Old Spice Anyone?

Well I have NOT been shopping all week!
Yep.
All.
Week.
I finally broke down today and headed up to...where else?....Rite-Aid!

I needed a few things before the week and the SCR period for March ended--product to qualify for the NYC cosmetic $1 rebate, 3 more John Frieda items for the 3rd $5 SCR and another $1 worth of something Johnson & Johnson since I miscalculated and only hit the $49 and change mark on the J&J Buy $50/Get $25 SCR deal.
I have 2 John Frieda Root Awakening items rainchecks for the $5 sale price on those products but the stores are still out of the RA 'Poos here and I don't need Conditioners, dang it!  So I'll have to buy the reg. priced Frizz Ease products for the last JFrieda $5 rebate.  Not too bad though, as I get a 10% Wellness discount on the reg. price so they are only $5.84 instead of $6.49.

I did 2 transactions.

#1....
2 x Old Spice Red Zone Spray on sale $2.99=$5.98
1 x Old Spice Red Zone Deodorant on sale=$2.99
1 x Old Spice Red Zone Body Wash on sale=$2.99
1 x Johnson's Baby Shampoo on sale=$2.99
1 x JFrieda Frizz-Easse 'Poo wellness discount=$5.19**


SubTotal....$20.14

Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x BOGO Old Spice Body Spray ManuQ(2/21 P&G insert)=$2.99
1 x $2/1 Old Spice Deodorant WYB OS Body Wash ManuQ(2/21 P&G insert)=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Old Spice Body Wash WYB OS Deodorant ManuQ(2/21 P&G insert)=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Any Skin Care product $2.99 or more Wellness IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Any Johnson's Product IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Any Johnson's Baby Product In-Ad Q=$1.00
1 x $3/1 JFrieda product ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $1/1 JFrieda Frizz-Ease product AdPerks IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$19.99

$20.14-$19.99=$.15 +$.01 tax=$.16 OOP Put on Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO Spending.

SCRebates qualified for....$25 J&J Spend $50/Get $25 back

**Well, I thought I had a 10% Wellness discount on any regularly priced item....so the 'Poo should have been $5.84.  But it rang up $5.19, with is a 20% discount.  I knew I was close to enough points for the 20% discount so I guess I am now up to the next discount level. ;-)


That went so well so I went back in and basically did it again.....

#2....
2 x Old Spice Red Zone Spray on sale $2.99=$5.98
1 x Old Spice Red Zone Deodorant on sale=$2.99
1 x Old Spice Red Zone Body Wash on sale=$2.99
1 x NYC Lip Gloss wellness discount=$2.39****
1 x JFrieda Frizz-Easse 'Poo wellness discount=$5.19
1 x Trident Gum on sale=$1.00***
SubTotal....$20.54

Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 AdPerks IPQ=$5.00
1 x BOGO Old Spice Body Spray ManuQ(2/21 P&G insert)=$2.99
1 x $2/1 Old Spice Deodorant WYB OS Body Wash ManuQ(2/21 P&G insert)=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Old Spice Body Wash WYB OS Deodorant ManuQ(2/21 P&G insert)=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Any Skin Care product $2.99 or more Wellness IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Any Cosmetic item $2.99 or more Wellness IPQ=$2.00
1 x $3/1 JFrieda product ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $1/1 JFrieda Frizz-Ease product AdPerks IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$19.99


$20.54-$19.99=$.55 OOP  Put on Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO Spending.

 ***I didn't realize I got a 20% discount until THE END of this transaction.   The NYC cosmetic only rang up $2.39 instead of the $2.69 I was expecting, so my Total was under $20($19.54).  The register still took the AdPerks $5 off $20 IPQ however.  We realized the problem when the register wouldn't let the cashier imput my last $2 Q, as my total at that point was only $1.54.  Doh! lol
So I added the pack of gum which made my starting total over $20 so I really could use the $5 off $20 Q and then the last $2/1 Q went through, leaving a balance of .54¢.
****And the $2 off any item over $2.99 type Wellness coupons--I haven't had a problem using them on items that are under $2.99 after the discount.  They ring up over $2.99 initially, then the discount is applied bringing their price under $2.99.  As long as the item starts out over that $2.99 or whatever the threshold price is, there is no problem.  I just wanted to explain that if anyone were to notice.

This transaction I qualified for...$1 SCR for NYC Cosmetic $2.99 or more.

I still need to go back tomorrow and buy 1 more John Frieda product to finish off BIL's 3rd Kao Brands-Buy 3/Get $5 SCR.
I also plan to buy a Veet product in that transaction for the $3 Veet SCR for BIL's account.

And now I have to remember to adjust my totals for the 20% level of Wellness discount when figuring my scenarios/totals/oop.
My head hurts.....

Sluggy

I Know He is Spinning in His Grave!

I've been working hard the last 2 days out in the stockpile.  While I'm gone here's something to keep you entertained.

Someone on a yahoo group I am on shared this withe me.
I thought this was a hoot and worth sharing with my readers.

And if A. Marie is over here from SonyaAnn's blog, it is OK TO LOOK! ;-)

Sluggy

Keeping the Easter Basket Scene Frugal

Today I'd like to continue talking about yesterday's Easter basket post theme found HERE. 

With many people having less money in their budgets due to the recession, even if you never considered being frugal when putting together your kids' Easter baskets before, you may be forced by circumstances now to downsize your holiday spending.   My thinking about Easter buying is, "Why spend more than you have to, no matter your budget?".

You can provide a nice Easter basket/goodies spread for your kids without breaking the bank.
Here are some ways to save money.

1.Set a Budget.  Either set a budget per child or a total budget for all baskets.  But set one and stay within your budget.

2. Know your child.  Figure out if they could only get 1 thing, what would make them the happiest?  Would your child like candy the most or what they prefer a toy?  With the cost of chocolate nowadays, in some cases it might be cheaper to get them a toy!lol

Keep your child's likes/dislikes in mind.  What's the point of filling their basket with $1 store toys if those aren't the kinds of things they prefer...or malted milk balls that were a great deal if they won't eat them?  Yes, it might be cheap to shop at the $ store but if the toys break within the first 5 minutes it's not a deal.

3. Decide what price tier of chocolate/candies to buy.  When it comes to buying candy/chocolate, there are the off brands, name brands and high end brands.

Off Brands are the least expensive but often they contain artificial ingredients.  Some people don't mind that and some do.  You need to spend your money the best way for your needs. I am talking Palmer's and other brands you find at discount retailers(Family Dollar, Dollar General, WalMart, Dollar Stores, etc.)

If you really prefer the major name brands of goodies(Hershey, M&M/Mars, etc.)there are ways to bring the cost of them down using sales and coupons.  Check out the major drug stores at this time of year, as they are running sales on the seasonal candies.  Combine those sales with manufacturer's coupons as well as store coupons to snag the name brand candy for as little or less than the off-brands.

If you can't compromise on quality and only the high-end specialty chocolate and candy will do, try to find coupon codes and deals online for those brands.  Google or Bing or Swagbucks or whatever search engine you prefer, the names of brands like Godiva, See's, etc.  You may be able to find a deal somewhere. 

Another way to save money on the candy/chocolate is to NOT buy the specialty packages for the Holiday.  Often times, specially wrapped candy/chocolate for the holiday is either more expensive per ounce or you get less product in the package compared to the non-seasonally packages of the same product.
To save money when this is the case, buy 1 bigger seasonally wrapped item(like a bunny shaped or egg shaped chocolate)and use everyday shaped/wrapped/packaged candies/chocolates as the smaller "filler" candies.
Something I do to keep the candy/chocolate cost down is to buy Christmas and Valentine's candies on deep discount during the holiday clearance sales and use it for Easter basket goodies.  I'll pick out the silver, gold, white and green wrapped/colored Christmas candies and the silver, pink and white colored Valentine's candies for the Easter baskets.  Add in a little lavender and light blue Easter themed candies and who can tell?lol

4. Reuse what you can from one year to the next.
When I was a kid, we reused the same basket & fake grass every year.  You don't need to buy the container you use new each year.  Unless you have a really really huge Easter basket, you should have sufficient storage somewhere in your home to stow it away until next year.  Same goes for the grass, and any decorations. Heck, if you wrap the basket in cellophane, you should be able to reuse that as well from year to year.

5. Get if for FREE or Get creative and think outside the basket.
If you don't presently have an Easter basket and grass, for goodness sakes, do NOT go buy them new!  There are numerous places you can find perfectly good baskets for cheap or free even.  Try yard sales, ask friends if they have old baskets hanging around in their attics or garages(I bet most everybody has at least one!), ask on CraigsList or any Free or Barter type local newspapers or online groups.

If you can't find a typical Easter basket for cheap or free that way, think outside the box.  An Easter basket doesn't have to be an Easter basket.  How about using an old Beach Pail, a free pastry flour bucket you can get from your local bakery, a cardboard box covered with self sticking wallpaper scraps or gift wrap you have laying around the house.  If you can crochet, how about a crocheted or knitted basket, a basket made out of string that you can stiffen with glue like THIS.  I have also seen this same idea used to make a basket out of sugar.  Any container you can think of has the potential to be turned into an Easter basket.  You are only limited by the reach of your imagination!

And if you don't have any plastic grass for gosh sakes, DON'T BUY ANY!  Plastic grass is so not environmentally friendly! Try shredding some old bills or papers in place of pre-made grass.  If you need color in your grass then use watered down paints or food coloring to give it that springy pizazz.  If you Must buy grass, buy something that is compost friendly, that's made of paper products or even the edible candy grass.

6.  Stay away from Pre-Wrapped Baskets.
The least frugal thing you can do is to buy one of those pre-assembled Easter baskets.  You know....the ones where all the goodies are already put in the baskets and it's wrapped in cellophane.  Sometimes the price may seem like a deal but look at what is actually IN the basket.  If you add up the cost of the items they contain, usually you can save money by assembling the exact same items.

7.  Hit the After Easter Clearance Sales.
While this tip won't help you this Holiday season to be frugal, check out the prices on the leftovers in the stores when Easter is over.  There are many good opportunities to pick up items for next year on the cheap like baskets,  accessories and toys as well.  Often companies will put out Easter or Spring themed versions of their toys.  Major retailers generally put these toys on clearance with the Easter themed items even though the toy itself isn't seasonal...it's just packaged in a seasonal way.  You can get great deals on toys that way that you can put back and give for Birthdays or at Christmas.
It's even possible to pick up candy/chocolate during the Holiday Clearance sales to use next year.  While I don't recommend this, if you can store the candy in such a way that it won't deteriorate, you can save lots.  I have bought M&Ms and packed them away in the freezer until next year and they looked and tasted the same as a freshly made bag.  Not all candies/chocolates can be kept so long so use your own discretion.

When shopping the sales, just be sure that the CLEARANCE signs don't cause your common sense to leave your brain.  A deal isn't a deal if you really don't need it!  Getting 3 Easter baskets for $.25 each on clearance is great if you NEED 3 baskets, but not so great if you don't NEED that many.  It's always a great idea to MAKE A LIST of what you NEED before you hit the clearance sales.  And stick to your list!!


Sluggy

Easter Goodies....How Much Is Too Much?

When I was a kid.....or as my kid's would phrase it, "when dinosaurs roamed the Earth", Easter was a simpler affair.  Ok, not the religious part of it(if you are religious), but the 'Easter Bunny' part of it.

Back then there were 3 'kid holidays'....Easter, Halloween and Christmas.  The 1st two of those holidays were all about the C-A-N-D-Y & the last was all about the Presents.  Since we didn't get candy all year round(like kids seem to get today), getting that Easter basket of chocolates or that Halloween bag of candy was sure special to us and thus, it was something that you appreciated, no matter how little you actually got.

Our Easter baskets looked something like this....but not quite this full.

There was a basket, some fake grass and an assortment of chocolate, jelly beans and marshmallow 'peeps' or other non-chocolate candies.  Most everything was presented in special Easter wrapping or foil and sometimes in special shapes(rabbits, eggs, etc.).  Most kids in my neighborhood got 1 big chocolate item like a large hollow Rabbit or a big filled Egg and then other much smaller chocolates and candies were sprinkled over the fake grass to fill up the basket.  And if your mom was one of those creative types, like mine, your basket got decorated or accessorized with ribbon, bows and pastel cellophane wrapping.
The basket pictured above would have been one of your 'high end' Easter Baskets back then.

When I became a mom back in the early '90's, I modeled my kid's baskets on what I remembered from my childhood.  There was 1 big item and then smaller candies/chocolates filling out the basket.  I also started putting small toy items in my kid's baskets since all the experts at the time were telling us NOT to focus so much on candy as it was BAD for you.  Mostly what I bought was inexpensive stuff...crayons, coloring book, silly putty, super ball, cap gun, small stuffed bunny or chick, etc.  I probably spent $10-$15 on each kid. 
When they got older(12 & up), they still got some small candies/chocolates and the 1 big item became something they wanted(like a not-too-expensive gift they wanted for Christmas but didn't get), like a gameboy game, Pokemon or Magic cards, a music cd, a World of Warcraft time card, etc.    I spent more on the baskets/gifts at this age, about $25-$30 for each kid. 
No matter their age, when it came to Easter Baskets, the items they received had to fit in the baskets.
They would never have gotten the basket pictures below.....

My rule of thumb....if you can't fit everything in the basket, you shouldn't be buying that much!
And there is no cheating and buying a bigger basket when there is too much stuff to fit in the basket you already have.lol

Let me just say it has been hard for me to hold to my Easter basket guidelines over the years.
Why?

Because I have seen and I have heard from my kids about the goodies their friends receive from their parents over the years.  Just talking Easter here(Christmas was much MUCH worse!), their friends' baskets have been all about expensive presents with a tiny bit of chocolate thrown in.  They got things that you couldn't actually fit in an Easter basket.....x-box of playstation game systems, bikes, skateboards, new wardrobes, tvs for their own rooms and on and on. 
It's no wonder most of my kids' friends' parents have no money and massive credit card debt.

What's my point?
Gee, I don't know.....
Maybe not every holiday needs to be all about spending money and buying too much, be it candy or stuff.
Maybe we should cut down the amount we are spending on this holiday too like we need to cut down on all the money spent on Christmas?


The daughter doesn't want any candy/chocolate this year.  I'll still decorate a basket for her as well as #2 son since it is tradition.  I'll get them both a gift card this year to put in the basket(along with some chocolate for #2 son).   
I've spent $80 total, between the 3 kids and hubby for Easter.  Since we reuse the baskets, decorations, etc. there is no expense for that...it's just the gift cards and the candy/chocolate.  I've already gotten most of the chocolate/candy thanks to all my Rite-Aid deals over the last month so that's almost Zero OOP for the food components.

How much do you spend on your kid's Easter basket?  Do you have a budget for that?  Do you even do Easter baskets?
What do you do to be frugal at Easter time?

Sluggy

It Pays to Squeak!

A few weeks ago....maybe it was a month ago already, one of the couponing blogs I read(can't remember which one)alerted me to the FREE Double Stuff Oreo Cakesters Coupon that was available to members of the Kraft First Taste program.
Since I am a member of that program I went to the site, from a different computer from mine that didn't have printer capabilities, just to look.

A few hours later, I was able to access the site again from my computer, so I could print the coupon out.
Well, at that point, the coupon was gone.....yep, all I could get was some link to more information about this new product.
No coupon.
Nothing.
Oh goody.....

At that point I started steaming.
Not a good kind of steaming either.

I signed up for this Kraft First Taste Program about a year ago.
At the time I signed up there was an 'offer' to try a new Oscar Meyer Deli Creations product.
I promptly signed up for the offer.
No coupon printing link appeared, so I figured they would snail mail me a free item coupon.
And that didn't happen either.

I went to the site again a month or so later and saw that there was now a SURVEY available for me to fill out.  A Survey about what I thought of the OM Deli Creations product I got a Free Coupon for, that I had supposedly bought and eaten.
Well, since I figured they wouldn't let me have another FREE ITEM Offer unless I filled out the Survey for this item, I went and paid out of my pocket to buy one of these Deli Creations, ate it and filled out their survey.

Then in Jan. 2010 I had an 'offer' to try DiGiorno 200 Cal. Portion Pizza.  I filled out to get the FREE Item Coupon and again, no print your coupon link nor anything snail mailed.
Again, a Survey appeared for me to fill out a few weeks later.
I ended up buying this item, for full price again, so I could fill out the survey and be eligible for more offers.

So this Oreo offer/non-offer was just the topping on the cake-ster!

I emailed Kraft and just laid into them about the totally inept way this program is/was handled.  I told them if they were just going to keep 'offering' me products but not following through with free product or discounts at the very least, they should NOT expect me to spend a DIME out of my own pocket on their products and then spend my valuable time filling out their lame surveys.
I am usually a pretty low-key 'don't make waves' kind of gal but....
Oh, I was hot!

I figured....mega corporation wouldn't give a rats hiney about this email, so, yah....I would not get a response.  At least I felt better venting about it.

Well lookie at what showed up in the mail about a week later.....

 A "we're sorry you never got your coupons" letter and 3 'Free Item' Coupons for an Oscar Mayer product, a DiGiorno product and a Nabisco product.

This certainly made me feel better.
Not sure if I'll still have issues with this program in the future since I don't know if it's me, the website or my computer that causes this hassle.

Has anyone else had problems accessing the offers online for this First Taste Program?
If not, then I'm just a moron who can't figure it out or I have an old lame computer.....I'd like to think that it's the latter choice. ;-)

At any rate, I'll find out whether I'll even bother with this program in the fullness of time.
But it shows that sometimes it does indeed pay to be the squeaky wheel.

Be the wheel.
Be the squeak.
Get the goodies!


Sluggy