Saturday, June 17, 2017

Rite-Aid This Week

Went up to Rite-Aid on Friday to refill an Rx so I did these transactions.

First on my card...........


2 x Liquid IV Hydration packs on sale $5.00 ea.=$10.00
2 x Suave shampoo on sale $2.50 ea.=$5.00
1 x GE lightbulb on sale=$7.99
SubTotal........$22.99

Coupons Used
1 x $2/2 Suave Gold ManuQ=$2.00

$22.99-$2.00=$20.99

But then Load2Card Qs came off--
1 x $5/1 GE lightbulb=$5.00
1 x $1.50/1 Suave gold shampoo=$1.50
Total.....$6.50

$20.99-$6.50=$14.49 + .27¢tax=$14.76

I paid with Plenti Points and since I had the regular Plenti Point offers as well as some targeted Plenti Point offers on this card I earned back $21.50 in new Plenti Points(2 x $5 Liquid IV, $3.50 Suave-2 different PP offers, $8 GE-2 different PP offers) plus a "Get $3 in PPs when you use $10 in PPs on a transaction"(which gets credited up to 3 weeks later to your account).
In the end, I grew my PPs by $9.74 for buying these items.

I was surprised that they had any of the Liquid IV items left in stock as the sale started last Sunday and this sort of item is not well stocked.  Sometimes if signage is not on the shelf for an offer that's free after PPs there will be stock left, but in this case, there was signage.  Weird but I happily "bought" the two there anyway.  ;-)

Then I bought this stuff on my son's card.......


2 x Suave shampoo on sale=$5.00
1 x I-Caps vitamins on sale=$17.99
1 x GE lightbulbs on sale=$7.99
Subtotal........$30.98

Coupons Used
1 x $10/1 I-Caps ManuQ=$10.00

$30.98-$10.00=$20.98

Then Load2Card Qs came off--
$1.50/1 Suave=$1.50
$5.00/1 GE lightbulb=$5.00

$20.98-$6.50=$14.48 + .03¢tax=$14.51

I paid with Plenti Points and since I had the regular Plenti Point offers as well as some targeted Plenti Point offers on this card I earned back $13.50 in new Plenti Points($3.50 Suave-2 different PP offers, $3 GE, $7 I-Caps).
In the end, I "spent down" my PPs on this card by $1.01 or all 4 items cost me $1.01.

But......I sent for 2 x $1 cash rebates for buying the GE bulbs on Checkout51(limit of 2 for the GE rebate this week), so I am "up" a total of $10.73 for both transactions(+ $9.74, -$1.01, + $2=$10.73).

I am off today with the kids to take Hubs out for Father's Day since Sunday's weather here looks less than acceptable.

Sluggy

Friday, June 16, 2017

Frugal Friday.....the June 16th Edition

* Back in late April I bought Right Guard dry spray deodorant on a BOGO offer at Rite-Aid(and used a Q)and sent a mail-in rebate for 1 of the bottle to "Try It Free".

The original post is HERE.
The TMF Offer said they'd deduct the price of any coupon used so I was unsure if I'd get back $7.29, $5.46, $3.64, $3.79, $1.96 or .14¢.
Turns out I got the full $7.29 back..........



So that trip, instead of "spending down" $3.59 in Plenti Points becomes a $3.70 "moneymaker".  I got paid $3.70 to buy all the stuff in that transaction.  8-)

* We like to buy nice/pricey bagels from Panera Bread now and again so I cashed in some c/c points and sent away for this awhile ago and it arrived this week.........



$50 Panera Bread gift card.  This will pay for 7 orders of a Baker's Dozen bagels on Tuesdays(when the dozen bagels are discounted and the only day I will buy them there). 8-)

* I was sent a 15% off any shopping order at Ollies(Good Stuff Cheap!)that was expiring this weekend so I took a trip down the mountain to our local store.  I had found a fabric shower curtain there a few months back for our master bathroom that we had redone last February that I really, really liked and though went well with the color scheme in that room.  We still don't have any kind of curtain on the window in there so I picked up another of the same shower curtain and will turn it into a window curtain. ;-)

I also picked up some other goodies at Ollies--a replacement "good" non-stick pan(which will be used in the Fall once College Boy goes back to school and isn't here ruining my cooking pans), some air fresheners for .58¢ each after 15% off discount, a pantry staples of minced garlic, and some Xmas gifts for cheap(which I can't show or talk about here).
Plus 8 bottles of Dawn dish soap.....

Ollies had the orginal plus a pomegranate scent variety for .89¢ which was .75¢ after my discount so worth stocking up.  I don't mind using that Dollar store variety but I do think Dawn is better(you can use less as it's more concentrated).

* No Take-out this past week, we've been eating home cooked meals as per usual.

* I have begun to pick up items for the kids to cook when we are on our Summer road trip, and incorporating the cost of those into my food budget for the next 4 weeks(4 WEEKS and we are leaving!?! Yikes!)


I found these St. Louis pork ribs with $3 and $2 instant discount stickers on them.  3.83 lbs. of ribs for $1.63 per lb. after sale and sticker.  The kids love ribs and they can either smoke these or just cook them through in the oven or crock pot so easy peasy.

That's about all I got this week besides the usual stuff I do around here that is frugal.

What Frugal Wins did you have this week?

Sluggy

Thursday, June 15, 2017

2016 Road Trip.....May 16 & 17th, Last Day in LA and Driving to AL

I don't remember what we did on Monday, May 16th, on our last full day in Louisiana.  Probably a trip to the insurance agent to cut a check for house insurance, hanging out in the motel pool and a little shopping.
Speaking of shopping, the Daughter and I hit the Hancock Fabrics near her house.  Last Spring/Summer Hancock stores were having going out of business sales.


The trip to the Hancock Fabrics near her/own house turns out was the last time I spent money at that chain.  This loyalty card got pitched when I got home to PA. sigh.

Here are a few goodies I picked up there because at 50% off or more, what fabric-aholic could resist?!?

 A bunch of rayon prints, my favs.


More rayon and the green one is a cotton print.


Some novelty prints, Dr. Who in cotton and flannel and a craft beer print.

 We also hit the liquor store.  I got some cheap watermelon vodka and more of my frozen paper umbrella drink  packets.


I also spied a nice sale on Laphroaig 18 year Scotch for Hubs.  At the price it was at, I should have had Hubs buy a case of it!


I also hit Walmart and loaded up on Blue Plate mayo and sandwich spread.  This lot didn't last very long.......

On the morning we left Shreveport, we stopped in at Daughter's work as we headed out of town for home.


Daughter was a manager at a Jimmy John's sub shop in Bossier City.
She wasn't there when we arrived because she had to run to Sam's Club to pick up some supplies that they were out of........


After she and one of her workers got everything in the building they set to work getting ready for the lunch crowd........



Even with us there, Daughter is all business when she is working and we had to visit while she barked out orders and prepped for the lunch rush(even though it was barely 10 am).


I liked these signs they had in the eating areas.


We said our goodbyes and headed out East on I-20.

We made a pit stop(for both the car and us)before we crossed over into Mississippi at a truck stop in Tallulah LA.
While waiting for Hubs to finish in the men's room I wandered around the convenience store and found some Southern eats......

As the sign says, "Hot Boiled Peanuts", regular or spicy.....


And jackpot! a jar of pickled eggs too. lol


The guy working the register saw my flash go off and when I wandered up to the front he started asking me, in very obviously stilted English, a bunch of questions about what I was doing.  Could be that he thought I was a health inspector or INS spy or something.  Who knows?
He looked a bit calmer when he understood that I was a blogger and just take photos of interesting things for my blog and nobody from the state was going to shut his store down or cart him off for deportation.
Geez!

We rode straight through MS and next stopped in Tuscaloosa Alabama to gas up and then stretch our legs at a store.
No we didn't go into this store........


We headed to World Market in that same shopping center.

Ok, here is a great mosaic table on clearance this WM had on their front sidewalk....get it now because it's "The LAST ONE!".



Or is it?  LOLOLZ
Only in Alabama?......maybe.......


This shopping center also had a fancy Burger/Craft Beer joint.......
Lots of fancyfied stores in Tuscaloosa.


Between our trip to WM in Shreveport and this Tuscaloosa stop we picked up some necessities at a good price.  Those bags of coffee were awesome buys on clearance(not ground so they kept fresh longer)and I LOVE that hibiscus syrup added to my iced tea in the Summer as it's so refreshing.


Another hour+ back on the road and we made it to Birmingham and our hotel at the start of rush hour.
The Quality Inn we stayed at was not bad pricewise(considering it was in B'ham)plus they had a small pool and a nice breakfast spread.

The only not so great thing was that our room and window was on the back of the building and appeared as if the woods by our room was used as a hang-out drinking spot.  If you can't see it there are beer cans and glass liquor bottles in this photo I took.  I guess the motel management wanted us to feel at home.  *snort*

After settling in and taking a quick swim I called a fellow blogger who lives in the area to see if she was free to meet up and maybe have a little dinner with us.

About half an hour later up drives Anne in the Kitchen of New Happenings At The Table Blog in her van.
Quick hugs and hellos happened and I think I said something ever-so witty like, "Anne! You're not in the Kitchen!". lolz
After she finished rolling her eyes at me(and thinking but not saying, "Bless her heart", at me)Anne whisked us off to this place............


Well not their catering truck(which I took a photo of as we were leaving) but the Full Moon Bar-B-Que restaurant. It's a local chain that does BBQ and other southern specialties.
Their motto is "Best Little Pork House in Alabama".  Now how could you NOT like a place like that? hehehe

Anne got a plate of 5 non-meat items.....


I got a plate with 'Cue, Collards and Fried Green Tomatoes(of course).
While still in line ordering I saw they had grilled pimento cheese sandwiches on the menu, after I had already ordered a plate of 'cue.  Without a second thought I also ordered a sammich! lolz
Hey, we didn't have lunch that day so I didn't feel like a big ol' greedy slug, but maybe I should have. '-)


After a couple of hours of getting to know one another and chowing down, Anne had to take us back to the motel.
I had Hubs snap a few photos of us together for the proof that we really did meet Anne and this was the best of them where one or the other of us wasn't closing our eyes or had a big goofy look on their face(you decide who did which).........


It was so nice to finally meet Anne and she is such a sweetheart and full of that good ol' Southern hospitality and charm.

And I found out that she has VA ancestors too so once I actually do the work we may also be related. lolz


I would heartily recommend if you are ever in Birmingham to try out Full Moon Bar-B-Que.  Not only was the food good but even though it was well after the dinner rush the staff was mighty friendly.


It was back to the motel and we waved as Anne drove toward home.  We went to bed that night with 'cue in our bellies and the satisfaction of having met another online friend.

Sluggy






Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Day Off Today

There will be no new post today as I am taking the day off from blogging to go to Hubs work celebration.
There will be cake.
Need I say more?  ;-)

Back to the money saving, frugal stuff tomorrow.

Sluggy

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Getting Closer.....

We are now under the three weeks left mark before we head over that financial cliff called "retirement".
17 days to be exact.

Friday was payday so there are 1.5 paychecks left until there are no more. Hubs last paycheck will be for only 1 week's worth of pay, not two.

We sent the notarized retirement papers in last week and everything is in order in that regard so we are set to begin annuity payments and COBRA medical coverage on the proper dates.

Tomorrow we will attend Hubs retirement luncheon with all his coworkers at a local restaurant, followed by an open house in his office building.

Every now and then I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach over money.

I know, I know.....
We've planned the finances out over many money meetings over many, MANY years along the way.

And I have a sheet of paper here on my desk with what's in our financial armory come June 30th after the paychecks stop rolling in.
And I KNOW in my head that we have this financially covered.
But even so.......

It's darned hard to wrap your head around a "New Normal" when it comes to finances.
No more growing the Net Worth and saving every spare nickel for retirement.
Retirement is HERE!


Changing from a saver into a spender is hard.
My brain isn't wired that way anymore. lolz

As for changes other than money........

Routines will likely not change much(other than Hubs won't be driving off to work 5 times a week).

Once this Summer Road Trip happens things will settle down to a new routine, but similar to our old routine.

Perhaps I'll get more help around the house(or Hubs will do ALL the outside/yard work now).
He says he'll help out more with chores so we'll see what that turns out to be.

I see a bit more of eating out maybe for us at lunchtime in retirement since he'll be home weekdays.
I doubt we'll do more shopping.
Hubs will definitely spend more time on his 3 main hobbies-chess, beer making and reading.

It will be interesting to see how our relationship changes with being together so much more after he leaves his job. If it changes at all.
Luckily we both have interests outside of the other's interests so we don't need to be, nor do we want to be glued at the hip.

Spending won't change much except that Hubs won't need as much WAM now(aka walking around money).  He won't be buying lunches, coffees, etc. at work.

We'll need to have a meeting to come up with a new retirement budget around here, one that is based on what the monthly annuity payment will be.  Especially the first 3 months when we can't withdraw anything from the 401K account.  We have some big expenses coming up the latter part of 2017-house insurance, 6 mo. car insurance and property taxes, along with the Summer trip expenses(which will be on two c/c statements slated to arrive late July and late August)so we'll need to figure out where to draw cash from to cover those big irregular expenses.

And then there is the Louisiana house situation too.  The renters are moving out soon and we need to get the house fixed up and put on the market to sell.  This will mean more money spent in the short term. Oh goody.......
Once that is sold we'll have more cash to add to the coffers so it's all good.  8-)

It's harder to go into a fixed income situation when you still have almost adult children dependent on you.  College Boy has one more year left of college(really 1 semester and 1 internship's worth)so that's an added expense on us and Daughter is living with us so she can finish college as well, though she isn't as much of a financial drain as CB at this point.  We don't pay for her car insurance or school but her living here means more cost in utilities and food.

It's scary and exciting, all at once, venturing into unknown waters, even if you've done sufficient financial preparation.

I keep telling myself that "change is good".
But I'll be so glad when we are past this Transition Time.


And I just keep reminding myself to breathe deeply.

Sluggy