebies I gleaned from our stay in Ocean City...........

Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, sugar packets, a coffee pod, soap, tea bags, marmalade packets and a tiny dish soap bottle.
Not pictured is the fist full of make-up remover wipes I gave to Kim. ;-)

*  My brother paid for my lunch last Sunday.........


A $1.50 hot dog with soda at Costco.
We are a family of big spenders evidently.......lolz

*  I brought Kim and Sissie's Xmas presents with me(wrapped and labeled), as well as my brother and his wife's Xmas presents and hand delivered them all in person.  This saved me a butt load of postage on mailing it all in December, especially Kim's box since she has the temerity to live clear across the country from me! ;-)

* Hubs didn't do any grocery shopping this past week(he's not a fan of shopping and grocery stores anyway)so no grocery spending other than the few things I bought while on my trip.(Report on that coming soon.)

That's about it from here for the week.


What frugal wins did you have this past week?
Let us know all about it.

Sluggy





Thursday, October 17, 2019

I'm Home & Exhausted

Give me today to recuperate and unpack the car before I start posting again.


I am home but feeling like a Mack truck ran me over after the stress and anxiety of yesterday.  Lots of driving in high traffic cities then a day spent driving through a Bomb Cyclone to get home.
Ugh.

Add in that Kim wore me out for 4 days, then spending 4 days with my brother and 3/4 of a day with my eldest son.
I haven't even unloaded the car yet.
Plus I need to shoot up today(Humira)....oh the fun never ends, does it? lolz

Back on Friday with the Frugal Report.

Sluggy

Monday, October 14, 2019

This Week on the Dining Table

The "New Experiences" Edition................


My brother, ever the big spending, took me out for lunch on Sunday.  The photo above plus a soda was lunch......at Costco.  My first ever Costco dog.
He knows how to treat a gal with style, doesn't he? lolz

Moving On....
Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--
1. Sunday--No Clue
2. Monday--No Clue
3. Tuesday--No Clue
4. Wednesday--No Clue
5. Thursday--No Clue
6. Friday--No Clue
7. Saturday--No Clue

And this is what actually happened at home per Hubs info--
1. Sunday--FFY
2. Monday--Cheeseburgers, Salad
3. Tuesday--Beef Pie Leftovers
4. Wednesday--Lasagna w/Peas??? 8-P
5. Thursday--Teriyaki Chicken Thighs, Brussels Sprouts, a mystery carb dish since I KNOW Hubs and left to his own devices there will be a starch.
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Leftovers

Meanwhile in OC here is what dinners looked like--
Sunday--Fish Dinner at Waterman's
Monday--late lunch of Fajitas at Applebee's and nibbles back at the hotel for dinner
Tuesday--Take-out Fried Chicken, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Mashed Taters w/Gravy
Wednesday--Greek Salad at Abi's Diner
Thursday--Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread at Sissie's house
Friday--Cheeseburger and pickles at Brother's house
Saturday--late lunch of Sampler Platter at Cracker Barrel

Last week saw 2 night of home cooked dinners, 0 nights of leftovers/ffy, and 5 nights of Eating Out/Take-Out for me.

What got put into the freezer last week.....
* Nothing
Hubs didn't grocery shop.

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week at home.....
* 1 bag of peas
* a bag of mozzarella cheese
* Teriyaki chicken thighs
* a bag of Brussels Sprouts
* 4 hamburger patties

No trips to any grocery stores brought the weekly spending to $0.00 and my October spending on food to $108.97 so far this month.  I spent a bit on vacation and I'll add that in when I get home.

My savings percentage last week was 0%(without Rite-Aid trips)and October's monthly savings total comes in at 45.06%(w/out R-A).

I have 17 more food shopping/spending days in October.

Leftovers going into this week at home......Lasagna.

Here is this week's "food plan" at home.....
1. Sunday--No Clue
2. Monday--No Clue
3. Tuesday--No Clue
4. Wednesday--No Clue
5. Thursday--No Clue
6. Friday--No Clue
7. Saturday--No Clue

This week Hubs and Ex-College Boy are on their own as far as meals go until I get back.

What needs buying for this menu?  Again, don't know, don't care. hehehe

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  

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Frugal Friday......the October 11th Edition--On Sunday

Here's the frugaliciousness that went on this past week in Sluggy's World.......

*  I went to Weis a week ago this past Friday............


The tissues were the Friday Freebie that week.  Of course I picked out a purple box. lol

The Celentano items were BOGOFree and I used a Q as well.
The Asian items were all on 50% clearance as was the Mrs. Renfroe's salsa.

* On Saturday Hubs and I attended the annual church auction we go to each year near our house.

We got lots of restaurant, gas and car services, and a grocery store gift cards/certificates to places we frequent/spend money anyway.  We also won a gift card to a new to us pub we wanted to try.
We don't bid on many "things" anymore but Hubs did win a metric ratchet set as he only has the US type.  I won a basket of home canned relishes/jellies and a Dr. Scholl's foot spa thing(got it dirt cheap).
I don't know how much we saved on the reg. retail of these gift cards/things but I'll figure that out when I get home.
We kept the spending on this under $250 too.  I budgeted $300 so that was a win in and of itself.

*  I found money!

This penny was found under the Weis self-checkout machine I used on Friday.

And this penny was found in Rite-Aid when I went to pick-up an Rx.

This is my new to me computer bag.  Hubs had 2 of his old computer bags from work in the donate pile.  I asked Ex-CB if he could use one so he took the nicer one.  I also needed a better computer bag so I took this one that was left.
When I got to Ocean City and started unpacking my machine I heard a jingling noise in the pocket.



This .68¢ in change was in that pocket.  Hubs was going to unknowingly throw away this money!
It's a good thing I rescued that bag and this cash, right?

It also put me .68¢ ahead in the Found Money competition with Kim while in OC.
Kim was fit to be tied! lolz


I didn't find any more money until the end of our time in OC.  After Sissie went home Kim and I joined forces and had 'fun our way" and ended up splitting $1.64 in found change on Wednesday. 8-)))


Also on Wednesday I found 1¢ at Ollie's(the shiny one)and another 1¢ on the wooden walkway over the dune to the beach on Assateague Island(the sand encrusted one).
All together I am $1.54 richer for the week. ;-)

*  I got a good deal on the hotel room in Ocean City.  October is the off season but it's still really warm(I think it hit 80 degrees one day while we were there), the rates are about 1/4 of what they charge for an oceanfront balcony room and best of all, NO tourists!!!  You would know what a blessing this is if you have ever been to OC during the high season. lolz

                                The view from our balcony.

The room was a suite with a sofa bed, chair and tv in the sitting area and had a full kitchen.  We brought some groceries and hit a grocery store for more food so we didn't have to pay the outrageous OC prices at restaurants there(unless we wanted to).  The hotel had an indoor pool and a hot tub which we availed ourselves of most nights.
And we split the cost of the room 3 ways so it was quite affordable for everyone.

*  We hit the outlets.
Hubs and Ex-CB both wanted me to get them some shoes if I found good deals.  I found Hubs some Converse but they only had one pair in his size and they were running a BOGO50% sale there.


So I was forced to buy myself these awesome Crocs at that store and they were 50% off. ;-)

*  While stopping at Mickey D's to get Kim a Diet Coke on Wednesday I spied an old newspaper in an abandoned high chair in the dining room there.


There was a coupon insert in the bowels of that paper.  I took the insert since no one was there and the newspaper was abandoned.
A free Q insert?
Yes, please!

*  I received $1(for the Celentano items)in my Ibotta account last week.

*  I sold 2 items on eBay and shipped them out(well Hubs shipped one out for me)before going to OC.


This out of production afghan throw from the late 1990's.....I accepted an offer of $30 on it.

And this pair of new in the box, long discontinued style skater shoes, I listed at $125 and accepted an offer of $100 on.

Back in 2009 I hit a really good clearance sale on 6pm dotcom and bought Ex-College Boy 5 pairs of this color/style skate shoe in various sizes as his feet were still growing(as well as the rest of him).
When I dug out his old closet I found this pair that he never wore(I guess he got tired of this style/color after awhile lol)so I reclaimed them and put them on eBay.  This is a high end skate shoe company, the style was discontinued/retired years ago and they had been endorsed by an old skating pro so I knew I could sell them and make a few dollars.
The best part was I had only paid $10 for them on clearance so $100 was a really nice profit and one more thing outta my house!! 8-)))

That's all from here for the week.


What frugal wins did y'all have this past week?
Let us know!

Sluggy