Frugal Friday....The December 4th Edition

Here's a short list of frugal happenings around Chez Sluggy this past week.

*  All the Black Friday weekend shopping was reported on in a previous post so I won't go over all that again.  Let's just say during those 3 days I spent an actual $9.82 out of pocket and brought home a ton of stuff-needs, wants, stuff for gifts and stuff for giveaway boxes as well!

*  A surprise gift arrived in the mail from a blogger/blog reader this past week.........

No one ever sends me gifties(well except for dog butt magnets lol)so thank you reader(you know who you are)!

*  I have hardly left the house since Saturday.  And when you don't leave the house for most of the week you don't spend money, right?  That's frugal. ;-)

*  I found money!

The only change I found were 2 pennies at Weis(PMITA)on Friday when I ran in there for a couple one day only specials.
I can't believe during all my Rite-Aid trips last week I didn't spy a single dropped coin!

Total Found $ This Week.... .02¢
Total Found $ So Far This Year....$52.55

* Speaking of Rite-Aid(lol)I did do 2 shops online with them this past week.  Remember that Spend $50/Get $15 Bonus Cash Deal from last week?  Well they are doing it with online orders this week!
I was hoping the packages would arrive before today so I could show what I got but they haven't so that will happen on the next Frugal Friday report(I hope).  Needless to say I only spent Bonus Cash on these transactions. ;-)

*  My Amazon Chase credit card was due to the tune of  $390.86 last week.  I saw I had accrued $53.62 worth of points on that account.  So I used them to pay down the balance meaning I only had to pay $337.24 to bring my balance to zero.

*  We hit the P and R Outlet a few days before Thanksgiving(I forgot to list this in last week's wins). If you remember, this store puts out food that is short dated for free near the registers if you buy anything in their store.  

Hubs and I picked up 2 containers of Half Sour Pickles(too garlicky for me as it turns out), 2 bags of Banana Chips and a 12 pack of individual aseptic milk boxes.  All were free!

That's about it from here this past week..........

What frugaliciousness did you have happen in your life this week?
Tell us all about it!

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Black Friday Deals

A black & white copy of the Rite-Aid Black Friday ad is up on the I Heart Rite-Aid site.

Here are the freebies-the items that will cost you nothing after earning Plenti Points on their purchase.

* Colgate Toothpaste and/or Toothbrushes  2/$8.00  Earn $8 in PPs  Limit 2 Offers
Includes Colgate Sensitive paste, Enamel Health paste, Optic Platinum brush, Total Advanced brush, Enamel Health brush and Slim Soft brush(can't make out the name of the last one).

If you find Colgate Qs valid on these items(usually .50¢-$1)these Colgate Deals will be moneymakers for you.

* Scunci Hair Brush or Elastics  $3.00  Earn $3 in PPs  

* Philips Ear Buds  $6.00  Earn $6 in PPs  

* Rite-Aid brand Select Gift Tape(3/4" x 300")  2/$2  Earn $2 in PPs  

* Kleenex Facial Tissues  $1.00  Earn $1 in PPs  Limit 2 Offers

* GE Light Bulbs(cfl 1 ct. or halogen 2 ct.) $4.00  Earn $4 in PPs 

If you printed off this $2/1 GE light bulb Q awhile back on coupons dotcom you can get 2 offers for negative $4.00 on your receipt.....a $4 moneymaker.  Sweet!

* Crest Pro-Health Rinse or 3-D White Rinse  $5.00  Use $1/1 Crest Rinse Q which is slated to come out in the coupon inserts the weekend before BF makes this $4.00  Earn $4 in PPs  

* Reach Toothbrushes will be Buy One Get Two Free so it's possible that the Reach Toothbrushes Deal will be cheap or free if a coupon appears before the sale.

I will also be doing the Listerine Floss Deal...$2.99 per pack  Earn $2 in PPs.
I have coupons I got in my dentist's waiting room from a flyer she had available.

It was a one page tear pad sheet with these Qs at the bottom.  Be sure and check at your dentist's if you are going in before the BF sale.

$1 off each floss pack makes this a .01¢ moneymaker with coupon.

These Deals are all a Limit of 2 Offers per Wellness/Plenti Card.

I have got to say that I am rather disappointed by this year's Black Friday Deals.  They are all the same offers as last BF's ad.  There is NOTHiNG different or new in the offering And there are substantially less things that will be free after points.
And no free candy, chocolate or snacks....or nail polish.

From my past experience items that go faster than others among the freebies will be ear buds, the gift tape(because of the time of year)and maybe the light bulbs(since stores don't generally stock much of that item).  Freebies might go even faster this year due to the dearth of items available.

I'll be able to get all the above(except the Reach toothbrushes)x the 2 Offer limit per card for $53.98(plus tax)in Plenti Points and earn $60 in new Plenti Points per card if the supply and my coupons hold out.  ;-)

Most of the items in the ad don't interest me at any price, exceptions being some cheap Huggies Wipes(if a Q appears between now and BF)and a few Gift Cards that give back Plenti Points.
Since I have no PPs on Daughter's Plenti card I'll purchase the gift cards on her card and go back the next day(when those earned points will be active)and scoop up some freebies.  That will net me $32 or so in freebies depending on which gift cards I purchase.

And be sure to get RAIN CHECKS for all the Freebies if they are out of items!  No need to rush in on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.  Just stroll in at your leisure on Saturday and you'll still get the deals, however few there are this year.  8-(

Sluggy

Rite-Aid at BF is my BFF

Dear Rite-Aid,
I truly "heart" you.  You were so kind to me and my wallet today.
I hope we never break up.
I do wonder why you didn't choose to do the "Gift of Savings" Deal this year.
After all, everyone loves it/you so!
Thanks for the goodies you gave me today.
Signed your BFF,
Sluggy

 

 

 

2 x Monster Drinks=$3.00
2 x Ghirardelli Chocolates=$6.00 **
4 x Nivea Shave Gel=$6.00
2 x RA brand nuts=$2.00
1 x Philips Ear buds=$7.99
1 x Conair Hairbrush=$1.99
2 x Reach Dental Floss/tape=$5.98
3 x Yardley Soap=$3.00
3 x Carmex Lip stuff=$3.00
3 x Purex detergent(Buy 1 Get 2 Free)=$6.49 ***
1 x Brawny paper towels(8 pk.)=$5.37 *not pictured*
2 x Home Improvement Gift Cards=$100.00  *not pictured*

Subtotal......$150.82

Coupons Used
2 x $2/1 Ghirardelli Chocolate IPQs=$4.00
2 x $3/2 Nivea product IPQs=$6.00
1 x $1/1 Conair AdPerks Q=$1.00
2 x $1/1 Reach dental floss IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/2 Carmex item IPQ=$1.00
1 x .30/1 Carmex item IPQ=$.30
1 x $1.50/2 Purex items IPQ=$1.50
1 x $1/2 Purex Load2Card Q=$1.00
1 x .50/1 Purex Load2Card Q=$.50
1 x $1/1 Brawny or Northern product AdPerks Q=$1.00
Coupon Total......$18.30

$150.82-$18.30=$132.52

I used my $27.99 in +Up Rewards I had.....

$132.52-$27.99=$104.53

Then I used up an old gift card with $1.50 on it.....

$104.53-$1.50=$103.03 Total

For my purposes I am taking off the $100 I spent on the gift cards.
I bought those because I got a bonus +Ups.
Those cards will be used throughout the year when we need to buy things for maintenance and repair on the house.
Think of this as just taking money that will be spent in the future and converting it into another form of money that isn't so liquid. 8-)

And those house expenses don't come out of the food/toiletries budget, but rather the home repair budget.

I did this converting into gift cards I can use at Lowe's/Home Depot/Ace hardware/etc. in 2012 as well, whenever Rite-Aid offered a "perk" with their purchase.  I just converted liquid cash that would be spent on home repair/maintenance supplies into gift cards and get free credit at Rite-Aid to get various toiletries/HBA/food for my trouble.
It's a win/win!
And we used all the gift cards I purchased in 2012 on repair supplies and bamboo flooring(and then some)this year.

So my out of pocket total for toiletries/HBA/food this trip was $3.03 cash.

I received back $47.98 in +Up Rewards......

(2 x $10 HI gift cards, $3 Carmex, $3 Yardley, $2 Monster drinks, 1 x $2 Ghirardelli, 2 x $1 Ghirardelli bonus, 2 x $1 R-A nuts, 2 x $2 Reach, $1.99 Conair, $7.99 Philips).

**The Ghirardelli gave a bonus +Ups....$2 when you buy 2 but then a $1 +Ups for each bag.
So if you use the $2/1 Qs on them, you pay $2 for 2(after $4 in Qs) and get back $4 in +Ups, making it a $2 Moneymaker.
Go print those Qs now HERE.

***The Purex is .50¢ more a bottle at my town's store but I didn't want to go all the way downtown in W-B to get it for the lower price.
While the Purex didn't give any +Up Rewards for it's purchase it was super cheap.  Pay for 1 bottle get 2 free is good in and of itself.  But add in the following Qs.....
- 1 x $1.50/2 IPQ I had in my hand.
- 1 x $1/2 Load2Card Q that came off the bill.
- 1 x .50/1 Load2Card Q that also came off the bill.
-In addition, I have 1 $1/2 Purex digital Qs in my SavingStar account, one of which I should get credit for.

After my $3 in Qs that came off at purchase and the $1 off I'll get later,  these 3 bottles of Purex "cost" me in the end $2.49 total, or .83¢ a piece.


Then I went back in and got some deals on the Brother in-laws card......

Much of the same stuff as before, except for the gift tape($1.50 for 2 and I got $1.50 in +Ups back), the cereal($1.79 a box and I had a $1 AdPerks Q for it, so paid .79¢ and I got $1 in +Ups back so better than free), the R-A brand pain relievers were .67¢ each(reg. $2.99 each) and I got 2 12 rolls packs of Quilted Northern TP**not pictured**(it was $5.37 a pack and I had $1/1 IPQs, plus a $1/1 Brawny/Northern AdPerks Q for 1 of them, making them $3.87 per pack).
I also got 2 x $50 Home Improvement Gift Cards(which I don't count as coming out of the food/toiletries budget)and got $20 in bonus +Ups back.

I paid OOP(after removing the $100 for the gift cards) $.37.
This was after all Qs, $17.99 in +Up Rewards redeemed and $5.45 from my last old gift card I had.
And .18¢ of that .37¢ was tax.  8-)))

I received back $36.50 in +Up Rewards for this lot on that card(2 x $10 gift cards, 2 x $1 Ghirardelli, 1 x $2 Ghirardelli, $2 Monster, $3 Carmex, $3 Yardley, $1 Cereal, 2 x $1 R-A nuts, $1.50 Tape).

I am now debating whether to go up to KMart and get some leg lamp ornaments.
It's cold out but I am bored here at home.

Did you go out recently to take advantage of any sales?
Was it as exciting as my finds??lol

Tell me what you got.....

Sluggy