Another Boring Blog Box Giveaway...Come Enter!

Time for another......

Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY!

Here's how it works.....

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.

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

1.  1 bottle of Garnier Fructis Shampoo

2.  1 Dog Frisbee (from Purina Fit & Trim)
3.  1 box of Reach Dental Floss

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways HERE.  *As always, if you are located outside the US, you CAN enter and win but weight restrictions/shipping costs may mean your prize box will contain less items.*

***Time to enter.....You can enter on this Giveaway post until I close this post to entries.

1 entry per person per day on THIS POST.
Leave your name/email addy and a COMMENT on this post.  

This week I want to hear about your Fall plans.....
Do you take vacations in the Fall and where do you go and why?  Do you have any plans like home improvements to do in the Fall?  Or do you plan to just stay home and save money?  Do you like Fall and what activities do you enjoy during this season?

You can come directly to this blog post or find it through the link on the right side bar to leave 1 comment per day.  The current Giveaway Post will be linked right at the top of the side bar.

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.

There are 2 ways to get 2 EXTRA entries on this and each new Giveaway Post.......

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with the URL of your blog so I can go check it out. **If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in an extra entry comment once each week of this giveaway.

2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog with a link to this post.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST with a link to your blog post so I can go view it.  You can do this extra entry once each week of this giveaway.


Any questions?  Just email me.

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

And Speaking of Cars......

We are witnessing some extended family stuff involving cars and making unwise choices with money lately here, so I thought some recent mail I received was very apropos to what is going on.

I think the synchronicity of the Universe had something to do with me getting this mail at this very moment. ;-)

Sometimes I just have to laugh at stuff though.
Like the other day.
I got some junk mail.....you know, that stuff companies send you to try to get you to buy something they are selling.

Obviously whomever sold them MY name from some big database of suckers potential customers is actually clueless as to how futile and wasteful this attempt at selling me is!

Here's what showed up in my mailbox....in all it's full color, luxurious papery booklet goodness, enclosed in elaborate plastic packaging(which I did not photo before throwing out)........

And just in case you didn't catch the brand in that photo.....

These hunks of metal start at $41,300.
Like I would ever spent that kind of money on a car!
Not in this lifetime and not while I have my faculties about me.

Why?
Because a new car loses 20% of it's value by the end of the first year so I'd be out $8,260 after 1 year of ownership.
You can get a real nice used car for what this rust bucket car depreciates in 1 year.

Not only that but you are looking at a car payment in the neighborhood of $900+ a month if you have to finance it.

I guess Hubs and I are on some list somewhere of people who have cash so that is why we get offers for luxury cars, country clubs, cruises, platinum level credit cards, all kinds of vacation/resort packages/clubs, jewelers, designer this and that, etc.
And do you know why we have money?
Because we don't spend it on crap like this! lol

Yes, I choose to be inspired Infiniti....inspired NOT to waste money on stuff that doesn't matter.

Sluggy

A Personal Milestone Sort of Day

Today has been 30 years in the making.
Today is Hub's and my 30th Wedding Anniversary!

Here's a photo I snapped of us this past weekend......

Ok, maybe this isn't us but it IS how our kids "see" us and it's the card I am giving Hubs tonight. lol

30 Years.
Use to be that seeing your 30th Anniversary....(30 years with the SAME person)was not so much a milestone.
Use to be that being together 30 years wasn't very special in the world.
Ok, maybe it was special in that if you LIVED to be that old and that both of you lived to be that old, THAT was what made it special.
Not the part about being married for 30 years.

But in this modern world, 30 Years is "like forever!" if you are to believe what people say about it.
One person?.....for 30 years!!?!?
How old fashioned.
How boring.
How not modern society.

This disconnect between me and society was brought clearly into focus for me about 10 years ago when Hubs told me about some younger women at his office that he overheard chatting.
One of these women was planning her wedding and she was in her mid 20's.
She and her office pals were looking through wedding magazines and the bride-to-be was pointing out what gown and accessories she had chosen for her nuptials.  After some oohing and aahing  by the chums, the BTB then pointed out a second gown and proclaimed, "And this is the gown I am going to wear when I get married the next time!"
*face palm*

And she was dead serious about that.
She's not even married yet and she's planning on getting married to someone else at some point down the road!
Like, it's a given.....a fact of life......just normal that you'll get married early and often.

This is just another example of what our society has come to.
We are a disposable bunch.  Not only do we throw out all sorts of items(both non-disposable ones and disposables ones long before their time is over) but we marry on whims and we shed our partners like snakes shed skins.  (Not talking here about marriages that break up due to legitimate reasons like dysfunction of one of the partners).
We aren't encouraged anymore to work through our difficulties as a married couple.
When things get uncomfortable in any way and married life isn't that rose garden you were sold by all those magazines, you get a free pass from society to just move on and  try again.

It's normal and routine and when the BTB said that about her second marriage/wedding, not a single one of her gal pals laughed or took it as another other than deadpan serious.

It's sobering to think that 40% to as high as 50% of marriages end in divorce in this country.
And according to data if you married for the first time between the ages of 20 and 24 you are at the most risk of getting divorced, close to 40%.  Those who married at 35 to 39 years of age only have about a 6% risk.  Maybe this says a lot about how older people, who have experienced more of life, are wiser when it comes to taking the big steps.

And the statistics I saw on multiple marriages are not encouraging.......
The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

So if you are considering tying that knot, take some advise from this old fool celebrating her 30th Anniversary today.....

* Don't go into any marriage without much forethought.  Get some premarital counseling if you can, preferably WITH your intended spouse.

*  Don't rush getting married.  Take your time.  You can't "know" someone from a few dates or within a few months.  It can take YEARS for someone to totally reveal what is behind that dating facade they show.

*  Marriage ISN'T just the Wedding Day.  Though the excitement of that one day occupies all your thoughts, it's a miniscule part of your life.  The actual marriage starts after the honeymoon.  And in keeping with this thought, don't spend all your money on your wedding!  You WILL be sorry if you do.

* TALK to your intended spouse BEFORE you get married about the "big issues" in life.
These include:
--Where/how to live, how close/distant you want to be concerning your families
--Whether you want children and when, how you want to raise said children(parenting styles/religion)
--MONEY(how to take care of it, how to spend it, what to save).

Yes your views on the big issues my change over the years but if you don't go into a marriage in the same ballpark on these, you face a long hard road and extra strife along the way.

So I'll be getting stinking drunk having one glass of wine tonight in celebration of making it to this 30th Year in my marriage despite family, kids, miscarriage, job changes, sickness, relocation and financial difficulties.

With any luck Hubs and I will make it to 40!

Sluggy the old married fart

Food Spending August Week 4 & Meal Planning Week 4+

Ok, so this photo doesn't have anything to do with cooking.  Though it is a reminder to slow down in life and enjoy the ride. ;-)

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And here is the "meal plan" that actually happened last week.....

Sunday--Son's belated Birthday dinner out-Steak

Monday--Pulled Pork BBQ sandwiches, Cole Slaw, Birthday Cake

Tuesday--Lime Citrus Chicken Quesadillas, beans

Wednesday--Leftovers

Thursday--Chinese take-out

Friday--burgers, green beans(from garden)

Saturday--Leftovers again

 

 

The weekly food spending was $79.30.  I stocked up on 100% juices again, butter, ravioli at rock bottom prices.  The needs were milk, cabbage(for coleslaw), 1 onion, small packet of ground beef, rolls, lunchmeat, deli cheese and 2 kinds of fruit.  The family's wants were crackers, ice cream, frozen fries, whack biscuits and Kraft mac and chemical cheese--all on sale.

I have $2.72 left of my $400 food budget for August and 5 days left in the month.  That's enough for 1 half gallon of milk.  I may be going over slightly for the month if anything comes up this week.

Going into the new week I have the following leftovers to use up.......2 portions of the lime citrus chicken, 1 portion of barbecue pork(after Sunday's dinner), half a bowl of coleslaw, 1 portion of green beans.  I am figuring on using the chicken on Friday when it's only 2 of us at home.

***********************

This week's menu.....

Sunday--Barbecue Pork Sandwiches, Coleslaw

Monday--Taco Bell-after music lesson

Tuesday--Dinner Out-30th Anniversary Date night

Wednesday--Pork Chops, Saffron Rice, Broccoli

Thursday--Alfredo Primavera

Friday--Chicken Tacos(using leftover chicken)

Saturday--Leftovers 

 

 

What I need to buy this week to serve this menu?.....rolls, some fresh veggies(for the primavera).

Basically 3 of my meals are based on leftovers and 2 are Eating Out, so only 2 new meals cooked this week.  This makes it an easy week for me in the kitchen, what with getting 2 students back in school and not running the oven since it's hot and muggy again here.

So what are you cooking at your house this week?

Sluggy

My Rite-Aid Trip Week of 8/26

Here are my "gets" at Rite-Aid this week....

2 x Herbal Essences Shampoo on sale $3=$6.00
1 x Scope mouth wash on sale($4.29)but 20% Wellness discount is less=$3.99
2 x Crest mouth rinse on sale $4.99=$9.98
SubTotal.....$19.97

Coupons Used
1 x $3/2 Herbal Essences ManuQ(8/5RP)=$3.00
1 x $1.50/1 Scope ManQ(8/26P&G)=$1.50
1 x BOGO ManuQ(7/29P&G)=$4.99
1 x $1/1 Crest Rinse ManuQ(8/26P&G)=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Crest/Oral-B item Oral Care BookletQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$11.49

$19.97-$11.49=$8.48 + .09¢tax=$8.57 OOP
I used $8 in +Up Rewards and put the .57¢ on my Rite-Aid gift card.

I received back $12 in +Up Rewards($2 Herbal Essences, $2 Scope, 2 x $4 Crest mouth wash).
Use $8, get $12 back.....not bad! ;-)

*  If your reg. shelf price on the Scope is less than the $4.99 price at my store, AND you have the GOLD 20% discount, after +Ups and Q, the Scope will be close to free.  Mine was .49¢ after discount, Q and +Ups.

*  With the Crest rinses, be sure you buy 1 large 1Liter and 1 the 500ml(or similar sized) rinses in order to use the BOGO Q.  The white bottle smaller Crest rinse(like the one I bought above) will produce the $4 +Ups.
On the Crest bottle that was NOT free after the BOGO Q, I stacked a $1/1 Oral Care booklet Crest Q with a ManQ $1/1Crest rinse in Sundays P&G insert.
2 bottles were $9.98, I used $6.99 in Qs, paid $2.99 OOP in +Ups and got $8 in +Ups back.  Great little way to grow your +Ups this week.

*  Though I didn't do it, there is a good deal on Glad bags this week.  $3.99 per box.  There is a $2 Adperks Q(watch before Thursday!) and a $1/1 ManuQ IPQ on Glad's Facebook page(the tab for the wild animals game,etc)to stack with it, making each box $.99 this week.

BUT......if you don't need to roll expiring +Ups this week, hold these Qs for the week of 9/9 for a better deal!  The Glad bags will be $4.49 BUT you get a $3+Ups wyb 2.  Print 2 of each Q and the deal looks like this.....
2 x $4.49=$8.98-$6Qs=$2.98 and get $3+Ups back, so FREE bags!!

*  I may go back this week to do the $5 wyb various $15 worth of P&G items(limit 2 deals) on the back page of the ad.
I have $2/1 tampax Pearl Qs and could end up with 4 boxes of that plus 1 tube of Crest toothpaste for $2.19 each.  I have to see if Daughter needs these or not but $2 is a great price for tampax Pearl.


Here are the August Grand Totals so far.....

Out Of Pocket....$.70  cash
Value of items bought....$501.26
Savings Rate of  99.86%
Single Check Rebate due....$5.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... -$4.30
Savings Rate  100%

+Ups at beginning of month...$14+
+Ups used....$162+
+Ups received...$178+
+Ups currently...$30+

As for my Wellness cards and spending for this year......
My card hit 1000 pts. a month or so ago, so I am Gold 20% off for 2013 already.
BIL's card should hit 700 pts. with this transaction, so only 300 pts. to go with 4 months to get there to get him to Gold for next year.  Even if I don't buy anything else with his card for the rest of the year, just putting our prescriptions on it will get him to Gold easy by Dec. 31st. ;-)



Do you see anything you need/want to get this week at Rite-Aid?

Sluggy