More College Fun......Keeping My Fingers & Toes Crossed!

So Hubs took Daughter for a campus visit to the safety/small state college she was accepted into.  This is the school that offered her a 1/3rd tuition merit scholarship and is the only one that the pile of money we have set aside for her will cover the cost of the degree without lots of student loan debt.  It is NOT her 1st choice school so she grumbled the whole way to the visit.

She came back fairly impressed with the school and the biology/bio-medical departments there.  Her biggest concern seems to be now that this school is NOT in a large city like her 1st choice, so she thinks there will be nothing to do for fun.   Kids.....

She will be bored for awhile but she won't be in massive amounts of debt when she is done there.
I think that's a pretty good trade-off.
Heck, knowing her, she'll be running this school before she's done!lolol

She also discovered that this school has a nice little perk.  If she gets accepted into a special pre-med program there, she gets an automatic berth into an accredited medical school that is affiliated with this college.  No having to interview or apply to medical school(she could still apply to other med schools if she wanted to)and no competing with the hundreds of thousands of other potential medical school candidates for the finite number of slots each year.  There is having to keep her grades at a certain level through her undergraduate years but if she does, she's guaranteed one of the 5 automatic seats for graduates of her school into the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Well she will have to get a 24 on her MCats as well as pass the interview and get letters of recommendation too.
She has already sent in her application for this program so we wait to hear back.  Please cross your fingers that she gets in....I'd appreciate it. ;-)

Of course, the $200,000+ she needs for medical school is another matter she can worry about 4 years from now.lolol

Here is some more information on this whole Student Debt issue.  If you have any articles or stories to share on this issue, please leave a comment and links for us.

* A Video from Glenn Reynolds' talk give at the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism lecture series last fall on the 'Higher Education Bubble'  HERE.

*A humorous column from George Will HERE.

* For the first time, Student Debt surpasses Credit Card Debt HERE.

* A podcast by Zac Bissonnette, who wrote a book about going to college without going into debt(while he was still a student!) HERE

* An article on saving on the cost of school by incorporating Community College into your plan HERE.

* If you put your college funds into a state plan or a 529, you need to go read this HERE.

Also, if you have a Coverdell Education Savings Account(not a 529), you need to know that they extended the tax breaks that were due to expire 12/31/10.  The new end date for these breaks is  12/31/12...unless Congress extends the deadline again at that time.
This is something you should keep your eye out for in a couple of years if you'll have an ESA at that time.

Sluggy

Doggone Fun!

Just something fun to watch.  I am a fan of this musical group and the myriad of videos they have created.
They did this video in support of animal rescue.
We say heck ya! to second chance pets.....all of our dogs have come from shelters.
All I can say is that I sure wish my kids were this well trained...lol

Enjoy!

Sluggy

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