This Week on the Dining Table.....February 5th Edition

The "I am Losing Weight Too Fast!!" Edition.....  

Leaving my Neurology appointment at check out I glanced down at the After Visit Summary they give you and saw that I had dropped a substantial amount of weight since walking into the clinic! lolz
Yeah, I haven't seen 108 lbs. since I was 13 years old. ;-)  And they got my height wrong as well....sigh.

This is day 239 of the new "diet".  Down 59 lbs. since the cruise(not counting the 8 I gained on the cruise and then lost again, which would make it 67 lbs.).  

Not actively trying to lose right now, just maintaining.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week...........

1. Sunday--Zaxby Zalad

2. Monday--Cheeseburgers(bun optional), Baked Sweet Potato Fries

3. Tuesday--Leftover Chicken and Dumplings

4  Wednesday--Salmon, Stir-Fry Veggies

5. Thursday--Soup and Sammies or ?

6.  Friday--???

7. Saturday--Whatever is easy or Hubs makes

And here's what actually happened......

1. Sunday--Linner of Zaxby Zalad

2. Monday--Leftover Cheeseburgers(no bun), Baked Sweet Tater Wedges

3. Tuesday--Leftover Chicken and Dumplings

4  Wednesday--Salmon, Stir-Fry Veggies

5. Thursday--Hubs had Meatloaf tv dinner and I had a Teriyaki Chicken Lean Cuisine

6.  Friday--Linner at Cracker Barrel in MS(Fish Fry, Cole Slaw and Okra for me)

7. Saturday--Power was out again so we went to the local Pizza Joint for a Muffaletta Pizza.

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  1 Meatloaf tv dinner

*  1 Lean Cuisine dinner

*  1 bag Stir-Fry Veggies

*  2 Small packages of Salmon

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

*  2 Meatloaf tv Dinners

*  5 Lean Cuisine tv Dinners

*  NY Texas Toast

*  4 Smart One Chicken Enchilada tv Dinners

*  1 pack of Burritos(for Hubs)

*  Birdseye Garlic Shrimp Family Meal

*  PF Chang Beef Broccoli

Last week we spent $159.84 on grocery(dog food, paper products, toiletries, etc.)shopping for February. 

Total shopping comes to $159.84 for February.   

There are 24 shopping days left in February.  

Rebate monies earned this month so far.....

I've earned $72.54 on Ibotta in February.

I've earned $12.50 on Shopmium in February.

I've earned $19.00 on Alexa app in February.

I've earned $0.00 on Kroger Cash Back in February.

I've earned $2.70 on TaDa in February.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in February.

I've earned $0 on Aisle.

I've earned 1,170 points on Fetch from food shopping in February.

I've earned 1,485 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in January

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in January.

That is $87.74 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Fetch/Alexa)on $159.84 of grocery spending so in reality it's $72.10 in food spending after the 6 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 36.17% and the monthly savings total for February comes in at 36.17% spent.  

Leftovers going into this week....1 portion of Salmon.

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

1. Sunday--Leftover Chicken n' Dumplings

2. Monday--Liver and Onions w/Corn, Mashed Taters

3. Tuesday--Salad

4  Wednesday--Roasted Chicken, Stuffing, Veg

5. Thursday--Soup and Rolls or Grilled Cheese

6.  Friday--Beef Pie

7. Saturday--Whatever is easy or Hubs makes

I have 2 x $3 off $3 deli meat/cheese Qs from Kroger I must use this week and there are a few things/deals I want to pick up but nothing earth shattering.

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 deals on food at your stores this week?  

Sluggy    

Frugal Friday.....the February 2nd Edition(on Saturday)

There are a few Frugal wins this past week so here goes....

*  We had a visitor!

With our property being a full on bayou right now(I hear it raining yet again outside!)we have a resident chorus every day and night of bull frogs.  Frogs drop eggs in these pools of water and they turn into tadpoles.

As it blends into the scenery I tried to color adjust this photo so you can see we had a Snowy Egret show up in our yard.

Here's a larger un retouched photo of the bird with the neighbors junked card in the background.  The egret methodically made it's way down the "river" on the left side of the yard by the fence and picked off frog eggs or whatever.  It was there quite a long time feasting.  I am sure it will be back and maybe I can get a better shot without having to step into the bayou. 8-)

*  As for saving money last week.........

I hit frozen food clearance at our Walmart and found quite a bit--

 

The Beef and Broccoli bag was $4.00, as was the famil size bag of Garlic Shrimp skillet meal.

Four of these Lean Cuisine meals were marked down to $2.00(the fifth was full price of $4.14 but I wanted it.  I got $5 back from an Ibotta rebate and earned 825 kicks on these too(10 of that was for walking in the store)so another $3+ once I cash out for a gift card.

The I found these Smart Ones tv dinners, Chicken Enchilada Suiza, marked down to $1 a box!  I also snagged 2 of the Great Value Meatloaf dinners for $1.50(Hubs ate one before I got a photo).

I would have picked up more but the freezer is now officially packed full such that I couldn't wedge a fart in there. lol

We also picked up 2 x 18 ct. eggs at Kroger for $1.49, along with yogurt drinks, bananas for Hubs cereal and 2 bags of Tortilla chips for him in prep for the playoffs.  I'll make him Nachos for the Super Bowl using what's left.

I've done no other grocery shopping this past week, didn't really have time to.

*  The only other wins this week were 3 productive doctor appointments with specialists.  With my Medicare Supplement I had no co-pays.

*  I found Money!

I was in a different Walmart last week and after self-checking out I spied a dime in front of a vacant machine and before I could get to it, the self-checkout employee went and stood right on top of that dime. argh.

So I told her there was a coin under her foot, she moved her foot and I picked it up and offered to split the dime with her.

She said she wasn't allowed to take money out of the machines(when people walk away and leave change in them so I guess that also applies to coins they drop on the floor?).  So I wished her a good day and left with my new found dime.

Total Found in last Week.... .10¢
Grand Total Found this Year........84¢

That's all I got.  

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

Sluggy   

January Food Spending 2024

Onward to January's Food Spending Report.....

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for January 2024.

I have posted January's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.  I closed out the books on January a few days early so everything I bought after 1/25/24 will go on February's ledger.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in January.  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, Pet Food. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

ALDI

OOP  $4.98

Sales  $3.00

Value  $7.98

Savings  37.60%

BREAD OUTLET

OOP  $6.40

Saving $10.66

Value  $17.06

Savings   62.49%

KROGER

OOP  $258.31

Qs/Gift Cards $179.73

Value $438.04

Savings  41.03%

SHOPPER'S VALUE

OOP $26.82

Sales  $13.64

Value $40.46

Savings  33.71%

WALMART

OOP  $286.93

Qs/Gift Cards $170.61

Value  $457.54

Savings  37.29%

WORLD MARKET

OOP  $69.50

Sales  $352.77

Value  $422.27

Savings  83.54%

********************
My best Store Savings Total was at World Market with a savings of 83.54%.  My worse rate was at Walmart with 37.29%.  

I shopped at 6 different stores in JANUARY.

TOTAL Spent in January......$652.94

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$730.41

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$1,383.35

TOTAL Savings of........52.80%

This closes out the JANUARY food/toiletries/etc. spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 2.82% in January to 52.80% compared to December's 49.98% savings average.  Since we have an adequate income and food should be a pleasure in life(no way am I going to eat unseasoned rice and beans for my remaining days like some people-because I don't have to). I will buy quality food and pay the price at the register.  I may not like the price but I will deal with it.

The Savings total was great mostly due to all that 90% clearance at World Market after Christmas which was mostly snacks and nibbles and not "real" food.  8-))

With 1 month accounted for, I have spent a Total of $652.94 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2024.

2024 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$652.94

2024 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$1,383.35

2024 Grand Total Saved...............................$730.41

2024 Yearly Savings Total..............................52.80%

The average per month amount spent is $652.94 in 2024 so far but that's before all the rebate monies are added in.

Remember that I withdraw all my cash rebate monies(Ibotta, Coupons dotcom, Shopmium, Checkout 51 and other miscellaneous rebates sent to my Paypal)at the end of the year and add it back into my food budget, so at the end of the year my food spending will go down.  The other savings apps like Fetch, Shop Kick, Kroger Cash Back that let us get free gift cards(or $ off your grocery total-Kroger), those are added back in when I cash those points in along the way.  Alexa app gives me Amazon credit onto my account but I don't buy food on Amazon(sometimes I buy dog food there)so I really don't know how to count that.

LOOKING AHEAD TO FEBRUARY 2024.....There are a few deals I want to do this week(mostly frozen food clearance at my Walmart)and those will be accounted for in February's budget since I've closed the books on January as of 1/25/24.

I plan on avoiding Ibotta, etc. deals(unless they are items we really really need)in February....and now that I've written that there will be massive discounts this month. lolz).

I really need to seriously get back on track with meals and spending.  With traveling, the Holidays and my Birthday, January has been kind of a wash so I'm kicking it into high gear for February and closing the purse strings this coming month.  February I'll be concentrating on using up freezer and pantry goods that have lingered too long.  I am also going on an Ibotta Fast for February, meaning unless we "need" it, even if it's free or a great deal, I am Not buying it.

I don't have a firm dollar amount budget but I'll shoot for good quality but at the lowest prices I can find.  That's a challenge, given it's the dead of Winter and veggies, even here in the deep South, are pricey but I plan to hit up the Aldi that just opened in November in town. woot!

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

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

*  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 versus 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

DECEMBER 2023 To-Do List

Here is how the TO-DO List turned out for December.  We had a lot going on last month and I really need to lay December to rest before heading into February. 8-)))

DECEMBER

* Pay Bills  DONE  Always at the top of my list of things to get done.

* Do Christmas Cards Early  DONE  I didn't send out many this year but I did get them all sent(plus a Birthday card)before we left town.

* Find a New Neurologist  DONE  My new PCP's office informed me that around here once you have a neurologist it's practically impossible to get a new one.  I explained that the one I was given was quite lax in contacting me and communicating any information to me and/or following up in any way with me and was always changing his mind(we need to do more tests, then no, we don't need to do more tests, etc.).   He does not instill confidence in me that he knows wtf is going on and there is always an excuse for these lapses in contact(he's out of the country, he has Covid and had to leave the hospital before putting my RX through to the pharmacy, then he was out of the country again-but I was on a waitlist and got offered a closer date for an appt. while he was supposedly out of the country that time and the last time in December he was again, out of the country dealing with VISA issues. oy vey!

* Go to a Ridiculous Amount of PT Sessions  DONE  Not really a ridiculous number of them really, only about 4 before we left the state for the Holidays.

* Have a Sleep Study  DONE  Was done and we all know the outcome of that already. yeah!

* Have Dishwasher Installed  DONE

Finally got on the handyman's schedule to get this done.  The HVAC/electrical folks we have a contract with wanted over $600 to install this dishwasher(which cost $400 at Home Depot).  Being a manufactured home it had to be hard wired in so HD wouldn't install it(or couldn't).  The handyman outfit charged $160.  Good deal.

* Finish Xmas Present Buying  DONE  Got everything bagged or wrapped and thrown into the car for the trip.  We gave Daughter and Son In-Law their presents once we got home.

* Celebrate Daughter's Birthday  PASS  I gave her a card and a gift card.  She didn't want me to take her out to eat or make her a birthday cake.  Suit yourself.

* Buy Stuff for House(Always)  FAIL  Other than paying to have the dishwasher installed I can't think of anything we bought to repair or had to replace in the house in December.  This is a GOOD fail I think. 8-))

* Finish Making Travel Plans  DONE  Obviously, this got done. lol

* Follow Up on Back MRI  DONE  This one was "iffy".  The NP said if the MRI showed I needed an injection I'd get one BEFORE we left on our trip.  There were calls back and forth about what kind of injection I could get(first I had to wait 3 months after the TKR for one, then I didn't)then the scheduler called and said they needed 2 weeks lead time which meant I could have it the day AFTER we left town. WTF??  Finally we got through to someone and the issue was if insurance(still on private health insurance at that point)approval didn't come through we had to accept responsibility for payment of $600.  Seriously?  They jerked us around for 10 days over $600 instead of telling us this outright?!?  So we said of course, we'll  sign for it..... Insurance pre-authorization came through in the end so we didn't have to fork over the cash but really?  I am so over the way in which medical care is handled down here.

* Go Through and Try On all my Clothing  PASS  Well I HARDLY got everything tried on, I concentrated on shirts as I knew the pants weren't going to pass muster.  Found some shirts that didn't make me look like a stripper(so low cut in front my bra showed), bought a shirt along the way at Buc-ee's and bought smaller pants at Walmart here before we left.  January and February it seems will see me finishing up the "Great Try On of 2024". lolz

* Edit More Photos  DONE  I'm trying to stay up to date on photo editing.

* Post about Old Trips  FAIL  While I didn't post a single Old Trip Post on the Blog in December(a bit busy with other stuff)I DID work on some trip posts as January posts show.

* Work on Genealogy  DONE  Always finding time for this hobby....sometimes it's a small amount and sometimes it's a lot of information gained.

* Move Video files to new computer  FAIL  I just ran out of time and the inclination to do this one.

* Go Visit Folks I Love/Like  DONE  I REALLY needed this trip!  I've been massively depressed living down here with no one for company but my dogs and Hubs, trapped in this house except going to medical appointments, PT and the grocery store. This trip had massive challenges at times(riding in a car for 3 days straight on the way up with a broken coccyx, climbing long staircases, a tense evening out, obnoxious hotel guests, freezing to death in bed while still wearing all my clothes, barking dogs in a hotel at 3 am, unsuitable hotel rooms, etc.)but I'd do it all again because the joys far out weighed the pain.

Sluggy

The Great Road Trip of 2017.....Part Twenty Four/Day Eighteen

Part One of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Two of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Three of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Four of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Five of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Six of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Seven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eight of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Nine of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Ten of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eleven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Twelve of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Thirteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE  

Part Fourteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE  

Part Fifteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE 
Part Sixteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Seventeen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE 

Part Eighteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Nineteen of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE 

Part Twenty of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Twenty One of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Twenty Two of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

Part Twenty Three of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

We were headed East but didn't get too far the rest of that day as we didn't even get out of Wyoming!

Look at all those motorcycles and RVs. *Foreboding music*  And more importantly look at the price of gas, $2.34 gal. for regular cash price and that's out in Wyoming!

"Stay Vertical All The Way To Sturgis"

**More Ominous Foreboding Background Music**

Only 58 Miles to our stop for the night....

But first we had to make another stop and it wasn't to see that field of sheep............

People had set up teepees on the side of the road across from where we pulled over.

We stayed a good long time taking this sight in.  Even from this distance, a distance where you could actually take the whole thing in and photograph it all, it was impressive.

Many native tribes(Cheyenne, Lakota, Crow, Kiowa)consider this monolith sacred ground.  It is composed of Igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Range District of the Black Hills in Northwest corner of Wyoming above the Belle Fourche River, near the towns of Hulett and Sundance Wyoming.

It stand 867 feet from base to summit.  It was made the first US National Monument on 24 September, 1906 by then President Theodore Roosevelt.

Climbers love to climb this thing but being as it's a sacred site to many native tribes I find that activity disrespectful to them and their beliefs.  These climbers are also accelerating the monument's destruction.  Geologists have found that Devil's Tower use to be much larger in circumference and taller.  The amount of "scree" or crumbling rock at it's base is growing at an alarming rate.  I didn't want to get any closer really as it would have made me sad to see all that.

I did however pose with this sign and make this short video that other's who are older than dirt will "get".....

Hubs also post with the Monument in the background.

Just me and a little ol' hill.......lol

Leaving the area we saw this trailer advertising another nearby sight.....

"Mt. Rushmore"

Hubs checking it to our motel in Sundance, WY.

We set our bags down in the room and drove around town while it was still light out.

We found this cool outdoor set up by the town hall of the representation of a jail cell from back in the day.  That's me with my cellmate Harry A. Longabaugh, known to the world as "The Sundance Kid".  Harry did indeed spend time in the jail in Sundance and took his non de plume from this town.

The town had a nice little museum inside of the town hall but alas, it was closed for the day by the time we got to Sundance.

A native of South Dakota, Edward Hlavaka, sculpted the statue.

So after visiting with Harry we drove about a bit, didn't take but a short time as this is a tiny town and very seasonal given where it's located, we saw this bar, the Dime Horse Shoe Bar.

More motorcycles??  Hmmm.....maany MANY motorcycles, Sturgis......I must be slow. ;-)

Crook County Wyoming Courthouse.  Fitting Harry A. Longabaugh sits outside of this building, no?

The only other place we could find to eat(other than the biker bar and a gas station selling fried chicken)was this place...."The Dog Pound"  All Strays Welcome.

My healthy meal of battered meat fingers and french fries with water.

Hubs got some sort of sandwich with meat, cheese and "stuff", french fries and a Coke.

Nom Nom Nom

We spied this old dog in an old pick-up outside the Dog Pound.....

                                       

I guess All Strays are really NOT welcomed there, just there owners. lol

Driving back to the motel we passed one of these statues.......

I guess Sundance decorates random spots about "town" with cowboy boots.  This one had Devil's Tower on it.

And the local phone book in our room had guess what on it's cover?

And on the way out of town we hit that gas station selling chicken(not for chicken)and saw another old dog in the bed of a pick up truck.  Are you sensing a theme there??

I went inside and found more of those, popular that Summer, candy bars.  Anybody up for Rowdy Peanut Butter?

I've known a few Pouty Princesses in my day..........

"Edgy Scatterbrain"?  But Crisper!  Any one??

Well I got the draw on ol' Mr. Longabaugh.......

And I tried my best to let him know the Gang was coming to spring him but he turned a deaf ear to me.   Men!  Whatcha gonna do? 8-)))

Stay tuned for more next time.

Sluggy