This Week on the Dining Table

The "It's the Most Busiest Time of the Year" Edition................

I haven't posted this past weekend because well, Christmas!, and all the added work it involves.  Plus trying to get end of year stuff done(medical, financial, etc.)and did I mention my daughter is getting married 12 days from now too??
Yeah, I'm overwhelmed a bit.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Pecan crusted Chicken, leftover mixed veggies
2. Monday--Pizza, Salad
3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Kielbasa Sandwiches, Beans

5. Thursday--Salmon, Risotto, Roasted Carrots

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Ravioli, Salad

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Pecan crusted Chicken, leftover mixed veggies
2. Monday--Pizza, Salad
3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Kielbasa Sandwiches, Beans

5. Thursday--Chinese take-out

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

Last week saw 3 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/ffy, and 1 night of Eating Out/Take-Out(but a lunch out).  The salmon and ravioli meals didn't happen because of so many leftovers left and I wasn't feeling like cooking on Thursday so we got take-out.

What got put into the freezer last week.....

* 2 packs Nathan's hot dogs
* 2 Hatfield ham steaks
* 1 pack shrimp skewers
* 2 lb. butter
* 1 loaf garlic bread
* 2 packs bacon
* 2 boxes sausage biscuit sammies
* 2 rolls breakfast sausage
* 2 packs chicken meatballs

What got taken out of the freezer and used.....
* 2 Pizzas
* frozen Mixed Veggies
* a hunk of Kielbasa

Small trips to Weis, Wenger's, Walmart, P&R and Ollie's brought the weekly spending to $108.08 and my December spending on food to $289.40 so far.

My savings percentage last week was 62.01%(without Rite-Aid trips)and December's monthly savings total comes in at 57.25%(w/out R-A).  Wenger's gave me a great savings percentage last week!

I have 8 more food shopping/spending days in December.

Leftovers going into this week.....2 pecan chicken pieces, 1 piece of kielbasa and some chili.  Hubs will be in charge of eating up these leftovers for lunches this week.

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

1. Sunday--Broiled Salmon, Yellow Squash and Onions
2. Monday--Ravioli, Salad, Garlic Bread
3. Tuesday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself

4. Wednesday--Eye Round Roast, Roasted Carrots, Baked Potatoes, Lasagna, Corn Casserole

5. Thursday--Chicken Enchiladas, Beans, Rice

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

As always this menu is subject to change or rearranging depending on what leftovers get eaten or not and what I am feeling like cooking(or not). lolz

What needs buying for this menu? I "might" need tortillas for the enchiladas...just haven't checked on that yet.  I'll pick those up when I go to get my free ham at Weis(PMITA)Markets today or tomorrow.

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  

Frugal Friday.....the December 20th Edition

Here are the few frugal things that happened here at Chez Sluggy this past week...........

*  I used BC to buy 2 packs of Andes mints this past week at R-A as they were on sale for $1.99 a box.  I found this rebate form on a display at Weis(PMITA)Markets last week(there was a recipe attached to it as well).............

I've already sent for this rebate which will give me a $1.99 rebate on the purchase.  Not a big fan of mail-in rebates anymore but, Hey! Chocolate!! 8-)))


*  I found money!

This penny was found at the liquor store last Friday when I went to buy booze for a friend's gift basket.
Who says being a drunk isn't lucrative? lolz

This quarter was half tucked under the floor mat at the register in Rite-Aid also on Friday.

And this penny was also found at Rite-Aid last Friday somewhere in the aisles(don't remember where).

Balthasar here was also found at Rite-Aid on the floor mat in front of register #1 on Wednesday.....

His buddies, Melchior and Gaspar were over in front of register #3.
That makes .30¢ for the week in free money.

*  Speaking of free, I got the Weis Freebie last Friday.........

A pack of paper napkins.  Always a useful freebie.

*  I got .10¢ from Ibotta last week.  They said I bought "any cookies" somewhere with a linked loyalty card.  I didn't buy cookies, "any" or otherwise cookies. ;-)

*  I finally got my $5 SavingStar rebate for "spending" $29 on Coty branded fragrance sets.  Boy was that a clusterf**k!  I bought 1 set on 11/28 and 2 sets of 11/30.  I got the 11/28 set credited automatically but the 11/30 ones didn't go through so I had to contact them, sent upc and receipt photos for the 11/30 purchases.  So they give me the credit for those 2 sets but took away the credit for the 1 set on 11/28 that was automatically credited so then I had to send all the documentation for that one as well. ugh.  It's all good now and I've got the $5. yay!

*  There was an unexpected discount grocery trip to Central PA...........

just some of the stuff we bought for a total of $56.53 spent OOP on groceries that would have run me $170.49 around here at regular retail price.
PS-We will be going back there! 8-)))

Other than having all my Christmas shopping done so I don't have to pay for Overnight Shipping because I waited to order something the last minute online that's all I can think of.

What frugal wins did y'all have this past week leading into Christmas?
Tell us all about it!


Sluggy

My Heart is Breaking

I just found out a dear old friend of mine is dying.

I knew something wasn't quite right when I never got the expected Christmas card from Tom.
Though life got in the way and we weren't in close contact since we both married and had children there was always that Christmas card to catch me up a bit on his life.

I received a letter from Tom's wife earlier this week with horrible news about brain cancer, glioblastoma 4, and the fact that Tom was now in hospice care and not expected to make it to Christmas.

Tom came into my life in college.  He was a couple years out of college and lived in Baltimore and worked at the Baltimore Sun.  He was also involved in amateur theater locally and ended up acting in quite a few plays at Goucher College where I attended.  Goucher was an all-girl's college at that time so we drew from the community(and sometimes the faculty)to fill all our male roles.

We had a connection through our shared loved of theater and opera as well as Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.

It was Tom who brought to my attention a comical farce of a play written by W. S. Gilbert  called "Engaged" that became my Senior Production.
This infrequently produced little gem of a play turned out to be the perfect acting vehicle for Tom in the lead role of Cheviot Hill.
And he was a smashing Cheviot!

Anyway, time went on, I graduated and got on with my life and Tom got on with his and the Fates, in their infinite wisdom decided to grant Tom a brain tumor.

If anyone in the world should have this medical diagnosis it shouldn't be Tom.
He is one of the kindest, gentlest souls I have ever known and my heart breaks for his wife and daughter.
Jane, the wife, in the midst of all this is also dealing with the death of her mother which is a shitty thing in and of itself but let's just bring down all the crap the world can throw at someone to make a big massive ball of turds.

Which brings us to the point of this missive.

I know it's the Holidays, so excuse me for being a "bummer" right now.  I know everyone has their own crosses to bear and folks in their own lives to hold up.

Jane could use a little financial help if you are thusly moved.  I don't want anyone to go into debt or hand over money they have a need for but if you are a charitable soul who likes to "pay it forward" or give extra at the Holidays in some way, I am sure Tom and Jane could use whatever anyone feels compelled to give to their cause.  The medical bills and associated costs(even with good insurance coverage)are starting to pile up.  At the end of this journey Jane will be left a widow and in deep medical debt in her late 50's.

Here is the link to a GoFundMe page their niece has set up to help.

Tom's GoFundMe Site

And here's a couple of clips/songs from a G&S works we both enjoyed but is one of their more obscure collaborations called "Patience", which is not performed often(mores the pity).
Enjoy them and thanks for reading this post and helping if you can. ;-)







Sluggy

Rite-Aid on Sunday

I am usually the guinea pig at my Rite-Aid if I go on Sunday, the first day of a new ad week.

There is a coupon on the front of this week's ad--Spend $40 on select items and earn $10 Bonus Cash.
Only the "select items" aren't explained what the heck they are and the management at my store isn't usually told the details of stuff like this. ugh.

My friend the assistant manager thought the BC coupon applied to items in the blue shaded background on the front and the back page of the ad only as the BC Q on the front was also shaded blue.  The manager had no clue what the "select items" were.
I figured it might be all the items in the ad qualified.

So I bought all this on son's card which still had a lot of BC attached to it..........

2 x Head and Shoulders shampoo(clearance varieties at $3.74 ea.)=$7.48
2 x Glad black trash bags on sale=$10.00
2 x Glad kitchen bags on sale=$10.00
2 x DiGiorno frozen pizza on sale=$10.00*not pictured*
2 x Olay whip body wash(clearance)=$6.98
SubTotal........$44.46

Coupons Used
1 x $6 when you spend $30 R-AQ=$6.00
1 x $3.50/2 Head and Shoulders ReceiptQ=$3.50
1 x $1/1 Glad kitchen bags L2CQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Glad kitchen bags IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1.50/1 DiGiorno CatalinaQ=$1.50
1 x $5/2 Olay bath items ReceiptQ=$5.00
Coupon Total.....$18.00

$44.46-$18.00=$26.46+$1.14 sales tax=$27.60 paid for with Bonus Cash.
I earned back $20 in new Bonus Cash($10 wys $40Q, 2 x $5 wyb2 Glad bags)so spent down BC by $7.60.

I also earned a $1 Catalina for buying the 2 pizzas so I "spent" $6.60 when all was said and done.
This Catalina doesn't expire until 12/29 so I can hold it to use after Xmas when things go on clearance at Rite-Aid, woohoo! lolz

Sluggy

Discount Grocer Shopping Love

One way I keep my grocery bills in check is to frequent discount grocers now and again.
There is one called "Pand R Discounters" downtown in the valley here(with a second location up North of Scranton too).
I ran into the downtown location last Friday while Hubs and I were over that way and cherry picked a few deals.........

12 pack of pudding for $2.29
Box of Lasagna Noodles for .99¢
Box of lemon Cake Mix for .39¢
2 cans of Mushrooms for .59¢
Can of Chipotle Peppers for .59¢
1 lb. bag of Coffee(Irish type)for $1.99
2 bottles of Salad Dressing for .59¢

The "Irish Coffee" intrigued me....it will be either really strong or made with potatoes. lolz

I also got 3 x Limes for 10¢ ea., 1/2 lb. of turkey breast for .50¢(I think that pack was mismarked?), a Cuke for .49¢ and 2.21 lb. of Yellow Squash for .79¢ lb.

These Nathan's uncured Beef Franks were .99¢ ea.
Total spent $13.63.


On Saturday we found ourselves out in Mifflinburg PA to attend an event.
On the way into that town we saw a grocery store called Wenger's.

I googled it and it is an Amish owned discounters like the two I have been to before-one in a town West of us where we frequent a good brewery there and the other is on the route to Ex-College Boy's ex-college(which I haven't been near since he graduated).
So I talked Hubs into checking it out on the way home.
All I can say is "Oh MY!" and that I am in love.
This Grocery Outlet is double the size of the other two I've been to and cleaner.
Hubs was in a bad mood(he was wet and cold from the outdoor event we had just come from as it was raining cats an dogs all danged day, so I couldn't take my everlovin' sweet time in there, but I did bring a cart full of goodies home.  And the prices?! OH MY!! They were awesome!!!
I think we need to move out near Mifflinburg.......lol

Here's what I got..........and I swear if I get any "that stuff is unhealthy comments" I'll ban your ass!  I am in no mood for it.

2 boxes of Smithfield Sausage Biscuit for $1.49 each(We ate one box before the photo.)
2 rolls of Jamestown Sausage for .99¢ each
2 packs of Oscar Meyer Bacon for $1.99 each(Evan Williams Bourbon variety)
2 packs of Aidell's Chicken Meatballs w/Mozzarella for .99¢ each

I don't have much freezer space right now so I had to restrain myself to just this bit.  I swear I will empty my chest freezer and go back in the Spring and fill it up with roasts, ground beef and raw chickens.  I have a mission now! lolz

On to the canned/pantry goods(prices are per package)........

1 x DeCecco orecchiette .79¢
2 x Easy Mac .99¢
2 x Pad Thai sauce mix .25¢
2 x Quaker Oatmeal .99¢
2 x Rice Select arborio rice $1.69
2 x #2 coffee filters(100ct.) 79¢
2 x Fleischmann's yeast strips .50¢
1 x Dipn Classic Hummus  .99¢
8 x Jiffy Cornbread mix .25¢
1 x Winn Dixie Coffee Creamer .99¢
1 x Sun Luck Plum Sauce .99¢
1 x Heinz Honey sweetened Ketchup .50¢
1 x Louisiana Hot Sauce  .99¢
1 x Rufus Teague whiskey BBQ Sauce .99¢

2 x Field Harvest canned Tomatoes .59¢
2 x David's Deli Bagels .99¢
6 x Kroger Tomato Soup .50¢
4 x Wylwood Chili Beans .25¢
2 x Gulden's Brown Mustard .50¢
2 x Harris Teeter French Onion Dip .50¢
4 x Del Monte Mandarin Oranges cups .59¢
1 x 4C Bread Crumbs .99¢
1 x TGIF Peach Smash BBQ Sauce .99¢
1 x Dell's Maraschino Cherries $1.39(for a cookie recipe)
2 x Honeycup Sharp Honey Mustard .59¢
4 x Imperial Mushrooms .75¢
4 x Casa Fiesta Green Chiles .25¢
2 x Jello(grape) .50¢
1 x Knorr Mexican Rice and Beans .79¢
2 x Vigo Red Beans and Rice .50¢

And last but certainly not least, this mother of all jars of JUMBO Green Olives...........

Mario Olives(80 oz. jar) $3.99--that's .05¢ an ounce for Olives!
Have I ever mentioned how much I love olives???

Grand Total spent at Wenger's.........$56.53 (including .10¢ tax on the coffee filters).
WOOHOO!

Some deals were great(do you know how much arborio rice costs?), some were just good(things we needed anyway at a good price),some were impluse buys(we hadn't eaten lunch yet)and some were Hubs choosing(creamer, filters, red beans and rice).  The olives were all me *Sluggy strokes the jar and says, "Precious.........Precious".*

And there were aisles I didn't even go down and look, because well, "hello" grumpy wet cold Hubs, and the store was humongous!
When was the last time you left a regular grocery store spending $56.53 and a FULL CART to show for your efforts?!?

I am in love with this store and like McArthur, "I shall return!".

Sluggy