Wellness Wednesday Rite-Aid Stuff

May is the second month now when there were no Load2Card Wellness Wednesday Only coupons again.
sigh.

No more wonderful opportunities to stack both L2C WWQs with the paper WWQs in the store(+ ManuQs for items if available)for overage and lots of freebies anymore.

I never understood why R-A made the WWQs digital anyway.  I know there are many Senior Citizens who are computer savvy but I think the last age group a company would go after with techy Qs would be this age category? ;-)

I got a couple freebies on the WW table when I went into the store...........

a sample of a new Band-Aid product and 2 samples of a L'Oreal cream w/Qs.
In other news our Wellness Ambassador is moving to Texas!  I doubt she will be replaced with a new Wellness Ambassador so the paper WWQs may be a thing of the past once she leaves.
She's a great person but she's leaving the state for new opportunities.  I am sad to see her go but I wish her all the best.  8-)))

Anyway I figured out a couple of things that would be a moneymaker on Wellness Wednesday so I bought this...........

2 x Thermacare on sale BOGO50%=$11.38
2 x Centrum on sale BOGO50%=$19.03
SubTotal.............$30.41

Coupons Used
2 x $3/1 Thermacare IPQ=$6.00
2 x $3/1 Thermacare WWQ=$6.00
2 x $2/1 Centrum IPQ=$4.00
2 x $4/1 Centrum WWQ=$8.00
Coupon Total.....$24.00

$30.41-$24.00=$6.41 OOP paid with Bonus Cash and earned $10 in new BC(these items were part of a Deal this week "Spend $30/Get $10 in BC".

Except, something went very wrong.
I had $11.71 in BC on this card and I think the cashier hit the "use my points" button on the register before she finished scanning all my Qs.  At some point I was left still holding 3 of my Qs and the cashier was telling me I owed $1.70 cash as she had applied ALL my BC already.
WTF?!?

So I added a candy bar(.59¢)and my total was $2.29 and she took another $2/1 Q to use.  My total was now .29¢OOP and I still had $5 in Qs yet to use.
I paid the .29¢ w/one of my many R-A gift cards and went to find the manager.

We put our heads together and yep, the cashier had "prematurely ejaculated my Bonus Cash" onto this transaction and had used all the BC before using all my Qs. lolz

Instead of returning everything and re-ringing the transaction I had planned to do, she just went ahead and did a "post coupon" sale for my $5 in Qs and handed me the cash.

So my transaction looked like this in the end..........

I paid $11.71 in BC, .29¢ on a gift card and got back $10 in new Bonus Cash and $5 in cash for the Qs not used.
I will also get $5 in cash rebates on Saving Star($3 Thermacare, $2 Centrum)for buying 1 of each of these items which makes me $8 ahead in the end on this.

($12 total in BC/gift card spent, $10 in new BC earned, $5 for Qs, $5 in cash rebates=$8 overage)

Oh how I will miss those Wellness Wednesday of the good ol' days......*sniff, sniff*


Sluggy

P&G Rebate Done!

I was wrong about the "Get $15 When You Spend $50 on Select P&G Products" Rebate.  It ends April 30th not sometime in May.  You have until sometime in May to mail it in so I was under the gun to get my qualifying products purchased.

Luckily Rite-Aid has a "Spend $40/Get $20 Bonus Cash on select P&G items" Deal this week and some of those same  items also overlapped with the P&G mail-in rebate.

I went into Tuesday with $17.68 in qualifying purchases(after Qs were deducted).

So I bought this............

2 x Olay Body Wash BOGO50%=$12.73

6 x Pantene Products on sale $3.99=$23.94

1 x Tide detergent on sale=$5.94 *not qualifying for the rebate*

SubTotal........$42.61

Coupons Used.....

2 x $1/1 Olay Body Wash ManQ=$2.00

2 x $5/3 Pantene ManQ=$10.00

1 x $2/1 Tide Manuq=$2.00

Coupon Total.........$14.00

$42.61-$14.00=$28.61+ $1.72 tax=$30.33 paid for with Bonus Cash and Rite-Aid gift card.

I earned back $20 in new Bonus Cash.

I also earned $24.67 more toward the main-in rebate so $42.35 of the $50 in qualifying items after Qs.

So I bought these on a different card(as it doesn't qualify for the R-A P&G "Spend $40/Get $20 BC" Deal but does qualify for the mail-in P&G rebate...........

2 x Head and Shoulders on sale=$11.98

I used 1 x $3/2 H&S ManQ so paid $8.98 in Bonus Cash.

That put me at $51.33 in spending for the mail-in rebate so I spent $39.31 in BC and gift card this go round.

I earned $20 in new BC and $15 in prepaid debit card(mail-in rebate).

This means I spent down script by $4.31 overall and have 11 products I brought home for that $4.31 spend down.

Now I just have to fill out the form, circle receipts and not forget to mail this all in before the deadline......easier said than done with me! lolz

Sluggy

So Much To Do! Here's My Elephant.

With Daughter moving out on May 19th(less than 3 weeks from now), we are in a holding pattern on home repairs/renovations until then.
This doesn't mean I can't take this couple of weeks to plan how to attack this elephant and what we will do and in what order these things will get done.

Over the past month I've been searching the house(other than her room)for Daughter's stuff that she is taking with her to Louisiana.  Here are the things I've found and gathered in the living room so far(not the turquoise book and the purple items under it).  This is hardly everything-the hanging torture rack takes up the whole side of the living room behind me from where I was standing taking this photo, the huge dog crate which her dog never uses is taking up 1/8 of the den floor space, there's a "dreadmill" folded up but still taking up lots of space in the garage(and blocking access to some of Hubs garage cabinets), a metal trash can full of her dog's food also in the garage, the automotive tools and such her Fiance left in the shed, plus everything in her bedroom. 

The only thing I think I'll miss is her portable deep fryer(makes some tasty pork tenderloins and shrimp tempura).lolz

So here are the things that will get done once Daughter leaves.  It's a big old game of Dominoes really. ;-)


*  Her old room gets cleaned(clear out furniture/vacuum/shampoo the carpeting/clean walls/trim/ceiling/ceiling fan/dressers she isn't taking.)  Then EX-CB moves in his crap and takes that room.  He was planning on moving out within the next few months but then the new job search happened so that's delayed.

* After EXCB vacates his room, rinse and repeat cleaning that bedroom(clear out furniture/vacuum/shampoo carpeting/clean walls, trim, ceiling, ceiling fan/dresser.  Then I am painting that room(hasn't been painted since 2005).  Once we get the room cleared out we can evaluate whether carpeting needs replacing.

*  Once that bedroom is cleaned out and up I can move all my crap into there-a combination of sewing crap and toiletries stockpile(what doesn't fit into upstairs hallway closet).

                 Hubs "man cave" aka the room of toiletries/books/fabric/brewing equipment.

*  Once my crap is out of Hubs' room then we clear that bedroom out and rinse and repeat all the cleaning/fixing.  This bedroom will definitely be getting new paint and carpet(original carpet from before the previous owner we bought from in 2000 so very old and nasty rug).
Hubs puts his room back together.

      One side of the master bedroom where a coffee table(Hubs refuses to get rid of)and a plastic etagere are stacked with my fabric stash(well, some of it).  Also I've got piles of clothing sitting there as well.

* Once all these bedrooms are done we can attack the master bedroom, the whole cleaning deal including the furniture.  We will be getting a new mattress and bed frame(adjustable one). 

* Also on my plate is the master bedroom walk-in closet.  I've used that closet to hold, besides clothing, some out of season clothing, my Xmas gift boxes(shopping all year round does have it's downsides in that you need places to keep all the things you are gifting until Dec. lol), as well as the bulk of the family photo albums.  I have NOT done the seasonal clothing change out from there yet because of the upcoming Domino game of cleaning/sorting.....I want to get it all done at once.

*  Then we can move on to the upstairs hallway.  Cleaning and clearing it.  We need to have someone come in and fix the drywall and finish painting the hallway(where I couldn't reach-especially the stair well).

* This leaves the laundry room and the main upstairs bathroom to fix/redo, both of which will wait until EX-CB moves out or we set a date to move from this house.(Update-EX-CB may be moving out before the year is out.  He wants to move but this leaving his job/finding a new job has delayed his move-out time table.)

These few projects, along with a few others, will keep us busy for most of the rest of the year.

The expenses on all this?
Paint supplies, carpeting and installation, paying for someone to fix and paint the upstairs hallway.  I'v got tons of cleaning supplies already so the rest is just physical labor which Hubs and I can handle.  Carpet(if only 1 small bedroom needs it)and paint will come in around $600 and no clue on having someone drywall/paint hallway.  The mattress/bed frame will cost about $1500.  I'm "optimistically" thinking of keeping all this under $3K total.
The big expense will be the main bathroom redo and isn't happening this year.  Perhaps next year so it's not THAT far down the road and once we get all this finished we need to start planning for that project(planning for the outlay and who we'll contract with to do the job like we did the master bathroom a few years ago).

So besides our trip to New Hampshire in June, this and the garden and Chester and other home projects will keep us busy and at home most of the Summer. 

It is feeling overwhelming right now but we'll take it one step at a time until it's all done...plus with Hubs retired most of it won't be left to me to do. 
Like the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time." 8-)

I'll share photos, progress reports and more laments as work begins in May.

Have you got home projects planned for this Summer?  Tell us about it.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "It's a Week Late" Edition....

Above is my plate from our Easter dinner(sans deviled eggs). I forgot to share this last Monday.....
We still have heaps of food from that meal leftover so it will figure largely into this week's menu.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday---Ham, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans, Deviled Eggs, Rolls, Apple Pie(Easter)

2. Monday-Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--French Onion Soup or Leftovers

5. Thursday--Leftovers

6. Friday--Pizza, Salad
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday---Ham, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans, Deviled Eggs, Rolls, Apple Pie(Easter)

2. Monday-Leftovers

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Leftovers

5. Thursday--Shrimp Stir-fry w/Noodles

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Steak, Tossed Salad, Baked Potatoes

Last week saw 3 nights of home cooked dinners, 4 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 0 nights of Eating Out/Take-Out.  
We were able to dig through the bulk of the leftovers from last week(and some from the week before) this past week.  After 3 nights in a row of leftovers though, "leftover fatigue" hit us(and most of the leftovers were gone except for the Easter dinner items)so I cooked 2 nights and we got another leftover night in between those 2 cooked meals.
I am calling this week a success in the using stuff up column. ;-)

What got put into the freezer last week.....
* 2 packs of corn dogs
* 2 small top round steaks
* 2 bags of shrimp stir-fry

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.....
* 1 bag of shrimp stir-fry

Two small trips to Weis and a trip to the Shurfine market and a small trip to Maines brought the food spending last week to $62.28 and my April total to $387.72.

My savings percentage last week was 45.25%(without Rite-Aid trips)and April's monthly savings total came to 54.06%(w/out R-A). 

I have 2 more food shopping/spending days in April but I am done grocery shopping for the month.

Leftovers going into this week.... potato salad, some barbecue, Cole slaw, ham, green beans, rolls, mac and cheese.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Homemade Pizza, Salad for those that wants it

2. Monday--Mac and Cheese w/Ham and BBQ), leftover Green Beans, leftover rolls

3. Tuesday--More Pizza, Salad

4. Wednesday--Chicken Fajitas, Rice, Beans

5. Thursday--Ham and Beans, leftover rolls

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Breakfast for Dinner(maybe)

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 nights of leftovers/FFY, and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.
We are going to be using up the Easter foods(ham, mac/cheese, green beans)and putting leftover bbq in the freezer. 
Monday....I'll dress up the leftover mac and cheese with more cheese sauce and add bbq and ham bits to it and serve leftover green beans and rolls.
Tuesday....I made a big ball of pizza dough(made 2 large pizzas which are gone already) but I had enough dough left for another large pizza which I'll put together on Tuesday.
Wednesday....I have some red bell peppers that need using thus the early Cinco de Mayo type chicken fajita meal plus chicken will be a welcomed change at that point in the week. lol
Thursday....I'll take the ham bone and some ham and soaked beans and make a pot of ham and beans.  Depending on what we are hungry for it will either be a thick pot of beans and ham(slightly sweetened)or a pot of non-sweet soup/stew...stay tuned.
Friday....can't tell this far out what leftovers will be left or if we'll just do a Fend For Yourself night.  There most probably will be Fajita fixings and ham left(ham sandwiches anyone?).
Saturday....Calls for a change-Breakfast for Dinner or ?

What needs buying for this menu? Nothing except mushrooms(as I put those in Fajitas, yes I am strange that way!lolz).

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy  

Frugal Friday.....the April 26th Edition

Let's take a took at the frugal wins we had here at Chez Sluggy this past week.......


*  I got the Weis freebie last Friday.........

a bucket of fake whipped cream.  I'll put this in the freezer so I can use it to make a chocolate peanut butter cream pie this Summer to go with a cook-out.

*  I bought some ramen noodle cups at Weis........

Each one costs .93¢ OOP.  I bought 5 but Ex-College Boy got into them before I got a photo. lolz
I claimed 5 x $1 cash rebates on Ibotta so I got paid .35¢ to bring these home.

This same Ibotta rebate was back in my gallery on Wednesday when I went back to Weis so I did it again.  Another 5 cups and .35¢ back in my pocket.  ;-)

*  I got a $10 certificate to use with my fat lady clothes company.....

It doesn't expire until sometime in July so I'll tuck it back to pick up some clearance clothing then.
It will be enough to cover the shipping on what I buy.

*  I kept from cooking until Thursday and we plowed through TONS of leftovers between Monday through Wednesday.  We are now down to a bit of spaghetti and meatballs(which Hubs will make quick work of!lol)and the Sunday's Easter dinner leftovers.  Thursday made NO leftovers so I'll probably make 2 pizzas tonight, we'll cook steaks out at some point this weekend and then it's back to leftovers again for a couple of days.  Stay tuned.

*  I found some money!

A penny in the parking lot before I went into Rite-Aid early in the week.

*  I found more money inside of Rite-Aid........

A quarter and then another penny near the register counter.  That makes .27¢ this week for the change envelope.  I need a new envelope as this year's is getting too heavy at this point with coins! lolz

*

I already reported on the better than free cosmetic brushes I got at Rite-Aid.  Paid $5.09 in Bonus Cash and earned back $6 in new BC for each 6 I bought.

*  I bit the bullet and bought myself some "real" luggage this past week.  Kohl's had a good deal on this American Tourister stuff so I put it in my online cart and left it there.  I had a $5 reward to use, plus a $10 off $50 Q but I couldn't pull the trigger.

The last night of the sale Kohl's sent me an email for an additional 30% off so I bit.

I got a 20" carry on bag in purple and a 24" bag in lime green(the green bag hasn't gotten here yet so I pulled this image from online to show).
Green and purple, my fav colors!

Both bags came to $359.98 reg. price(but who pays full retail for luggage, right?).
$186.92(w/sales tax)but for $122.41 w/sale prices, discounts, free shipping and reward used.
I also earned $20 in Kohl's Cash which I will be spending as soon as I get this done. ;-)
Oh and I used a rebate portal company to purchase so I'll get a couple of cents on the dollar back in a cash rebate too.  8-))

So that's it from here this past week.

What frugal wins did y'all have this past week?


Sluggy