To KMart for some Almost Free Cleaning Supplies and Rebate Products

I heard that KMart had a Catalina OYNO Coupon Deal going on this week for Clorox products.  When you Buy $15 worth of Clorox products you get 2 $5 OYNO Coupons....one prints out after your receipt and the other prints out from the Catalina machine.

I also had a $12 OYNO Catalina Q and a $5 OYNO Catalina Q left from the last round of Double Coupons at KMart that were expiring next week.  And I needed to buy some Capri Sun Drinks (5 boxes to be exact)to finish off the purchases I needed to make to send for the KRAFT Back-To-School $20 Rebate.

The plan was to use the $5 OYNO Cat to purchase some Capri Sun boxes(which had been on sale for $2 ea.).  Then buy $15 worth of Clorox and use coupons and the $12 OYNO Cat to get almost free cleaning supplies AND 2 $5 OYNO Cats, then use one of those Cats to buy the rest of the 5 Capri Suns I needed for the Rebate.

I get to KMart and the Capri Sun are now $2.99, no longer on sale and I didn't have any coupons for these items either.
Drat!

BUT....the Kool-Aid Jammers ARE now on sale for $2.00.  These are also qualifying drinks for the Rebate.
Yay!!

So hubby buys 3 boxes of Kool-Aid and uses the $5 OYNO Cat, paying $1.04 out of pocket for all 3 boxes of drinks.

Then I bought $15.68 worth of Clorox.

2 x Wipes @$2.99=$5.98
2 x Toilet Cleaner on sale @$2.00=$4.00
2 x Bleach @$2.05=$4.10
1 x small Bleach=$1.38

I used 3 $1/2 Clorox coupons, which brought my total down to $12.68.
Apply the $12 OYNO Cat Coupon and I paid .68¢ OOP.
I received 2 $5 OYNO Cats for this order.

We ran out of time to get 2 more Kool-Aid Jammers for the rebate, so I'll drop back into KMart on Saturday when I go out to run errands and use one of the $5 Cats to get free drinks.

So in the end the Kraft Back-To-School Rebate cost me.....
* $1.04 for 5 Drink Products
* $.00 for the 5 Easy Mac Cups.  I bought them earlier in the year and used .55/1 Qs that doubled to   $1.   They were .50¢ each, so free after coupons.
* $2.50 for 5 Cakesters.  I bought them at KMart during double coupons & used 5 $1/1 Qs.
* $6.00 for 5 packages of Oreos. I bought those earlier this week using a Cat OYNO Deal at Weis.

Add in the 45¢ stamp and this $20 Rebate will be a $10 Moneymaker after the cost of the products!

I think I'll donate the Kool-Aid boxes to the Band Camp next summer.  This stuff has the halflife of plutonium so should still be 'fresh' by then and after marching in the hot sun for a few hours in August the kids will need that extra sugar to burn off.  ;-)

Sluggy

Rebates.....To Do or Not to Do? And How to Stay Organized

Since it is coming up on the end of October I sat down yesterday and got a boatload of rebates finished before some of the rebate periods ended.

This is a chore I don't enjoy....you know, the filling out forms, gathering receipts, circling purchase prices, taking UPCs off of packages, photocopying the submissions & addressing all those envelopes.
Though I don't enjoy the hoops companies make you jump through to qualify for a rebate, I DO enjoy receiving those checks and freebies in the mail!
Oh, what I endure for a buck..... 8-))

So I finished up yesterday and sent off for 13 separate rebates this morning.  I have 2 more all ready to mail and 2 more to finish and my October submissions will be complete.  17 Rebates(not counting the Rite-Aid ones done online)that I am hopeful I'll see fullfilled and in my hand before the year is out.
Not like that Natural Dentist no show!  DO NOT send for any Natural Dentist Rebate!! ugh

My October submissions(besides the Rite-Aid online SCR) break down to $100 in cash & $45 in coupons and premiums.  Once I get the last 4 finished that makes 28 outstanding MIRs I am waiting on to arrive.

Rebates coupled with using coupons to purchase the items with rebates are a nice little moneymaker if you have the time and patience to fill out all the forms, etc. to qualify for them.

Be cautious however because some rebates are worth the time involved and some are not.  A high value rebate like the recent Pantene/Olay one is worth the time & expense to get back $20 on your purchase.

Even better than the high value Rebates are the items that qualify you for more than one Rebate, the double dips or triple dips!  Recently, that Pantene/Olay purchase, when completed during a certain week at Rite-Aid and paired with another $5 Proctor & Gamble purchase at Rite-Aid that week, got you a $10 Gift Card to Rite-Aid besides the $20 rebate from the company.  In addition, making a copy of that Pantene/Olay receipt before sending it off for the $20 MIR and pairing it with a certain form could qualify you for another MIR for a $40 valued set of Pink Cookware.  A very fine Triple Dip Rebate situation!

On the other hand, a rebate like the $1 on the BeeMD Cough Drops that Rite-Aid recently had on sale may not be worth your time and effort.  Rite-Aid had a SCRebate for the full purchase price of $2.49 for these Drops, which was awesome. You could do the rebate online by just entering your receipt information on the SCR website.  The company that makes the Drops also has a $1 mail-in rebate on them.  After paying the .44¢, the stamp will cost you to mail away for the $1, plus the time invested in submitting this rebate, you are about breaking even on that rebate.

For me, rebate money that comes in each month is added to the Food/Toiletries Budget.  Last month, I "spent" $456.49 cash on these budgeted items.  But I had rebates come in totaling $285.56 that month.  Therefore, my "spending" for the month was only $170.93.
Using the Rebate money this way helps offset spending whenever I have an expensive month.

The key to successful Rebating is organization.  There is nothing worse than buying something that has a rebate available only to miss out on it because you didn't save a receipt/a qualifier/a UPC/a form &/or ran out of time to submit it.
I have a pretty simple, lowkey system.  I keep 2 folders & a ledger for my rebating.
The first folder holds the materials I need to do the rebate....the forms, the receipts, and the UPCs/qualifiers.  I also have a list in that folder of the rebates I am actively working on.  Next to each item on the list is the date is has to be postmarked/mailed so I don't let any deadlines get past me.
As I gather everything I need to submit the particular rebate, I address the envelope, stamp and return address it and put all the paperwork inside the envelope and I cross that item off my list in the folder.

At this point, I take the envelope upstairs to hubby's printer, which is also a copier, and copy the paperwork.  I can't stress enough how important it is to keep a copy of your paperwork for every rebate!  If the company claims they did not receive your submission or it was not complete, you can copy your copy and resend it to them.  It's your proof that you did submit for a rebate &/or you did send all the asked for paperwork.

After the rebate paperwork is copied, the information for the rebate goes into my ledger.  I have two sections in this ledger.

I keep a log of every rebate that leaves the house.  It's just a list of each rebate, the mailing address it was sent to, the date it was mailed, who it was mailed from(some rebates I'll have one sent to me and one sent to another family member) and what form of payment is expected back(cash, coupons, freebies, etc.).

The other place in my ledger is were I record the rebates as they arrive.  I just list the date it came and what it was.  I will also put a check mark next to a rebate that has arrived on the Outgoing Rebate List section.  This check mark on the Outgoing List just let's me quickly see which Rebates I am still waiting on and if they seem late I can then check with the company on whether they are "in process" or if they were lost in the mail.

This system is enough to keep me organized.  Do you have a Rebate System?  Please leave a comment and let us know what works for you.

I was considering setting up a MIR page that lists worthwhile Rebates....sort of a REBATE CENTRAL to consult for possible rebate opportunities that are currently available.  This page would be accessible from my main page sidebar and each rebate listed would be hyperlinked to the online information for it.  What do you dear readers think about this?  Would it be something useful for your needs?  Let me know in the comment section.

Do you do rebates?  Which kind--mail in ones, online submission ones or both?  What do you do with the rebate money when it comes in?  Do you have a dollar amount threshold where you won't do a rebate?  Are you organized with your rebate work?  Tell us! ;-)

Sluggy

Win a Hamburger Timer or Cents-Off Ground Beef Coupons

Cargill is holding a giveaway/contest called Dinner in 20.  You can win a Hamburger shaped timer like the one pictured above OR a coupon for $.50 off a Ground Beef purchase.
Check it out HERE.
You need a code off of a specially marked package of Ground Beef.
Or use this one to play-- A23568. You can also play via mail. Follow the instructions on the website.

I played this morning and won a coupon for .50¢ off ground beef. The coupon is a PDF. Save it and print as many coupons off as you want to use until the expiration date.
I see lots of teeny tiny packages of ground moo cow in our futures!LOL

The coupon will print for a specific grocery store, whichever one you indicate when you fill out the form when you play, so pick the store YOU want to shop at.  I'll play again from our second computer later and pick a different local grocery store(one that doubles coupons for it's worth $1!) and then I'm covered with coupons for whoever puts ground beef on sale in the next 4 weeks.   ;-)

Sluggy

Target Today, Hunting for Holiday Glade Deal

Quick run to Target today while I was out with hubby.

What I went there specifically for, was the Glade "Buy 5 holiday scented products, Get a $5 Gift Card" Deal that has reportedly started this week at Target.  It runs until the end of the year.
Well, the only store here has NOT put out the display or even any of the holiday scented products on the regular shelves.  Bleh.
So it's a good thing I brought along some other coupons to use.....

2 x Kashi Go Lean Crunch! Cereal temp. markdown @$2.75=$5.50
3 x Purell Hand Sanitizer @$1.37=$4.11
4 x Campbell's Tomato Soup on sale @.60ea.=$2.40
2 x Rimmel Mascara on sale $2.24=$4.48  FINALLY had some!lol
2 x Chef Michael Dog Food temp. markdown@ $.84=$1.68
1 x Degree Deo $3.29
1 x Degree Body Mist  $3.29
2 x Mr. Clean Eraser @$2.24=$4.48
1 x Mr. Clean Cleaner  $2.99
1 x Mr. Clean Cleaner  $2.59
SubTotal   $33.81

Coupons Used

2 x $3/1 VocalPoint Q Kashi Go Lean Crunch! Cereal adjusted down to $2.75=$5.50
3 x $1/1 Manu. Q Purell Hand Sanitizer=$3.00
2 x $1/2 IP Q Campbell's Soup=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Manu. Q Rimmel Mascara=$4.00
1 x BOGO TARGET Q Chef Michael Dog Food=$.84
1 x $1.50/1 IP Q Degree Deo=$1.50
1 x $1.50/1 IP Q Degree Body Mist=$1.50
1 x $3/2 TARGET Degree Deo & Mist=$3.00
1 x BOGO Manu. Q Mr. Clean Eraser=$2.24
1 x $.75/1 Homemailer Q Mr. Clean Eraser=$.75
1 x $.75/1 TARGET Q Mr. Clean Eraser=$.75
1 x BOGO Manu Q Mr. Clean Cleaner=$2.59
1 x $.75/1 Home Mailer Q Mr. Clean Cleaner=$.75
1 x $.75/1 TARGET Q Mr. Clean Cleaner=$.75
 Coupon Total   $29.17

$33.81-$29.17=$4.64 OOP

I had another BOGO Chef Michael Q from a package insert to pair with the Target Chef Michael Q but the cashier won't take it....yes, using 2 BOGO Qs can be a YMMV situation.  Though I could have argued about that, I didn't.  My total should have been $3.80 if I had been able to use both Qs.

I was able to use 6 coupons on the 4 Mr. Clean products.  This was my favorite play today!

2 x Mr. Clean Eraser @$2.24=$4.48
1 x Mr. Clean Cleaner=$2.99
1 x Mr. Clean Cleaner=$2.59
Subtotal of $10.06

Use the BOGO Q(sunday inserts)for the Erasers, takes off  $2.24.
Use the BOGO Q(sunday inserts)Buy Big bottle for $2.99, get Sprayer bottle free, takes off $2.59.
Use the .75/1 Q(from Right@Home mailer)on the Eraser that wasn't free and stack the Target .75/1 Q found around the neck of the Big Bottle , takes off $1.50.
Use the .75/1 Q(from Right@Home mailer)on the Cleaner bottle that wasn't free and stack the Target .75/1 Q found around the neck of the Big Bottle, takes off $1.50.
Coupon Total of $7.83.

$10.06-$7.83=$2.23 for all 4 Mr. Clean Products.

I've got another coupon hangtag with the 2 Target Qs so I'll go back later in the week to check if the Holiday Glade stuff is out yet and I can do the Mr. Clean Products Deal again.

Have any of you dear readers found the Holiday Glade products at your local Target yet?

Sluggy

Playing "Ketchup" with Weis Cat Deals this Week and I Veer Off into a Rant

I don't know about you, but we seem to go through an inordinate amount of ketchup(or catsup)at our house.  Shhh, don't tell the food police.lol
Not only is it de rigeur for burgers and fries around here, but I find it handy and helpful in a pinch as an add-in ingredient when I am cooking.  It can add a touch of tastiness(tomatoey and salty) to so many dishes in cooking.  I used it in place of tomato paste when I made my Beef Bourguignon recently.  It is also part of my recipe for Beef Stroganoff, as well as Chili, homemade Sloppy Joe's, etc. etc. etc.
You get the picture.....

So when I saw that Weis Markets was having a catalina deal going involving Heinz Products, including Ketchup, I had to head over and get me a piece of that!  It's similar to the Shaw's/Albertson's deal--spend $XX, get $XX OYNO Cat coupon.  The Weis deal is Spend $12/Get $3 OYNO Q or Spend $20/Get $7 OYNO Q.
The Ketchup is regular shelf price of $2.85, on sale for $1.99.
The Heinz Gravy is regular shelf price of $1.79, on sale for $1.25.

I bought 7 Ketchups (reg. shelf price $19.95).  5 Cents short!!....so I bought 1 Gravy(reg. shelf price $1.79), so I had $21.74 RSS.  Sale price was (7 x $1.99=$13.93+$1.25)$15.18.
I used a $6 OYNO Cat so the OOP was $9.18.
And I got a $7 OYNO Cat Q for next time.
That's 7 40 oz. bottles of red ambrosia & a nasty jar of gravy(headed for the food bank) for $9.18.
And that's without coupons.

Then I used that $7 OYNO Cat to buy Oreos.
I needed 5 bags of Oreos for the Kraft/Nabisco Back-to-School Rebate.
Yes, I buy junk.....but it's not just any old junk....it's OREOS!  The royalty of cookie junk.lol

There was a similar Cat deal on Oreos at Weis....Buy $12 Get $3/Buy $20 Get $6.  Regular shelf on Oreos is $4.19 here, on sale for $3.  I bought 5 bags of cookies(reg. shelf of $20.95)for $15.00  I used 2 x $1/2 Nabisco Qs from the BTS Rebate Booklet and the $7 OYNO Cat from the Ketchup($2+$7=$9 off).  5 Bags of Oreos cost me $6 OOP and I got another $6 OYNO Cat to spend later.  It sure would have been nice if the Coupon gods had given us, in this part of PA, that Heinz ketchup Q in the SS insert.  I guess marketing dept. at Heinz thinks that since we live in PA we automatically buy Heinz(over Hunt's or Del Monte, etc.)just because of the long history of Heinz in our state.  Personally, I avoid Heinz whenever possible....it's a PA political thing....

All things being equal, I am tempted to roll this Cat into more Ketchup.  Is 7 bottles enough??lol

If you are going to take part in these Cat Deals, they run through Wednesday evening at Weis.

If you don't get a chance to get to Weis for this sale, there should be another one coming up Oct. 22-28.
At least that is what the Catalina I got last week said...."October 22-October 28 You can earn up to $7 off your next shopping order...just purchase the qualifying items on your favorite participating brands and receive dollars off your next shopping trip.  Look for details in next week's circular."

I just hope these next batch of Cat Deals are something other than Junk Food and Frozen Stuff.  Seems anytime we do get Catalina OYNO Deals at Weis it's for highly processed junk.
This week's Cat Deal Qualifying Items....
#1  Pretzels, Water, Bottled Tea & Starbucks, Doritos and Lay's chips
#2  Jello, Pudding, Lunchmeat, Pizza, Cookies, String Cheese, Kraft Mac&Cheez
#3  MORE Pizza, TV Dinners, Frozen Bagels, Frozen Waffles/PAncakes/French Toast Sticks
#4  Hormel Chili Master, Compleats, Dinty Moore, SPAM, Salsa, Hormel Entrees, Shredded Chicken or Pork in Sauce, Pepperoni, MORE Lunchmeat
#5  Bagel Bites, Pasta Sauce, Ketchup, Gravy, MORE TV Dinners, TGI Friday's, Frozen French Fries/Onion Rings
#6  Paper Towels, Paper Plates, Toilet Paper
Most of it's Junk food....nitrate laden meats....pizza and tv dinners, sugary sauced up shredded meat, and some paper products.

I do have a freestanding large Freezer but I have NO Room in that thing for loads of boxed up pizzas and tv dinners and highly processed frozen junk food.  If I filled it up with stuff like that, I'd have no room for the fresh meat and veggies in there instead!

And looking at this ad, I am just amazed that people actually buy frozen pancakes and french fries.

How difficult is it to cut up a Potato folks....or make a pancake without resorting to buying frozen??

How much of a time savings is buying frozen pancakes over making pancakes from scratch?  I'll guess that not only is making them from scratch waaaay cheaper but it would take you about the same amount of time to make fresh pancakes as 1-taking out the box, 2-opening it up, 3-taking out a pancake, 4-pulling the toaster in, 5-putting it in the toaster, 6-waiting for it to heat up enough, 7-taking it out of the toaster, 8-putting syrup or whatever you put on your 'cakes, 9-eating it.
Dumping an egg, milk, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl, stirring it and pouring it out onto a griddle or frying pan is NOT rocket science. 8-))

I know, it's nice to be able to get some convenience foods but we are turning into a nation of lazy cooks or even worse, people who can't cook.  Do you know how much MORE you are paying for that box of frozen pancakes compared to buying the ingredients to make them fresh?  Even with a coupon, things like frozen pancakes are a rip-off.  And we wonder why people don't have money to pay their bills!?

Ok,  this is turning into a rant and I try real hard not to rant.....no, really!  I do!!lolol

Just say a little prayer that thursday's Cat Deals at Weis have some things I can use please instead of just cardboard pizzas and chips....


Sluggy