Menu Plan Monday 04/29/30

Baby it's hot!!!🌞🌞🌞 I'm loving this nicer weather though. I've been awake since 4am, but sunshine makes me feel energized. I made a very light meal plan for this week, because it's too hot to cook and/or eat heavy food. Here's what we're eating. 

Monday : Baked BBQ chicken breast wraps, potato salad, carrot/pineapple salad

Tuesday : Frikkadel, baked potato, carrot/pineapple salad 

Wednesday : Same as Monday

Thursday : Same as Tuesday

Friday : Taco boats with side salad

Saturday : Red Robin (DS)

Breakfasts : Bran apple muffins, blueberry pancakes, eggs or omelets, toast, chocolate brioche or raisin bread french toast, cereal

Lunch : Leftovers or protein from freezer with salad 

Dessert : I'm not making dessert until we finish whatever sweets are in the freezer (pumpkin pie & chocolate cookies). We didn't eat any pumpkin pie last week, so we'll have it this week.

I'll have my chicken with salad while DS has a wrap. I don't need the extra carbs. 

Arby's has chicken sandwiches on special - 2/$6. So I got that on Friday and boy did I regret it. That 'chicken' was so loaded with sodium, I was bloated & felt sick afterwards. I've never eaten much salt. I have a sweet tooth. Give me cake, cookies, chocolate or ice cream any day of the week. But with salt, I use the bare minimum. So back to our favorite Friday Mexican dinners. We know exactly what goes into our food this way & DS loves it. I cooked the taco meat yesterday, so I just need to make the avocado bean salad on Friday. Easy peasy. 

Have a wonderful evening peeps!

Dove wasted

Y'all know there's something in the water at Wags when everything works great 😂 Four stores & 8 transactions and it all worked out exactly as planned & they had everything in stock too. Color me surprised 😂 Here's what I did at Wags this week.

Trans 1

2 x Dove @ $4.99 = $9.98

2 x Dove @ $2.49 = 4.98

2 x Clairol color 20.98

Less Clairol DQ (8.99)

Less RR from last week (4.00)

Less WC (20.00)

Tax 2.16

OOP $5.11

Earned $10 RR (Dove) + $4 WC (Clairol)

Trans 2

2 x Clairol $20.98

Less DQ (8.99)

Less WC (10.00)

Tax 1.26

OOP $3.25

Earned $4 WC

I also earned $7 WYS $40 Boosters per transaction (I used different accounts), which was part of my plan, to combine it with my digital boosters.

Trans 3

2 x Dove @ $4.99 = $9.98

2 x Dove @ $2.49 = 4.98

Less RR (4.00)

Less WC (10.00)

Tax 0.90

OOP $1.86

Earned $10 RR

Trans 4

2 x Dove @ $4.99 = $9.98

2 x Dove @ $2.49 = 4.98

Less RR (3.00)

Less WC (10.00)

Tax 0.90

OOP $2.86

Earned $10 RR

Trans 5

2 x 88 oz Gain detergent $19.98

2 x Dove b/w 14.00

4 x Oral b t/b 12.00

2 x single roll t/p 1.58

Less Gain DQ (3.00)

Less Dove DQ (5.00)

Less Oral B DQ (6.00)

Less RRs (20.00) 

Tax 2.85

OOP $16.41

Earned $13 RR ($5 Gain, $5 Dove, $3 Oral B) + $15 WC ($7 WYS $40 paper booster + $8 WYS $40 digital). 

Total earned: $28.00

Trans 6

2 x Dove @ $4.99 = $9.98

2 x Dove @ $2.49 = 4.98

Less RR (3.00)

Less WC (10.00)

Tax 0.90

OOP $2.86

Earned $10 RR

Transactions 7 & 8 are exactly the same as 5 & 6, because I had the exact same boosters on both accounts. 

I used 2 x $10 Dove shampoo RRs to lower my OOP (can't pay with WC when I use boosters). 

I then combined $3 Oral B RRs with WC for Dove shampoo/conditioner deal to lower my OOP. I could've used the $5 ones, but Wags is tricky when it comes to rewards, so I decided to play it safe. No Wags stress for me this week 😂

I used the single roll t/p as filler items for the RRs. I planned on getting the small Dawn bottles, but my store was out and I didn't want any more candy - which now cost $1.50 each on sale (the small bars). Geez Louise! I didn't want to waste $3 on things we don't need. I will definitely not buy Wags t/p on a regular basis (surprisingly people in my group rave about it). They're only good enough as fillers. If you've ever purchased Sams t/p, you will know why I stick to their brand. Plus their price is good too. 

I was actually disappointed in the Charmin I bought weeks ago. Charmin was our go to brand years ago, but the quality's not the same as before. It's still nice, but the Sams brand is nicer. 

To recap

Number of items purchased: 44

Total Qs used : $45.98

Total Rewards used : $123.00

Total Rewards earned (RR, WC, Ibotta, Fetch): $114.00 - I haven't scanned my receipts to Fetch yet.

Total OOP : $51.62 ($1.17 per item - this includes sales tax)

Total Retail value : $225.64

And that was my fun Wags week. My total OOP is almost the same as I would have paid for just 4 Gain at regular price, so I'm one happy mama. I'm so glad the deals don't look too good next week. The Gain 'buy 2 get $5 RR' deal continues and there's a '$5 WYS $25 P&G items' booster that can be combined with other boosters. I'm not sure if Gain is included in this deal. If it is, it will make a nice triple or quadruple dip. 

I might have to stop shopping at RA. Another local RA has closed and there's hardly any stores left. I'm not going to waste my time searching for existing RA stores. I'm just going to cash out my BC. I'm sad, because it's fun to not have to spend any money at RA. I might have to get back to CVS shopping. We have CVS & Wags on almost every corner. RA definitely couldn't compete with that. 

I'm pooped. There's still tomorrow to hit up Wags for more Dove, but I'm too worn out from shopping and I definitely don't need more stuff. 

Have a wonderful weekend peeps!

Easy Dove deals at Wags

 

Hi everyone

It's been a busy day. I was out running errands today (I'll post my purchases tomorrow or Friday, cause I'm not done shopping yet). 

Here's what's hot at Wags this week:

Buy 4 Dove hair care, earn $10 RR

Dove Shampoo/conditioner is B1G2nd 50% off. MI price is $4.99 each (price may vary by location)

2 x Dove @ $4.99 = $9.98

2 x Dove @ $2.49 = 4.98

Pay $14.96

Earn $10 RR.

You CAN pay with WC and/or RR. You can mix & match the rewards, since this is a BUY deal. I combined both types of rewards and it worked perfectly.

I speak under correction, but I'm sure that I read some people didn't receive their RR when they bought different scents, so don't mix & match. The conditioner isn't tagged at some stores, but it's part of the sale. Both shampoo & conditioner are included. I went to 2 different stores, because my local store only had enough of the same scent for one transaction. 

Buy 2 Dove b/w (body wash) earn $5 RR

2 x Dove b/w $14.00

Less DQ (5.00)

OOP $9.00

Earn $5 RR 

There's also an Ibotta rebate for Men's Dove Sea Salt & Citrus b/w that will earn an extra $4 back, making this transaction free. However, this scent isn't sold at all locations. 

Buy 2 Clairol hair color earn $4 WC (permanent color & root touch up are included)

2 x Clairol @ $10.49 = $20.98

Less DQ (8.99)

OOP $11.99

Earn $4 WC

A good price if you have to color your hair regularly (like I do 😊)

You can use rewards on any of these purchases, unless you're using a booster. I have digital & paper boosters, so I'm working on a detergent deal. I'm hitting up different Wags tomorrow. 

Have a great evening peeps!

Menu Plan Monday 04/22/24

Happy Earth Day everyone! Boy, do the days seem to fly by. I'm thankful for abundant sunshine and warmer temps. I've had a busy weekend cooking, so here's what we're eating this week.

Monday : Slow cooker roast beef, baked potatoes, veggies, gravy

Tuesday : BBQ pulled chicken wraps, baked beans, potato salad

Wednesday : Same as Monday

Thursday : Same as Tuesday

Friday : Avocado chicken salad croissant sandwiches, sweet potato fries

Saturday : Red Robin (DS)

Breakfasts : Cranberry almond muffins, blueberry pancakes, eggs or omelets, toast, chocolate brioche or raisin bread french toast, cereal

Lunch : Leftovers or protein from freezer with salad 

Dessert : I'm not making dessert until we finish whatever sweets are in the freezer (pumpkin pie & chocolate cookies). Those cookies are bad. I can't eat just one, they're so yummy. It's my secret recipe cookies.  I think we should finish the pumpkin pie this week. 

There's always a large variety of fresh fruit, veggies & salad fixings available

I also made Smokies sausage rolls for DS for lunch and pico for snacking. 

The plan was to have mashed potatoes with the roast, but we don't like day old mashed potatoes so I decided on baked potatoes. 

The avocado chicken salad is basically guacamole mixed with cooked chicken.

I'm trying to cook lighter meals now that the weather is nicer, but I've been craving that roast beef. I like a roast, because I shred the leftover meat for pot pies, so it gives us multiple meals. Last week I pulled the last of the beef pie mix from the freezer and made individual pot pies for DS for lunch. Easy peasy and we don't have to fix sandwiches or wraps for lunch every day. I like having my life simplified 😊

Have a wonderful week peeps!

How I spent my free $105

As mentioned before, WHBM & Chicos sent me $85 rewards combined. Two weeks ago, I received another $20 from Chicos. I thought the last reward was my semi annual reward (scratching my head). I'm not complaining though. Free is free 😂

Buuuuttttttt, things are bad out there. It's not just grocery prices that have increased. The price of Everything has increased. It's so crazy, because quality of most things are so poor, it's not even worth spending money on (I'm working on a post about that - it's written in my head 😂), yet prices keep skyrocketing. 

Chicos group (WHBM, Chicos, Soma) are well known to increase their prices every time they send out rewards. They're trying to force their loyal customers to spend more OOP. I miss those days when I could shop till I drop with $100. Not the case this time. Their sale prices have doubled & tripled on just about all their sale items. I know this, because I've seen many items that I own for 2-3 times as much as the clearance price I paid. As a rule, I don't buy leggings and t-shirts at their stores, because I can find it for a lot less at other retailers. Besides, I shop their stores for their unique designs. I had a very hard time finding something good, but I was determined to not let that free money go to waste 😂 Here's what I purchased:

WHBM 

I had $55 to use and nothing that really tickled my fancy, but I managed to snag these 2 items and paid $3.70 OOP (includes tax). The clutch isn't my usual style. I normally stick to plain/solid evening purses/clutches.

I did splurge on this purse at Chicos after Christmas though (not part of my rewards purchases). It was clearanced to $35 and I just had to have it. It's even prettier in person and it matches my black lace dress perfectly. It pairs well with so many of my cocktail dresses. This was worth every penny spent. 

CHICOS

I had 2 x $15 + 1 x $20 rewards. I purchased a black blouse with silver trim (pic is no longer available online). That was $0 OOP

Just like with WHBM, it was really hard to find anything decent to purchase at $0 OOP. I paid $10.60 OOP for the above blouse. I wanted to purchase something that I liked vs just a near free item that's not really my taste or is of poor quality. Both Chicos blouses were really nice. 

Then I received my $20 reward and eventually purchased this shirt when it went on sale last week. I paid $13.74 OOP. I was really excited about this shirt, because it's very modern and definitely my style. Well, I was really disappointed when I received the shirt. It's beautiful, but the fabric is not their normal poplin fabric that they use for blouses. It's cotton, but it's the kind that wrinkles badly. The shirt is really cool though, so I'm keeping it. 

Total OOP : $28.04 (incl tax) 

Retail value : $401.50

The best part about all these items is that they match so many items that I already own. I can wear all these tops with my black, burgundy, dusty rose pink or green trousers. Same with my black blazer, black velvet blazer or green velvet blazer. 

The plain black shirt can also be worn with my black & white houndstooth or gingham pants. Same with houndstooth and gingham blazers. I can also wear my black & white colorblock blazers with them. I won't wear these items with my other blouses, because I never wear print on print. There's so many possibilities. I know I have oodles more items in my closet that I can wear it with to create more outfits. This is how I always shop. My shopping is done very strategically. I don't just purchase items that can't be matched to other pieces in my closet. I always make sure that I have different options with everything - except for dresses. It's not easy to mix and match any dress to other items. Well, unless you have a LBD 😁

Despite struggling to find good clearance, I have to thank the Chicos group for my inexpensive new clothes. 

Have a wonderful weekend peeps!

Quick check in

Hi everyone

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. Boy did the last Covid round kick my butt! I was sick for a little over a week, but it was bad this time around. All I did was sleep, I was so fatigued. Then I sustained a knee injury (back of knee) while working out and I've been in pain for the past few weeks. This is why I haven't posted anything. I've had a similar injury many moons ago & the Dr said it's from too much strain on the muscle. I need to ice the knee and rest the leg (elevate it). How am I gonna rest my leg if I need to move about half the time? I've been taking short walks in the backyard for exercise, cause I don't want to end up in pain halfway through my walk/run through the neighborhood. 

Yesterday was the worst day. I was in pain from the time I woke up until I went to bed. It was so bad, it made me feel sick to my stomach. I was fine when I got up today, but the pain started an hour after I got up. I've been rubbing my leg with icy hot half the time and that helps a bit. I then finally decided to take a Tylenol. We use very little drugs/medication, so I had to dig through my packed containers for some. Thankfully, I bought some at RA not too long ago (thankful for my couponing. It always saves the day whenever we have an unexpected need). Then I took a nap. That helped a lot, but the pain is back - not too bad though. I haven't iced my leg, because the water isn't connected to the fridge so we have no ice. I'm just gonna throw an ice pack into the freezer and hope that helps. 

I'm curious. Has anyone had any long term Covid side effects? I've had Covid 5 times already and after the 2nd time, I noticed that I cannot stand the smell of meat - fresh, cooked, lunch meat. Everything smells off to me. I'll buy fresh meat and then a day or 2 later, it smells bad to me. Same with lunch meat. It's just the strangest thing. 

For Jackie - I hope your back pain is better. My back pain is usually due to stress and an aromatherapy bath normally helps relax my back muscles. I use the BBW Stress relief body wash (I use it as foam bath too) and it works wonders for me. 

I'll try to post more regularly and catch up with everyone's blogs.

Have a wonderful weekend peeps!