Food Spending Plan for Nov & Dec

Since I've spent most of my food $ for November already in my head(buying this week and next to get a reward certificate),I went through all my free chits for food I have left to spend to see what I have in future purchases.

These include free gift cards I have for various stores and reward certificates I've earned this month. Gift cards total $70 between two different grocery stores, as well as $14+ change on a prepaid Visa card that can be used anywhere that takes Visa.
In addition, I have a $20 certificate to redeem for food items at Shursave Markets by Nov. 30th.  And I have a free turkey to redeem from Weis Markets for Thanksgiving.

I also have almost $100 in cash rebate money in my SavingStar account, $31.10 in my Checkout51 account and $7 in my Ibotta account(though I can't cash out of Ibotta until I hit $20 there).  That makes $131+ or so in cash I can apply to any food spending that happens in December.

And if push comes to shove and I need to use it, I have $87.50 in rolled coins saved up so far in 2016.

Gift Cards.....$84+
Reward Certs....$20
Cash Rebates...$131+
Free Turkey
Coins....$87.50(if needed)

My plan is to basically not spend anything other than these gift cards/rebates/rewards/coins on food in December.  No out of pocket spending on food in December.

Other than fresh produce and milk we are well stocked(overstocked maybe?)on a lot of foods we normally eat plus I have all Holiday foods bought or covered.  Fridge, freezer and pantries are all overflowing so this is highly doable.

If I can stick to this plan I'll end up with $4,600+/- spent on food/toiletries/HBA/OTC/paper goods for all of 2016.  My goal was to stay under $5K on these categories for the year.

If successful this plan would keep me under $400 OOP per month on food/toiletries/paper goods/HBA/OTC goods for 2016.
I'd be exceedingly happy with that outcome.

Sluggy

US Savings Bonds Reminder

While doing my monthly recalculations in October I noticed that we had two US Savings Bonds that had matured earlier in the year.

I hightailed it up to the bank to cash them out.  Since they had reached their last maturity date it made no point to keep them "invested" as they'd earn nothing more.

I had hoped to apply these to College Boy's next tuition bill in January so that the interest they have earned would not be taxed.
Unfortunately per the rules for these things, only US Savings Bonds purchased after 1989 can be used in this way without a tax penalty.
These bonds were purchased in 1986.
Darn it!

When Hubs first started at his career his employer offered among other perks an automatic payroll deduction to buy US Savings Bonds.  Of course we signed up for that along with all the other savings plans they offered.  Somewhere in 2006 the employer discontinued this Saving Bond purchase plan, but along the way we ended up with 51 Savings Bonds.

I have our Bonds saved in a spreadsheet online that I can update values every month from the Us Treasury website database.

We have another Bond maturing Dec 1st and will also cash that one out before the end of the year.
We are debating cashing in some of these bonds early(before full maturity)as the rate is 1.3% or 1.4% and these are dated such that can be used for education tax-free.  Is it better to use them now for education expenses or hang onto them to cash in after Hubs retires and our income is lower.
It probably doesn't matter much to our bottom line since the amount of money is comparably small potatoes.

I just can't believe that we've had these things for 30 years!
Suddenly I feel so old...... ;-)

Sluggy

The Morning After

The election day sticker I would have chosen if given this choice. ;-)


First off let me say that I am so proud of the people in my adopted state.
The projection was that 80% or more of registered voters in PA would cast a ballot in this year's election.....that would be over 6 million voters.
Most years you can count on about 53% of voters to actually go to the polls.  We broke records for participation here in PA.

80%....that's got to be a record turn out for here.
It says that when push comes to shove that Americans are still part of the process.
I have NEVER waited 1.5 hours in line to vote before!!!
While it was a damned nuisance I was so glad to see the level of interest among my fellow citizens.
No disgraceful outbursts at my polling place.
We kept it classy here in my county.

My daughter got into line to vote right before 8 pm after she got out of school last night.  In PA if you are in line before the polls close then you are still allowed to vote no matter how long it takes you to mark that ballot.
She got home after 10 pm.....over a 2 hour wait!
I suspect that in our county the percentage of votes cast was closer to 90% of all registered voters.

And who would have thunk my state would become a battleground state and be so close in the vote split?!?
But then again, I am not surprised.

PA is often called liberal on the ends(Pittsburgh and Philly)with Kentucky in the middle.  PA is a red state with islands of blue in urban areas.
This is much like what American looks like politically.....island of blue on both coasts and inside the Beltway and a sea of red in the middle.  I guess my state is more of a microcosm of the country than folks like to recognize.

What I also loved about last night was the media elite with their mouths hanging open as the results rolled over them.
Talk about clueless!
These people claim to have a hand on the pulse of America.
Umm....no.

Now the sore losers online start their mudslinging and name calling on anybody who didn't agree with their choice of candidate.

It's disheartening to see supposed friends of mine call me names like fuckhead, moron and asshole.
Yes because I didn't vote for HRC my "friends" have said this about me personally on their feeds.

I guess in their disappointment and anger it's impossible to remain classy.....or even civil.
My despair is palpable.

But all I have to say to them is this.....
You brought it on yourselves by nominating one of the most openly corrupt, elitist, insider, "bought and paid by corporate American", warmongering candidates.  We were right to reject her.  You were wrong to embrace her. Own it.

Evidently America had a Howard Beale moment yesterday......


And let's move on.

Let the healing begin.
We are the change we want to see in the world.
God Bless America.

Sluggy

October To-Do List.....Update

Well let's see how the To-Do List went for October, shall we?


* Pay Bills  DONE  Well if nothing else gets accomplished in my month paying all the bills is the one I want to do! 8-)))

* Bike Something   DONE   While I didn't do much I did get 15 miles in.  I feel good about this even if it's not a lot.

* Read 2 Books   DONE   I read Daisy and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg(Fried Green Tomatoes author) and another book which title escapes me at the moment.  I also read some more of that massive Katherine Anne Porter tome.
"Daisy" is an early work of Flagg's that was re-released(previous title was "Coming Attractions"). It's not as good as FGTs but worth a read if you find it at your library.

* Sew a Shirt  FAIL  Still don't have an sewing mojo going.  Maybe I'll try something simpler in November.

* List Items on eBay  FAIL  Didn't get to this in October and I just don't feel like expending all that time and energy on selling stuff online.  Maybe I'll do the FB local yard sale site instead?

* Shred Papers  FAIL  Didn't get to this yet.  Maybe this week?

* Put Deck Furniture Away  DONE  All got put away into the shed/garage.

* Put Garden to Bed  DONE  But still need to pull up the morning glory vines and put the tomato cages away.

* Go to CB's Concert  DONE  And they sounded marvelous!

* Mail Giveaway Box  DONE  New Giveaway is up too.

* Start another Donation to SA  DONE  Just a couple items that are in the boxes waiting to go to Sallie's.

* Take Daughter to Procedure  CANCELLED  Insurance didn't approve this in time so it's been rescheduled

* Scrub Kitchen Cabinets  FAIL  Well I didn't get to this yet so it goes on November's list

* Go to 3 Dr. Appointments  DONE  Started out as 1 appointment and morphed into 3 as the month went on.  Add in a trip to Urgent Care and 2 x trips to the Emergency Room and it's been a hell of a medical month and NOT in a good way!

* Take CB back to School  A short teachers' strike meant College Boy came home for 4 days.  I got him deposited back at college in time for classes to start back up.  I don't want to have to do THAT again!! ugh.

October was a mixed bag of results for me.  I felt like I was coasting along more than not.  Let's hope I can get more items crossed off my list in November.

How did you do accomplishing items on your To-Do List in October?

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Ready or Not, Christmas is Coming!" Edition--

While in KMart last week picking up free after gift card washcloths and drinks I took a wander through their Christmas aisles to see what new crap was available for the Holidays.
I am all for secular folks celebrating Christmas in a non-religious way, but have we run off the rails with it?  Outside and under tree decorations included hedgehogs, foxes, t-rex dinosaurs! and this cute little flamingo dressed as an elf.  At least there was no pig decoration this year......

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Pork Barbecue on Rolls, Cole Slaw

2. Monday--Crockpot Salisbury Steak with Mushroom/Onion Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Baked Chicken Thighs, Roasted Potatoes and Acorn Squash

5. Thursday--Clam Corn Chowder, TBA

6. Friday--Teriyaki Flank Steak with Stir-Fry Veggies(leftover taters for BF)

7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Pork Barbecue on Rolls, Cole Slaw

2. Monday--Leftover Kielbasa with Pierogies(new)

3. Tuesday--Crockpot Salisbury Steak with Mushroom/Onion Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

4. Wednesday--Baked Chicken Thighs, Roasted Potatoes and Acorn Squash

5. Thursday--Leftovers(I had Pork Barbecue)

6. Friday--More Leftovers or Chicken Soup

7. Saturday--Primo Hoagies

6 meals cooked at home, 2-3 of them a night of leftovers, and 1 night of Take-Out.
Alll but 2 meals didn't happen-the Teriyaki steak and the clam chowder.  The daughter bought pierogies on Tuesday so we had those with leftover Kielbasi on Halloween.

Folks were fighting off colds later in the week here so it was leftovers or a big pot of chicken soup for dinners at the end of the week.
By Saturday we could all use a treat so we splurged and got Primo Hoagies(a chain out of Philly).  It was tasty but at $10 for a sub it won't be happening often here!

I roasted 2 of those volunteer acorn squash but no one liked it much.  I'll put the leftover(mashed up)into pancakes or something this week.

I also made Salisbury Steaks in the crockpot last week.  I have never made Salisbury Steak in all my 34 years of housekeeping/cooking.  It wasn't hard really as it's just a glorified hamburger. lolz

As for the grocery spending.....3 trips to Weis and 1 trip to the Shursave market brought my weekly spending to $148.81 and my November food spending Total so far to $148.81.
Hot damn!  I know it's high for so soon in the month but I am trying to get to $200 spent at Shursave before the 12th so I get that gift certificate offer.  I'll spend it anyway this month so spend it sooner rather than later and get the reward.  Plus some of this spent last week will come off my food bill as I picked up items for a Food Bank donation in these 4 trips.

So far, so good in my savings percentages in November at this point.  This week the savings rate average was over the top at 56.87%.

Leftovers going into this week.......pizza, barbecue, chicken thighs, salisbury steak, mashed potatoes.
Some of this will be eaten for lunches and some for dinner on Leftover Days.  Any leftover barbecue after this coming week will be put into the freezer for later.

Here is this week's "food plan".

1. Sunday--Meatloaf, Broccoli, Au Gratin Taters
2. Monday--Chicken Parmesan, Corn Casserole
3. Tuesday--Leftovers
4. Wednesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Teriyaki Flank Steak with Stir-Fry Veggies(leftover taters for BF), Rice
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 4 new meals cooked and 0 nights of Take-Out and 3 nights of Leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu?  Not a thing.

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?


Sluggy