Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Not a Great Week Here


The one bright spot to my week has been getting to see my younger son for 4 days.

We sent a gangly kid off in August and this is who returned for Thanksgiving Break......


Most Freshmen gain 20 lbs. the first semester.  College Boy(formerly known as #2 Son) actually lost 30 lbs.

He said it was from missing meals in the dining hall.  With the mountain of work/practice he has had to do he's forgotten about mealtimes until after the dining hall closed.
He's been going to a local bagel shop(as they take the meal ticket)and basically living on a high carb bagel diet. lolz
So I spent 4 days getting protein into him so he survives another 2 weeks until I go to pick him up after finals.


And the beard!!! 8-)
It has a ginger quality to it too.....but then again, he gets that red hair recessive gene from me.

We didn't see him much over those 4 days, as he was out late at night hanging with his buddies(lots of catching up to do there), sleeping until 2pm or in his room practicing or studying.
And I think he ate his weight in stuffing. lolz

Then he tells us on Saturday that he has a bill in his account that needs paying before he can register for classes.  Oh, and registration ends next Friday, 5 days after he gets back to school.
Huh?
So I am frantically trying to get into his school account for HOURS to see first, what the heck this bill is for, and to pay it, if in fact it needs paying.  I can't imagine what it's for as I paid his bill back in August in full!  Did he charge a bunch of stuff on his account or what?
And come to find out, he's known about this for WEEKS!.....and said nothing.

After waiting on him to contact me about this bill on Monday(which he didn't do)I took matters into my own hands and got into his account to see what this was all about.

Seems this college makes you pay your next semester's tuition bill IN FULL(but NOT the room/board bill)before they let you register for classes for that semester.  This is the third state school in PA that we've dealt with and neither of the other two schools had This Policy!
ARGH!
So I paid the bill and let College Boy know he could now register for his classes.
And then I went and had a tiny little nervous breakdown.....because I deserved it.


Two days after Thanksgiving we had to put down our last dog, Cherry.


Here she is checking out the trick-or-treaters at Halloween.
She got some extra treats on her last day, like an order of her most favorite food in the world, French Fries, from the local fast food place.
She is now at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for us, with her beagle brother, Peanut, who we lost to bladder cancer in September of 2010.
I just need to get use to not having her underfoot constantly as my new normal.
That will just take some time.

After College Boy returned to school on Sunday it was very quiet here.  I have been off kilter the last few days, not hearing the clicking of Cherry's nails on the tile floor or hearing her raucous snoring in the evening.  I keep reaching to put the gate across the doorway from the kitchen into the dining/living rooms to keep her out, as she developed a liking for going pee on my living room rug in the last few months.
I keep waiting for her to start barking for her meals.
And I find myself talking out loud to her like she is still in the house. 8-(

Cyber Monday came and went and I bought nothing.
Not a single present or needed item.
I got pissy Monday went I discovered that the gift my daughter wanted for Christmas, that I had purchased for her on Thanksgiving online for $XX amount went on sale at a different merchant online on Monday for $50 less than what I shelled out.
bleh.

Then I went to pick up an online order from KMart this morning, which I paid for online, only to find that 1 of the 3 items in the bag was the wrong size.  Nope, I ordered correctly, someone picked/packed the wrong one.
Ugh.  I guess I can take this back for a refund to a closer KMart(it wasn't available at my closest store for pick-up, only the one on the other side of Wilkes-Barre).
It just aggrevates me that A-I didn't check the items before I left that store and B-that I have to return/exchange something.  Something that needs to be mailed so I can't sit on this return/exchange and do it later after the Holidays or something.  I have to go back into a crowded store and wait in a horrendous line again.
double bleh.

I also had someone buy a piece of fabric on Etsy and when I went to pack it I noticed a manufacturer's flaw on the piece.  I wrote the buyer to let her know about this and see whether she still wants the fabric at a discounted price, of course.  It's been 2 days and no word back so I wrote her again.  If I don't hear anything by tomorrow I'll just cancel the transaction and refund her money....which means Etsy will pull money from my credit card on file because they already deposited the funds for this transaction into my bank.
triple bleh.

On the good side of things, I sold that Longaberger Basket on eBay the day before Thanksgiving and shipped it out on Friday.  It was delivered today but so far no word from the buyer.  I worry at this time of year because she has Zero feedback and the crazies come out on eBay at Christmas time as regularly as reindeer poop on your rooftop.

The new battery charger for my camera arrived today(!!!) and I am impatiently waiting for it to finish charging so I can use my camera again.
This is holding up my Rite-Aid shopping reports(1 report from Sunday)and posting about my next Giveaway.  Pictures are required for both ya know.......

It snowed again here today and getting home from KMart was jaw clenching.  Now the wind has whipped up and I can hear the trash cans outside blowing away as I type. 

Hubs got the Christmas tubs/boxes down so I have plenty to do to keep me busy until College Boy returns in a week from this coming Friday or Saturday, depending on the weather.  I am just not in the mood yet for the Holidays and all that needs doing just feels so overwhelming.  It would help if the sun would come out one of these days and lighten my mood.


So now you are up to speed on my crazy life.

What's new in your world?

Sluggy
 

Food & Toiletries Spending......November Update


 Onward to November's food spending report.......



Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for NOVEMBER 2014.

I have posted November's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2014 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in November.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 3(2-3 at home this month)& 1 dog. No kids under 18.

******************
BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $11.00
Value  $33.93
Savings  67.58%

BIG LOTS
OOP  $25.86
Qs/Ads  $12.37
Value  $38.23
Savings  32.36%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $4.90
Value  $12.50
Savings  60.80%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $77.71
Qs/Ads  $61.86
Value  $139.57
Savings  44.32%

OLLIE'S
OOP  $33.98
Value  $57.88
Savings  41.39%

P&R OUTLET
OOP  $6.03
Qs/Ads  $7.64
Value  $13.67
Savings  55.88%

RITE-AID
OOP  $10.28
Qs/Ads/+UPs  $319.38
Value  $329.66
Savings   96.88%
 
SHURSAVE STORES(small local independent affiliated stores)
OOP  $229.74
Qs/Ads  $69.02
Value  $298.76
Savings  23.10%

SURPLUS OUTLET
OOP  $34.24
Qs/Ads  $52.25
Value  $86.49
Savings  60.41%

TARGET
OOP  $10.39
Qs/Ads  $16.25
Value  $26.64
Savings  61%

WEIS MARKETS
OOP  $140.61
Qs/Ads  $142.39
Value  $283.00
Savings  50.31%
 

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 96.88%, the Bakery Outlet at 67.58% and Target at 61%.  My WORST savings rate was the Shursave Market at 23.10%.
What is more impressive is that I had a 50.31% savings rate at Weis Markets AND I spent almost $150 there.  It's easy to get a great savings rate at a store where you only buy a few things but is you make many purchases there it's a lot more difficult!

I shopped at 11 different stores this past month.  I tried a few of new places for me or places I don't go to often as it's not in my regular routine.


TOTAL Out of Pocket........$584.74
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$735.59
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1,320.33
TOTAL Savings of...................................55.71%
TOTAL Savings WITHOUT Rite-Aid.............42.01%

This closes out the November food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

Well I sucked big time at staying under $350 in November.  What can I say......

The monthly savings percentage went down by 10.13% in November to 55.71% compared to October's 65.84% average.  I blame this on me buying stuff not at it's best low price in order to have enough spending at the local market to earn a gift certificate during their yearly promotion.  I also bought things I don't need now(stocked up)and not at the best prices. sigh.  With the way I shop I haven't been able to earn one of those certificates for YEARS now!  But every year I fall back into a bad pattern and try to spend, spend, spend. sigh.
I need to pull this post up next Nov. 1st and reread it so I don't fall into that old familiar trap next year!

The savings percentage went down for the year by .03% after adding November's numbers in. 

Total spend on food/toiletries so far this year after 11 months.....$4,588.66.

The average monthly food/toiletries spending to-date for the year after adding in November's numbers is back up to $417.15.   That's what happens when you spend almost $600 in one month on food/toiletries.
bleh.

I have a decision to make concerning $17 I was refunded at Rite-Aid this month(a $12 refund and a $5 refund for +Up Rewards and Coupons that were applied post sale.  I'll just use this to cover my small amounts I pay on each transaction at R-A after the +Up Rewards are applied to my total in December, which means that probably ALL my OOP costs will be covered until the end of the year at Rite-Aid.
8-)))


LOOKING AHEAD TO DECEMBER......

Let's just say I'm planning on staying under $5K total for the year on food/toiletries spending. That gives me $411.34 to play with in December.  College Boy will be home most of December as he comes home from school for the term a week from this Friday.

I would really like to keep the yearly spending total at $4,800.  This gives me a monthly average for the year of $400 a month spent.  Sounds much better than a $416 per month total that staying under $5,000 gives me.
But that would mean limiting myself to $211.34 food spending in December.  I probably could do that, especially if we eat out for dinner more than 2 times this month.

I'll try to keep it under that but don't hold your breath.
I suck.......
 
If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.
 
*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in November?
*  Do you track your yearly food spending?
*  If so, how are you doing thus far in 2014?
 
Sluggy

Monday, December 1, 2014

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Turkey Day" Edition..........

The Table is set!

The family is set!

Hey! Get ME in the picture too!! lolz
 

 
 
Onward to the meal planning!

What was planned last week--

1.  Spaghetti and Meatballs(in freezer)
2.  Trout, Zuke Casserole(leftover)
3.  Chinese take-out
4.  Mac & Cheese with Ham, Broccoli
5.  Turkey Day Meal
6.  Beef Stroganoff over Rice, Brussel Sprouts
7.  Leftovers

 
And this is what actually happened--

1.  Spaghetti and Meatballs(in freezer)
2.  Trout, Zuke Casserole(leftover)
3.  Chinese take-out
4.  Mac & Cheese, Ham or Stuffed Peppers(in freezer), Zuke Casserole leftovers
5.  Turkey Day Meal
6.  Turkey Day Leftovers
7.  Beef Stroganoff over Rice, Brussel Sprouts
 
Everything got made and eaten as planned.
Yay!
    
Last week I made 2 trips to 2 different markets and spent $38.87 on $120.47 worth of groceries.

I also did 6 transactions at Rite-Aid(counting yesterday), where I spent $7.19 (but got back $5 in cash for some Qs that didn't take) on $234.66 of items there for the week.

Going into this week, in leftovers we have........lots of Turkey Day foods and Beef Stroganoff and Rice.
And most of a pie too.

Here is the plan for this week.........

1.  Turkey Day Leftovers
2.  Salmon, Mac & Cheese leftovers, Brussels Sprouts
3.  Leftovers
4.  Leftovers or Fend for Yourself
5.  Quiche, Tossed Salad
6.  Pork Chops, Sugar Snap Peas, leftover assorted Turkey Day sides
7.  Leftovers
 
 
What I need to buy for this menu.........just some eggs.  We went through a lot of eggs last week what with pies, stuffing, baked sweet breads and cookies being made.  And deviled eggs too! 8-)

I'm going to try to stay out of the grocery stores  this week other than necessities(eggs).  Though the .99¢ lb. whole chickens I saw in one of the flyers looks tempting. 8-)
 
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 that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?
How much did you spend total on food in November?  My total is NOT pretty!! lolz
Was it a big spending month like mine was or not?
 

Sluggy

Sunday, November 30, 2014

3 Day BF Rite-Aid Sale Results

Ok, so I was going to post what I bought at Rite-Aid each day of the Black Friday 3 Day Sale but my camera is dead until the battery charger gets here later this week.

So I drug everything purchased out onto the kitchen table Saturday night and asked Hubs to take 1 photo of it all with his Blackberry.

Here is the result of rolling +Up Rewards for three days........sorry for the less than stellar picture quality......


4 x Doritos $1.97 a bag gave $1 +Ups(cost .97¢ each)
4 x Staxx chips 2/$3 gave $3 +Ups (freebie)
4 x Planters nuts sets with Rain Check $2.99 ea. gave $3+Ups each(.01¢ moneymaker)
1 x J. Watkins lotion $5.99 gave $5.99 +Ups(freebie)
2 x GE light bulbs $3.99 ea. gave $3.99 +Ups(freebie)
2 x Hershey chocolate boxes $3.99 ea. gave $2 +Ups each(after $2/$6 purchase Q these were .99¢ each)
2 x Listerine floss $2.99 ea. gave $2 +Ups(after 2 x $1/1 Q were .01¢ moneymaker each)
2 x Gift Tape 2/$2 gave $2 +Ups(freebie)
3 x Toothbrushes .80¢ ea. gave $1 +Ups each(.20¢ moneymakers)
2 x Colgate toothpaste $3.50 ea. gave $3 +Ups(after $1/2 Q freebies)
2 x Philips ear buds $5.59 ea. gave $6 +Ups(.41¢ moneymakers)
1 x RA cough drops $1.27(wellness disc.) gave $1.49 +Ups(.22¢ moneymaker)
3 x Cotton Swabs .99¢ ea. gave .99¢ +Ups(freebie)
3 x Nivea lotion tin .59¢ ea. gave .59¢ +Ups(freebie)

35 items.
OOP spent $6.41
Regular retail of $168.48
A 96% savings rate.
And I have $40.15 in Up Rewards to roll going forward.

There was too much to buy to roll fully since I only started Friday with $21 in +Up Rewards and there was more I wanted than I had +Ups to pay for.
So on Friday I bought a $50 Home Despot gift card(using home improvement/maintenance funds)and got a "free" $10 in +Ups to use on Saturday.
Then I bought another $50 Home Despot gift card on Saturday because it is something we can use and it gave me another $10 in "free" +Ups.  I didn't plan this well though as I should have bought the gift cards on Thursday and/or Friday so I could use them both during this sale to roll.
Oh well.
Nobody is perfect.  '-)

If I hadn't bought the Doritos for College Boy my OOP would have only been $2.53 for the rest of this stuff.
That boy cost me $3.88....the nerve, huh?! ;-)

I also have a stack of 20 rain checks for stuff they ran out of, for various Wellness cards.

I think I got enough and besides 2 grocery stores,  Rite-Aid is the only store I went to this past weekend.

Sluggy






 

Friday, November 28, 2014

Post Holiday Happenings

Well Thanksgiving Day has come and gone.
It was a nice, quiet, small gathering.

After packing off leftovers with the brother in-law there is still a scandalous amount of food here!
College Boy(previously known as #2 Son)will be dispatched back to school with a fair amount of what is leftover from the Turkey Bacchanal.

I am also baking treats for him today to accompany him back to school as well.  The child sometimes gets too busy and forgets to go to the dining hall in time and has been subsisting on bagels at Einstein Brothers as they take the school's dining ticket.
Most freshman gain 10-20 lbs.  Mine has lost as much so far this semester.
So he will be lousy with cookies and banana bread until he comes home next month at semester's end.

He is also dead broke and has spent his last cent at school.  He's got work at the bakery while he is home in Dec./Jan. and perhaps he'll be more careful with what he earns then.

I was a good little slug and ate a modest amount of the feast including just one piece of pie(heavy on the whipped cream however).  No second helpings of anything!   8-)

Tonight will be an encore of our feast so no complaints out of the family on that score.

I only left the house to do some banking and 2 trips to Rite-Aid (1 yesterday and 1 today).  There will be another trip to Rite-Aid on Saturday for more freebies.
I did 2 bits of online shopping this morning and might imbibe of some more cyber shopping on Monday.

I went to take photos of the Rite-Aid hauls and discovered my battery needed charging.
This is when I discovered I have lost my charger!
Ugh.
The battery can't be charged via a cord while in the camera either.  Of course not, I have PLENTY of cords! lolz
It's a special doohickey that plugs into the wall that holds the battery and it's gone missing.
So there will be no more photos on the blog until such time as a replacement arrives in the mail.
Double Ugh.

Two days ago our dog took a turn for the worst. Our beagle is not long for this world due to her hind legs not working. This is an issue that has been coming.  She has a vet appointment tomorrow morning and we fear we will receive the news that short of extensive surgery which is not in our financial realm there is nothing they can do and she will have to take the Big Sleep.



So if I don't post for awhile it's because we've lost our last doggie and I am just not up to writing right now.


Sluggy

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's hoping your turkey is moist, your rolls are hot and fluffy, your gravy has no lumps and your pie is yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 



Sluggy

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Turkey Day Prep Update #2


We've got 9 inches of white stuff and it's snowing again.
Good thing I didn't have to run out today for any ingredients!

We are winding down our prep day now.

Stuffing is finished and in my new "Judy" cooling off so it can go into the fridge.
College Boy sampled it and gave it the Seal of Approval.



And the pumpkin pies are cooling as well.
Kermit gave them a webbed thumbs up!


Oh, and I made a big pan of mac & cheese for dinner tonight which is just about to come out of the oven.

The only chore left to do today/tonight is to cook and mash the taters for roll making in the morning.

Then we get to do this all over again tomorrow......well, new/different chores and foods like rutabaga, taters, rolls and green beans.
And roasting the turkey too.
Fun!

Kermit and I are off to have some dinner and then to put our legs up and relax for a bit.

What does your pre-Thanksgiving Day prep involve?

Sluggy