Rite-Aid & the Gift of Savings SUCKS!...NOVEMBER SCR Period TOTALS *Update*

So I didn't stand in any lines at the mall or the BBS(aka Big Box Stores) scooping up Christmas Deals this Weekend.
I did go to Rite-Aid.
Over.
And Over.
And Over Again.

Friday was the beginning of the qualifying period for the GIFT OF SAVINGS Promotion at Rite-Aid.
Like in years past, the GOS is when your purchases qualify you for a $5, $10 or $20 Gift Certificate, depending on your level of spending.  Just submit your receipts on the Rite-Aid website anytime you make a purchase between November 26th and December 24th.   This year the Certificates will be mailed electronically, not snail mailed as in years past, so you'll get it super quick!

If you spend between $25 and $50, you get a $5 Certificate.
If you spend between $50.01 and $100, you get a $10 Certificate.
If you spend over $100, you get a $20 Certificate.

As an added bonus this year, if at least $25 of your purchases during this time are spent on qualifying Photo Center items, you'll receive a Bonus $5 added to your Certificate, for a possible total of $25 when you buy over $100 in items.

This year though, you MUST use your WELLNESS CARD when you shop to qualify your purchases for the GOS program, so get a card if you don't have one and Happy Saving!

I had a feeling that Rite-Aid would bring back to GOS for the Holidays, so I have been saving up some FREE ITEM Coupons to use once the qualifying purchase period got here.  This is always a good thing to do if a store is holding special promotion where you qualify for rebates/discounts/etc. and the larger your purchase is the more you get.  I've held onto free item coupons to use during "Spend $X, get a Free Turkey" deals.  Buy the items that you have free item coupons for to get to $X and you will actually be out of pocket nothing(or alot less)that way and get your free turkey.  Some of the cereal, the Pringles, the Cottonelle wipes(even tho they weren't the ones on sale that gave the +Up Reward, they were still free with the free item Q)were all free.  The LSS Deodorant, the Tugaboos, the Vaseline, the Earbuds, the Got2B, the Hand Soap, the Cold Pack, the Toothpaste, the Toothbrushes, the Candy Bars and the M&Ms were all free or better than free after coupons and/or +Up Rewards.

*****UPDATE*****
Well I am so disappointed in the Gift of Savings Promotion this year!
Why you ask?
Because as I saw it reported on "For The Mommas" blog, that only what you actually "spend" counts toward your qualifying purchases.
I just submitted a receipt from Friday onto the Rite-Aid website and THEY TOOK OFF EVERY DISCOUNT/COUPON/WELLNESS CERTIFICATE I USED ON THE TRANSACTION!

I now have a whole .50¢ that I put on my gift card for that transaction toward a GOS certificate.
GOSH!....what a whole lot of nothing!lol

Since they seem to be disallowing all forms of payment toward this premium except for gift cards/cash/credit cards, I guess I won't be qualifying for a GOS this year.
Sigh............
******************* 


The sales flyer at Rite-Aid this week was very good.
Add in that the 3 Day Thanksgiving Weekend special Sale was even better!
I did 7 (yes, Seven!)transactions in the last 2 days.
Here is the evidence.....one big group photo....

8 Planters Nuts(BIL card)
1 pack Cottonelle TP(It was all gone on Thurs. except this one!)
1 Cottonelle Wipes(not the one on sale, they were also gone)
10 Tugaboo Diaper Packs
2 M&Ms
6 Duracell Battery Packs
2 Colgate Toothpaste
2 Colgate Toothbrushes(BIL card)
1 Earbuds
2 Vaseline(also hard to find by Friday)
2 Dial Hand Soap
2 Gilette Razors
1 Noxema Razors
20 Candy Bars(10 me/10 BIL card...Who wouldn't take free chocolate?lol)
3 Cereal
1 Got2Be hair stuff
1 pack Reading Glasses(Only pack in store)
2 Lady Speed Stick Deo
2 Pringles
1 Ace Cold Pack
1 Olay Body Wash
1 Secret travel size Deo
2 Oreo Cookies
8 Ramen Noodles
*Not included in this photo are 7 12-packs of soda.*

I have qualified for the $20 GOS already and BIL card has qualified for the $10.
$21.81 more and he'll reach $100 and qualify for the $20 GOS as well. 

THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$7.75 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$316.80
SCR qualified for...$17.98
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$00.00
+Up Rewards earned...$45.00
+Up Rewards spent...$53.00
+Up Rewards left to spend....$25.99


GRAND TOTALS--November Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......39
Total Spent....$26.30  put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$1,843.52
SCR qualified for....$59.98
Other Cash....$14.99
Gift of Savings Reward...$0.00
Additional Rebates....$31.99
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for Nov. SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 11/23.....$33.99
+Up Rewards spent....$231.50
+Up Rewards earned....$237.49
+Up Rewards left....$25.99

I spent $26.30 Out of Pocket this SCR period at Rite-Aid.
I put that amount on a free-to-me Rite-Aid gift card so ZERO cash was spent.
I will receive $106.96 in cash from SCRebates or other Manufacturer's Rebates.
I have $25.99 in +Up Rewards(good as cash at Rite-Aid)to use to buy more.
I have over $1800 worth of merchandise.

I'd call November a very Very Good month for me. 8-))


Sluggy

Photo +Ups & Nuts +Ups.....Rite-Aid Stuff

Since my Planters nuts coupons arrived Wednesday morning, I checked out the Rite-Aid over by the grocery store I needed to go to that day.

With the craziness of getting ready for Thanksgiving I didn't get a picture taken of this trip but I bought....

5 x Planters Nuts on sale $3.99=$19.95
2 x Band-Aid trial size $.79 w/wellness disc.=$1.58
1 x Purell Hand Sani. small size w/wellness disc.=$1.59
1 x Motrin PM on sale=$4.00
1 x Ace Cold Pack w/wellness disc.=$1.03
SubTotal....$28.15
Used $15.50 in Manu and IP coupons for a total of $12.65.

I used $12 in +Up Rewards and put the $.65 on my free Rite-Aid gift card.
I received $15 in +Up Rewards back for this purchase(5x$2Planters and the $5 WYB $15 in Planters)=$15 +Ups
In addition, I'll submit for SCR #81(Motrin PM)under BIL's account for a $2.00 cash rebate.

"Spent" $12, getting $17 back.

Then I ran out after dinner to scope out the Planters situation at my local store & to see if the +Ups Photo Frame deal was still printing on the lower priced items....

1 Planters Nut*rition--used $1/1 Q & $.50/1 Flu Booklet Q=$2.49
4 Kleenex--used $1/3 AdPerks/VV Q & $1/4 ManuQ=$1.96
2 Fiber Plus Bars--used 2x$2/1 IPQs=$1.00
4 Chow Mein Bowls--used $1/3 ManuQ=$3.00
2 Diaper trial packs(wellness disc.)= minus .42¢
2 Keychains(wellness disc.)=$4.78
1 Acrylic Frame(wellness disc.)=$1.99
1 Magnet Frame(wellness disc.)=$1.19
Used a $5 off $25 Q and $10 in +Up Rewards, put OOP $.99 on Rite-Aid gift card.

Suppose to receive $17 in +Ups($2 Planters, $1 Fiber Plus Bars, $2 Chow Mein Noodles, $12 Photo Frames), but the Frames +Ups didn't print.
Since all the pegs that these frames were displayed on had the Wellness +Ups tag that they gave $3+Ups per item on them, I called Corporate Customer Service.  If the shelves/pegs weren't tagged I wouldn't have bothered to call and make a case for the +Ups, but they were, so I did.lol  And since the tags were there(wrongly or rightly so)they said I was due the +Ups for buying the products.  So I'll be getting the +Up Rewards and I'm counting them in my totals for the month even though they have to be mailed and I can't spend them for awhile.


Spend $10 +Ups, getting $17 +Ups back.

THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$1.64(put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$84.03
SCR qualified for...$2.00
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$00.00
+Up Rewards earned...$32.00
+Up Rewards spent...$22.00
+Up Rewards left to spend....$33.99


GRAND TOTALS--November Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......32
Total Spent....$18.55  put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$1,526.72
SCR qualified for....$42.00
Other Cash....$14.99
Additional Rebates....$31.99
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for Nov. SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 11/23.....$23.99
+Up Rewards spent....$178.50
+Up Rewards earned....$192.49
+Up Rewards left....$33.99

Sluggy

Where Will You Be on Friday?

Will you be out with the Shopping Fanatics on Friday morning?
Or will you be snug in your bed or headed to work at that early hour?
Me?....I don't 'do' Black Friday.

Besides the fact that I don't have many people to buy "stuff" for during the Holidays, it's rare that I want/need something so badly at an insanely low price that I'd brave the traffic headaches, go out into the Chaos of Crowds and stand in lines a mile long to pay in order to save money on an electronic/appliance/toy/article of clothing/etc.
But that's just me I suppose....
Hey, I am all over a great deal but even I have my limits.

If you do have the "Shopping Monkey on your back" and you'll be hitting as many stores as time will allow in a Shopping Bachanalia, remember that all that "stuff" you buy needs to fit into your already crowded with "stuff" home and once you are done with the new "stuff", it will most likely end up clogging up a landfill somewhere....and we are fast running out of places to dispose of all our unwanted "stuff" on this planet.  Consider these points and buy judiciously if you have to purchase "stuff".

The teens mostly want cash or gift cards and Hubs and I don't need more "stuff". I'm going to try to find ways to support local businesses this year when I do buy.
I'll try to find gift cards/certificates to buy off of local small merchants(for consumables or experiences mostly)and try to stay out of the big box stores.

Speaking of big box stores and Black Friday, have a lookie at this SNL skit and tell me that this isn't where we are headed.....



Since I sold a few things on eBay on Thanksgiving(bless all those cyber shoppers with nothing to do but watch football on Thursday!lol) I'll be packing and shipping when I'm not strolling down the aisles at Rite-Aid on Friday seeing what food/HBA items I can bring home for free(or close to it).

Whatever you are doing on Black Friday, stay safe, stay sane and stay warm!

Sluggy

A Short History of Thanksgiving in the New World....

Every school child learns at a young age that the Pilgrims held the 1st Thanksgiving Meal that we celebrate to this day.
But actually, the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were NOT the first European settlers in the New World to hold a Thanksgiving.

There were FOUR earlier Thanksgiving celebrations on this new continent....one was held in what was to become North Carolina and three in what was to become Virginia.

#1 Took place in 1586 on Roanoke Island, NC. near present day Manteo.   This was the contingency brought to the New World by Sir Walter Raleigh to found a settlement.  These 100 men lasted about a year and after holding their meal of Thanksgiving they folded up shop and sailed home.

#2  Took place in 1609, at Jamestown, Virginia at the Jamestown Settlement.  This is the First Thanksgiving held by European immigrants at the 1st permanent settlement in the New World.  (Since the Roanoke Colony was abandoned, that earlier celebration is often discounted.)  This Thanksgiving was held after a year of near starvation.  They were thankful that they had survived the lack of food and disease and that a relief supply ship was soon to arrive.

#3  The same Jamestown Settlement held another document-able celebration in 1612, when the Colony's Governor returned with a shipload of women destined to be wives for many lucky settlers. 

#4  Another document-able Thanksgiving dinner was held in 1619 at nearby Berkley Plantation, also along the James River near Jamestown in VA.

#5  The Thanksgiving celebration at Plimouth Plantation wasn't until 1621, a full 35 yrs. after Roanoke Colony's and 12 yrs after the first Jamestown celebration.

And then there is the contingent that sees the 1st American Thanksgiving as being celebrated in St. Augustine Florida in 1565 by the Spanish explorers, long before the Pilgrims or Sir Walter Raleigh's crew or the Jamestown Colony gang.

I often think that historians pegged the Massachusetts Thanksgiving as the genesis of the Holiday due to the fact that the colony was founded by Europeans fleeing religious persecution.  And once they got here the Pilgrims began exhibiting discrimination toward anyone who wanted to practice different religious beliefs from theirs, but that's another lesson in intolerance for another time. ;-)

The VA Colony founders were farmers and merchants who took part in settling the New World for economic freedom and opportunities.   The religion stuff was not the issue for them.

Having grown up in the South, I often felt that the earlier VA based Thanksgivings were not given their due.  The way it comes off, since none of those school books I ever read as a child mentioned any of the other earlier Thanksgiving celebrations, is that only people who are religiously oppressed are worthy of being considered the 1st to give thanks.

Nope.

Having grown up and sought knowledge beyond those inaccurate textbooks I have learned a more accurate history of the Holiday.

And that's without getting into the whole "There were indigenous people here long before the Europeans arrived" issue, so yah, the Holiday is way older than whatever anyone claims!

But I can safely say that the cutest first Thanksgiving celebration was this one from my youth....

No matter which date you observe as the "first" Thanksgiving Day, here's hoping your day to Give Thanks is peaceful, you have people around you that you truly care about and who care about you, and you are aware of the many awesome blessings you have.

I'm off to count mine....one by one.
Then some pie and a nap.

Sluggy

Pumpkin Alchemy

Along with running errands, today was Pie Making Day.  I had 8 pumpkins still sitting in my garage I had gotten from the farmstand last month.

I have a confession to make.
Up until day, I have NEVER MADE A PUMPKIN PIE from SCRATCH.
My pumpkin puree has always come out of an orange container, yes....but that container wasn't roundish with a stem....it was cylindrical and said "Libby's" on it.

At my advanced age, it was about time I made my own pumpkin puree.
So I was off to perform some Pumpkin Magic!

First, we chose our hapless unsuspecting victim.....

*Imagine me stroking it like Gollum and saying, "My Precious, preeeciousss....".*

 Then we performed a vivisection on him....my surgical technique left alot to be desired.
More like Night of the Living Dead than Gray's Anatomy....

Next we used one of our kitchen multi-taskers to gut him.
Pumpkin gutting tool aka ice cream scoop.....Alton would be so proud.....

 This was followed by spraying a sheet pan with oil, plopping the two halves down on said sheet pan(outsides up) and putting it into a preheated 350 degree oven.

Let's take a look at the pumpkin guts while our little orange fellow roasts, shall we?....

You have 4 options with this mess here.
1--Throw it out.  That's easiest but the less desirable choice.
2--Salvage as many seeds as you can, roast them, toss with salt or other seasonings and you have a frugal tasty snack.
3--Take a food processor to this lovely glop 'o pumpkin innards and add it to your dog's dinner bowl.  The seeds and the fiberous nature of pumpkin innards will help clean your doggies innards out and make his bowels happy. (I got this tip from my buddy Alex M over at Living Without Money.)
4--Salvage as many seeds as you can, dry them and then store them away in a dark place until planting time, then attempt to grow from seed your very own pumpkins.

Back to our pumpkin....
When he is done(about 40 min., the flesh should be soft and give way easily when poked or pressed on), take him out and let cool.
After he cools off, we pulled off his skin and cubed the flesh up.

Then we took our Stick Blender to this bowl and blended away until it looked something like this......

Actually, the stick blender didn't render the mash smooth enough so I dumped it, in 3 cup allotments, into my Waring Blender.  Since we roasted and didn't boil the pumpkin it wasn't wet at all, so we needed to add some tap water so we didn't burn out the blender's motor. (About 1 cup of water per 4 cups of mash.)

This 1 pumpkin gave us approx. 7 cups of puree.  Most pie recipes call for between 1 3/4 cups and 2 cups per pie.  We made 2 pies so the leftover puree went into a Ziploc bag and into the freezer.

We added the usual additional ingredients to our puree, poured the mixture into a pie crust and baked it according to the recipe's directions and ........

.....Here is the finished product!
If I don't say so myself, it looks good enough to eat.  ;-)

The teens have been eyeing it for the last 4 hours.
I may have to sleep with one eye open tonight to keep Mr. Pie from falling into their evil clutches before morning.

Pass the Whipped Cream,

Sluggy