Weekend Deals & Spending

Just some deals I got this weekend.

At Weis on Friday......

2 x Sierra Mist Cranberry(#2 Son likes this)on sale .77¢ each=$1.54
1 x 16 oz. Honey on sale(cold season means hot tea and honey)=$4.39
2 x Butter on sale(holiday baking ahead)=$5.00
2 x St. Joseph baby aspirin(I take this each night)on sale $1 each=$2.00
Subtotal......$12.93

I had a $1/2 Sierra Mist 2ltrs. IPQ(NLA)making the soda .27¢ a bottle.
I had a $1/1 Weis honey IPQ from their FB page making it $3.39
I had 2 x $1/1 St. Joseph products IPQ(smartsource dotcom)making these each FREE!

So $4 additional off means I paid $8.93+.04¢tax=$8.97 OOP
At $21.43 regular retail I saved 58% on this stuff.

Today we hit a few stores too and made a Salvation Army run to donate a carload of things.
Among the boring stuff like ice melt and humidifier filters there were a few deals to be had.

I can't show you some of what I got(presents, you know)but here are a couple things from Target........

3 x Coffee-Mate creamers on sale $1.50.  I had 3 x .75¢ IPQs and stacked a $1/3 Target Q, making these $1.25 for all or .42¢ each.

2 x Alka-Seltzer Cold(Hubs choice for cold meds)$4.69 each=$9.38
I used 2 x $1/1 Alka-Seltzer IPQ(coupons dotcom)=$7.38
And I paid with a $5 gift card I got from a deal I did at Target last month=$2.38 or $1.19 each and I got another $5 gift card for buying these.

I also picked up 4 boxes of green tea.  They were on sale for $1.92 x 4=$7.68
I used 2 x $3/2 Lipton tea products(coupons dotcom) so $7.68-$6.00=$1.68 or .42¢ a box.
Not bad......

We had a beer and lunch out and then I hit Rite-Aid on the way home......

I picked up the Delsym to do the full price rebate.
I ended up buying the bigger more expensive bottle rather than the 3 ouncer that was on sale this week for $9.99.
With my 20% Wellness discount the $17.99 bottle was $14.39 and I had a $1/1 Delsym Video Values Q so I was OOP $13.39.....for now.
The rebate/refund Deal is up to $14.00 so I'll get the full $13.39 refunded so why get the $9.99 bottle, right?

I also picked up 2 light bulb packs.  These are BOGO50% and they fit in our dining room lighting fixture(which we need new bulbs for anyway).
These came to $8.08 and I had $6 in Qs(2 x $1/1 ManuQ & 2 x $2/1 VideoValuesQ) so $2.08 and they gave back $2 in Ups.  I paid with +Ups so they "cost" me .08¢.

The cough drops were on sale 2/$3 this week and I had a $1/2 ManuQ so $2 for both.  I paid with $2 in +Ups so nothing OOP and I got back $1 +Up(wyb2 Hall's).

$4.08 paid with $4 +Ups and .08¢ cash OOP.
I got back $3 in +Ups.

My Rite-Aid gift card I was waiting to show up did so this afternoon so I went and got that Dunkin Donuts gift card today using that FB Q for $5 off a purchase.
I'll then use this gift card when DD puts their bags of ground coffee on sale for the Holidays, thus stacking a Q with paying for the gift card with using a discounted RA gift card instead of cash to get bags of coffee at a discounted price.
It's a Trifecta!

I also picked up 2 more restaurant gift cards that gave $5 +Ups each this week.
$10 in bonus +Ups so I have $17 in +Ups going into Sunday.

With my scenario for the coming week's sales ad, I'll be OOP .82¢(maybe some tax too)and will spend $7 in +Ups and get back $8 in new +Ups.

And this gets all my +Ups rolled to the Black Friday sales at Rite-Aid so I don't have to spend/roll any more of them until Thanksgiving.

And I have my scenario planned and written out for BF at Rite-Aid.  It has me spending .95¢(plus some tax) and all $18 in +Ups and getting back $19.99 in new +Ups on Thursday and then I'll see what FREEBIES(the ones of which I want)are left by Friday and go from there and roll the +Ups accordingly.
I am ready!

So how was your Saturday?
Did you go out and hunt the deals?
Or did you does something else?

Sluggy

There's a New "Judy" in the House!

Yep.
I went and bought a crock-pot on Tuesday.
And it showed up at my door on Thursday.

It's larger than my other crock-pot(7 quart) but even better.........

It's PURPLE!

And it was a great deal.

$29.99 on sale at Kohl's.
I got 30% off=$20.99
Then I got another $10 off for buying it on Veteran's Day=$10.99
And I just got finished filling out the $5 rebate on this model=$5.99 + a stamp=$6.44 OOP
And the shipping was free too.

Now I just need to decide what to cook to christen her.
Any suggestions?

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Updates

Well I returned the Aveeno baby items to Rite-Aid yesterday.
I was prepared to get back $7 on a gift card and give back the $2 +Ups that transaction gave me.

But instead the cashier insisted on refunding the full $12(pre coupons and +Ups)purchase price.....in Cash!
And she didn't want my $2 +Ups back either.
Who am I, a lowly customer, to argue? ;-)

So I now have $10 in +Ups plus $12 in cash(in lieu of the $7 in +Ups I spent on the Aveeno) I'll use toward my +Ups total.
So $22 in +Ups/Cash to use to roll more +Ups.

I then bought this.......

2 x Xtra laundry detergent.
They are on sale this week for $1.99 each.
There is also a $1/1 Q on coupons dotcom for Xtra so they end up being .99¢ each.

Unless of course you have a Load2Card Q for $1/1 Xtra detergent on your wellness card which automatically comes off and then you had the cashier 2 x $1/1 Extra IPQs and she puts both them through, then you only pay .98¢ total for both bottles instead of $1.98 for 2. lolz
I forgot there was an Xtra Q on my wellness card otherwise I would have only given her the 1 $1/1 IPQ.
Oh well.

Then I bought this.......

2 x Ora-Gel kids toothpaste on sale BOGOFree=$2.99
1 x Halloween candy on sale 75% off=.19¢
SubTotal.....$3.18

I used a $1/1 Ora-Gel product IPQ

$3.18-$1=$2.18

I used $2 in +Up Rewards and paid .18¢ OOP.
I received back another $2 +Up Rewards($2+Up wyb 2 Ora-Gel/Arm & Hammer Deal)

Total spent OOP this day---$1.16

I will probably go back this week to purchase a bottle of Delsym cough syrup.  It's $9.99 this week(lowest price it's been lately)and there is a $1/1 Video Values Q PLUS a full price refund Deal you can mail away for.
I like Delsym and we've used it for years in our house.

I am hoping the Rite-Aid gift card I bought online will arrive by Saturday so I can use that when I buy a DD gift card with the $5 off coupon before that expires on Monday.

Sluggy






 

Thanksgiving Food Plans

Thanksgiving seems like it's right around the corner now that Halloween has passed.
That means it's time to get that Turkey Day menu planned out.

This year we will be 3 for dinner as 2 of my kids are too far away to come home for the Holiday.  #1 Son will go to Girlfriend's parents' house and the Daughter will celebrate in her new house this year.
I'd love to be down there when she makes her first Thanksgiving dinner. 8-)

If I am feeling hospitable that day we'll invite the BIL and the Nephew.
They have come to our house for Thanksgiving ever since they moved to our town.....about 10 years now?
It would be nice if just once they did the dinner and invited us and I didn't have to cook everything and got a break but I am Not holding my breath on that score!

Every year Hubs and I go round and round about just going out for Thanksgiving but then there are no leftovers in the fridge so that gets voted down every. single. year.   We love us some leftovers around here obviously.

Every year I say I am going to simplify and do a "basic" Turkey Day.
And every year I lie......lolz

Here is what I served last Turkey Day--

*Smoked Turkey
*Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
*Green Bean Casserole
*Mashed Rutabagas
*Glazed Roasted Carrots
*Roasted Potatoes and Onions
*Crescent Rolls
*Cranberry Glop
*Au Jus and/or Gravy-pick your poison
*Pumpkin Pie (whipped cream optional)
*Mincemeat Pie
*White Zinfandel(Californian)

And THIS was a pared down menu. 8-)

This year #2 Son has requested beside turkey and stuffing--mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rutabagas and pumpkin pie.

We won't smoke the turkey this year(I'll smoke a turkey breast in December) and we'll lose the mincemeat pie and mash the potatoes instead of roasting them. 
I didn't make rolls from scratch last year(the horrors!)but I want to do them this year.

The menu this year......

*Roasted Turkey
*Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
*Green Bean Casserole
*Mashed Rutabagas
*Mashed Potatoes
*Homemade Rolls
*Cranberry Glop
*Au Jus and/or Gravy-pick your poison
*Pumpkin Pie (whipped cream optional)
*Wine or Hard Cider or Cider from whatever is on hand

I may also serve some easy veggie like baked sweet potatoes(whole)or corn(from a can)or broccoli(fresh steamed I can do ahead and reheat).  I know I'm already doing 3 veggie sides but not everyone will eat them. 8-P

So what have you planned for Turkey Day so far?

Sluggy

 

Wins and Fails in Frugal Land

Sometimes being frugal is all about making do without.
Sometimes being frugal is all about getting the best deal when you must part with your precious dollars.
Here are my recent wins and fails when it comes to getting the best deal.....

*  I actually broke down recently and went and bought some white thread.
I was clean out of white after many many years of using my stash from my costume designer/theater days.
Hey!  It only took 30 years to use it all up. ;-)

The only fabric store now around here is a Jo-Ann's.
You could have picked my jaw off the floor when I saw the prices of thread!
What?.....is it spun from GOLD now or something?!?

The rack of regular threads came in 3 sizes, with the "best" deal being a spool with 500 yards on it costing $4.29.
WTF?

I did reconnoiter through the rest of the store and found a bin of "value" spools by Coats & Clark(is it just Coats now?)of 400 yard spools for $2.99.

Well I just did the math and the 500 yard spools are a better deal, but lured by the lower price
point I bought 7 spools of the $2.99 one.
But I did have a 25% off my purchase coupon so it wasn't a total frugal loss.


*  I bought a restaurant gift card the other day at Rite-Aid......

R-A put out a Facebook Q for $5 off a choice of restaurant gift cards when you put $25 on one so I took the bait and went and bought one.

R-A has put another Facebook Q up for $5 off either a Panera Bread or a Dunkin Donuts gift card purchase HERE.  It's good until next Monday so go print that baby.

After all, 20% off a gift card is nothing to sneeze at!!

Then to make any more gift card purchase deals even better at Rite-Aid I went and did this.......

I bought a Rite-Aid gift card on one of the buy/sell Gift Card exchanges online to pay for any more gift card deals I do at Rite-Aid.

The R-A gift card was 11% off the face value, so if I use it to pay for the Panera/DD gift card, that's something like 31% off?  Ok, so I am not so good with math but I just know it's a bigger deal than 25% off. lolz

Even if there is no Facebook Q for a gift card at Rite-Aid, there are also the gift cards during certain weeks which give you an +Up Reward instead, which means free toiletries.

Either offer is a win/win.

*  And speaking of Rite-Aid......
I went on Sunday and bought this stuff--

I was suppose to get a $5 OYNO Catalina for buying 3 Aveeno products but it didn't print.
Cashier insisted that the machine was on but I suspect it wasn't.
So I couldn't do my second transaction of 2 Aveeno products which at the end of it all would have given back +Ups/Cats equal to what I spent on all 5 products.

So I am out $5 +Ups right now.
I really don't feel like calling Catalina and waiting the usual 2 weeks to get that $5 Cat so I am just going to return these 3 items and get a refund on a gift card.

I was just buying them to roll my +Ups until Black Friday sales at Rite-Aid, I didn't "need" them and there was nothing else this week I saw that would let me roll the +Ups and not spend them down.

I will still be down some +Ups but they will now be tucked into a gift card and won't expire, which is even better.
And I don't have anymore +Ups expiring until Sunday and I have a plan for how to roll them then.


*  I spent $160 on $236 worth of items at Kohl's online yesterday during their Veteran's Day Sale.
I saved $78 in discounts plus earned $30 in Kohl's cash.
#2 Son needs pants and Levi's were BOGO50%, making them $30 a pair.  I got 30% off from that so they ended up being $21 a pair.
$21 a pair for LEVI'S!

I also got some Christmas presents and nightgowns for myself and everything was 30% off the already discounted sale price.

And I got a new crockpot.  After discounts and a $5 rebate it will cost me $8.99.
Not bad.

The FAIL in this Kohl's Deal?
In my excitement I forgot to go through the ShopAtHome portal and didn't get cash back on that $160.
bleh.

*  Now I am off to return those items to Rite-Aid and then off to Ollie's with my discount card they sent me to see what I can find......

What successes or failures have you had lately when it comes to being frugal?


Sluggy