Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Rite-Aid.....Take 2 for the Week

More Rite-Aid freebies!!!


2 x Tresemme on sale=$8.00
2 x Dove Men's 'Poo rain check=$5.00
SubTotal.....$13.00

Coupons Used
2 x $2/1 Tresemme 1 ManQ/1 Load2Card=$4.00
2 x $2.50/1 Dove Men's 'Poo ManuQ=$5.00
Coupon Total.....$9.00

$13.00-$9.00=$4.00
I used my $4 +Up Rewards(from buying the Anacin on Monday)....$4-$4=$0.00 Out of Pocket.

8-)))

And I received a $3 +Up Reward back for buying 2 Tresemme 'Poos.

I actually went in to buy the Gear Deodorant and 2 large size Palmolive dish soaps that were on sale 2/$4 & gave a $1+Up back wyb2, but they were out of the dish soap.
bleh.
But I did get a rain check so when they restock I'll pay $1.50 a bottle AND I can use my $1/2 ManuQs so I'll pay $1 a bottle.
Not bad.....

$22.36 worth of 'Poo for Zero money.
Works for me!

Not sure what I'll roll my $3 +Ups on tomorrow since the Palmolive is OOS.
I could get 2 Gear Deos, pay $1 OOP(making them .50¢ each)and then get $2 in +Ups back.

Maybe......


Sluggy
 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Sluggy's World & Welcome to It


I'm ok, just not feeling like blogging much lately.
Blogging burn-out I suppose.

I didn't post a "This Week on the Dining Table" yesterday because frankly, I am bored with it.
And I really don't know if posting my meal plans and food spending is helping anyone or is even that interesting.  Heck, I am not even interested in it! lolz

Let's do a mish mash of highlights of what's been going on in Sluggy's World lately, shall we?

*  First off Hubs celebrated his birthday on Saturday.
And with the help of a fellow blogger at the Bloggerpalooza, I was able to give me a gift he really liked--a bottle of 9 year old Whiskey from Tennessee......



*  I called a realtor in Louisiana and she was suppose to start sending me emails of properties we were going to look at while down there later this month.
That was last Tuesday and I've yet to receive a single listing from her.
Ugh.
You would think someone with cash in hand and ready to spend it would actually WANT a commission??!!
I guess I am just not planning on spending enough to make any effort on her part worth her while. 8-P

So I have spent today looking for another realtor who actually wants to make money.....

*  I have been scanning the MLS properties online for weeks now.  Ifound this listing.  For a mere $29,900 I can become a ghetto landlord......

For my money I'd get a ready made piece of land with 8 1 bedroom shacks on it.
Nice, huh?
I can add Slumlord to my list of accomplishments.....

*  #2 Son got his letter from school today and he made the French Honor Society again.
Rah.
He wasn't too sure he'd retain his membership this school year as his grade had slipped a bit with all the time he's been spending on musical stuff.  But he managed to eek out an A for the last 3 quarters.

*  On the health insurance front, I got a bill a few weeks ago for my DME....actually it was TEN BILLS.

I have traded in a totally incompetent DME company, who by the way is still billing our OLD health insurance provider(even though they were informed Jan. 15th about the new insurance provided)AND they are billing for service/equipment for a time AFTER it was all picked up and we discontinued using them.

Now the new DME provider, on the other hand, is totally anal about billing.  They billed me not only for the rental of a Bi-PAP, an Oxygen Concentrator(I use with the Bi-PAP at night), portable Oxygen tanks service, but they also billed me for 7 more items beyond those 3......every tube, hose and widget they sent over with these 3 items/services they also charged me for.  With the old DME, they didn't bill for every single piece of plastic.
So I received TEN ITEMIZED BILLS totaling over $1000(yes FOUR Zeroes!)for one month's worth of service.
Egads!!!

And even with that, the prescriptions, an odd bloodwork-up or two and my daughter's 3 x weekly visits to a chiropractor, we have still not exceeded our high deductible for the year yet.  Once this 2nd month of DME is billed, that will change however.

*  Later this week I will be returning the Bi-PAP and the portable O2 tanks to the DME and discontinuing those services.  The old DME provider did NOT pick-up their Bi-PAP when they came for their equipment since I had paid rental on it long enough that I now own it.  When the new DME person came to drop off their equipment I told them I don't need their Bi-PAP because I have this old one that works, but they left it anyway and billed me over $500 for a 1 month rental(along with the humidifier tank attached to it).
Ugh.
And I am getting rid of the O2 tanks since I don't use them, haven't needed to since last June.  Why am I paying all this $ for stuff I don't need??!

*  On Friday #2 Son attended with his high school Jazz Band a Jazz Festival held annually at Bloomsburg University for PA high and intermediate school bands.  His band did well and he came home with this, which I posted about on FB last week.....


He won an award at the competition for his bass guitar solo with his band.
It was totally unexpected but he was right proud of it.

*  Speaking of music, his flute instructor wants us to help locate a venue for #2 Son's solo flute recital.
I am clueless about where we can find something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
It has to have a piano(obviously)so we are checking into local churches that will rent themselves to us for the evening for not a big amount of $. 
I think it's silly, not the recital but renting out a hall, since no one will be coming to hear him.  We have no family in the area to invite(other than Hubs brother and the nephew and I doubt if they'd come)and we have no friends here to invite.
So it's just going to be me and Hubs(even #2's siblings are here)and maybe #2's music director from the high school.  I figure we can rent a piano for a day and hold this in our empty living room/dining room.  It's just the right size and not being used for anything else. lolz

*  Our remaining doggie is having problems again.  She's an old beagle and they are known to have back issues.  She also have slipping kneecaps on her hind legs.....the knees slip every time she walks.  Up until now this has just been a small annoyance but today, she couldn't get up out of her bed.  I've given her some meds but they don't seem to be helping with the pain and she's lying on the kitchen floor and not even trying to get up.
Sigh.
I fear she is quickly starting down that road to the Rainbow Bridge. 8-(

*  I got some sewing done last weekend and I have another shirt for me, 2 pair of PJ pants for daughter and 2 pair of pants to alter for Hubs before the week is finished.
I've been working on ETSY listings as well the past 2 weeks.  As soon as we get back from our trip I'll be launching most of those fabric listings.  No point in doing that until I get home, right?, since I won't be here to ship packages.  I also have a big pile of listings for later in the year, of flannel, corduroy and other winter type fabrics, ready to launch in "draft".

So now you are up to date on the Life of Sluggy, such that it is.

Aren't you glad you asked? ;-)

Sluggy


 

Rite-Aid Trip #1 This Week

Went to Rite-Aid on Monday.
I have a $2 +Up Reward to use and here is what I bought......




1 x Anacin on sale=$4.99
2 x Gerber Applesauce Rain Check=FREE
1 x Nature Made Melatonin Melts Rain Check=$1.99
1 x Cella cherry 20% wellness discount=.26¢ *not pictured*
SubTotal....$7.24

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 Anacin IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Nature Made item IPQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Nature Made supplements VideoValues Q=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$5.00

$7.24-$5.00=$2.24-$2 +Up Rewards=.24¢ + .02¢ tax=.26¢ OOP

I received a $4 +Up Reward back for buying the Anacin.

$20.69 worth of merchandise for .26¢ out of pocket.
Nice.

Don't get all worried that I am pregnant(because I bought baby food).  I use applesauce in place of oil in my baking and this baby food applesauce will do the trick just as well as regular applesauce.  8-)
They had Gerber 2nd Foods on sale for 2/$3 with a $3 +Up Reward when you buy 2 Deal a couple weeks ago.  Of course they were out so I got rain checks for both our accounts/cards and as they get it back on the shelves the next couple months, I'll go in and redeem those rain checks.

The Melatonin Melts were a Deal a couple of weeks back as well.....on sale for $5.99 and you got a $4 +Up Rewards when you bought it.  So the rain check makes it a sale price of $1.99.  I had $3 in coupons to stack on this so it was better than free and the overage went toward the $3.99 I owed on the Anacin after my $2/1 Q for that.

I'll be back tomorrow probably with what I got with my $4 +Up Reward I earned for this transaction.  I still have to figure out how to spend it.  ;-)

Sluggy

Friday, April 4, 2014

Wanderlust is Hitting Me Again!



We'll be hitting the road later this month for a road trip.
The purpose is to go visit my daughter as we haven't seen her since she moved to Louisiana last May.
I am looking forward to that.
But we have a whole lot of miles and states to get through before we get to Louisiana.

Our last road trip back last August, we planned out to the nth degree.
This time we are playing it more by ear.
Other than the basics of a loose route and the hotel where we will be staying once we get to LA, everything else is up in the air. 
This is called being spontaneous or "freestyling" and you know what?.....it's scaring the hell out of me! lolz

I am a planner, a chart maker and list keeper.
We have so many days to get to LA by a certain date and then so many days to get home.
We also have a few things we want to do/see along the way, but other than that, everything else is up in the air.....from what roads we travel, to what we see/do(or don't see/don't do), where we eat, stop and sleep.

Hubs elected to receive a GPS for his 30 year anniversary gift at work, so we'll have that for help.  We will go armed with a map, a list of ideas/places to visit along the way and mapquest-ed directions/addresses and phone numbers.  Night's lodgings will be located using a feature on the GPS for such or using booklets or signs on the Interstate or personal recommendations.

I fear we'll pay too much for lodgings this way(just dropping in last minute and hoping the motel/hotel is under booked and practically giving away rooms for the night is NOT my idea!)but I am going to go with it.

I didn't buy any restaurant dotcom eatery certificates to bring the meal prices down, but we won't be locked into getting to/eating at a specific destination either.
Though I do have some gift cards(for eateries I already had)so I'll bring those for "just in case" situations.  But I do prefer to eat local food, not in a chain.

And we are renting a car like we did last August so there is no added wear and tear on our already beleaguered vehicles.

While I have ideas on a few excursions we are open to other ideas. 

So if you are on our way(between northeastern PA and northwestern LA)and either are up to a visit or giving us a place to sleep for a night, or have some ideas of places/things to see/experience along that route, or words of advise/wisdom, drop me a note either on the blog or privately and I'll take all under advisement.

Since we WILL be nearby to New Orleans, we'd like to experience that city, but we won't be stopping there this trip.  We looked at going but it's just not do-able this time.
Heck, if we retire to LA it will be just down the road anyway and we'll have many opportunities to go there then.

Heck, if we are swinging by your town, maybe you'll be granted an audience with Sluggy and I can bring you your own personal Bloggerpalooza II goody bag.....won't that be a treat?! ;-)

Sluggy

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Have I Mentioned How Much I Hate Cars Lately?

First let me state for the record......March kicked my ass.

Except for a few days away in Delaware, it was a sucky month, both financially and personally.
Lots of bills....too many for my taste.
If not for a nice tax refund we would have been into the negative money in March after paying all the bills.

The health is ok but I am not making enough progress on my goals of dropping weight and getting more fit.  It's difficult to see results when you can't exercise much due to breathing issues.

Can't get motivated to do what needs to be done to this house or the many projects I have to do.
I am about at the point where I just want everything that isn't getting completed GONE from the house.  I feel a big donation to Sallie's bubbling up to the surface.... ;-)
At this rate, by the time 4 years from now gets here, I won't have anything to throw away or even MOVE when we leave this house. lolz

My newly fixed, floored, painted and crown molding-ed living room still has no furniture in it.  But the dog enjoys the rug in there to sun herself on nice days.
I'm so glad we had that work done.....for the dog's pleasure. ha!

I guess I am just feeling frustrated and ready for some warmer weather.  Remind me I said that when I am sweltering a few months from now... ;-)

Back to the bills.....
I just tallied up what we've spent on the SUCK HOLE that are cars in just the first 3 months of
this year.

$5,076.35

And that's just repairs; not gas, insurance and the usual monies we have to sink into them.


I just wish you could fix everything car related with duct tape.  My life would be so much more pleasant and richer!

So hating what it costs to remain mobile in this society of ours......

Hubs has decided to just limp along with his vehicle(aka the Death Trap)until August.
When #2 Son leaves for college the Death Trap gets donated(somewhere they will take it!lol)and he'll start driving the 3rd car(that use to be his car before he bought the DT)again.
Then we have to decide what to do with my minivan......the one that needs bodywork or won't pass inspection this time again next year, but doesn't even have 100K miles on it yet.

Maybe we will become a 1 car family by then?
We had planned on downsizing to 2 cars this year, then 1 car once he retired in 4 years time.
Maybe we'll get down to 1 car sooner than we planned.

Lord knows I'll enjoy NOT spending all that cash on the beastly things!

Sluggy