CVS Trip from a Couple of Weeks Ago....Oops!

I was over by CVS a couple of weeks ago so I went in to get some cheap Glade Candles, the Cover Girl deal and Crest Rinse.
It's weird but even though we have TONS of CVS's(almost as many as our crop of Rite-Aids)and CVS tends to limit the good deals to 1 or 2, if I don't get there on Sunday or maybe Monday, the good deals are gone!
So like Target, if I go, I go with NO expectations. ;-)
The Cover Girl stuff and Crest Rinse was, as expected, GONE!
But I still had a $10 ECB to roll over or spend or whatever, so here is what I did....

4 x Glade Candles on sale $3=$12.00
1 x Aussie 'Poo on sale=$2.99
1 x Gillette Custom Pivot Razors on sale=$6.49
SubTotal....$21.48

Coupons Used
2 x $3/2 Glade Items IPQ=$6.00
1 x $1/1 Aussie product ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Gillette Disp. Razors ManuQ=$3.00
Coupon Total....$10.00

$21.48-$10.00=$11.48-$10 ECB=$1.48+$.09 tax=$1.57 OOP, put on CVS Gift Card so ZERO spent.
Received ECBs....$2 Gillette Razors, $2 Aussie item, $4 WYB $12 in Glade=$8.00

I did have the presence of mind to get a Raincheck for the Crest Rinses but forgot about the CoverGirl Powder....oh well.  Not like I NEED that anyway.

I will be needing to put an addition on the house fairly soon just to hold all the candles I've acquired in the past 6 months.lolol

Sluggy

Diggin' Out After the Snowicane....Rite-Aid and Weis and I'm not Done!

So after sitting home for 2 days while it snowed for 2 days straight, I just HAD to get out.  I had $17 in Weis Cats to spend before they expired Saturday night plus I was itchin' to go to Rite-Aid.

So after hubby took me out for lunch to our favorite cheapy-but-oh-so-yummy place, I hit Rite-Aid.

2 x Pert for Men Shampoo on clearance $1.99=$3.98**Even better deal than the reg. Pert on sale $2.50
2 x Glade Candles on sale $1.99=$3.98
1 x Finesse 'Poo on sale=$2.99
1 x Rite-Aid Aloe Vera Lotion on clearance=$2.99
2 x PureVia on sale $2.50=$5.00
1 x Oral B Toothbrush on sale=$2.99
SubTotal.....$21.93

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks IPQ=$5.00

2 x $1.50/1Pert for Men Shampoo ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $3/2 Glade Candles ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $2 any Skin Care item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ=$2.00
2 x $2/1 PureVia ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $1/1 Oral B Toothbrush ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Any Oral Care Item over $1.99 Wellness IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$19.00

$21.93-$19.00=$2.93+$.06 tax=$2.99 OOP Put on Prepaid Visa Card from P&G/Rite-Aid Deal

Qualified for $2 SCR(Finesse 'Poo).

I went looking for the Hershey's PIECES Candy Bags for $2.50 so I could use the rest of my $1/1 ManuQs but my local R.A. didn't receive them yet.
I might go out tonight and check a different store....

Then it was onward to Weis.  First I had to see if I was due a refund on 2 packages of OEP Taco Shells I bought 2 weeks ago in the Catalina Deal.  The ad had this size listed but it didn't ring up on sale or give me my $8 Cat(I got a $4 Cat instead for the lower threshold level of spending).  Took the shells, the ad and my receipt and had a pow-wow at CS and then with the Manager on Duty.  Manager said they should have been included so I got 1 package free(full refund of $2.29)and the other package I got the difference between what they rang up and what they were suppose to be priced at($1.04 diff.), so I got to keep both shells and paid $1.25 for both in the end after my $3.33 refund.  Not bad.  But I still didn't have my other $4 in Cats I should have gotten.....ugh.
So it was off to spend my $17 in Cats I did have + some other free item Qs and to see if the Gillette Deal was worth doing.

4 x Valio Real Goodness Lactose-Free Milk on sale $2=$8.00
6 x Furmano Tomatoes on sale $1=$6.00
1 x International Delights Coffee Creamer=$1.50
2 x Prego Heart Smart Spaghetti Sauce on sale $2.00=$4.00
1 x Breyer's Yogurt on sale=$2.50
1 x Generic Dixie Bathroom Cups on sale=$2.99**Hubby insists we buy these, it's not MY idea!lol
2 x Fast Fixin's Chicken on sale BOGO=$6.99
1 x Steak=$6.18
4 x Gillette Body Wash $4.39=$17.56
1 x Gillette Deodorant=$3.99
1 x Gillette Deodorant=$4.55
SubTotal......$64.26

Coupons Used
4 x $1/1 Valio Real Goodness Lactose-Free Milk ManuQ=$4.00
2 x $1/3 Furmano Tomatoes ManuQ=$2.00
1 x FREE ITEM International Delight Creamer=$1.50
1 x $.50/2 Prego Heart Smart Spaghetti Sauce ManuQ(doubled to $1)=$1.00
1 x FREE ITEM Bryer's Yogurt Weis Catalina Q=$2.50
1 x $3/1 Instant Store Coupon on Steak=$3.00
4 x $1/1 Instant Store Coupon on Gillette BodyWash=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Instant Store Coupon on Gillette Deo WYB 1 Gillette BWash=$2.00
2 x B1Deo/Get1BWash FREE ManuQ=$6.78(cost of 2 BWash after Instant Store Qs)
1 x $4/2 Gillette Deodorant or BodyWash(I used on the Deodorants)=$4.00
3 x $3 Off Meat or Chicken Catalinas=$9.00
2 x $4 Off Catalinas(from 2 weeks ago Cat Deals)=$8.00
Coupon Total....$47.78

$64.26-$47.78=$16.48+$1.38 tax=$17.86 OOP
$66.46 in Savings, Value of $84.32.... a Savings of 80%.

The Gillette Deal was worth doing.  With the Instant Store Savings and Coupons, plus when you spend $25 or more in a single transaction on eligible P&G items, you can send away for a $10 Prepaid Visa Card.  I spent $26.10 before discounts/coupons so I can send for the $10 Visa card.  In essence, that makes my OOP here $7.86!

And when I got home, in the mail waiting for me were $18 in Cats from Catalina Marketing!lol
The $8 I didn't get(the OEP shells snafu) and then a $10 one....must be from the broken Cat Machine Register at a different Weis I went to.  I hadn't expected that one!  I still had the $4 CatI got instead of the $8 2 weeks ago so I am ahead $4 at any rate.
The problem here....they mailed the Cats on 2/23 and they expire 2/27...TODAY!LOLOL
So I am jumping back in the car to go spend them tonight!
I sure wish I had gotten the mail BEFORE we went out today...I would have had NO OOP if I had them to spend earlier today.
Oh.
Well.

#2 son is lobbying for a cheesecake splurge.
Maybe I can do the Gillette Deal again(send that rebate to BIL)AND get a cheesecake..... ;-)

Sluggy

Rolling Register Rewards at WAGS....2/24

Since we were expecting a long Snow 'Event' Thursday and Friday here in PA, I hopped up to WAGS Wednesday evening to roll some RRs that were expiring on Friday.
Just in case I couldn't make it out in time.

I bought this.....

4 x Hershey's Pieces Candy Bags on sale $2.50=$10.00
1 x Gillette Fusion Razor on sale=$8.99
2 x Crest Toothpaste $2.69=$5.38
2 x Right Guard Deo on sale BOGO=$2.99
1 x Goody Hairbands=$2.99
1 x Duracell Batteries 8pk. on sale=$5.99
3 x Hydrogen Peroxide $.99=$2.97
SubTotal....$39.31

Coupons Used
4 x $1/1 Hershey's Pieces Candy Bags ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $41 Gillette Fusion Razor ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $1/2 Crest Toothpaste ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $2/2 Right Guard Deo IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Duracell Batteries ManuQ=$1.00
1 x WAGS In-Ad Q Hydrogen Peroxide =$1.97
2 x WAGS Feb. Booklet $1.50/1 Crest TPaste Q=$3.00
Coupons Total....$16.97

RRs Used
1 x $10(Joint Juice)
1 x $3(Schick Razor)
1 x $2(Poligrip)
1 x $2(Lypsyl)
RRs Total....$17.00

$39.31-$16.97=$22.34-$17.00=$5.34+$1.26 tax=$6.60 OOP
I hadn't planned on getting the Batteries but daughter needed them for her calculator to take the SATs in 2 weeks.  Without the batteries, I would have been OOP $1.31.

I received RRs totaling $11 for this transaction....$5 for the Hershey's Candy, $4 for the Razor & $2 for the HairBands.  I spent $17 in RRs.
The purchase of the Hershey's candy also triggered a ManuQ for $1/1 off a bag of M&Ms.  This doesn't expire until 4/21/10 so it might mean cheap M&Ms when the Easter candy goes on clearance.

I still had a $1 RR to roll so I bought.....

2 x Hydrogen Peroxide $.99=$1.98
1 x Gillette Razor on sale=$8.99
1 x Candy Bar=$.69
SubTotal....$11.66

Coupons Used

1 x $41 Gillette Fusion Razor ManuQ=$4.00
1 x WAGS In-Ad Q Hydrogen Peroxide=$1.31
Coupon Total....$5.31

Register Rewards Used
1 x $1(old RR)
1 x $5(new from Pieces Candy Bags)
RRs Total....$6.00

$11.66-$5.31=$6.35-$6.00=$.35+$.54 tax=$.89 OOP

I received RRs totaling $4 for the Gillette Razor.  I spent $6 in RRs.
I now have $10 in RRs to roll within 2 weeks.  Let's hope there are some good things I can use with RRs attached offered at WAGS in those 2 weeks.

Though the Peroxide was a bit more than the cheapest filler items I could have added to my orders in order to use all my coupons and register rewards, I'd rather spend a little more and get something I can use than some junkie thing.  I love to use Peroxide for cleaning and in the laundry!

Sluggy

Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway Week 4.....LAST CHANCE to Enter!

It's WEEK 4 of The 1st BORING BLOG BOX OF FUN GIVEAWAY of 2010!

Ok....after packing in this week's goodies, there is NO MORE ROOM for additional stuff!  So this is the FINAL WEEK to enter to win this box!

Here is what went into the Box today.....

1.  1 Pair of hunter green Men's Winter Thinsulate Gloves Size L/XL
2.  1 Box of Purevia(40 ct.) stevia sweetener
3.  1 Bag of Luden's Cough Drops(cherry)
4.  1 Bar of Dove Soap
5.  1 Tin of Sugar-Free Altoids
6.  1 Rimmel Mascara
7.  1 BOGO Dozen Eggs Coupon from the Good Egg Project Facebook Giveaway(expires 3/31/10)

To refresh your memory, here is a photo of EVERYTHING that has gone into the box over the last 4 weeks that you can win....

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways on THIS POST.

Time to enter.....You can enter this week from today, February 24th through Tuesday, March 2nd at midnight EST.

1 regular entry per person per week.  Leave your name/email addy and a comment for a valid entry on THIS POST only.
MUST be a follower to enter.
MUST still be a follower at the time the the winner is posted.

There are 2 ways to get EXTRA entries each week....

1. Blog about my Giveaway on your blog or on a Message Board.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with a link to your blog post or the message on the board.  You can earn an extra entry each week by reposting about the Giveaway.
2. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with the URL of your blog. You can earn an extra entry each week by keeping my blog on your roll.

I'll number all the entries from each weekly Giveaway post and use random generator.org to pick the winner.

I have to say there are NOT many entries at this point, so be sure and enter as the odds are pretty good! ;-)

Any questions?  Just email me at slugmama@yahoo.com

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

Frugally Spending What I Saved Last Year

So what is Sluggy going to do with that $23K she saved last year?
Here is what we've done with $10K of it.....

We bought a car!

Hubby's commuting car was a 2000 Kia Spectra.  We had bought that in 2001, used obviously.  We've been tracking the maintenance costs(gas mileage, repairs, etc.)on it the last 2 years.  It finally got to the point where we were pouring more $ into it than we were realizing a benefit from driving it.  It had over 150,000 miles on it and was coming up on needing work in the $1K+ range at the end of 2009.

So hubby started researching and seeing what was available locally used.  He found this 2006 Chevy Malibu.  It was part of a rental fleet and only had 29K miles on it, had good maintenance records and a clean CarFax report.  It's a bit larger than the Kia so will be a bit more comfortable to drive, which is important for hubby.  But it gets the same good gas mileage as his old car.  It will also hold 5 passengers so we all can fit in it if need be.

I just abhor spending money on cars to begin with and I absolutely will NOT buy a new car!
Why take the financial hit for buying a new car that depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot?  If you think Chanel or Clive Christian fragrances are expensive, try the price tag on "new car smell"!lol

While I'm not happy about spending this money, it is something we needed.  And by waiting and saving up and paying CASH we did NOT take on a car loan!  This car costs $10K cash.  It will not end up costing us over $12K because we took on a car payment of $340 a month for the next 3 years at a 6.83% interest rate.

Now we just have to decide what to do with the Kia.  We run our cars into the ground but this one still has a bit of life left in it.  Even though it won't benefit us much on next year's taxes we'll probably donate it rather than junk it for parts.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....February 22nd Edition....Use it Up Week

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
The Pork Chop and Fish meal didn't happen so are moving to this week's menu. The only leftovers I am starting the week with are the Baked Chicken and homemade Clam Chowder.  The chicken will reappear in a Casserole this week and the Chowder I'll finish off for lunch.

Between my stock-ups and the bad weather predicted this week, I'll be staying out of the grocery stores again this week.  I do have some Weis Catalinas expiring this week so I will have to go once to use those up.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 13.

This week is all about using what I have and incorporating leftovers.
MONDAY--#2 son's Birthday meal out!
TUESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs(freezer/stockpile), Salad, Garlic Rolls(fridge)
WEDNESDAY--Chicken Casserole(leftover/stockpile), Broccoli(freezer)
THURSDAY--Hot Dogs(freezer), Rolls(leftover), Beans, Sauerkraut(leftover), G. Beans
FRIDAY--Fish and Stuffed Clams(freezer), Mixed Veggies in Cheese Sauce(freezer)
SATURDAY--Sloppy Joes(freezer/stockpile), Rolls(leftover), Corn(freezer)
SUNDAY--Pork Chops(freezer) with Plum Glaze(stockpile), Noodles(stockpile), Mixed Veggies(freezer)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Cantaloupe and Applesauce(stockpile), Birthday Brownie(stockpile), Ice Cream

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
$10.87 was spent on food last week.  $4.89 at the local independent grocer for milk that hubby picked up & $5.98 at Price Chopper when I went to use my Catalinas.  Except for that trip to PC I was successful in staying out of the grocery stores...yay!lol
I have exactly $2.42 left in my Feb. food budget, unless some more rebates come in this week.  Between that cash and $17 in Catalinas it looks like I'll be able to get through Feb. without going over budget. I could do this menu without buying anything, but I'd like to get some more salad veggies(red cabbage, cuke) to augment the salad.  Other than that we'll need milk and fruit this week.
I'll be using my remaining Weis Catalinas expiring this week to obtain these things so my OOP should be close to zero.

The baked chicken from last week will reappear this week in the chicken casserole. Everyone stopped eating bread for awhile so I have alot of bread from the outlet to use up now.  That's why Sloppy Joes and Hot Dogs are on the menu this week.  I might attempt Bread Pudding again for hubby too if there is still bread leftover after those 2 meals.

FOOD WASTE REPORT
The doggies where quite proficient leftover eaters this week so no waste, and I composted the veggie trimmings.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

The Last of the Rite-Aid & I Almost Go a Whole Week without a Grocery Store Visit

Friday night I ran out to finish some rebate stuff at Rite-Aid.

Rite-Aid #1

1 x Lysol Hand Soap System thingy=$12.99  egads!
1 x L'Oreal EverStrong Shampoo on sale=$5.99
1 x Vaseline Lotion on sale=$2.99
SubTotal....$21.97

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x $3/1 Lysol Hand Soap System ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $5/1 Lysol Hand Soap System In-Ad Q=$5.00
1 x $1/1 Lysol Hand Soap System AdPerks IPQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 L'Oreal Shampoo ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Any Hair Care item over $1.99 Wellness IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Vaseline ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Any Skin Care item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total....$20.00

$21.97-$20.00=$1.97 + $.12tax=$2.09 OOP  Put on a Rite-Aid Gift Card.
Single Check Rebates....$1 Lysol


Then to Store #2....

2 x L'Oreal EverStrong Shampoo on sale $5.99=$11.98
2 x Starbucks Coffee on sale $1.66=$3.32
2 x Luden's Cough Drops on sale $.99=$1.98
1 x Vaseline Lotion on sale=$2.99
1 x Wet N' Wild Makeup 40% off=$2.39
SubTotal......$22.66

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
2 x $2/1 L'Oreal EverStrong Shampoo ManuQ=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Any Hair Care item over $1.99 Wellness IPQ=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Starbucks Coffee IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/2 Luden's Cough Drops ManuQ=$1.00
2 x $.25/1 Luden's Cough Drops GOLife Q=$.50
1 x $1/1 Vaseline Lotion ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Any Skin Care item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total....$17.50
**Checking my receipt now, somehow the Cashier rang up an extra Hair Care $1/1 Q, so I got $18.50 in Coupons instead of the $17.50 I was due.

$22.66-$18.50=$4.16 = $.15tax=$4.31 OOP  Put on a Visa Prepaid Card.
Single Check Rebates qualified for....$2 Wet N' Wild, $5 L'Oreal EverStrong Items totaling over $13(adding in the 1 Shampoo in the previous transaction)=$7 SCR

Total OOP.....$0.00
SCRebates.....$8.00

I discovered that I made a tactical error earlier this week.  I bought 2 L'Oreal Shampoos for BIL's  $5 L'Oreal SCR.  Only the EverStrong 'Poos qualify for this rebate, not the EverPure ones.  I bought 2 EverPures by mistake.  OOPs!  Since this rebate runs the full month and not just the week the 'Poo was on sale, I can take those 2 bottles back and exchange them for the right ones and get my receipt fixed so I can submit for the SCR.  What a pain....

And I almost went the entire week without setting foot in a grocery store!  What sunk me was that I had $16 in Catalinas expiring on friday night from my Kraft/Unilever trips to Price Chopper the week before last.  So I was forced to go grocery shopping....the horrors!lol
No photo but I got...
1 head of lettuce=$1.49
1 lb. of frozen squid=$4.99
2 pork loins BOGO=$9.53 (for just under 2lbs. each)
3 Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream on sale $2.99=$8.97
SubTotal....$24.98

Coupons Used
3 x $1/1 Ben & Jerry's=$3.00
And the $16 in Cats=$16.00
Total....$19.00

$24.98-$19.00=$5.98 OOP
The value on the order was $38.01 before sales.

With 1 more week to go in February I've calculated that I have $2.42 left in my $250 monthly food/toiletries budget.  Here's hoping I receive some more rebates this coming week to give me a bit of wiggle room, otherwise I'll be staying out of the grocery store for another week, except to spend those Weis Catalinas that will be expiring the 27th!

Sluggy

Yearly Spending Post Mortem 2009....Why Should You Do One?

I am a 'numbers gal'.....yep, the OCDness in me shows up as me being pretty anal about money and the accounting of it.  Hey, my father and one of my brothers were/are CPAs....I come by this naturally.lol

Every year in January I do a Post-Morten of our spending for the previous year.  I get out all the check registers and canceled checks, the bill receipts and invoices and even the cash register receipts if need be.  Yes, I save all that stuff in the short term to be able to do this.

I go through and add up what we spent our money on for the year.  I break it down into categories and then after I have the yearly total for each category, I find the average monthly amount spent.  It takes about 3 hours to complete if everyone leaves me alone for that long.lol

So I can tell you that in 2009, we spent $336 on garbage pick-up or $28 per month.  (No, this isn't included in the municipal taxes we pay here.)
And our landline phone bill was $266.98 or an average of $22.25 per month.

Why do I do this?
Besides satisfying my OCD, we can analyze where the $ went and maybe find where we spent too much or find places where we can change things up and spend less this year.

For instance....hubby and I looked at the post-mortem and saw that we spent a whopping $525.43 on long distance phone service for our landline in 2009.  We don't have a cell phone plan so we had signed up a couple of years ago for an AT&T flat rate long distance plan for the landline.  At the time we found we were making alot of long distance calls(between hubby's sibs and my sick brother in VA)and #1 son had friends who lived in OH he wished to talk to for HOURS on end.lol
At the time, that flat rate plan was very cost effective for us.

Now, we don't make all those long distance calls and #1 son is at college so we are overpaying for this service for the few calls we do make a year.  I had kept the service during #1 son's 1st semester since we thought he would get a landline phone there so we could call him if he needed us for something.  He never got the landline and he finds that emailing us is just as good as calling when he needs something.

So we are dropping this long distance plan.  For the little long distance we use, we will get phone cards to use with our landline.  I am figuring that should cost us approximately $100-$200 a year.  This will give us an extra $425-$325 a year to spend elsewhere in our budget or to drop into savings.

It's also interesting to see from month to month how spending changed or didn't in some categories.

I also found that I stopped using checks to pay for groceries altogether in June 2009 and began using cash only.  I found writing checks to cash and using that money to buy groceries/toiletries and keeping the receipts so I knew how much I spent of it on those items each month worked well for me.  Now and again though I do slip up and use the credit card to pay for groceries.  And when I do, it highly annoys me.lol

I wrote checks totaling $5,950 to cash and $1,224.91 in checks to specific grocery stores for a total of $7,174.91 in 2009.  As I spent a total of $6,254.84 on food/toiletries in 2009, that means I had $920.07 of miscellaneous personal spending last year.  This would be things like a tiny bit of gas(most gets put on the credit card tho), buying a drink or lunch out, money for the kids for movies or such, ice cream in the summer at the ice cream place, newspapers, parking fees, etc.  I didn't keep track of each little thing I spent it on, but it shows that those little incidentals DO add up!

For me, $920.07 on these types of purchases is NOT acceptable!
This year I am going to put a notebook in my car and try to keep track of all these little miscellaneous expenses in hopes of trying to cut some of it or at least have a more detailed list of where every penny goes.

Keeping a spending jouranl isn't for everyone, but if you are having a hard time getting a handle on where your money goes, it's a good idea/tool for at least a month or so to keep one to see where you are spending and how much.  It may surprise you to see what you actually spend on and how much over time!

Now to revisit my Grocery spending for 2009, it totaled $6,254.84. Averaged out over the course of the year, that's $568.62 per MONTH(for 11 months).
WOW!
That's quite high.

DECEMBER     $101.55
NOVEMBER    $202.23
OCTOBER         $48.20
SEPTEMBER   $170.93
AUGUST          $446.50
JULY                $520.69
JUNE                $699.91
MAY              $1019.36
APRIL            $1104.32
MARCH           $855.39
FEBRUARY  $1085.76

But if you look at it per month you will see that I was able to bring it down consistently from month to month until I started to get it under control in July.  By being a bit smarter with my spending, getting the stockpiling method going and upping my income with rebating we did much better by the second half of the year.  The 1st 5 months of 2009 we spent an average of $952.95 per month of food/toiletries.
The last 6 months of 2009, that average cost dropped to $248.35 a month!
Whatever I am doing here seems to be working.....

If you are serious about reigning in your spending, especially on food/toiletires, try tracking your day-to-day expenses for 2 months. 
It may be eye opening!

Sluggy

Sluggy's Boring Blog Box Giveaway Week 3.....Enter to Win Now!

It's WEEK 3 of The 1st BORING BLOG BOX OF FUN GIVEAWAY of 2010!

Ok....after packing in this week's goodies, there is NO MORE ROOM for more stuff!  So this is the FINAL WEEK to enter to win this box!

Here is what went into the Box today.....

1.  1 Ty HALO Beanie Baby
2.  1 Bottle of DUCOLAX Balance
3.  1Tube of AVEENO Lotion
4.  1 Mesh Bath Sponge


If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways on THIS POST.

Time to enter.....You can enter this week from today, February 18th through Tuesday, February 23rd. 

1 regular entry per person per week.  Leave your name/email addy and a comment for a valid entry on THIS POST only.
MUST be a follower to enter.
MUST still be a follower at the time the the winner is posted.

There are 2 ways to get EXTRA entries each week....

1. Blog about my Giveaway on your blog or on a Message Board.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with a link to your blog post or the message on the board.  You can earn an extra entry each week by reposting about the Giveaway.
2. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with the URL of your blog. You can earn an extra entry each week by keeping my blog on your roll.

I'll post again about this Giveaway when the new week is here to remind ya'll it's time to enter again and let ya'll know what I've added to the box.
I think there's room in the box for 1 more week's worth of goodies so next week will probably the last week to enter to win this box of goodies!

Any questions?  Just email me at slugmama@yahoo.com

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

Wednesday's Rite-Aid Trip

Here's what I got yesterday at Rite-Aid....

3 x L'Oreal Everpure Shampoo on sale $5.99=$17.97
1 x Vaseline Lotion on sale $2.99=$2.99
SubTotal....$20.96

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerk IPQ=$5.00
3 x $2/1 L'Oreal Everpure Shampoo ManuQ=$6.00
3 x $1/1 Any Hair Care Item over $1.99 Wellness IPQ=$3.00
1 x $1/1Vaseline Lotion ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Any Skin Care Item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ=$2.00
Coupon Total....$17.00

$20.96-$17.00=$3.96+$.24 tax=$4.20 OOP
SCR qualified for $5 for buying $15 or more of Everpure Products=$5.00

$4.20 OOP-$5SCR=$.80 Moneymaker!

I'm going off today to buy some John Frieda, Motrin PM, Chestal, Sarna and on and on and on....

Sluggy

Here's a Quick Freebie at Rite-Aid......Motrin PM better than Free!

So Rite-Aid is having a special sale Thursday/Friday/Saturday this week.  

All the Over-The-Counter Medications are 20% off.

Also this week the reg. Mortin PM(20 ct.) is on sale for $2.99 and there is a $2 Single Check Rebate available for it as well.
Not the variety pictured....the Motrin PM.

Go buy 2 on Thursday, Friday or Saturday and your total will be $4.78 with the discount.
Use the $3/2 Motrin ManuQ(1/3 SS) and your total will be $1.78 for 2 bottles PLUS you can submit for the $2 SCR(on 1 bottle/limit 1), making this a $.22 moneymaker!

If you can use the Wellness IPQs it's even better....use 2 $1/1 any OTC pain medicine Wellness Q and your total is better than free(if they don't adjust the last Q down)plus you get the $2 SCR too, for a $2.22 Moneymaker.
(I'd add a little something to my order to absorb the overage, just in case the cashier doesn't adjust the last Q down.)

Sluggy

Worn Out Wednesday

I'm feeling just BLAH today. 
I don't feel like doing anything.
Cabin fever....except I don't want to get out of the house after the last 2 weeks of deal chasing.
No energy to clean.....that goes without saying, right?lol
No energy to start any projects.

I just want to lay around and do nothing.....have others do for me.
Gee, why wasn't I born a beagle?
What a life!
Chasing scents.
Barking.
Laying around.
Notice how our female beagle Cherry picks the chihuahua's tiny bed to park herself in, but instead of curling up into it, she sprawls across it......

Does that look comfy or what?lolol
And here's our male "Bagel"(part beagle/part basset) trying to squeeze into that same tiny bed.....

 

Pretty good try!
Much better than this attempt with his backend hanging out.....

Sluggy

What a Stack!

Do you know what happens when you are friendly and chat up the cashier at Rite-Aid?

Here's what happens to me.....

Instead of my two little pitiful Game of Life Tickets the register said I was due, she hands me a Stack of 26 tickets!!lolol

Of course, NONE of them had a rare game piece.....or an Instant Winner ticket......or even a good coupon.......sigh.....

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....February 15th Edition....Snow=Comfort Foods

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
Since I never posted/made a meal plan last week, I've got nothing to comment on.  Snowstorms, everyone home a lot(read TOO MUCH!lol)so we pretty much just grabbed quick stuff or I whipped something up last minute.  I made 2 quiches, using up a big block of swiss in the freezer, and that was 2 dinners last week.  We also finally did my Birthday meal out(only 3 weeks late!lol). It was a disorganized mess of a week mostly so I am ready to menu plan and get myself back on the horse.

The last 2 weeks I did a good bit of stocking up since there were nice Catalina Deals running at Price Chopper(NorthEast)and then Weis Markets. I am so tired of looking at the inside of grocery stores!lol  I should be able to keep out of the grocery stores the next 2 weeks except for milk and fresh produce.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 13.

More snow.....all week.  This week is all about the comfort food.
MONDAY--Hamburger Helper Lasagna(stockpile/leftover ground beef), Corn(stockpile)
TUESDAY--Beef Stroganoff(freezer) with Rice(stockpile), Brussel Sprouts(freezer)
WEDNESDAY--Baked Chicken(freezer) with Roasted Veggies(fresh produce) and Potatoes(root cellar)
THURSDAY--Homemade New England Clam Chowder(look for my recipe tutorial), Biscuits(stockpile)
FRIDAY--Beef Pie(freezer/stockpile)
SATURDAY--Pork Chops with Plum Glaze(freezer), Noodles(stockpile), Mixed Veggies(freezer)
SUNDAY--Fish(freezer), French Fries(root cellar), Mixed Veggies(freezer)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple and Applesauce(stockpile), Cookies(stockpile)

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
With all the grocery stocking up and drug store expenditures, I am at $82.58 for the week(before rebates).  I am so well stocked now, I should be able to not spend anymore for the next 2 weeks which would finish off February.  I have Catalinas to spend from Price Chopper and Weis that will expire over the next 2 weeks, so I plan on using those to buy any additional foodstuffs we need like milk and fresh produce so we can ride out the rest of February.

FOOD WASTE REPORT
The leftover Chicken and Dumplings got pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten so it went bad before I had a chance to feed it to the dogs.
Had to dump it out.....a big bowl.....sigh.....

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Walgreen's on Friends & Family Day.....2/12/10

I had gotten a $5 RR for buying more than $25 in one transaction a couple of weeks ago when I did the Pepsi/Chips Spend $20/Get $10 RRs Deal--though the Deal wouldn't work unless you spent $20.01 at the store here!
That RR was expiring on 2/12 so I printed off the 15% off coupon, grabbed my $19 in RRs(10Pepsi/5for Buying $25/2Vitaminstick/2Vitaminstick) and headed up to Wags after I hit the Weis Market across the street to roll my Cats.
Since I have 4 RRs, I'll have to buy at least 4 items to use them all in the same transaction.  If I use any coupons, I'll have to add an item to the order for each coupon I use.
The regular price is followed in bold print by the sale price I paid with the 15% discount.....

1 x Joint Juice Sticks on sale all month=$10.00/$8.50
1 x Schick Razor on sale all month?=$8.99/$7.64
1 x Lypsyl Lip Balm on sale all month=$2.99/$2.54
1 x Super PoliGrip on sale all month=$2.00/$1.70
3 x 3Musketeers Candy Bars on sale 3/$2=$2.00/$1.71
2 x OS Cranberry Juice $2.50=$5.00/$4.24
SubTotal.....$26.33

I have a total of $26.33 on 9 items.
I'll be using 1 cents off coupon....
1 x $1/1 Super PoliGrip=$1.00
And then I'll use all 4 of my RRs=$19.00 so a total of $20 off.
5 coupons/rrs vs. 9 items so the ratio works too.

There are 2 other 'deals' I'll use to bring my total lower.
There was an instant $1 off WYB 2 bottles of Ocean Spray=$1.00 off.
Plus there was a Wags store Q(store Qs don't count in your Q to item ratio) in the weekly flyer making the Candy Bars $.49 ea. which takes another $.24 off the total for the candy bars.

$1+$.24=$1.24 more in discounts.
Added to my $20 in RRs/Qs=$ 21.24 off.

$26.33-$21.24=$5.09+$.83 tax=$5.91 OOP
And I received more RRs....$10 Joint Juice, $3 Schick Razor, $2 Lypsyl, $2 PoliGrip, $1 Candy Bars=$18.00
And I can submit the Schick Razor for a full price rebate(2/7SS), turning this transaction into a $1.73 Moneymaker!

Questions?

Sluggy

What's Worth Buying this Week at Weis Markets...2/14-2/20

So let's see what's worth buying at Weis Markets this week.

They are doing the Weis Rewards again.  Now through March 20th, you get points for every dollar you spend.  Redeem your points for a discount on your order through March 27th.  Spend $200 to $399.99 and earn a 5% discount/Spend $400 to $599.99 and earn a 10% discount/Spend $600 to $799.99 and earn a 15% discount/Spend $800 or more and earn a 20% discount.

Like I've said before, I am NOT a fan of this reward program.  The customer really doesn't reap much of a cummulative reward in this deal.  (IE; Spend $400 over the reward period, earn your 10% discount on your next shopping trip.  So you spend $100 on your discount trip and get $10 off.  So you've spent $500 total and gotten $10 off.  Over all your shopping trips you realized a 2% Savings.
Whoopee.....
The only way to make this Weis Rewards program worth your time and energy is to...
A--Buy A LOT on that last trip where you get the discount.
B--Use TONS of coupons on the other trips(and the last trip too of course!)to bring your OOP down as low as possible.

Lots of Buy One/Get One deals this week.
 5lb. bags of Red Potatoes--2 for $2.29 is nice.
5 different bread products BOGO.  If you don't have a discount Bread/Bakery Outlet, this is a good deal.

Martin's Potato Chips are on sale for $2.  Buy 2, use the $1/2 ManuQ(1/31 Unilever insert-it's a regional Q) and pay $1.50 a bag.

All Detergent is on sale for $3.99.  Use the $2/1 ManuQ(2/7RP) and pay $1.99 for a bottle.

Scotties Facial Tissues are on sale for $1 a box.  Buy 5 boxes for $5 and use the $1/5 ManuQ(1/10SS) to pay $4 for 5 boxes....or use the $.50/3 ManuQ(2/14RP)and after doubling to $1, you'll pay $2 for 3 boxes.

Best meat deal is Bone-In Pork Lion End Roasts for .79¢ lb.

Mrs. Paul's Seafood is BOGO.  At least $5.98 for 2 packages.  There is also a "deal" this week...Buy 5 and get a $3 OYNO Catalina.  Seeing as these items are BOGO, you need to buy 6 not 5.  You'll pay at least $17.94 for 6 with the sale to get the $3 Cat.  I can't find any Qs for Mrs. Paul's so it's not much of a deal for the $3 Cat but a good price if you like the Mrs. Paul items anyway.

5 types of Kellogg's Cereals are on sale for $2.50 a box.  Buy 5 in one shopping order and you get an instant $5 off.  5 boxes would be $12.50 minus the $5 equals $7.50. There is a $1.50/2 IPQ at redplum.com, so you can use 2 Qs to bring your total down to $4.50 for 5 boxes.

Fiber One and Yo-Plus Yogurt is still on sale for $1.50.  Use the $1/1 Yo-Plus ManuQ(2/7GM or $.50/1 ManuQ(1/3GM or 1/24SS)doubled at Weis to $1 and pay $.50 each for these.

Dannon Activia or Danactive on sale for $2 a pack.  There are various ManuQ(1/10SS or 2/7SS) to bring this down to $1 a pack.

Selected Post Cereals on sale 3 for $4.  You must buy 3 to get this price. There is a $1/2 ManuQ(1/17SS) or go to HERE and get a $2/1 IPQ for the Raisin Bran.  Use one of each and pay $1 for 3 boxes or use 3 of the $2/1 adjusted down and pay ZERO for 3 boxes.

Small rolls of Grands! biscuits are $1.  Various value ManuQs out there on this item, most you need to buy 2 or 3 rolls.

Progresso Soups (Classics) $1 each.  Use the $.50/2(doubled)ManuQ to get 2 cans for $1.

No MUST BUYS as far as I'm concerned but a few nice prices.
After the last 2 weeks I am basically staying OUT of the grocery store except for necessities this week.

How about you?
Do you see a great deal this week at Weis?  Leave a comment and let us all know!

Sluggy

More Boring Weis Catalina Rolling Trips.....Yes, this is the Last Post!

Saturday was the last day for the Catalina Deals at Weis so I did 4 more transactions before calling it quits.  the 1st two transactions were done at a Weis Market south of here....the regular shelf prices were a bit lower in this town but luckily I noticed in time to make sure I have a high enough total in shelf prices to get the Cats.




Transaction #1

5 x Chef Michael Dry Dog Food  Shelf price $3.79=$18.95/Sale price $3.50=$17.50
4 x Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix  Shelf price $1.95=$7.80/Sale price $1.00=$4.00
3 x Carnation Evaporated Milk  Shelf price $1.19=$3.57/Sale price $1.00=$3.00
2 x Aquapod Water  Shelf price $2.50=$5.00/Sale price $1.00=$2.00
SubTotal....Shelf price $35.32/Sale price  $26.50   **Shelf needed to be over $35 this time.**

Coupons Used
5 x $2/1 Chef Michael Dry Dog Food ManuQ=$10.00
4 x $.50/1 Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix doubled to $1.00=$4.00
1 x $.50/2 Carnation Evaporated Milk doubled to $1.00=$1.00
1 x $10 OYNO Catalina from last transaction=$10.00
Coupon Total.....$25.00

$26.50-$25.00=$1.50+$1.05tax=$2.55 OOP
And received a $10 OYNO Catalina.





Transaction #2

4 x OEP Taco Seasoning  Shelf price $.85=$3.40/Sale price $.625=$2.50
2 x OEP Refried Beans  Shelf price $1.39=$2.78/Sale price $1.00=$2.00
4 x Pillsbury Crescent Rolls  Shelf price $2.19=$8.76/Sale price $1.66=$6.67
2 x Pillsbury RTB Cookies  Shelf price $3.39=$6.78/Sale price $2.50=$5.00
1 x Yo-Plus Yogurt  Shelf price=$2.59/Sale price=$1.50
1 x Choc. Cheerios Cereal  Shelf price=$3.59/Sale price=$2.50
1 x Wheaties Fuel Cereal  Shelf price=$3.99/Sale price=$2.50
SubTotal....Shelf price  $31.89/Sale price  $22.67 **Shelf needed to be over $30 this time.**

Coupons Used
1 x $.60/2 OEP IPQ doubled to $1.00=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.40/2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls ManuQ doubled to .80¢=$.80
1 x $1/1 Pillsbury RTB Cookies ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Yo-Plus Yogurt ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.55/1 Choc. Cheerios Cereal IPQ doubled to $1.00=$1.00
1 x $.75/1 Wheaties Fuel Cereal IPQ doubled to $1.00=$1.00
1 x $10 OYNO Catalina=$10.00

Coupon Total.....$18.80

$22.67-$18.80=$3.87 OOP
And received an $8 OYNO Catalina plus a $4 OYNO Catalina(Pillsbury)& a $3 OYN Meat Purchase Catalina(OEP).

Then it was back to Teeny Tiny Town Saturday evening to finish up.....






Transaction #3

6 x Green Giant Veggie Steamers  Shelf price $2.50=$15.00/Sale price $2.00=$12.00
2 x Progresso High Fiber Soup  Shelf price $2.19=$4.38/Sale price $1.34/.33=$2.67
1 x Yo Plus Yogurt  Shelf price=$2.79/Sale price=$1.50
3 x OEP Refried Beans  Shelf price $1.45=$4.35/Sale price $1.00=$3.00
4 x OEP Taco Seasoning Mix  Shelf price $.89=$3.56/Sale price $.625=$2.50
SubTotal......Shelf price $30.08/Sale price $21.67  **Shelf price needed to be over $30 this time.**
1 x Ground Beef  4.81lbs.($6.15+$5.83)=$11.98
Total(using Sale price for Catalina items)......$33.65

Coupons Used

4 x $.40/1 Green Giant Veggie Steamers ManuQ doubled to $.80=$3.20
1 x $1/2 Green Giant Veggie Steamers ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.50/2 Progresso Soup ManuQ doubled to $1.00=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Yo Plus Yogurt  ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.55/2 OEP ManuQ doubled to $1.00=$1.00
2 x $3 Instant Discount Sticker on Ground Beef=$6.00
1 x $8 OYNO Catalina from last transaction
1 x $3 OYN Meat Purchase Catalina from last transaction
Coupon Total......$24.20

$33.67-$24.20=$9.45 OOP
I received an $8 OYNO Catalina and a $3 OYN Meat Purchase Catalina.(And I still have my $4 Pillsbury Cat which I didn't spend in this transaction.)







Transaction #4

4 x OEP Refried Beans  Shelf price $1.45=$5.80/Sale price $1.00=$4.00
2 x OEP Taco Seasoning Mix  Shelf price $.89=$1.78/Sale price $.625=$1.25
2 x OEP Taco Shells  Shelf price $2.29=$4.58/Sale price $1.25=$2.50
2 x BC Cookie Mix  Shelf $2.19=$4.38/Sale price $1.67=$3.34
4 x Pillsbury RTB Cookies  Shelf price $3.19=$12.76/Sale price $2.50=$10.00
1 x Pillsbury RTB Cookies  Shelf price $3.49/Sale price $2.50=$2.50
1 x Pillsbury Crescent Rolls  Shelf price $2.29/Sale price $1.67
SubTotal.....Shelf price  $35.08/Sale price  $25.26  **Shelf price needed to be over $35 here.**

Coupons Used
1 x $1/2 BC Cookie Mix ManuQ=$1.00
2 x $1/2 Pillsbury RTB CookiesManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Pillsbury RTB Cookies ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.25/1 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls ManuQ doubled to .50¢=$.50
1 x $4 OYNO Catalina=$4.00
1 x $8 OYNO Catalina=$8.00
Coupon Total....$16.50

$25.26-$16.50=$8.76 OOP
And I received an $8 Catalina, a $4 Catalina and a $3 OYN Meat Purchase Catalina.

***********
Well, that is what was SUPPOSE to happen!
What actually happened was that the Taco Shells did NOT ring up at sale price and I ONLY got a $4 Deal Catalina instead of the $8 Catalina, along with the $4 Pillsbury and the $3 OEP Cats.
Looks like the Taco Shells either were not included in the eligible items for the Cat or they weren't coded right.  They were correct according to the ad, the shelf tag, etc. so I get to call Catalina tomorrow to see if they were included or not.  I may get my $8 Cat or I might not depending on what Catalina says.  Either way, the store screwed up(ad price not ringing up correctly)so I'll go back to the store and make Weis honor their "If it rings up wrong, you get it free" Policy.  At least I'll get my $4.58 back and get to keep the Taco Shells so it's all good.

Because of the Taco Shell problem, my OOP was $10.84 instead of $8.76.
After I get the $ back from Weis for the shells my OOP will be $6.26(after deducting the $2.50 the shells should have been.)
I did get the 2 $4 Cats and the $3 meat Cat so $11 in Cats, added to the 2 $3 meat Cats I still have for a total of $17 in Cats leftover.
No big loss on the $4 instead of $8 Cat if I don't get the $8 from the Catalina company, since I wasn't planning on rolling these Cat Deals anymore this week.

GRAND TOTALS for this Week's Catalina Deals
Value of  Items purchased....$339.64
Out of Pocket......$50.91
Catalinas Earned.....$119.00
Catalinas Used.....$102.00
Sales & Coupons Used.....$186.73
Savings of.....85% + $17 in Catalinas to spend

After the last 2 weeks of Catalinas I am going to take a well deserved break from grocery stockpiling.  I need to spend the next week in the garage putting away and organizing it all.

Sluggy

Hounding for the $15 Olay Rebate at Rite-Aids

So Olay released a new $15 Mail-in Rebate. 
You can see the details on the Olay website HERE get the form HERE.

The details are that you need to buy 3 specified Olay products and you can send in for a $15 Cash Rebate.
The rebate period started on Friday, February 12th and purchases have to be made byl March 12th.

I went out Friday in search of this deal.  With the "Buy One, Get One Half Off" Olay products at Rite-Aid until Saturday, February 13th, combined with the fabulous Coupons you can use at Rite-Aid, I figured my best bet for the lowest possible OOP was there.

Here is what I did on Friday....

1 x Nivea Body Wash on sale $2.99=$2.99
2 x Olay In-Shower Body Lotion B1G50% (reg. price $4.99)=7.49
2 x Cover Girl Eye Shadow 25% off sale weekend $3.89=$7.78
1 x Wet N' Wild Eye Shadow 25% off sale weekend=$2.99
1 x Lifesavers Gummies on sale=$1.00
SubTotal....$22.25

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks Q=$5.00
1 x $2/1 Nivea Body Wash ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Olay Body Lotion ManuQ=$4.00
2 x $1/1 Cover Girl ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Any Beauty Item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ(used on 2 Cover Girls)=$4.00
Coupons Total.....$17.00

$22.25-$17.00=$5.25+$.38tax=$5.63 OOP**I didn't have enough $2/1 Wellness Skin Care/Beauty Item IPQs with me...I could have used 1 or 2 more on this purchase if I had them. sigh
It doesn't really matter I guess because I have a $25 Rite-Aid Gift Card from transferring a prescription so my OOP is ZERO either way.ll
 
Single Check Rebates qualified for....$2.00 Wet N' Wild
The Cover Girl purchases finished off BIL's SCR#550 for the $35 Prepaid Visa Card.

And I have 2 of 3 Olay purchases for the $15 MIR.

Then Saturday, I did this.....

1 x Venus Spa Breeze Razor on sale=$7.99
1 x Olay Body Wash=$9.49**Got a  10% Wellness Card discount=$8.54
2 x GE Reveal Light bulbs on sale$2.50=$5.00
SubTotal....$21.53

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x $2/1 Venus Razor ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Any Shaving Access. Wellness CRT printed Q=$1.00
1 x Buy Razor/Get Free Olay Body Wash ManuQ=$9.49**automatically took off full price even though I got a discount on it
2 x $1/1 GE Reveal Lightbulbs ManuQ=$2.00
2 x $.40/1 GE Reveal Lightbulbs AdPerks IPQ=$.80
Coupon Total....$20.29

$21.53-$20.29=$1.24+$.08tax=$1.32 OOP put onto a Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO OOP.
Qualified for SCR#6 Lightbulbs....$2
And the Olay Body Wash finishes off my $15 MIR.

Two transactions, no OOP, $4 in SCRs(lightbulbs and make-up) and a $15 MIR, so I made $19!

Off to another Rite-Aid to work on a second MIR for BIL.....

1 x Venus Spa Breeze Razor on sale=$7.99
1 x Olay Body Wash=$8.99
1 x Purevia on sale=$2.99
2 x Cadbury Eggs on sale=$1.00**Not Pictured**
SubTotal.....$20.97

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x $2/1 Venus Razor ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Any Shaving Access. Item Wellness CRT printed Q=$1.00
1 x Buy Venus Razor/Get Olay Body Wash Free ManuQ=$8.99
1 x $2/1 Purevia ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $.50/2 Cadbury Eggs AdPerks IPQ=$.50
Coupon Total....$19.49

$20.97-$19.49=$1.48 OOP put on Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO OOP.
No SCRs but I have 1 Olay product bought for BILs Rebate.

This transaction was done at a Rite-Aid haven't been to since December.  When I tried to use my Wellness Card the cashier said no, they aren't suppose to take them.  I tried to explain that I've used it at FIVE other Rite-Aids in the area with no problems and since technically we ARE within the mile limit for the Harrisburg test market I should be able to use it at this store.
Nope.
Wasn't budging.
OK...fine.
I can get my stuff for just over 1 dollar anyway so pppffffffttttt!
The only thing that was affected in this transaction by NOT being able to use the Wellness Card was the Olay Body Wash(which was NOT on sale if you only bought 1) didn't get discounted 10%(would have brought my subtotal to $20.08).  I wasn't using any Wellness IPQs but I did have a $1/1 Shaving Access. CRT Q, which is only printed on the receipt when you use a Wellness Card.  The cashier didn't have a problem taking that....or just didn't notice since I had him so flustered.lol

So this makes 2 Stores locally I can't use the Wellness Card at....this one and the store with the Evil Cashier.  I'll avoid both if possible until the Wellness program goes national.

Then I hit up one of my favorite Rite-Aids to see if I could score 2 more inexpensive Olay products to finish off the MIR deal....

2 x Nivea Body Lotion on sale $5.99=$11.98
2 x Olay Cleansers on sale B1G150%(reg. $7.99)=$11.98
1 x Finish Dishwashing GelTabs on sale=$4.49
SubTotal....$28.45

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $20 Purchase AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x $5/2 Nivea Lotion ManuQ=$5.00
2 x $2/1 Any Skin Care Item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ=$4.00
2 x $3/1 Olay Moisturizer Product ManuQ=$6.00
2 x $2/1 Any Skin Care Item over $2.99 Wellness IPQ=$4.00
1 x $1/1 Finish GelTabs ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Finish Product AdPerks IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$26.00

$28.45-$26.00=$2.45+$.15tax=$2.60 OOP  The OOP was put on my Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO OOP.
I qualified for a $1.50 SCR(Finish) and the 2 Olay products finished off BIL's $15 Olay MIR deal.

To recap....
OOP.....$11.03
Minus SCRS...$5.50=$5.53
Minus Olay Rebates...$30.00=$24.47 Moneymaker!
And throw in finishing the $35 Visa Prepaid Card too.

And Remember......there is a P&G Coupon Booklet Mail-In Deal available now!
Spend  $50 on P&G products and you can get a coupon booklet worth $100.  If you bought another to qualify for the P&G Rite-Aid SCR(the Visa Prepaid Card Deal)from February 1st to February 13th(when the Rite-aid Deal ended) be sure to use those purchases to send away for this coupon booklet, after you enter your purchase information on the Rite-Aid website for the Single Check Rebate program.

This is one time my being quick to fulfill rebates will work against me.  Since I need 4 of the receipts from last week to send for the $15 Olay Rebates I only have $35.13 in "other" P&G purchase receipts to submit for the coupon booklet deal for now.(Being able to use all my receipts would have put me well over the $50 mark but I'd much rather get the $30 in cash as opposed to coupons.)
I fulfilled 1 of the $35 Visa Card Rite-Aid deals before Feb. 1st, so I can't use those receipts to double dip that Rite-aid deal and the MIR booklet deal.
So I need to find $14.87 in additional P&G purchases over the course of the coming month to do this booklet deal.  I'm sure I'll find enough for almost free after coupons and deals to get the booklet.
If you waited to do the Rite-Aid SCR Visa Card Deal the second week of the rebate period you probably already have enough in purchases to submit for the Coupon Booklet so don't forget to do that!

Sluggy

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hubby brought me home some pretty flowers on Friday.  Since both the teens who are still at home were out this evening either working or with friends, we ordered some Chinese Take-out and uncorked a bottle of bubbly and had a romantic candlelit dinner alone.   Well as romantic as two old farts can get....lol

I hope you got some Vday love from your special someone too! ;-)

Sluggy

More Catalina Rolling at Weis 2/12/10......The Hounds are Happy!

One photo of both transactions from Friday.....

The goal here is to get to $35 in shelf prices on the qualifying items, so I get a $10 Catalina Q to roll into another purchase of qualifying items totaling $35 or more.

Transaction #1
6 x Chef Michaels Dog Food  shelf price $3.99=$23.94/sale price $3.50=$21.00
4 x Nestle Cocoa Mix  shelf price $2.19=$8.76/sale price $1.00=$4.00
2 x Carnation Evaporated Milk shelf price $1.29=$2.58/sale price $1.00=$2.00
Subtotal of Catalina Items....Shelf Price...$35.28/Sale Price....$27.00  
1 x Kikkoman Soy Sauce sale price $1.50=$1.50
2 x Tabasco Sauce sale price $1.00=$2.00
Total.....$30.50+$1.26 tax(dog food)=$31.76

Coupons Used
6 x $2/1 Chef Michaels Dog Food ManuQ=$12.00
4 x $.50/1 Nestle Cocoa Mix(doubled to $1)IPQ=$4.00
2 x $.50/1 Carnation Evap. Milk(doubled to $1)IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce IPQ=$1.00
2 x $.50/1 Tabasco Sauce(doubled to $1)IPQ=$2.00
1 x $10.00 OYNO Catalina from my last shopping trip=$10.00
Coupon Total....$31.00

$31.76-$31.00=$.76 OOP
And I was suppose to get a $10 OYNO Catalina.  When the machine didn't spit it out I asked the cashier if the cat machine was turned out since I didn't see the light on.  She nonchalantly looked up at the number sign at the register and said, "Oh, this is register 9...the catalina machine here doesn't work, sorry."
UGH!
Do I have to ASK every time I go to checkout at a store if the catalina machine is working/turned on/functioning BEFORE I let them ring me out?
Seriously.....
Like they KNOW it's not working and it hasn't worked in MONTHS AND they are running 4 Catalina Deals this week, yet they continue to use this register??  How many customers have checked out this week at Register 9 and not being aware they bought items that qualified them for a Catalina Q didn't get it? 
Bad Bad Store!

So I trot over to CS(customer service)and hope to heavens an IDIOT isn't working the desk! 
Idiot=someone who has no clue how Catalinas work.
I am in no mood for a fight and if I have to fight about getting my Cat it will NOT be pretty....

The CS gal was highly competent, for a change!, and knew to base the total price on the shelf not the sale price.  After a call to the manager I had my choice of Weis Dollars(?) or cash.....most local store would have put it on a gift card.
I took cash but it didn't matter because I was going to use it as soon as I shoved the first transaction's worth of items into the car.

Transaction #2
5 x Chef Michaels Dog Food  shelf price $3.99=$19.95/sale price $3.50=$17.50
4 x Nestle Cocoa Mix  shelf price $2.19=$8.76/sale price $1.00=$4.00
1 x Carnation Evaporated Milk shelf price $1.29/sale price $1.00
2 x T-Bonz Dog Treats shelf price $2.85=$5.70/sale price $2.00=$4.00
Subtotal of Catalina Items....Shelf Price...$35.70/Sale Price....$26.50
1 x Kikkoman Soy Sauce sale price $1.50=$1.50
1 x Tabasco Sauce sale price $1.00=$1.00
1 x Chobani Yogurt sale price $1.00=$1.00 **Not pictured**
1 x Sara Lee Carrot Cake 50% off=$2.29 **Not pictured**
Total.....$32.29+$1.29 tax(dog food)=$33.58

Coupons Used
5 x $2/1 Chef Michaels Dog Food ManuQ=$10.00
4 x $.50/1 Nestle Cocoa Mix(doubled to $1)IPQ=$4.00
1 x $.50/1 Carnation Evap. Milk(doubled to $1)IPQ=$1.00
2 x $1/1 T-Bonz Dog Treats ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce IPQ=$1.00
1 x $.50/1 Tabasco Sauce IPQ=$.50
1 x $1/1 Chobani Yogurt ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $10.00 in lieu of $10 Cat courtesy of Register 9=$10.00

Coupon Total....$29.50

$33.58-$29.50=$4.08 OOP
And I received a $10 OYNO Catalina.

I just noticed she didn't double my last Tabasco Sauce $.50 Q to $1.  OOP should have been $3.58.

Grand Total.....
OOP....$4.84
Value....Shelf Price  $83.73/Sale Price  $62.79
Savings Percentage...Shelf Price 94.22% /Sale Price  92.30%

One more day to roll these Cats.  Guess where you'll find me today?lol

Sluggy

Weis Market Shopping Today 2/11/10......Making the Catalinas Roll

3 transactions at Weis today.  I had to leave Teeny Tiny Town to go to the Weis in an adjacent town as my Weis will NOT take IPQs!

I had an $8 Cat, a $4 Cat and a $3 WYB Meat Cat going in.

Transaction #1.....

1 x Wheaties Fuel Cereal shelf price $4.35/sale price $2.50=$2.50
2 x GG Steamers shelf price $2.50=$5.00/sale price $2.00=$4.00
6 x Crescent or Sweet Rolls shelf price $2.29=$13.74/sale price $1.66=$10.00
3 x OEP Refried Beans shelf price $1.45=$4.35/sale price $1.00=$3.00
3 x OEP Seasonings shelf price $.89=$2.67/sale price $.63=$1.87
Shelf price total....$30.11/Sale price total....$21.37

2 x Tabasco on sale $1.00 each=$2.00 **not part of the Catalina Deal**
Subtotal....sale price....$23.37

Coupons Used
1 x $.75/1 Wheaties (doubled to $1)=$1.00
2 x $.40/1 GG Steamers(doubled)=$1.60
3 x $1/2 Crescents/Sweet Rolls=$3.00
2 x $.50/1 Tabasco(doubled)=$2.00
1 x $8 Catalina from last transaction=$8.00
1 x $4 Catalina from last transaction=$4.00
Coupon Total....$19.60

$23.37-$19.60=$3.77 OOP

Received....
$8 Catalina for buying everything but the Tabascao
$4 Catalina for buying the 6 rolls
$3 WYB Meat Catalina for buying the OEP items

Transaction #2

2 x Choc. Cheerios Cereal shelf price $3.99=$7.98/sale price $2.50=$5.00
1 x Yoplait Yogurt shelf price $2.79/sale price $1.50=$1.50
6 x Crescent Rolls shelf price $2.29=$13.74/sale price $1.66=$10.00
2 x OEP Refried Beans shelf price $1.45=$2.90/sale price $1.00=$2.00
4 x OEP Seasonings shelf price $.89=$3.56/sale price $.63=$2.50
Shelf price total....$30.97/Sale price total....$21.00

2 x Tabasco on sale $1.00 each=$2.00 **not part of the Catalina Deal**
4 x Steak $3.11/$3.11/$3.19/$3.39=$12.60 
Subtotal....sale price...$35.80

Coupons Used
2 x $.50/1 Choc. Cheerios (doubled)=$2.00
1 x $.50/1 Yoplait Yogurt(doubled)=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Crescent Rolls=$1.00
2 x $.40/2 Crescent Rolls(doubled)=$1.60
2 x $.50/1 Tabasco(doubled)=$2.00
1 x $8 Catalina from last transaction=$8.00
1 x $4 Catalina from last transaction=$4.00
4 x $1.50 Instant Meat Discount=$6.00
2 x $3 WYB Meat Catalinas from last 2 transactions=$6.00
Coupon Total....$31.60


$35.80-$31.60=$4.20 OOP


Received....
$8 Catalina for buying everything but the Tabasco & Meat
$4 Catalina for buying the 6 rolls
$3 WYB Meat Catalina for buying the OEP items

And this store was out of Chef Michaels Dry Dog Food so it was back to Teeny Tiny Town for my this....

Transaction #3.....

6 x Chef Michael Dry Dog Food shelf price $3.99=$23.94/sale price $3.50=$21.00
1 x Friskies Dry Cat Food shelf price $4.55/sale price $3.50=$3.50
1 x Tidy Cat Litter Bonus size Bag shelf $4.59/sale price $3.00=$3.00 **Not Pictured**
1 x Nestle Hot Cocoa shelf price $2.19/sale price $1.00=$1.00
Shelf Price Total....$35.27/Sale Price Total.....$28.50

Coupons Used
6 x $2/1 Chef Michael Dry Dog Food=$12.00
1 x $1/1 Friskies Dry Cat Food=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Tidy Cat Litter Bonus size Bag=$1.00
1 x $8 Catalina from previous transaction=$8.00
1 x $4 Catalina from previous transaction=$4.00
Coupon Total.....$26.00

$28.50-$26.00=$2.50+$1.65tax=$4.15 OOP
Received....
$10 Catalina for buying everything in this transaction

OOP....$12.12
Value of items....Shelf  $116.88/Sale  $87.47
Savings.....Shelf  89.62%/Sale 87.15%
And I have a $10 Catalina and a $3 WYB Meat Catalina to roll on.

Sluggy

Snow Snow Go Away....

Our little corner of PA was on the edge of the storm that departed last Friday, so we only received about 2" of the white stuff last week.  Drive half an hour south and they got upwards of 10".  My Philly Sunday paper headline said the city got 28.5" from that storm.
The storm on Wednesday tracked a bit more to the north so we got 12" this time.
This photo was taken about halfway through the storm....

Today was brilliantly sunny and a good 4 inches or so has melted already. 

I'm not complaining since we've lived where the winters were much worse. 
We lived in the northern Poconos for 14 years before moving here.  Our average snow accumulation there was 100" or more each yr.  Easter egg hunts were much more challenging for the kids as they usually had 2-4" of snow covering the eggs.  Thank goodness for brightly colored plastic eggs.lol

This is a photo of our house right after the  the Blizzard of  '93.  That storm dumped 3 feet of snow on us.  That was 3 weeks after a Nor'Easter blew through in Dec. of '92....which lasted 4 days & snowed steadily straight from Dec. 9th to Dec. 12th. 
On the evening of the 12th, just as the snow was ending I went into labor.
The interstate was closed, hubby had been bedridden for the preceeding 4 days with the flu and the hospital was an hour drive away(an hour drive if the roads were clear).

After living there, if it's less than 6 inches, we just drive right through it.  Plowing/shoveling for less accumulation is for sissies.

Good times.....

Sluggy

$30K Savings Challenge JANUARY 2010 Totals....a Slow Start

I have posted my JANUARY End of Month 30K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.

I have to report that we finished up January in the Black.

The amount we ended the month of January with was.......$755.65

Income
Besides Hubby salary we had a small amount in Rebates and some rolled Coins under the Income Heading.

Outgo
As for the expenses in January.....
The electric bill doubled!  This was not unexpected as our electric rates increased 30% on the 1st plus January was colder than December so more energy was used.
The water bill jumped $15 from last month. Extra showers and laundry to do with extra people in the house in Jan.
All other regular bills...Cable, Internet, Phone, etc. are the same each month. 

The Food Budget costs for January are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food/Toiletries spending in January was high but compared to the value of the items bought we still saved just over 84%. 

Jan. and Feb. are heavy expense months for us, as some quarterly and semi-annual bills come due.
The credit card bill,which is paid off EVERY MONTH,($643.14)wasn't too bad considering it's mostly gas purchases, 1 grocery store purchase and some Birthday/Relative visiting eating out.

The out-of-the-ordinary expenses in January halved our savings for the month.
It was a bad month for this family's teeth.
3 Wisdom Teeth, 4 Regular Teeth and a set of Braces later, we saw a big chunks of cash leave our account.  We do have dental insurance(thankfully!)so these expenses won't be as bad as they could have been.  The braces are paid for, out of savings we put aside for this expense a couple of years ago but the 7 teeth that were pulled WERE paid for out of our Jan. income.  At the moment that expense stands at $1,780.  We have to pay for these services but get reimbursed with our dental benefit later.  I am still waiting on one of the reimbursements. This payment will go into the income column and be applied against the expenses in February.

So how was your January financially?  Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good.   Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out?  Let us know!


Sluggy

January BUDGET RESULTS-Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JANUARY 2010.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in January.
These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home-all 5 home for 2/3 of this month + an extra relative for 1 week)& 3 dogs. No kids under 13.

BIG LOTS
OOP $20.60
Qs/Ads $9.90
Value $30.50
Savings 32.50%

CARONE'S(local Independent Grocery that doesn't take IP Qs)
OOP $8.82
Qs/Ads $0
Value $8.82
Savings   0%

CVS
OOP $1.98
Qs/Ads $150.31
Value $152.29
Savings 98.70%

ENTENMANN'S OUTLET
OOP $12.89
Ads/Sales $23.61
Value $36.50
Savings  64.70%

RITE AID
OOP $135.42 before rebates
Qs/Ads $188.91
Value $1324.33
Savings 89.78%

WALGREENS
OOP $23.75
Qs/Ads $16.99
Value $40.74
Savings  41.70%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town)
OOP $182.21
Qs/Ads $333.06
Value $515.27
Savings  64.64%

I've don't track CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN JANUARY

Ducolax.....$5.00

Pinecone Research....$6.00
Raisin Bran Extra(Kellogg's)...$4.39
Rite-Aid SCR........$40.78
Subtotal........$56.17

FREE ITEMS

Stacy's Chips
International Delights Creamer

COUPONS

None Received 8-(

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

Nothing this Month.

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$56.17
This was a very light month for Rebates.....

My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from CVS at 98.70%, Rite-Aid at 89.70%, and the Entenmann's Outlet at 64.70%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$385.67
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1722.78
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$2108.45
TOTAL Savings of..........81.70%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$56.17
TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$329.50
TOTAL Savings of..................................84.37%

This closes out the January spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
With the extra mouths to feed in January coupled with the dirth of Rebates coming in during the month, the Food Spending was high for me and I waaaaay overshot my $200 goal. I see now that it was unrealistically low.  

What's ahead for February 2010.....

The February 2010 Food/Toiletries Budget is set at $250 cash out of pocket.  Any rebates received this month will offset this OOP spending.  I sent away for $65.38 in Rebates in January and am still waiting on $26 in Rebates from December, so hopefully some of those will come in this month and augment my food budget.
If I don't spend all the money in the budget in February(HAHA), I'll carry over whatever is leftover into February's food budget.  I've already spent $90+ at Price Chopper on Catalina Deals last week and I'm going to be doing some Catalina Deals this week at Weis so I'm crossing my fingers that some rebates come in. 

How did you do in January with your Food Budget?  Leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.

Sluggy