This Week on the Dining Table

The "Childhood Memories" Edition...

             

I was feeling low one day last week and opened one of my few remaining cans of the "throwback" Beefaroni.  Once I was old enough to be left home alone on a Friday night by my parents, this was my usual Friday meal as I got comfy in my beanbag chair to watch something on TV.  It tasted like freedom and independence to me back then.  Ah, nostalgia.....;-)

Onward to the meal planning!

1. Sunday--No Plan

2. Monday--No Plan

3. Tuesday--No Plan

4. Wednesday--No Plan
5. Thursday--No Plan

6.  Friday--No Plan

7. Saturday--No Plan

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

1. Sunday--Apple w/peanut butter

2. Monday--Don't recall

3. Tuesday--Don't recall

4. Wednesday--I didn't eat dinner(had a Whopper for lunch
5. Thursday--Salad, Popcorn

6.  Friday--Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Rice

7. Saturday--Christmas Dinner

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

*  1 bag of Brussels Sprouts

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

* 1 bag of Brussels Sprouts

I spent $47.61 on food/toiletries/HBA the last 2 weeks. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $139.96 for December. 

There are 5 shopping days left in December.  I may go out for milk and a few assorted things but mostly I am done grocery shopping in 2021.

I've earned $138.79 on Ibotta in December.

I've earned $7.00 on Checkout51 in December.

I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in December.

I've earned 11,661points from shopping on Fetch in December which equals $11.66.

I earned 3,980 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in December which equals $15.92. 

I've earned 1,408 SB from food shopping on Swagbucks in December which equals $14.08.

I've earned $4.20 from food shopping on Tada in December.

That's $145.79 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Tada/Fetch)on $139.96 in grocery spending so in reality it's -$5.83 spent after the 3 rebate apps I count.  Yay me.....

My savings percentage for the last week was 66.14%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)and the monthly savings total for December comes in at 43.65% so far(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week....lots of Christmas dinner fare-lasagna, salt cured VA ham, Hawaiian rolls, deviled eggs, roasted veggies, mac and cheese, etc.

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

1. Sunday--FFY

2. Monday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Baked Sweet Potatoes

3. Tuesday--Lasagna, leftover Roasted Veggies

4. Wednesday--Broccoli Cheese Soup
5. Thursday--Assorted Leftovers

6.  Friday--Late Lunch out using gift card

7. Saturday--More Leftovers

We'll be eating leftovers from Christmas plus I am using some leftover roux/cheese from the mac and cheese I made plus some fresh broccoli that didn't get roasted to make a soup later in the week.  The Pork cutlets I found at Weis(PMITA)Markets on clearance.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Not a thing.  Eating up leftovers mostly.

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?  

Here's today's Holiday tune......

Sluggy

 

Christmas Time!

 I hope y'all are having the kind of Christmas that fills you with joy.

Merry Christmas to all my readers from Sluggy and hers!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the Christmas Eve Dec. 24th Edition

So here are a few of the frugal-ish things that happened during this past week.......

*  I haven't cooked a single meal in 3 weeks(today I begin cooking for Christmas day).  How is that frugal?  Well, I've been using up some of my free food gift cards and doing intermittent fasting as well.  I've taken off ALL the weight I gained on vacation.  Most of the weight was from imbibing alcoholic refreshments and not taking my water pill for a week.  I got a lot of walking done on the ship and shore. Go me.

*  Last weekend Easy Spirit shoes website had a big sale(more than 50% off on some styles/sizes)so I ordered a butt load of shoes and they came 2 days ago.....

I haven't even had time to open the box yet.  Not only was it a great deal on about the only brand of shoes I can wear but I loaded up and now can get rid of some worn out pairs that hurt my feet.

*  While we were in the area I shopped at Aldi to get some items cheaper than the local grocery store.  Cheap butter, tortilla chips and a Stollen for Christmas?  Yes please!

*  I had to get a new cell phone as mine started dying on the vacation.  Did I get the newest and latest with all the gegaws that cost as much as a month's rent or a mortgage payment?  Silly question if you know me. lol  I got a "nice" phone that does what I need it to do and spent $400 on it.

*  I did some grocery shopping this week to finish up a $10 Ibotta Bonus.  I earned $42.28 in rebates and only spent $9.40 after using free Walmart gift cards.
Whether I'll finish 12 more rebates to get this Weekend $5 Bonus is yet to be seen. ;-)  I've still got $40 in free Walmart gift cards. 8-)))

*  I've been using up/rolling Bonus Cash at R-A to get stocking stuffers for my family for cheap or free.  Most of this BC needs using or it is expiring so best to use it up, right?  I've only got a few BC to spend on the day after Christmas left so I am show I'll find some clearance stuff to use it up on. 8-)

*   I found money!

I found a crumpled up dollar on the floor in my Rite-Aid and then a penny near the register on Tuesday.

I found all the above on that same day at various places.  When I found that dollar at my R-A the cashier said when you find money laying around it's a sign angels are watching over you.  I think she gave me a dash of good luck for the rest of the day as I found $1.54 in money on that day alone!

I found this quarter at the Burger King drive thru when I used a coupon to get a drink for a $1.

This dime and penny were found I don't remember where over the weekend(Walmart?)...

I found this dime at the Verizon store when I got my new phone and the 3 pennies were found in Weis(PMITA)Markets-one under the newspaper rack and the other two in the foyer leaving the store.

And this quarter was found in the Aldi parking lot in an abandoned cart far from the corral.

It was a great week finding change!!

Total Found in last Week...... $2.28
Total Found This Year......$23.60

That's about all I've got for this week.

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

And here is today's Christmas selection...........

Sluggy

It's Coming Along.....

 Well part of the living room is done and presentable.........

The tree is fully decorated and the corresponding tubs are back upstairs.

And the wall of tp and mailing boxes are gone.  I still have to move crap from the other side of the room, then vacuum the rug and clean the wood floor in here.

No progress on the dining room as it is wrapping central right now.  I should have everything boxed and bagged by tonight so I can clear that room out and set it up for dinner.

All the food has been procured and I am about to start the boiling of the ham(a long slow procedure)so I can bake it tomorrow so it's nice and chilled for Christmas.

More tunes to get y'all into the Holiday Spirit........

This "Messiah" aria was in my performance repertoire during my short lived career as an operatic/choral singer and is still a favorite for Christmastime.

And now for my personal tradition due to my redneck Southern roots......

And now from the ridiculous to the sublimey fun......

Sluggy

Frugal Friday.....the December 17th Edition on Tuesday

So here are a few of the frugal-ish things that happened during the last 2 weeks, both here and while we were away being "tortured" on a cruise. lololz

*  I haven't cooked a single meal in 2 weeks.  How is that frugal?  Well, I've been using up some of my free food gift cards and doing intermittent fasting as well.  I've taken off nearly all the weight I gained on vacation.  Yay.

*  We won lots of "plastic prizes".......

The wooden pens are very nice.   Just call us Trivia Sharks....

* We got a free bottle of champagne on the cruise which I gave to my brother to bring home.  Instead of carefully packing it in his checked luggage he decided to put it in his carry on bag and TSA confiscated it.  Had I know he'd pull that bonehead move I'd had packed it MY checked bag then given it to him when we got to his house. Oh well....

*  Speaking of champagne I played a group game in the Atrium one night and I made a fan, some random women watching the game and she gave me an even bigger bottle of champagne as she enjoyed my performance.  Luckily I didn't give that bottle to my brother and it made it home with me. ;-)

*  I saved over $600 on the cruise due to a bad incident(more on that later).

*  We brought my brother and his wife their Christmas presents when we drove down to VA to take the plane so we didn't have to pay to ship them later. ;-)

*  I took advantage of free ship credit offer on a future cruise while on the ship.  We have 4 years to use the deposit monies on this offer.  I think that's doable....what do you say Kim and Sissie?

*  We took snacks with us on the airport days to save on food.  Airport food prices are ridiculous as you are a captive audience.

*   I found money!

This two weeks worth(and we were traveling for one of those weeks).  I can't recall exactly what was found where....multiple Rite-Aids, at Mickey D's Drive throughs, in Airports, on the Cruise Ship at Casino Cashier area, Walmart at home, R-A at home, etc(I'll try to remember when I blog about the vacation later)so here's a photo of it all......

Total Found in last 2 Weeks...... $1.17
Total Found This Year......$21.32

That's about all I can remember and my phone has been acting up(I think it's phone Tourette's)so this will have to do.

Any frugal wins for anyone else out there?

And now, another Christmas song of the day , favorite version of this song..........

Incidentally, the lyrics to this song were written by someone who lived in my neck of the Pennsylvania woods, Richard Smith.  A Honesdale, PA native.

He was being treated for TB in the West Mountain Sanitorium in Scranton, PA in 1934 where he wrote the lyrics.  Dick Smith relapsed and died of the disease in 1935 on his birthday in NYC.  He never lived to see the classic his song would become.

Sluggy