Not much going on here in terms of frugal stuff this past week, other than just not spending money and sitting home.
* I got some good deals at the grocery store this past week--.38¢ a can for Progresso soups(plus I got another $1 off the entire soup purchase on SavingStar), 38¢ a bag for frozen Birdseye veggies, 2 boxes of spaghetti on clearance for 64¢ each, 6.14 lbs. ground beef for $2.75 a lb. after sale and instant discount sticker. My best score was 2 bottles of Lysol bathroom cleaner, 2 bottles of Lyson toilet bowl cleaner and 2 boxes of Finish dishwasher tabs for $
Reg. price for all was $20.14, sale price was $16.98. $5 off wyb $20 instant discount worked off of reg. prices too. I had $8 in Qs to use so $16.98-$8=$8.98-$5 instant discount=$3.98 for all 6 products. 8-))) They also had a Buy1/Get2Free Deal on London Broil so I picked up 3 hunks of meat which came out to $2.75 lb.
* I ordered College Boy's book for this semester. Usually I just reserve them at his school's bookstore, pay and he picks them up there. But this time around the price of a few of them about gave me a stroke so I shopped around for cheaper alternatives. The big problem this time was that none of what he needed was available in a used version at the bookstore. ouch.
So I saved $300 or so on his textbooks buying from other sources. They have all arrived and are packed to go back to college with him tomorrow.
* I declined to buy one of my prescription medications as it was going to cost $616 as we haven't satisfied 2017's deductible yet(We have no drug benefit on this medical plan until we spend $3K OOP on medical). If I bought all my medications at full price in January just those alone would cost us $1690.93 OOP in one fell swoop.
ouch.
I know I need these drugs but some I fill ahead in December so we pay 10% of the U&C price instead(as the deductible was satisfied long ago in 2016). There is one drug I get in a different form until the deductible is reached which costs $120 less than the one I usually get and I prefer. Another drug I need I can get from a different manufacturer for free(through their loyalty card program)for a few months before going back to the similar drug from the other manufacturer my doc prefers(which costs $489.99 OOP before our deductible is satisfied and $45 after deductible is satisfied).
This juggling drugs helps so that we don't take such a large money hit in 1 month.
Between prescriptions and office visits, Daughter's back injections and now Hubs' PT visits we'll hit our deductible by at the latest March this year. Just paying full shift on my drugs we'd be there by mid February. ;-(
* The daughter's BF has decided to move back to Louisiana and will be leaving next Friday. Though we hate to see him go it will be a frugal win for me, as our grocery, water and electric bills will be going down with one less person in the house.
* I bought 320 postage stamps this morning when out running errands. The price is rising so I saved $6.40 over the new .49¢ price going forward. Not a big win but a savings nonetheless.
And there was one Frugal Fail this past week was I couldn't make dinner one night due to pain so we got Chinese take-out. $48.20 But at least some of us got two meals out of our entrees.
Sluggy
* I got some good deals at the grocery store this past week--.38¢ a can for Progresso soups(plus I got another $1 off the entire soup purchase on SavingStar), 38¢ a bag for frozen Birdseye veggies, 2 boxes of spaghetti on clearance for 64¢ each, 6.14 lbs. ground beef for $2.75 a lb. after sale and instant discount sticker. My best score was 2 bottles of Lysol bathroom cleaner, 2 bottles of Lyson toilet bowl cleaner and 2 boxes of Finish dishwasher tabs for $
Reg. price for all was $20.14, sale price was $16.98. $5 off wyb $20 instant discount worked off of reg. prices too. I had $8 in Qs to use so $16.98-$8=$8.98-$5 instant discount=$3.98 for all 6 products. 8-))) They also had a Buy1/Get2Free Deal on London Broil so I picked up 3 hunks of meat which came out to $2.75 lb.
* I ordered College Boy's book for this semester. Usually I just reserve them at his school's bookstore, pay and he picks them up there. But this time around the price of a few of them about gave me a stroke so I shopped around for cheaper alternatives. The big problem this time was that none of what he needed was available in a used version at the bookstore. ouch.
So I saved $300 or so on his textbooks buying from other sources. They have all arrived and are packed to go back to college with him tomorrow.
* I declined to buy one of my prescription medications as it was going to cost $616 as we haven't satisfied 2017's deductible yet(We have no drug benefit on this medical plan until we spend $3K OOP on medical). If I bought all my medications at full price in January just those alone would cost us $1690.93 OOP in one fell swoop.
ouch.
I know I need these drugs but some I fill ahead in December so we pay 10% of the U&C price instead(as the deductible was satisfied long ago in 2016). There is one drug I get in a different form until the deductible is reached which costs $120 less than the one I usually get and I prefer. Another drug I need I can get from a different manufacturer for free(through their loyalty card program)for a few months before going back to the similar drug from the other manufacturer my doc prefers(which costs $489.99 OOP before our deductible is satisfied and $45 after deductible is satisfied).
This juggling drugs helps so that we don't take such a large money hit in 1 month.
Between prescriptions and office visits, Daughter's back injections and now Hubs' PT visits we'll hit our deductible by at the latest March this year. Just paying full shift on my drugs we'd be there by mid February. ;-(
* The daughter's BF has decided to move back to Louisiana and will be leaving next Friday. Though we hate to see him go it will be a frugal win for me, as our grocery, water and electric bills will be going down with one less person in the house.
* I bought 320 postage stamps this morning when out running errands. The price is rising so I saved $6.40 over the new .49¢ price going forward. Not a big win but a savings nonetheless.
And there was one Frugal Fail this past week was I couldn't make dinner one night due to pain so we got Chinese take-out. $48.20 But at least some of us got two meals out of our entrees.
Sluggy
If you contact the drug maker they will often allow you to get the drug practically free. I have had to do this with my expensive meds. Like $3700.00 a month I paid $50.00 for two months. They paid the rest.
ReplyDeleteThere you go thrifting again even when you think you are having an off week! I feel totally incompetent after reading your bargains, but it has caused me to try to do better, with some successes.
ReplyDeleteAs you wrote, staying away from the stores IS frugal!. Sorry that the BF is leaving, BTDT to some degree. Agree, your costs will drop.
ReplyDeleteI hope your daughters ok with the change-won't ask the rest of story. I like having some canned soup for office so that would have been a good but for me.
ReplyDeleteGuess I've been out of the loop. Didn't realize that postage was going up. Since we are digging ourselves out of debt, I like to save wherever I can. Even the small amts add up. Ouch on the medical costs.
ReplyDeleteI hope everything with your daughter is okay....
ReplyDeleteThose medical costs until your deductible is out would give me a lot of stress. UGH!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of your daughter too. :-)
Nice shop for the stamps. Every little bit does help.
My favorite place to be is home.
I too got 2 more rolls of stamps before the price hike. Now I wish I had purchased more. Seems like you and I have been living parallel lives with this post. Juggling meds, using what was purchased last year when deductible was met, even the 4 cans of Progresso! Here is to 2017 being frugally sound Sluggy!
ReplyDeleteYou amaze me in a great way :) Hope DD is ok
ReplyDelete