January Month End Reading Review

I am trying to do better this year of tracking the books that I have read over the month so that I can keep to my goal of reading over 100 books a year. Here is hoping that I can keep better track this year of the books that I read every month.

Below are the books that I have read and you can click on the title to see my summary and original review to see if it is something you want to add to your list.

The Soldiers Return and Daddy Makeover

Herons Landing

Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

Love At First Sight

Somebody To Love

All Out of Love

January Books Read 8


Books Reading Currently:

The Protective One

 

Menu Plan Monday 2/10

Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Garlic Bread
Baked Potato Soup with cheese and bacon
Simple Fried Rice with Egg Rolls
Rosemary Chicken with egg noodles
Steaks and baked potatoes
Leftovers (soup and paninis)
Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade fries and tater tots

Last week we had pasta on Monday, Rosemary and Chicken Casserole Tuesday and moved things around Chicken Tacos to have Wednesday because I thawed the chicken earlier then I needed.  We had Philly Cheese Steak Pasta on Thursday.  We had two Wewalka Pizzas on Friday instead of fixing all the leftovers before heading back to school for Bingo night.  Saturday my son went to a sleepover and had Pizza Hut and we have leftovers and things from the freezer.  Sunday was Chicken fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade french fries.  It was a busy week but having a plan really helped to get the meals on the table every night.

I have enjoyed being ahead and getting the whole month calendar done because I haven't done that the last few months.  We really don't have that much left in the freezer to make meals after we finish the month so I know that I will be looking for some stock up sales going forward.  I was excited to add homemade pizzas when I got the Wewalka pizza dough for $0.50 each.  I cleaned out the fridge today and wiped down all the shelves.  I got rid of things and combined things so that I could get a better idea of what was in the fridge.  I did find a pouch of yogurt on the top shelf that was shoved to the back which was expired and moved the corn meal into a container for the freezer.

I was super excited to make a loaf of bread, make two corn bread mixes for the cupboard, make nutella hand pies (from free pie crusts), and baked potato soup.  Super excited to get to eat Baked Potato Soup this week since I didn't get it made last week.  Super frugal meal and great for the cold days!!  I used homemade chicken broth from the freezer, made my own cream of chicken soup from milk and a few other ingredients, and then chopped up the frozen hash browns that I got on sale for $0.50.  I added the block of cream cheese that was free and I froze immediately so I would have it when I needed it.  I will add instant mashed potatoes tomorrow while it is heating so that it will thicken the soup because it is a little thin.

Hope you have a yummy week planned!!

Somebody to Love Book Review

I started a new series and I was trying to make sure that I kept it in order but I really had a hard time keeping track of the books in order.  Somebody to Love: A Cupid, Texas Novel by Lori Wilde was the third one.  I finished it and wished that I could start the next in the series but I had to head back to my sheet of paper to see which book came next and see if I got it out of the library.

Sexy cowboy-scholar Jericho Chance always knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. And after sauntering back home to Cupid, he’s shocked to discover that he wants Zoey McCleary. After years from home, he takes one new look at his bubbly best friend, with her lightning smarts and luscious body, and it hits him like a bolt: she’s his somebody to love and he’s not leaving town again without her. Settling down always seemed like a time waster to Zoey, a man magnet with a trail of broken hearts behind her. She’s not meant to settle down—but how can she resist someone as persuasive as Jericho? There’s no way they can ignore the explosive chemistry seething between them . . . even if it means risking their friendship . . .

I thought the mystery and intrigue in this book was really interesting.  It was like the movie where you want to yell at the screen that they should talk to each other because the two main characters both have pieces to the puzzle that might help the other figure things out and they are best friends but going through a lot of transitions in their relationship.  It was interesting to see how the best friends Jericho and Zoey change when they realize that they should be together.  Jericho is working towards his full time position at the local school teaching archeology but his past means that his stipulation is that he can't get involved with any students.  Zoey has decided to go on the archeology dig which is Jericho's trial run at working for the local school.  The tough part is that she is out of money so she has to get special permission to get the money out of her trust fund and the limitation is that if she quits, she will not get any more money from her trust fund so there is a lot on the line.  I thought that this was a fun book that really had you on the edge of your seat.  I had a hard time putting it down because I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.  I hope that you check out this book and see if you enjoy it too.

January Month End Budget Review

We decided to do this year a little different then past years just a little in our accounting.  We are still doing a $160 monthly budget but I am adding the rebates that I get during the month back into the budget.  While in the past, we didn't do this because the money was transferred to PayPal and used for other purchases.  I didn't want to double count the money but now PayPal is set up a little differently and I can't use it the same way.  I now transfer the PayPal money into my checking account so I can use it to pay for groceries directly.  This is a nice little addition that helps me to fight harder to get the most month back on receipts from Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Saving Star.

Below is all of the shopping trips that I got for the month.  There is the cost, break down and the picture with the items that I got. Check out what I got and how I did against my budget.

Harris Teeter $25.63

The Kelloggs Cereal was an amazing deal that we haven't seen in a long time.  Each box was on sale for $2.24 and there were coupons for $2/4 which doubled during super doubles so they were $1.24 each and there was a bonus $5 off $15 of Kelloggs Cereal.  It was $17.92 for 8 boxes less $5 promotion and $8 coupons so all 8 boxes were $4.92 which is $0.62 per box.

Late July Popcorn and Maruchan Noodle Bowls were free.  I also needed a head of lettuce which is $0.99 everyday at Harris Teeter.  We got Cheez-Its for $1.49 per box after sale and coupon.  I made a crazy decision and added Tide to my cart at $9.97 and I used a printable coupon on each to make them $5.97 and $6.97.  Although we have plenty of Tide, there are few deals on detergents so I decided to get them even though we were already well stocked.

Aldi $27.72

We were in Woodbridge so I stopped at the store there to get the cheaper prices.  The cheddar cheese was $1.48 per block so I got 5.  The Chicken Fries were $5.37 so I got two.  I got the $2.85 turkey lunch meat.  The pretzels were $0.82 per bag (they are $1.29 at our store).  I grabbed the margarine spread at $2.19.

Harris Teeter $9.80

I got the Kellogg's deal with Raisin Bran and Frosted Mini Wheats for $15 less $5 instant promo and $6 coupons and $2 ecoupon means that these 6 boxes cost $2 or $0.33 per box.  The Kahki Chicken Egg Rolls were $0.50 per box.  Children's Motrin was $1.99 after sale and coupon per bottle and the Children's Robitussin was $0.99 per bottle. I also  got Ranch Skinny Pop for $0.15 and free Pasta.  I earned $3 from the Robitussin and Barilla Pasta from Saving Star.

Harris Teeter $18.68

I couldn't pass up the cereal deal another time so I got 2 Froot Loops, 2 Raisin Bran and 4 Frosted Flakes for $5.44 or $0.68 per box.   I got the $1.99 Motrin but they were out of the liquid so I got the chewable tablet.  The Taquitos were $2.99 per box instead of the shelf price of $6.29 which are great to have on hand for weekend lunches or backup dinners.  I got the Skinny Pop for $0.15 per bag and three are three bags on the receipt but it is hard to see in the picture.  I got an amazing deal on bacon because these ended up being $0.49 per package (forgot to put in the picture so took a second picture).  I got free Noodle Bowls, Finish and Truvia. I got back $5 from Saving Star for the Kellogg's cereal and $3.10 for the Truvia and any item.

Harris Teeter $29.31

I went a little crazy on this trip but I got an email with a coupon for $10 off $50 purchase.  The electronic coupon comes off before coupons so I just needed to make sure that the price after sales was over $50.  I went through and got lots of deals so that I wouldn't end up spending too much money but I got the Cottonelle for $3.87 per package.  The Viva paper towels were $3.97 after coupon and sale.  The Oatmeal was on sale for $1.47 per box after sale and coupon so I got 4 for my husband.  I got the Gushers for $0.99 per box and I got 6 boxes.  The Lysol toilet bowl cleaner was $0.67 per bottle and I got 6 bottles.  The Ortega Taco seasoning was $0.29 per package and we were out so I was excited to get the coupon again.  The Hormel were the most amazing deal because they were on sale for $1.25 and there was a clearance sticker for $1 off making them $0.25 but I got to use my coupon for $0.50 off that doubled so I made $0.75 on each package or $3 for all four.  I added the Perdue Popcorn Chicken for $4.99 per bag less $1.50 coupon making them $4.24 per bag because I was afraid how the meat clearance was going to affect my bottom line.  I ended up saving $22.70 in coupon savings and $71.46 in VIC savings so it was an amazing trip with lots purchased.

Aldi $16.36

I thought I had a good handle on my spending for the month but I didn't find this receipt or picture until February so this was a big surprise.  I got chicken for $7.12, bananas for $0.42, Ice cream bars for $2.39, Cheddar Cheese for $1.69, Corn Tortillas for $1.89 and lunch meat for $2.95.  We were out of everything here...except the cheese which I got because I wasn't sure and I know it won't go to waste because we love cheese.

Giant $8.57

I went to Giant to get the free Goldfish crackers with the sale price of $0.99 each and the electronic $1 off coupon.  I bought two just in case I would get the full value of the coupon but it just made one bag free.  The Pop Tarts cereal was $0.99 per box but we aren't big fans so probably not a great choice to get them but glad we tried them.  The Ritz Crackers are one of my son's favorites and they were on sale for $1.79 per box and I got $0.75 back from Saving Star.

Harris Teeter $3.67

I sent my husband to the store which I normally don't do but I was starting dinner and we needed eggs for dinner but didn't make it to the store earlier in the day.  The eggs were $0.77 per dozen limit 2.  There was also a good price on lunch meat making it $1.99 after sale and coupons which is an amazing price.

Aldi $3.37 

We were out of vegetable shortening so my husband again stopped at the store when he was out because I was home ordering the pizza for my son's birthday party and starting the party.  We needed the shortening to fry the chicken that we were making to go with the pizza. 

Harris Teeter $3.80

This might be my favorite deal in a long time.  I got Turkey Hill Ice Cream for $0.97 per container and Wewalka Pizza Crusts for $0.84 each.  Then I found the sausage clearance and they were a money maker because they were on sale for $3.50 and there was a sticker for $4 on each one.  I came right home and cooked up all the sausage and make sausage spaghetti sauce which we love and I got $2 off my total.

Harris Teeter $3.21

I went to the store to get the free candy bar and the $0.77 Quaker Oatmeal.  It was hard to pass up that deal even though I just got oatmeal that we hadn't finished.

Aldi $3.16 

I stopped at Aldi on the way home from Harris Teeter and got milk at $1.40 and two stick margarine at $0.84 each because we were out of both.  I decided to go with the half gallon because my son hadn't been finishing the milk that we had been getting and he finished this in three days!!

Harris Teeter $22.91

I went back to the store and got the next round of deals with Super Doubles starting.  I was also pretty excited because my neighbor gave me a coupon for $5 off $25 so I decided to use it in this transaction.  I got the Tater Tots for $0.50 per bag.  The Super Pretzels were $0.09 each and I got back $0.75 for 5 bags making it a money maker.  The Wewalka Pizza Dough was $0.50 each.  The Cacique cheese was $1 each.  The Perdue Chicken was $1.09 each.  The Hormel was on sale for $3 and there was a $0.50 coupon off each that doubled making it $2.00 per package and there was an Ibotta rebate for $0.75 per package making them $1.25 each.  In addition, there is also a $3 Saving Star when you buy $12 of Hormel Natural Choice.  I added three bottles of Cran Grape at $2.14 each to make the total over $25 after coupons to get the Giant coupon off my total.

Harris Teeter $2.97

I got two boxes of Super Pretzels for $0.09 each.  I got the Pretzel Pop Tarts for $0.80 each box.  I got the Cheez Its for $0.49 per box.  I got the Tater Tots for $0.50 per bag.  The Aveeno Wipes were $0.49 per package.  I got free Texas Pete Hot sauce and Wewalka Pie Crust. The Icy Hot and Rolaids were free after coupons and adjustment at customer service and I made $3 on the promo off the rest of my groceries.

Aldi $2.40 

I had to go back to the store and get the gallon of milk because my son finished the half gallon in three days.  This milk sat untouched for a few days but is now getting a little more attention so fingers crossed we finish it before it goes bad.

Harris Teeter $17.10

I took stock on where I was with my spending for the month and I knew that getting the soda was going to put us over with all the other super double deals but they had all the kinds we wanted so I didn't want to put it off until next month.  The soda was on sale for Buy Two, Get Three Free so it was $14.98 for five cases.  I got free rice, pie crusts, and pretzels.  I got the Sweet Baby Rays marinate for $0.09.  The Tater Tots were $0.50 each.  I got the Kids Vitamins for $4.49 instead of the $16.99 shelf price.  The Rolaids were $0.49 each after coupons.  After buying three, I got $3 instant rebate so I made $1.50 on the groceries.

Harris Teeter $2.89

I got free Maruchan Noodles, Texas Pete Hot Sauce, and Fruit Parfait.  I got the Prego sauce for the taste and tell and it didn't come off so I went back and returned it later and took the money off the total.  I got the Rice Krispie Treats for my son's Valentines at school.  They were $1 per box but some other coupon came off so I saved an additional $1.50 off the total.

Harris Teeter $14.75

I got three boxes or Super Pretzels and three bags of Super Pretzels for $0.09 each.  I got three bags of Tater Tots for $0.50 each.  The Perdue Chicken was $1.09 each.  The Pie Crust and Texas Pete Hot Sauce for free.  The Hidden Valley Bacon Ranch Dip for $0.14 each and then I turned each one in for $0.75 rebate on Ibotta.  The Ken's Dressing was $4.78 for all or $0.96 each.

Total Retail $1,066.72

Total Savings $850.42

Total Spent $216.30

less Total Rebates $32.85

Total  OOP $183.45

Although I went over budget, I hope that this shows you that you can get a lot for very little money.  It is possible to make lots of wonderful meals for your family by just shopping a little differently.  I only get the lowest priced items to stock up the fridge, freezer and pantry so that I can pull out things to make the meals on the calendar with the lowest priced items.  I was $23.45 over my grocery budget but I used my $8.66 left in my take out budget so I was only over $14.79 my total $200 budget.  Got a bonus Saving Star rebate and one of the Ibotta ones didn't go through!!  I actually lost a receipt in my bag that I didn't realize until I was putting together this post because it wasn't in my spreadsheet at all which was my $16.36 Aldi's receipt.  I thought I was really on target for making a great number until I found a picture with no receipt!!  If I did a little better cleaning out my bag, I might have figured it out... or not!!
 

Eating Out and Take Out

This month was a little crazy but we had my son's birthday party.  Our only take out was Pizza Hut for all the kids.  We had a gift card so we only spent $31.34.  Our budget was $40 so we still had $8.66 left in the budget which we spent on groceries.

All Out of Love Book Review

I went straight from the last one into this book which is the second in the series.  All Out of Love: A Cupid, Texas Novel by Lori Wilde was the next book in my stack so I was hoping that it was the next book that was in the series and I think that I was lucky because it was.

Millie Greenway and her friends have tried for years to keep the Cupid legend alive in their hometown, but she’s not getting much help from her granddaughters. Lace Bettingfield knows the legend is bogus. As a teen, she left a letter at the Cupid statue and got nothing in return but humiliation. But now the guy she dreamed of is back in town, Lace begins to wonder if the tale might just prove to be true.

Football star Pierce Hollister has fame, fortune, and beautiful women who'll do anything for him... whether he asks them to or not.  But when it all comes crashing down, Pierce finds himself back home, running the ranch in Cupid, Texas, wondering how it all went wrong.  But one thing is right: Lace Bettingfield. The former plain-jane has turned into a luscious knockout--- trouble is, she won't even give him the time of day no matter how many passes he makes.  Being in love with your older brother's best friend is awkward enough, and Pierce was the cause of Lace's most embarrassing high school moment ever when her secret letter to him declaring her love landed right on the front page of the school newspaper! Pierce is still as stubborn, sexy, and arrogant as ever... but Lace is about to see that things aren't always as they seem... especially when it comes to love.

This might be the worst description of any book on Amazon that I have ever seen except one that was actually wrong so I wrote the review from the back of the book second.  When Lace Bettingfield was 14 years old, she wrote a note that wasn't intended to go anywhere about her crush on Pierce Hollister, her older brother's best friend.  However, he broke up with a girl who found the letter and published it is in the school paper to embarrass Pierce.  It ruined Lace in the process.  Pierce left Cupid to play football for the Dallas Cowboys and had a life altering injury and his father's health was declining so he returned.  He is working on the ranch and doing rehab for his injury to try to return to football.  At the same time, he realizes now that four years isn't a huge age difference, Lace is someone that he could see himself with.  The realization is shocking but Lace turns him down.  The harder he has to fight, the more he knows she is the right person for him.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happens and how the doctors solve the mystery of his dad's sickness.  I thought it was a good book with a lot of different things going on.  I can't wait to check out the rest of the series.

Love At First Sight Book Review

I grabbed a book off the new release section and tried to get all the other books in the series so that I could read it from the beginning.  The first book in this series is Love at First Sight: A Cupid, Texas Novel by Lori Wilde.  I was excited to get started on this cowboy series.

Welcome to Cupid, Texas, where every wish for love comes true…In her sexy new series of romance novels, New York Times bestselling romance author Lori Wilde, introduces a town where the residents are more than likely to fall in love at first sight.

Passion has been notably lacking in the life of sensible Natalie McCleary. But when ex–Navy SEAL Dade Vega roars into Cupid on his motorcycle, and she stumbles on him stark naked and soaking wet, she suddenly understands what it means to be struck by love. Dade feels it too.  Will he stick around and give them both a happy ending or will this footloose loner move on and leave her heartbroken?  Love at First Sight, told with the humor and spice fans have come to expect from Lori Wilde’s delightful romances, including A Cowboy for Christmas and The Cowboy and the Princess.

I hadn't read a lot by this author or anything in the series but I wanted to start at the beginning of the series.  This was the first book and although it started off a little slow with lots of characters to introduce, it went quickly once you got to know everyone.  The main character in this story is Natalie McCleary who is still fighting her demons after loosing her parents in a plane crash when she was little.  Her whole life is built around her injury and taking care of others in her life.  She is living in the town called Cupid, Texas where people make wishes for true love and write letters to the cupid statue to try to get their questions about love answered.  Her family works on answering all of the letters.  Dade Vega comes into town to find his best friend and foster brother Red but is afraid that he can't trust anyone.  He ends up trusting Natalie with the truth because they have a spark that draws them together so he trusts his gut.  Pick up the book to find out what happens and I know that you won't be disappointed with this interesting and action packed story!!

Menu Plan Monday 2/3

Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Garlic Bread
Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes
Philly Cheese Steak Pasta
Chicken Tacos with white rice pouch
Leftovers/Homemade Pizza
Baked Potato Soup and Paninis
Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade fries and tater tots

Last week, we had a great week and it actually got most of the meal plan according to plan but we moved one meal forward because I thawed it and was ready earlier then I thought.  We had Pasta Monday, Chicken and Rice Casserole Tuesday, Pork Chops with mac and cheese Wednesday, Simple Fried Rice and Egg Rolls Thursday and Leftover Friday.  The weekend brought my son's choice for Pizza Hut for lunch which we got a free order of bread sticks with rewards points and free cinnasticks with a birthday promotion and one pizza with a gift card.  It was lots of food and we actually had three pieces of pizza leftover so we ended up having a slice for dinner instead of breakfast for dinner.

We are set up for our meals this week and I am excited because I got some shredded hash browns so I am super excited for making crock pot baked potato soup. We also have bacon so I am going to make it for the soup.  I haven't used the pizza crusts yet and I might make them on Friday in addition to leftovers so there is less grumping over leftovers (mostly from my son).  Looking forward to another week with all food already in our house.