Friday, July 23, 2010

Weekly Menu - 7/14〜7/19




TUESDAY



Lunch: Teriyaki Chicken & Grilled Zucchini Sandwich

Dinner:Spanish Omelette



WEDNESDAY

Lunch: Fried Rice with Celery, Salami, Eggs
Dinner: $5 Pizza


THURSDAY


Lunch: Udon Noodle with Sea weed & Pickled plums




Dinner :Lazania & Tomatoes with Balsamic vinegar


FRIDAY


Lunch:


Rick - Lazania & Boiled Sweet Corns
Me - Lazania & Tomatoes with balsamic vinegar

Dinner: Left-over Pizza

SATURDAY

Lunch:



Rick - Peperoncino spaghetti with Tuna & Cabbage / Avocado & Tomato Salad


Me - Fried rice with celery & eggs / Salad with Avocado, Tomato & Roasted beef


Dinner: Family Party




SUNDAY

Lunch: None
Dinner:Green Pepper Steak, Steamed Rice, Tomato Salad




MONDAY


Lunch:


Rick - Green Pepper Steak, Mini Cheese Hamburgs, Potato Salad, Rice


Me - Pasta with Shrimp, Avocado, Tomato & Basil



Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken, Hot Chili Shrimp, Korean style seaweed & chicken soup




My weekly grocery breakdown: July 21 ~



This week was a bit of a challenge.
I spent way over the budget...
But I also found some good deals as well, so I'm happy :)





Eggs (M size, a dozen) ------- $1.09
Cheese x 2 -------------------- $3.00
Milk (half gallon) --------------- $0.75
Avocado @0.69 x 2 ---------- $1.38
Big Tomato x 1 --------------- $0.76
Roma Tomatoe x 2 ---------- $0.41
Carrot x 1 --------------------- $0.27
Asparagus x 1 ---------------- $3.66
Cucumber @9.69 each x 3 -- $2.92
Ginger Root x 1  -------------- $0.18
Broccoli Bunch x 1 ------------ $1.50
Lettuce Head x 1 ------------- $1.19
Pork Chops -------------------- $3.04
Soy Sauce ---------------------- $2.44
TAX -------------------------- $0.77
______________________________
------------------------ TOTAL $23.36






Kroger cheese bags were $3 for 2, which was a pretty good deal.
I also found a half gallon milk on sale.







Stock in the fridge/freezer (up to date)
Onions x 2
Cabbage x 1/4
Potatoes x 3lb
Celeries x 2/3 bag
Garlic




Beef (14oz)
Ground beef (14oz)
Chicken Breasts
Chicken Thighs
Frozen hams x 2 bags
Salami
Sliced Roasted Beef
Shrimp (10oz)
Trouts small x 4
BBQ Pork Ribs & Chicken Drumsticks

English Muffins x 2/3 bag
Hamburger Buns x 1/2 bag
Bread with nuts x 1/3 bag

Others: Frozen food for Rick's lunch box, etc


Canned tuna x 4
Canned whole Tomato (Big) x 1
Canned tomato Sauce (small) x 3
Canned Fruits x 2
Thin Spaghetti (Big Box) x 1
Penne Pasta x (Small box) x 1




Frozen Udon Noodles x 2
Dried Udon Noodles
Dried Soba Noodles
Rice



Thai dinner


I was in a mood for Thai dish tonight, so here's what I made.

• Thai grilled chicken with spicy fish sauce
• Thai fried rice with veges
• Fresh tomatoes marinated in balsamic vineger


Yummm.....

It is a perfect dish for a hot summer night like this! :)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Coupon Policy – CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway


お店それぞれのクーポンに関するポリシーを集めた記事を見つけたのでコピペ。
CVS / Longs
- 1 CVS coupon & 1 manufacturer coupon per item
- Free coupons or “offers at the register” (OAR’s)  do not earn Extra Care Bucks
- You can use more than one Extra Buck coupon provided the purchase threshold has been met for each offer amount on a per-transaction basis. This means if you have one $5.oo off $25 purchase and one $2 off $10 purchase, you must spend a total of $35.
- With BOGO sales (buy one, get one free), you are allowed to use 1 manufacterer’s BOGO coupon. This would make both items free, but you would still be required by pay applicable tax.
- CVS does not accept coupons that come from unauthorized website. Coupons should have a barcode on them, like the coupons that come from coupons.com
- CVS does not match competitors prices
- CVS will not accept expired coupons (there are some reports that some stores will accept expired Extra Care Bucks)
- CVS will not double or triple coupons
Rite-Aid
  • Rite-Aid accpts  manufacturer’s coupons found in Rite Aid circulars and in the newspaper, Rite Aid store coupons, also known as “valuable coupons,” that also are found in Rite Aid circulars and Internet coupons (as long as they have a barcode and will scan)
  • 1 Internet coupon can be used per item with a maximum of $5.00 off
  • You can use 1 Internet coupon and 1 manufacturer’s or Rite Aid circular coupon per item
  • For a BOGO sale, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net
    price does not go below zero for the item being purchased. You will still have to pay applicable sales tax.
  • Coupons are to have a valid expiration date, those that are expired or ineligible will be returned to the customer
Walgreens
* Walgreens seems to be known for having an inconsistent coupon policy, so heed with caution.
  • You can use 1 manufacturer’s coupon 1 Walgreens coupon, per item
  • You can use an in-ad coupon or Easy Saver coupon with a regular manufacturer’s coupon
  • Some stores will not accept BOGO coupons with a BOGO sale, some will
  • You will not receive cash back for coupon overages, where the coupon is greater than the amount of the product. Some Walgreens will lower the price of the item so you can use the coupon, others will not accept the coupon period.
Target
  • Target accepts two kinds of coupons: Target-issued and manufacturer-issued
  • You can use 1 Target coupon and 1 manufacturer coupon for the same item, unless specifically prohibited in either coupon
  • You won’t receive cash back if the value of the coupon is greater than the price – it will simply be free.  
  • Target does not accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart accepts the following types of coupons (see guidelines below):
  • Manufacturer coupons (Cents Off)
  • Free merchandise (or manufacturer’s Buy-One-Get-One-Free) coupons
  • Store coupons
  • Pharmacy (Advertising and Promotional) coupons
  • Internet coupons
  • Soft drink container caps
The following are guidelines and limits:
  • Wal-Mart only accepts coupons for merchandise we sell and only when presented at the time of purchase.
  • Coupons should have an expiration date and be presented within the valid dates. Wal-Mart will not accept expired coupons.
  • Internet coupons should be legible and say “Manufacturer Coupon.” There should be a valid remit address for the manufacturer and a scannable bar code.
  • Only one coupon per item is permitted.
  • Use of 40 or more coupons per transaction will require approval by Customer Service Manager.
Safeway / Vons / Pack ‘n Save / Tom Thumb
  • Safeway accepts manufacturer’s coupons, in-ad coupons, and Internet coupons as long as they scan 
  • You can also use CellfireShortcuts, and Proctor and Gamble e-coupons at Safeway. These can be used in combination with manufacturer’s coupons
  • Safeway accepts Internet coupons if they scan properly at the register. Printable Coupons are delivered using special software, designed to print a properly rendered barcode and limit the number printed.
  • Safeway will not accept a printable coupons for “FREE product” (i.e., no purchase required). Buy-one-get-one-free coupons and other varieties that have a purchase requirement are acceptable.
  • Safeway will not accept an Internet coupon for more than 50% of a product’s value or more than $5.00. For example, a $2 off coupon will be acceptable for a product that sells for $5 or more, but a $2 off Printable Coupon for a product that sells for $2.25 will not be accepted.
Couponing Glossary:
BOGO – Buy one, get one free
ECB – Extra Care Bucks (this is a rewards program offered by CVS)
eCoupon – automatically loaded to your store rewards card. CellfireShortcuts, and Proctor and Gamble all offer eCoupons.
Printable coupon – coupon that  you print from your computer
Internet coupon – used interchangably with printable coupon. Most stores only take coupons that will scan, such as Internet coupons from coupons.com
Overage: some stores allow you to get cash back if your coupon exceeds the price of the product. This amount is called an overage.
Manufacturer’s coupon – these are usually found in the Sunday paper, but sometimes stores include them in their weekly circular as well. 

$1.50 OFF Coupon on 2 Ziploc Product


Ziploc製品をどれでも2個買うと、$1.50オフに!

Eクーポンを受け付けているところならどこでも使えます。

さらにそのお店の出しているクーポンと併せて使うことも可能!


※ プリントアウトには専用ソフトウェア(無料)のダウンロードが必要な場合があります。


Save $1.50 on any 2 Ziploc brand products!
This coupon is valid at any store that accepts e-coupons.
You can also use their coupon (if there's any) along with this one.

You may need to download a printer software in order to print it out.
For details, please check the web page below.

Monday, July 19, 2010

My weekly grocery breakdown: July 14 ~


We do our grocery shopping mainly at Smith's and Walmart.

Our monthly budget for groceries is $70, and $17~8 for each week.

Eggs (L size, a dozen) -------- $1.19
Milk ----------------------------- $1.49
Chicken Thighs 3.5lb ---------- $3.47
Fresh Jalapeno x 1 ------------ $0.05
Green Bell Pepper x 1 -------- $0.59
Corn x 3 ------------------------ $0.99
Roman Tomatoes x 4 --------- $0.89
Soda 12 pack ----------------- $4.38 
Orange Juice  ------------------ $2.92
TAX ----------------------------- $0.48
————————————————————
------------------------ TOTAL $16.45


I could keep my budget this week again! :D

This time, I had a good deal on the chicken thighs! I got twice as much for the usual price. We eat chicken thigh almost everyday, so even if I didn't plan to buy them, I did anyway!
I bought these corns last week and they were very sweet (and very cheap!), so I bought them again.
I don't normally buy green peppers, but since we had beef in our freezer, I thought I'd make some chinese with them.

Sodas.... oh sodas... Mountain Dew Whiteout is our current favorite, and we cannot get our hands off of it. It's even more expensive than other sodas, but it's our little luxury :)


Current Stock in the fridge/freezer

Beef (10oz)
Ground beef (14oz)
Chicken Breasts (14oz)
Frozen hams x 2 bags
Salami
Sliced Roasted Beef 

Onions x 3
Avocado x 1
Lettuce x 1
Cabbage x 1/2
Carrot x 1
Potatoes x 3.5lb
Celeries x 1 bag
Green Onions x 1/2 bundle

English Muffins x 2/3 bag
Hamburger Buns x 1/2 bag
Bread with nuts x 1/3 bag

Frozen Udon Noodles x 3

Others: Frozen food for Rick's lunch box, etc

今週の食料買出しの内訳 7/14〜



今週の食料買出しの収穫♪

買い物は主にSmith's。

ソーダとジュースはウォルマートで♪






卵 Lサイズ 12コ --------- $1.19
牛乳 ------------------- $1.49
鶏モモ肉 約1.6kg -------- $3.47
生ハラペーニョ 1コ ------ $0.05
グリーンペッパー 1コ ----- $0.59
トウモロコシ 3本 -------- $0.99
ローマトマト 4コ -------- $0.89
ソーダ 12缶パック ------- $4.38 
オレンジジュース -------- $2.92
消費税 ----------------- $0.48
—————————————————
----------------- 合計 $16.45





今週も無事、予算内に収まりました。


我が家では食費は月約70ドル、週に一回の買い出しの予算は約17〜8ドルです。


今回は鶏肉がお買い得でした! いつもの値段で倍量をゲット!
うちは肉類は鶏もも肉が主役なので、欠かせません。


コーンは前回すごく甘くて美味しかったし、安いのでリピ。
牛肉があるので久々にチンジャオロースにでも、と思い、珍しくピーマンも買いました。
う~ん、ソーダは2人とも大好きなマウンテンデューのWhiteoutなので高くても文句は言えないとして・・・
オレンジジュースが高~い!美味しいものだとさらに高い・・・涙
これでも安いほうでしたが。




現在の冷蔵/冷凍庫の中身

牛肉 約 300g
牛挽肉 約 400g
鶏胸肉 約 400g
冷凍ハム 2袋
サラミ
ローストビーフ
タマネギ 3個 
アボカド 1個
レタス 1束
キャベツ 1/2個
にんじん 1本
じゃがいも 約1kg
セロリ 大1袋
青ネギ 1/2束
イングリッシュマフィン 2/3袋
ハンバーグ用バン 1/2袋
ナッツ入りパン 1/3袋
 


その他、お弁当用の手作り冷凍おそうざい