Friday, February 17, 2017

Frugal Friday....Wins & Losses

Here are some things I did this week that were frugal......

* I didn't buy into the marketing of Valentine's Day and spend money on "stuff".  Heck I didn't even go out the day after and get 50% VD stuff to use next year.  We have never been a big fan around here of made up holidays(not that ALL holiday aren't made up really). Ok, call them "Hallmark Holidays" then. ;-)  Hubs used to buy flowers for me but I told him to save the money years ago.  At that time we were struggling financially with three small children and it was an unnecessary added expense we didn't need.  We got out of the habit of spending cash on that one and a few others.  We do show our love to each other in other ways that don't cost of cash.

* I had bought this at the end of December at Rite-Aid(using Plenti points, not cash).....

It was $11.23 in PPs and I had a Try Me Free Rebate for it that was sent away for.
Last week, I received a check for $11.23......

And the pay to the order of name is wrong!  Well the last name is correct but my bank knows me so it's all good. ;-)

*  I did all our laundry during the off peaks hours of 5 pm to 7 am this week, or on the weekends which is also off peak hours 24/7.

* I went to Rite-Aid and brought all this home for no money.......

Not only was this all free but I'll get paid cash to buy it when the rebates come in. 8-)

* Speaking of rebates--I sent for two mail away rebates totaling $14.62 and claimed 4 SavingStar and Checkout51 rebates on products I bought this past week, netting me another $7.50. (The $7.50 in rebates have already been received into those accounts too.  The mail aways will take longer.)

* My Kohl's Visa Debit Reward came in the mail finally....
This was for 5 rebates on items bought at Kohl's around Black Friday last November.  I made sure to keep the boxes and cut off the UPCs, save the packing slips(bought online, not in the store so no receipts), and print off the rebate form, and then document everything before mailing the paperwork off at the end of December.
The card is for $60.  While this isn't free money I won't be spending it on wants or physicall things I'd like to have.  It will go toward my grocery budget in the coming months instead of using paycheck income.

* I only made 1 trip to the grocery store(so far)this week and spent $28.68.  I usually hover around $100 in spending for groceries per week.  I've been trying to eat down some of our stockpile and frozen assets instead.

* This item isn't something I gained this past week exactly, but I am putting them into play now.....


Back in December Weis(PMITA)Markets put gift cards on Raise dotcom.  Usually the only Weis cards that show up on that gift card exchange site are from customers unloading gift cards they don't want for cash and they are usually for very small amounts, under $100(usually the balance of a card someone has used already but doesn't want to finish).  As such very few Weis gift cards are even offered up there.
But I found pages of listings for high value gift card being offered back in December.  Although it raised my credit card spending in December(and how WANTS to spend more at the Holidays on their credit card? lol)I went ahead and bought two cards worth $160 for $144 each.  Just doing that means I will save 10% off the top on the groceries I purchase with these cards.  Add in that I almost always buy items only when they are on sale and if I can pair that item with a coupon I will.  The savings exponentially grow doing this(discounted gift card compounded with sale prices and coupon savings).

So I dug out these Weis gift cards and now have them in my coupon pouch and am ready to use them.  As I have already paid for these anything bought with them will not 'cost' me anything going forward.

* I basically stayed at home other than the Rite-Aid trip and the Weis Markets trip this week.  Hubs and I ate leftovers for lunches.

And here are the Frugal Fails of the Week....

* We found someone to plow our driveway last weekend after our 8+ inch snowstorm.  He did a decent job and it cost us $40.  I hate to spend money on this chore but it's a necessity for us at our age and with Hubs out of commission for shoveling.

*  Hubs talked me into going out to eat on Wednesday(the day after VD).  He wanted to get out of the house plus I wanted to break from cooking.  We went to our local Bob Evans.  The food is decent there and not highly priced(plus do I have to mention that I had a coupon? lolz)and the service is good.


Ok, so I did make this meal out sorta frugal by using a coupon and bringing half my dinner home to eat for lunch the next day.
I guess I just can't help myself! 8-)))

What did you accomplish this week that was frugal?

Sluggy

Thursday, February 16, 2017

A Few Good Deals from Weis

I went to Weis(PMITA)Markets on Tuesday rather than Wednesday due to weather issues that were suppose to happen on Wednesday.

Here are a few good deals I got.....


* Barber chicken was on sale 3/$10.  I used 2 x $1/1 IPQs(there are also ManuQs available)and paid $4.67 for 2 packages of 2 or $1.17 per portion. (I don't buy this often as it's a splurge for us.)

* Eight o'Clock coffee was BOGO this week(and next week as well).  I had a $2/2 CatalinaQ to use so paid $3.49 for 2 bags of coffee or $1.74 per bag.(I also got a $3 off 3 bags CatalinaQ when I paid.)

* Select Progresso soups were .77¢ a can this week.  Using 2 x .50¢/2 ManuQs(which doubled to $1 off each)I paid $1.08 total for 4 cans or .27¢ can.

* And the best deal was the Andouille Sausage which was on sale for $2 per package(reg. $4 per package)and this one had a $1 instant meat discount sticker on it, so I paid $1 for a lb. of sausage.


These items along with others came to a total of $28.68 OOP, with a reg. retail of $78.64. I saved 62% on it all.

I'll take that rate on groceries all day long! lolz

I also will be getting $2.50 back in SavingStar rebates for the 4 cans of soup($2)and for Nature Valley granola bars(.50¢)I bought for the daughter's lunches.

Sluggy

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Rite-Aid Moneymakers This Week


I combined a free coupon, 3 cash rebate offers, 2 "try me free" rebate offers with other coupons and sale prices and a gloriously mucked up transaction at the register to buy all this at Rite-Aid on Tuesday.........


First off the Blizzard Points qualifying items--

1 x Schwarzkopf Gliss shampoo 20% wellness disc.=$5.83
1 x Schwarzkopf hair color 20% wellness disc.=$8.79
2 x Purex detergent on sale=$3.98
2 x Finish dishwashing tabs on sale BOGO=$6.79
1 x Coke 12 pack on sale=$4.99
SubTotal.....$30.38

Now the non Blizzard Points items--
2 x Noxema razors on sale=$5.98
3 x Colgate toothbrushes/toothpaste on sale=$10.50
SubTota....$16.48

SubTotal ALL....$46.86

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 Schwarzkopf shampoo ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $3/1 Schwarzkopf hair color ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $1/2 Purex detergent ManuQ=$1.00
1 x Free Coke 12 pack Q(mycoke rewards)=$4.99
2 x $2/1 Noxema razors IPQ=$4.00
3 x $2/1 Colgate item RA in-ad Q=$6.00
3 x .75¢/1 Colgate item IPQ=$2.25
Coupon Total..........$23.24

$46.86-23.24=$23.62 + .82¢tax=$24.44

I also had 2 Plenti points offers/coupons that had printed on older receipts to use-1 for $2 in PPs wyb 1 Purex(x 2)and 1 for $2 in PPs wyb $10 in Oral Care items in 1 transaction.
Neither of these worked when the cashier scanned them(or so we thought)so she just took of 3 x $2 off my order, which turned the total into this..........$24.44-$6.00=$18.44, which I paid for with Plenti Points.

When I got home I saw that I had earned back $14 in Plenti points--$2(2 x $1 wyb Noxema razors), $10 wyb $30 of Blizzard point items and another $2 wyb $10 in Oral Care.

So it looks like the register DID take the $2 Oral Care PPs Q so I ended up getting it twice thanks to the cashier. 8-)

So we are at $18.44-$14 in new PPs=$4.44 "down" in PPs.

BUT......
The hair color and shampoo also qualified me for cash rebates-
$2 on the 'poo in SavingStar
$3 on the hair dye in Savingstar
$2 on the hair dye in Checkout51(which I have already sent for as it expires today)
For a total of $7 cash back from these sources.
* There is also a Spend $25/Get $5 Back Purex Deal in Savingstar(which my Purex purchase qualifies for)but I doubt I'll finish that one and receive that rebate.

PLUS.....
There are two Try Me Free Offers on both the Schwarzkopf items that runs through the end of 2017
These offers are full price after any coupons used in the transactions.
And yes, I broke my transaction into two transactions just so I would have two receipts to send for each of these rebates.  ;-)
So I'll get another $3.83 for the 'poo($5.83 paid-$2Q)and $5.79 for the hair color($8.79-$3Q), so $9.62 total in cash back.

Let's recap.
Spent in PPs after paying....$4.44
Total cash back from all offers....$16.62
Results......a $12.18 moneymaker!

I love getting paid to bring things home from Rite-Aid. 8-)))

Sluggy



Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Well I'll Be!

Though I haven't talked about my genealogy wanderings in quite awhile I have still been "at it".
I find it's a grand hobby and you just never know what you'll turn up when you start digging.

Since I have now found three separate lines of the de Neville family I am directly descended from(children of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland), I have been burrowing down those rabbit holes.

And guess who I found out is my 19th cousin?
This guy right here......


Ex-Prime Minister David Cameron.

We share Ralph Neville and wife Joan de Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland as common ancestors.
My three lines descend through their children Joan/Jane de Neville, Edward de Neville and George de Neville.  David's line descends from Ralph and Joan's other daughter, Cecily de Neville.

David Cameron's 4 x Great Grandmother, Elizabeth FitzClarence was the daughter of William IV & his long time mistress, Dorothea Bland, the actress.  As the third son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, William wasn't expected to assume the crown.  He lived with Dorothea Bland for 20 years and they produced 10 illegitimate children who took the surname FitzClarence(Fitz meaning of Royal blood and Clarence as William held the title of Duke of Clarence).

William left Dorothea in 1811 due to financial issues.  He married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen in 1818.  A match that gave him financial solvency.

The only grandchild of William IV's father, George III, had died in 1817(Charlotte, the daughter of George, Prince of Wales who was next in line for the throne)so none of George III's sons had legitimate issue to ascend to the crown. Not only did William's marriage turn his personal economy around but he hoped Princess Adelaide, being half his age, would produce an heir.  William and Adelaide had two daughter, neither of which lived past infancy.
In 1830, when George IV died, William ascended the throne at the age of 64.  He reigned only 7 years and at his death the crown passed to the only surviving legitimate grandchild of George III, the daughter of William's younger brother, Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Alexandrina Victoria. The world knows her as Queen Victoria.

This all means that if William IV had married Dorothea Bland, one of their children may have ended up on the English throne instead of Victoria and David Cameron may have been King.  ;-)


Don't you see the family resemblance?
Well, except for the guy on the  right looks a proper gentleman and the gal on the left resembles a lush.  ;-)

Sluggy

Monday, February 13, 2017

Giveaway Winner

There were 38 valid entries this giveaway.

Random Org picked #31 in order of entry.

And the winner is.............

* The Line has been Drawn February 9, 2017 at 8:25 PM
Today's entry Lucy

Congratulations Lucy!
Please email me from the email addy you supplied with your full name and mailing address and I'll get this out to you asap.

Thanks for entering to every one else and I'll have another Giveaway on tap later this week.
And there will be chocolate.........  8-)))

Sluggy