Calgon, Take Me Away!

You know what I mean, right?  Just the jerks you are forced to deal with on a daily basis out in the real world.  But then there are the online unpleasant people who send you arrogant messages.  

I am a member of Find A Grave and manage virtual cemetery memorials on there, take photos for folks on there who request them and are not in the area to visit a graveyard themselves, etc.
I had someone message me on FAG, a rather unpleasant person with a non de plume for a name(so I don't even know who it really is)telling me I had someone in the wrong cemetery.  I had limited information/records to go on(this person in question has been dead since 1909)and there was no virtual cemetery set up in the proper place(which was an old homestead)so I put him somewhere else for the time being.  Said person was a jerk to me.  The next day someone else messaged me about the same issue but this person used their name and I know is directly connected to both the person in the wrong virtual cemetery AND me!  This person was much more pleasant and we are trying to get photos of the headstones(from her brother who owns the old homestead where three of the family are buried).

Yesterday in Walmart I purchased 4 Take Root Organic branded tomato products.

These all had ShopKick offers when I was in the store.  I did the in store scan kicks but by the time I got home and tried to submit for the Shop Kicks all 4 offers had disappeared from my account!  These offers had no expiration date on Shop Kick.  I heard ShopKick pulled 2 offers on Monday-one for State Fair corn dogs and the other for Hillshire Farms lunchmeat tubs.  Both were moneymaker deals if you scanned in the store and submitted when you got them home.

I can understand them pulling a moneymaker deal(where the kicks where more than the cost of the product in store)but those canned tomato products were NOT moneymaker deals.

I messaged them and of course I didn't think to take a screenshot of my account(never had to do that before)and they wanted one.  I sent photos of the products and my receipt as that is all I had and I inquired why this was happening?  How could they pull an offer if you had it in the store and an hour later it had disappeared so you couldn't get your full Kicks credited to your account?  Of course I got a "canned"(pun intented)response that, "This issue is a rare occurrence."  I call bull sh*t!  Other similar issues happen all the time to people who use Shop Kick!  All you shopkickers out there, let me know if you have had issues with this app.

To add to my aggravation, each can had a peelie coupon attached to the items.

These Qs expired 7/31/24 so they weren't out of date.  But the register refused to accept them.  I called for help and the person had to get her manager to come over and help with this.  The help person tried to tell me you had to buy the item pictured on the Q...no the verbage said ANY Take Root Product and why would the company put a coupon on an item that wasn't applicable to begin with?  Then she gave me the old "the coupon says one coupon per purchase" line saying I'd only be able to use 1 coupon total.  I wish these people who work with checkout registers would be schooled in coupons.  I know physical coupons are going away slowly to be replaced by digital ones, but while old school Qs are still a thing, why don't these employees understand them?

So the manager gave me a song and dance that they aren't allowed to accept Qs that don't scan on their machines.  The problem is the machines too.  And I get not taking a paper Q printed at home sometimes as it's not coded correctly but THESE COUPONS WHERE ON THE PRODUCTS IN THE STORE I WAS PURCHASING!  "Come on man!", as the POTUS would have said in this situation.

So I took photos of it all and wrote to Walmart Corporate with my complaint.  I received an email rather quickly(identifying info has been removed).....

"Hello xxxx,

Thanks for contacting Walmart Customer Relations. My name is Peter and I'll be more than happy to help you today. I understand that you had an unpleasant experience in store as they did not honor one of the coupons in the products you were purchasing as the manager came over but was unable to adj the price or enter the coupon. I completely get how it may be frustrating for you as the coupon was over the items you were just purchasing.

We take incidents like these very seriously, as we strive to provide excellent customer service. I want to assure you that your concerns have been forwarded to the store management team at the Walmart store located at xxxxxxxx, LA. They will review your comments and address the issue accordingly. Typically, you can expect a response within three business days.

We highly appreciate the feedback from our customers as it helps us maintain and improve our excellent customer service. You may receive a short survey via email regarding the service I provided, and I would be grateful for any feedback you can provide regarding my assistance.

Best regards,
Peter
Walmart Customer Care"

Now I don't know if this will actually get me satisfaction but we'll see.  And it's just so aggravating that it seems like every single interaction in a store(and the corporate entity behind it), with a medical professional, a tradesman, etc. is like pulling teeth!  Not leaving the house and dealing with anything sounds really good to me right now. 8-))

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table.....the April 1st Edition

The "Grilled Pineapple" Edition.....

This was the best part of our Easter dinner-grilled pineapple!  I cooked a turkey that had been living in the freezer, made stuffing(or dressing with mushrooms and sausage as it was not put in the bird to cook), grilled asparagus and we had gravy if someone wanted it.  Of course, I forgot the deviled eggs I had made early Sunday morning(we ate them later though)and didn't put any cranberry glop in the fridge to chill either(so we didn't have that).

I had bought 2 fresh whole pineapples on sale at Kroger on Friday so I hacked away at those and Hubs fired up the grill and cooked those chunks and semi-rings and we had it for dessert.  I am in love with grilled pineapple and would marry it if I wasn't already married. 8-))

This is day 295 of the new "way of eating".  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.).  

Kicking the weight loss up again with intermittent fasting this week, but no movement of the scale yet(especially after Easter dinner).

Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Pizza, Salad

2. Monday--BBQ Pork Loin, Assorted Veggie Mix

3. Tuesday--TV Dinners

4. Wednesday--Garlic Shrimp/Veggie Skillet meal

5. Thursday--Chicken Parm, Sweet Potato Fries

6. Friday--Catfish, Cole Slaw, Green Beans

7. Saturday--Steak, Scalloped Potatoes, Veggie TBD

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

1. Sunday--Pizza, Salad

2. Monday--BBQ Pork Loin, Assorted Veggie Mix

3. Tuesday--Fried Shrimp, Caesar Salad

4. Wednesday--Cheeseburger(no bun), Sweet Potato Fries

5. Thursday--Chicken Parm, Teriyaki Green Beans

6. Friday--Catfish, Cole Slaw, Green Beans

7. Saturday--Steak, Scalloped Potatoes, Sauted Yellow Squash

The TV Dinners and Garlic Shrimp Skillet Meal didn't happen as I always catch a "deal" at Kroger(clearance type)so that changes up the menu a bit, but everything else was as planned.

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

*  1 Frozen Pizza

*  a bag of Shrimp

*  2 Hamburgers

*  Chicken Parmesan

*  2 Steaks

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

*  2 lb. Butter

Last week we spent $170.72 on grocery shopping for March.  

Total shopping comes to $914.87 for March.   

There are 0 shopping days left in March.

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

I've earned $278.04 on Ibotta in March.

I've earned $84.50 on Shopmium in March.

I've earned $24.50 on Alexa app in March.

I've earned $37.25 on Kroger Cash Back in March.

I've earned $33.43 on TaDa in March.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in March.

I've earned $40.22 on Aisle, etc.

I've earned 35,311 points on Fetch from food shopping in March.

I've earned 6,859 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in March.

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

I've earned 1,074 Points on My Points in March.

That is $436.19 in rebates(not counting the Kroger Cash Back/Shop Kick/Fetch/Alexa)on $914.87 of grocery spending so in reality it's $478.68 in food spending after the 4 rebate apps I count(the ones that give me cash back, not the ones that I turn the points into gift cards, or Alexa that gives me Amazon credit, and I count when those points are cashed in).  Some of what I spent was for Food Bank donations(I'll start not counting those items in our personal grocery spending going forward into April.)

My savings percentage for the last week was 56.38% and the monthly savings total for March comes in at 45.65% spent so far. 

Leftovers going into this week....pork loin in bbq sauce, steak, scalloped potatoes, yellow squash, teriyaki green beans, chicken parmesan and cole slaw.  I also have a sweet potato I need to use before we leave town.

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

1. Sunday--Roast Turkey w/Gravy, Stuffing, Asparagus, Deviled Eggs, Grilled Pineapple

2. Monday--Salad or Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Wild Rice Soup w/Mushrooms and Asparagus, Garlic Bread

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Leftovers

6. Friday--Whatever needs using up

7. Saturday--No Clue

Trying to use some fresh produce up and trying not to buy any more as our trip is coming up soon.  Shopping from the freezer this week and for Easter dinner last Sunday.

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     

More Videos of Cajun Travel in Louisiana

I hope everyone has a nice Easter, celebrating it the way you want to.  We'll be home with our doggies and I'm cooking a turkey from the freezer with a few sides.  The highlight for me will be the grilled fresh pineapple we are making!

Here's another installment of Peter Santenello's videos in the Cajun Country of Louisiana.  I sure would enjoy living down there near the Gulf of Mexico(I grew up near the ocean)if it wasn't even hotter and more humid than here in the Summer(er, the Dry Season).

Perhaps Hubs and I will take a trip down that way between the Dry Season and the Rainy Season(Oct. or so).

Sluggy

March Food Spending......2024

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for March 2024.

I have posted March'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 March.  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).
****************

DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $7.74

Sales  $7.71

Value  $15.45

Savings  49.90%

KROGER

OOP  $546.02

Qs/Gift Cards $546.23

Value $1,092.25

Savings  50.01%

SUPER 1 FOODS

OOP $14.00

Sales  $11.11

Value $25.11

Savings  44.25%

WALMART

OOP  $347.11

Qs/Gift Cards $203.43

Value  $550.54

Savings  46.95%

********************
My best Store Savings Total was at Kroger with a savings of 50.01%.  My worse rate was at Super 1 Foods with 44.25%.  Not a bad savings rate.

I shopped at 4 different stores in MARCH.

TOTAL Spent in March......$914.87

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$768.48

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$1,683.35

TOTAL Savings of........45.65%

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

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....What a mess March was financially as far as food spending goes!  Folks, it just keeps getting worse and worse.  If I remove all the stuff I bought to give to the food bank my spending would be much more reasonable.....but it would still be high.

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by .34% in March to 49.07% compared to February's 49.41% savings average.  Not much of a change from last month so I'll take that, as it's still a high savings rate.

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.

With 3 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $2,227.39 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2024.

2024 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$2,227.39

2024 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$4,373.44

2024 Grand Total Saved...............................$2,146.05

2024 Yearly Savings Total..............................49.07%

The average per month amount spent is $742.46 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, Shopmium, TaDa, 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 APRIL 2024.....

Who the hell knows where prices will be in a month!  I have no crystal ball and the government just keeps printing money willy-nilly which makes our dollars stretch even less further.  Case in point, the 1.2 Trillion $ spending bill the Congress just passed without vetting it.  Where do you think the $ to fund this is coming from?  Taxpayers and the government will just print money to cover what we don't cough up, thus our dollars are worth less.  Economics 101.  We need a line item veto!  And we need to decrease the debt-it's so out of control!  *Off my soapbox now.*

I'll keep an eye on what we spend, rebate and coupon like a mad woman when I have to step foot in a grocery store and shop from my pantry when I can.  I won't be food shopping for more than half of April so that will help with the spending. 8-)

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 March?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just keep 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

Frugal Friday.....the March 29th Edition

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

*  I successfully used up odds and ends and incorporated them into new meals and no food got thrown out. 8-)  Americans throw out an average of 30-40 percent of our food supply(between all sources-each family, stores ditching spoilt food, and the natural waste that happens along the course of going down the food supply chain).  If I can do our little part and not let veg and fruit, etc. rot shoved into the back of the fridge I am happy.  It means we are good stewards of our food resources. 8-)

*  Picked up 2 prescriptions and paid Zero OOP(well, I do pay premiums for a Part D plan). ;-)

*  I cashed out on Tada for a $25 gift card to use later this week.

*  There was no spending on eating out this week other than using a gift card to get a salad for lunch on Thursday at Zaxby's.  They also have an offer if you have their app until the end of March where you can get a small free order of fried shrimp if you spend $5 so I got that also for free.  It was "meh" and Zaxby's should stick to doing chicken imho.

*  I did a little more Ibotta rebating this past week as I was trying to hit a big $10 Bonus and a $5 Weekend Bonus.  I hit the $5 Bonus with this lot from Walmart on Thursday since I was in Walmart picking up prescriptions anyway.

All this was a $24.73 moneymaker, between Ibotta and the $5 Weekend Bonus, that Tada earned gift card mentioned above, Shopmium, Fetch, Tada, Alexa and Social Nature. 8-)))  Even without the gift card this all would have cost me only .27¢. The deodorant and shampoo willl go to the food bank, the tape I will need when I ramp up my eBay business in May, 2 items are gifts for family/friends and the rest we will use.

*  I received a $2 rebate check in the mail this week for a long ago submitted for Dreft stain remover(bought and submitted the rebate last year I think).  I had given up hope of ever receiving that $2 but it's tucked in the bank account now. ;-)

*  I found money!

Hubs and I went to a different Walmart, one a few miles down the road from one we frequent that is a small neighborhood Walmart as it was the only one in the area that carries a product that there was a manufacturer's full price rebate on that I could apply for.  We found a few other deals there(like clearance Kinder bars which made them free after rebate and a Made Good flavor of granola bites that was $1 after rebate and those Reese's ice cream cones that none of our regular Walmarts seemed to have two of in stock for weeks.

Anyway, while leaving I spied a penny on the floor and scooped it up.

Then when we got to the car I saw a whole cache of pennies strewn about the crosshatching of the handicapped parking area in front of where we were parked so I merrily set about picking them up and tucking them into my pants pocket to cart home and wash.  11¢ richer in the found change department for 2024 for that trip was a bonus!

Went to pick up my Rxs at the local Walmart on Thursday.  I found a penny in the crosswalk outside on the way inside and another penny next to the car when I went back out to leave.

Total Found in last Week.... .13¢

Grand Total Found this Year.......$2.69

That's all I got.  

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

Sluggy