Food Shopping at Rite-Aid....75% Clearance!

You need to check out the food and cleaning supplies aisles at your local Rite-Aid stores as some of the stores have marked the clearance items down from 50% off to 75% off!
There is a thread on SlickDeals were they have compiled a list of the items to look for HERE.
So when I went out to do my errands yesterday I stopped by 2 Rite-Aids to see if I could find anything.
The store downtown in the metro area was still only at 50% off so I just got this....

1 x Gallon Milk=$3.25
2 x Oreo Cookies on sale $3.00=$6.00
2 x Bounty Towels on sale $.88=$1.76
1 x Ace Cold Pack(in travel sizes area)=$1.03 with wellness 20% disc./reg. price $1.29
1 x Crest Toothpaste Pro-Health on sale=$2.99
3 x Campbell's Tomato Soup clearance(50%)$.99=$2.97
SubTotal....$18.00

Coupons Used
1 x $3/$15 One-Time emailed Wellness customer IPQ expires 9/30=$3.00
1 x FREE Oreos WYB 2 Cookies and Gallon of Milk IPQ(monthly facebook Q)=$3.00
1 x $.75/1 Oreo ManuQ(from tearpad/booklet from Jan.)=$.75
1 x $1/2 Oreo Packages AdPerks/VV IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Bounty Towels(P&G insert)=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Ace compress item(no longer available)IPQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Crest Toothpaste(P&G insert)=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste(RA flu booklet)=$1.00
1 x $.50/2 Campbell's Soup at Hand ManuQ=$.50
Coupons Used....$12.25

$18.00-$12.25=$5.75
+Ups used....$5...$5.75-$5=$.75 OOP put on Rite-Aid gift card
Value of items bought....$27.16

+Ups I received....$1(Oreos), $2(Crest)=$3.00
$5 in +Ups spent, $3 in +Ups received so I am down $2 in +Ups after this store.

Even though the Tomato soups were only at 50% off, #2 son loves these tomato ones so it was an ok deal for me.


And I hit the 75% off mother lode at this store.....

5 x Celestial Seasonings Tea clearance(75%) .92¢=$4.60
2 x NatraTaste Sweetener clearance(75%) .72¢=$1.44
2 x Campbell's Garden Select Veg. Soup clearance(75%) .62¢=$1.24
6 x Campbell's Soup at Hand Tom. Soup clearance(75%) .49¢=$2.94
12 x COS Chunk White Tuna clearance(75%).47¢=$5.64
2 x Nature Valley PB Granola Bars clearance(75%).99¢=$1.98
1 x Campbell's Tomato Soup Bowl clearance(75%)=.54¢
1 x Skippy Peanut Butter-creamy clearance(75%)=$.74
1 x Nutrisse Hair Color on sale=$5.99
SubTotal.....$25.11

Coupons Used
1 x $5 off $25 IPQ(pdf from newsletter sent to me earlier this year)=$5.00
2 x $1/1 Celestial Seasonings IPQ(no longer available)=$2.00
1 x $.50/2 Campbell's Harvest ManuQ=$.50
2 x $.50/3 Campbell's Soup at Hand ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Nature Valley Granola Bars ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $.50/1 Nature Valley Granola Bars AdPerks/VV IPQ=$.50
1 x $1/1 Nature Valley Granola Bars(RA flu booklet)=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Nutrisse Hair Color IPQ(redplum website)=$3.00
1 x $2/1 Nutrisse Hair Color(RA flu booklet)=$2.00
Coupon Total...$16.00

$25.11-$16.00=$9.11
I used +Ups...3 x $3=$9.00
$9.11-$9.00=$.11 Out of Pocket and put on free Rite-Aid gift card
Value of items bought....$87.47--Like I would ever pay retail for food at Rite-Aid, puhleeze!lol

And here's the crazy part...some of the clearance items also printed $1 +Up Rewards.
12 $1 +Ups printed!!
The +Ups part of my receipt was over 3 feet long.lolol  I would have taken a pic of the receipt but my arm isn't long enough to hold it up and far enough away from the camera to get it all in. ;-)

+Ups received....5 for the Celestial Seasonings, 2 for the NatraTaste Sweetener, 3 Tunas(1 for every 4 cans I bought), 1 GM for the 2 Nature Valley granola bars and 1 for the 2 Campbell's Harvest Select soups.

So in the end, after adding in the +Ups I got back.....I got paid .08¢ for each box of tea, .28¢ for each box of sweetener, .26¢ to buy 2 cans of the Harvest Select soup and $1.52 to take 2 boxes of granola bars home=$2.74 moneymaker on these items.
The tuna, while I didn't have any coupons for it, after the $1 +Ups for each 4 cans, came out to .22¢ a piece.
We still have peanut butter left over from last fall's Acme sale so I didn't dare drag anymore jars of that home under penalty of death. ;-)


THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$.86 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$114.63
SCR qualified for...$.00
+Up Rewards earned...$15.00
+Up Rewards spent...$14.00
These trips were a $1 moneymaker.

MONTHLY TOTALS-September Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......12
Total Spent....$19.73 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$489.07
SCR qualified for....$9 in cash and $10 in Gift Cards
Other Cash....$0
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....a Glam Bag
+Up Rewards spent....$84.50
+Up Rewards earned....$114.50

Total 'Spent'...$19.73 on gift cards
Total Cash I'm getting Back=$9
Total Gift Cards I'm getting=$10+Glam Bag
+Up Rewards left to spend=$30.00

I also ran to the Restaurant Supply Store and got another 5lb. block of sharp Cheddar Cheese as we were out of slicing cheese.  $16 for 5lbs.=$3.00 lb. vs. $4.99-$6.99 lb. at the grocery store deli dept.

Cheese, tuna and soup stock-ups...hmmmm....I wonder what is on the fall menu at Sluggy's house for quick and easy dinners?lol

Have you found any good clearance deals lately?
Tell us about it! 8-)

Sluggy

ENTRY HERE IS CLOSED! Another 2010 BORING BLOG BOX of FUN GIVEAWAY is OPEN! Box #4 POST 2

This is the 4th Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY for 2010!

It's time again for a Boring Giveaway.
I run a Boring Blog here so why not give away boring stuff, right?

Just to recap, I put things in the box(mostly what I have gotten for free or almost free)each week and when the box is filled we draw a winner from all the entries received.  The stuff can range from HBA, food, toys, collectibles, home decor or books.  Someday if enough people click on enough ads and this blog makes some cold hard cash, I may add a gift card, so get to clicking already!!lol

Here is what went into the Box today.....

1. A Mesh Bath Scrubby thing
2. A small Bottle of Olay Body Wash
3. A Glade Candle
4. A can of Bar Harbor brand Clam Chowder from my trip to Maine last month

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways on THIS POST.

Please NOTE--You MUST be a follower to enter the Giveaway.  If you aren't one, just click on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of my blog to become a follower---->


TIME TO ENTER.....

Just put a comment on this POST for your entry.  Easy Peasy!

When I post again about this BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY, entries on this Post will be CLOSED and you can post on the New Giveaway Post and enter again.  I hope this isn't too confusing. ;-)

Here are the ways to get UP TO 2 EXTRA entries PER POST.....

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with the URL of your blog. If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in an extra comment.
2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog or on a Message Board.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with a link to your blog post or the message on the board.

You can do each of these 2 things once per post, so that's a total of up to 3 entries per person per post.

Again, you can enter on this post until I put another Giveaway Post up and then you need to enter on the NEWER Post.
FYI if you are new here....it generally takes 4 weeks to fill the box, so there will be 4 posts(give or take)about this Giveaway where you can enter to win up to 3 times.

Any questions?  Just email me at slugmama@yahoo.com

Oh yah, I pay for all the stuff in this giveaway and nobody(business or person) gives me stuff or pays me to hold them or promote their products.  I even pay the shipping just because I loves ya'll and....and.....that's how I roll!  ;-)

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

My Neighbor or Putting UP with the Joneses....

As I have mentioned before, the guy who lives across the street from us has owned a big ass 5th wheel RV for most of the 10 years we've lived here.
It's an eyesore!
Not that it's a broken down piece of junk or anything.....it's just that this huge  metal box sits parked in his not very long driveway....
All.
Year.
Long.
It takes up the whole driveway and they barely have room to squeeze their 2 suv/trucks into the driveway next to it.
To say it's visual clutter is an understatement......

And here is the improved view when it's not parked there.....

 

I should say it sits in their driveway except for the scant 2 weeks a year they take it out somewhere and stay in it....if they take it out for that long each year!  
 I know they never take it far away since often while they are 'gone' for the 2 weeks, the husband will appear at the house to get the mail or something.  I know he's not driving home from a far distance to do this and then drive right back to wherever the RV is parked.


 Even though we are on a hill, I feel like that big cluttering monstrosity blocks the sunlight and makes me feel claustrophobic when I sit out on my front porch since I can't see down the road beyond that behemoth.

It's like having someone's house sitting right on the edge of their property, since you can see no sunlight between the garage and the RV, and the RV ends maybe 2 feet from the side of the road at his mailbox.  Heck, when he puts his garbage out each week, it sits at the end of his driveway and the front end of the RV overhangs the bags of garbage.  God help the sanitation worker who forgets to duck when he/she goes to retrieve his trash......

So anyway, for 2 weeks out of the year, I am blesses with clear sight lines and not having to look out at the ugly ass huge hunk-o-metal of a vehicle.  Every year, my soul gets sad when they bring it home to sit for the other  50 weeks of the year.

Why don't they store it somewhere...you know, somewhere appropriate, with other overgrown toys of it's kind?  I bet it gets lonely and feels unloved most of the year and would be much happier playing with it's own kind.

If they can't afford to store it somewhere appropriate, they could at least park it in their backyard, which they never use anyway....or at least store it lengthwise on the other side of their house so it's not sticking out like the big ugly sore thumb it is in my visual life.

So I got excited this summer when the Behemoth RV disappeared and was gone for 4 WEEKS!
As week 3 and then week 4 passed a small glimmer of hope grew in my being.....a glimmer that maybe it was gone for good, or at least gone from the driveway where it sits for 351 days out of the year.

But, my hopes were crushed last month, when the old Behemoth was replaced with a brand spanking new 2011 RV model.
Just as big and ugly but shinier! and maybe a tad bigger since there seems to be less space/light between where the garage ends and this overpriced/underused piece of shit vehicle begins.

I looked up what this baby costs new.
Can you say in the neighborhood of $45,000?!?!
Hey, that's great if you can afford it.
And I am sure on the surface this guy CAN afford it, since he owns his own insurance agency.  I don't know if he still has a mortgage and if his 2 later model vehicles are paid for....but they don't seem to spend money on groceries or go out to eat much, since his wife NEVER leaves the house at all! and they only have 1 kid to pay for/raise.
So spending their money on a big ass toy is not my problem with them.

But it a problem for me to spend this kind of money on something that you park in your driveway and DON'T USE for 50 WEEKS A YEAR!
Maybe it's just "me" but.....it doesn't sound like a good use of your money, unless your last name is Gates, or Buffet or King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia or something.
Doing this is like buying a new BMW luxury car and only driving it 14 days out of the year.
Seriously......who does this?!?!
Who spends $45K on something so it can sit and rust year after year?

If you want to vacation in a luxury RV for only 2 weeks a year, why not RENT ONE!?
I am sure it would be scads cheaper than buying one and letting it rot in your driveway for years between your infrequent trips in it.
If he thinks he is 'impressing' anyone by having it parked in his driveway, he needs to think again.
All he is doing is pissing ME off!
And he shouldn't be pissing me off right now......I have colanders filled with ripe tomatoes and I know how to throw them..... ;-)

I'm off to go warm up my pitching arm.....

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

Apples for Days Redux

Since it is once again APPLE SEASON, I thought I'd repost my crockpot applesauce recipe from last October 28th.
I'll be hitting the farm stand in the next couple of weeks to pick up a load of apples for preserving.
Sluggy


So what do you do when you go to the farmstand and there's a half bushel of homely apples priced at only $5.00 calling your name?




You buy them!
And that is just what I did.
I brought home a huge sack of Ugly Apples last week.
These are the less than perfect looking apples that nobody wants in their Peck or half Peck Bag of apples.  You know....scarred skins, not quite the perfect color, not quite the perfect shape &/or bruised.  The kid working at the stand said that after you picked over them and got rid of the bad ones,  at least they would be good for one pot of applesauce.
Ha!....little did he know!!

So I set to peeling and coring these babies to make some applesauce.  Making homemade applesauce it so easy too!
First thing is to select your apples and wash them thoroughly. I chose enough apples to fill my crockpot...about 17 apples.

Next you peel(if you want to peel them)and core them.

Since my ugly apples might have been riddled with bad spots, bruises, I chose to peel them first.
After about half I realized that my ugly babies did NOT have any bad spots.  They were just "skin challenged" with ugly scarred peels.  So I didn't peel the last part of the batch.  It's better if you leave the skins on, as most of the vitamins and "stuff that is good for you" is just under the peel.  Your applesauce will pack a bigger nutritional punch this way.

Then came the coring...

I LOVE my little apple corer.  It cost me $1.00 at the discount outlet.  It makes this job go so quickly too!

After coring/peeling, put your apple slices in a bowl in which you've put some water and lemon juice(you can used bottle juice, it doesn't have to be fresh squeezed).  The lemon water helps them not to brown while waiting to go into the crockpot.  Actually, since it really doesn't matter if the slices brown, you don't have to put lemon on them.  It's just a force of habit for me to lemon the apples. lol

Spray your crockpot with a spray oil to make cleaning easier.  This is optional however.

Then drain the lemon water off and put your apples in the crockpot, put on the lid and turn it on.
Don't add water!
That's it.....just walk away!

Now you can cook them down on LOW or HIGH.  Low will take about 5 hours, while High will cook them into sauce in about 2-3 hours.

You'll know when they are done when the house smells heavenly and they look like this....

(The large pieces in the photo are peel, not apple.)

When your apples are finished cooking, turn off the crockpot, stir it up and taste for sweetness.  If it's a bit tart for your taste, you can add some sugar or other sweetener at this point.  Also add cinnamon now if you want some in your batch.

If you didn't peel your apples and don't want the peels in the finished product, just fish them out after your applesauce cools.  Your applesauce at this point will be a bit chunky.
If you want it fine and smooth, get out a food mill.

Pour the sauce in and start milling into a bowl or pan.  If you are going to mill, don't bother fishing out your peels beforehand.  The mill will keep your peels from winding up in your finished product.
And speaking of finished product, here it is....

Ready for eating!
If you make a lot you can water bath can applesauce or put into freezer-safe containers and freeze any excess for later.
It will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.

My 17 medium-sized apples made a 6 Cup container(48 oz.)of applesauce.

If you wish to make Apple Butter at this point, just put your sauce back into the crockpot, add spices according to any good Apple Butter recipe you have/find and continue to cook it down until you have the consistency and the brown color of apple butter.  You can also water bath can your Apple Butter to store it longer.

I'll get out both Crockpots & do another 2 batches tomorrow of Chunky Applesauce.  That should keep us in applesauce for a couple of months.
The rest of the apples will be made into Apple Pie Filling later this week.

Sluggy