CVS Trip 2/22

Transaction #1:
CVS Facial Tissue: $1.99 BOGO
Fruitopia Conditioner: $1.99, $1 CRT
CVS 10 ct. Cotton Squares: $.99, $1 CRT
Blade men's shampoo + conditioner: $3.34, $1 CRT
=$10.30 of CVS brand, meaning I could use my $2/$10 CVS CRT
Used a $5 ECB, none generated, paid $.32 GC

Transaction #2:
Dayquil/Nyquil: $4.99x2, $1.50x2, earn $5 ECB
South Beach Bars (not pictured): $2.50 each, $2 manq x2 = 2/$1.00
CVS Chili Seasoning: $.77
Cadbury Mini Eggs (my favorite holiday candy, hands down!): $.49x3 (we were hungry after lunch ;) )
Sally Hansen Nail Polish: BOGO50% but they did not scan what the shelf said, but couldn't remember exact price, plus that would mess up the 1/2 price if they adjust, I think. Had a $3/2 CVS coupon so $5.06 for 4 bottles, French Manicures coming up for me! LOL
CVS 10 ct Cotton Squares: $.99, $1 CRT, earned $2 ECB for the 2 I bought today
Renuzit TriScents Holder: $5.49, used $4 manq x2 earned $4 ECB! yay more than free!

Used $10 in ECB and earned back $11, so that worked well. I did pay more in GC than I would like ($2.77) but the nail polish threw me off. Oh well.

On my receipt I noticed a "Spend $10 on Blade, earn $3 ECB" which isn't advertised anymore, so I left the store plotting a new trip....

Walgreens Trip 2/22

Matt decided to sleep in, so I left for church super-early so I could stop at the stores beforehand ;) They had some good deals I didn't want to miss out on. (don't mind my 'stickering' of the photo yet again. I always forget to remove things that shouldn't be there...oops!)

Stayfree 2/$4: Should have been able to use BOGO and $2/2, but the $2 wouldn't work. Still, $1 each is okay
Glade Plugins: $2.50 each (except Apple didn't scan sale price, hoping they work for rebate!), $1manq x4, get back $4.40 on rebate = 4/$1.60 yay!
Excedrin: $1.99, $1 get $1RR back = FREE
Foil: Scans $1.69, use $1 coupon, then in-ad coupon makes them $.89 each. Bought 2, so -$.22 for 2 =)
Reese's Whipps Candy Bars: $.89 BOGO with in-ad coupon, used 4-$1/2 coupons = -$.44 for 8! hehe

Gotta love items that you are paid to take off their hands.

Which is why I'm waiting until 3/8!! They have those new Glade things I bought a few weeks back for $7.99 each. Use a BOGO coupon and a $4 coupon, PLUS the $4 store coupon, means they will PAY ME $4.01 for each 2 I buy. I'm hoping to get 8. haha The BOGO and $4 did work together, so I'm hoping she does it for me again. This cashier is always really amazed at what I save. If they won't accept the BOGO and $4, they are still free after a manq and storeq $4 each, but not a huge moneymaker! It's fun because you then use that 'free money' to pay for the other items in your order, like the free-after-rebate items for March ;)

Excitement!

Something Elizabeth posted has gotten me totally excited, although I have 5 whole months of waiting ahead! I think though, that it means I should finish the socks from the yarn I bought on last year's excursion, or at least work on the shawl I started there last year LOL oh me and my stack of WIPs!

I really should work on my mittens, since the cold is not ending any time soon!! I would welcome those wooly goodies.

Speaking of wool, we bought the cat a new toy for $1. It's a wool mouse, and it says when he chews it up a bit and it feels loose, to tie it up in a sock and throw it in with the laundry. DUH. Coulda made that myself LOL

Jewel Catalina Deals

(OR: Why you should never throw out a General Mills coupon)





Several Catalina deals are overlapping at Jewel (Shaws, or whatever you have where you live). The new one starting today is buy 10 GM products, get $10 OYNO. Perfect, because there are no price calculations and arguing about why your coupon did not print. Buy 10 products, plain and simple. Also, ending this coming Sunday, is the Nature Valley (plus I think Chex bars and something else) Catalina where if you buy 5 you get $3.50 OYNO. Huh....imagine that!

Nature Valley Granola bars: $2.50x5, $.60x2, $.50x3
Chex Mix Bars: $2.50x3, $.60x2, $.50x2
Pillsbury rolls: $2.50, $2.50 free coupon, $1 coupon
Paid $17.54 cash and received a $10 and $3.50 OYNO! Worked like a charm

We need milk for breakfast tomorrow (plus snow is coming tomorrow. I know from working there that when bad snow is forecast, milk, bread and water just FLY off the shelves. No way I'm waiting 'til tomorrow to buy it!).

Kellogg's cereal: $2.50 each, $1x4
Get a free gallon of milk instantly WYB 4-Kellogg's
Kellogg's Fiber Plus bars: 2/$4.50, $.75x2
Grapefruit 8lbs for $2.49! Amazing! I love grapefruit. Great price.
Butter $1.88 each, which is good. Why yes, I did already have 4 pounds of butter in the freezer, which hubby pointed out the moment I pulled it out of the bag ;) Hey, we like to bake!
Used the $10 and $3.50, paid $2.21 cash.

So 20 items for $19.75. Definitely a good deal. We needed some cereal that was not Frosted Mini-Wheats (earlier this week bought 4/$6 with Dominick's coupon and used 4-$1 coupons, great dela!). The Nature Valley bars are to add to a PB sandwich to hand out to homeless (hubby's passion) (using free Fisher PB from Ultra).

So once again, I set foot in Jewel only for the Catalina promos. But I happened to check the hummus section, and the item I have a raincheck for is not on the shelf anymore...strange.

Quick CVS Run

Not the best I've ever done, but good enough! Especially considering I did it on the fly with ECBs expiring today, and not having the $1 on any CVS skincare (due to laziness and forgetfulness). I picked up this stuff to utilize CRTs and also get some nice stuff to go in a gift bag I am creating for a nice woman and her 10-year-old daughter.

CVS Cotton Balls $1.99
CVS Nail Polish Remover $1.99
CVS travel size Cotton Squares $.99 x2
(Buy 2 CVS products above, get $2 ECB, so earned $4 total. Can do 3 more times)
CVS Low-dose aspirin $1.99 FAECB
CVS Hand Lotion $3.99 earn $1 ECB
Nail Polish $1.99 BOGO50%
Excedrin travel pack $2.49 FAECB (rain check from the other week)
Used $2/$10 CVS brand, $1 on CVS lotion, $2 on cosmetics CRT
Used $11.58 ECB, earned $9.48

I also returned all the recalled ProMax bars yesterday (I had given them to my uncle for Christmas) and it was enough to get him a box of Zyrtec D instead, plus have $2 left over and earn $1 ECB, which showed up as Benadryl on my receipt, but I'm not complaining. Hopefully I can find more of those travel size cotton squares on Sunday...

Clean on the cheap

We want to switch to using more natural cleaners (like baking soda and vinegar and lemon juice) but I still enjoy some convenience, especially when it comes to cleaning the toilet. This is a 3-month supply for $2 ;)

All items were $3.50. Used $3/2 coupon for scrubbing bubbles, and two-$1.50 pledge coupons. I love the all-purpose spray, so the convenience of the wipe is nice.

So that's $9.09 off my gift card, but get $4.40 back on rebate. Still ahead for the month!

Free at Walgreen's today!

Yes, Walgreens was amazing today! I took a coupon risk and it worked for me. The key is to never offer more than they ask for ;)

• Glade holders: $8.99 each, bought 4. Used two BOGO coupons, two $4 coupons (which I have never thought should be allowed, and the cashier was thinking about it hard...but then scanned it and the register accepted!), plus $12 (plus 10%) total back in rebate: -$3.22 for all 4!


• Quaker Oatmeal: 2/$5, used two $1 manq, $1 back in rebate: $1.90 for two


• Walgreens contact solution: $1.99 FAR


• Zucol $7.99 FAR, used $2 manq to make some extra ;)


• Progresso Soup: 4/$5 with in-ad coupon, used two $1.10 coupons = $.30 for 2!

Totals: $24.18 spent on gift card. As we walk to the car, Matt asks the key question: What are you getting back on the rebate? $25.28. haha. Love it! Plus, our printer at home just needs some fresh ink and I can begin printing a set of coupons here besides at work and also at my mom's (if it isn't something she will use!

Great deals this week :) Back in the swing at Walgreens! Except they didn't even have the razors in stock for the RRs. Strange!

free @ CVS today!

• Crackers: $1 each. Bought 4, used 2- $2/2 coupons = FREE


• Glady Spray: $.99 each, $1/2 manq and $1 CRT, adjusted down = FREE


• CVS Rolaids: $1.99 FREE CRT = FREE


• Sprite 20oz = $1.59 (all we paid for, but Matt had an upset stomach and needed it)

So yes, no ECBs used, none gained ;) $1.80 spent on gift card for soda and tax. Easy day!

No, I haven't posted much from CVS lately. I haven't been in the mood and haven't seen much. My ECBs have dwindled, but I got another $30 GC for my script this month, so I can rebuild when I get back in the swing of things.

FO!

Yay FO! Took a month, which it shouldn't have, but hey. They are done, which means I can make my own pair to replace the ones that disappeared. ugh. My hands are SO cold in this darn coldest winter in way too many years.

Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted on 1 and 3. Threw them in my mom's washer on the 'ultra handwash' cycle which is fantastic. They came out with the wonkiness from between the needles all taken care of. Gave them a gentle stretch and they are perfect!

Grocery Bonanza!

We have some grocery budget left this month (and still some, even after all this shopping! Why yes, my grocery budget IS huge!) (but not spending it all as we had some other odd expenses this month we need the cash for) and so I went shopping for things we need, great deals, unexpected finds and superbowl snackers.

• At Target, Yoplait is regular $.52 each, which is still good considering prices on yogurt have been going up. Using a $1 manq and a $1 store coupon, I got 8/$2.16, or $.27 each! They had some fun new flavors in the Light Thick and Creamy like Cinnamon Roll and Cherry Cobbler.


• I had a coupon for a free Grapefuit bowl, which cost me $.10 after the coupon max.


• Buy a Digiorno Pizza for $3.99 (excellent price!) and get a free 2L of Coke, which I needed for superbowl party. So Matt got the pizza he wanted.


• Starkist Tuna Pouch on sale for $1.49, used $1 coupon.


• Hormel Chili $1.24 for superbowl dip


• Onion Soup Mix (a pantry staple) $.85


• Egg Noodles for tonight's dinner $.53!


• RiceWorks Chips FREE with coupon


• Stacy's Pita Chips 2/$5, used two $1.50 coupons, 2/$2!

All that for a grand total of $11.77 for party food! Great deal.




Today I hit up Joe Caputo's, which is a family run 'mini-chain' of three stores in the area. Ours is tiny, but always well stocked with high-quality, good-priced produce.

• 1lb carrots (our fave veggie) $.49


• large spanish onions $.49/lb


• Orange Peppers $1.29/lb


• Red Peppers $.98/lb


• Strawberries $1.50


• White Mushrooms $2.19/lb


• Blueberries $1


• Crimini Mushrooms $2.69/lb


• Baby Carrots $.79


• Dutch Farms Shredded Cheese $1.50! Great deal. One for dip, rest for freezer


• Avocados 2/$1 for guac


• tiny onions $.19/lb. I hate chopping tiny onions. Waste of time, no matter how cheap. Will quarter and shove up the chicken's butt ;)


• Garlic $.89/lb


• Jalapenos $.89/lb


• limes $.10


• Yellow Peppers $1.29/lb


• Plum Tomatoes $.69/lb for pico de gallo

All that produce for $24.58. Great deals considering $6 of that is cheese and going to make myself guac and salsa. Peppers are for dipping at SuperBowl

Last stop, Jewel. I normally don't shop at Jewel unless they have an amazing deal to pull me in the door, but it is basically across the street from home so I do stop once in a while and today I wanted a chicken.

• Fryers were $.77/lb, so I'm going to try this recipe tomorrow. I love crock pot cooking!


• Milk was $2.28, decent...


• Thomas' English Muffins $1.99. My new breakfast fave!


• Sabra Hummus $3.99 BOGO, used two $1.50 coupons from Sunday's paper, so 2/$.99!! Can't beat that for munchies


• Fisher trail mix $1 on clearance, used $1 coupons = 4 FREE


• Fisher BBQ Peanuts $1 on clearance, used $1 coupon = FREE


• Diamond Vanilla Bean Almonds $2 on clearance, used $1 coupon = $1

All that for $11.05 ($2.28 was milk, $4.35 was chicken.) Plus I got a coupon for a free box of South Beach bars, some new "Fiber Fit." It is worded funny though, it says "FREE when you buy a box of FIber FIt or High Protein Cereal Bars" I think it means BOGO but doesn't sound right as either BOGO or totally free so I will try and just get one free box and see if it works...

That's the deals! Next stop is Super WalMart on Sunday (it's not at all convenient to home, but will actually be out near one on the way to a Super Bowl party) but that is next month's budget ;)

Happy Birthday to me!

Haha, I know some of you are like "You had your birthday?" I didn't (it's in two weeks) but I spent all my money!!

I took the check from my MIL and went to KnitPicks. I wanted sizes 1 and 2 dpns in the mm I don't have, and broke a size 3 of my CPY ones. Plus I'd always wanted to try the Harmony needles as they are SO nice looking! I went crazy =)










I bought: Size 1 (2.5mm), size 2 (3mm), size 3 (3.25mm), size 7 (4.5mm) in the dpns, and then the tips in size 4 (3.5mm) and 5 (3.75mm).

The tips are the most common size I use for lace knitting, and never seem to have a needle free (maybe I should finish one project before moving on to the next, eh?), I love tiny needles (although I don't knit socks...) and the largest dpn I own is 6, so need to expand.

Then I got 9 hanks of Gloss in Burgundy to make Thermal as I have been eyeing it since it came out. I think I recall people saying it was short if you knit as written, and I had a few extra bucks so added a skein more than my size called for. I love this yarn and can't wait to wear this!!

And THEN!! I got a Wii Fit!!! YAY!!!!!!!! One of my coworkers saw me in the hall yesterday and asked if I was still looking for it. He was in a GameStop on Tuesday and they actually had some in stock. So I dashed back to my desk and called the store. He told me they had a few and of course he can't hold it. So I call my mom since home is closer to the store than my work, and she shuts off the oven and runs over there to get the LAST one. I am so stoked to have this!!

So yes, I spent all of my birthday money two weeks before my birthday LOL

Target Run 1/21

Yeah, yeah. no photo. But hey, still good deals.

Kashi TLC Soft Baked Cereal Bars: $2.75 each, $2 IP coupon = 4/$3
Ocean Spray Light Juice: $1.99, $1 store coupon, $1 manq = -$.02 for 2
Right Guard Deodorant: $3.64

I now have (with my mom's $9 in receipts) the $50 for the P&G coupon rebate, which should be some good coupons we will split.

$3 for four boxes of healthy granola bars and 2 bottles of juice? SOLD!

CVS Trip 1/20

Well, I had $36 in ECBs expiring yesterday, and while some stores accept them once they expire, not all do and I don't want to play with it.

(I'm going to add a post about how rainchecks work at CVS, which will be in the sidebar. I will hopefully remember to come back to this post and link to it as well)

CVS Claritin, 5 pack: $3.79 each, $3.79 ECB back
Gas-X: ($5.69x2) - $1 manq x2, $5/2 CRT, = $4.38 for both
Ragu: $1.67 each
L'Oreal: free with raincheck, plus they are BOGO so they paid me $7 to take them.
Benefiber: free with raincheck, plus used $2 manq
Complete Contact Solution: Free with raincheck
Rubbermaid water bottles: BOGO50% $4.49 for both, and I needed a water bottle for the gym
Listerine Smart Rinse: $5.29, earn $3 ECB
Excedrin Express Gels: $1.99, used $1 manq, $1 CRT
Old Spice Shower Gel: $4.49, $1 manq
Old Spice Deodorant: $3.29
Herbal Essences: $6.99
Pantene: $4.99x2, used $3/2 manq

Basically this store rings the items up at full price, then deducts a store coupon for them. So I could still use manq's on them. However, I didn't know this until he was ringing me up, so I couldn't use all my bucks in the first transaction, plus I didn't use any coupons as I was so flustered. Otherwise I could have bought $9 more of stuff. But I look at it this way: I spent under $3 on my gift card for things we need (hubby needs more deodorant, we need the meds and ragu and water bottles). I did spend $36 ECB and only get $11 for next time, but it is still money not spent from the grocery bill!! If they ever get a corporate policy all shoppers will be thrilled!

Walgreens for Candy!

Yum! I'm really trying hard to watch what I eat. So yeah, Reese's candy bars, not so good. But Hershey's 100 Calorie Snack bars = great!

Quaker Oatmeal: $1.99 w/in-ad coupon, $1 manq, = $1.98 for 2
Reese's Whipps bars: 2/$1.00 w/in-ad coupon, $1/2 manq, = 8 FREE!
Hershey's 100 Calorie Bars: 2/$4 after IVC, $.75 manq x4, = 4/$5
The Hershey's IVC does NOT scan, even though it is pictured on there. They just did a price adjust for me.
Spent $7.26, using up my prescription GC.

I'm debating going to the same Wag's this week that I was at last week. The pharmacist really wanted my business and was even going to give me my coupon back to use again. Maybe he'd just give me a GC to keep my business for another month? hmmmm

New Blog Button

New Year, New Me!

haha. Or so I hope. Definitely some things I need to change, and while I don't always make 'resolutions,' I do need to work on a few aspects of my life.

So I needed a blog button for the name change (which I never really announced!) but I am now known as "Helen Knits and Saves" rather than "AngelKnits." I figured Elizabeth could either do it or would know who could, and she suggested her son, Owen. He made me one in no time flat. I appreciate the simpleness of it; goes with my theme of paring down and saving money and all that jazz ;) I'd recommend him!



I'll drop it in the sidebar and feel free to save it and use it as a link!

Walgreens 1/4

Not everything is pictured as we gave some items to my mother-in-law =)

Quaker Oatmeal: $1.99 with in-ad coupon, used $1 manq: $1.98 for both
Electrasol: $3.49, used $2.50 manq, earn $1.50 rebate: -$.51
Reynolds Foil: $.99 with in-ad q, used $1 manq: -$.02 for both
Revlon Matte collection eyeshadow: $5.99 FAR
Glade candle refills: $2.50 each, $2.50 on two manq, $2 rebate
Glade Carpet Fresh: $2.50, $1 coupon, $1 rebate
Glade Candle: $2.50, $1 coupon, $1 rebate
=4 Glade items for $1.10 after rebate with bonus =)
Used $10 RR from hair dryer deal
Spent $4.99 on GC but earned $11.54 with bonus.

Yay!

CVS 1/4

Today Matt and I went just to blow some bucks (some expiring this week, and I also had over $60 so decided we should just buy items he needs that I rarely see on sale).

The Fusion blades weren't on sale, but you got a free shave gel automatically, and then I used my coupon for a free body wash with purchase. That's $13.99 for all three items.

Cashews are $.79 each, but buy one get one 50% off, and I had a CRT for $1/2.
Gatorade just to use ECBs: $1.25
Curel lotions: $5.99 each.

I didn't realize the nuts were part of the BOGO50% sale, and the razor blades rang up $1 less than the shelf said, so I wasn't able to use my $1 coupons on the Curel. We used $22.57 in ECBs, including my $1 quarterly rewards (2 scripts) and a $5/$25 coupon expiring today. Didn't earn any, but items that made Matt happy ;) Spent $.11 on GC.

Year-end Savings Review

Here are my totals for the year for Walgreens and CVS.

As for Walgreens, I didn't keep track of the value of the items until a couple months ago, but have actually been doing their rebates actively since February. I can't totally calculate my savings due to that, but will just give an overview:

Cash outlay: $105.61
Gift cards redeemed: $257.20
Register Rewards earned: $125.50
Total coupons redeemed: $490.87
Rebate earned: $263.21

CVS I was better able to keep track of things from the beginning. I began in May and haven't stopped since. However, I have learned to not buy things just because they are free, and to really try and get the items we like at a good price. We are also able to try new things because of the deals. I have donated a TON of items and also used a lot for gifts.

Cash outlay: $0!!
Gift cards redeemed: $107.92
ECB's redeemed: $578.72

CVS coupons used: $131.49
Manufacturer's coupons used: $298.20

ECB's earned: $639.57
Items purchased: 393
Value of items: $1,310.71

To sum that up, I got $1,310.71 worth of items for $107.92 'cash' (gift cards that I earned from transferring prescriptions). That is a savings of $1202.79 or 92%!! This is $.27 per item. I can't wait to see what this year brings!

Happy savings! =)

Enjoying Yourself While on a Budget

So I normally post about getting the most bang for your buck, and stocking up on things you know you need, and on and on. But the other side of being frugal is to not be so cheap you deny yourself small luxeries like maybe a $5 pizza from Little Caesar's once a month, or a coffee (which we now have gift cards for, yay gifts!). It also means to save your cash for a larger purchase.

We have been wanting the Wii (well, mainly me. But Matt would want the Xbox360. I pointed out there aren't really many games I would like, having always had a Nintendo system. The games also cost more.) His cousin brought his Wii Fit over to grandma's and we really liked it. Granted it's costly too, and also sold out EVERYWHERE. But I would also get the Jillian Michaels workout game, which would help us work out more when it isn't convenient to go to the gym.

So we took our cash, Target gift cards, and drove on a Wii hunt on the way home last night.

First stop was Fry's, where they ONLY sell the console in a bundle with crap we don't need like HD A/V cables (we don't have a fancy-dancy TV) and a charging dock for the remotes (duh, rechargeable batteries!). So we left there, because I don't really like them anyway.

Went across the street and Toys R Us was out, so run next door to Best Buy. As we near the video game section, we see an employee holding a Wii box above his head. I think he was showing the other associates he had one so they would know. Matt is like "Hey, got any more?" And the guy says that one was just returned and it is now yours (don't worry, unopened. Guess they didn't want it??!?). So we get that, and an extra remote and nunchuck (no one else had remotes in stock! Best Buy only had 3) and yeah, tax is 8% there, ugh. So that was $335.

Then Matt goes back to Fry's to buy a 'gun' for the Wii for $16 (again, that 8% tax).

We stop at Target on the way home (all of the Targets around us are in high-tax areas. This one is 10%. Silly Cook County) to pick up the super-sale-priced items of Call of Duty ($39) and Guitar Hero World Tour w/guitar and game ($77...GREAT price. At/over $100 everywhere regular price) and spend $127 (but use $75 in GC on that).

That brings our total to $478.56. Why did we feel we could spend that amount?
1 - This is the third Christmas season for the Wii, and it has yet to go down in price. It will most likely be a long time before it does
2 - We had $75 in Target gift cards
3 - We had a combined total of $265 in cash of Christmas gifts
4 - Matt has an amazing job and just got his bonuses and his PTO will be paid out in a couple weeks
5 - This is something we really want and can use together
6 - We can sell our Game Cube console as the games work on the Wii
7 - May even sell N64 as we really don't use it (use our SNES though!)

So yes, I feel if you can pay 'cash' for things like this, go for it! I would never ever charge it if I could not afford it. While many people don't even have credit cards and would have paid straight cash for this shopping spree, I don't agree. I get money back on my credit card (3% on most purchases, 1% on the rest. Earn $200 in your 'rewards account' and you can actually get $250 CASH back, NOT a statement credit!), pay it in full each month, and do carefully watch how much I put on there. So it is worth it to me to put all this cash in the bank and charge the system. I like the security of charging large electronics in case something is wrong and it needs to be returned and the store gives you trouble. We will use the PTO to pay for the rest of the system. More games will wait until we have extra money again (like my birthday in February when maybe the Wii Fit will be back in stock) but for now Guitar Hero is one of our favorites anyway.

We also plan ahead for things like Matt can upgrade his cell phone in March when he needs to sign a new service plan, but it may die ahead of that time. He is already planning to use his birthday money (January) to buy a nice one that will last him the next two years. With careful planning, you CAN have the nice things you want that are truly extras!!

I hope you enjoyed this full disclosure. I'd be happy to discuss more of my ideas on budgeting ;)

Knitting Update!

Road trip to Iowa last weekend. Knit the rest of sock #1 and the entire foot (ready to turn heel) on sock #2.

I somehow lost my amazing mittens between last winter and this winter. So bummed! My hands have been SO cold. So now that the negative temps are done (at least for now!) I have yarn to make more, because my uncle spoiled me. My bro was with me and picked out yarn for mittens as well:

It is called "Navy Nite" but is definitely purple. Strange. He'll wear them though. Mine will have the same turquoise with a darker turquoise as the main color.

FO! Dolman top from Knit So Fine. Yarn bought half off at Stitches. Fits fine, just the BO on the front piece is too tight so it is hard to get on and off but I like it!



Yay gratuitous kitty shot! He's so sweet when he is sleeping


It's been snowing for about 20 hours! So pretty, but a pain driving in it, ugh!

CVS 2-day sale

I put everything away immediately after arriving home, because we had to clear off the table to eat, so no pic. Boring, I know ;) Plus hubby was cranky from going to the store and having to wait for the cashier to write out 4 different rainchecks. But I got most of what I wanted. However, we picked up the wrong eyeshadow at first and thankfully the cashier caught it before she rung it up, except that I then had to recalculate as I stood there, meaning I wasn't able to used my Crest $1 coupons, but I did use some expired coupons (no idea if this CVS accepts them or not, but she pushed them through)

Hall's cough drops: $2.59 Free after Extra Bucks (FAECB), $.50 manq
Crest Pro-Health: $2.99, earn $2 ECB x2 = $.99 each
Sally Hansen Nail Polish: $5.99 FAECBx2, $3/2 coupon
Excedrin: $3.99, used $2 manq and $1 CVS CRT (both expired), paid $.99, earned $3.99 ECB and will mail-in for $3.99 rebate, so -$6.57 for it! Great stuff, plus only 20ct, so more is always good.
Trans. #1: used $17.67 ECB, $.49 on GC, earned $22.56 ECB

For Trans. #2 at 2nd store, our goal was to use up my ECBs expiring on 12/26.
Russel Stover's holiday candy:$.50x2
Hershey Take 5: $.89 (this should be my 10th Hershey bar to earn a free one)
CVS band-aids: $.79, great sale and an item we needed! Regular $2.99
L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow: $6.99 FAECB, $1 manq
Benefiber: $7.29 FAECB, $2 manq
Bandaids: $4.49 (Matt uses a lot of bandaids in winter. finger splits)
Trans. #2: used $17.96 ECB, $.74 on GC, earned $14.28 ECB

So still came out $1.21 ECB ahead ;)

Now debating on if I should go to Walgreens at midnight, or when I wake up at 6:30. They had 5 hairdryers in stock. Tomorrow ONLY (think it is an item they want to clear out, no rainchecks) a $20 hairdryer is on sale for $10 and you earn $10 RR. GREAT! Mine has a funny smell sometimes, which isn't good. This seems decent and is the same speed as my current one, so worth it if I can find it!

Walgreens Today

The $5 RR I got from last week's deal expires the 20th, so I had to use it up this week. I was happy to see the kid's Listerine on sale, which Matt loves, haha.
Listerine: 2/$9, used two $1 coupons
Russell Stover's Chocolate Cream Egg: $.39 (as a filler to use my RR)
Paid with $5 RR and $2.16 from my gift card, earned $4.50 RR on the Listerine!
Yes, there are two eggs in the picture...when she scanned the 7-day coupon from the ad, the register said "incorrect product" and we realized I picked up the Cadbury egg. She took it off and I ran back for the RS one. Well, even though she voided it, she somehow put it in my bag...but that's the one I wanted anyway ;) Oh well. Bonus for me, because I'm not driving back to the store for $.59 they accidentally gave me. They'd surely tell me to keep it anyway.
Then I stopped at another store, where I don't think many couponers go as they seem to have things I need for my deals.
Bought 11 boxes of Turtles ($10.89), used 7 $1.50 coupons ($10.50) = $.39 for 11 boxes Great gifts as my dad and his step-dad love these.
Bought 2 Russell Stovers Luminaries for $4.99 each. They count for the "buy 2 get $10" rebate, which after bonus is $11.
Paid with my $4.50 RR and $6.24 GC. Will earn $11 on my rebate GC!

Total today: $6.63 cash and $9.50 RR used, earn $11 rebate. Very cool!

Baking Bonanza

I'm not used to taking food photos like Bezzie is, but here goes:













Pumpkin rolls. Very mild flavor, but yummy nonetheless. Pretty color, as well!






Kolacky dough, totally forgot the finished pic since I finished them at my mom's house. Why yes, pound of butter and brick o cream cheese. Add flour. Finito. I used apricot preserves on them, turned out so good and got many compliments at our work potluck today =)






Double Chocolate Treasures, a very old Quaker oats recipe that we make every single year. I love it. I chopped up bags of Hershey Bliss milk chocolates instead of buying semi-sweet chocolate chips. Also used them for the Muddy Buddies.






This is just how I roll in my tiny kitchen. You can see the mixer with the butter for kolacky, waiting to soften so I can cream it. The red bowl is the chocolate treasures waiting for the cookie sheets to come out of the oven. Chocolate chip and sugar cookies on the cooling racks (those were Betty Crocker mixes, not too bad!)
So I used free chocolates, and the Chex cereal and BC mixes from all my Jewel deals. Also made a bundt cake with free items as well. Lovin the deals this holiday season!

Target Today

Airwick LuminAir on 'sale' for $4.99, use $5 coupon so FREE!
Also bought an 8/10 digital print we are using as a Christmas gift, and a pair of socks for a sock exchange with my small group. Used the $5 GC I got a few weeks back and paid $2 cash. Lovin the deals!

CVS - Small Trip

Powerade $1.69 FREE after ECB
Complete $8.99 FREE after ECB
Cotton Swab as filler $.50
Spent $.31 on GC
Used $10.78 ECB, earned $10.58 ECB

Walgreens Mid-Week Special

Last week they started this, but I didn't feel the need to do it, but this week I just couldn't pass it up! Spend $25 on anything, and get a $5 RR for your next purchase. I only had $7 left on my GC, but wondered just how little I could spend!





Reynolds Wrap ($1.69 towards total) -> $.99 w/in-ad coupon, $1 manq = -$.02
Sure Deodorant ($2.50 towards total) -> $1.50 ESQ, $1 manq = FREE
Bic Soliel ($6.99 BOGO) -> $3 manqx2 = $.99
Walgreens Cough Drops ($.99 towards total) -> $.69 w/in-ad coupon = $2.07 (use towards the spend $25 on WAGS get $10 gift card)

Total: $25.84 as rung
Store coupons: $9.80
Man. coupons: $13
Total w/tax: $3.88
Received $5 RR

Totally sweet =) More of my fave razors (I'll NEVER run out!), foil for my holiday baking, and deodorant to donate, along with the cough drops

To be fair...

Yesterday, the first person Matt connected to (after voice prompts, it rang, no holding at all) was very nice and helpful. Said try this, try this, still not working...okay, in IE check this...okay, uncheck that box...magic! It worked. We asked her (hey, we had reason!) if this meant we really had internet (since it is showing when I check our account online) and they would not take it away like they did last time...and she confirmed that. So only time will tell, but at least we got someone who knew how to troubleshoot. so...yay!

Now off to run errands. There is a Walgreen's deal I want to pull off, but it always depends on them having every item in stock, which is soooo tricky. Wish it wasn't! But I do drive past 4 of them on my way to church. haha.

Open Complaint of Comcast

So...on Wed 11/26 Matt calls Comcast to request the $25 'economy internet package' we have seen offered on TV and on postcards to our mailbox. Seems easy enough. They give him a confirmation number and tell us what our monthly bill will be for the TV and internet combined. Say I can pick up my free self-install kit to go with the modem we purchased from Amazon. There will be a phone number to call to connect our service once I have it hooked up. Easy enough, eh?

Pick up kit on Friday. Very friendly at the office. Get home. Install modem. Pop in the Comcast CD to install the internet. All is smooth until I get to a screen that tells me to choose my service level so they can configure my modem. Only problem is, they list a $42 and a $52 service. Okaaaay, now what. No phone number in box that says "call here to connect!" So I call their general number. I go through EIGHT people and am on the phone for an hour, being switched from all departments, most of which have no idea why I was transferred to them. Finally get a guy who tells me to select the $42 service to configure my modem, but he does see on my account the confirmation for the economy internet and it will all be fine, I'll be able to get online and will be charged the correct monthly amount.

While that was a horrible experience, at least I had internet.

For a week.

Matt calls me this past Friday because he turned on the computer and the internet won't connect. I give him a few things to try and we determine it has to be on their end, seeing as how the internet was fine on Thursday and we didn't do anything to the computer since then except turn it off overnight.

So he calls comcast. They say there is no internet on our account; that we are only subscribed to TV. Excuse me? How the heck did I use it for a week if I "don't have internet"? It's not like you can magically connect to Comcast's internet. They said they could send a technician out on Saturday, but only after Matt insisted because he had work to do online (which he really did...sheesh). They said between 10-1 so we sat around at home even though we had errands to do. Then a bit before noon they call and say due to weather they will be later, 1-4. Okay fine. We run our errands in a quick hour, eat lunch. They call at 3 to say they can come at 6. Which we couldn't wait for as we had my Christmas party from work.

So they wasted my entire day, we don't have internet, and they have very inconvenient service hours and we aren't home this next Saturday either. Meanwhile, you know they now have internet on our account even though we can't access it. ARGH. So if they ever do come, surely they will try and pin it as our fault, which is $50, and not their fault which is free to us. But seriously. We did nothing to make it stop working. It's them, no question. So now I am trying to play with things and uninstall all of the Comcast software but to no avail. Now it gives weird error messages about my operating system not being correct, etc. I think not.

I think what happened is even though that guy said it would be fine to configure my modem with the $42 option, someone noticed it and saw we weren't getting the level of service we are signed up for and cut us off. But I'm having trouble restoring my computer back to the previous state before comcast arrived, so I'm not sure if/when I can fix it. We really want internet, and this is the most economical option. Plus, I don't want the hassle of returning an opened modem to Amazon, nor having to drive back to the Comcast office with my install kit. This is some of the worst service EVER.

ETA: Checked our account online today. yup, as of 12/6 it says we are being billed for economy internet for 12/5-1/6. I think not! If I can't fix it tonight they are going to hear from us to say that they cannot bill us until they come out and set it up for free since they are the ones that broke it.

Snowy day!

There was almost three inches on my car this morning. Yay!!

CVS Today

Today I bought the Promax Energy Bars that are on sale this week for 3/$5 and in the monthly book there is a "Buy 3 get $5 ECB" deal, limit 5.

Transaction #1: Buy 6 bars, use $10 ECB, earn $10 ECB

Transaction #2: Buy 6 bars, use $10 ECB, earn $10 ECB

Transaction #3: Buy 3 bars. Buy 2 Gas-X strips ($5.69) and one chewable ($10.69), $1 coupon on each Gas-X. Spend $23.47 ECB, earn $15.

So I lost a little bit of bucks, but it was an item we needed. Plus, I will use the energy bars as my uncle's Christmas gift. woo hoo! More free Christmas shopping ;)

Thanksgiving @ CVS!

CVS was rocking the freebies for Thanksgiving! I did mess up my transaction by my one L'Oreal lipgloss not making it to the counter from my cart, so I didn't use all of my coupons. I had it figured to the penny (of course) so I should have known that something like that was up, but oh well. You can also see I bought the wrong candy bar (which I think a lot of people did) but the cashier printed the ECB anyway. I got to the store at 11:40 Wednesday night and two other women were already there. Good thing they had enough of the freebies for all of us!

So basically in my first transaction, everything was a free item except the Schick Quattro Titanium. I had $17 in coupons plus a $5/$30 CVS coupon.

Transaction #2 bought a L'Oreal, Soliel and Maybelline so that I would have smaller ECBs for later. The Maybelline wasn't printing either. But this guy just printed it out, no problem. Loved him! He was happy we were all there getting deals and keeping him busy for the first part of his overnight shift.

Total value: $105.21, sale price $88.62
Used $5 in CVS coupons, $59 ECBs and $24 manufacturer's coupons
Paid $2.42 on gift card.
Earned $23.84 MORE ECBs than I spent!

Then yesterday I stopped at CVS on my way home from work to pick up a second L'Oreal and a universal remote since Matt said we could use it. Paid with two $6.99 ECBs since that was the cost of those, making my total zero and getting $6.99x2 back.

Whew. Now I have to use these $80 ECBs before they expire at Christmas! Hope there are some good deals soon. Wouldn't mind blowing them on a few things. Matt does need bandaids and that's one of the few items he is picky about.

I also convinced Bezzie to go buy a few 'free' items. hehehe

At home!

Whoah. This is the first time my home computer has been connected to the Internet in 18 months.

It's only 1Mbps speed, but we shall see how it goes.

And it only took 8 people 50 minutes to connect my modem. I hate Comcast.

But now I can look up recipes when I need to make something for dinner with the ingredients on hand, I can check coupon deals, I can post photos, I can Facebook...and I can now knit on my lunch break since I have the internet at home with which to pay my bills. ahhhhh, freedom.

100 Meme

Yeah, I don't normally do memes, but this one is vaguely intriguing. Enjoy!

Things I've Done (In Bold)
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch (fiber arts definitely count!)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (not fun, let me tell ya!)
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (rather boring, actually)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper (I still have a copy!)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (another thing, not fun. goes with the ambulance)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Knitting

I stayed home sick yesterday...ugh. Just a general weariness/yuckiness etc. I had bound off the Hemlock Ring Blanket Wednesday night. Yesterday I finished knitting the sleeve of my Dolman top, and seamed the bottom front and back on one side. Once I seam that, and the sleeve seams, I can pick up stitches for the ribbed band that connects the sleeve pieces to the bottom pieces, and also around the neckline. I can't wait to wear this! I love the fabric it is creating, even with size 3 (I think...and 1 for the ribbing!) needles.















Next up: I think I'll do the "Back to School" vest in Fitted Knits. I think I just may have enough of the yarn Ana spun for me in exchange for me knitting a shawl...might squeak by. Need to see where I can conserve yarn on it.

Also, the library got in the new MDK book, and I am definitely in love with the Daily Sweater. I may even have enough yarn to do it...I was thinking my Berella "4" that I have stashed could be perfect. We shall see! All of a sudden I'm on fire for knitting. yay!

Final Catalina deals

Last week I picked up 10 boxes of granola bars.
Chex bars: $3 each. Coupons: $1.25x1, $.60x5
Curves bars: $3 each. Coupons: $.75x4
Used $10 ConAgra Catalina.

Paid $13 and change for 10 granola bars, got back $15 (3x$5) and FREE gallon of milk (actually just a $4.50 coupon!)

Yesterday I ran out to Jewel. Unfortunately, these $5 Catalinas actually do say "one per purchase" on them, so I had to play by those rules.

Transaction #1:
Milk: $1.99
Pillsbury items: $2.50 each, buy 5 get free 1lb butter
I bought: Flaky Twists, chocolate. $1.00 x2
Crescent rolls, reduced fat. $.55 x3 from tubes!
Got free butter ($2.77 value)
Paid with $4.50 milk Catalina, $5 Catalina. $1.67 cash!!! Great deal!

Transaction #2:
Philly Cream Cheese: $.99 x4, $.50/2 x2
Simply Orange: $3, $1 Catalina I had
Used $5 Catalina, paid just $.12! That's tax only ;)

Still have one more $5 to use. This is fantastic! The cream cheese and crescent rolls are for an appetizer I will make for an ornament exchange, so getting holiday goodies for free is great.

CVS batteries!

Had to go to two stores this morning, as the first one did not have any of the $9.99 packs in stock, of which I needed four. At the second store, I had to get 4-16 packs of AA as they were out of AAA, but hey, I know peeps who can use them anyway. Just glad I was able to maximize the deal.

Transaction #1 (did on Sunday as my $3/$15 expired that day)
2-pack 9V: $5.99
4-pack 9V: $9.99
Used $6 ECB
Used $5/2
Used $3/$15
Used $.75x2
spent: $.70 on GC

Transaction #2
4-pack D: $5.99
16-pack AA: $9.99
Used $8.98 ECB
Used $5/2
Used $.75x2
spent: $.67 on GC

Transaction #3
4-pack C: $5.99
16-pack AA: $9.99
Used $8.57 ECB
Used $5/2
Used $.75x2
spent: $1.11 on GC

Transaction #4
16-pack AA: $9.99
16-pack AA: $9.99
Used $13 ECB
Used $5/2
Used $.75x2
spent: $.64 on GC

Total value of batteries: $87.42
Used $23 in store coupons
Used $6 manufacturer's coupons
Spent $3.12 on gift card
Used $36.55 ECB

Earned $45 ECB. I'm more than ready for the Thanksgiving sale! I'm also hoping a store this week will have 4 Glade glass scents in stock so I can roll a $5 ECB. If not, oh well. Getting my coupons ready tonight!!

Hemlock Ring - Almost Done!

All that's left is the edging...I couldn't do it last night as I wrote down the BO row incorrectly and was left with a mess so had to wait til I got to work today to check the pattern. D'oh!

Bezzie accused me of being a super fast knitter. Alas, I was not too busy this week, being able to come home after work each day but one, which meant plenty of knitting time. I sit on the couch with the cat, watching Food Network and knitting. Welcome to my life! At least I go to the gym beforehand so I am then allowed to lounge around.

Hopefully I'll finish tonight! 8 days for a baby blanket. Not too shabby!



What, momma?

Jewel ConAgra Catalina Deal

Jewel (and many other stores) had a Catalina deal this week for spend $20 on ConAgra products, get $10 on your next order. I have been wanting to try these new Healthy Choice meals, so went for it, on the basis that the $20 is on regular, non-prefered card price and NOT the sale price you are paying. It worked! Matt and I went and he was impressed as well, and gets to actually see how I work these deals.




Multiply this picture by two, and that's what I bought on the cheap this week!

Transaction #1:
5 Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers $3 on sale (non-prefered card: $3.95)
2 Orville Redenbacher popcorn $3.49 BOGO
non-sale total: $23.24
sale prices paid: $18.49
Coupons used: $1 on each item, total $7 off
Paid $11.91 cash, $10 printed out

Transaction #2 & #3:
Same items and coupons as above, but used $10 catalina each time to pay $1.91 cash each time.

Transaction #4:
Same items.
Fresh Mixers coupons: $1x9, $.75x1
Popcorn coupons: $1x3, $.40x1
paid with $10 catalina, and $2.76 cash

Subtracting the $10 catalina I still have, that's ($1.91x3)+$2.76 = $8.49 for 28 items, or $.30 EACH! Once again, this is the only way I shop Jewel! haha

CVS brand for pennies!

I had to refill my 'script anyway (with transfer coupon, of course) and knew I had a lot of CVS-brand coupons and felt I could make a good deal...




(pardon my non-skillz at photographing)
Green & Black Chocolate: $2.50 sale, $3 CRT = -$.50
CVS Facial Tissue: $1.99 BOGO (I swear the sign said that, but instead the cotton balls rang up as part of B2G1 with the facial tissue..same diff), $1/2 CRT = $.99
CVS Cotton Balls: $1.99, $2/1 essence of beauty item from Reinventing Beauty book = -$.01
Blade body spray: (store brand Axe) $4.49, $2/1 from Reinventing Beauty, earn $1 ECB = $1.49
Blade Energy drink: $1.99, $1 peelie from body spray = $.99
Used $2/$10 CVS purchase CRT
Spent: $2.16 on GC (subtract value of ECB = $1.16 for NEEDED items)
I'll pay $1.16 for things I actually need (except the drink, haha)

Planning for CVS Sunday

I got a PM on Hot Coupon World and someone was asking me if I had found any more of the CVS $5/2 Duracell battery coupons that work so well with the deal next week. I answered, no, no stores had them...still had just 1 but wish I could find 3 more. Turns out she is RAOK'ing me with 3 coupons! They are coming from Maryland and she is mailing them today. If they come Saturday it would be best, as after Sunday who know if the stores will have any batteries left. Stupid CVS and their stock issues ;)

CVS will give you $15 ECB back when you spend $20 on Duracell, with a limit of 3 deals!!! Insane.
Here is my deal planning:

Transaction #1:
One pack at $9.99, one at $5.99
Use $3/$15 coupon
Use $5/2 coupon
Use $.75x2 coupon
Spend $6 ECB
pay $.48 plus tax with GC
Duracell running total: $15.98
NO ECB's print.

Transaction #2:
One pack at $9.99, one at $5.99
Use $5/2 coupon
Use $.75x2 coupon
Spend $6.98 and $2 ECB
pay $.50 and tax with GC
Duracell running total: $31.96
$15 ECB will print

Transaction #3:
One pack at $9.99, one at $5.99
Use $5/2 coupon
Use $.75x2 coupon
Spend $6.98 and $1.59 ECB
pay $.91 and tax with GC
Duracell running total: $47.94
$15 ECB will print

Transaction #4:
Two packs at $9.99
Four Glade Glass Scents: $10
Filler for $1
Use $5/$30 coupon
Use $5/2 coupon
Use $.75x2 coupon
Use BOGO ($5 total) coupons for Glade
Spend $10 and $4 ECB
pay $.48 and tax with GC
Duracell total: $67.92
$15 and $5 ECB will print.

Way cool. I'm happy with it. Use $37.55 of ECB but earn $50! I may just earn enough to pay for all my Thanksgiving day "freebies." Whew. Saving money is hard work.

Hemlock Ring Blanket

Yay knitting!

I cast on Sunday night for this:




It's Knit Pick's Swish Superwash worsted in Sunshine..and it definitely isn't so crayon-yellow as this pic shows it. Late night, etc. Crappy, but hey, you get to see some progress for once.

(oh, the heart? Cuz I realized my coupon holder was there in the corner, with my phone number for the world to see...Photobucket has some cool editing features so I plopped a "sticker" right over it ;) )