Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen with the Lasagna

I don't know if it's SAD(Seasonal Affected Disorder)brought on by the lack of sunlight or my own post-Holiday blues or both, but I just can't seem to get traction on anything around here lately.

I just want to sleep.
I don't feel well.  I guess I'm sick but it's not something I can go to the doctor for and get a pill or such.
I thought I had flu, but I don't.
I know I'm having sinus issues, which I shouldn't be having at this time of year.
Maybe my soul is stuck in a malaise and it's presenting itself as physical illness.

And not that anyone wants to read this but.....even though I've been eating 'normally' my lower gastrointestinal tract has not been "happy".

So I looked at what I had been eating lately and played Clue with myself and I think I found the culprit for some of this unpleasantness.

As a result, I've taken myself off of eating cheese in any way, shape or form for 1 week.

I've noticed that cheese is making me "gunky".....high falootin' professional medical term "gunky", right?
And between gunkiness and sinus issues I am a gurgling, wheezing mess in the chest.  Coughing to beat the band too.  "Need to invest money into Kleenex stock" coughing.
So I am off cheese and also keeping away from milk.

And as soon as a say no to cheese and try to meal plan, I notice that if you take into account every dish I cook that includes milk and cheese, we eat quite a bit of it around Chez Sluggy.
I heart cheese but it's not being kind to me.

My denouement with fromage came last Thursday when I served the Lasagna from the freezer.  I had a small serving and by bedtime, my Gunkometer was through the roof!
That's when I gave cheese the heave ho! for a week.

I am now on Day Four sans cheese and I think my coughing and congestion is down.  Not running through the tissues at an astonishing clip anymore.
But I am still not feeling like my old self.  (Including the lower gastro area either...even after some additional citrus and roughage.)

And the cheese in the kitchen keeps calling to me it's siren song of creamy, tangy goodness........
Please make it stop!

Sluggy-who dreamed she was a grilled cheese sandwich last night

Meal Planning January Week 3, Food Spending Week 2

Well we had a rare FOOD WASTE situation last week.
Since I started being vigilant about FW a couple of years ago, this doesn't happen often.

I finally got the freezer defrosted and found a baggie of pork barbecue.....the real smoked stuff from this past Summer.  I had a small amount(3 sandwiches worth of meat?)but in the freezer for #1 Son to have when he came home.  Well, we couldn't find it when he was home at Christmas....figures, right? lol
It was a tad freezer burned when I dug it out and I couldn't give it to the dogs because it was sauced up North Carolina style(vinegar and hot sauce) and yah, I'm not chancing that running through the dogs gastrointestinal tracts, if you know what I mean. ;-)
So I had to throw out barbecue.....
Ugh!
I should have to turn in my Southerner badge for that.

                    (Not what I threw out.)

Onward to the Meal Plan!

Here is what actually got served last week....

Sunday--Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots

Monday--Chinese take-out(again!), teen had Taco Bell

Tuesday--Salmon, Potato Salad, Green Beans

Wednesday--Leftovers

Thursday--Lasagna(from freezer)

Friday--Leftovers or Fend For Yourself Night

Saturday--Roast Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Onions, Carrots

I served about half of the meals I had planned, due to picking up some good deals at the store, and I had to take a pan of lasagna out of the freezer when I defrosted it, so that has to be used.  The meals that didn't get served get moved to next week.

The food spending last week?

Well I made up for spending nothing the first week in January!
In the end, I spent $148.95 of my $400 food budget in Week 2, plus I have a $10 Catalina to use in the next 2 weeks.

I got the freezer defrosted so I had room for some .78¢ lb. Roasters, $3 bacon and $2.28 lb. Ground Beef.  Then I went to Weis and hit on some meat reductions--like 2 Roaster Chicken Breasts at .99¢ lb., almost 3lbs. of Italian Sausage for $1.44 lb. and 4 small Pork Roasts for $1.55 lb.  These Pork Roasts are 2lb. each and perfect for popping into the crockpot for making Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  Each one cost me about $3 and should make enough for 1 meal of sammies. I grabbed 2 dozen cheap eggs and some fresh fruit and veg too.
There was also a Catalina Deal at Weis which included pet food so I picked up Dog Kibble too as we were low.

As for leftovers rolling into this week--Lasagna, 1 helping of Cabbage, Chicken, Roasted Pots/Onions/Carrots Mix.

***********************

Here is what is getting served this week.....

Sunday--Steak, Asparagus, Potatoes & Onions

Monday--Leftovers

Tuesday--Rigatoni w/Meat Sauce, Brussel Sprouts, Rolls(made into Garlic bread)

Wednesday--Beef Tips in Gravy over Noodles, Asparagus

Thursday--Leftovers

Friday--Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday--Leftovers-if not enough then Cheese Steaks

I cooked enough steak on Sunday so we can have Beef Tips on Wednesday.  Daughter bought enough Asparagus for 2 meals. The Chicken dinner from last Saturday evening gets recreated into a Pot Pie on Friday.  If enough people can't find a leftover to eat on Saturday then I'll make the Cheese Steaks.....if not, the Cheese Steaks get put off until the following week's menu.

I have a container of homemade bechamel sauce left that has to get used, so on Monday evening I'll make a small pan of Mac and Cheese to augment that Leftovers night.

Needed at the store to serve this lot?

Daughter bought Asparagus and I bought Roasting Chicken and a bag of Carrots last week and we're using up bits and pieces of veggies so we don't need anything else this week to do this menu.

Last week's stocking up went much higher than the $50 I aimed for, as noted above.

I'll be going to my 2 grocery stores this week to note prices for the new Price Book but I hope to not have to buy but a few fresh produce items.

What's on your menu for the week?  Any good deals in the grocers this week?
Did you have any food waste this week?

Sluggy

End of Week 2 for the 50th Anniversary Promotion

Here's what I bought at Rite-Aid on Saturday....

3 x Coke 12 packs $4.33=$12.99 *not pictured* too heavy to haul in from the garage
2 x Johnson's Baby Shampoo BOGO50%($4.79)=$7.18
SubTotal......$20.17

Coupons Used
3 x Free Coke 12 packs MyCokeRewards pts.=$12.99
2 x $1/1 Johnson's Baby Shampoo IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Johnson's item Load2CardQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$15.99

$20.17-$15.99=$4.18+.24¢=$4.42

I used $4 in +Ups and put the .42¢ on my gift card.
I received back $12 in +Up Rewards($2 wyb 3Coke, $10 wyb $30 on Johnson & Johnson/Aveeno/Lubriderm).

And all these items qualify for the 50th Anniversary January Promo, so my tracking is now $47.42 toward the $100 I need for the +Up Reward.....though my tracking should be $51.71 because the Sharpie pens didn't attach.

And I was surprised that a $1/1 Johnson's baby item Load2CardQ came off on my order!  Geez, I try every which way on 2 transactions to get a Listerine L2CQ to come off with NO luck and then I wasn't even trying and this Q comes off!
These L2C Qs are truly a crapshoot.  They'll drive you to drink I tell ya!!


This trip to Rite-Aid--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items.....$26.95
+Ups coming into this trip....$8.50
+Ups used....$4.00
+Ups earned......$12.00
+Ups at the end.....$16.50

 
**GRAND TOTALS FOR JANUARY-so far**

Out Of Pocket....$0.00  cash
Value of items bought.....$110.81
Savings Rate of  100%
Rebates due......$16.99(Neosporin 2x)
Savings Rate after Rebates.....100 %

+Ups at beginning of month...$32.50+
+Ups used....$37.00+
+Ups received...$21.00+
+Ups currently...$16.50+  


Sluggy

Christmas 2012 Budget/Spending Autopsy

Ok, so calling this an Autopsy is not very festive or cheerful.
So call it "The Post where I talk about what I was Going to Spend for Christmas and what I Actually Spent for Christmas".

I budgeted $1000 for Christmas spending.
$1000 in money we HAD already, so no putting Christmas spending on Credit Cards to pay off sometime in 2013, or 2014, or 2015.......

Here is where the funds were allocated at the start.....

Shipping gifts/mailing Holiday Cards  $20.00
Gifts for family  $300
Cash for Kids  $300

Gifts for extended family and my mail lady  $80
Secret Santa Gift  $50

Charity  $XXX

Electricity for lights  $5

A Christmas eve meal and show or movie  $125

Extra $20 (the "just in case" cushion)

And here is where the money actually went.....


Shipping gifts/mailing Holiday Cards  $13.21 under

Gifts for family  $398.82  over

Cash for Kids  $300 even

Gifts for extended family and my mail lady  $59.60 under

Secret Santa Gift  $40 under

Charity  $XXX even

Electricity for lights  $10 over

A Christmas eve meal and show or movie  $98.85  under
TOTAL SPENT...$1020.48

Here are the Spending Details....


$13.21  *Shipping/Mailing Holiday Cards & Gifts----
We sent out 10 cards and 2 gifts.  1 gift was a check so just a stamp was needed, the other gift was a box of goodies.

$398.82  *Gifts for family----
Last year I spent $452.24 on gifts for family.  I did better this year.  It's the one time a year I really spoil the kids.  Hubs and I don't really get each other much.  ;-)  It makes it seem better when I say that I saved 43+% on what I paid, as the reg. retail came to $704.25.  I usually cash in points on my credit card for gift cards and utilize social coupon deals, but I didn't this year.  I got the gift cards to use at full price, to obtain free groceries at the grocery store.  I did shop sales, both in store and online.  In years past I've been known to start buying for Christmas if I find a deal, all through the year.  This year, I bought 1 thing in July, but did no other holiday shopping until October.


$300  *Cash for Kids----
The kids prefer money, but I need to buy stuff for them at Christmas, so they get both.  I only buy what they want or need.  No more stupid junk. lol  This year I gave them the option of cash, gift cards or a combination of both.  I looked like a Elf Pimp sitting by the tree with $50 bills in one hand and gift cards in the other.  All the gift cards(I had bought to get free groceries)were ones that if the kids didn't take, Hubs and I would use.....subway, red lobster, TGIF, Sears, KMart, etc.

$59.60  *Gifts for extended family and mail lady---

I send gifts to my brother and his wife and Hub's sister. Locally we give something to the nephew, a box of food and toiletries to his father and I give a bag of good coffee to my mail lady for the extra work I put her through with my eBay packages at the Holidays.

$40  *Secret Santa Gift----
I had the daughter's name.  She has expensive tastes so I budgeted high for her SS gift. lol  Found a great deal online Cyber Monday for a set of luggage....just what she wanted!

$XXX  *Charity----
I cut a check to an organization that we've supported since the 1986.  They had some extraordinary expenses lately so I thought it best to send the extra love their way.

$10  *Electricity for Lights----
Same stuff hung outside the house, same lights on the tree inside.  I guess we turned stuff on more this year and the rates went up from 2011.


$98.85  *A Christmas eve meal and show or movie----
We had our immediate family and son's girlfriend for our traditional Chinese restaurant meal.  #1 Son covered the tip this year so our out of pocket was a bit lower.


All totaled, I am happy with where the money went and how much.  We went over budget a tiny bit, but since we didn't have to pull money from some other need, and no balance was put on a credit card that wasn't paid off at the next statement, we are fine with it.

I would however like to bring the total amount we spend at the Holidays down in 2013.

I've told the kids that once they hit 21, the Christmas Gravy Train is leaving the station. 8-)  #1 Son got less this year since he's 21 now.  And next Christmas the Daughter will be 21 also, so I'll be spending less on 2 of 3 kids.  I won't go and make my actual Christmas Budget until mid year, but I do know there will be less spending in it for 2013.


If you kept track of your spending for Christmas, how did you do?
Did you spend more. less or right about what you planned on spending?
Did you have any money epiphanies(epiphany? epiphani?)when you looked back at the Holiday plan?
Do you see anything you'll change about your spending for Christmas 2013?

Leave a comment and let us know how you did and what you learned about yourself & money this year!

Sluggy

More Rite-Aid Shenanigans

The first thing I did was take in my $3/1 Neosporin Trial Pack IPQ I forgot to give them on Tuesday.  I got $3 back on my gift card/merchandise return card.  With the $2.74 it had already, I now have $5.74 on it.

Then I bought this lot....

1 x Neosporin Lip Health reg. $5.79 w/Gold discount=$4.63
1 x Ben-Gay reg. $6.29 w/Gold discount=$3.77
1 x Band-Aid strips reg. $3.79 w/Gold discount=$2.27
1 x Listerine 1 Liter on sale=$3.99
SubTotal.....$14.66

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 Neosporin product IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Ben-gay product IPQ=$2.00
1 x .50/1 Band-Aid IPQ=$.50
1 x $2/1 Listerine IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$6.50

$14.66-$6.50=$8.16 + .06¢ tax=$8.22
I used $8 in +Ups and put the .22¢ on my gift card.

And no, that blasted $2/1 Listerine Load2Card Q did NOT come off.
I am so over these L2CQs.....


I will submit for the cash Rebate for buying the Ben-gay, Band-aid item and Neosporin lip product.
You have to spend at least $10 purchasing any combination of 3 out of 5 Neosporin/Band-aid/Ben-gay items and you can submit for a $5 Rebate.  The form is not clear if it's a $5 or "up to a $10 rebate".  It's at least a $5 refund so that is what I'm calling it. 8-)

Now, the Band-aid and Listerine items count toward the January Promo and I have $27.25 tracking.  The Band-aid and Ben-gay items count toward the J&J Promo but the Neosporin Lip Health doesn't evidently.  I now have $24.01 tracking on the J&J Promo.

And if I can continue to keep this all straight, it will be a miracle! lolol

Over the last 3 days, I've spent $26 in +Ups, I've gotten $6 +Ups back and I've gotten $3 on a gift card (in lieu of a 'post coupon' situation)and I'm getting (at least) $16.99 back in cash rebates.  I've spent $26 and I'm getting back $25.99 back in various forms.
So I'm basically 'even' at this point.
And I still need to spend $5.99 on J&J items before this week is out to get a $10 +Up Reward.

Once I run out of +Ups, I have a SCR check coming for December in the amount of $16, so I'll spend that for any OOP amounts once the +Ups and the gift cards are done.  I am sending away tomorrow for a $15 P&G gift card too, which will also be used for any OOP amounts since I didn't spend money to get it, so it's free "money". 8-))

Looking at the next weeks ads at Rite-Aid, I seriously doubt if I will be able to get to $100 of "spending" without "spending" any cash by January 26th.
This Promotion deal is tight.....the rewards are small, the coupons available are chinzy and I'm having a hard time finding things to buy that I can use.

After January it might be time for me to take a well deserved break from Rite-Aid for a few months.  


This trip to Rite-Aid--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items.....$21.86
+Ups coming into this trip....$16.50
+Ups used....$8.00
+Ups earned......$0.00
+Ups at the end.....$8.50

 
**GRAND TOTALS FOR JANUARY-so far**

Out Of Pocket....$0.00  cash
Value of items bought.....$83.86
Savings Rate of  100%
Rebates due......$16.99(Neosporin 2x)
Savings Rate after Rebates.....100 %

+Ups at beginning of month...$32.50+
+Ups used....$33.00+
+Ups received...$9.00+
+Ups currently...$8.50+  


Sluggy