Frugal Friday...the June 4th Edition

 A few frugal wins from this past week........

*  We went to our favorite nursery last weekend and got a flat of assorted veggies and flowers. Hubs planted everything with my supervision as my knee and back are still wonky this week.  Not a big garden but a few favorites that the flat of plants will provide.

*  We didn't eat out and mostly ate down the freezer and leftovers from the Memorial Day cook-out.

*  And contrary to belief I didn't hit ANY grocery stores.....well, until today but my frugal week runs Friday to Thursday anyway so it goes on next week's report. ;-)

*  I watched some free movies with my Amazon Prime account.

*  I've been cleaning out stuff to get ready for my stockpile sale as my old body has allowed me to.

*  I grew a couple of my Rite-Aid accounts Bonus Cash.  I found a store near the nursery that had Sally Hansen nail polish on sale for $1.49 per bottle and it counted toward the SH polish deal this week When you buy 2/Get $4 in BC back.  After sales tax it grew my BC by .85¢ per 2 bottles purchased.

*  I found money!

On my big outing last Friday I found this Quarter tucked behind the self-checkout machine I was using.

Then I stopped in at my Rite-Aid on the way home and found this nickel in front of the register counter.

Total Found This Week... .30¢

Total Found This Year....$4.10

That's it for this week.

I hope y'all had some frugal wins too!

Tell us all about them. 8-)

And have a good Weekend....

Sluggy

The Food Spending.......May 2021 Report

Onward to May's Food Spending report......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for MAY 2021.

I have posted May's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in May.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 4(2-3 eating at home this month). No "kids" under 25. (I don't count all the "freebies" I get at the Discount Outlet in my totals either.)
*****************

BREAD OUTLET

OOP  $4.00

Value  $12.07

Savings 66.86%

FOOD LION

OOP  $27.28

Value  $37.15

Savings  26.57%

MALACARI'S

OOP  $10.22

Value  $16.20

Savings  36.91%

OCEAN STATE JOB LOT
OOP  $7.47
Value  $16.50
Savings  54.73%

P and R DISCOUNTS
OOP  $30.41
Value  $61.72
Savings  50.72%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC  $1739.49
Value  $1739.49
Savings  100%

TARGET

OOP  $6.07

Value  $102.11

Savings  94.09%

WALMART
OOP  $173.50
Value  $372.15
Savings  53.51%

WEIS

OOP  $98.42

Qs/Sales  $67.68
Value  $166.10
Savings  40.75%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, Target at 94.09% and The Bread Outlet at 66.86%.

The worst rate was at Food Lion at 26.57%  
I shopped at 9 different stores in May.

TOTAL Spent in May.........................$357.33

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards......$426.67

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased....$784.00

TOTAL Savings of ...............................54.52%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May w/R-A...............$357.33
TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards w/................$2,165.16
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid...$2,522.49
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items....................85.83%

This closes out the May food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into May wanting to stay under $300 on spending but I didn't quite get there(over by $57.33).  If you count the Ibotta and Coupons dotcom rebates received in May, my "real" spending was only $172.15.  Either way you look at it I am happy with the results.

I also wanted to cut back on the rebating but as you can see that didn't happen. ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by .67% in May 2021 to 85.83% compared to the April's 86.50% savings average.  So about the same really.

With 5 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $1,628.78 on food/toiletries in 2021.

2020 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1,608.27

2020 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$10,445.07

2020 Grand Total Saved...............................$8,836.80

2020 Yearly Savings Total.............................84.60%

The average per month amount spent is $321.65 in 2021 so far.

LOOKING AHEAD To June 2021...........

Again, I am going to attempt to cut back on the rebating. (Sluggy plans, God laughs!)  I'll give it my best effort this month.  There are no "food holidays" for us in June and we are well stocked except for fresh produce so we shall see if I can succeed in my plan.  The vegetable plants are in but it will be at least mid July before anything produces.

I am not giving myself a price limit for June but there is always that $400 mark in the back of my mind yelling at me. 8-)

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in May?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?

*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

Laying Off Rebates for Awhile, But First.........

 

I finished that $10 Ibotta Bonus up at Walmart last Friday.  No photo but here is what I bought--

3 x Mac's Pork Rinds $1.78
1 x Incogmeato chickn nuggets(qualified for 2 different rebates totaling $2.60)
1 x Keto yogurt cup .45¢
1 x Any Brand Pasta(got GV Rigatoni) .10¢
1 x Sun Sweet Prunes w/Essence(qualified for 4 different rebates totaling $2.20)
1 x Any Brand Pasta sauce(got GV tomato sauce) .10¢
1 x Nutella and Go! .50¢
2 x Arm and Hammer Essentials Toothpaste $2.00
3 x Clairol Nice n' Easy hair color(qualified for 2 different rebates totaling $15.00)
1 x Clairol Root Touch-Up $3.50
1 x Clairol Natural Instincts hair color $2.00
1 x Ocean Spray Juice $1.00
1 x Limitless Sparkling Water(qualified for 2 different rebates totaling $2.10)
18 rebates done.  I only needed 15 for the $10 Bonus but doing 3 extra gave me the WW Bonus too so why not? ;-)
Total spent including tax was $50.65 after paper coupons used and a $10 Fetch gift card as well as $19+ used on that hospital refund debit card we got a few weeks ago.

Plus Bonuses Earned
1 x Level 2 $1.00
1 x Yoplait .50¢
1 x $3 Weekend Warrior
1 x $10 May Flowers

Total Ibotta earned $33.33+$14.50 in Bonuses=$47.83
I also earned $6.20 worth of points on Shop Kick
I earned $6.00 on Coupons dotcom.
I got 50 points on Fetch as well.
And another .13¢ worth of points on Swag Bucks.  The only hiccup was my Arm and Hammer toothpaste rebate on Swag Bucks disappeared before I got home or that rebate would have been more.  It happens, what can I say? lol

I don't count the Fetch, Shop Kick or Swag Bucks until I cash out so I spent $50.65 and earned back $53.83(Ibotta and Coupons dotcom)making this trip a $3.18 moneymaker.

Nice.

I am going to be laying off rebating in June(didn't I say that about May though?!lol).  Just not feeling chasing down deals lately and really we don't need much right now plus I've got some physical problems to work on.  

But there is always my BFF, Rite-Aid. 8-)))

Sluggy

Some Rite-Aid Last Week But Not Much By My Standards

 I took a photo of most of what I got at Rite-Aid last sales week but I forgot a few bags of stuff. lol

Forgot 3 bags of stuff like 2 x 9 Elements cleaning products, some 75% off Spring cleaning items, 2 bag of chips, a better than free Revlon mascara(after Ibotta rebate and coupons dotcom $3 Q).  2 bags of M and M's and a Milky Way bar are missing too and maybe other stuff.  I was too tired to find the rest in my disaster of a dining room right now. lolz

Total Bonus Cash spent......$168.17 including tax

Total Bonus Cash earned....$137.00

Spent the BC down by $31.17 and Zero OOP.

Other than 1 or 2 transactions this week(got to at least use that $15 BC wyspend $60 coupon!)I am laying off of R-A for a bit.  Can't totally stop as my BC will expire and I can't let THAT happen. ;-)

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

   The "Let the Summer Begin!" Edition.......

Our huge Rhododendron finally bloomed 3 days ago.  It's been so dry here is why it's delayed this year.  When I see that has bloomed I know Summer is here.

Onward to the meal planning!
Moving On-

This is what was planned.....

1. Sunday--Fend For Yourself

2. Monday--Beef Pie

3. Tuesday--Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Veggies

4. Wednesday--Chicken Parm, Grilled Squash
5. Thursday--Mushroom Quiche, Salad

6.  Friday--Pizza?, Salad

7. Saturday--Leftovers

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

1. Sunday--Fend For Yourself

2. Monday--Fend For Yourself

3. Tuesday--Fend for Yourself

4. Wednesday--Beef Pie
5. Thursday--Chicken Parm, Grilled Squash

6.  Friday--Fend For Yourself

7. Saturday--Leftover Beef Pie

Last week saw 3 nights of home cooked dinners, 4 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.  I had digestive issues and knewe issues the beginning of the week so I either didn't eat or had canned soup and Hubs fended for himself.

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

*  1 package of bacon

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

* 4 breaded chicken patties

*  And whatever Hubs took out, I didn't care/look lolz

We spent a whopping $108.30 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at 5 different stores(lots of small totals).This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $357.33 for May.   

There are 0 shopping days left in May.

I've earned $172.68 on Ibotta in May.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in May.

I've earned $12.50 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in May.

I've earned 8,232 points from shopping on Fetch in May which equals $8.23

I've earned 15,950 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in May which equals $63.80.

I've earned 1,141 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in May which equals $11.41.

I've earned $18.87 in Target gift cards.

That's $185.18+ in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch/Target gift cards)on $357.33 in grocery spending.

My savings percentage for last week was 54.52%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for May and the monthly savings total for May comes in at  85.83%.(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week...nothing.

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

1. Sunday--Mushroom Quiche

2. Monday--Dogs and Burgers, Pasta Salad

3. Tuesday--Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry w/Veggies

4. Wednesday--Leftovers
5. Thursday--More Leftovers or FFY

6.  Friday--Pizza?, Salad

7. Saturday--Leftovers

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu? Finally got the quiche made so once we are sick of eating it the rest goes into the freezer.

Still need salad fixings so there's that but otherwise it will be a no shopping week...maybe. ;-)

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