CVS Again...Worst Trip So Far

 So I had 2 $3 ECBS expiring this week so up to CVS I headed on Monday.

Here is what I got..........

2 x Ivory packs of soap BOGO50%=$10.93
2 x Olay packs of soap BOGO50%=$11.38
3 x Colgate toothpaste=$13.77
SubTotal........$36.08

Coupons Used
$2/2 Olay Digital ManQ
$5/3 Colgate Digital ManQ
$3 off $10 Body Wash CRT
$2 off $6 Oral Care CRT
$2 off $8 Body Wash CRT
Coupons.....$14.00

Then the cashier used ECBs....
1 x $6 ECB
3 x $3 ECBS
1 x $2 ECB
ECB Used.....$17.00

$36.08-$14.00-$17.00=$5.08+.21¢ sale tax=$5.29 OOP

The problem here is that I had 6 different Oral Care CRTs totaling $13 to apply but only 1($2 off $6)came off.  Shouldn't have at least an amount up to the original total for the toothpaste($16.47)have come off  instead of just $2 off of $6?  Using this logic I still had $10.47 in purchase price(not counting the ManuQ of $5/3)so at least 1 or 2 of the rest of the any Oral Care CRTs should have also come off??  Or even if you take off $5 for the ManuQ I still had $5.47 in purchases to apply at least 1 CRT too and get another buck or two off??

And I had 3 more Body Wash/Bar Soap any CRTs totaling $4 to apply to the soap too while only the $3 off $10 came off.  I spent $22.31 on soap(if you take the $2/2 Olay ManQ used that makes $20.31 left spent on soap)and only 2 CRTs came off??
I am so confused.  And yes, all these CRTs were clipped to my card.

So $15 in CRTs didn't come off.  I figured all of them wouldn't come off but at least a few should have, leaving me with less in ECBs to spend and/or less than $1 OOP for my total.

Plus I had a $5 ECB left on my card(after she applied the other $17 in ECBs)from buying the Maybelline last week that the cashier should have applied to my total as well!  This would have given me an OOP total of .08¢+the .21¢ tax, so .29¢ OOP in cash.

But all is not lost.
I did use the 2 ECBs before they expired.
I got back $3 on Ibotta for the toothpaste.
I earned back $15 in new ECBs($10 wyb4 soaps deal, $5 wyb 3 Colgate pastes deal).
So I earned $18 in new rebates/ECBs.

CVS you are on my shit list this week.

But I did get stuff I need(well not the toothpaste).  Our local American Legion is asking for donations for the troops and some of that bar soap is heading to their effort along with lots of toiletries I already have in my stash. ;-)

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

  The "A Very Disappointing Purchase" Edition.....

Back in September Lloyd's brand had a Try Me Free Offer on their Pulled Chicken containers.  I had a $1 off store Q so I figured I'd buy one.

Well I got home and went online to apply for the TMF rebate and the offer was  already pulled as all the Offers had been applied for.

Reading the small print, get this!, there were only three thousand offers to begin with, for the entire US!!

Now I've been in stores that sell this Lloyd's item recently(this is November)and they ALL still have that TRY ME FREE Offer sticker on them.  I'd call this deceptive business practices, wouldn't you?

So I was just going to take my lumps and go on with my life but we had this item on sandwich buns this past week.

My second bite into my sandwich and I bit down on something hard and pulled this out of my mouth..........

The smaller hunk of chicken bone was pulled out of my next bite of sandwich.

At this point you KNOW I'll be sending this company negative feedback on both their scam of making it appear you could try this free AND the bad quality of the product.

I can't in good consciousness recommend this product in any way to anyone I know!

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On....

This is what was planned.....

1. Sunday--leftover Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots
2. Monday--Reuben Sandwiches
3. Tuesday--Lasagna Casserole, Salad

4. Wednesday--Taco Salad
5. Thursday--Whatever Hubs cooks

6. Friday--Chicken and Peppers Enchiladas, Rice, Beans(Ex-CB coming for dinner maybe)
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what really happened.......

1. Sunday--leftover Chicken and Dumplings w/Carrots

2. Monday--Reuben Sandwiches
3. Tuesday--Lasagna Casserole, Salad

4. Wednesday--Tacos(I had Jello)
5. Thursday--Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Cole Slaw

6. Friday--Chicken and Peppers Enchiladas, Rice(Ex-CB came for dinner and I just had rice and veggies)
7. Saturday--FFY(I had a big Salad)

Last week saw 5 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/FFY/TV Dinners, and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.  

Mostly meals happened as planned(maybe on a different day than planned)

What got put into the freezer last week....

* a bag of green beans

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

* 2 packages of chicken breast

* Lloyd's pulled chicken(bleh)

We spent $40.77 last week(a few things at Ollie's, Weis, Walmart and CVS), bringing our food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods Grand Total to $161.91 for November so far.

There are 14 shopping days left in November.  

I've earned $56.74 on Ibotta in November. 

I've earned $0.00 on SavingStar in November.

I've earned $0 on Checkout51 in October.

I've earned $2.50 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Fetch in November.(It's a bit more as I am behind on submitting some R-A receipts.)

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on ShopKick in November.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in November.

My savings percentage for last week was 78.85%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for November and the monthly savings total for November comes in at 60.09%.(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week.....Reuben fixings, lots of taco meat and chicken enchiladas.

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

1. Sunday--Reuben Sandwiches(finishing up the meat/cheese)
2. Monday--Leftovers
3. Tuesday--Liver and Onions, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veg

4. Wednesday--?
5. Thursday--Whatever Hubs cooks or Take-Out

6. Friday--?

7. Saturday--?

What needs buying for this menu? 

Just not feeling the whole menu/cooking thing today.  We may just Fend For Ourselves most of the week and Hubs has lots of enchiladas to go through. ;-)

Might work on the $10 Ibotta Bonus this week or not.

Just feeling blah about everything right now.  You'll see next Monday what we ended up cooking(or not).

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

Giveaway Housekeeping

 One Item I need to address for the Giveaways--

* If you enter the giveaway and don't include your email in the entry PLEASE use a last name or last initial with your First name.   I have multiple folks in the database with the same first name and there is no way for me to tell which Michelle or Mary or Marcia or Susan or other common first name is entering.

That is all.  Go on about your Sunday. ;-)

Sluggy

November Giveaways are Here! Yes, I Said Giveaways as in Multiple!!

 And with that it's time for the Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourtenth Sluggy's Boring Blog Giveaways for 2020!                                

2020 has been such a Dumpster Fire of a year, so for November I am giving away THREE Boxes of Goodies to three different winners.
I think everyone could use some cheering up this year. 8-)

Let's take a look at what is in Box #1 this month.........

1 x Betadine antiseptic spray

1 x Gain fabric softener

1 x Garnier Fructis shampoo

2 x Kokie nail polish

1 x Summer's Eve personal wash

1 x Pantene conditioner

1 x Right Guard men's deodorant spray

1 x Aspercreme topical pain relief

1 x Colgate toothpaste

1 x Neutrogena lip balm

1x Compeed foot/blister pads

1 x Scunci hair bands

1 x Reach floss holder

1 x Oral-B toothbrush

1 x 3 roll Tums antacid

2 x Welch's fruit snack packs

10 x Reese's dark chocolate pb cups

8 x Hershey's Gold bars

1 x Trident layers gum

Close-up shots of the goodies in Box #1--

Here's what is in Box #2 you could win...........

1 x Suave deodorant stick

1 x Biore face wash

1 x Suave shampoo

1 x Jergens in shower lotion

1 x Arm and hammer laundry pods

1 x Aquaphor lotion sample

1 x Yardley lavender bar soap

1 x Revlon foundation face make-up

1 x Bic disposable razor package

1 x Maybelline super stay matte lipstick

1 x Cover Girl mascara

1 x L'Oreal face cream sample

1 x Freeman face mask(avocado)

1 x Burt's Bees night cream sample

1 x Nature's Truth Vitamin E stick/lip balm

1 x Scunci hair bands

1 x Oral-B toothbrush(twin pack)

1 x Revlon Photoready Insta-Sculpt face make-up palette 

Close-up shots of the Box #2 Goodies....

And finally, here is a photo of what Box #3 holds.......

1 x Revlon face foundation make-up

1 x SheaMoisture body butter lotion

1 x Pantene shampoo

1 x Nivea lotion

1 x Daylogic make-up remover pads

1 x Jergens "glow" lotion

3 x Kokie nail polish

1 x Wet n' Wild nail polish

1 x Conair hair brush

1 x Scunci hair bands

1 x Rimmel eyebrow pencil

1 x Maybelline lip crayon

1 x Rimmel lip liner

1 x Cover Girl brow pencils

1 x Nivea lip balm

1 x Revlon color stay brow crayon

2 x Trident gum(Wintergreen,Pineapple)

1 x Revlon emery boards

1 x Almay mascara

4 x e.l.f. make-up brushes(all different kinds)

20 x Dove chocolates(sea salt caramel dark chocolate and milk chocolate)

Close up shots of these goodies..........

Depending on where you shop, the winnings have a reg. retail value of between approximately $50-$80 depending on the box of goodies.

Here's how this is going to work........

* The giveaway is open to ALL readers.

* There is a limit of ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER DAY.

* Only VALID entries will be posted.  A Valid entry is a limit of one per day and I MUST HAVE VALID CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOU(either you are on the Giveaway Contact List which I maintain, your comment is connected to a Google/Blogger profile which links to your email address or you email me directly(my email is in the side bar on the Blog)your email address.

IF YOU ENTER THE GIVEAWAY AND DON'T SEE YOUR COMMENT AFTER A DAY OR SO(Give me time to post the entries each day)THAT MEANS YOUR ENTRY ISN'T VALID DUE TO ONE OF THE ABOVE REASONS AND IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIX YOUR ENTRY!

I will no longer spend time hunting down folks.  If you want to win, read ALL the rules and do the work.

From all the VALID entries I receive I'll pick a winner at random and the #1 winner gets their pick of which of the 3 Boxes they want.

After they choose, I'll draw a #2 winner and they'll make their selection from the 2 boxes left.

Then I'll draw a #3 winner who gets the box that wasn't chosen yet.

In your entries I'd like to hear about your plans for Thanksgiving.  Do you cook a special meal and what?  Are you gathering for the Holiday with family and/or friends, and with how many folks? I know 2020 will look different for most of us due to the pandemic.  What is your favorite Fall pie, or side?  Do you have any great recipes for the day?
Stuff like that.

If you are on my Giveaway emails list just leave a comment and your name to enter. If you aren't on the Giveaway emails list make sure you leave your email in your comment OR email me your email privately after you leave a comment(my email is in the side bar area under "About Me").
I'll leave this giveaway open until November 23rd, Monday at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. On November 24th, Tuesday, I'll draw the winning entries(in order 1 to 3)and post the 3 Winners.  It may take awhile to get all the winners and giveaway boxes assigned so I'll be mailing them out the week after Thanksgiving.

*Please note these rules*
I'll post the name/ID of the winners on this blog on  and those persons have 48 hours from the time stamp on that post to contact me privately via email(my email addy is listed on my "About Me" page, as well as on my side bar).

Disclaimer--This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses within the US only.  As the cost of postage to foreign countries has gotten too high I am sorry to say I can no longer afford to mail boxes outside the US.  These giveaways are not sponsored by any companies.  I pay for it all(the cost of items given away and the postage to mail it all)out of my own pocket.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you in your comment.

If you're not a registered Blogger User with YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION on your User page, please put your email addy in your comment or email me your email addy privately when you leave a comment so I can get a hold of you. If your Blogger associated user profile is a GOOGLE one make sure your email info is linked to your profile.


So let's get these Giveaways started. Good luck to everyone!!!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the November 13th Edition

 Before I get to what passed for frugal this week I want to clear up that yes, we get paid to work the voting polls here in PA but it's a nominal amount.  Sort of like jury duty pay but a little better, but still not commensurate for the time you spend in training classes and the aggravation of dealing with some of the public. ;-)

So what frugalicious things happened here in Sluggy's world this past week?

*  Until Thursday our heat was still off due to a week+ long heat spell that was uncharacteristic for November in NEPA.  Saving on electricity for heating?  Yes please!

*  I did a couple deals at Rite-Aid this week.  Using the $10 off $30 Load2Card Qs in two accounts made both these transactions small moneymakers, which grew my Bonus Cash a bit in preparation for some Black Friday shopping there.......

See previous Rite-Aid posts from earlier in the week for details.

*  I went to Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)on Wednesday in the town South of us to use Hubs' 15% discount they mailed him.  I picked up 2 Xmas gifts and 1 stocking stuffer for real cheap.  As far as food goes I spent $9.13 on food there as well-4 cans of chili for Hubs, a box of pasta, some pita chips, a 4 pack of protein shakes and a teriyaki taco kit.

*  I also hit CVS which was right down the road from Ollie's and got all this for .03¢...

See previous post for details.

*  I got another $5 Bonus on my Ibotta account this week so between Walmart and Weis I bought 12 items so I could get that bonus--at Walmart; a jar of Ragu, 4 jars of Gerber baby food(for the food bank), a container of Fage sour cream, the Free GV green beans(finally found them!), free 2 ltr Pepsi Zero Sugar, 6 tins of wet dog Food, a box of Lipton tea bags, 2 boxes of CrunchMaster crackers(plus 2 x .10¢ any item rebates)and at Weis; a 12 pack of Bella dog food, 4 boxes of Scotties facial tissues, a container of Keebler cookies(for Ex-CB)and a bottle of St. Joseph baby aspirin(plus a .10¢ any item rebate for dog food there). Between the $9.29 in rebates at Walmart and the $3.85 at Weis and the $5 Bonus I got back $18.14 of my $22.63(after using coupons)I spent making these 12 items $5.34 total OOP.

*  I found money!

This .02¢ was found in the parking lot next to my car at Rite-Aid last Friday.

I hit two different Rite-Aids on Monday.  I found the penny at one store at the register counter and the nickel at the other store, on the base of a refrigerated drink case between their registers.

I found another penny on Wednesday at the Pharmacy counter when I went to pick up Hubs' Rx.

And on Thursday I found these two pennies at Rite-Aid(of course!)in the prime hunting spot under the candy racks by the front registers.

Total Found Money This Week...  .11¢
Total Found Money This Year so Far...$50.94  

*  On my trip to the town South of here I was in need of gas for my car so I made a point to check all the signs at the gas stations I passed on the way down.  I stopped on the way home at the cheapest station-a Sunoco with regular unleaded gas for $2.27 gal.  With my Sunoco card discount it was $2.22 per gal.
The various stations were all over the place in price, from $2.49 at one Sunoco to $2.27 at the station I filled up at, as well as another station where I wouldn't get a discount.

*  I had bought a Lean Cuisine(a type I like and have bought/eaten many times before).  This one was substandard in my opinion.  The sauce was very runny and had no taste.  So I emailed the company a week or so ago, to complain and also give them the lot # off the box so they could look into the matter.

An envelope arrived in the mail on Monday from the company.  In it were 2 FREE item Qs as well as 4 other ¢ off Qs for various types of their frozen meals.

That's about it for this past week.

What frugal goodness happened in your world?  Tell us all about it!

Sluggy