The 3 S's.....Sewing, Stockpile & Snow

As you can see from my To-Do List I finally got around to starting on one of my long neglected chores--my unfinished sewing projects!
It only took me a year and almost 3 months to get to it.....sheeesh!lol

 Under that pile of clothes is the long neglected sewing projects "in progress" tub.

And here it us after being uncovered......

Notice all the dust on the lid....lol
And here is inside the belly of the beast....

Well at least the top layer inside the beast. ;-)
So I pulled out a project.....well 3 projects really since I have 3 pairs of pajama pants cut out for my Daughter.  I'll be working on those this week and hopefully by week's end I'll have something to show for my efforts.

Before I did another else on Sunday, I went up to Rite-Aid to roll some +Ups and get my free after Q and +Ups toothbrushes.....

1 x Resolve on sale=$1.99
5 x Reach Toothbrushes on sale $2.99=$14.95
SubTotal....$16.94

Coupons Used
1 x $1 any Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.00
1 x .75/1 Resolve IPQ(from Resolve website)=$.75
5 x $1/1 Reach Toothbrush tearpad Q(from dentist office)=$5.00
1 x $1/1 Listerine/Reach AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total...$7.75

$16.94-$7.75=$9.19
I used $8.88 in +Ups and put the $.31 OOP on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received $11 back in +Up Rewards(5 x $2 Toothbrushes, $1 Resolve)so I am "up" $2.12 on this transaction.

Then I did the same transaction again but my coupons were a little different....

Coupons Used
1 x $1 any Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.00
1 x .75/1 Resolve IPQ(from Resolve website)=$.75
1 x .25¢/1 Resolve Peelie Q on product=$.25
3 x $1/1 Reach Toothbrush tearpad Q(from dentist office)=$3.00
1 x $2/2 Reach Toothbrush IPQ(old IPQ that was expiring soon)=$2.00
Coupon Total...$7.00

$16.94-$7.00=$9.94
I used $9.88 in +Ups and put the $.06 OOP on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received $11 back in +Up Rewards(5 x $2 Toothbrushes, $1 Resolve)so I am "up" $1.12 on this transaction.

The reason I broke this into two transactions was because I had more than 1 $1 any purchase AdPerks/VV IPQs that were expiring on 3/26.  If I had done it all in one transaction the second $1 off Q might not have gotten used before Saturday.

My planning wasn't too great because I still have $2 in +Up Rewards left to use by Saturday.  I should have bought an 11th toothbrush....ugh.
And my gift card is down to $53.20.

I didn't get the Night Guard mouthpiece and roll $19.99 in +Ups.  I'll get a raincheck and hopefully they have it in stock after March 30th, when the April SCRs start.  There is a $3 SCR for the Night Guard item for April so I'll buy it on raincheck(the raincheck price will be $4.99 after $15 +Ups discount).  I'll use my $5/1 Night Guard Q and pay nothing OOP and then submit my receipt for the $3 SCR.  In the end I'll make $3 for buying it by waiting until the new SCR period. 8-)



After my Rite-Aid trip I went out into the garage to organize the stockpile.
As you can see, things have gotten out of hand in the last few months.....

Mostly it's stuff not getting put away and stock not being rotated back to front as it's used.  It's gotten so bad you can hardly walk around out there.


Plus the field mouse getting in kicked my ass into gear!lol  BTW-We "took care" of mr. mouse the next night....I won't share the details or the photos of his extermination. ;-)

I spent hours out in the garage on Sunday and ended up with a more organized mess.....

 Cereal, Paper Plates, Tea, Coffee, Hot Cocoa, Oatmeal, Taco Shells, Compleats, Granola Bars, Jello and Pudding, Condensed Milk, bagged/boxed Potatoes and "Helper" mixes

 Spices, Rubs, Powders, Sauces, flavored Noodle bags, Steak Sauce, Baking Soda, boxed Bread/Cake/Brownie/Muffin Mixes, Frostings, dried Fruit, Pie Fillings, canned/bagged Nuts, Coconut Milk, flavored Rice bags, dog Treats, canned Dog Food

 canned Soups, canned Veggies, Olives, Green Chilies, canned Tuna, Sardines, Evaporated Milk, Chocolate Syrup, Pancake Syrup, baking Chips, Sugar products(honey, agave, brown sugar, fake sweetners)

 Croutons, Trash Bags, Foil, Parmesan cheese, Ramen and other Noodles, Freezer Bags

 Cereal, Crackers, BBQ Sauce, Marinades, Bread Crumbs, Flour, canned Beans, Spaghetti Sauce, Tomato Soup, canned Tomato products, Pasta, Chili, Hash, Jellies, Peanut Butter

 Salad Dressings, Fruits, Condiments, Oils, Maple Syrup, Juices

 Hand Soap, Dish Soap, Cleaners, Sprays, Wipes, Baby and Wet Wipes, Stain Sprays, Fem. Products

Toilet and Facial Tissue, Paper Towels, Napkins

 It's not perfect but it will do for now.  You can see why I haven't done any grocery shopping for weeks now, can't you?lol
I also culled out 4 boxes of food from the stockpile.....1 for BIL, 1 for the food bank and 2 boxes to offer on the local Angel Help Community Yahoo group for Easter.

By 8pm Sunday night I was a stiff, sore mess....so I went to bed before 9.  Me?....the night owl.
And the most amazing thing was I slept until 9 this morning.  12 hours in one stretch.  It's so unlike me.

 After a semi-productive weekend I woke up to this.......?!?!?......

WTF?!?

I had no clue we were due for more snow!

I'm off now to the stockpile and freezer to figure out the meal plan for this week.  I might hit the grocery store(for more than milk)this week since there is a cheese Catalina deal at the local Shursave affiliate store....spend $30 get a $10 Cat....as we are getting low on cheese.

Check me later for the Meal Plan for the week.

Here are the Rite-Aid numbers for Sunday and the running Totals....
THESE TRIPS
Number of Transactions.....2
Total Spent....$.37 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$56.48
SCR qualified for...$0.00
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$00.00
+Up Rewards earned...$22.00
+Up Rewards spent....$18.76
+Up Rewards left to spend.....$105.00

TOTALS--March Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......11
Total Spent....$3.38 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$527.07
SCR qualified for....$45.00
Other Cash....$0.00
Additional Rebates....$0.00
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for March SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 3/19.....$101.76
+Up Rewards spent....$212.76
+Up Rewards earned....$68.76
+Up Rewards left....$105.00  includes ALL +Ups not just ones from this SCR period

Sluggy

November Charity Challenge Courtesy of Acme

So I finally got all the Acme Booty gone through and rebagged up a load for the Food Bank in Teeny Tiny Town.  This friday is the weekly distribution and the last one before Thanksgiving so I am glad I got this up there when I did.  The shelves at the FB weren't bare but man, was there ALOT of empty space and boxes in the store room.
Here's what my donation looked like strewn across the minivan....

Pretty full, right?
But here is how small it all looked once it was unloaded onto a table....

Ok...it IS a big 8 foot long table and the shot is from a distance but still....
It didn't seem to make a dent in the need.

Here's the list of what's there....
27 boxes of Cereal
5 jars of Peanut Butter
1 jar of Jelly
14 packages of Pasta/Rice
2 containers of Bread Crumbs
4 sacks of Flour
4 boxes of Fruit Snacks
2 boxes of Cake Mix
2 jars or Frosting
1 box of Instant Potatoes
16 cans of Vegetables
3 boxes of Crackers
4 bags of Pasta
5 boxes of Pop-Tarts
3 jars of Spaghetti Sauce
8 cans of Soup
6 boxes of Mac & Cheese
1 box of Tea Bags

I also hauled up some medical stuff that can be used at the Free Medical Clinic there as well.  I didn't get a shot of the Glucose Meters and the bag of OTC medicines but those were included in this drop off of goodies.
The value of the food part of it was $361.71.

Because of a bit of work and time on my part and ALOT of Coupons and a really nice Sale at Acme last week, there are going to be a few people who otherwise don't qualify for any government programs getting a bit more to eat later this week.
And that can only be labeled a good thing.

In this Month when many are Counting Their Blessings, do you have an opportunity to show your thankfulness by sharing your Harvest with others?

Even if your food budget doesn't stretch enough to be giving what food stuff you purchase away, there are other ways to help the hungry that are painless.

Did you qualify for a FREE TURKEY or MORE than One Turkey at the grocery store this month?
Instead of jamming yet another turkey into your freezer, how about sharing one of those Turkeys with a needy neighbor who doesn't have one, either directly giving it to them or through donating it at your local Food Bank/Pantry or Soup Kitchen.

What about those 20 cans of whatever that were an amazing deal but your family won't eat that is languishing in your stockpile?  I bet your local food drive could put them into the hands of people who would really enjoy them!

How about inviting someone who has no family to gather with next week to your family Thanksgiving meal.  Surely, one more mouth to feed won't be much of an imposition or strain on your budget? And it could very well mean the world to someone who feels left out and islolated in this time of community and family.

Take a minute to make a tangible difference in someone's life this week.  Buy some food or write a check to your local program that feeds the needy.

If you can't swing a monetary donation to some good cause, give your time.
Better yet, do Both!

Check out the CVS SAVER to see what others are doing this month to make a difference in their small part of the world!

And leave a comment here to share what you are doing for others this holiday season.




Sluggy

October Charity Challenge at CVS Saver....Donate that Excess!

Well I made the mistake of not pulling out my October donation for the local food bank and medical clinic BEFORE I did the flea market last weekend to get rid of my excess stockpile items. **sigh**


So my donation this month is a little light as I had to pull some of it after from the main stockpile.
I also have 4 more glucose meters to take up that are not pictured.  In addition, I need to get down some cold cereal and grape jelly(to go with the pb, of course!lol)but it's on the high shelving and I need hubby's help with that.  I'll be adding 6 more boxes of cereal(the ones kids like) to what is pictured before I run it up to the food bank on tuesday.

28 food items
34 toiletries & OTC meds
4 meters

Haven't done the value calculations yet.

It feels good to be able to give away stuff to those who can use it.  And using coupons, you can donate without much of a dent in your own pocketbook....or you can give even MORE than you usually do, because coupons help you stretch your dollars even further!
What have you been able to give this month?  Please leave a comment and let us know.

And go on over to Tanya's blog the CVS SAVER and check out what others have given this month HERE. 

Sluggy