Freaky Fun Friday

I hope I don't drive away any readers today.

I am all about couponing, frugality, homemaking, cooking & my family.  And that's what I blather on about most days here on the blog.
But there are more sides to me than that.

I've also got a kooky, unconventional side and a touch of a wicked sense of humour & I am not easily offended by anything.
Having said that, I'd like to share a comic artist with you all that I found a few years ago.  He's Australian, now living in England and he's quite the celebrity overseas.  He's appeared in the US but so far has not broken out as a big star.  I think his...let's call it "indelicateness"....has hindered his ability to break into the national media outlets here, thus his popularity is limited in the US.
He is irreverant and a bit twisted.
And I LOVE his art!
But then again, having grown up Catholic, gone to a all girl's college & having worked in professional theatre where I "saw it all, honey", I am a bit irreverant and twisted....
The Artist's name is Tim Minchin.

Please don't click on the video if you are easily offended by language and scandalously humorous, irreverent views on religion & politics.

If you are open minded....Enjoy!






Sluggy

Update on the Rite-Aid SCR AVEENO Deal Snafu

Rite-Aid has already responded to my email about the AVEENO Rebate problem I posted about HERE. 

"Please be advised that the Aveeno Shave Gel products qualify for Offer #5.  Your account will reflect this correction within 24-48 hours. 

We apologize for the inconvenience."

Sincerely,
XXXXXXX
Rite Aid Single Check Rebates
Customer Service

I was surprised to hear back so quickly!  And I'm glad the item will count toward the rebate total.  Let's hope they correct this as quickly as they say they well. ;-)

If you have an issue with not being credited for this purchase under your Single Check Rebate, please log into Rite-Aid and email them about it.

And a reader, Laurie, posted a comment that she doesn't use any rebate items until the rebate check arrives.  If something doesn't get credited, she returns the item.  Pretty smart advise I say!  Hang onto those receipts so you have that option.  8-)

Sluggy

September BUDGET RESULTS-Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for SEPTEMBER 2009.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in September.
These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home)& 3 dogs. No kids under 13.

BIG LOTS
OOP $19.72
Ads/Sales $15.30
Value $35.02
Savings 44%

CARONE'S
OOP $32.41
Qs/Ads $18.51
Value $50.92
Savings  36%

CVS
OOP $.63
Qs/Ads $93.68
Value $94.31
Savings 99.3%

ENTENMANN'S OUTLET
OOP $15.00
Ads/Sales $30.00
Value $45
Savings 33.3%

FAMILY DOLLAR(forgotten receipt-carryover from last month)
OOP $11.22
Qs/Ads $6.43
Value $17.65
Savings 36.50%

KMART(2 partial round of double coupons this month)
OOP $66.18
Qs/Ads $908.82
Value $975.00
Savings 93.12%

PRICE CHOPPER
OOP $9.35
Qs/Ads $6.19
Value $15.54
Savings 40%

REDNER'S
OOP $36.40
Qs/Ads $12.85
Value $49.25
Savings 26%

RITE AID
OOP $92.22(before rebates)
Qs/Ads $265.40
Value $357.62
Savings 74.22%(88.20% after rebates)

SHOP-RITE
OOP $61.13
Qs/Ads $80.75
Value $141.88
Savings 57%

TARGET
OOP $2.30
Qs/Ads $63.87
Value $66.17
Savings 96.50%

TURKEY HILL-convenience store
OOP $4.45
Qs/Ads $0.00
Value $4.45
Savings  0%

WALGREEN'S
OOP $9.18
Qs/Ads $169.59
Value $178.77
Savings 94.85%

WEIS
OOP $96.30
Qs/Ads $
Value $252.73
Savings 62%

I've decided NOT to 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' & go toward Food/Toiletries budget purchases.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN SEPTEMBER

Rite-Aid SCR........$166.67
Reynolds Foil........$4.89
Zantac........$5.00
Kellogg's Fuel for School...$10.00
Kraft/Super Valu....$20.00
Pinecone Research....$9.00

Subtotal........$215.56

FREE ITEMS
Gorilla Glue Sample

Gorilla Glue T-Shirt

Venom Sample

Rite-Aid Oral Care Booklet w/5 Free Items inside x2

Rite-Aid/Kellogg's $5 Certificate

COUPONS
Star Foods

GIFT CARDS & STORE CHECKS
Rite Aid  $50.00
Weis  $20.00
SubTotal...$58.96

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$285.56

My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from CVS at 99.3%, Target 96.50% and Walgreen's at 94.85%.
Kmart just got beat out by Wags but deserves a mention at a very good 93.12% savings rate.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$456.49
TOTAL of Rebates...................................$285.56

TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$170.93

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$2113.38
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$2284.31
TOTAL Savings % for SEPTEMBER....................92.50%

This closes out the September spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
With the high amount of income from Rebates/Gift Cards received I was able to have a tremendously low out of pocket for this month.  I set out to keep it at $250 for spending this month and I succeeded!
I was able to stay out of the stores more this month, as I had wanted to.

I spread out my shopping dollars amongst quite a few store this month with only 1 or 2 trips to most.  I tried out some new stores for me...Family Dollar & the Entenmann's Bakery Outlet.  KMart saw me alot as the month started off with a Double Coupon Event and ended with one as well.
I stayed out of the drugstore mostly in September(even Rite-Aid compared to previous months)as you can see in my very low spending for CVS & WAGS.

What's ahead for October.....
I have fully stocked up the freezer with meats as of Oct. 1st.  I have a fair amount of seafood as well.
I do want to hit the farmer's market this week and grab some local produce to freezer as this is the tale end of the growing season here.

As for the organizing I wanted to do last month....I began going through all the toiletries/food stockpile about a week before Sept. ended.  I will finish this organizing in October. I know I'm going to have excess items, things we just won't/can't use before it goes bad so I'll be concentrating on getting rid of stuff via selling, giving away to friends and family & donating to charity.  I'm going to concentrate on getting "my house in order" and not on shopping for food/toiletries.  We have enough(and in some cases too much)of both.

I'm going to keep the Food/Toiletries Budget at $250 for October & try to stay out of the grocery & drug stores this month.  Well, right after KMart double coupons is over this week....lol
I just have this feeling in my bones that Price Chopper will be running a good Catalina Deal soon.  In my book, they are waaaaay overdue for one.  I hope they don't have one as it will torpedo my Oct. "stay out of the store" efforts, but I'm just sayin..... ;-)
The only stocking up I forsee outside of the farmer's market produce may be some baking supplies(flour, sugar, etc.).  The Holidays are coming and these types of items do go on special at this time of year.  Part of my $250 may be used for laying in these types of foodstuffs.

How did you do in September 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

Go Enter the Giveaway for the new Harry Connick Jr CD at I Am a Money Magnet

Jamie over at "I Am A Money Magnet!" is holding a Giveaway for Harry Connick, Jr.'s latest CD.
It's called "Your Songs".
The drawing closes at 7pm tonight(Eastern time I think), so get on over to Jamie's Blog HERE and enter NOW!

Sluggy

How to Buy Meat If You Shop at Weis Markets

If you are a Weis Grocery Store shopper you know that they run their sales ads from Thursday to Wednesday.  Most  grocery stores around here in PA run their weekly ads from Sunday to Saturday, but not Weis or Mr. Z's markets.  Most times it puts a monkey wrench into my weekly shopping plan and I find myself having to scramble to get to the store before a sale ends.  But as a SAH/WAH Mom I have found that there is one advantage with them beginning and ending sales during the week and not on a weekend.  I find there are fewer customers in the store during the week, so if you find a good deal/a great sale item during a weekday, you can get a jump on most shoppers to get to the deal before they run out.

Here's a heads up on the BEST TIME to shop for meat at Weis.  Either late on Wednesday evening or early on Thursday morning.  As they run their meat specials from thursdays to wednesdays, these two times are the best times to look for meats that are discounted.  They will mark down the ending week's meat sales items at this time of the 'change over' in ads.  And occasionally, you can find the "Perfect Storm" situation where they have marked down the sale's meats AND the packages are coming up on the Sell By Date and they also have put a $XX Off Sticker on the packages.

I had to pop into Weis this morning to pick up some OJ for #2 son who is home sick from school today with a cold and to get an adjustment on a receipt from a previous trip where I was overcharged for some items.  I made a quick run by the meat counters and found The Perfect Storm! 8-))

I picked up 8 packages of meat(3 steak/1 ribs/4 boneless pork chops). 8 of the packages had between $1.50 & $3 off stickers on them & 6 of the packages were also discounted per lb.  The average price per lb. of all the packages was $4.77.  After all the discounts, the average price per lb. I paid was $1.58!  I bought a total of 10.91 lbs. of meat valued at $51.98 for $17.23.  That comes to just under $1.58lb! & a Savings of 67% on meat!!
Woohoo!

Between the Catalina Deal on the Smoked Sausage/Brats & the Chicken BOGO with the $X Off stickers on the packages at Weis last week, the $1.69lb. Ground Beef & Pork Chops at Shop-Rite last week and now more Pork Chops, Ribs & Steak today at Weis, my freezer is stuffed full for Very little money.

Bring on Winter.....well, not quite yet.lol

Do you buy meat?  When have you found is the best time to find deals on meats?
Why don't you leave a comment below and share your tips on how you save money on buying meat for your family.  Maybe what you do will help someone else out. ;-)

Sluggy