New Year, New Floor

Evan and I moved into our house 6 years ago.  Since then, we've only made minor improvements to our "builder's basic" home.  We've changed out some window treatments, done some paint (still badly needs more), updated a few lighting fixtures, done slight landscaping and that's about it.  Our house had pretty basic options when it was built in the late 90s - and those basic options just haven't held up very well.  The carpet has become "crushed" in spots and stained/worn in all the high traffic areas. The linoleum in the kitchen, while not an offensive pattern or color, was worn, stained, knicked and showed every speck of dirt. I have hated that kitchen floor since the day we moved in. Mopping quickly became my most loathed household chore because after an hour of cleaning, the floor still looked dirty.

After some budgeting and cost calculations, I determined that now was the time to make some major improvements. So, we took the plunge; new tile floor here we come! As you will see in the pictures below, we have a small entry way from our front door that leads to our living room and then a small strip of carpet in front of our stairs that leads to the kitchen.  This small, but heavily traveled carpeted area, was almost black with dirt.  No matter how many times we got our carpet cleaned, this area was always the worst. So, we decided to tile the kitchen and extend that tile in front of the stairs to meet up with the front entry way.

Here is what the space looked like before:
Kitchen: 
 




 
Area in front of stairs/entry way:
 

We are lucky enough to have a friend, Crystal, who has a boyfriend, Dennis, that is a professional tiler (tile layer?). They came over and looked at the space and gave me a really reasonable quote. All sounded good to me, so I was off to go find some tile. I went to Lowe's and only found 1 tile that I kind of liked. I brought a sample home to lay on the floor and I really didn't like it that much.  That tile was $1.50/sq. ft.

I did some searching online for alternative tile stores and came across Floor & Decor in Arvada. Online, they had prices like .55/sq ft etc. so I thought I need to go check this out! I ran over there last weekend and, again, only really found 1 style that I liked.  I got a sample of that and then grabbed another sample just so I could see a few options.  Turns out, the one I liked was the same one most of my family liked and that made the decision pretty easy. The best part was that the price was $.89/sq ft! Oh, I should mention that this is ceramic tile that is 13x13.

Here is the tile I chose:
 
A little hard to tell from the picture, but it is a mostly gray tile with streaks of beige. Pretty neutral and it should go with the remaining carpet and the cabinets and counter top in the kitchen.

The area to be tiled measured about 203 square feet, so we needed about 225 sq ft to accommodate cutting, broken tiles and what not. With the help of my sister's big Yukon, we hauled the tile back to the house.  Good god those boxes were heavy!! And I had 15 boxes! Luckily my brother-in-law helped me load them into the house otherwise I'm pretty sure my arms would have fallen off.

On Friday, Dennis came over to start the tear out and prime the floor.  The plan was to tile over the existing linoleum to save the effort and labor cost of ripping it out and resurfacing the sub-floor. He started by ripping out the disgusting carpet. I was so happy to see that go!! Even the rough sub-floor underneath looked better than that gross piece of carpet.
 

Next, he ripped out the linoleum (plus stick-on vinyl tiles) in the entry way. Then, he went to rip out the tack strip in the area where the kitchen linoleum met with the former ugly carpet area and had a premonition. He noticed that the linoleum in the kitchen was only glued around the perimeter and not all the way through like it should have been. He pulled up a little strip and shook it and sure enough, the linoleum rippled all the way through the kitchen proving that it wasn't adhered all the way through. Therefore, the sub-floor underneath was smooth, unmarred and the perfect base to lay tile.  So away with the linoleum!
 
 After a few hours, he had the carpet ripped out, new plywood laid where the carpet was (to create one level surface), the linoleum ripped out and the floor primed so when he came back Saturday morning he could start laying out and setting the tile.
 
Ugh, see that big water spot in front of the dishwasher? Apparently some time before we bought the house there was a dishwasher explosion. :) The wood wasn't warped or rotted, just stained fortunately.
 

 

On Saturday, Dennis started laying out the tile and it was fun to see the floor start to take shape. 


 

Dennis got most of the work done on Saturday - much to the dismay of his aching back and knees.  That meant on Sunday all he had left to do was lay a few more pieces in our small pantry and then do the grout.  We also had a carpet guy come to tuck the carpet where the tile meets up with the living room.  It looks like it was always meant to be this way!
 

Finally, it was grout time.  Probably the most stressful part of the whole project for me was picking a grout color!  Ok, so not really, but I had never even thought of it before so I didn't know exactly how to choose the right one.  I went with a light/medium gray and it ended up looking fantastic. 

So, after about 18 hours of work, our new floor is done (well, I'm allowing extra time for the grout to set before I put all my stuff back in the kitchen).  The new tile is BEAUTIFUL!! I love it! We even ended up with extra tile which means there was hardly any waste.  Dennis did a fantastic job! He was thorough, meticulous, and just clearly knew what he was doing. Plus he gave us an awesome deal.  If you ever need tile work (kitchen, showers, counter tops, etc.) please let me know and I'll send him your way.  Simply amazing!  

And here is the finished product:

Evan Made Me Read Comic Books

Hello. Evan here. Linda’s life-partner/sensei. While she and I have several shared interests, the two of us each has a hobby the other one couldn’t care less about. She has football. I have comic books. 

She has the National Football League. I have the Justice League. She has end zones. I have Phantom Zones (yes, that’s a thing). Etc.

This year, in order to attract new and lapsed readers, DC Comics decided to reboot all of their titles and start again with fifty-two new #1 issues. The theory is that non-readers have a hard time getting into comic books because they are intimidated by the high numbered issues and 70+ years of sometimes convoluted continuity. It’s pretty daunting to just jump right in to a comic that’s on issue number 900. So why not start fresh?

Are the books “new reader friendly”? I dunno. I’m not a new reader. That’s why I’ve enlisted Linda, life partner/student, to read nine of the new issues and give her take on them. Though she’s read a few comics in her time (Y: the Last Man and various Family Circuses), she doesn’t have the tolerance built up for men in capes like I do. Thus, as their target audience, I thought Linda would be a good barometer of success.

And maybe one day when the NFL decides to throw out 90 years of rules and start fresh with new teams and costumes uniforms, I’ll consider returning the favor. 

On with the reviews:

Justice League #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

Cover: I like the cover because it’s colorful.  Wow, that’s insightful.  I should have said, “it’s nice.” J I’m pretty sure that Wonder Woman’s boobs would pop out of that outfit every time she moves.

 

Art: It was a bit busy.  I didn’t know what to look at and there was like an explosion in every frame. I had to look at things a few times before I could accurately pair up the dialogue with the art.  The sound effects were a little ridiculous.

 

Story: Ok, why does Green Lantern keep referring to himself in the third person? Linda is really annoyed by this.  And there seems to be some sexual tension early on between Batman and Green Lantern. “You’re about to see exactly what’s on my mind—.” “Quiet.” ::KISS::  Or at least that’s what I thought the next panel was going to be. But alas...

I suppose the story was ok.  It introduced characters, set up the story for more introductions of characters later and then left you hanging at the end so you would get the next book.  Oh and then there’s that weird robot-y villain guy and inserted a Rubik’s cube into a wall or something.  Ok. Overall, I don’t feel like enough happened to critique the story any further.  Oh, and I totally accidentally read a few of the ads and thought, “what the hell does a Converse shoe have to do with anything?”

Lingering Questions: When do they all become BFFs?

 

Rating: Uhh...what’s the scale? Let’s say, 3 stars a 7 and a cherry.

Action Comics #1

Written by GRANT MORRISON; Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT; Cover by RAGS MORALES

Cover: Ok, this cover is pretty good, but it raises a few questions.

1) Why are all the cars from the 80s?

2) Why does Superman own a Superman t-shirt?

3) Is it just me, or does his cape look super short?

4) Let me know if I’m super smart. On the cop cars chasing him, they have numbers on the roofs: 19 and 38.  Now is 1938 the year of the first Superman (Action Comics)? If I AM smart, Evan loves me a little more right now. 

Art: Red eye Superman is scary. Lex Luthor doesn’t look menacing enough. (oh wait, it’s the first issue, I shouldn’t know that he’s menacing, right?)  In some frames, Superman looks like a teenager and like he’s 30 in others.  Lois could be prettier.

 

Story: At the beginning, the whole “Find the real bad guys.” “Treat people right or expect a visit from me.” stuff seems a bit dated.  Like too sweet and square or something.  Didn’t sound right considering it takes place in the present or near future.

I would assume we have better things to do with our tanks than to shoot at 1 man. 

Oh Clark Kent.  I get that you think by putting on glasses that you won’t look like Superman, but I don’t understand channeling your inner Harry Potter. 

Lingering Questions: Umm...see above.

 

Rating: Let’s see, I will go with a thumbs up and a slow clap.

 

Batwoman #1

 Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN; Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III

Cover: The cover art is pretty cool, I like it.  However, I’m not sold on the color scheme.  The design is cool, but I feel like the colors wash it out or something.  I would have suggested a darker red or a dark blue in place of all that coral color. 

Art: I like that the art uses the entire spread, instead of just the one page like the others I’ve read. I thought it would be hard to follow at first, but it wasn’t.  It was kind of refreshing. But, uh...Batwoman is totally a drag queen. She’s waaaaay masculine.

Whoa! Side-boob!

Story: Oops, ok, for like 2 pages I thought I was reading CATwoman.  Der.

Huh, “Plebe?” What kind of name is that?

Skeletor is in this too? Cool.

These girls sure do undress a lot.

Propositioned by Batman? Yes please!

The story was a bit all over the place. We got the weird crying urban legend lady thing, the Batwoman and Plebe (still stupid) thing, this medusa stuff and yadda yadda yadda.  It lacked focus. 

Lingering Questions: Who is uncle/dad Jake? --- Oh... “Colonel Jacob Kane”? Is that Uncle Jake? And crap, that name sounds familiar but I don’t know from where. Dang, I lose all the points I gained with the Action Comics 1938 cover don’t I?

Rating: Let’s see 867-5309.

 

Green Lantern #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY; Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

Cover: Very green. Straight forward. And I like that.

Art: If Papa Smurf had a love child with an Oompa Loompa, you would have the Guardians.

Ew.  In one panel, Carol looks way too much like Megan Fox. Puke.

Story: I like that he’s broke.  Equal opportunity super-heroism is a movement I can get behind.

Finally!! A story I actually follow from start to finish.  Must have been all the normal, human stuff with Hal.  I got it, I could relate, it made sense.  And there were only 2 stories and they came together at the end. Brilliant! 

Lingering Questions: None!

Rating: A+B-C/A-B+D*A

Batman #1

Written by SCOTT SNYDER; Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION; Cover by GREG CAPULLO

Cover: Hmm...don’t really like it. It’s too dark and monochromatic. I do appreciate the Riddler’s question mark hair cut, though.

Art: Little too dark for my taste.  Damn, Joker is scary!

Uhhh...guy stabbed to the wall. Yeah, that’s gross. Pretty sure I see a knife stabbed in his junk. 

Story: I really like the “Gotham Is” start.  It immediately draws me in vs. using dialogue where I’m trying to figure out who is talking, who they are talking to, what do they mean by that etc.  This I can just read and understand.  And it’s a good way to introduce some villains. 

Working with the Joker? Whaaaaaat? Oh, ha.  One panel later...and Linda is a sucker.

Whoa whoa, who the heck is Damian Wayne? When did batman have a kid? I guess I shouldn’t ask since this is the first Batman comic I’ve ever read.  Ok, so I’ll just go with it.

Holy monologue, Batman! If those text bubbles got any bigger I’d be reading a regular book. 

Gotham of the Future = The same place with 4 extra skyscrapers.  Bravo, Bruce Wayne. Bravo.  

VICKI VALE!! Man how I’ve missed you! 

Ooohh, good cliffhanger at the end.  

I liked this story the most. It was by far the most engaging. 

Rating: 3 gold stars

 

Wonder Woman #1

Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO; Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG

Cover: Loooove the cover!!  There is something very old school and somewhat primal about it.  Like a cave drawing or something. It’s neat. My favorite.

Art: Oh yeah, as if that sheet would stay strategically placed over Wonder Woman’s boobs.  Riiiight.

There are a few panels where WW’s face is disproportionate to her head.  It’s really tiny in comparison to her huge hair.  

Story: Whoa whoa, back it up.  Some weird purple guy with glowing teeth and eyes got 3 hot chicks to come home with him? Oh and yeah, he threw them off a building.  Well what did you expect, he was purple with glowing teeth and eyes!

Oh shiznit! Cut off the horse’s head.  And something is crawling out of it. WTF?!

Ok, now there is a blue guy.  What planet and what time period is this?

Pregnant by Zeus? Huh, ok.  I am so confused.

Oh good, that guy didn’t throw those ladies off the building.  He just made them levitate...and see into the future...or something. Oy. Aaand then he burns them. Ok this just keeps getting weird.

Lingering Questions: Uh, yeah. Tons.  Like WTF is going on?! I understood NONE of that.  I liked the cover and then everything past that was a giant, confusing mess.

Rating: ctrl + z

Aquaman #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

Cover: Well, it’s weird. That’s kinda all I got.

Art: The scenes on land are nice.  Very colorful.  Man, just make something pretty and I like it.  I’m like a child.  The scenes in the ocean are too dark.  Broken record, anyone?

Mera is hot.

Story: Why is Aquaman showing up everywhere? It’s weird, like he’s trying too hard. Is he trying to get his own reality show or something? And the trident thingy is a bit of a burden to carry around. 

Meh. This one was boring and pretty simplistic.  Nothing happened that made me care about Aquaman or why on earth he kept appearing everywhere. I guess the thing at the end is interesting, but it happened way too late. I had stopped caring.

Oh, and I don’t trust blonde men. 

Lingering Questions: Is Mera related to Ariel? Because that’s a cross-over I could get behind!

Rating: Two poops on a stick.

All-Star Western #1

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI; Art and cover by MORITAT

Cover: Feel as though the title font doesn’t fit with the rest of the art.  It’s too bright white or something. (can’t see in the picture above). The art itself is pretty good, but it makes me feel cold so I don’t like that. :)

Art: I like the muted colors and all the old-fashioned details.  It’s like whenever I think back on the past, I just assume everything was in black and white, just because pictures and TV were that way.  Silly I know.  But it works.

 

Now this is going to sound mean, but have comic book illustrators ever seen real boobs? Because whenever they draw busty women in ridiculous get-ups, so much boob is hanging out without a nipple showing that I question their knowledge of female anatomy. And furthermore, don’t they know that if any woman wore those outfits, their boobs would come tumbling out the first time they inhaled? Yeah yeah, gratuitous cleavage for the predominantly male audience, but give me a break.  At least try to make it look plausible. 

Story: Gotham in the 1880s: cool! Although, it just goes to show that once a crap-hole, always a crap-hole.

I like using the psychoanalysis as a way of character introduction.  It was interesting to read what Arkham was concluding while seeing Jonah Hex in action.  I’m certain that most of what Arkham assumes is wrong and that you only get to see tiny bits and pieces of Hex as the book continues on and those assumptions change. Or perhaps they want you to think that he is wrong, but instead he’s dead on? Dunno, I know nothing of Jonah Hex. 

Mayor Cobblepot? Really?

Pretty good.  But I wanted slightly more resolution at the end.  Not so much as to jeopardize the cliffhanger, but something more.  

Rating: Hooray for a hole in the face.

 

Flash #1

Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Cover: I like the cover.  It looks flashy. Ha, get it? Even though his head is covered, I get the feeling there is blonde hair under there, so I immediately don’t trust him. 

Art: Yup, blonde hair! 

Dr. Elias has a butt ugly tie. 

I’m not sure the illustration succeeds in making Flash seem fast.  I get what they are trying to do, but my brain is not trained to interpret it as him moving super fast.  I have no idea how they would improve that though. 

Really like the flash-back (ha!) art. 

Story: Barry Allen was struck by lighting AND doused in chemicals? Good grief, that’s a bad day.

Flash has a ring too? I bet Green Lantern is so pissed about that. Also, I don’t trust guys that wear rings other than their wedding rings. I have trust issues, huh? 

Not a lot here to comment on and I was kinda confused, see below.

Lingering Questions: Hmm...I guess I’m confused about the whole Manuel thing. I don’t get the transition from old friend to weird ninja guy.  And then he comes back at the end, and then they are running and being chased.  Ok. Still don’t get it.

Rating: ====Meh=.  ß that’s a really fast “meh.”

Couponing: October, Week 1

I feel like my week #1's are always the most expensive week of the month. Not exactly sure why that is, but this week is no exception.  (And having already done my planning for next week, I fear that total might be just as steep.)  I did get some good deals this week, but nothing spectacular. I think this was because the vast majority of my coupons expired 9/30 and I didn't replenish until after my shopping trip on Sunday (6 inserts!). Anyway, here we go...


Meal Plan:

Monday: Steak with brussel sprouts
Tuesday: Smoked sausages/hot dogs with baked beans
Wednesday: Shrimp pasta with an alfredo-pesto sauce
Thursday: Pork chops and pierogies

Freezer:
Hmm...I think all I got for the freezer was an extra box of pierogies. :-/ I'm kicking myself for not getting an extra package of sausages to freeze - when you see the price, you'll know why.

The Deals:

Breakfast on the Go: Original Price = $3.99
On sale: -$1.49
Manuf. Coupon: -$1
Total Price: $1.50, Total Savings: $2.49

Cheerios: Original Price = $4.79
On Sale: -$2.30
E-Coupon: -$1.00
Total Price: $1.49, Total Savings: $3.30

Pop, three 12 packs: Original Price = $18, $5.99 ea
On sale: Buy 2, get 1 free
Total Price: $12, Total Savings: $6


Oral B Dental Floss: Original Price = $2.99
Manuf. Coupon: -$2
Total Price: $.99, Total Savings: $2

Smoked Sausages: Original Price = $5.49
On sale: 75% off!
E-coupon: -$1
Total Price: .37!! Total Savings: $5.12

Pierogies: Original Price = $7.98 for 2
On sale for 2 for $5
Total Savings: $2.98

Other than that there was a lot of produce, items for lunches and breakfasts and olive oil that of course went on sale this week, grr!

Total Cost Before Coupons: $115.76
Total Amount of Coupons: $6.00
Loyalty Card Savings: $27.93
Total Savings: $33.93

TOTAL COST: $81.83
TOTAL SAVINGS: 30%

Couponing: September Round-Up

Here we are, at the end of September already! Good grief! Well, this week was my last shopping trip for September and it is freezer week again.  I usually shop at Safeway, but earlier this month I got an amazing coupon book from Target that I couldn't ignore.  The book included about 20 coupons that were all general in nature - $1 off a meat product, $1 off a fruit purchase, $1 off a frozen item, etc. These are so rare because typically coupons are brand specific.  Since these were so general, I was able to match them with manufacturer coupons or buy the cheaper generic brands and save even more.

Meal Plan
Monday: Baked chicken with onion, garlic and tomatoes, served with mashed potatoes (this is the 1 fresh meal this week, however, I got enough to make a 2nd meal for the freezer)
Tuesday: Lasagna (frozen) with salad (fresh)
Wednesday: Chicken schnitzels (frozen) with frozen veggies
Thursday: Meatball sandwiches (meat: frozen, bread: fresh) with cole slaw (fresh)

Deals

Since Target doesn't have a loyalty card and they don't layout their receipts the same way Safeway does, I'm going to be more general with my savings descriptions.

Bagged Salad: $1 off, total cost = $1.50
Grape Tomatoes: $1 off, total cost = $1.99
Chicken Leg Quarters, about 6 pieces: $2 off, total cost = $2.99
Pasta: $.50 off, total cost = $.57
Barilla Pasta sauce: $1.00 off manuf. coupon, total cost =$1.44
Hoagies from the bakery: $1 off, total cost = $1.69
Cheerios: $1 off, total cost  =$2.04 for the big box
Bananas: $1 off, total cost = $.57
DiGiorno Pizza: $1 off frozen item, $1 off manuf. coupon, total cost =$3.29

Then there was a bunch more produce, a few lean cuisines for lunches, pop, and a few other small things.

Total Cost Before Coupons: $74.12
Total amount of coupons: $16.90

Total Cost: $57.22

Total Savings: 23%

September Totals:

Week 1: $89.93
Week 2: $44.99
Week 3: $63.19
Week 4: $57.22
Incidentals: $14.51 (I had to make some cupcakes for a bake-sale, so this was an extra shopping trip)

GRAND TOTAL FOR SEPTEMBER: $269.84

TOTAL AMOUNT OF SAVINGS: $149.32

TOTAL SAVINGS PERCENTAGE: 35.6% with coupons

Hooray! October here I come!

Couponing: September, Week 3

This weeks theme was buy more and pay less.  A lot of the deals this week were based on buying 2 of a particular item to get maximum savings.

Meal Plan:
Monday: Dinner with a friend, so going out to eat
Tuesday: Salmon with artichokes
Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad and bread
Thursday: A twist on margarita pizza: Tomato, pesto and goat cheese, with salad

Freezer Meal:  Instead of a meal or a meat this week, I decided to stock up on some frozen veggies because what good is all that meat if there is no side dish? :) And there was a good deal on frozen vegetables this week.

The Deals:

Pop Secret Popcorn, 2 boxes: Original Price = $5.98 for 2
On Sale: -.98
E-coupon: -$2.02
Manuf. coupon: -.50
Doubled: -.50
Total Cost: $1.98 for two or .99 ea , Total Savings: $4

Prego Pasta Sauce, 2 jars: Original Price = $4.58 for 2
On Sale: -.80
E-coupon: -$1.20
Manuf. Coupon: -.50
Doubled: -.50
Total Cost: $1.58 for two or .79 ea, Total Savings: $3

Open Nature Cereal: Original Price = $3.49
On Sale: -.70
Catalina coupon: -$1.50
Total Cost: $1.29, Total Savings: $2.20

Lean Cuisines: Original Price = $3.19 ea (we bought 3, but only had a coupon for 2)
E-coupon: -$1.24
Total Price: $1.95 ea or $3.90 for two, Total Savings: $1.24 or $2.48 for two

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables with Sauce: Original Price = $6.58 for 2
On Sale for BOGO
Manuf. Coupon: -.50
Doubled: -.50
Total Cost: $2.29 for 2 or $1.14 ea, Total Savings: $4.29

Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner: Original Price = $7.98 for 2, $3.99 ea
On Sale for BOGO
E-coupon: -$2.00
Manuf. Coupon (clipped out of the Food Network Mag.): -$2.00
Total Cost: FREE!!!! TWO bottles for FREE!, Total Savings: $8

Raspberries: Original Price = $9.98 for 2
On Sale for BOGO
Total Cost: $4.99, Total Savings: $4.99

Total Cost Before Coupons: $100.40
Total Amount of Coupons: $14.95
Loyalty Card Savings: $22.26
Total Savings: $37.21

Total Cost: $63.19
Total Savings: 38%

Couponing: September, Week 2

Ok here it is!

Meal Plan:
Monday: Breakfast for dinner - sausage, eggs and cinnamon rolls
Tuesday: Met Evan and his sister downtown to see a show, so we ate at a restaurant called Lou's Food Bar
Wednesday: Gouda and apple melts with fresh broccoli on the side
Thursday: Baked chicken with potato wedges and steamed mixed veggies

So, only 3 meals this week with no freezer meal.

The Deals:

Kellogs Cereal, 2 Boxes: Original Price = $7.98 for 2
On sale: -$1.40
Manuf. coupon: $1 off of 2
Total Cost: $5.58 for 2, Total Savings: $2.40

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, 2 tubes: Original Price = $4.98 for 2
E-coupon: -$1
Manuf. coupon: -.50
Doubled: -.50
Total Cost: $2.98 (or $1.49 ea), Total Savings: $2

ACT Mouthwash: Original Price = $4.99
On sale: -$1
Manuf. coupon: -$1
Total cost: $2.99, Total Savings: $2

Garnier Fructis Conditioner: Original Price = $3.49
On sale: -.50
E-coupon: -$2
Manuf. coupon: -$1
Total Cost: FREE!! Total savings: $3.49

Oscar Meyer Carving Board Ham: Original Price = $4.99
On sale: -$1.99
Manuf. coupon: -$1
Total Cost: $2, Total Savings: $2.99

Jimmy Dean Sausage: Original Price = $5.49
On sale: -$2.50
Manuf. coupon: -$1
Total cost: $1.99, Total Savings: $3.50

Total Cost Before Coupons: $69.39

Total amount of coupons: $10.52
Loyalty Card Savings: $13.88
Total Savings: $24.40

Total Cost: $44.99

Total Savings: 36%

Couponing: September, Week 1

Alrighty, here we go again....Ground beef was on sale at Safeway for buy one get one free extreme value packs.  So I got 8 lbs of ground beef, more details on that deal below. This will yield me 2 meals this week, 2 freezer meals and then some extra left over to freeze.

Meal Plan
Monday: Sloppy joes with cucumber salad (cucumbers provided by my brother's garden!)
Tuesday: Cod with balsalmic vinegar reduction sauce with asparagus
Wednesday: Meatloaf with corn on the cob and potatoes
Thursday: Sausage of some sort with potatoes and cabbage

Freezer Meals
Chili - at least 2 large containers to freeze
Extra ground beef to freeze, at least 1 lb.
Second rope of Hilshire Farm Sausage

Now on to the deals...cue the music:

Soda: (yeah yeah, I know, we should cut back. shut up.) Five 12 packs. Original Price = $30
It was on sale for Buy 2 Get 3 free, so that's why we got 5. :)
Total Cost: $12, Total Savings = $18

Cheerios: Original Price = $3.79
On Sale: $2.50
E-coupon: -.50
Total Cost: $2.00, Total Savings: $1.79

Reynolds Wrap Foil, 75 ft.: Original Price = $5.19
On Sale: $3.49
E-coupon: -.50
Manuf. coupon: -.55
Doubled: -.45
Total Cost: $1.99, Total Savings: $3.20

Lean Cuisines: Original Price = $2.49 ea or 6 for $14.94
On sale for $1.99 ea if you bought 5
We purchased 6 because I had a coupon for -$1.25 off of 6
Total Cost: $10.69 or $1.78 ea. Total Savings: $4.25


Land O'Lakes Spreadable Butter, 8oz.: Original Price = $2.79
E-coupon: -$1.30
Manuf. coupon: -.35
Doubled: -.35
Total Cost: .79, Total Savings: $2.00

Colgate Toothpaste: Original Price = $2.99
On sale: .99
Manuf. coupon: -.50
Doubled: -.49
Total Cost: FREE!, Savings of $2.99

Hilshire Farm Rope Sausages: Original Price = 2 at 4.99 ea, or $9.98
On sale for BOGO
Manuf. Coupon: -.75
Doubled: -.25
Total Cost: $3.99 for 2, Total Savings: $5.99


93% Lean Ground Beef, roughly 8lbs: Original Price = $44.74
On sale for BOGO
Total Cost: $22.51, Savings of $22.23

Produce: Apples, lemon, onion, asparagus, corn, dill, mushrooms, dried cranberries
Original Price = $12.88
Catalina coupon = $3 off a $10 produce purchase
Total Cost: $9.88

Then I got a whole bunch of canned vegetables for the chili, milk, and kleenex and that's pretty much it.

Total Cost Before Coupons: $160.74
Total amount of coupons: $7.24
Loyalty Card Savings: $63.57
Total Savings: $70.81

Total Cost: $89.93

Total Savings: 45%

So yes, this week was a bit more expensive than what I would like.  However, with taking advantage of my store's BOGO sales, I was able to get a ton of stuff for the freezer.  So this week's $90 will make 4 meals this week and 4 meals for the freezer - so essentially 2 weeks worth of meals in one.  I can live with that. :)