Frugal Friday......the July 31st Edition

* It seems Blogger is messing with my photos today so I apolgize if they run over the text parts.  I am trying to fix the probem.*

I am so happy July is almost over.  In many ways it's been a crap-tastic month.  But it does get me closer to my surgery and today is the day Ex-College Boy moves out! Yah!!!

His moving out is the MOST frugal thing I can think of(but I can't count that until next week's frugal post as that things run from Friday to Thursday).  So I'll elaborate next Friday on that. ;-)

And his moving out is partly why this post is so late today. ;-)

Here's what frugal stuff went on around here this past week..........

* I did a moneymaker rebate deal from Johnson & Johnson.

BACK TO COLLEGE OFFER.

Buy 3 or more of participating(click on the "Offer Details" link to see which items qualify)items in one transaction, submit your info online and wait for the email to claim your reward.

These single bars of Neutrogena soap are a qualifying item and my Walmart had them for $1.97 each.

So I spent $6 and change and will get a $10 prepaid Visa card back.

You can do this rebate twice too. 8))

Most of the items that qualify are Clean and Clear, Motrin and Neutrogena brands.

The only thing is if you want to do this you need to hurry as you need to have your info submitted by 8/2(this Sunday).  This deal has been running since July 5th evidently but I've been a  it out of it this month, sorry.

* I haven't gone grocery shopping since last Friday.  Don't really need anything food related right now.

Best food deal last Friday was Smithfield thick cut bacon at Weis(PMITA)Markets for $2.99  Reg. $7.99 marked down $2 to $5.99 and I found 1 lb packages with $3 Instant Discount stickers on them so $2.99 OOP.

Sweet.

* I am excited to try two items I got at Walmart last week.........

These grow kits.  One is for micro-greens and the other is to grow your own oyster mushrooms.  The greens one was marked down to $10 and the mushroom one was clearance priced to $17.  Better yet I had a $10 Ibotta rebate on each last week so one was free after rebate and the other was only $7.

* I found money!

The dime was under the candy racks by the front register and the nickel was back by the sunglasses display near the pharmacy area at R-A last Friday.

This shiny penny was in front of the register counter at Rite-Aid on Saturday when I went there.

Total Change found this week. .16¢
Total Change found this year....$47.09

* We ate all our leftovers, well except a piece of slimy cuke that got crammed to the back of the produce drawer and since I haven't been in the kitchen much lately I wasn't there to find it before it started decomposing.

* I did a spat of Rite-Aid shopping this past week...........

Two transactions while I waited on an Rx to be filled. 

Even though I spent nothing OOP I still botched these transactions a bit by buying the wrong Compeed items. ;-)

* While out running from the Urgent Care to R-A to pick up an Rx I needed lunch so I opened my Burger King app on my phone and saw that it was "Whopper Wednesday" and could get a Whopper(no cheese)for $1 + .06¢ sales tax.  Better yet I used a gift card to pay.

* Not a personal win but I suggested that Eldest son look into moving his stuff to NJ using a "Pod" since his sister had successfully used them for her move to LA last year.  So he called her and yep, it turned out to be a cheaper(and easier)solution for him.  

(Not son's pod but the one they sent for Daughter's stuff last May.)

Can I use saving my kid money as MY frugal win too? lol

That's about it from here.

Any good deals, frugal wins on your end this week?

Sluggy

Drugstore Shopping This Past Week

I went to CVS last week to use the $3 Beauty ECB I earned from my earlier trip there since it was set to expire last week.  I also had $15 in other ECBs going in.

Things didn't go as expected(as usual)......

I did two transactions.

First I bought the two packs of razors and used 2 different digital Qs.

Here is that receipt...........

You can(or not lol)see the $8 in digital Qs for the razors, the $3 Beauty Buck plus another $3 ECB I used bringing my total to $1.04(w/.06 tax).

I earned the $5 ECB for doing the Schick deal bringing me to $17 in ECBs left.

Then the train came off the rails when I bought the rest........

2 x fancy Pantene 2/$14

1 x Gain flings $4.94

1 x Poise liners  $6.49

2 x Febreeze car scents bogo50% $5.98

Subtotal.........$31.41

These items were all part of the Spend $30/Get $10 ECB Deal.

Coupons that should have come off..........

$5 Pantene Digital Q

$2 Gain Digital Q

$3 Poise Manu Q

$3 CVS Poise Digital Q

$3/2 Febreeze Digital Q

Total....$16.00

$31.41-$16=$15.41 and I would have used $15 in ECBs plus .41¢ and sales tax OOP

But nooooo!

If you can see on the receipt the cashier didn't ring up a second Febreeze car scent item(so my total was $29.42 before Qs but still close enough to $30 to earn the $10 ECB(which I did).

Then my $3/1 Poise ManuQ wouldn't come off(this happened last time too).  The cashier said because I used the digital CVS Poise Q(which wasn't a ManuQ but a store Q)is the reason but that was a CVS not a ManuQ so it should have.  I just think that Poise ManQ wasn't coded correctly....that would explain it not working on two separate trips.   Had I know I'd have bought something else instead.

Thirdly since she didn't ring up the 2nd Febreeze item my $3/2 Febreeze digital Q didn't come off but a $1/1 Febreeze digital Q came off instead. ugh

And of course I didn't notice the lack of a 2nd Febreeze item on my receipt until I got home.

$29.42-$11=$18.31 and I had to use all $17 in ECBs I had and pay $1.49 w/sales tax OOP.

I did earn the $10 ECB as I mentioned before.

So I 'lost' $2 in ECB and that $3/1 Poise Manu on this transaction but I gained a $1.99 Febreeze item she didn't ring up.

Even so, I still got the short end of this stick. ;-)

I've got $10 in ECBs and once I spend that my foray into CVS will be done once again.

Maybe this time I will learn to stay away from CVS. lol

My Rite-Aid trips went much better last week........

This trip was last Friday.  I got 4 x Schick razors($23.96), 2 x Colgate($6.06)and 4 x Ricolar cool relief drops on clearance for .84¢ per bag($3.36)so $33.38 subtotal.

I used 4 x $4/1 Schick IPQs, 2 x .75¢/1 Colgate IPQ(Colgate website), 2 x $3/1 Colgate RA in-ad Qs and 4 x $1/1 Ricola cool relief Tearpad Qs(I've been holding onto all year-they expire Dec. 2020).

$33.38-$27.50 in Qs=$5.88+.37¢ sales tax=$6.25 paid for with Bonus Cash.

I earned $5 in new BC for all those razors(Spend $20 on Shaving Items/Get $5 BC)so I spent down the BC by $1.25 for all this.

The cough drops and toothpaste gave me $1.14 in overage to apply to the razors.

Then I bought this on Saturday................

2 more Colgate toothpaste(used a $1/2 ManQ to pair with the $3 in-ad RAQ making them free), 2 boxes of Kellogg's cereal(2/$5 sale)and 2 Compeed blister packs(BOGO sale).

I printed off 2 x $1/1 Kellogg's cereal from my Kellogg's points account so my total after Qs came to $12.99 paid for the Bonus Cash.

I earned $10 on Ibotta (2 x $1 cereal, 2 x $4 Compeed)so I converted $10 of BC to cash and spent down BC by $2.99.

Plus those 3 rebates got me to the $5 Weekly Ibotta Bonus too.

rah.

I should have spent down the BC by $2.49 instead since I had 2 more of those 75¢/1 Colgate IPQs but I couldn't find them in my coupon envie as they weren't where they were suppose to be doh!

Still a good week at R-A.

Sluggy

The July Giveaway Winner!

It's hot and muggy here today so hopefully this makes someone's day a bit better.

I went through the entries and the July Giveaway winner is..........

BOBBIE!

BobbieJuly 19, 2020 at 8:43 AM

I've never won before!

Staying home - happy to live in a state (CT) where we're taking things seriously. Also happy to have a beautiful backyard and pool.

We unfortunately stocked up on hand sanitizer that has since been recalled (Blumen) so had to buy a new kind (at Costco) that we don't love (but doesn't contain methanol!).

Congratulations Bobbie!

You have 48 hours from when this post goes live to contact me with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize. (My email addy is on the side bar under "About Me".)

If the Boring Blog Giveaway Box is not claimed within that time I'll choose another winner for July.

Thanks for everyone who entered and the entertainment your comments provide me too. ;-)

Come back next month and see what goodies ol' Sluggy has up her sleeve. 8-)))

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

* Last day to enter the July Giveaway reminder.  Go HERE to enter.*

The "The Curse of the Gardening Gods!" Edition..........

On Thursday Hubs took a stroll through the "kennel garden" and said there was yellow squash to pick so I said, "pick it".
Imagine my surprise when he comes in with what is pictured above, especially since I purposely did NOT plant any zucchini this year!!!

I think Anne in the Kitchen has sent me bad JuJu or found a Voodoo Queen in Alabama and had her put a curse on me!  Or she snuck up to PA and put those vile green squash in my garden when I wasn't looking....either that or Anne has an amazng throwing arm. ;-)

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning-

This is what was planned.........

1. Sunday--Chinese take-out(I had Hot and Sour Soup)
2. Monday--Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
3. Tuesday--Chicken Marsala w/Mushrooms over Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

4. Wednesday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, Squash Casserole
5. Thursday--BBQ, Cole Slaw, maybe Beans or Pasta Salad

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Shrimp Scamp w/Linguine, Spinach Salad

And this is what really happened.......

1. Sunday--Chinese take-out(I had Hot and Sour Soup)
2. Monday--Mongolian Beef Ramen w/Broccoli and Carrots
3. Tuesday--Chicken Marsala w/Mushrooms over Mashed Potatoes, Squash Casserole

4. Wednesday--Leftovers(I had a salad after spilling my leftover soup)
5. Thursday--Late Lunch/Early Dinner out(I had seafood cake sliders)

6. Friday--BBQ Pork, Cole Slaw
7. Saturday--Tempura Shrimp and Zucchini

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 1 night of leftovers/FFY, and 2 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out(We also had a pizza out for lunch when we took Eldest to the Brew Pub-in PA the Gov. has made it mandatory to buy food if you go to a brewery??  Sometimes his rules make no sense.

I changed up the Beef and Broccoli meal planned as we had just had a rice meal 2 days before.  I saw a Beef and Broccoli dish using Ramen noodles instead(you don't use those salt like flavor packets that come with them but make a from-scratch sauce instead.  This is a nice change but similar flavor profile to Beef and Broccoli and will go into our meal possibilities file.  The recipe can be found HERE.

What got put into the freezer last week....
* 3 packages of bacon
* 3 chicken breasts
* 3 packages of smoked pork(for bbq later)
* 2 packages of French fries
* a TV dinner

What got taken out of the freezer and used.....
* 2 lbs. of shrimp
Nothing else from the freezer because I again bought meats that we used fresh plus garden veggies and fresh produce from the stores.

We spent $201.18 last week at Schiff's, Malacari's, Walmart, Weis, CVS and Amazon. This total also includes 3 boxes of Glad bags(I got a deal so they were $5.03 per box.) I got these earlier this month and forgot to put on my tally book until I went to pay that bill online.
July spending comes in at $489.26.  Not bad for a month considering the rising price of things and I did some stocking up in July too.

I prefer to keep groceries/HBA/paper goods at $400 per month but clearly we went over this month.  Ex-College Boy is moving out this Friday *fingers crossed* so that should take my food spending down about $100 a month.  Between what he eats here and all the bottled water I buy that he wastes(a bone of contention with me),cutting that much out of the monthly spending should be easy-peasy.  With just the two of us here after Thursday night I need to focus on making less helpings per dinner.  Hubs likes leftovers but I am still use to cooking for 4-5 people for meals.
This will be my August challenge--to cut down on how much I cook per meal.
Plus in August I plan to have Hubs and I eat down a lot of what's in the chest freezer so August's spending should be a LOT lower.

I earned $130.23 on Ibotta in July(this week alone with $45.35 in reg. rebates I also earned $16.50 in Bonuses too).  Add in $10.00 on Checkout51 and .50¢ on SavingStar and we recouped $140.73 in rebates for July to put toward food spending in December. 8-)))

My savings percentage for last week was 52.69%(without "regular"Rite-Aid trips)for July and the monthly savings total comes in at 56.94%(w/out R-A).
I still have a super low savings rate for July so I'm all good with the food spending

I have 4 more food shopping/spending days in July but don't plan on buying anything else this month.  Frankly other than a trip to R-A later this week to get a freebie or two I won't be doing any shopping personally.  The lobsters for Friday night will go on August's monthly tally.

Leftovers going into this week.......Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice casserole, Chicken Marsala, Mashed Potatoes, Squash Casserole, Pork BBQ, Cole Slaw.

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

1. Sunday--Leftovers(I had a piece of chicken Marsala and a banana)
2. Monday--Cheeseburgers, Green Beans
3. Tuesday--something Pasta for Hubs, Spinach Salad for me and him

4. Wednesday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, Squash and Onions
5. Thursday--Taco or Taco Salad

6. Friday--Lobster(which will go on Aug.'s tally), leftover sides(green beans, squash)
7. Saturday--Caesar Salad w/Grilled Chicken or BLT sandwiches

What needs buying for this menu? 2 Lobsters. Hubs has to go down the mountain to return the cargo van rental for Ex-CB's move Friday so I'll have him pick-up the lobster at the Price Chopper nearby on his way home.

What's left on my master list of meals we can make from what's at home(not that I'm referring to/using it at this point with the heat).
* Shrimp Scampi
* Tuna Casserole
* Roasted Chicken
* Shrimp/Crab Ravioli
* Cheese Ravioli

* Breakfast for Dinner

* Haddock Fish Dinner  new
* Chicken Tenders  new

* Beef Liver  new

Plus lots of thinly sliced Chicken Breast, grass fed Ground Beef and Ground Turkey in the freezer.

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 July 24th Edition

After my "Alexander Day", let's see if I can salvage some frugality for this past week......


* I went to Dollar General again last Saturday to use another $5 when you spend $20 weekend digital Q.......

Not pictured from that shop are a jug of Gain and a ice cream that cost me .01¢ after digital Q, 2 Febreeze air fresheners, 2 Herbal Essence shampoos and 2 Aussie shampoos.
After assorted Qs and the $5 off $25 DGQ here is the cost breakdown--
Suave body wash .79¢
Suave shampoo $1.30 each(before $10 back on Checkout 51)
Febreeze $1.19 each
Gain detergent $1.54
Ice cream .01¢
HE shampoo .84¢ each
Aussie shampoo $1.58 each
Head and Shoulders small shampoo .34¢ each
BioFreeze pain patch -.25¢
Welch's fruit snacks -.11¢ each
Tum's roll .79¢
Greeting Cards .01¢ each

My total was $17.66 for after all the qs.

*  I submitted the DG receipt for those 5 Suave shampoos and earned $10 on Checkout51 too.

* I found money!

Hubs and I were in Walmart this past Saturday.........

.  As we walked out I found a penny and he also found a penny and gave it to me!

In CVS on Wednesday I found a penny as I walked in by the register counter and that was the ONLY good thing about Wednesday. lolz

Total Change found this week. .03¢
Total Change found this year....$46.93

*  I received my last two $5 Walmart gift cards for doing the Listerine Deal at Rite-Aid a few weeks back.......

That makes $15 in free Walmart gift cards.

*  While not necessarily frugal we bought a reclining love seat this past week.....

We visited enough furniture stores and made a decision.  This one ticked all the boxes AND was less expensive(by $400)than the one we initially were going to go with and it has lumbar support and adjustment(important for us old geezers).
It also has a battery back-up in case of power outages so I won't get trapped in the chair. lol
I have to wait another month for it to be delivered and I can't wait!

*  At Walmart last Saturday I picked up items to finish my $15 PandG rebate and work on another Ibotta bonus..........

The Olay body wash was $3.42 after Q and Ibotta, the specialty toothpaste was $2.42 each after Q and Ibotta and the Bic razor was -$1.08 after Q and Ibotta. 8-)

* On Tuesday eldest came with me to Schiff's restaurant supply to pick up a pork butt to smoke.  It was $1.29 lb. which was the best price around.  Got that smoked on Thursday and put into the crockpot overnight to finish off so we'll be having bbq this evening for dinner.

*  We celebrated eldest's birthday earlier this week and I made the cake.  I can't believe he's 29 years old now!

And I gave him this gag Xmas gift early so he can use it during the holidays.
A blazer and tie with skiing Santa hat wearing kitties.  It's sooo ugly!
(And I got it for 75% off after last Xmas of course.)
PS-He got a nice gift too.

That's all for now.  I am way behind since I haven't been online much with eldest son visiting and with my medical issues still.  I finally got the doc to order me an Rx this morning for the UTI the lab work confirmed almost 2 days ago. ugh.
I'll feel like my old self soon now.  yay!

How is everyone else's week going in the Frugal Department?
Let us here all about it!

Sluggy