What's on The Dining Table....the June 10th Edition

The "Eating Returns to Normal on Monday" Edition.....

      

I found this photo in my folder.  It's a supposedly a piece of "Texas Toast", probably from Zaxby's as they give you this as part of a Zalad meal.  I don't know about you but "Texas Toast" when/where I grew up was a THICK slice of bread, toasted and flavored.  This is just a piece of everyday, run of the mill toast.  What happened to Texas Toast?  And now I live 7 miles away from Texas and they call this Texas Toast??  I am amazed....lol

Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Roasted Asparagus, Chicken Tenders

2. Monday--Asparagus Risotto,(plus Caesar Salad for me)

3. Tuesday--Lasagna with Italian Sausage/Ground Beef sauce,(plus Salad for me)

4. Wednesday--Leftovers for me, Mashed Potatoes & Hamburger for Hubs

5. Thursday--?

6. Friday--?

7. Saturday--?

And here's what actually happened....

1. Sunday--Roasted Asparagus, Chicken Tenders

2. Monday--Asparagus Risotto,(plus Caesar Salad for me)

3. Tuesday--Lasagna with Italian Sausage/Ground Beef sauce,(plus Salad for me)

4. Wednesday--leftover Cheeseburger on bun and Roasted Potatoes for Hubs, big Salad & Roasted Potatoes for me

5. Thursday--Rotisserie Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes for Hubs, The Chicken and leftover Green Beans for me

6. Friday--Broiled Salmon for both, leftover Garlic Mash for Hubs, leftover Asparagus & baked Sweet Potato Fries for me

7. Saturday--Leftover Lasagna(plus Salad for me)

I didn't realize what a PITA this low fiber diet for Hubs would be.  Luckily he was ok with 6 days of cornflakes and banana for breakfast, turkey sandwich on white bread with mayo and cheese for lunch so I only had to deal with dinners.  Some things we both ate and other things we went our separate ways.

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

*  Chicken Strips

*  Italian Sausage Meat

*  Ground Beef

*  Hunk of Salmon

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

*  2 pints of Ice Cream

*  1 bag of Chicken Strips

Last week we spent $142.74 on grocery shopping for June.  How the heck did we spend that much and what did we buy?lol

Total shopping comes to $239.17 for June.   There are 20 shopping days left in June.  Gosh darn it, I am NOT spending any more $$ on food this month if I can help it!

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

I've earned $65.50 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $11.00 on Shopmium in June.

I've earned $0 on Alexa app in June.

I've earned $34.25 on Kroger Cash Back in June.

I've earned $13.04 on TaDa in June.

I've earned $6.00 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $19.36 on Aisle, etc. in June. (Haven't gotten my Nature Valley/Mott's Snacks rebates there yet.-$7.74)

I've earned 5,943 points on Fetch from food shopping in June.

I've earned 10,362 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June.($41.44)

I've earned 10 Points on My Points in June.($)

I've earned 2,255 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in June.

That is $146.74 in rebates(not counting Shop Kick/Fetch/MyPoints/KCB/Alexa)on $239.17 of grocery spending so in reality it's $92.43 in food spending after the rebate apps I count. I now separate out the Food Bank donations and don't count those in the grocery spending.

My savings percentage for the last week was 41.50% and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 49.30% spent.

Leftovers going into this week...Rotisserie Chicken meat,  Asparagus Risotto, Lasagna(lots), Roasted Broccoli(1+ helpings).

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

1. Sunday--TV Dinner(me), Jello for Hubs Nom Nom

2. Monday--Hubs wants Chinese buffet after procedure so we'll have that

3. Tuesday--Dinner out at Trivia?

4. Wednesday--Leftover Lasagna, Salad

5. Thursday--Something with Chicken-Fajitas?

6. Friday--Asparagus Risotto, ?

7. Saturday--?

I'll come back and fill in the menu later on Monday.  I'm a bit busy this morning playing chauffeur. ;-)

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 2024......the June 7th Edition

There are a few Frugal wins over the past week.

*  Had my last two PT sessions this week for my shoulders.  Again, no co-pays.  Man, this gal works me hard too but I think I am getting stronger in my shoulders. 8-)  My shoulders are better and the therapist says they are "normal". I start another round of PT for a muscle in my back on the right side over my kidney this coming week.  If it ain't one thing it's another, right?  She feels the only PT she can offer is exercise for that rogue muscle.  We'll see how this goes.  The PT last Summer for my back didn't really help that muscle.  The only thing I've found that helps it is Valium ever since it started acting up in 2018 and we wound up in the ER in the middle of the night. 8-(  But I will be hopeful.

*  Every PT session I grab a bottle of water from the fridge there.  So free 8 bottles of water so far and counting. 8-)

*  I hit up Walmart on Wednesday........

I already talked about all this on Thursday.

*  I picked up this lot on Thursday.....

The Life and Cap n' Crunch cereals are on $1.49 special with weekly coupon.  I had bought 2 Life and 1 Cap n' Crunch cereals a couple of weeks ago on clearance for more than those prices so I took those back and rebought all 3 plus one more. lolz  The Goya Mexican pudding was on clearance for $1.79 and I had a $1 Ibotta rebate on that.

The 2 Chobani Creations yogurts were on clearance for .59¢ each and I had a .75¢ rebate for those, making them .43¢ for both.

The Skinny Dipped Almonds were $4.99 with a $1 digital Q and I had a $1.25 Ibotta rebate, a $1.25 KCB plus a manufacturer's rebate for $2.50 so -$1.01 if the KCB comes through(and it did!)

The Good Wipes were $3.69 each but I had two different BOGO rebates, one through Aisle and another through VTAGZ so free for both in the end.

The Kroger brand Hummus snack cups were $2.25 on clearance(cheaper than Aldi's regular price).

I got a Rotisserie Chicken(not pictured) on clearance for $4.05 and I had a .50¢ Ibotta rebate for that making it $3.55.

The Tyson Chicken Strips were on sale for $4.49 after digital Q and Kroger savings.

The Blue Bunny(only 1 pictured)ice cream were BOGO for $4.99.  After Shop Kicks, Scan Kicks and Walk-In Kicks both came to $3.47.

I also picked up a flatbread pizza for Hubs on clearance($3.06)so he can eat something other than a turkey sandwich for lunches this week. lol

All came to $42.64 before rebates/shop kicks of $15.94.  

*  As for Kroger and my KCB account...I'll be calling again later today since cash back still hasn't shown up. ugh  I told them last week I'd be nagging them until I get the KCB I am due.   Otherwise I'll be returning the items in question.

*  We have been using food here and eating all the leftovers.  No eating out so far this week and I've kept Hubs on his low fiber diet while I've had lots of salads and veggies.

*  I found money!

I found these two pennies in Walmart last Friday when I went to pick up a prescription(which was free btw).

I found this very out of focus penny in the parking lot of that same Walmart.

I found this penny sitting on a chair in the PT waiting room on Tuesday.  Strange to find it on a chair seat.

Then I found this dime next to a self-checkout machine in Kroger on Tuesday.  Good find!

This penny was found in the Walmart parking lot on Wednesday.

And this penny was found next to the curb at Kroger when I was walking to the store from the car.

Total Found last week.... .16¢ 

Grand Total Found this Year.......$4.71 & 5.30 Euros

That's all I got.  

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

Sluggy     

 

Great Deals Lately at the Grocery Stores

 The end of Last week I picked up a few deals at Kroger .....

It was time again for free Rock Star Energy drinks.  Bought at Walmart for $1.88 each these were a .24¢ moneymaker.  The Mac & Roni mixes were $1 each and I got .50¢ back from Ibotta on each box. rah.  All this is bound for the food bank so not coming out of my food budget.

Then it was off to Kroger.....ugh......

The coffee drink was free after Ibotta and KCB(and I actually got the KCB!), The 5 boxes of Cheezit Snap'd were on sale for $2.50(when you bought at least 2)and I got $1 back on Ibotta for each and $1 back on KCB for each, making them .49¢ for each back.  We may keep a couple if Hubs wants them but otherwise they and the coffee drink are food bank bound.  We also picked up asparagus, min cukes, blueberries and strawberries on sale, some clearance produce(mushrooms, 2 Salad kits, a piece of Salmon and refrigerated Buitoni Ravioli)for us to eat.

The 4 Dove body washes, the Dove deodorant, the Crest toothpaste and the Scope mouthwash were all part of the "Spend $15/Get $5 Off Instantly Deal".  Total for all was $37.93 after Qs and the Spend $15/$5 Deal.  I got $28 back from Ibotta and $12 back from KCB(which I got!!), making this a $2.07 moneymaker.

I was suppose to get a $3 On Your Next Order Catalina and here it what came out of the Catalina machine....

Seems my Kroger doesn't bother to put ink in their Catalina machines at the checkout machines. 8-(  So I am awaiting an email response from the Catalina Corporation.  If I get this Q for the Cheez-it Snap'ds that would make them a small .55¢ moneymaker.

Moving on.......

After PT on Tuesday we hit up Kroger and I found 2 1lb. packs of meatballs marked down to $3.05(can't make meatballs for that price!), a pack of hamburgers for $3.36(20 oz.).  Hubs is on that low fiber diet this week so I picked up a bag of potatoes on sale(one of the few veggies he can eat)and I got myself a bag of sweet potatoes on sale.  I also picked up 2 salad kits for me and bananas for Hubs, as well as some "Nut Juice" for him to have in his cold breakfast cereal and it had an Ibotta rebate. ;-)

We found these clearance items too.....

2 large jars of Olives for $1.91 each, a bottle of Kinder Peach Bourbon Sauce for $2.49(I had a $1 digital coupon so $1.49 for that)and a large canister of Potato Starch(can use in the place of Corn Starch)for $2.92.

I picked up these two Chobani Creations on clearance and they had a .75¢ rebate on Ibotta so after that they cost me .43¢ total.  

Today I picked up a salad bowl on clearance and all this........

The only things we are keeping is the small wet dog food pack and the Wild Turkey bourbon(for Hubs).  All the feminine products, the 2 deodorants and the 4 candy packs are headed to the food bank.  All that was $92.90.  I used a free Shop Kick $25 gift card making it $67.90 OOP.

I earned rebates as follows--

*$34.50 Ibotta
*$8.00 Shopmium
*$3.00 Checkout 51
*16.52 Swag Bucks
*4.49 Aisle
*21.60 worth of Pts. on Shop Kick
That's $88.11 in rebates on $28.25 worth of items we are keeping. 
Nice.

Sluggy

Income & Spending....the May 2024 Edition

Now that we are living on an annuity, 401K$ withdrawals, personal savings and social security payments, I am still going to keep track of our monthly spending and income, and hopefully we'll still be able to live BELOW our means and I'll have some leftover monies each month to tuck aside.

We went into retirement in June of 2017 with no debt, no mortgage, nor a car payment.

I am trying to be as transparent as I can with how much is coming in and how much is going out.  8-)

On to the May report--

I had 2 goals for May....

The 1st is to actually finish the month in the black and not the red.

The 2nd is to try to have a little cash leftover at the end of the previous month to tuck back into a slush fund.  This slush fund may be applied toward unforeseen bills that are coming due in subsequent months, to spend on "extras/wants" during the year or to just sit there and grow until the end of 2024. 

*  I do not include/report on our retirement accounts here, just the non-retirement ones.

 

I'm happy to report that we finished up May in the black.

The amount extra we ended the month of May with?....$1,465.66

Income or Funds We Can Access

The "income" in May---

*  Monthly annuity payment of $2,530.11

*  SS income of $3,828.70

*  Interest earned on non-retirement accounts of $1,012.32

Total "Income" for April....$7,371.13

Expenses in May---

*  Irregular bills in May were $3,251.00

*  Variable Expenses in May came to $1,947.04

*  Medical Premiums in May were $707.43

Total Expenses....$5,905.47

$7,371.13-$5,905.47=$1,465.66

Slush Fund coming into May of $61,222.22 and the addition of $1,465.66 in May, our end of May 2024 Slush fund comes to $62,687.88

The Slush Fund on it's own page(tab at the top of the blog)shows an addition of $1,465.66.

Outgo

As for the variable expenses this May  here are the good and the bad side of things.....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

*  The water bill was the same as in April.

*  The WAM was $200 less than last month.(We took out $300 more for the cruise.)

*  The electric bill went down in May by $89.09

*  Hubs Amazon c/c bill was $55.00 lower than last month.

*  The Mastercard was $1,517.03 less than in April.

*  The American Airlines c/c was $649.19 lower than last month.

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  We had 2 irregular bills in May--

*  We paid the yearly car insurance bill of $1,805.00.  It went up quite a bit from last year. 8-(

*  We paid the State Taxes of $1,446.00.

*  My Amazon C/C was $313.87 higher than last month.

The Food Budget costs for May are in another post HERE.  Food costs are included in the credit card payments(mainly but sometimes our WAM cash too).

FINAL THOUGHTS for May 2024---We stayed within our means for the month.  Even with two large irregular bills we came out ahead.  It was a month.

 GOING FORWARD INTO JUNE 2024--The only irregular bill due in June is the Long Term Care Premiums.  And of course, Hubs premium went up since he had a birthday since the last LTC bill. ugh  Not much going on here in June other than the usual and hoping that sensor in my car stays off and we don't have to have it replaced.  And the dogs aren't due for a grooming again until July.  And I'm trying to use up some freezer and pantry staples instead of buying more at the grocery store. hahaha  We should be under our means again for June unless something untoward happens.

Go.

Us.

Here's hoping 2024 treats us all even better financially! 8-))

So how was your May financially?

Did you spend less than the income you had in May?

Did you stay within your budget or not?

What did you do with any money leftover at the end of the month?

Did you pay down/off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings, in an emergency fund or a retirement account?

Or did you blow all your excess monies after bills were paid on a "want"?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check out your progress too and celebrate or commiserate with you!

Sluggy

What's on the Dining Table.....June 3rd Edition

The "Life Will Be Different This Week" Edition.....

Hubs has a colonoscopy a week from today so this meal plan is very strange.  We were on a high fiber diet of fresh produce and salads along with meats/fish with very few carby/starchy foods.  This week will be different for him but I'll be sticking with our usual menu.

      

Here's a photo Hubs took of me all decked out in the clothing from Talbot's Sissie curated for me last December when we visited.  I was sorely in need of new clothing after losing a lot of weight.  Those pants are suppose to be capri length but I have shrunk in height so much that they are long pants on me. lol

And my dog photo bombed the picture too. 8-)))

Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Steak, Leftover Green Beans

2. Monday--Hamburgers on Buns, Corn on cob, Pasta Salad

3. Tuesday--General Tso Chicken, Green Beans, Leftover Rice

4. Wednesday-Salmon, Sauté Yellow Squash

5. Thursday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Broccoli, Red Cabbage(Hubs)

6. Friday--Catfish dinner, Cole Slaw, other Leftover Veggies

7. Saturday--Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

And here's what actually happened....

1. Sunday--Steak, Leftover Green Beans

2. Monday--Hamburgers on Buns, Corn on cob

3. Tuesday--General Tso Chicken, Green Beans, Leftover Rice

4. Wednesday-Salmon, Sauté Yellow Squash

5. Thursday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Caesar Salad

6. Friday--Some Nasty Hamburger Helper Concoction, Roasted Broccoli

7. Saturday--Leftovers(I had General Tso Chicken, Green Beans in Hoisin Sauce, Rice)

Friday's dinner was something we had in the pantry and wanted to use up-a BBQ Hamburger Helper?  We added corn and cheddar cheese to make it better.  Don't think anything could have improved it! lolz  But we ate it.

I never did make the Pasta Salad for Memorial day and Hubs forgot to have his Red Cabbage thing from Aldi on Thursday.  I might make Pasta Salad next week as Hubs likes it.  Hubs had to do a low fiber diet the week before his Colonoscopy(I didn't have to do that last year but I guess it's his butt doctor's way lol)but I don't think he can have Pasta Salad because there is raw veggie in it.  

I had lots of fresh veggies in the fridge so trying to use them up before today when the Low Fiber thing starts.  We may be eating very different things this week when it comes to veg. ;-)

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

*  2 Steak

*  Hamburger

*  Bag of Aldi General Tso Chicken

*  Hunk of Salmon

*  2 Pork Tenderloin steaks

*  1 lb. Hamburger

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

*  3 lb. Ground Beef

*  4 bags Mozzarella shreds

*  3 packs breakfast Sausage Links

Last week we spent $96.43 on grocery shopping for June.  No big week for grocery shopping but lots of little stops and they added up.

Total shopping comes to $96.43 for June.   There are 27 shopping days left in June

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

I've earned $45.40 on Ibotta in June.

I've earned $3.00 on Shopmium in June.

I've earned $0 on Alexa app in June.

I've earned $19.00 on Kroger Cash Back in June.

I've earned $13.04 on TaDa in June.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in June.

I've earned $8.86 on Aisle, etc. in June.

I've earned 2,946 points on Fetch from food shopping in June.

I've earned 2,870 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in June.($11.48)

I've earned 0 Points on My Points in June.($)

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

That is $70.30 in rebates(not counting Shop Kick/Fetch/MyPoints/KCB/Alexa)on $96.43 of grocery spending so in reality it's $26.13 in food spending after the rebate apps I count. I now separate out the Food Bank donations and don't count those in the grocery spending.

My savings percentage for the last week was 57.65% and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 57.65% spent.

Leftovers going into this week...Green Beans(1 helping)Roasted Broccoli(2+ helpings).

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

1. Sunday--Roasted Asparagus, Chicken Tenders

2. Monday--Asparagus Risotto,(plus Caesar Salad for me)

3. Tuesday--Lasagna with Italian Sausage/Ground Beef sauce,(plus Salad for me)

4. Wednesday--Leftovers for me, Mashed Potatoes & Hamburger for Hubs

5. Thursday--?

6. Friday--?

7. Saturday--?

With this low fiber diet Hubs has to follow he'll be eating a lot of meats/fish/mushy veggies/potatoes/pasta.  Except for the meats/fish, I will not. ;-)  We'll be making it up as we go the later part of the week.

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