Computer Issues & A Funny

 Well my 7 year old computer is gasping toward it's end so I might not be able to post for awhile.  I'll be back once I get issues resolved or a new machine.  

Until then enjoy this funny....or not so funny?

Sluggy

2020 4th Quarter Small Economies Grand Total

 

2020 4th Quarter Review..........Small Finances Year End Totals

The fourth quarter of 2020 is in the books now.
Let's see where some of my small pots of savings look like for the Year End.
These stats are all effective as of December 31st, 2020.

*  Rolled coins--$3.50.  1 roll of nickels and 3 rolls of pennies.  This is my personal change from my WAM after cleaning out my change from my wallet.

* Found Change--$54.55  Finding money is the best!

This photo is only the coins I found, not the bills.  I did something different with that, which you'll see. ;-)

*  Refunds & "Post Coupons"--$126.98 Mostly Weis(PMITA)Markets and Rite-Aid.

*  Cash Rebates--
   * Ibotta--$1,255.49
   * SavingStar--$52.75 

   * Coupons app--$23.50        

   * Shop at Home--$23.27

Grand Total......$1,540.04 in small economies monies.

(I also had about $11 in the Checkout51 app but not enough to cash out so I am rolling that amount over into 2021.)

But this year I am not using it ALL to put toward the food/toiletries spending.

I am only putting the found change($14.55 of the $54.55 found)toward the food spending.  (I used the $40 in bills I found to buy food to give to the food bank.)

I am still putting the Refund/Post Coupon cash, and all online rebates except the Shop at Home one toward food spending.(Not using the Shop at Home monies as I didn't buy any food/HBA/Toiletries/paper goods for that rebate.)

My OOP spending on groceries came to $4,714.40 for 2020.
Add in the $1,473.27(what is left without the rolled coins, $40 of found $ and Shop at Home rebate)toward the grocery spending and the food/toiletries spending drops to a Grand Total Spent of $3,241.13 for 2020.

Do you stash non-income money aside to put toward a goal?
Tell us about it and what strategies work for you in savings money!


Sluggy

Frugal Friday 2021.....the January 1st Edition

 Though this Frugal Friday is posted in 2021, my week for frugal wins ends on Thursday so this is technically my last Frugal Friday post of 2020.

Here are our wins from this past week with minimal photos.......

*  It was just Hubs and I on Christmas Eve this year(Ex-CB had to work)but we still got Chinese take-out for dinner as is our tradition.  Food for 2 was cheaper than food for 3 and we each got a meal and no appetizers or soup which made it even less expensive than usual.

*  I bought 1 item for personal use as far as Christmas decor goes..........

A Christmas ornament that says "I heart my Chihuahua" for our tree.  $1.99+tax from Ocean State Job Lot.

*  Christmas came and went and we fed 6 for dinner.  I made cookies 2 days before(as well as 2 pies-one of which was a gift to take to Eldest son), made the lasagna and mac and cheese 1 day before(after the electric rates went down for the day).  I didn't make from scratch rolls this year as my hands weren't up for it(plus we didn't really need them).  Since I served both ham and lasagna(some didn't care for one of the main dishes so I made two)I got a reduced loaf of French bread at Walmart when I was there earlier in the week and made "good" garlic bread--EVOO, real butter, fresh minced garlic and baked it off right before serving the meal.  Beat the pants off that frozen premade stuff and a lot cheaper. 

*  Drove to NJ on Saturday and made no stops along the way.  Let Eldest and his GF spoil us for dinner that night and we exchanged gifts and had a nice time at their apartment.  I hadn't see Eldest since June(I had stopped at his VA apt. on my way to my Brother's house to take care of some business that had to be attended to)and Hubs hadn't seen Eldest since last Xmas due to Covid and travel restrictions.  Spent the night on the sofa sleeper, they fixed us breakfast the next morning and we headed home.  We did make a stop once we were back in PA at a different Ocean State Job Lot we passed.  Bought a few things and I used a bunch of my free Crazy Deals gift cards I had earned in the past 2 years.  Winning!

*  I stopped into Weis(PMITA)Markets after we got home from NJ that evening for a few items.  I found a Perdue whole fryer marked down to $6.22 so I bought it.  Checking my receipt as I left I noticed the inattentive cashier rang the chicken up twice....

So I turned my cart back to the Customer Service to get a refund.  CS person tried to return me $3.22....um, no!  That was what I was suppose to pay with the $3 instant discount sticker on said chicken.  They owed me $6.22 for the phantom chicken......

Instead of a credit back on my c/c she gave me cash.  Fine.  It went into my Refund/Post Coupon envelope to add back into the Food Spending/Budget for 2020.

*  Then in the parking lot as I was leaving I saw this laying on the asphalt, either dropped or abandoned by another shopper.......

A $2 Catalina good on anything(w/exemptions)in the store.  I'll be sure to use this before it expires on 1/03/2021.

*  I found money!

This penny at Rite-Aid near the register on Monday.

When I finally got a chance to drop off stuff at the local food bank(a combination of no one being there and my schedule)after taking all the bags in on the way back to my car I spied this handsome fella in the parking lot, obviously he'd been there awhile waiting for me to show up. ;-)

And this nickel was found on the floor in front of the R-A pharmacy counter when I went after the food bank drop-off to refill the last of my Rxs before the new year and our deductible reset.

Total Found This Week...... .31¢
Total Found This Year...$53.81

*  I hit Walmart, Target and a different Rite-Aid on the 30th.  I found a few things at either 50% or 70% off.  Finished an Ibotta Bonus at Walmart as well as got some Shop Kick deals.  A deal post on recent deals coming on Saturday perhaps.

I went to CVS on the 31st since I had ECBs expiring in early January and we have a crappy weather coming later this week/next week.  No CVSs on the mountain so I'd have to go down the valley and I don't like to do that in the Winter here.

I burned some ECBs but not all(got MORE ECBs on 2 items).  I can't show you what I got(gifts for next year)but I had to spend $4.74 out of my WAM.  Since I'd already finished off my spending log for 2020 this trip will go onto January 2021's tally.

*  No special meals or take-out for NYE here.  We still have mucho leftovers from earlier in the week and from Christmas so we ate leftovers.  Besides, in PA the governor still has all indoor dining on lockdown so we couldn't party outside of home even if we wanted to!

No more spending in 2020.

Bring on 2021!!!

What frugal wins did y'all have this last week of 2020?

Tell us all about it!

Sluggy

Auld Lang Syne 2020

I've got so much to wrap up here.....not gift wrap but balancing various books, still waiting on the mail(both gifts and medical account reimbursements to arrive, etc.)and stuff to catalog and put away(both gifts, decor and things I found on clearanc for Xmas and assorted Birthdays in 2021.  Then Hubs and I need to sit down and plan out our 2021 finances.  Oh, that's going to be exciting, right? lol

I did a little after Xmas shopping but didn't get to that until Sunday and Monday as we spent Saturday and a bit of Sunday in NJ at eldest son's apartment visiting, so lots was already gone at my local stores.  That's fine as I still have plenty gift wrap, tape, bows, boxes, etc.  I did score a few small gifties to put in my gift tub.  I had 2 Rubbermaid tubs filled with presents for Christmas/Birthdays but used all but 1/4 of what was in 1 of the tubs.  I probably found enough to fill that one tub back up but I'll have an empty tub left to get rid of or expand into depending.  Go me for getting rid of stuff!

My Doctor has me on a new Rx and I seem to be very lethargic which is one of the side effects.  Add to that that it's so cold here so I just have no motivation to do anything but the bare minimum that I have to do.  No blogging mojo either so I won't hit the AdSense minimum by tonight/the end of December 2020 to see a revenue check in January unless a bunch of y'all click on my ads or read and then reread this silly post about 40 times. ;-)

I'll do my regular Frugal Friday post tomorrow but beyond that, who knows when/what else.
I am just glad to see 2020 leave the premises as are most everyone else in the world.

Let's hope for a better world for all of us in 2021.  Please tell me it has to get better.  I need to hear that.

I'll leave you with the immortal words of Bobby Burns......

Wishing all my Blogger Friends Peace in 2021,

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

 

The "I Am Tired After the Last Three Days" Edition....

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were a blur for me.  Christmas eve was finishing up wrapping, cooking and delivering gifts to friends, taking pizzas to Rite-Aid for all the workers there.  Christmas day was more cooking and 6 here for the day and dinner and present mayhem(well maybe not "mayhem" lolz)then all the cleaning up and then packing, more cooking to take to m son's place and taking the dogs to the kennel for 2 days before leaving for NJ for an overnight visit(where I didn't have to cook finally! yay!!).

 We got home Sunday afternoon after a quick 24 hour trip to Eldest son's new apartment for our first visit there. After we drove home Sunday with a stop at OSJL, I hit Rite-Aid(for after Xmas clearance)and Weis for a Sunday paper and a few things/deals after we got home and then it was almost time to fall into bed.  I am still tired today and moving in slow motion but getting a few chores accomplished.  I refuse to get out of my PJs and leave the house and probably won't until Wednesday when I have an errand to run.  

As for de-Christmasing the house....that's going to be much, much later if I can help it. lolz

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On....

This is what was planned.....

1. Sunday--Butternut Squash Ravioli

2. Monday--Meatloaf, Steamed Mixed Veggies

3. Tuesday--Chicken and Dumplings or Chicken Pot Pie using leftover Roast Chicken

4. Wednesday--leftover Beef Stew
5. Thursday--Chinese Take-out

6. Friday--Baked Ham, Lasagna, Mac and Cheese, Salad, Carrots, Rolls, Stollen and Cookies

7. Saturday--Pierogies and ? at Son's apartment

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

1. Sunday--Butternut Squash Ravioli

2. Monday--Meatloaf, Steamed Mixed Veggies

3. Tuesday--Chicken and Dumplings using leftover Roast Chicken

4. Wednesday--Beef Pie using Leftover Beef Stew
5. Thursday--Chinese Take-out

6. Friday--Baked Ham, Lasagna, Mac and Cheese, Caesar Salad, Carrots, Garlic Bread, Peppermint Chocolate Cheesecake

7. Saturday--Garlic Chicken, Roasted Broccoli, Mac and Cheese(I brought the Mac)

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/planned overs, FFY, and 1 night of Take-Out.   

Basically everything planned happened and Sat. eldest's GF cooked for us.

As for Xmas day leftovers, not much as I made a point to send Ex-CB, his Roommate, the Brother in-law and Nephew home with lots of helpings of what was left.  We do still have too many peanut butter cookies here but Ex-CB will come on his day off this week and take those away to consume at his place(along with a few other things as well).

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

*  2 panko pork tenderloin slices

*  1 SL Peppermint cheesecake

*  1 Cherry pie

*  2 lb. bag Brussels Sprouts

*  1 2-pack of Incogmeato burger patties

*  1 pack diced Chicken Breast

*  1 Whole fryer Chicken

*  2 lbs. Ground Beef

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

*  a bag of Dumplings

*  1 Smoke Ham but

*  1 lb. Ground Beef

*  1 lb. Ground Turkey

*  2 packs Butternut Squash Ravioli

*  1 Peppermint Cheesecake

*  1 box CA Medley Veggies

We spent a whopping $197.49 on food last week. Yikes! There were lots of good deals and having taken the huge ham out of the chest freezer I had room to pick up some "frozen assets" at a good price.

This bring our food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods Grand Total to $474.43 for December.

Actually my OOP was $12.22 less than $197.49 last week.  On all 3 trips I made to Weis(PMITA)Markets I was overcharged on things(unattentive cashiers perhaps?)so I got that much refunded but they were giving out cash instead of credits back on cards(which I mostly use for food shopping)so instead of a lower total I got $12.22 for my refund/post coupon envelope. which get added back into the food budget so it's all good.

There are 3 shopping days left in December but I am done for the year!

I've earned $182.53 on Ibotta in December.

I've earned $00 on Checkout51 in December.

I've earned $10.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in December.

I've earned 8837 points from shopping on Fetch in December.(I have a few more receipts to scan still so this may be larger for the month.)

I've earned 11,628 point from food shopping on Shop Kick in December.

I've earned 1120 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in December.

My savings percentage for last week was 56.84%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for December and the monthly savings total for December comes in at 55.41%.(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week.....1 helping of chicken and dumplings, 1/3 pan of lasagna, 1 helping of Caesar salad, 3 slices of Garlic bread, a little bit of ham, 1/3 of the meatloaf and 1/3 of the pan of mac and cheese.

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

1. Sunday--Fend for Yourself

2. Monday--Fried Chicken, leftover Mac and Cheese, Brussels Sprouts

3. Tuesday--leftovers

4. Wednesday--leftovers
5. Thursday--?

6.  Friday--?

7. Saturday--?

What needs buying for this menu?  Nothing. I planned a little but Hubs is going to fix dinner most nights as we'll eat on the leftovers or simple things like sandwiches and he's frying some chicken(which he likes to do a couple times a year)as I picked up a whole fryer yesterday for $3.22.

I don't plan to go into a grocery store again until 2021. 8-)

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