Say Hello to My Little Friend!

Let me introduce my new, close, personal friend........

He may be very one dimensional but we enjoy each other's company.lol
The downside is that Uncle Sam will want a cut of my new buddy here, come next April. 8-(

I brought Mr. Franklin home on Monday night.  He was my "thank you" for participating in a Focus Group/Mock Jury session held at a local hotel.  We also got some "parting gifts" as Monty Hall use to say but this was the incentive to get me to leave my house, drive 5 miles down the mountain and give my opinion on a case. 

The company I am registered with is turning out to be a good gig for me.  It took a year or so to get things rolling but this is the 3rd group event I've been selected for(2 have been online/1 in-person)since last Fall.  They also send emailed surveys but I seem to get dumped out of them before I get to the end so I only have $2 or so in my account for those so far.  It will be sometime before I can request a $20 check on that.lol
 
If you'd like to sign up with Focus Forward, I'd appreciate if you'd use my link HERE.
They are a nationwide LCC corporation.  Signing up is free and you will never be asked to pay for anything in order to participate in a group.  I highly recommend them.

Another company Hubs is involved with is Pinecone Research.  They send out online survey invites on average of 2-3 a month.  Each completed survey is worth $3 and you can have a paper check sent or request payment through a Paypal account.  Last year Hubs did 20 surveys so made $60.  Of course, Uncle Same also got a cut of that since it IS income.  You won't get rich participating but $60 is a utility bill or a week's worth of groceries, right?

Pinecone doesn't recruit or do referrals.  You have to wait until they have openings and go sign up.  They will advertise openings on various website via banners but there are no set sites or times so it's a matter of keeping your eyes open online and if you hear from some's blog or website that Pinecone Research is taking applications, you need to jump on it.
Hubs didn't get invited right away when he applied.  He had to wait until his demographic fit the profile they were recruiting from so if you don't get in right away, keep trying.

And there is good news on the TOLUNA front as well.  TOLUNA is an online survey company I signed up at the behest of my bloggy buddy SonyaAnn.  If these 2 survey's incentive points every come through from 2 Pending studies I did, I may just actually have enough points to request a $20 check...woohooo!

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Shopping......Convert the +Ups

Well I was able to roll a bit and convert even more +Up Rewards to cash via the Single Check Rebates.
First on BIL's card....

2 x SoftSoap Body Wash on sale=$5.98
1 x Balsamic Vinegar on sale=$1.00
1 x Luster Toothpaste w/20% Wellness discount=$5.99
1 x Crest Toothpaste on sale=$2.69
2 x Sample size boxes of chocolates w/20% Wellness discount=$2.54
1 x Sheet Protectors w/Wellness discount=$1.19 *Not Pictured*
SubTotal....$19.39

Coupons Used
1 x $1 off any purchase AdPerk/VV Q=$1.00
1 x $1.50/1 Luster Toothpaste IPQ(there is also a ManuQ from the inserts out there)=$1.50
Coupon Total....$2.50

$19.39-$2.50=$16.89 +$.04 tax=$16.93

I used $16.76 in +Ups to pay and put the remaining .17¢ on my Rite-Aid gift card.
I received $6 in +Ups back(2 x $1 chocolate, 2 x $2 SoftSoap).
I also qualified for SCR #6($2.69 Crest) and #84($4 Luster) so I'll receive $6.69 in cash rebates next month.

*Sheila over at Super Savvy Saver reminded me about the teeny tiny Russell Stover and Whitman's Sampler boxes are giving $1 +Up Rewards this month.  With 20% Wellness discount they only 'cost' you .27¢ and you can roll $1 per box in +Ups.  I was able to find a couple.  While 4 pieces of chocie are NOT a great deal for this price, I am putting my boxes into the Xmas stash for stocking stuffers.

*On Wednesday, when I got to the store, the SoftSoap shelves were bare.  However, there is a Men's variety of this product now and my store had it shelved separately from all the other varieties of SoftSoap Body Wash so there were still 2 bottles left for me to buy....yippee!
I would seriously advise you to GET A RAINCHECK for this item if your store is out.  $.99 for a bottle which will be your raincheck price is a great deal AND you have the possibility of Dial releasing a SoftSoap ManuQ in the future, which pared with this raincheck could make for some very frugal or even free body wash! ;-)   A Raincheck for the CREST toothpaste is also a given, since your raincheck will make it free.

Then I bought on my card.....

2 x Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal on sale=$5.00
1 x Luster Toothpaste w/20% Wellness discount=$5.99
1 x Crest Toothpaste on sale=$2.69
2 x Sample size boxes of chocolates w/20% Wellness discount=$2.54
SubTotal....$16.22

Coupons Used
1 x $3/$15 Store survey Q=$3.00
1 x BOGO Mini-Wheats Homemailer Q(Vocalpoint)=$2.50
1 x $1/1 Mini-Wheats Homemailer Q(Vocalpoint)=$1.00
1 x $1/2 assorted cereals including Mini-Wheats AdPerks/VV Q=$1.00
1 x $1.50/1 Luster Toothpaste IPQ(there is also a ManuQ from the inserts out there)=$1.50
Coupon Total....$9.00

$16.22-$9.00=$7.22

I used $7 in +Up Rewards and put the .22¢ on my gift card.
I received $2 in +Ups back for the 2 Russell Stover sample boxes.
I also qualified for SCR #6($2.69 Crest) and #84($4 Luster) so I'll receive $6.69 in cash rebates next month in my account.

 * If your store has the Fruit in the Middle variety of Mini-Wheats and you got the Vocalpoint mailer Qs, this is a great way to use them if you still haven't yet.  2 boxes of cereal are $5.  Use the BOGO Q and one of the $1/1 Qs PLUS the $1/2 Rite-Aid AdPerk/VV Q(these can be stacked with manuQs for additional savings)and now your cereal cost you .25¢ a box!

* I also lost $2 in +Ups from my stash.  They expired on Tuesday.  I forgot they were expiring then and not on Saturday....ugh.

I still have $10 in +Ups to use up by Saturday so I foresee another trip to Rite-Aid in my not too distant future.lol

THESE TRIPS
Number of Transactions.....2
Total Spent....$.39
Value of Items....$53.26
SCR qualified for...$13.38
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$0.00
+Up Rewards earned...$8.00
+Up Rewards spent.....$23.76
+Up Rewards I let expire...$2.00 bleh
+Up Rewards left to spend.....$34.00
And I have $38.97 left on my gift card.


Rite-Aid GRAND TOTALS--JULY Rebate Period so far

Number of Transactions......9
Total Spent....$2.77 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Number of Items purchased.....56
Value of Items purchased....$285.51
SCR qualified for....$22.38
Other Cash....$0.00
Additional Rebates....$0.00
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for July SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 7/9.....$51.76
+Up Rewards spent....$72.69
+Up Rewards earned....$49.38
+Up Rewards left....$34.00  includes ALL +Ups not just ones from this SCR period

Sluggy

Wednesday's Musical Interlude

Enjoy!




Sluggy

Food Spending from Saturday.....and Eating on Sunday

I went to use my $10 Catalina Q at Weis Markets last Saturday.
They had an unadvertised special on Hillshire Farms Smoke Sausage for $1.99 lb, so I picked up 2 as this is my "buy price" for kielbasa/smoke sausage.

I also found a $3.53 priced piece of steak with a $2 instant discount sticker on it, so $1.53 for just under a lb. of steak.  This will go into the freezer to use in chili, beef stroganoff or something else at a later date.

The main item was the hunk of ribs I picked up.  They were $1.79 a lb. and I got a 5.04lb. hunk that cost $9.02 total.  $1.79 was the best per lb. price around here.

My bill total was $14.53 but after the $10 CatQ I paid $4.53 OOP.  Not a bad price for almost 12 lbs. of meat. ;-)
That's an 81.18% savings rate.

Since the ribs were 'previously frozen' I used them on Sunday.
We fired up the smoker.  Here is my baby......I call her "Precious"......yes, she is the "one ring that will feed us all".....

After 4 hours "low and slow" with an applewood chips smoking, here is what  the ribs looked like....

And after another 3 hours in the smoker, I sauced them up and glazed them up for 20 minutes in the oven and ended up with this....

Not quite fall off the bone but with a pink smoke ring clear to the bone.  Just enough char on the outside but tender and moist inside.
Look good enough to eat, don't they? 8-)

There is one serving left and Hubs has put 'dibs' on them for tonight's Leftovers Night.

I am liking my Precious this summer.  It's one way to cut down on electricity use and generating heat in the kitchen in this hot weather.  And it turns out scrumptious meats! ;-)
Now I have to find me a beef brisket that isn't corned to fill my smoker.....

So do you like real barbecue?  Are you a dry smoked meat lover or do you like em sauced?
What's your favorite barbecued meat?

Sluggy

Using up the +Ups on Saturday

I had $11.50 in +Up Rewards on Saturday to spend or lose, so here is the junk I bought.
And trust me, most of this IS junk for Hubs and #2 son.....

2 x Planters dry roasted peanuts BOGO sale=$5.29
2 x Flavor-ice frozen sticks on sale .99¢=$1.98
2 x Reese's PB cups on sale .50¢=$1.00
1 x 5 Gum 3 pack on sale=$2.50
1 x RA cookies on sale but wellness discount was lower=$1.91
SubTotal.....$12.68

Coupons Used
1 x .50¢/2 Reeses PB cups AdPerk/VV IPQ=$.50
Coupon Total....$.50  *how pitiful is THAT!lol

$12.68-$.50=$12.18
I used my $11.50 in +Up Rewards and put the remaining .68¢ on my trusty Rite-Aid gift card so Zero OOP.

I earned ZERO +Up Rewards for this transaction and I got no Customer Survey though I did get one earlier in the week plus a Pharmacy Survey when I got my prescription filled.

A Note***It looks like RA pulled the AMP AdPerk/VV video and coupon off the website.  I guess the problem I had when I tried to use it was nationwide so they yanked it instead of having to deal with fixing/adjusting it.


This week, I have $35+ in +Ups to use by this coming Saturday.  We didn't get the Noxzema Qs here(of course!lol) and there is little I can see to buy to roll my +Ups besides the Compound W.  I really don't want to buy it since we have no use for it....sigh.  So basically unless something materializes this week, I'll be burning through a boatload of +Ups this week. 
It looks like my big stash of +Up Rewards will be dwindling down to nothing soon.  In a way it's a relief not to have to figure out how to roll/use them for awhile.  Maybe I need a break from Rite-Aid for a month or so.....
Since I won't get a summer vacation I'll aim to take a Rite-Aid vacation instead.lol

So what is everyone else buying at Rite-Aid this week?
Come of people, inspire me! ;-)


THIS TRIP
Number of Transactions.....1
Total Spent....$.68
Value of Items....$21.92
SCR qualified for...$0.00
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$0.00
+Up Rewards earned...$0.00
+Up Rewards spent.....$11.50
+Up Rewards left to spend.....$51.76
And I have $39.36 left on my gift card.


Rite-Aid GRAND TOTALS--JULY Rebate Period so far

Number of Transactions......7
Total Spent....$2.38 put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Number of Items purchased.....56
Value of Items purchased....$232.25
SCR qualified for....$9.00
Other Cash....$0.00
Additional Rebates....$0.00
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for July SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 7/3.....$63.26
+Up Rewards spent....$46.93
+Up Rewards earned....$41.38
+Up Rewards left....$51.76  includes ALL +Ups not just ones from this SCR period

Sluggy