To-Do List......the February & March Updates

FEBRUARY

* Pay Bills   PASS

* Read 1 Book  PASS

I read this one.........

"Rivals Unto Death: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr" by Rick Beyer

Not a big book but interesting about the love/hate relationship between Hamilton and Burr.  Sometimes they were friends and allies and at other times they were on opposite sides of an issue or down right enemies.  The term "frenemies" may have originated with these two.  If you didn't read the Ron Chernow book or you want more on this part of history then pick this one up.

* Organize Pantry  FAIL  Just didn't get to it.

* Hold Giveaway  PASS

* Mail Giveaway  PASS  It was mailed and received though I hear the chocolate didn't last long. lolz

* Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie  PASS  

The stack of old expired stuff that got pitched.  Go me.

* Finish Editing Old Photos  FAIL  Didn't get to it all but I did a bit.

* Post about Old Trips  FAIL  Nope.

* Work on Genealogy  PASS  I was on fire in February with genealogy research!

* Re-Organize Toiletries Stockpile  PASS  The guest room/toiletries room got done.  I don't think I took a photo though(can't seem to find one anyway).  But with all the freebies I've got at R-A since then it's a big old mess again. sigh.

* Fill 6 more Giveaway Boxes  PASS  I didn't take a photo evidently but trust me, they are sitting stacked up on the floor of the dining room(well 4 of them that are left are).

* Roll/Spend ECBs  PASS  Yep, did that.

* Roll/Spend Bonus Cash  PASS  Yep, did that too.

* Clean my Desk  HALF and HALF  Cleaning my desk is an ongoing chore/project.  As soon as I pitch stuff and/or organize things it just accumulates more stuff.  I'll either keep this on EVERY To-Do list or just drop it altogether because we all know it's something that needs doing every danged month! ;-)

* Stay Warm  PASS  Yep, I managed to drop the heat a couple of degrees and donned a sweater or hoodie to keep warm without letting the electric bill get outta control!

* Eat down the Freezer/Pantry  PASS  We got down a level or two on the archaeology dig I call a freezer.  Of course, with new deals I managed to add back a new layer. lol

MARCH

* Pay Bills  PASS  Always at the top of the financial things to complete each month.

* Read 2 Books  HALF and HALF

Well I only read one book, not two.

"Hottest Heads of State Volume One: The American Presidents" by J.D. and Kate Robson

I totally misconstrued the title of this book when I bought it at Ollies(Good Stuff Cheap!).  I thougnt "hot" meant foul tempered, mean, rotten, etc. not "hot" as is handsome, a dreamboat or desirable as a mate.  lolz  My bad.

But still, it was a light, fun read full of sarcasm, which I like.  And I still learned a couple of quirky things from it.  It was fun and funny and a change of pace for me and parts of it did make me LOL.

* Have Financial Meeting  PASS  Hubs and I had two meetings in February.  The immediate issue was about taking a 401K withdrawal to cover some irregular bills like the taxes, etc.  That was the easy part.

Then we talked about what made sense for us in terms of starting to take Social Security.  Now since I'll be claiming on Hubs since mine would be much lower than half of his we need to figure when he should claim since I can't claim until he his.  If he waits until full SS at 66 years and 10 months that pushes my claiming back until I am 66 and 1 month.  We did some calculating and with all our savings(401K/non 401K)and our annuity we actually will be more than fine if he claims later this year(and then I can claim too).  Still stewing some stuff over but right now that's the plan.

* Organize Pantry  PASS  Yep, I finally got to straightening the pantry out.  Now I just have to straighten out the stockpile in the garage....again.

* Hold Giveaway  PASS

* Mail Giveaway  PASS

It got mailed out quickly and received in a timely manner and was much appreciated by the recipient.

* Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie  PASS  No photo of this clean out but enough inserts got pitched as to fill up my small wastebasket. 

* Finish Editing Old Photos  HALF and HALF  I did edit a few photos on the computer but I worked more on scanning old family photos from my mom's scrapbooks to digitize them.  Here's an example.....

This is my maternal Great Great Grandfather(my mother's paternal Grandfather), Robert William Harper taken in 1950.  Born in 1881, Robert had a hard childhood with both of his parents dying before he turned 15.  He outlived his wife, 7 sisters and a daughter as well.  He was 69 in this photo and had written on the back "Looking good for 69.".  He died before I turned 2 so I have no memories of him.  I'll have to ask my brother who is 6 years old then me what he remembers the next time I see him.

* Post about Old Trips  FAIL  Nope.

* Work on Genealogy  PASS  See the item above on photos. lolz

* Roll/Spend/ECBs  PASS  I managed to extricate myself from the CVS merry-go-round in March.  No more ECBs to roll and I don't plan on going back(at least until Black Friday if their deals tempt me enough). ;-)

* Roll/Spend Bonus Cash  PASS  Yep!

*Clean my Desk  PASS  I did clean it good in March.

* Eat down the Freezer Pantry  PASS  We had a low spend month again in March and managed to eat from the freezer/stockpile a good bit instead of bringing more into the house(besides Ibotta deals).  Go us!

So now I am caught up at least for a few days until April ends. lololz

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

   The "Mother Nature is on Crack Evidently" Edition.......

Last weekend it got into the 70's then two days later it snowed on and off for the next two days and we woke the first morning to a heavy dusting.

It's the end of April for gosh sakes!  I posted on Facebook--Dear Mother Nature,

Stop the drinkin' and the tokin' and for gosh sakes PLEASE go back on your meds!

Signed, Pennsylvania

Onward to the meal planning!
Moving On-

This is what was planned....

1. Sunday--Shrimp and Crab Ravioli in White Sauce, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Chicken Strips

3. Tuesday--Salmon, Sweet Potato Wedges, Brussels Sprouts

4. Wednesday-- Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Rice or Noodles
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Tacos or Taco Salad

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

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

1. Sunday--Shrimp and Crab Ravioli in White Sauce, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Caesar Salad w/Chicken Strips

3. Tuesday--Salmon, Sweet Potato Wedges, Sugar Snap Peas

4. Wednesday--Chinese Take-Out
5. Thursday--Leftovers

6.  Friday--Roasted Chicken and Assorted Veggies, Sourdough Bread

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself(I had Hot and Sour Soup)

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY and 1 night of Take-Out/Eating Out. The tacos and the teriyaki pork stir-fry didn't happen, might move to this week.  Ex-CB came over on Friday so I roasted a chicken and veggies that night instead.

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

*  1 frozen Pizza

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

* 1 package of Chicken Strips

* 1 bag of Ravioli

* 3 portions of Salmon

* 1 box of Sugar Snap Peas

* 1 Whole Roaster Chicken

We spent $15617 on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods last week on a trip to the Bread Outlet, the Discount Grocery but the bulk if that was at Walmart. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $415.50 for April so far.   I didn't even darken Weis(PMITA)Markets door last week but I still managed to spend quite a bit. ;-)

There are 4 shopping days left in April.

I've earned $308.62 on Ibotta in April.

I've earned $5.00 on Checkout51 in April.

I've earned $21.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in April.

I've earned 5,622 points from shopping on Fetch in April(haven't submitted all my receipts yet tho)which equals $5.62.

I've earned13,137 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in April which equals $52.54.

I've earned 3,705 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in April which equals $37.05.

My savings percentage for last week was 50.67%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for April and the monthly savings total for April comes in at 62.47%.(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week--1 small piece of Chicken Marsala, some roast chicken and roasted veggies.  I'll need to cook this week.

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

1. Sunday--Pizza, Tossed Salad

2. Monday--Cheeseburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

3. Tuesday--Ham and Beans Soup

4. Wednesday--Fend for Yourself
5. Thursday--No Clue

6.  Friday--No Clue

7. Saturday--No Clue

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Nothing.  I might finish up my $10 Ibotta bonus this week since I won't have the opportunity/time to do it after this week and before it expires.

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

Rite-Aid Pillaging for the Week of April 18th....Whoa Nelly!

 Get ready for your Rite-Aid porn cousin!

Here is everything I "bought" this past week at Rite-Aid in two photos because I couldn't fit it all on the dining room table together. lolz

Not pictured are two large DiGiorno pizzas as well as the two online orders I placed that haven't arrived yet.  Independent of the 4 different coupon codes you could also do an online order per card/account as well.  Online there was an extra discount of $10 off your order if you hit $65 total before digital Qs or that $10 discount.  It will be about another week before 6 x Magnilife products, 2 x 7th Generation Paper Towel bundles, 2 x 7th Generation Dish Soap bottles and 6 bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide arrive but I have included them in the totals.

I was also forced to spend $2.52 on a credit card for one of my online orders as I was short that much in Bonus Cash and the form wouldn't let me use a gift card. sigh.  So I won't have a 100% savings rate this month. 8-P

Here are the numbers for R-A from last week.......

Bonus Cash Used/Rolled  $423.05
Gift Card Used                   $11.04
Credit Card                          $2.52
Total Spent                       $436.61

Bonus Cash Earned          $378.00
Ibotta/Coupons dotcom      $21.00
Cash Refund on 3 items       $8.34
Total Back                        $407.34

$436.61-$407.34=$29.27 OOP either on the c/c($2.52) or spending down BC($26.75).

Not quite free but it's a living. 8-))
I'm taking a break from R-A this week as it's not a great deal week(no coupon codes either)and I don't need to roll my BC anytime soon.

Now to work on my Walmart/Ibotta numbers from Friday.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday on Saturday....the April 24th Edition

*** Don't Forget To Enter The April Giveaway!  You can enter once a day.  Go to the post or the link on the  right sidebar under Giveaway to enter.***

Life has been crazy business this past week.  Between RL stuff and preparing for a trip and working on Ibotta and going to Rite-Aid a bazillion times(plus repairing a friend's pair of jeans)I've gotten not much else done and what got done wasn't done in a timely manner.  Such is life.....  Which means FF on Saturday as I am a day behind.

Here are some wins from the past week.........

*  My desk lamp(actually a standing lamp next to my desk)finally got replaced.  It was a cheap clearnce find at a Walmart in West Virginia years ago but the screw on shade finally cracked all the way around so it was a bare lightbulb deal for the last few months and I felt like I was being interrogated by the coppers when using it. lol
I looked online for an inexpensive replacement lamp but came up empty, then we had to go to Lowe's to scope out replacment fixtures for the bathroom we are having redone and I wandered down the lighting aisle there and found a lamp that worked for me!

The best part it was free since I used the last of an old Lowe's gift card I earned through my credit card points. 8-))

*  Since I've spent almost nothing of the various "stimmy" checks Uncle Sam sent me and my desk chair was getting uncomfortable/worn out I had found one I liked online but the price was too high so I got on their notification list for if it ever went on sale/the price was reduced.  I know, I know....it was "free" money to begin with but I still wasn't going to spend more than $XX on a chair. ;-)  Finally got it as the price came down....

Now all my adult gamer children are lusting after it....except it's purple! lolz

*  I have been making Rite-Aid my bitch this week, using those 4 different Coupon Codes.  No photos yet because I am going out this morning to finish up and what's here is still laying in bags on the floor in the dining room. #notagreathousekeeper  

I'll do a massive haul photo shot tomorrow, probably just for Sonya Ann's enjoyment. ;-)

* Other than R-A I've hit two different Walmarts this week working on various Bonuses.  I did a blog post a day or so ago about the first Walmart trip so I'll get something done up about trip #2 from Friday later on and how much I "spent" OOP after rebates on various apps.

*  I found money!
Not a stellar week for change finds but it was something.

There may be another penny or two hidden amongst all the crap on my desk but I haven't had time to find it so 3 pennies it is.  It was all found last weekend or earlier this week so I don't even remember when or where but the probability is high they were all found at Rite-Aid since the only places I've been this week are at multiple R-As and Walmart.

That's all I have for this week.

Tell us your wins and remember to stay frugal my friends!

Sluggy

Ibotta Midweek Bonus & 4 Other Rebate Apps...Not Free But Still Alright by Me

Here's how I did the Bonus on Ibotta this week.  

First at Rite-Aid I bought.....
2 x Almay make-up wipes on clearance=$3.24
2 x Got2Be stylers on clearance=$3.84
2 x Haribo Z!ng gummies on sale=$3.00

Total OOP was Zero(used Bonus Cash and combined these items with others so I could use a Spend $50/Get $15 in Bonus Cash Q).

Then at Walmart I bought.....
1 x Butterball Turkey Sausage=$2.34
1 x Breakstone cottage cheese=$3.14
1 x Gatorade Zero drink=$1.78
1 x Gatorade Super Shake=$2.98
1 x Godiva chocolate bar=$2.98
1 x Nestle spring morsels/chips clearance=.87¢
1 x Celestial Seasonings Tea=$2.37
1 x Airwick scented starter kit=$2.97
1 x Colgate Renewal toothpaste=$6.96
6 x Renuzit air fresheners=$5.82
2 x Cremo shave cream(online price adjusted)=$10.84
1 x Cheerios multigrain w/strawberries=$3.64
1 x Larabar cereal=$6.48
1 x Wonderworks Keto cereal=$6/98(yikes!)
1 x Shea Moisture men's shampoo clearance=$1.00* not an Ibotta offer but earned me 600 pts. on

Total OOP at Walmart....$57.40+$1.25 tax=$58.65  This was after using 3 coupons on 3 items(Gatorade, Celestial Seasonings, Colgate)totaling $2.25 in discounts too.

$7.00 in regular rebates at Rite-Aid
$24.60 in regular rebates at Walmart.
General Mills Bonus of .50¢
Alba Botanical/Celestial Seasonings Bonus of $1.00
$5.00 Midweek Bonus for doing 15+ reg. rebates.
$38.10 in rebates on Ibotta.

I also submitted to Coupons dotcom for a $2.75 rebate for the 3 cereals I bought($1 off Larabar, $1 Wonderworks, .75¢ off  Cheerios).
I submitted the Walmart receipt to Shop Kick and got 600 Kicks for the Shea Moisture men's item($2.40).
I submitted the Walmart and Rite-Aid receipts to Fetch and got 3,196 points back($3.19)/
I submitted the Walmart receipt to SwagBucks and got 253 points($2.53-it should have been 503 pts. but they shorted me 250 pts.on the toothpaste).
All these came to $10.87 in rebates.
When added to the Ibotta rebates the Grand Total earned is $48.97 in rebates on $58.65 spent OOP so $9.68 including tax for everything.

I would have been a slight moneymaker as I tried to use a $10 prepaid Visa card at Walmart but the self-check out wouldn't take it and I wasn't going to bother the CSM on duty for a third time to get it accepted.  I'll just use it at Weis where I know I won't have a problem with it(of course, now that I've written that, there will be a problem at Weis(PMITA)Markets.). lolz

Not a bad day of shopping. ;-)

Sluggy