I needed to spend/roll more Bonus Cash plus I needed 4 more unique offers to get my MidWeek Bonus on Ibotta so I did this on my card.....
1 x Axe spray deodorant....$6.69 1 x Vaseline men's lotion....$8.49 1 x Degree men's deodorant..$5.79 1 x Suave men's body wash...B2Get1 Free 1 x Dove men's deodorant....B2Get1 Free 1 x Dove men's body wash....$7.29 1 x Got2Be men's hair styling product clearance=$1.99 1 x Centrum vitamins=$7.49 5 x Got2Be hair color chalk clearance($1.74 ea.)=$8.70 1 x Nutella on the Go 20% Gold Discount=$1.51 1 x L'Oreal lipstick clearance=$2.37 1 x Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish clearance=$2.49 SubTotal....$52.81
Coupons Used 1 x $10/$50 Rite-Aid Q=$10.00 1 x $2/2 Dove men's items L2CQ=$2.00 1 x $1/1 Vaseline men's item IPQ=$1.00 1 x $4/1 Centrum item IPQ=$4.00 1 x $3/1 L'Oreal cosmetic item IPQ=$3.00 1 x $1/1 Degree item IPQ=$1.00 Coupon Total....$21.00
$52.81-$21.00=$31.81+$1.84 tax=$33.65 paid with Bonus Cash.
I earned back $4 in new BC(2 x $1 wyb2 Axe/Dove/Degree/Suave, $2 Centrum). I earned back $17.50 on Ibotta(5 x $2.50 Got2Be, $1.50 Got2Be, $1.00 Sally Hansen, .50¢ Nutella and $1 Midweek Bonus, $1 Got2Be Bonus). I earned back the equivalent of $14.10 in Shop Kick points for buying 5 of the men's items.
BC used......$33.65 BC/cash back/Shop Kick earned...$35.60 That means I got paid $1.95 to take all the items above home. 8-)))
I might have another transaction in me before the weekly sales end at R-A, if some of my Ibotta offers reset by Saturday.
If you ever do a DNA test to check on your ancestral origins I have found out that it will change as the pool of folks who also test on whatever company's website changes.
As more people are included in the genetic pool it will affect how your DNA is read and placed into certain ethnicities.
This past weekend for some reason I went and took another look at mine, my son's and my brother's DNA results again. I initially had my DNA tested in 2013 and my son and brother's both tested in 2015.
Back then my results came back in a pie chart form........
My DNA was 98.86% Western European(they had a 1.44% margin of error back then so it "could" have been 100% Western Europe).
It also came back with a 100% makeup of Orcadian population. This refers to the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland(which are part of modern day Scotland)so includes Scottish, English, Irish, and then Viking and other Scandinavian populations.
So when I went back recently to look this is how my DNA results have changed.
First my map(they highlight places on a map now instead of using a pie chart....
You'll notice I have 3 areas highlighted--Ireland, Finland and the areas around Greece. And here is my % breakdown....
Europe 100%
Western Europe Ireland 95%
Southern Europe Greece & Balkans 4%
Finnish Finland <2%
GREEK?! WTF and where the heck did that come from?!? lolz Well I do like Greek food. ;-) And now ALL my Western European DNA is Irish?
Now let's compare my DNA with my brother's(and yes, we are full siblings so nobody was adopted nor did one of our parents have an affair or something).........
Brother's map.......
Areas highlighted include Iceland, Sweden, Norway-Finland-United Kingdom-Ireland-Poland, Denmark, Germany, Austria and France. And you'll notice how his areas overlap too, one with another.
But the glaring difference you'll notice is he has no Greek or Balkans like I do!
And his % breakdown.......
100% Western Europe
Ireland 56% Central Europe 36% England, Wales, and Scotland 4% Scandinavia 4%
Finnish Finland <1%
Lastly, let's take a look at my son's map. Note that half son's DNA comes from Hubs. Hubs ancestry is 50% Italy from his father and his mother gave him Dutch, German mostly but a little bit of Irish and English.
Son's % breakdown......
Europe 100%
Western Europe Ireland 43% Central Europe 29% England, Wales, and Scotland 7%
Southern Europe Italian Peninsula 13% Malta 5% Greece & Balkans 3%
So if you take out the Southern Europe piece(Italian Peninsula and Malta which obviously isn't from my side)son's map looks mostly like my brother's map rather than mine! Except son has that weird Greek thing like I do.
So my son on paper could be my brother's son rather than mine! lolz
Now if you combine mine and my brother's maps it makes sense to what the paper trail so far has been...well, except that Greece & Balkans thing. And I suspect that something I've been pondering about my Y-DNA may be true and if so, it would have made my father happy.
More on that later.
For now let's raise a green beer or rather a good Irish beer(I'll take a Guiness Stout!)and celebrate our Irish heritage.
The Irish, much like the Jews, Africans who were enslaved in various countries and others have experienced a Diaspora of their people from their homeland over the last few centuries.
First the English tried to eradicate the Irish and take over Ireland itself by force, giving their lands away to Scottish peoples who emigrated to the Emerald Isle. Then the English and the Ulster Scots used the 2 Potato Famines to starve out the Irish and the Irish natives began a mass exodus in the 1840's to the lands west-the US, Canada and Australia mostly. Some Irish were also part of the "transportation" scheme whereas England got rid of any poor and/or criminal element by shipping them overseas to one of various English colonies. The Irish who fled to the US's eastern cities(especially New York and Boston)didn't find a hearty welcome. Being new immigrants they were at the bottom of the food chain and there were "No Irish Need Apply" signs everywhere. The only group that welcomed the Irish off the ships in the North was the US military if a ship arrived after the start of the War Between the States(1861-1865). Recruiters for the Union army met arriving ships at the harbors to sign newly arriving Irish emigrants up to fight in the war for the Yanks. Not even citizens they were asked to die for this country in battle yet no business would give them a job thus many had no alternative but to muster in. The Irish had a rough start in the US but over time and due to their ability to overcome oppression have survived and thrived here in America.
If you descend from the great Brian Boru or not(and if you have ancestors with the surname of O'Brien you are)let's wish Sláinte to our tribe!
I post this song every St. Patty's Day....
Here are some more Irish bands or songs for your enjoyment.....
And lets close with this lovely traditional song......
8 x Garnier Whole Blends shampoo on sale 2/$7=$28.00 1 x L'Oreal Elvive shampoo 20% Gold discount=$4.59 SubTotal.......$32.59
I used these coupons-- 1 x $5 when you spend $20 R-AQ=$5.00 4 x $4/2 Garnier Whole Blends IPQ=$16.00 1 x $2/1 Elvive shampoo IPQ=$2.00 Coupon Total....$23.00
$32.59-$23.00=$9.59 paid for with Bonus Cash.
I earned back $10 in new BC($10 wyspend $30 on select shampoos)so a slight moneymaker.
Then I bought this on Hubs card to spend down some BC........
1 x Bic Flex 3 razors 20% Gold discount=$6.39 1 x Bic Flex 5 razors 20% Gold discount=$5.99 SubTotal.....$12.38
I used 2 x $3/1 Bic Flex In-Ad ManuQs=$6.00
$12.38-$6.00=$6.38+.39¢tax=$6.77 paid for with BC.
There is a Bic promotion running until the end of March HERE. Spend at least $5 after coupons and tax to be entered into their Sweepstakes and earn a $5 rebate. It's a limit of 4 submissions per household. I've already submitted for the $5 rebate so these 2 packs of razors "cost" me $1.77.
Then on Monday I went to do the new weekly deals, using a $10 wyspend $50 R-AQ and got this........
2 x Depends Silhouette underwear on sale=$24.00 1 x Huggies Pull-ups on sale=$8.99 1 x Centrum Vitamins on sale=$7.49 1 x Himalayan Ashwagandha 20% Gold discount=$9.59 SubTotal.....$50.07
Coupons Used 1 x $10/$50 purchase R-AQ=$10.00 2 x $2/1 Depends item IPQ=$4.00 1 x $2/1 Pull-Ups ManuQ=$2.00
1 x $4/1 Centrum IPQ=$4.00 1 x $5/1 Himalayan item PeelieQ=$5.00 Coupon Total....$25.00
$50.07-$25.00=$25.07 paid for with Bonus Cash.
I earned back $18 in new BC($10 wyspend $30 Kimberley-Clark, 2 x $3 Depends-double dip, $2 Centrum). I submitted to Ibotta and earned $15 in rebates(2 x $4 Depends, $2 Pull-ups, $5 Himalayan).
I also submitted my receipt to Fetch and earned $1.31 in points there for the paper products.
Total spend in BC...$25.07
Total earned back in BC/Cash/Fetch pts....$34.31
A $9.24 moneymaker!
The Depends are headed to the food bank, might sell the diapers and the vitamins and Ashwagandha are headed into the toiletries stockpile.
And I have 3 of the 8 rebates to earn my $1 MidWeek Bonus on Ibotta. Not sure if I'll finish it but it's an option.
*****Covid Vaccine Update****
This is the strangest thing.
I guess I put it out into the universe yesterday, both on the blog and was venting to my dentist(and her to me)while she repaired my broken tooth about this whole clusterf**k situation on getting an appointment for a vaccine here in PA.
I got a phone call around 8pm Monday night(which I didn't answer thankfully)that went to voice mail. When I went up to bed later I played the voice mail and it was a pharmacist at a Rite-Aid up in Sayre PA(right on the NY border across from Elmira NY). He said to call him back. My first thought was that they had a shot appointment open(vaccine on the brain lately here!lol)even though I KNOW Rite-Aid's system doesn't keep your info when you go on their website looking for an appointment opening and they don't have a waiting list you can sign up for.
But I had a feeling so I went on the R-A website and searched stores in that general area and I FOUND A VACCINE APPOINTMENT IN A R-A ABOUT 20 MINUTES SOUTH OF SAYRE!!! And yes, I am screaming. ;-)
Of course it's a nighttime appointment and we are suppose to get icky weather today/tonight but I don't care!
Just to be sure, I called this R-A this morning with my confirmation info to make sure it's not a mistake(what? Rite-Aid make a mistake?!lol)and I am really on the list because it would be annoying to drive all that way just to find out I don't have an actual appointment. And yes, I am in like Flint!
After hanging up with that store I called back the other R-A pharmacist that had called me last night and left a message. He asked me about a medication I am taking and whether it's working for me?
WTF?!? I said yes, it's fine and before he could hang up on me I asked him why he had called about that, especially because I have never had an Rx filled there nor been in that store. He said he gets that a lot.....R-A pharmacists are instructed to make these type of calls to ANY customer in the R-A system if they have down time to check up on if they are filling their meds. ??? So if you don't fill a medication and you buy your Rxs at R-A, don't be surprised if a pharmacist at a store you've never been to cold calls you and asked about a drug you are taking.
If I had picked up the phone for his call that evening and heard him say all that I wouldn't have thought about searching on my phone for an appointment up in that area of PA at 10pm Monday night. My brain wouldn't have gone to the place where I thought that pharmacist was calling about a vaccine opening.
I still find this weird.....but I got an appointment, woohoo!
Of course this also means I have to drive all the way back there in a few weeks for the second shot since they didn't get the J&J vaccine. I'll gladly go back if this helps end this crap!(Plus I can browse around a new to me R-A and maybe find some deals. 8-))
Well it's official. In a ranking of how each state is handling vaccinations good ol' Pennsyltucky is #49. That's a drop from the #39th worst state. It's such a mess here and there is no real game plan. At least my cousin in Maine(who has ALS btw)has an appointment for a shot....but it's in May! I can't even get an appointment here.
4. Wednesday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Collards 5. Thursday--Chinese Take-out(I had soup)
6. Friday--Cheeseburger, Macaroni Salad, Corn
7. Saturday--Leftover Beef Pie
Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/planned overs or FFY, and 1 night of Take-Out/Eating Out.
Mostly everything planned was cooked/served except the Spanish Rice and we had Collards instead of Cabbage w/the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. Cabbage moves to this week. The cheeseburgers happened on Friday instead of Saturday as Ex-CB came over on Friday for dinner and that's what he wanted.
What got put into the freezer last week....
* 1 pack chicken thigh filets
* 1 pack of breaded chicken cutlets
What got taken out of the freezer and used...
* 3 Salmon portions
* Ground Turkey for chili
* 2 Pork Tenderloin portions
We spent $63.37 on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods last week-1 trip to Weis(PMITA)Markets and 1 trip to Discount Outlet. This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Grand Total to $134.89 for March so far.
There are 16 shopping days left in March.
I've earned $70.66 on Ibotta in March.
I've earned $.05 on Checkout51 in March.
I've earned $0.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in March.
I've earned 277 points from shopping on Fetch in March.
I've earned 3075 point from food shopping on Shop Kick in March.
I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in March.
My savings percentage for last week was 60.92%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for March and the monthly savings total for March comes in at 55.69%.(w/out R-A).
Leftovers going into this week--Beef Pie, Chili, Collards.
Here is this week's "food plan".....
1. Sunday--Fend For Yourself
2. Monday--Chicken Parmesan, Green Beans
3. Tuesday--Squash Casserole, Tossed Salad
4. Wednesday--Hot Dogs, Sweet Potato Fries 5. Thursday--Leftovers and Cabbage
6. Friday--Pizza, Salad
7. Saturday--Assorted Leftovers
What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu? I've got fresh produce that needs cooking or using this week, lots of produce! I broke a tooth Saturday night so not sure what I can eat until it's fixed. It's an odd mix this week but if Hubs wants something else(more meat)he can cook it himself. ;-)
I don't know if I'll be grocery shopping this week but if I do it won't be for much.
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? Not such great deals here unless I go to the discount food outlet or get a good Ibotta Bonus and Walmart isn't a zoo. lolz
I got a $5 wybuy 10 items Ibotta Bonus this weekend. I didn't relish the idea of going far from home(Walmart)so I sat down with the new Weis(PMITA)Markets ad to see if between there and Rite-Aid I could come up with 10 items with rebates that could get me to the $5 Bonus that would give me a low OOP and were also things we could use or needed. I also had a $10 free prepaid debit card(from a Neutrogena Deal last year)to use that is expiring at the end of March.
Here is what I came up with......
The Playtex tampons were bought at Rite-Aid. On sale for BOGO50% so $8.98. I used a $3/2 L2CQ so total was $5.98 paid for with Bonus Cash. This earned me $2 back in new BC and $5.10 in Ibotta rebates(2 x $2.50 Playtex, .10¢ any feminine product). Now I needed 8 more rebates. (I should have gone to R-A before as I didn't realize I had an any item rebate on the tampons, so I ended up getting 9 more rebate items at Weis. duh)
2 x Scotties triple soft boxes were $2.50. 1 x Breakstone cottage cheese was part of a Buy 6/Get $3 more off Deal=$1.99 1 x Philly cheesecake dessert was also part of $3 Deal=$3.00 1 x Musselman's apple sauce part of $3 Deal=$2.79 2 x King Arthur flour part of $3 Deal=$4.98 both 1 x Truvia sweetener part of $3 Deal=$3.49 2 x Bigelow tea bags(had to get 2 for deal price)=$4.94 1 x Quaker oatmeal=$2.50 1 x Quaker oatmeal packets=$2.50
SubTotal.....$28.69
I used 2 x .65¢/1 Scotties IPQs which each doubled to $1.30/1=$2.60 $28.69-$2.60=$26.09. I used the $10 debit card so my OOP at Weis for these items was $16.09
I earned back $9.75 in regular rebates and hit the 10 items so got the $5 Bonus plus a .50¢ Bonus for buying Scotties and Bigelow together so $15.25 back at Weis + $5.10 back at R-A=$20.35 in rebates.
$16.09 spent OOP, $20.35 total back in rebates AND $2 back in BC at R-A for the Playtex purchase turning this into a $6.26 moneymaker. 8-)))
Other than the tampons(which I'll pass along to someone who can use them)everything is useful to us and/or something we needed now.
