Rain Checks

Tops awhile ago had a few specials I wanted to take advantage of.  But, when I got to the store they were sold out.

  I could have just written them off but I didn't.

  Instead, I went to the Service Desk and asked for rainchecks.  I redeemed them for the items at a later date and still got the good sale prices.

That is a frugal win!


Mushrooms, 8 oz. sliced 99 cents, limit 4
When we used the rain check and bought four to freeze we saved $6.80!

18 count large eggs, no limit  99cents ( equal to 66cents/dozen)  I bought 6.  Extras can always be frozen.  Their regular price that day was. $1.99

Turkey breast limit 2, 88 cents/#  I remove the meat from the carcass and use these like chicken breasts and make broth with the bones and skin.  I bought two.  Without the raincheck I would have paid $2.49/#.

I love rainchecks.

Spending Our Rite Aid $25.00

$0.50 for Colgate tooth paste using a coupon with a sale
$1.05   for  speed stick deodorant using a sale and coupon
$1.88 each for Cheerios and Rice Krispies, on sale , to be used in recipes at Christmas
$6.99 for Arm&Hammer laundry detergent 150 oz (100 loads) on sale, 7 cents per load
$3.99 each for two Dawn 28 oz. On sale
$2.50 each for two Gain 50 oz (32 loads each) on sale with coupons, 8 cents per load

We ended up $0.28 over.  Not bad.

Meal Plan: September 1-15

Vegetarian: cheesy lasagna; ranch twice baked potatoes; spicy peanut noodles with Asian vegetables (2), homemade veggie burgers

Low Meat:  steak or grilled chicken salad; ham and pea pasta; English muffin pizzas

Meat:  ribs; orange beef; beef stroganoff

Totals:

Vegetarian  5

Low Meat. 3

Meat. 3

I'm pleased with this two week period.

Buying and Eating: September 1-15

Allocation:  $357.30
Cushion:  $883.41

What We Ate:  steak or grilled chicken salad; ribs, potato salad ,Asian slaw; ham and pea pasta with fruit; cheesy lasagna and salad; English muffin pizzas and chips; ranch twice baked potatoes, green soy beans tomatoes; spicy peanut noodles with Asian vegetables, bread, fruit; homemade veggie burgers, couscous salad, tomatoes; orange beef, broccoli, rice; leftover peanut noodles, Chinese pancakes, apple slices; beef stroganoff, salad, green beans

What We Bought:

Tops:  goldfish,Alfredo sauce, red grapes (1.76#) $3.72.

Save a Lot:  potatoes (10#) $3.49

Aldi:  mushrooms (1#), plums (2#), olives (2) Brussel sprouts(4#) cream cheese, bleu cheese  $14.52 total

Erie Country Farms:  carrots (2lb), zucchini, tomatoes (3.75 #), cabbage  (3.25#), Swiss cheese (5#), potatoes (10#)  $19.75

Aldi:  grapes (2.3#) cauliflower (3#). $4.44

Tops:  sour cream (2), ricotta cheese (2), sugar, Apple's (14#),  $15.32

Total:  $61.24.
And this included stocking up on potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms and apples.


Eating Out:

Dinner Ellen's  $9.53
Lunch Megen's:  $8.43
Cupcakes for Emma's birthday:  $22.79

Total:  $40.75 
Cupcakes are expensive when you don't make your own.

Grand Total:  $101.99
Weekly Average:  $51

Allocation remaining for the month:  $255.31

6 Month Entertainment: January -June

Our entertainment expenses have been low.  The major cost has been the cost of Prime so we can watch Prime video.

Most of the rest of our entertainment movies and books on tape, we get from the library.

We spent $61 or $10.16 / month.  That comes out to $0.34/day.

August Household and Personal Care Expenses

Household:

Coffee filters at Aldi  $1.35
Stove lighter at Family Dollar  $1.06
$0.28  overage after gift card spent
Flat king size sheet at thrift store $2.99

Total:  5.68


Personal Care:

Mike body powder at Dollar Tree  $1.06

Total:  $1.06

A frugal month.  :)

Frugal Things In August

Nothing big

1.  Coffee.  Thursdays Starbucks has a 50% special we take advantage of to satisfy our cravings.

2. Bags.  I reuse my Ziploc bags and because I am lazy I wash them with my kitchen towels with a little bleach.  A small savings but little things add up.  It's also better for the environment.

3.  Laundry Detergent.  I used saved soap end pieces as the base for homemade laundry detergent to donate to the animal shelter.

4. Shopping Only the Sales.  If it wasn't a loss leader I basically didn't buy it,

5.  Making Broth From Bones.  I used a chicken carcass and a ham bone to make two types of broth.

6.  Using Coupons on Sale Items.  Where I can, I match coupons with sales.  Little bits of money add up.

7.  Making Birthday Gifts.  I got creative and used what I had to make four gifts.

8.  Free 8x10 collage photo from CVS and Free 8x10 single photo from Walgreens  Free is the way to go!

9.  Using points for a hotel room.  We went to New York wine country on a whim and stayed in a hotel room for three night for free using credit card points.

10.  Buying Christmas gifts at wineries.  We saved money using the 20% military discount.

The Meal Plan: August 16-31

Vegetarian: bean, rice and cheese burrito; bean curry; macaroni and cheese

Low Meat:  chicken stir fry with rice; broccoli and rice casserole with chicken ; Mexican rice; pasta with ham and peas;

Meat:  chicken sandwiches;  chicken with avocado and cheese; ham; ham salad sandwiches with navy bean soup; ham sandwiches; fish and chips;'steak

Vegetarian:3 (need to step up my efforts here)

Low Meat:  4 ( most of these were very low meat, which helps)

Meat:  7  ( some were almost low meat)

Taken as a whole, not too bad.

Buying and Eating: August 16-31

Remaining Allocation:$234.03. Minus 4x $11.91 or $47.64 to adjust for a last minute decision to visit New York wine 🍷country.  That took the remaining allocation to $186.39.


What We Ate:  chicken sandwiches; chicken stir fry; broccoli and rice casserole with chicken;  chicken casserole avocado and cheese, rice with almonds and peas, sauteed cabbage; Mexican rice, corn on the cob, refried beans with cheese; ham salad sandwiches with navy bean soup; bean rice and cheese burrito with winter squash; ham, quinoa salad, applesauce; pasta with ham and peas fresh grapes; bean curry with zucchini pancakes and curried potatoes; ham sandwich with chips;  macaroni and cheese, cantaloupe and carrots; fish and chips with zucchini; steak with salad and corn


What We Bought

Save a Lot:  cream cheese, salt Worcestershire sauce  $2

Tops:  eggs (3), corn on the cob (2), cheese (8oz)  $3.81

The Bread Store:  rye , cinnamon raisin English muffins, regular English muffins (4), bagels  $3.88

Tops:  18 count eggs (4), sliced mushrooms (4), broccoli crowns (2.29 pds)  $9.99

Red Barn Foods:  lettuce, tomatoes (2#), cucumber, sweet peppers (2)  $3.87

Price Rite:  onions (10 #) cheese (4.5#)dry milk (2)  $19.88

Total for Groceries:  $43.43


Eating Out:

Lunch with Angela  $9.74
Lunch at Yacht Club for my birthday: $18.15

Total for Eating Out: $27.89

Two Week Total:  $71.32

Amount to Cushion:  $115.07