Rite-Aid--Working on the Beauty Gift Card Reward Deal

I went to Rite-Aid on Monday and used two of those Tresemme Catalinas I had leftover from all that Tresemme I bought the week before last.............

The first transaction was the two mascaras on the top of the photo.
Cover Girl mascara on sale BOGO50%=$9.73
I used.......
1 x $2.50 CatalinaQ=$2.50
2 x $1/1 CG Mascara IPQs=$2.00
$9.73-$4.50=$5.23+.32¢ tax=$5.55 paid with BC(no BOGO50% since I only bought one)=$5.99
I used.......
1 x $1.50 CatalinaQ=$1.50
1 x $1/1 CG face product IPQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 any CG item R-A snail mailedQ=$2.00
$5.99-$4.50=$1.49+.09¢ tax=$1.58 paid with BC

 $7.13 paid in BC, $7 in new BC earned back and this card has $21.15 in purchases toward the $10 Beauty Reward GC so only $28.85 left to get it to $50 spent.

I still have a $1.50 Catalina to use before Saturday but not sure what to use it on yet.

I also bought a few gift cards that give back BC this week to get my BC amounts up a bit before the Black Friday sales.  They were GCs I was going to buy eventually anyway so why not reap the benefit of getting some BC?

Sluggy

Food Spending from Saturday.....and Eating on Sunday

I went to use my $10 Catalina Q at Weis Markets last Saturday.
They had an unadvertised special on Hillshire Farms Smoke Sausage for $1.99 lb, so I picked up 2 as this is my "buy price" for kielbasa/smoke sausage.

I also found a $3.53 priced piece of steak with a $2 instant discount sticker on it, so $1.53 for just under a lb. of steak.  This will go into the freezer to use in chili, beef stroganoff or something else at a later date.

The main item was the hunk of ribs I picked up.  They were $1.79 a lb. and I got a 5.04lb. hunk that cost $9.02 total.  $1.79 was the best per lb. price around here.

My bill total was $14.53 but after the $10 CatQ I paid $4.53 OOP.  Not a bad price for almost 12 lbs. of meat. ;-)
That's an 81.18% savings rate.

Since the ribs were 'previously frozen' I used them on Sunday.
We fired up the smoker.  Here is my baby......I call her "Precious"......yes, she is the "one ring that will feed us all".....

After 4 hours "low and slow" with an applewood chips smoking, here is what  the ribs looked like....

And after another 3 hours in the smoker, I sauced them up and glazed them up for 20 minutes in the oven and ended up with this....

Not quite fall off the bone but with a pink smoke ring clear to the bone.  Just enough char on the outside but tender and moist inside.
Look good enough to eat, don't they? 8-)

There is one serving left and Hubs has put 'dibs' on them for tonight's Leftovers Night.

I am liking my Precious this summer.  It's one way to cut down on electricity use and generating heat in the kitchen in this hot weather.  And it turns out scrumptious meats! ;-)
Now I have to find me a beef brisket that isn't corned to fill my smoker.....

So do you like real barbecue?  Are you a dry smoked meat lover or do you like em sauced?
What's your favorite barbecued meat?

Sluggy

A Shopping Bender....Well For Me At Least

I went grocery/drug store shopping 4, count 'em 4 times yesterday!

I had planned a day's outing to hit some sales on the other side of town.....well the next town over really, since my town is not even big enough to have a 'side'.lol
But I didn't get out of the house in time to do all those errands in one run and make dinner and take care of some other things here.
So I hit the nearest grocery store for the broccoli I needed for my pot pie for dinner and 2 bags of onions(on BOGO special so that's why I got 2)and to use some Qs to get #2 son some Kool-Aid packets and Dipping Honey Mustard for cheap.  All totaled I spent $7.64 there and saved $5.78.

While I was out I hit, what else?!?....Rite-Aid!
And did this damage.....

3 x HerbaShine Hair Coloring on sale $5.99=$17.97
1 x Listerine Zero on sale=$2.99
1 x Celestial Seasonings Tea on sale=$1.99
1 x Crest Toothpaste on sale=$2.99
SubTotal...$25.94

Coupons Used
1 x $5/$25 from HERE=$5.00
3 x $3/1 HerbaShine Hair Coloring IPQ HERE=$9.00
1 x $1/$10 any Hair Care Purchase Wellness Q(link sent to you from Rite-Aid if you are a wellness member)=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Listerine Zero ManuQ(last Sunday's inserts)=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Listerine AdPerks/VV IPQ HERE=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Celestial Seasonings IPQ HERE=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Crest Toothpaste ManuQ(P&G insert)=$1.00
Coupon Total....$20.00

$25.94-$20.00=$5.94
Used 2 x $2 +Ups=$1.94 OOP put on gift card
Well, that was what it was suppose to be!
I just discovered while reading the receipt that the Tea rang up $.92, not $1.99!  I went back later that evening and bought another flavor and that rang up the correct price.  I guess this flavor was being clearanced?....but there was no tag on the shelf.  It was the Chamomile flavor if you want to check your stores there for it.  So I was paid .08¢ after the coupon & received a $1+Up to bring it home. ;-)

So my new subtotal was $24.87....but with the tax on the hair coloring it was over $25 before coupons and tax were deducted so the $5 off $25 still worked.

$24.87-$20.00(coupons)=$4.87.
Deduct the $4 in +Ups=$.87 Out of pocket put on my ever present Rite-Aid gift card.
Value of Items purchased....$36.94
I received in +Up Rewards....$5(Garnier Buy $15), $2(Crest), $1(Listerine), $1(Celestial Seasonings)=$9.00

After getting the family squared away and fed I went back to Rite-Aid....

4 x Bounty Basic Towels on sale $.88=$3.52
1 x Listerine Zero on sale=$2.99
1 x Celestial Seasonings Tea on sale=$1.99
1 x Lamasil Spray-On on sale=$7.99
2 x Oreo Cookies on sale $3.00=$6.00
1 x Gallon of Milk=$3.25
SubTotal...$25.74

Coupons Used
1 x $5/$25 from HERE=$5.00
2 x $1/2 Bounty Towels ManuQ(P&G insert)=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Listerine Zero IPQ HERE=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Listerine AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Celestial Seasonings IPQ HERE=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Lamasil Spray-On IPQ HERE=$2.00
1 x BOGO Oreo Cookies WYB Milk(from Facebook, not available now)=$3.00
1 x $.75/1 Oreo Cookies ManuQ(tearpad from Jan., no longer available)=$.75
1 x $1/2 Oreo Cookies AdPerks/VV IPQ HERE=$1.00
Coupon Total....$16.75

$25.74-$16.75=$8.99
Used +Ups...($5, $3)$8.00=$.99 OOP put on gift card
Value of Items purchased....$37.96
I received in +Up Rewards....$1(Nabisco), $1(Listerine), $1(Celestial Seasonings)=$3.00
And I qualified for $6.00 in SCRs(Lamasil)=$6.00

THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$1.86 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$74.90
SCR qualified for...$6.00(Lamasil)=$6.00
+Up Rewards earned...$12.00
+Up Rewards spent...$12.00
These trips were a $6 moneymaker.

MONTHLY TOTALS-September Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......10
Total Spent....$18.87 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$374.44
SCR qualified for....$9 in cash and $10 in Gift Cards
Other Cash....$0
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....a Glam Bag
+Up Rewards spent....$70.50
+Up Rewards earned....$99.50

Total 'Spent'...$17.01 on gift cards
Total Cash I'm getting Back=$3
Total Gift Cards I'm getting=$10+Glam Bag
+Up Rewards left to spend=$29.00

And I closed out my shopping spree evening at Weis Markets....

3 x Krunchers Chips on sale $2.00=$6.00
3 x Grande Tortilla Chips on sale $2.00=$6.00
2 x French's Dipping Honey Mustard $2.29=$4.58
2 x Weis Block Cheese on sale BOGO=$2.50
1 x Roasting Chicken=$5.55
SubTotal....$24.63

Coupons Used
3 x $1/1 Krunchers ManuQ=$3.00
3 x $1/1 Grande ManuQ=$3.00
2 x $1/1 French's Dipping ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Instant Meat Dept. Q=$2.00
Coupon Total....$10.00

I also used one of my $3.00 OYNO of Beef or Chicken Cats and a $10 OYN Cat for an additional $13 off=$23.00 in coupons.
$24.63-$23.00=$1.63 OOP for everything!

Analysis....
At $1 a bag after coupons, the crunchy snack food was a great deal and we were fresh out of salty junk for the Hubs and #2 son.  The son likes this dipping mustard stuff and my coupons are expiring soon so I picked up a couple of bottles....better to buy it for a buck cheaper now than a buck more next month, right?   Do I really have to explain inexpensive BOGO cheese?lol
And I couldn't turn down the chicken...it was $3.55 after the instant discount and with the chicken Cat my cost was $.55.  I'll be substituting it for something else in this week's meal plan menu.  It's great to have a meal plan to save you dollars but you need to be flexible enough that when a great deal happens you can roll with it and change up your menu ;-)

So what great deals have you found so far this week?  Let us know by leaving a comment!

Sluggy