My Tablecloth Domestic Hack......

What is a "Hack" you ask?
Well, it's defined as a clever, ingenious or out-of-the-ordinary way of solving a problem in your life.    Thinking "out of the box" if you will, that simplifies your life.
I've come up with solutions that I like to call Domestic Hacks.

Though my kitchen is of a decent size, it lacks enough storage.  There are 5 doors or doorways into/out of my kitchen, taking up precious wall space where cabinets should/could be.  Plus one whole wall is a half wall with a heating unit smack dab in the center of it, so no room to put any kind of storage unit/shelf/cabinet there either.  I do have a dining room hutch/cabinet combo but the cabinet part holds serving dishes, china and silverware.  There is no free space left in that piece of furniture either.

My problem is where to put my many kitchen table tablecloths when they are not in use.  I have a collection of seasonal tablecloths I like to cover my glass topped kitchen table with.  If you have ever viewed one of my shopping trip post photos, you've seen at least one of the cloths in question here.

But I have no place to store the cloths not in use at the moment.  Even folded up flat, they do take up precious room I can't spare.

So I store the tablecloths not being used at the moment ON the table!
I currently have 5 layers of tablecloth on my kitchen table.....

Since it's Spring, the flowered cloth is visible on top.
But lurking underneath are 3 Winter themed cloths that are not specifically Christmas and 1 Fall cloth.  I just rotate them to the top of the stack depending on the season.

Easy solution, right?lol
I saved some storage space, expended little energy, saved time getting cloths in and out of their storage place and I didn't have to spend any money to solve my problem.
Just one of my many "Domestic Hacks".

Do you have any Hacks you have come up with?

Sluggy

Using the +Up Rewards up for the Week

I finally got out on Tuesday to Rite-Aid.
And just in the nick of time to get some Old Spice/Gillette Body Wash before it was all gone!
Here's how I rolled/converted/used my expriring +Ups this week.....

2 x Old Spice Body Wash on sale $2.99=$5.98  *
1 x Glad Trash bags on sale=$3.99
1 x Complete Contact wash on sale=$7.99
2 x Mitchum Deodorant 20% Wellness discount $3.43=$6.86
SubTotal....$24.82

Coupons Used

1 x $1 Any Purchase AdPerks/VV Q=$1.00
1 x BOGO Old Spice Body Wash ManQ=$2.99
1 x $1/1 Old Spice item ManuQ Homemailer Booklet=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Glad trash bags IPQ=$1.00 (not sure if this is available anymore)
1 x $1/1 Peelie on Complete Box=$1.00
2 x $1/1 Mitchum Facebook Q=$2.00
1 x $5/2 Mitchum/Rite-Aid Q=$5.00(link sent in email)=$5.00
Coupon Total....$13.99

$24.82-$13.99=$10.83 + $.29tax=$11.12 OOP
I used $11 +Up Rewards($9 expiring this week and $2 expiring on the 23rd)and put the .12¢ on my gift card.
I received $5 in +Up Rewards back(2 x $2 Old Spice, $1 Glad), so I am 'down' $6 in +Ups but I qualified for SCR #24(Complete solution) for the full purchase price of  $7.99, so I am 'up' $1.99 overall.

*Now I realize that I didn't buy 2 "Fresh Collection" Old Spice items per the OS Q.  But sine they only had 1 of that variety in the store, they let me use the Q on that one Fresh Collection and one of the Swagger variety.
Remember also, that there is a LIMIT of 2 per Wellness card on the Old Spice and/or Gillette Body Wash Deal this week.  Both brands are of the same Deal so don't try to buy 2 Old Spice and then 2 Gillette with the same Wellness card.  You will only get 2 $2 +Ups.


Then I used BIL's card to buy the 2 Gillette Body Wash also on sale for $2.99 each....


SubTotal was $5.98.
I used a BOGO ManuQ, which deducted $2.99, making my total $2.99.
I paid with a $1.99 Scunci +Ups and a $1.00 Easter Candy +Ups, which made my OOP $0.00.

I love getting a receipt that shows $0.00 spent.....hehehe.....

I earned 2 x $2 +Ups on this purchase, so I am 'up' $1.01 on this transaction.


THESE TRIPS
Number of Transactions.....2
Total Spent....$.12 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$47.02
SCR qualified for...$7.99
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$0.00
+Up Rewards earned...$9.00
+Up Rewards spent....$13.99
+Up Rewards left to spend.....$42.97
And I have $51.78 left on my gift card.

GRAND TOTALS--April Rebate Period so far

Number of Transactions......9
Total Spent....$2.71 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$391.40
SCR qualified for....$58.91
Other Cash....$0.00
Additional Rebates....$0.00
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for April SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 4/9.....$47.96
+Up Rewards spent....$122.99
+Up Rewards earned....$52.96
+Up Rewards left....$42.97  includes ALL +Ups not just ones from this SCR period

   

So what is everyone else getting/gotten at Rite-Aid this week?

Sluggy

Bread Outlets are Great for Stocking-Up....

I like to go to my local Bread/Bakery Outlet at least once a month to stock-up on bread products.
My teens eat quite alot of sandwiches(especially #2 son, the grilled cheese addict).  I can't see spending $3.99 or more on a loaf at the grocery store!

The 'premium' breads(the Arnold and Thomas')go for 3 for $5 at the outlet.  These brands can be as much as $4.49 a loaf at the local market.
I usually don't buy these 'premium' breads even at the outlet unless they put them on some kind of additional discount(if they are overstocked or too close to the sell by date, etc.).  Last month I got bags of Thomas' bagels for .89¢ each because of a production overrun.  I usually don't buy them at $1.67 a bag there but for .89¢ I was all over that deal!lol

The 'other branded' breads are usually 3 for $3(only if you buy 3 or multiples of 3...buy less and they are $1.59 a loaf).  $1.59 is still a good price but $1 is better and I'll buy 3 to get that price, since we will use it all up.

There is also a discounted rack where everything is .89¢ each no matter the item or brand.
I "heart" the discounted rack.....

This outlet also carries Entenmann's Baked Goods.  All kinds/varieties of evil goodness!  They run 3 for $6 or $2.25 if you don't buy in multiples of 3.  These are the items that go for $4.99 or more at the store.
There is also a discounted rack for the Entenmann's items where everything is $1.00.
I hardly ever buy off the regular 3 for $6 shelves, only the $1.00 rack.

On occasion, they will run a special, like Spend $10 and get a free loaf of something(their choice).  Since when I go I stock-up, I usually spend enough to get the free loaf deal.
I tend to stock up more in the winter, since I can keep the bread out in the frigid garage, in my "auxiliary freezer".  In the summer with the humidity, I don't buy more than I can fit into the fridge or the freezer to keep the bread from going bad.

The one problem with the Bread Outlet is that from day to day, you never know what or how much of something they are going to have available.  They don't get regular deliveries or standard amounts sent to them.  A lot of it is supermarket returns.  Grocery stores will return for credit, bread which does not sell within XX number of days.  The producer sends it to the Bread Outlet.  It's all still 'in date' but only by a few days, so you need to freeze or refrigerate what you don't use right away after you buy it.

Since you don't know what will be there it's very hard to plan your trip successfully sometimes.  If you need lots of rolls this month and they are out, you either have to make another trip and hope they have more that day, rearrange your meal plan, go spend more at the grocery store or make your own.

Anyway, here is what I bought last week....

5 boxes of Entenmann's
3 bags of rolls/buns
10 bags of breads
18 items for $20.45 

That comes out to $1.14 an item because of the 2 free loaves for spending $20.  Not a bad average with that.

It's a bit higher than what I usually spend.  They were out of chocolate doughnuts on the $1 rack, so I had to splurge and pay $2 a box.  These doughnuts are Hubs one request and it was his Birthday last week, so how could I say no? ;-)
I also splurge and got 3 loaves of the premium brand bread since they didn't have any similar type of that bread in the 'other brands' lower priced racks.

I occasionally still make my own bread, but not often, and not at all in the heat of the summer months.  The problem is the teens prefer this store bought stuff to my homemade.  Some day they will miss it when they have flown the nest.......

Anyway, it's well worth your time to seek out some type of Bread/Bakery Outlet where you live.
You will save scads of food dollars if you can keep from hauling too many of those evil baked goods home as well!lol

Sluggy

For Mark......

Ok, I stand corrected!
You have NOT fallen behind in your decluttering Mark, just in the sharing of what was dejunked.
I hang my head in shame at doubting you and your dedication to dejunking..... 8-(
I wait with baited breath for your next decluttering post.

While I wait, here is what I dug up over the weekend and sent off to Salvation Army today.......

A bunch of shirts(still with tags) and new in the box toys from my old eBay inventory.  Add in some books I've read and am ready to pass along.

Now why do I keep hearing Ethel Merman singing, "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" over and over again in my head??lolol

Sluggy

3 Trips to Rite-Aid Late Last Week

I goofed up bigtime last Thursday at Rite-Aid.
I was trying to do the "Buy $20 of Hershey candies and get a $10 +Up Reward" Deal, but I miscalculated and didn't quite spend $20.
Ugh.

So I went right back in and spend another $3 and change to get over the $20 mark.  But by doing the 2nd trip too close timewise to the first, the system didn't sync up the 2 transactions, so the +Up still didn't print.
Ugh again.

So I went back on Friday and bought some more....not more candy, but I still had +Ups to roll/convert/burn before Saturday night AND Daughter wanted to use her GOS Cert. from before Xmas.
So I got the kids a new blow dryer and other stuff....and I STILL didn't spend all my expriring +Ups.
Triple UGH.

So....I went back Saturday evening to spend $4 in expiring +Ups.  I did end up buying more Easter candy(which also qualified for the Hershey +Ups Deal) AND my $10 +Ups FINALLY PRINTED!
Yay me!!!

So now, I'll be returning the $3 and change worth of Hershey's from Thursday night since the Saturday Hershey's also qualified for the +Ups Deal and put me over $20.  Those chocolate bunnies aren't pictured in my Photo since I am not counting them, but they will put another $3.18 on the Rite-Aid gift card(and take $1 off my +Ups left to spend total since I used $1 of them)when I return them since I paid with Qs, +Ups and a gift card.
That's just so you know when my gift card total goes up, that is why.

While the beginning of last week was all about rolling +Ups into more +Ups or converting +Ups into Single Check Rebate cash, these trips were all about spending expiring +Ups before they went kaput!lol
Since I wasn't able to roll most of the $26 that were expiring, I chose items that we needed/wanted and if possible things we also could get at least a partial amount back in +Ups like the chips, the candy, the cookies and the blow dryer.

Onward to the photo of the items I bought in those 3 transactions and the totals.....

2 Lay's Chips
2 Colgate Toothpaste(raincheck)
4 Reach Toothbrushes(raincheck)
2 Chef Boyardee Pasta(free item homemailers)
1 Corned Beef Hash
2 Dawn Dish Detergent
2 Snack Bags of Cookies
1 Blow Dryer
2 NYC nail polish
1 Gallon of Milk  **Not Pictured**
1 can of Arizona Iced Tea **Not Pictured**
4 Bags Reese's pieces M&Ms
2 Bags Reese's Pieces Eggs
8 single Reese's Eggs
8 single Cadbury Eggs
1 roll of Mentos mints

Total OOP....$1.09 put on gift card(.28¢, 43¢ and 38¢)
Total Value of Items Received....$109.62
Total +Ups spent...$26.00
Other Certs.....$20.00
Total Qs used...$62.53
Total +Ups received...$21.00
Total left on gift card...$48.72
Total left on gift card after return...$51.90




THESE TRIPS
Number of Transactions.....3
Total Spent....$1.09 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$109.62
SCR qualified for...$0.00
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$0.00
+Up Rewards earned...$21.00
+Up Rewards spent....$27.00(includes $1 in +Ups I used on the items I returned)
+Up Rewards left to spend.....$47.96

GRAND TOTALS--April Rebate Period so far

Number of Transactions......7
Total Spent....$2.59 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$344.38
SCR qualified for....$50.92
Other Cash....$0.00
Additional Rebates....$0.00
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for April SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 4/3.....$53.96
+Up Rewards spent....$107.00
+Up Rewards earned....$43.96
+Up Rewards left....$47.96  includes ALL +Ups not just ones from this SCR period

Sluggy