Good Deal & Good Food

We eat out every Monday night with family/friends, and usually eat out with different friends on Friday nights. This past Monday night we got a great deal!

Mondays are family nights at Johnny Carino's so you can get the family-size portions for the single portion price, and you can also get unlimited soup or salad for 99 cents per person. There were 5 adults (and my almost one year old DS) who ate with us last night.

We ordered two family size portions--fettuccine alfredo and chicken gorgonzola pasta, 3 caesar salads, 1 house salad, 1 potato soup, and 4 drinks (plus 2 waters). Our total came to $35.70. We used a Restaurant.com gift certificate we had purchased back in November for $25 off a $35 or more meal (I got it for 80% off the purchase price which ended up being only $2!). With the GC, they automatically add in 18% gratuity, but still 5 people (really 6 because I think my DS ate as much as the adults!) were able to eat a sit-down, restaurant meal--which was delicious I might add--for less than $20 including tip and the price of the GC! There was even one leftover portion that someone got to take home for lunch the next day.

Since we typically pay separately for our meal or everybody adds in to pay the bill, we put in the GC and $5 that DH had in cash in his wallet, so the three of us were able to eat for only $7 total!

The $5 came from recent Craigslist sales and the $2 GC was purchased back in November, so this meal doesn't count against our monthly budget.

Total left for this month = $20.92

Free @ Old Navy!

When I shop at ON, Gap, or (rarely) at Banana Republic, I use my Gap credit card because I earn points on my purchases which earn me $10 and $20 reward certificates. I currently have a $10 AND a $20 reward certificate. So this past weekend, we stopped into ON to see if there were any good deals. Several things we on sale for $5!

Old Navy 1/23:
+ 1 pair thermal pants for DS
+ 1 thermal crew l/s shirt for DH
- $10 reward certificate
+ Tax
=$0.00 out of pocket, $10.00 saved, 100% savings
Avg. cost per item: $0.00
*Plus I got a survey printout on my receipt. If I call in, I can get 10% off my next purchase.

Total left for this month = $20.92

Harris Teeter

Here was a quick trip to HT for some things we "needed." No coupons used! :(

Harris Teeter 1/25:
+ 1 gal HT skim milk
+ 1 gal HT whole milk
+ 1 bunch Chiquita bananas
+ 1 box Krispie Kreme donuts
+ Tax
=$12.11 out of pocket, $0.00 saved, 0% savings
Avg. cost per item: $3.03

Total left for this month = $20.92

Best Buy

DH wanted to get a universal remote for all of our TV paraphernalia. So he bought a nice Sony one and used the last portion of a GC he got last Christmas to cover most of it.

Best Buy:
+ Sony universal remote
+ Tax
=$24.33 on Gift Card, $2.28 out of pocket, 86% saved

Total left for this month = $33.03

More Eating Out! Yikes!

+ $22.53 Outback Steakhouse 1/22
+ $11.56 Jersey Mike's Subs 1/23 (used $1 off coupon)

Total left for this month: $35.31

Shampoo Raid at CVS!

CVS has some pretty good deals on shampoo this week. The Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and Gillette are $4.99 each and you earn back $3 in ECBs. I had $1 coupons for each, except for the Pantene which I had a $1/2 and the Gillette I had a $2/1. Anyway it averaged out to $1 off for each item. The Pert Plus 2 in 1 and the Sure deodorant were on sale for $1.99 each and I had a $1 off coupon for each. So on average, each item "cost" me $1. I burned up $4 ECBs on this purchase and paid $2.48 on my GC, but we needed shampoo and I have ECBs to burn, so this was a pretty good deal for me! :)

CVS 1/26:
+ 1 Pert Plus 2 in 1 Shampoo plus Conditioner 13.5 fl oz
+ 1 Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions Shampoo 13 fl oz
+ 1 Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions Conditioner 13.5 fl oz
+ 1 Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 14.2 fl oz
+ 1 Gillette Daily Balance Shampoo 12.2 fl oz
+ 1 Sure Invisible Solid Deodorant 2.6 oz.
- Coupons ($6.00)
- ECBs ($16.00)
+ Tax
=$2.48 on GC, $0.00 out of pocket, $29.60 saved, 100% savings
Avg. cost per item: $0.00
*Plus I earned back $12 in ECBs and 4 CVS coupons.

More Craigslist Buys and Sells

Buys:
+ Little Tikes Endless Adventures Variety Climber and Swing Extension $100
+ 2 huge lots of 18m and 24m/2T clothes $120
+ 3 Disana tie nappies $15

Sells:
+ Dining Room Table + 6 chairs $500
+ 2 White Cabinets $150

Trades:
+ Zooper Zydeco stroller for Maclaren Techno stroller

Eating Out

We have been doing a ton of eating out lately and it is eating up our budget! :( I think one of our goals for February will have to be to eat out less!

+ $16.09 Baba Grill 1/19
+ $17.65 Sweet Tomatoes 1/21 -- used coupon and saved ~$2

Total left for this month: $69.40