Happy Birthday to the USA!

Happy Fourth of July to our country....the day we celebrate the formation of this nation.

On a somber note, I also like this number from that same musical show, "1776", which captures the paradox of the north vs. the south in this country concerning slavery.  There was a very good book written about 14 years ago that I recommend on the complexity of the slavery situation called, "Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged and Profited from Slavery" by Anne Farrow, Joel Land, et al.

If you want to go beyond the "shallow dive" into history that our school systems provide on this difficult subject of our national past go have a read.

I'd also like to present an excellent number from "1776", one of the only songs I know of that delves into this sensitive subject.  It was sung in the movie version by Broadway musical actor John Cullum, one of the best male voices we've every had on the musical stage in this country.

I'll close with this bit of fluff number from the show starring one of my FFV ancestral cousins on my mother's side of the family tree,  Richard Henry Lee.......

Happy fourth and celebrate safely!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the July 2nd Edition

 A new month but the usual frugalness around here at Chez Sluggy.  Let's look at what went down this past week............

* I had gotten a "we miss you, here's $5 to spend" from Kohl's so I went in and found something that was close to that price that I could use/live with.....

a long sleeve knit shirt for kicking around the house that cost me $2.20 OOP.  It may be too big to wear in public by Winter/Fall but perfectly good for around the house.

*  I got a post coupon at Rite-Aid........

$3 for a coupon that was forgotten.  Poor little coupon.

*  Then I returned a couple of items and got money back.........

*  I got some deals at Rite-Aid, spent down to $0 on one of my cards this past week, and hit some Ibotta rebates and bonuses along the way.

* I held a stockpile sale in conjunction with a community wide yard sale day in town.  Busy, busy and got rid of lots of items and between the two sales(with a week in the middle when I was out of town)I raked in 7+ bills.  I gave some away to local friends, there is a largish load ready to go to the food bank, I've got items earmarked for relatives and friends when I go see them too.  I think I emptied at least 3 large Rubbermaid tubs of goods!

*  Hubs got Burger King for us one day using a free gift card. go us.

*  I found money!

Two pennies at R-A on Friday........

Another two pennies at R-A on Monday........

And two additional pennies at Walmart on Tuesday(forgot to take a photo of those).

Total Money Found This Week... 06¢
Total Money Found This Year...$5.68

That's about all I remember from this past week that was frugal.

What frugal wins did ya'll have this past week?
Let's here it!

And have a good weekend....

Sluggy

Walmart & Rite-Aid This Week to Get to My Bonuses

 Trying to spend down and/or convert my Bonus Cash to cash through Ibotta so I hit up Rite-Aid on Monday and brought this home..........

2 x Colorista temporary spray color 75% off=$5.26
1 x Almay eye product 75% off=$2.24
1 x Almay face product 75% off=$3.49
1 x L'Oreal lipstick 75% off=$2.37
3 x Vaseline tiny tubs clearance=$1.47
1 x Vaseline cocoa butter tub 20% Gold Disc.=$1.59
SubTotal.....$16.42

Coupon used was the In-Ad Colorista $4/2 R-AQ so Grand Total was $12.42+.75¢ tax=$13.17 paid for with Bonus Cash.

I earned $8 in new BC(2 x $4 Vaseline)and converted $13 via Ibotta on everything but the Vaseline products.

I then had 4 of the 15 offers for a $3 Midweek Bonus on Ibotta.

Tuesday I went to Walmart and got this stuff........

1 x Good Moo'd reduced lactose milk=$3.68

2 x Suave men's body wash(large ones on clearance-.75¢ ea.)=$1.50

1 x Suave lotion=$1.72

1 x Jergens lotion=$3.48

2 x Ritz toasted chips rollback=$5.00

1 x Frigo feta cheese=$2.12

1 x Sargento creamery cheddar slices=$2.95

1 x Cracker Barrel block=$3.18

2 x U by Kotex pads=$10.94

1 x 6 pack Deer Park water=$2.12 *not in picture

1 x Colgate Renewal toothpaste=$6.96 *not in picture

2 x XXX item=$6.22 (can't show/mention it as it's a gift)

1 x Old Tyme Raisin Bread=$2.78

Subtotal........$52.69

I used $11.25 in Qs so $41.44+.23¢ tax=$41.67

I used a $25 free Shop Kick gift card which brought my OOP down to $16.67.

I earned rebates back on the milk, all 3 cheeses, the Jergens, the Colgate, the XXXX items and the pads=$17.00 on those 8 rebates plus a $2 Level 3 June Bonus.

Then I hit a different R-A near that Walmart and got all this..........

8 x Vaseline tiny tubs on clearance=$3.94

3 x boxes of candy on sale=$3.00

5 x Health Warrior protein bars on clearance=$2.45

1 x Revlon brow kit 75% off=$3.24

1 x Revlon lip crayon 75% off=$2.49

SubTotal....$15.10+.58¢=$15.68 paid for with BC and gift card. (I used no Qs.)

I earned back $16 in new BC(4 x $4 Vaseline).

I also converted some BC to cash via Ibotta earning $12 there plus hit the $3 Midweek Bonus.

Total OOP for all 3 trips......$16.67

Total BC earned.......$24.00

Total Ibotta rebates earned....$47.00

Spent $16.67, earned/converted $71.00.

And my Bonus Cash pile is dwindling as planned. 8-)

Sluggy

Well It Figures.......

 This happened near where I live......

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pa-police-break-up-exorcism-in-home-depot-lumber-aisle/2861028/

Just when you thought you'd heard/seen the wackiest things.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table...HaHaHa

 The "Sort of Back to Meal Planning"...

I think this fortune cookie I cracked open in June says it all as far as life here right now. lol

(If you can't read it, it says "Don't panic.)

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--FFY-I had a small tv dinner

2. Monday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges

3. Tuesday--Spinach Salad and TBD

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

6.  Friday--Salad, Pizza(homemade on flatbreads)

7. Saturday--Leftovers

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

1. Sunday--FFY-I had a small tv dinner

2. Monday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges

3. Tuesday--Chinese Take-Out(I had Hot and Sour Soup)

4. Wednesday--Spinach Salad(didn't need anything else)
5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself(We had Father's Day lunch out)

6.  Friday--Salad, Flat Bread Pizza

7. Saturday--Leftover Chicken Sausage, Collards

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

* 8 pack of burrito

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

* 2 tv dinners

* 1 pack Chicken Apple Sausages

I went a little wild with food shopping this week. *Sluggy hangs her head in shame.*

We spent a whopping $271.24 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at Target(both in store and online), P and R Outlet, Aldi and Walmart.  No Weis(PMITA)Markets again. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $326.50 for June.   Hopefully I'm done with June and can claim it a success in keeping under $400 spent!

There are 2 shopping days left in June.

I've earned $263.24 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $8.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in June.

I've earned 15020 points from shopping on Fetch in June which equals $15.02.

I've earned 5,531 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June which equals $22.12.

I've earned $25 in Target gift cards.

I've earned $7.44 back in a rebate from Snuggle(hopefully that one pans out).

I've earned 1021 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in June which equals $10.21(if they ever finish fixing my ticket).   

That's $271.24 in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch/Snuggle/Target gift cards)on $326.50 in grocery spending so in reality it's $125.06 spent after the Ibotta and Coupons dotcom rebate apps.

My savings percentage for last week was 32.82%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for June and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 51.41%.(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week...some carnitas, 2 helpings of Collards and 1 hot dog.  It's going to be hot as blazes here for late June/early July so I really don't want to cook hot food(or eat it for that matter). bleh.

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

1. Sunday--BLT Sandwiches(finally got ahold of a "good" tomato

2. Monday--Chicken Thighs, Zuke in Tomato Sauce, Rice

3. Tuesday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges, Green Beans or whatever

4. Wednesday--Salad, Flatbread Pizza
5. Thursday--more BLTs maybe"

6.  Friday--Salad, Whatever, it will be too hot to cook

7. Saturday--Cook-Out at Son's place(I'm not cooking)

You can tell I am not enthused about cooking this week, can't you?;-)

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this "sort of" menu? Not a single thing.  I hope to not grocery shop this week. 8-)))  Sluggy plans, God laughs....

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