Friday, November 30, 2012

Recent Genealogical Hijinx


I haven't talked about my Genealogy obsession lately, so let's do that today.

I've spent the last few months assisting a fellow searcher, pardon the pun, dig up some information on his ancestors.

I signed up to be a photo volunteer on Find A Grave earlier this year.
If you sign up to take photos of gravestones near you, every time someone goes on FAG and asks for a photo to be taken and it's in your area, you get an email with that request.  You don't "have" to fullfill it but they send the request to you so you know another one has been made.

Back in July I received notification that a photo was requested for a headstone in a town nearby.
This was a cemetery I wanted to go poke around in but with it being the peak of Summer and the worse possible time for me to be galumphing through graveyards in the heat and humidity I just couldn't do it then.  Heck, visiting my own ancestor in OH in June in 90 degree heat about did me in! lol

The photo volunteers are not very active around these parts so I went ahead and emailed the gentleman and told him I'd give his photo a go but it would have to wait until the Fall but I wouldn't officially "take" the request so that if someone else wanted to give it a shot before I got around to do it, they could.

After we communicated and he was happy to wait on me, I went poking around his family tree.  He had a genealogy website for his many branches that I perused and then I went onto Ancestry to do some digging too.  The photo request was for a headstone for a young child.

This gentleman lives in England, as does the bulk of his family and ancestors.  Seems 2 of his great great grandfather's brothers decided to hop a steamer for the USA in 1880.  They settled near the area were I live today.  The records on their whereabouts/activities gets sketchy from that point.

Here is one of the few photos of the older brother I found from his passport on Ancestry.  This was taken years after he emigrated here and was found in a passport from when he went back to England to visit family around 1923.....


Plus this researcher in the UK didn't pay the extra $$ on Ancestry for access to the US records(the foreign records for him).  So I went about researching this side of his family.  I did lots of his grunt work for free since it provided me a learning experience and helped made me a better researcher, so we both gained something from the attempt.
I also was searching only from free records(aside from & outside of my ancestry subscription) and wasn't paying for any access or official documents, which made finding information that much harder.

One of the brothers who emigrated to the US married in this area and there is record that the wife gave birth to 12 children.   8 of them are known, but only 6 made it past childhood. I helped fill in with those 6 where they went/what they did/whom some married and he was able to find from there some living descendants of one of these siblings.....they only sibling who's line seems to have survived from either of the emigrating brothers.

Here's a photo of the younger brother with his wife and the 4 oldest children who survived infancy.  My friend obtained this photo from the surviving line of relations.....


2 big breakthroughs I made for him where finding the death record and the will of this brother who emigrated and I found out the identity of the woman he married and the family she was a part of.  He wanted to find the marriage certificate(which we still can't locate)as that's the 100% sure way to id the wife's last name/family.

But I found on the record of one of their children's baptismal church entry record of a sponsor with a different name, then I found that family, their migration/ship records/census records/where buried/etc. and all the evidence leads us to this sponsor being the wife's younger brother. 
And to go further, the wife's family emigrated from the same region of the UK as the 2 brother's my friend was researching.  This means he can connect with a whole other large family there in the UK.
As a bonus I found evidence that in the wife's family, most of her siblings left the US after a short time and set sail again for Australia, where quite a large contingency of this clan have flourished there as well.
My friend has gained a large number of new family from these discoveries!

When I was finally able to walk the cemetery for him to find this headstone, I turned up nothing.  Someone put all the burial records for this cemetery online, however 2 things made this a fruitless task....1-this cemetery is MASSIVE!  It's acres upon acres large and it's not laid out in any organized, methodical way.  It seems to be one of those that they just filled it up and added a new piece of land as they ran out of room.
This town back between 1850 and 1920 was a Boom Town for the coal mining industry.  It grew so fast and was a major city for it's time.  Once coal mining declined there the city fell into ruin and now it's a sleepy little rundown place with nothing but empty store fronts and crumbling buildings and a lot of people who for whatever reason can't/won't leave.  Needless to say there are few jobs and rampant poverty and despair there.  The city has lost about 60% of the population from what it was at it's high point.  Every census the population shrinks another 10% as the old people die off.

The cemetery is not well cared for either now.
Hubs and I were in there for 3 hours and we didn't even begin to cover it all.
AND 2-we can't find anyone in charge who has any kind of plan of "whom is buried where".  With a cemetery that large, it's a wild goose chase unless you can at least narrow down where someone is suppose to be planted.  Since this person we are looking for was an infant, and the family was young and didn't have much money, we think the grave may not be marked or have a headstone, in which case looking for one is pointless. If we could find a burial map, at least we could have the information of where her grave is located.

We'll continue to try to locate someone with the burial plans for the cemetery in question.  My friend was able to find out where the younger of the two brother ancestors is buried(the same cemetery as a sister of his wife I found out), so I told him I'd put a Memorial up for the brother on Find A Grave and put out a photo request, just in case there is a headstone for him. I'll request too, that they look around for any other headstones with the brother's surname, as well as his wife's maiden name to possibly find any more of her siblings or parents, if buried there.

I also connected with my 3rd cousin once removed on my mother's side of the family a couple of months ago.  I went trolling through some message boards and found a question from him on his grandmother's maiden name, which was my mother's maiden name.  I noticed too that he has a different last name and I was trying to track down an ancestor with that last name who married one of the sisters of my great grandfather.  It runs out we share a pair of ancestors born in in 1795 & 1805.  I also found we share ancestors as well through another family line, through his grandfather's surname, so we are related by birth and by marriage.
My cousin is retired and a generation closer to our ancestors and I've been able to connect him to the rest of the family lines, besides his direct descendant from our joint ancestral pair and he's been able to fill in some gaps/dates/names/details for me in his direct line.  Unlike most of the other researchers I've come across in this year who I share family with, he seems to want to be related to me.lol  Ok, that didn't sound quite right.....he wants to continue to have a connection with me, both as "kin" and as a fellow ancestor hunter.  8-)

You wouldn't believe some of the people I've run across this past year while doing genealogy!  Ok, if you've done genealogy you WOULD believe it....lol  There are plenty of researchers who won't share the information they have.  It's a hostile world really.....they guard their records and data and hoard their dead people.  It's madness I tell you, madness!  And if you DARE want to be friendly with someone who is related to you, well, that just isn't done.
Ass holes.....



Another brick wall that got knocked down for me was finding out the maiden name of my grandfather's brother's wife.
I remember this Great Uncle fondly, you may have seen I posted his photo for Veteran's Day in this post HERE.
I've just begun to research him and I had a post planned about him but that's for another time.

I remembered that his wife was named Edith but since I didn't have the maiden name or any marriage documentation yet I was laying awake at night trying to wrack my brain to recall it since I am sure at some point as a child I heard it.
But that just gave me a headache and made me lose sleep.
My Great Uncle had died young in the 1970's and I lost track of his wife.  I figured she remarried and might still be alive so I thought searching for her was pretty hopeless at this point with what resources I had available to me.


I had requested the transfer of the Find A Grave memorial someone made for this Great Uncle many months ago and they had never responded to my request.
About the time I posted about him for Veteran's Day, I got a notice that his Memorial on F.A.G. had been transferred finally!  When I went to look at it and put his photo on there, I found that someone else had taken a photo of his headstone and lo and behold!......Edith was there on the stone sharing his resting place and her maiden name was included!
Now I have that information and a new branch of the family tree to meander around.
And the funny thing I see now that I've poked around a bit in her family......Edith's mother is from the same family that my 3rd cousin once removed.....the one his grandmother married into.
Weird how this whole "who is related to whom" thing works, huh?

Sluggy








Thursday, November 29, 2012

Using Up Leftovers Makes Me Happy.....Really Happy!


Around Chez Sluggy we are all about using up leftovers and not having food waste.
We take this mission seriously.....really, we do!

Like the other day.......
I was attempting to clean out the little freezer over the fridge.
And I found some old sherbet in there.....





This was a holdover from early Summer, might have been Spring actually if I think about it.

So what do you do with a big clump of Pina Colada Sherbet that has freezer burn and it's November and you just don't need to cool off from the heat anymore?


Well if you are me, you add this.....






Then you add some pineapple juice and some ice cubes in a blender too until it looks like this....


Somehow drinking this frozen pina colada in November somehow doesn't seem as wrong as eating sherbet in November.

Now I can truly say that Avoiding food waste makes me happy!

Sluggy

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Rolling +Up Rewards at Rite-Aid

I actually showered and prettified myself today and went out into public.
The special occasion?
I have a lot of +Up Rewards to roll before Dec. 7th and I need to get on this!

I did this on my card.....


1 x St. Joseph's Aspirin on sale=$4.99
1 x Dry Idea Deodorant on sale=$2.99
2 x Samy Hair Color on sale(Wellness discount made it less-$8.23)=$16.46
2 x Cover Girl Mascara BOGO50% sale=$13.50
1 x Cover Girl Nail Polish BOGO50% sale=$5.99 (this one was reg. price)
1 x Cover Girl Eye Shadow BOGO50% sale=$1.69(this one is 50% off)
4 x Cover Girl Eye Shadow BOGO50% sale=$10.16
SubTotal.....$55.78

Coupons Used
1 x FREE Dry Idea(from a giveaway)=$2.99
2 x $5/1 Samy IPQ=$10.00
1 x $2/1 Samy Peelie on 1 of the hair color boxes=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Cover Girl ManuQ(from inside tampons I bought-used on mascaras)=$4.00
1 x FREE Eye Shadow WYB Mascara ManuQ(Oct. P&G insert)=$1.69 It attached to a half off shadow.
1 x FREE Nail Polish WYB Mascara ManuQ(Dec. P&G insert)=$5.49 Only up to $5.49
1 x $3/2 Cover Girl items (from Parade Magazine awhile back)=$3.00
2 x $1/1 Cover Girl items(from inside tampons I bought-used on shadows)=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$31.17

$55.78-$31.17=$24.61
I used $24 in +Ups and put the .61¢ on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received $30 in +Up Rewards back($15 WYB $30 of Cover Girl, 2 x $5 Samy, $4 St. Joseph, $1 Dry Idea)

I am also working on fulfilling a P&G products rebate-Spend $50 on select items(girlie stuff)and get $15 gift card back.  Go HERE to see and print it.
Add the $31.34 I "spent" on Cover Girl in this transaction with the $12 in Pantene/Herbal Essences Shampoos from earlier in the month and I'm at  $43.34.  Puffs also qualifies so I'll pick up 7 boxes of that for $1/box at the grocery store later this week and I'm done with that.

I got a card in the mail from Rite-Aid that if I spend $105 between now and Christmas, I'll get a Bonus $10 +Up Reward.  I guess this is taking the place of the "Gift of Savings" Deal they use to do.  I think it's a far worse deal and I wish they would bring back the GOS!!!

Anyone who has Gold status on their card is getting a random spending target and a bonus +Up Reward if you hit that amount message on their receipts now too.
I've got $55.78 tracking toward my $105 target on this card.

Then I did this on BIL's card at another Rite-Aid.....


2 x Right Guard on sale $2.99=$5.98
1 x Samy Hair Color on sale(Wellness discount made it less)=$7.99
1 x Cella cherry w/Wellness discount=$.26  *It's been eaten already. ;-)
SubTotal.....$14.23

Coupons Used
1 x $3/2 Right Guard items IPQ(coupons dotcom)=$3.00
1 x $5/1 Samy Hair IPQ=$5.00
Coupon Total......$8.00

$14.23-$8.00=$6.23
I used $6 in +Up Rewards and put the .23¢ on my gift card.
I received back $7 in +Up Rewards(2 x $1 Right Guard, $5 Samy)
This card has the Offer of $5 +Ups when you spend $50 and is tracking at $14.23.

So in total, I spent $30 in +Ups and got back $37 on these 2 transactions.
A rare chance to "grow" my +Ups rather than spend them down.
I have $26.99 in +Ups left to roll before Dec. 7th.
I've got another transaction to do on the BIL card this week, which will roll another $7 +Ups, so I'll have under $20 left to roll next week if things go as planned......which they never do......lol


This trip--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items....$93.47
+Ups coming into today....$56.99
+Ups used....$30.00
+Ups earned.....$37.00
 
GRAND TOTALS so far FOR NOVEMBER.......

Out Of Pocket....$1.25  cash
Value of items bought.....$366.50
Savings Rate of  99.66%
Single Check Rebate due....$0.00
Other Rebates due......$0.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $0.00
Savings Rate  99.66%

+Ups at beginning of month...$10.00+
+Ups used....$142.50+
+Ups received...$196.49+
+Ups currently...$63.99+ 

Sluggy

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Food Spending NOVEMBER Week 3, Meal Planning Week 4

Happy shining teen faces, ready for pie.
Ok, so ONE of them is visibly happy.....call me shocked......

Well I am thankful THAT is over with.....aren't you? ;-)
Seriously, I am at that age where my kids should be grown(if I had birthed them sooner), have partners(hopefully be married) and be making me grandkids.
Along with that comes matriarchal status and being invited to their homes for Thanksgiving, where I sit on my fat ass and someone else slaves in the kitchen and SERVES ME Thanksgiving Dinner!
But alas, we are still many years away from that happening.......if EVER......lol
Now it's onward to the next Holiday and keeping all the plates in the air and spinning.

I.
Can't.
Wait.
Can you? lol

***********************************

And here is what actually got served last week....
Sunday--Chili, Cornbread
Monday--2 people Taco Bell, me that leftover chicken in a homemade Quesadilla, Corn
Tuesday--Everyone found their own dinner(take-out or made something from what we had on hand)
Wednesday--Leftover Chili,or What You Can Find
Thursday--Turkey Dinner, Pie
Friday--Subway Sandwiches
Saturday--Leftovers

The food spending last week was $142.39 for $361.37 reg. retail worth of goods. And all but $8.16 of that $142.39 was spent AFTER Thanksgiving. 8-))
Yes Friday and Saturday I was burning through the food budget money grabbing those Holiday deals, wasn't I?
I have gone through $344.93 of the food money for November and have $55.07 left to get through until Saturday.


***********************

Going into this week, I have leftover Thanksgiving foods still and a big pot of chili.  The chili will go into the freezer now as everyone is sick of eating it.lol   I'll move the Spaghetti that didn't get served/made last week to this week.

This week's menu....
Sunday--Tacos
Monday--Leftovers
Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Beans
Wednesday--Chicken and Dumplings
Thursday--Pork Chops with Apricot Glaze, Mashed Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes, Beets
Friday--Pizza, Salad
Saturday--Leftovers

This week I need to use up only a couple of Thanksgiving leftovers.  The turkey will be gone tomorrow when Hubs makes a turkey sandwich to take to work.  What is left of the carrots/parsnips are very overcooked now, so I'll mash that up and add to the dogs' dinners.  I am finishing the cranberry as I type this. ;-)  The rolls are being eaten in the mornings and the pies, well the pies lived a very short while.
R.I.P.  pies..... 8-))
The only things left are stuffing and the potatoes that I halved and baked in foil.  I'll use the taters on Thursday and I'll serve the stuffing with the pork chops that night as well.

Left to buy this week for this menu?.....Salad greens.  We have certificates for 2 free pizzas at a local shop so we'll use one of those, or both if everyone is home on Friday and is extra hungry.
I haven't looked at the ads this week yet.  I do have a $5 certificate to use at the Shursave Market(got it on Friday when I bought General Mills brand flour and frozen veggies).  Besides the greens, we'll need milk later in the week, but I think I can stay under $55 this week.

Do you have lots of leftovers to eat through still?  Or are you back to making fresh meals again?

Sluggy

Monday, November 26, 2012

Week 5 of the Boring Blog Box Giveaway.....Last Week to Enter Again!

Here's another installment of......

Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY!
Here's how it works.....
I put things in the box(mostly what I have gotten for free or almost free)each week and when the box is filled we draw a winner from all the entries received.

Here is what went into the Box today......
1.  1 Air Wick compact air freshener-lavender scent
2.  1 tube of Tylenol pain reliever cream (like Ben-Gay)
3.  1 bag of Harvest Mix candy corn
4.  8 Halloween Kit Kat snack bars(special white chocolate coating that's orange)

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways HERE.  *As always, if you are located outside the US, you CAN enter and win but weight restrictions/shipping costs may mean your prize box will contain less items.*

***Time to enter.....You can enter on this Giveaway post until I close this post to entries.

1 entry per person per day on THIS POST.
Leave your name/email addy and a COMMENT on this post.  

This week in your comment I want to hear about what stands out in your mind as the BEST present you every received at whichever Winter Holiday you celebrate--Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Bodhi Day, Yule, Saturnalia, Pancha Ganapati, Kwanzaa or if you never exchanged gifts at the Holidays, for your Birthday.
Tell me how old you were, what the gift you received was and why it stands out as special to you.
You can come directly to this blog post or find it through the link on the right side bar to leave 1 comment per day.  The current Giveaway Post will be linked right at the top of the side bar.

Please NOTE--You MUST be a follower to enter the Giveaway.  If you aren't one, just click on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of my blog to become a follower.

There are 2 ways to get 2 EXTRA entries on this and each new Giveaway Post.......

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with the URL of your blog so I can go check it out. **If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in an extra entry comment once each week of this giveaway.
2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog with a link to this post.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with a link to your blog post so I can go view it.  You can do this extra entry once each week of this giveaway.

This lot of goodies means that now THE BOX IS FULL!!
And it's time to send it off to one lucky reader!
THIS IS THE LAST POST FOR THIS PARTICULAR GIVEAWAY.
I WILL LEAVE THIS POST OPEN UNTIL DEC.2ND, SUNDAY, AT 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
I WILL DRAW A WINNER ON MONDAY, DEC. 3RD AND POST THE NAME.
You have 6 days left to enter, so get busy! ;-)

As always if there are any questions?  Just email me.

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

Sunday, November 25, 2012

The Rest of My Saturday


So we headed out Saturday afternoon, the Hubs and I.

I snapped this shot at 1pm as we pulled out of the driveway.  It's our first "Snow Event" of the Season!

By the evening, everything had melted though.

We went to the Gun Shop(Buy local!).  I had told Hubs that Saturday was NOT a good idea, seeing as Deer Season opens Monday morning.  I knew they'd be swamped and they were!

Next stop, we hit another Rite-Aid in another town.
We got there right after a shoplifter had fled the store.  He left a trail of destruction in his wake inside the store.  The manager who was still quite upset told me that they had caught this guy stealing and when he was confronted he started clearing shelves of merchandise and knocking down displays.  There was a huge pile of gift cards on the floor he had thrown from an endcap and all kinds of perfume and make-up gift sets littering one aisle. What a mess!  They were waiting on the police to show up before they cleaned up the store.

After that bit of excitement, I picked up 4 more Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergents, 2 more Shave Gels & 4 more Monster drinks, using BIL's card.
After Qs it came to $20.50 + tax.
I paid with my $20.50 in +Ups from yesterday(so all the tax came off the order) and I got $14 in +Ups back.
I also bought 2 more $50 Home Improvement Gift Cards(out of reg. income funds)so I can add another $20 in bonus +Ups to my +Ups stash.
Woot!
I got a mess of rain checks too.

This trip--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items....$43.30
+Ups coming into today....$43.49($20.50 ready to roll today)
+Ups used....$20.50
+Ups earned.....$14.00 + $20 in bonus +Ups=$34.00

GRAND TOTALS so far FOR NOVEMBER.......

Out Of Pocket....$1.25  cash
Value of items bought.....$273.03
Savings Rate of  99.54%
Single Check Rebate due....$0.00
Other Rebates due......$0.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $0.00
Savings Rate  99.54%

+Ups at beginning of month...$10.00+
+Ups used....$112.50+
+Ups received...$159.49+
+Ups currently...$56.99+ 

We then hit the Restaurant Supply Store for 2 standard items in this house....
My "Precious".......lol....

This is the best Blue Cheese Dressing around!  I don't buy it often anymore but I'll splurge for the Holidays as it make a great dip as well(for raw veggies and for chicken wing pizza).

And a 5lb block of cheese....
The cheese is retailing for $6.99lb. at the deli counter, so even though the RSS price for a 5lb. block went up to $18, I am still saving $16.95 for every 5lbs. I used to buy at the grocery store.
And this is a local business too.  I am glad to see they are reopened after being decimated in the flooding of September 2011.

 Then it was a romantic lunch for two at Wendy's.   Oh yum.....insert eye roll here......

Afterwards, we stopped in a beverage distributor to do some adult beverage shopping.  In PA, you can't buy 6 or 12 packs of beer(unless it's a place like a restaurant that also has a license to sell alcohol that is consumed off premises).  You have to go to a beverage distributor, though there are a few grocery stores that can sell beer too now here, and you have to buy a case.
I "heart" the alcohol laws in PA......insert eye roll here......

So this particular Beverage Distributor was taking part in SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY.  They had a guy from a local microbrewry start-up in the store giving out samples(SAMPLES!)and promoting their brew.   There was a special price for Sat. only on the local brew and the store was running a 10% off imports and micros on Saturday.
That was enough to entice us to open our wallets and purchase some beverages.


We also got free beer glasses when we bought the local brew case and I can send away for a $5 Rebate on the Mike's.
Yes, I use coupons and rebates when I buy liquor.  Why would anyone think otherwise?  ;-)

We came home and what did I find in the mail on Saturday?
Why the 1st Christmas Card of the season!


Thank You Sonya Ann! 8-))

So that's my jam packed Saturday.
Today I am lying low, working on my Meal Plan for this coming week, doing some house chores and taking a nap.  We might drag out the Holiday decorations later but no pressure to get that all done today.
What are you up to today?

Sluggy

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Been Busy Shopping The Last 18 Hours

Ok, so haven't been shopping the whole last 18 hours.
I did sleep for a good stretch of that time!

On Friday when everyone was at the mall.....or actually everyone who went to the mall and the big box stores in the wee hours of the morning to shop and then had come home and were SLEEPING.....yes, when everyone was shopped out or catching up on sleeping, I was at the grocery store.

Since I had denied myself picking up the good sales deals at the grocery stores BEFORE Thanksgiving, trying to spend as little as possible, I now had almost $200 left in my food budget for November so I hit the Shursave market and picked up some deals.
Nothing earth shattering really, just cranberry "glop" at the lowest price of the year, some chip type snacks for the Christmas holidays coming up(BOGO deal), and an in-store "Buy 10 GM foods, Get $5 Certificate" Deal.  Oh, and they had frozen Birdseye veggies for .88¢ so I grabbed some of those to stick in the freezer.

Then, since I was out, I hopped over to where else?.....Rite-Aid.
It was about 3 in the afternoon and no crowds at all.
Just the way I like it. ;-)
There were a few things I wanted to pick up, present type things, so I took some of my Christmas money up with me and picked up.....

* 1 8G Flash Drive for $13.99, which gave back a $10 +Up Reward
* 2 gift sets of Planters Peanuts for $5.99, which each gave back a $3 +Up Reward
* 2 boxes of Hershey's Chocolate for $3.99, which each gave back a $2 +Up Reward
* 1 nail polish Gift Set for $3.49, which gave back a $2.50 +Up Reward
* 2 Home Improvement Gift Cards for $50, which each gave back a $10 +Up Reward (These cards are good at Home Despot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Farm & Tractor Supply, Sears, as well as other places.  These weren't gifts so came out of the regular income and will be used for home repairs and projects.  It's just converting the money we use for these things from cash into cards.)

I spent $38.47 from my Christmas funds and $100 from the regular income.
I got good deals(not amazing), but.....I also got what I consider Free +Ups to use to shop for everyday needs at Rite-Aid.  $42.50 in +Ups so it's a win-win for me! 8-)

While I was in the store, I went and used/rolled my old +Ups even though I don't have to use/roll them for another week.  There must have been a REALLY good deal for me to do that, huh?
It was!!
Before I went, I printed a $1/3 laundry detergent from the Arm & Hammer website.


4 x Arm & Hammer liquid Laundry Detergent on sale $3 each=$12.00
I used my $1/3 Q and paid $11 in +Up Rewards and put .66¢ in tax on my gift card.
I got back 2 x $2 and 2 x $3 +Ups back.
The Black Friday weekend ad Deal is buy 2 of these and get a $3 +Ups back.
There is another double dip Deal on these however(a monthly? deal)so that you also get a $2 +Ups back for every 2 you buy.
So basically, I "spent" $11 in +Ups and got back $10 in +Ups, meaning I spent down $1 of my +Ups.
That's .25¢ for each bottle of laundry detergent!

Here is my Grand Totals for yesterday's laundry detergent buy.  I am not counting the Christmas shopping here, but I'll roll the +Ups gotten into my pile of +Ups(bonus!lol).....

This trip--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items....$29.16

GRAND TOTALS so far FOR NOVEMBER.......

Out Of Pocket....$1.25  cash
Value of items bought.....$197.54
Savings Rate of  99.37%
Single Check Rebate due....$0.00
Other Rebates due......$0.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $0.00
Savings Rate  99.37%

+Ups at beginning of month...$10.00+
+Ups used....$58+
+Ups received...$60+
+Ups currently...$12+ 
Bonus +Ups added....$42.50+
+Ups total.....$54.50+

So I went back this morning to Rite-Aid to roll some of these +Ups......


4 x Axe Deodorant 2/$8 Sale....really they are ringing up BOGO50% sale!....each set of 2 at my store(the overpriced store)are ringing up $8.23, not $8!  so I paid $16.46 for 4, not $16(I'll be going back to get my .46¢ back later. Of course you KNOW I would....lol)
I used $16 in +Ups and got back $11 in +Ups back(2 x $3 wyb2 weekend ad, $5 monthly wyb $15 in Axe).
In the end I "spent" $5 in +Ups for 4 Axe Deodorants.

I also got this.....

4 x Gilette brands of Shaving Gel on sale 2/$5=$10
I used 2 x $1.50/2 IPQs-1 for Edge and 1 for Skintimate=$3.00
I paid $7 in +Ups and got 2 x $2 Gillette +Ups back=$4 +Ups.
In the end I '"spent" $3 in +Ups for 4 Shave Gels.

I also got this.....

4 x Monster drinks on sale 2/$3=$6.00
I used $6 in +Ups and received 2 x $2 in +Ups back, so $4 +Ups.
In the end I "spent" $2 in +Ups for 4 drinks.
And yes, since #2 Son now has a girlfriend, he is watching his caloric intake so it's sugar-free. ;-)

And I also bought this.....

2 x Soft Soap hand soap on sale $1.89(not such a great deal really)=$3.78
Each one gave back a $1 +Ups so they cost me .89¢ in +Ups.
1 x Clear Shampoo on sale $1.99 and it gave back a $1.99 +Ups so FREE.
Now before you say, what an amazing deal THAT was, look at the size of the bottle.....lol
It's a travel size.
meh.
I'll put it into someone's stocking.
I spent $5 in +Ups and put .77¢ on the gift card and I got $3.99 back in +Ups.

So here is what this morning's trip looked like.....

This trip--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items....$32.19
+Ups coming into today....$54.50
+Ups used....$34.00
+Ups earned.....$22.99

GRAND TOTALS so far FOR NOVEMBER.......

Out Of Pocket....$1.25  cash
Value of items bought.....$229.73
Savings Rate of  99.45%
Single Check Rebate due....$0.00
Other Rebates due......$0.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $0.00
Savings Rate  99.45%

+Ups at beginning of month...$10.00+
+Ups used....$92.00+
+Ups received...$125.49+
+Ups currently...$43.49+ 

I've still got $20.50 in +Ups from yesterday I can use today(the $22.99 I got this morning I can't use until Sunday), so I might go hit up another Rite-Aid while we are out today for more laundry detergent and shaving gel. Or maybe I'll pick up some more Christmas goodies that give +Ups so I can add those to my +Ups stash.
Be sure and get rain checks for stuff too if your store is out!!!
Oh, the possibilities are endless!lol

Sluggy





Friday, November 23, 2012

My Sealed Pot & Take A Guess, Maybe Win A Prize!


This is my "sealed pot" and what it looks like today........

As you can see, it more of a "bowl" rather than a pot and it is definitely not "sealed" in the typical sense of the word.
We have a change cup that Hubs and I contribute to daily/weekly.  When it fills I take the change and roll it up into coin wrappers.
We don't save bills in there, just the change.
I know it won't go far to bankroll our Holiday spending, but every little bit helps, doesn't it?

I am about ready to take these rolls, count them up and take them to the Credit Union to exchange for bills.  Maybe I'll do that come December 1st.....

Anybody want to guess how much is here?
Maybe if enough people put a guess in, I can find something to award whomever comes closest to being correct?
How about I leave this open for guesses until December 1st at midnight.
The prize will remain a mystery until the winner gets it.....and no, they will not be able to retire because of it. ;-)

So who's up for playing along?
Leave 1 guess on this post.

Sluggy

Thursday, November 22, 2012

It's Countdown Time....

It's almost time!
Time for what?
Time to eat!

The Rutabagas are boiling.....



The Carrots and Parsnips are glazed.....


The Potato Rolls are rising.......


And the bird is browning nicely now....


Off to do the Taters and pop the rest of the Stuffing into the oven......

Sluggy

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Cooking Marathon Has Begun!


So we have achieved Pumpkin Pies......





And Cookies......




I tried a new recipe called Cranberry Pistachio Oat Cookies.  Sort of a Raisin Oatmeal but with Cranberries instead of Raisins and Pistachios.  They are very good.  If anyone wants the recipe I can post it later, just ask.  It came from the Healthy Bites magazine from Weis PMITA Markets.

And then I made the Cornbread......


No, we aren't eating Cornbread for Thanksgiving.  I made this to put into my Stuffing. 

That was yesterday's cooking.
Now I am off to finish chopping onions and celery, and everything else I need to do to make the stuffing.

Then it's onward to peeling, boiling and mashing potatoes for the potato roll dough.

Who's bringing me dinner this evening?
I'm too busy to cook it!lol

Sluggy


Put The Brakes on Consumerism for Awhile



Hopefully everyone will be happily sleeping off the Turkey coma tomorrow, while surrounded by their loved ones.
If you spend Thanksgiving instead plotting and planning and standing in lines in the wee hours of the night in order to stampede into a store on Black Friday, please reconsider doing that.




I know it's a funny video but seriously, is any item in the world really worth the stress and aggravation of Contact Shopping in a Mob?
You all know me, and how frugal I can be, but you won't find me taking part in the Mass Hysteria that Black Friday shopping has become.  Saving $10 or $20 is not worth the potential for bodily harm that going out into these mobs can lead to.

How about we take a 24 Hour break from Consumerism on Black Friday?


More about that HERE.
Let's actually NOT rush out less than 24 hours after spending the day giving Thanks for all we have to go to the stores to get more.
What a Concept! ;-)


If we have to shop and spend money, how about we wait until Saturday November 24th, and support local businesses instead of big boxes and those mall stores?

Buy your gifts from local small businesses in your community.  Why not support your neighbors and keep more money in your own local economy?  You can learn more HERE about this initiative.


And as we start spending away our money in this Season of the Shopocalypse, let's remember that the Season is not about acquiring more stuff and buying the love of our family and friends with more trinkets, to fill our already overstuffed lives and homes with more redundant crap we don't need.

Don't buy into the consumer culture!
Look around at all you have.......will having more make your life any better?

Take all that money you use to spend on more stuff at the Holidays and use it to do some good in the world.
Buy farm animals for families in 3rd World countries, make a business loan to a struggling entrepreneur in Indonesia, or support a sorely needed dental clinic right here in Appalachia USA.

Let your family and friends know you'd appreciate their monies going to where it's NEEDED in the world, not to buy you yet another sweater at Lord & Taylor or another tray of cheese from Hickory Farms.




Sluggy

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Want What You Have, Gratitude, Rememberance & Transforming Our Hearts



This year as we gather with family and friends in this Thanksgiving Season, let's try something different.
Instead of wishing for more of or different in our lives, let's "Want What We Have".....meaning let's not be wanting, whining, complaining and striving for what is out of reach, but let's be embracing what we have NOW.
Embrace the good in your life as it is NOW....not what you hope it to be tomorrow or the next day or the next.
Embrace the good things, both the material and the intangible in your life.
And most of all, embrace and celebrate the people in your life.
Today is afterall, all we are guaranteed.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

And let's not get too caught up in the Myth of America on this the day we give Thanks.


Americans are very adept at rearranging history so that it reflects upon us as a just people, a caring people.  We tend to sweep under the rug anything our ancestors did that we, the current more enlightened generation, feels puts us, as a nation, under a bad light.

Like the whole invading a foreign land and systematically killing off the aboriginal peoples that were already here and stealing their land.

I am sure our white, European forefathers felt it was their God given right to treat the heathen "savages" they found upon the American shores the way in which they did.
The founding fathers, in the guise of the Federal Government pushed them off their land and broke every Treaty that was ever made with the indigenous peoples.  They made it so the Native American could no longer lead the life they wished.  And when the native peoples pushed back, our government went on a campaign to vilify the Native American to justify their Genocide against the race.


As we gather to remember how truly blessed we are as Americans this year, let's take a moment or two to remember that this day, Thanksgiving Day, is a Day of Mourning for the Indigenous Peoples of our Country.  It is a time for them to gather and mourn the decimation of their culture at the hands of the Europeans who came from across the sea.


We can't jump in a time machine and go back like Peabody and Sherman from those old Saturday morning cartoons to the early days of our American history and "do over" the parts where we were not at our best.
But we CAN be respectful of their losses and their feelings at this time.
And we SHOULD take steps both within ourselves to change our hearts AND work to bring our Native brethren into the Circle of Inclusion of the bounties of our country.

Do you realize that Native Americans are among the most impoverished group in America?  While some tribes have been able to use American corporate models to provide a wellspring of funds for their peoples, many of the Native peoples in the Midwest and Southwest in this country live on reservations where destitution and squalor abound. 
One such place is Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
Consider a donation this year to the NATIONAL RELIEF CHARITIES.
Or get in touch with the FRIENDS OF PINE RIDGE RESERVATION and see how you can help.
I have worked with the Pine Ridge Group before on different projects.  They are always much appreciative of any help you can lend, be it monetary donations, items or taking a trip to the reservation to lend a hand in person if you have the time and the skills that would make you a valuable helper.

It's a time both to look back at how we got here but it's also a time to build stronger bonds of Brotherhood between ALL Americans.
During this Season of Giving let there truly be room at the table for all mankind.

Sluggy


No OOP Food Spending Til After Thanksgiving Results


Here is what I bought at the grocery store on Monday.....

1 bag of taters....$2.99
1 bunch of celery....$.99
2 small rutabagas....$4.32
2 packs of mushrooms...$3.00
1 bag of parsnips....$2.99
1 gallon milk....$3.76
Total--$18.05

I used my $10 food certificate so paid $8.05 out of pocket.
I forgot I needed to buy mushrooms for my stuffing and the parsnips were marked up higher than I thought they would be(such a small bag too!).
Between that and the milk, it put me well over the $10 I could get for free.
Oh well.....not too too bad really.

And I am well below my food budget for the month.  It stands at the moment at $210.70 spent of $400 budgeted.
It about killed me seeing some good deals in the store on Monday but not taking advantage of them due to my self-imposed spending limit until Thanksgiving.
I'll probably go back on Friday or Saturday though to scoop up some deals at the market.
At least it will be nice and peaceful and deserted there, since everyone will be at the MALL this weekend fighting over Black Friday crap.
Yep, I'll just get some grocery store food deals and stay home.
Ok....maybe I'll go to Rite-Aid or better yet, CVS to get rain checks for all those freebies they have this week.  That's what SonyaAnn is going to do and I think that's a very good idea! 8-)

Now let the cooking begin! ;-)

Sluggy

Monday, November 19, 2012

Healthcare Conundrums


If you read here regularly you know I had some medical procedures done lately on my face.
Before you think Sluggy is pulling a Hollywood celebrity stunt and having her face injected with Botox or even worse, having Plastic Surgery that isn't necessary(like for someone disfigured in an accident or born with a malformation on their face), I did NOT having something like that done.

Hey!, I'm no Joan Rivers or Kenny Rogers or Bruce Jenner, etc.
Seems lately that not only are women vain, the male side of the Baby Boomer Generation seems to be having difficulty aging gracefully too. ;-)







Anyway, I did have a Dermatologist "shave" 2 moles off my face and freeze 2 skin tags that were on my lower eyelids.
It was a quick and fairly routine out patient procedure.
But even for that, the human body does not react kindly to being meddled with.
The tags were frozen and I have to wait for them to "die" and fall off.  They are both taking their dear sweet time to do so and much like anyone who has every gotten in a car accident and was banged up, the tissue around my eyes is not taking this well and has left me with black and blue circles.  Just call me Old Racoon Face if you see me. lol

I am limiting going out in public for a few days, besides running to the grocery store, as I don't want to scare small children.lol
The worse discomfort has been where one of the moles was "shaved" off.  The muscle under this area isn't happy and has provided me with a headache since last Wednesday.  I don't notice until I am laying in bed trying to sleep so I pop a pain reliever to sleep these days.

I bring all this up not to elicit sympathy.  It's just my way to segue into talking about the insanity of our healthcare system.....more specifically, the insanity of how we pay for healthcare.

Anyone who has health insurance knows that there are items/procedures that your plan does and does not cover.  Any procedure of a dermatalogical nature is suspect when it comes to your insurance picking up the bill on most plans.  Many skin issues that aren't disease driven(or congentital) are not covered.
I knew the moles might or might not be covered.....if they showed precancerous/cancerous, they would be covered.  And I thought that since the skin tags were right next to my eyes and affected the functioning of my eyelids, those might be covered.

In the end, I didn't know what if anything I wanted done, if it would be covered by our insurance.
I had attempted to contact someone at my insurance company who could tell me whether any of these procedures would be covered.  I talked to 3 people and got 3 different answers.


So when I was finished and checked out I had to make a choice.
A--I could cut a check for $150, which is the price this facility charges people with no insurance coverage to have what I had done.
B--I could tell them to submit what I had done to the insurance company(which is also the owner of this facility and employes all the staff)and if none of this was covered, we would owe the facility close to $1,000.  Yes $150 or $1000(with 3 zeroes!).

Of course I chose to pay $150.  Whether insurance covered my work comes down to how the doctor codes the procedure.   She had asked me if there was a family history of skin cancer(in regard to the moles).  I had answered truthfully there was no history of this cancer.  If I had lied, she might have coded the removal and subsequent testing of the specimen removed differently so that insurance would have paid for this.  Since she commented that visually she could tell the moles weren't precancerous I knew I'd be paying for those 2 procedures.

With the skintags, since they affected functionality I thought they might be covered.  So before I decided to pay, I asked the receptionist to find out how the dr. had coded the procedure first.  She had coded it as ordinary skintag removal so I knew that submitting an insurance claim was a waste of time and would cost this trip to the doctor alot more than $150.

I'm not complaining that I had to pay $150 out of my pocket even though we pay many many dollars each year for a health insurance policy.
What make me sit up and notice and question is why does a couple of procedures that they charge $150 for, have to cost someone with health insurance $1000 in charges for the same exact thing?

Which cost-$150 or $1000-is closer to the "TRUE" cost of having been served?
Is $1000 of costs generated for performing this work or is the business out $150 in costs?

Are all those people paying $1000 (out of pocket for non-covered or covered because it's deemed medically necessary)subsidizing the cost of those who have work done who aren't covered and pay the $150?....meaning that each of us who pays for health insurance is actually already paying much more than necessary because we are subsidizing those who can't or won't buy health insurance?  If so, once universal healthcare is mandatory how will this be better or worse for those who work, pay taxes and will still have to purchase health insurance?
Or am I asking the wrong questions here?

I just think, irregardless of the mandated universal healthcare issue,  that our 3rd party payer system is broken.
Back before "health insurance"......when people had life insurance to pay for burying and funerals and disability insurance through jobs for when the breadwinners couldn't work, but we didn't have insurance policies to protect us from the costs of getting sick.......we didn't have a 3rd party in the transaction between patient and doctor.  People actually saved money as a regular thing, becaue you KNEW getting sick was just a part of life.   And when you got sick, you went to the doctor(or he/she came to you!) and then you took your money and paid the doctor.  And because you were directly affected by having to take money out of your own pocket, you were NOT disconnected from the real cost to the doctor for the service.  And because the doctor didn't need an entire staff of employees just to do the bookkeeping and submit claimes to a 3rd party insuror in order to get paid, he didn't have to charge extra to pay for all those employees, plus all the stuff the government said he had to pay into and track to employ those poeple....which required another bookkeeper to keep track of for his business.

People who have health insurance mostly have NO CLUE what the things they spend on through their policy costs.  No clue on the true costs or the inflated costs that the 3rd party marks everything up.  Why else do aspirin cost $20 a piece if obtained through a hospital or a large medical practice?  It's the same pill you can go to your local CVS and pay $4 for an entire bottle for!  It's all the levels of redundant  bureacracy and government regulations that often do nothing to keep us safer....they just make shit cost more!
And now we are putting the whole healthcare enchilada into the hands of Govenment?  The same government that has such an abysymmal track record at running ANYTHING EFFICIENTLY?
The post office(before they 'sort of' dumped it but they still subsidize it).....a national train system.....social security administration......the IRS(don't get me started on this one!).....

Since policy holders know their insurance will cover this visit, that drug or procedure, they really don't care or watch how the insurance companies inflate costs.
People either can't afford policies or they choose to not have a family doctor nowadays and then when someone gets sick, they go to an emergency room for treatment, often because even if you can't pay, you are not turned away at an ER.  So ERs get clogged up with non emergencies like people with the flu, kids needing routine shots and stuff, decidedly not emergency situations.  But the ER is charging high ER prices and it all gets passed down into what people with insurance policies are charged for their coverage.
And since people aren't paying out of their own pockets, they think nothing of running to the doctor for treatment for things that will and should just run their course, both the insured and the non-insured.

I just know that the system we have now doesn't work and I have no confidence that a nationally mandated healthcare system will be any better.  I tend to think that what will come is a rationing of healthcare, as doctors leave the field.  We need to keep an eye on the number of new doctors coming out of medical schools to see if the numbers start dropping since it's not going to be as lucrative a career as it use to be.
And wait times for some procedures will grow quite long.  And the people who could afford it, flew here for quicker or better treatment from countries with regulated mandatory healthcare will have to find a new country to seek their hip replacements and time sensitive cancer treatments, etc. in.

We are all in for some turbulent times ahead.

Sluggy


Food Spending NOVEMBER Week 2, Meal Planning Week 3

Doesn't that look yummy?
It's a picture from when I made French Onion Soup a few weeks ago for dinner.  I'll be sharing some more photos and the recipe I use after I get Thanksgiving out of the way here.


***********************************

And here is what actually got served last week....
This week's menu....
Sunday--Halushki with Bacon
Monday--Chicken Pot Pie
Tuesday--Tuna Casserole, Beets
Wednesday-Pizza for some, Leftovers for others
Thursday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad
Friday--Pizza for some, Leftovers for others
Saturday--Leftovers

The food spending last week was $.11 for $51.11 reg. retail worth of goods. And if you don't believe me, go look HERE.  I've spent a total of $202.65 so far in November on $396.59 retail price of food.  This isn't counting my Rite-Aid purchases.

Last week, I used all but $10 in free food certificates/gift cards/catalinas I had accumulated to spend only 11 cents this past week of groceries.  I'll be heading out to spend my last $10 free food chit today to pick up the last of what I need to prepare Thanksgiving Day's meal.  We are down to 5 for dinner since #2 Son's sometimes job called him into work on Thursday-it's a restaurant.
The Daughter also has to work Thanksgiving....her retail job, thanks to all you Black Friday people! 8-( ....but she gets to eat because she goes in late and works through the night so people can buy MORE tvs, small appliances, pajamas and electronics that they don't need to fill up their empty lives and their already overstuffed houses!
But hey!, who am I to judge, just because in order to keep her job she is forced to work when she should have the option of being home with her family on a National Holiday. ;-)

***********************
Going into this week, I have leftover NOTHING!  Every blasted leftover got snarfed up. Ok, I misspoke...I have a bit of grilled chicken breast that wasn't used for the pot pie.  I made 2 lasagnas last week.  We ate one and the other went into the freezer for later.  So 1 single serving of a leftover item to use this week.

This week's menu....
Sunday--Chili, Cornbread
Monday--2 people Taco Bell, me that leftover chicken in a homemade Quesadilla, Corn
Tuesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs(stockpile and freezer), Green Beans(freezer)
Wednesday--Leftover Chili, Cornbread
Thursday--Turkey Dinner, Pie
Friday--Subway Sandwiches
Saturday--Leftovers

This week I want easy.  The big pot of chili they can eat on multiple meals.  I'll throw the leftover of that into the freezer after 2-3 meals.  Spaghetti meal items are all here and I'll only make enough for 1 full meal because between the chili and turkey leftovers, that's plenty!   I'll use up the leftover chicken for myself tonight and Hubs & #2 Son will get Taco Bell on the way home from son's music lesson.


Left to buy this week?.....4 items for Thursday's Thanksgiving feast and milk.  I'll be spending right around $10 this week but it won't cost me anything because of my $10 certificate.  But come Friday?....I'll be hitting some sales and the Bread Outlet and be back to spending the food monies!lol
I still think I'll end November with a surplus of $$ in the food budget.  That will be sweet....

Are you cooking the Turkey Day meal this year or are you lucky enough to have family/friends to visit and let them do the cooking?
How about the rest of the week.....are you cooking the whole week or making it a simple meal plan or eating out?


Sluggy

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Used My Expiring +Ups..A Rite-Aid Post


Went out last night to use the last of my $8 in +Ups expiring on Saturday.
I bought this on my card.....


2 x Dove Men's Body Wash (raincheck price of $2.50)=$5.00
1 x Axe Gift Set(w/Wellness 20% diacount)=$9.59
SubTotal.....$14.59

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 Load2Card Dove Men's Body Wash=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Dove Men's Body Wash IPQ=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Any Dove Body Wash VV/AdPerks IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Axe Gift Set VV/AdPerks IPQ=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Axe single items VV/AdPerks IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$12.00

$14.59-$12.00=$2.59+.28¢tax=$2.87

I used $2 in +Ups and put the .87¢ on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received back $3+Ups(Axe gift set), so all this was FREE and gave me $1 back in +Ups.

Then I got called home for a car emergency.  Had to go jump Hubs car and he needed to take my car to run an errand, so my shopping Friday night was done.

I now have 2 nice Christmas presents for my son's that didn't cost me a dime.....thanks Rite-Aid! 8-))


On Saturday I hit Rite-Aid again because I still had $6 in +Ups expiring.

I wanted to get Ziploc bags this week but my store was out, so I had to change it up.

Here are my gets on the BIL's card......


3 x R-A napkins on sale $2.50(3rd pack suppose to be $2.69 but rang up $2.50)=$7.50
2 x Tums Refreshers on sale $4.50=$9.00(1 is missing from the picture)
2 x ID Gum on sale $1.00=$2.00
SubTotal......$18.50

Coupons Used
1 x BOGO ID Gum(Target site ManuQ)=$1.49 *
1 x .25¢/1 ID Gum VV/AdPerks IPQ=$.25
2 x $1/1 Tums Refreshers Tearpad Q(on shelf)=$2.00
2 x $1.50/1 Tums Refershers VV AdPerks IPQ=$3.00
AND HERE IS WHERE IT GETS CRAZY.....
1 x $1/1 Tums Refershers Load2Card Q=$1.00
1 x $2.50/1 Tagament Load2Card Q=$2.50 **
1 x $1/1 Debrox EarWash Load2Card Q=$1.00 **
Coupon Total.....$11.24

$18.50-$11.24=$7.26+.21¢=$7.47
I used my $6 in expiring +Ups and a $1 +Ups from the ID Gum I bought earlier in the week to pay and put the .47¢ on my R-A gift card.

I received back $7 in +Up Rewards($3 wyb $7 in paper goods, $1 wyb2 ID gum, $$2 wyb2 Tums, $1 wyb2 R-A tissues/napkins), so I am "even" on the +Ups count n this transaction.

* First off, the cashier took the full reg. price off on the Gum and not the sale price.  The coupons had a limit of $1.29 so I need to go back next time and give them some change back.

** Now why did Tagament and Ear Wash Qs on the Load2Card come off for this transaction?  From what I've heard, all 3 of these products are made by Glaxo Smith Kline and that is what triggered them to attach to my Tums.  It would also explain by the single item $1 Axe Qs are attaching to your transaction if you only buy the Gift Set.....same brand name owns both gift sets and single items.  Now I can see this since they are BOTH Axe products, but it's truly crazy that those GSK owned different brands came off on my Tums.  But I am NOT complaining! lol  My 2 Tums cost $9 and I got $9.50 in Qs off of the cost between my $5 in VV/AdPerk and Tearpad Qs and $4.50 in Load2Card Qs.

I was NOT expecting that extra $1 +Ups for buying the napkins.  The ad stated "Spend $7 in Rite-Aid paper products, Get $3 +Ups".  I spent $7.50 on 3 packs of napkins and got the $3 and an additional $1 +Ups that was specific to the napkins.  And I got tracking on my receipt "Buy 2 RA Tissues/Napkins, Get $1+Up(Limit 2)".  I would suppose this is some kind of Monthly Deal for the Tissues/Napkins.
After both +Up Rewards on the napkins they ended up "costing" $1.17 a package(if you had to spend cash and don't have +Ups to spend).  That's not a bad price for 250 ct.!

My +Ups are good to go for another 2 weeks if next week's ad has nothing I want/need.  I can concentrate on Turkey stuff this week instead. ;-)

These trips--
OOP....$0.00
Value of items....$53.00

GRAND TOTALS so far FOR NOVEMBER.......

Out Of Pocket....$1.25  cash
Value of items bought.....$168.38
Savings Rate of  99.25%
Single Check Rebate due....$0.00
Other Rebates due......$0.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... $0.00
Savings Rate  99.25%

+Ups at beginning of month...$10.00+
+Ups used....$47+
+Ups received...$50+
+Ups currently...$13+

 Sluggy

Friday, November 16, 2012

I Will Cut You....Meh

Remember this cute baby?
 It made the internet rounds with the caption...."I WILL CUT YOU!"...a few years ago.

Well I have met "I will cut you" and she isn't a baby.....she's a dermatologist.






I had some outpatient surgery the other day.  No biggy, just some growths cut off my face and no, not the important ones. 

But I am in more pain than I thought would come from this.
So I'm taking a few days off from posting on the blog.  I can't seem to do much of anything more than post some complaining comments on a few blogs and then go annoy some clueless socialist liberals on Facebook.

I got nothing coherent to say here.
And the pain in my face is keeping me from being my jovial, off-beat self.

I'll leave you with this YouTube video.
I about peed my pants the 1st time I watched it.
And before you get all uppity and call me a racist, the humor has nothing to do with this guy's skin color.
(This is probably what I sound like after I've had a few drinks too.)
We seriously need this man to audition for American Idol next year!

Somebody contact his representation management firm STAT! ;-)



Have a good weekend folks,

Sluggy

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Week 4 of the Boring Blog Box Giveaway.....Enter Again!

Here's another installment of......

Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY!
Here's how it works.....
I put things in the box(mostly what I have gotten for free or almost free)each week and when the box is filled we draw a winner from all the entries received.

Here is what went into the Box today......we have a bit of a theme going on for this week....

1.  1 tube of Aim Toothpaste
2.  1 tube of Aqua-Fresh Toothpaste
3.  1 Colgate Toothbrush
4.  1 Reach Toothbrush

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways HERE.  *As always, if you are located outside the US, you CAN enter and win but weight restrictions/shipping costs may mean your prize box will contain less items.*

***Time to enter.....You can enter on this Giveaway post until I close this post to entries.

1 entry per person per day on THIS POST.
Leave your name/email addy and a COMMENT on this post.  

This week in your comment I want to hear about whichever Winter Holiday you celebrate, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Bodhi Day, Yule, Saturnalia, Pancha Ganapati or Kwanzaa.
Do you make a budget for your celebrating and what is your target amount to spend?  How do you pay for what you spend at the Holiday time or do you just not worry about paying for it until next year?
Do you foresee spending more or less than you have in the past years at the Holiday time?

You can come directly to this blog post or find it through the link on the right side bar to leave 1 comment per day.  The current Giveaway Post will be linked right at the top of the side bar.

Please NOTE--You MUST be a follower to enter the Giveaway.  If you aren't one, just click on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of my blog to become a follower.

There are 2 ways to get 2 EXTRA entries on this and each new Giveaway Post.......

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with the URL of your blog so I can go check it out. **If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in an extra entry comment once each week of this giveaway.
2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog with a link to this post.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with a link to your blog post so I can go view it.  You can do this extra entry once each week of this giveaway.

I think there is room in the box for 1 more lot of items so the next post on the giveaway will be the last before I draw a winner.
Any suggestions on what I should choose to put in the space left in the prize box?  Let me know!

As always if there are any questions?  Just email me.

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy