Menu Plan Monday: 10/05/2015

This week I am test running part of the 14 day menu plan I am working on, so, we'll see how that works out.  Otherwise it's going to be a pretty sedate week.  We are going grocery shopping this evening as a family to pick up a few needed items, but most of the food for the menu is coming out of our pantry.  Here's what's on the menu for this week...

 

Breakfasts: Waffles, Yogurt

Lunches: Soup, Leftovers, Quesadillas

Dinners:

Sunday - McDonald's on the way home from a Flea Market

Monday - Take-out while running errands

Tuesday - Beef Mac and Cheese (homemade Hamburger Helper), Vegetable

Wednesday - Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Corn

Thursday - Crock-pot Pork Roast, Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes

Friday - Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce, Broccoli, Sausage

Saturday - Frozen Pizza, Vegetable

Dessert: Cake Mix Cookies

For more AWESOME Menu plans, visit Org Junkie!

September 2015 Budget Update

This month I did a fair amount of shopping, and still managed to stay under budget!  I love it when that happens.  We spent the month eating through our pantry and freezer, so I mostly just purchased good deals to refill the items used and the needed items to make meals, and not a lot of extra stuff.  I also FINALLY earned enough swagbucks for a $25 Amazon gift card.  It takes a LOT longer to do that then I thought it was going to.  I'm going to try and earn another one before Christmas, but we'll see.  Here's how the month broke down...

• Week #1: $94.93 oop, Earned $9 ECB's
• Week #2: $78.95 oop, Earned $16 ECB's, $6 Saving Star Rebates, and $25 Amazon Gift Card from Swagbucks -- FINALLY!!!
• Week #3: $103.97 oop, Earned $15.50 ECB's
• Week #4: $19.81 oop, Earned $1 Saving Star Rebate

Total OOP: $297.66
Total Earned: $72.50
Total Remaining from September: $2.34

Weekly Spending Report: 09/27-10/03/2015

This week there wasn't much left in the way of grocery money, so I just picked up a few deals at CVS and the needed snack food and water at ALDI.  Needless to say, I'm ready for the fresh start of a new month's grocery budget!  We are still working on eating down the pantries and freezers, I am hoping that by Thanksgiving we can start fresh with a new 14 day menu plan.  My hope is that I can devise a meal plan for two weeks full of things that we love to eat and that are easy to cook, and then repeat it over and over again.  Any way, here's how the shopping went this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $1.98 oop, Earned $1 Saving Star Rebate (Advil)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $17.83 oop (included, but not pictured are 4 gallons of Water)

Total OOP: $19.81
Total Earned: $1
Total Remaining from September: $2.34

Linked to Couponaholic! 

Weekly Spending Report: 09/20-26/2015

This week was a heavy spending week, but when there are diaper deals to be had, especially for our favorite brand, that tends to happen.  Anyway, here's how the week went down...

• Monday's CVS Trip: $31.52 oop, Earned $15.50 ECB's

• Monday's Giant Trip: $41.30 oop (included, but not pictured is two bags of organic chicken breasts)

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $31.15 oop (included, but not pictured, is 8 gallons of Water)

Total OOP: $103.97
Total Earned: $15.50
Total Remaining for September: $22.15
 

Weekly Spending Report: 09/13-19/2015

This week I was super excited about the St Ives deal at CVS.  I was in desperate need of some face soap and body wash, and this is my favorite brand!  Since we have mostly been eating from the pantries and freezers, I just picked up some needed breakfast and snack foods.  Howard is totally in love with waffles right now, and I'm happy that something so simple, brings so much joy!  Here's how the shopping went this week...

• Monday's CVS Trip: $11.22 oop, Earned $16 ECB's (includes $5 Beauty Rewards and $3 Rain Check ECB's), $6 Rebate from Saving Star ($1 Lotion, $1 Body Wash, $4 when you buy $16 of St Ives Products)

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $36.12 oop

• Monday's Giant Trip: $31.61 oop 

Total OOP: $78.95
Total Earned: $22
Total Remaining for September: $126.12

Linked to Couponaholic! 

Weekly Spending Report: 09/06-12/2015

This week I was able to pick up some needed items as well as stock up on some AWESOME deals and clearance finds, like canned pumpkin, iron-on denim patches, All laundry detergent, organic pasta, and powdered chicken stock.  Here's how the week went down...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $2.94 oop, Earned $9 (this includes $5 Pharmacy Rewards)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $39.91 oop

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $52.08 oop 

Total OOP: $94.93

Total Earned: $9

Total Remaining for September: $205.07

August's Budget Update

August was a month filled with travel, and fun!  Which means is was also a month filled with tasty treats that we only buy when we take trips.  But to help balance out the splurging, we mostly ate from the pantry when we were home.  In the end it all worked out...

• Week #1: $129.05 oop, Earned $5 ECB's
• Week #2: $16.95 oop, Earned $1 ECB's
• Week #3: $81.43 oop, Earned $6.25 ECB's
• Week #4: $6.24 oop, Earned Zero
• Week #5: $67.07 oop, Earned $7 ECB's

Total OOP: $300.74
Total Earned: $19.25
Total Remaining for August: Zero
 

Weekly Spending Report: 08/30-09/05/2015

This week I kind of felt like a hamster in a wheel, running around and not getting any where.  However, I glanced at my to-do list, and things are crossed off, so I must have been more productive than I thought I was.  Anyway, as for shopping this week, I managed to fit that in on Sunday, before my crazy work week started.  Joe also made a visit to the dentist for a tooth extraction, and Howard finally had his 15 month check-up, even though he's almost 16 and 1/2 months old - whoops.  He has a big noggin, but is perfectly healthy, I just hope there's a big brain in there :-)  Anyway, shopping, I keep getting side-tracked, see what I mean.  Or maybe I've been more dog-like than hamster-like, I feel the need to chase after every squirrel I see.  So, I hit my main three stores this week, and this is how it went down...

Sunday's CVS Trip: $8.38 oop, Earned $7 ECB's

Sunday's ALDI Trip: $32.65 oop

Sunday's Giant Trip: $26.04 oop

Total OOP: $67.07

Total Earned: $7

Total Remaining for August: -$0.74, I am totally cool with this since we spent most of the month traveling.  I keep all my change in one coin purse, so there is always coins available to cover going over budget. 

Weekly Spending Report: 08/23-29/2015

This week we got home from Ocean City on Monday, and I spent the rest of week working.  But we had a great time at the ocean.  We spent a LOT of time at the pool at our camp ground, since Howard loved it so much, and it's free.  We also went to Rehoboth and did some shopping at the outlets.  I was in need of bras, Joe needed new tennis shoes, and we found a snow suit for Howard on clearance that should last at least two years (we did not have a snow suit for him last year, but he is much more mobile and playful this year, so I am thinking he will enjoy being able to play in the snow).  We were out of milk and other things, so I sent Joe to the store, he picked up a few things out of the leftover vacation money, so I'm not taking them out of the budget, and thus did not take a picture of them.  So, I only made 1 trip to the Dollar Tree, mostly for newspapers...

Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $6.24 oop

Total OOP: $6.24

Total Earned: Zero

Total Remaining for August: $66.33

Weekly Spending Report: 08/16-22/2015

This week we are going to the beach for 8 glorious days of sand and sun!  But before we left, I managed to get to the stores and grab the needed items for our trip, as well as a few great deals.  I'm sorry for the lack of items in the pictures, and the lack of pictures in general, but most everything was loaded into the travel trailer when we got home and not brought upstairs for picture taking first.  Next week, pictures will return ;-)  Anyway, here's how the shopping for the week went...

• Sunday's CVS Trip (no picture, just a jar of Jif and the free Propel water): $2.32 oop, Earned $6.25 ECB's ($5 from the Pharmacy Rewards program)
• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $31.45 oop (not pictured, but included 1 loaf of bread, 3 bottles of apple juice, 1 bag of pistachios, 1 box of crackers, 10 gallons of water)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $47.66 oop (not pictured, but included 1 box Pop-Tarts, 3 more boxes of granola bars, 2 boxes of Crystal Light sticks, 1 jar Smucker's jam, 3-6 pks Pepsi bottles, 1 bag Utz chips, and 1 flat iron steak)

Total OOP: $81.43
Total Earned: $6.25
Total Remaining for August: $72.57