If you just heard that earthshattering squeal, yes that was me! I just got an email notice that my new beloved toy shipped today (my new laptop) and will be here August 1st! I am so excited! I'll be able to do things without windows freezing on me! And hopefully it will communicate with the printer on the first try! (I've lost out on a lot of Bricks coupons because of that lately!)
I am so hoping that it's a sign that August is the start of a much better time for us - I am tired of all the disasters around here! (As I was walking to the washroom earlier, yet another tile in flooring inbetween the kitchen and the living room cracked in pieces! I'm very thankful for the silly slippers I had on (and that it was me it happened to!) or I am sure I would have been on the way to the ER for stitches - it flipped right up in the air as I walked across it! Guess what the next fix it project is going to be?)
I'll be honest, I hate these tiles - they are an uneven surface so I am convinced there are millions of yucky germs hiding in them. It's almost a good thing that I have an excuse to replace them now - not that I will like the cost of it. Hmmm.... I wonder if Home Depot is having any contests running for a gift card?
30 July 2008
Printable Glade Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator Coupon!
SC Johnson has a great printable coupon for $1.50 off any Glade Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator. Just visit their website and enter your information to print it!
29 July 2008
The Insanity Known As The Bloggy Carnival Continues!
Whoo hoo! I am having a blast with the bloggy carnival! I've found a ton of great new blogs that I will be stalking, and lots of fun giveaways that I hope I win! (a girl can dream, right?)
Dinner tonight will be frozen pizza. (menu plan? what menu plan?) It's starting to look a little neglected in here, but I'll blame that on this cold I seem to have picked up yet again (see? The carnival's good timing. I'd be slacking on housework regardless) I'm sitting here snuggled up on the couch tonight in comfy pjs (Old Navy clearance, of course) with a bottle of Diet Dr Pepper (I know, not the best thing when you are sick, but I love it so!) and a container of Pringles (original flavor, I'm boring like that when it comes to salty snacks) if I get hungry, reading new blogs galore and typing my little fingers off in between blowing my nose! LOL!
So if you've found my blog through the Carnival, welcome! I hope you'll be back! I promise my germs won't come out the screens at you! ;) (and if you're a regular visitor, I hope you've already entered my giveaway!)
Dinner tonight will be frozen pizza. (menu plan? what menu plan?) It's starting to look a little neglected in here, but I'll blame that on this cold I seem to have picked up yet again (see? The carnival's good timing. I'd be slacking on housework regardless) I'm sitting here snuggled up on the couch tonight in comfy pjs (Old Navy clearance, of course) with a bottle of Diet Dr Pepper (I know, not the best thing when you are sick, but I love it so!) and a container of Pringles (original flavor, I'm boring like that when it comes to salty snacks) if I get hungry, reading new blogs galore and typing my little fingers off in between blowing my nose! LOL!
So if you've found my blog through the Carnival, welcome! I hope you'll be back! I promise my germs won't come out the screens at you! ;) (and if you're a regular visitor, I hope you've already entered my giveaway!)
Printable Arbor Mist Coupon!
Jennifer sent me a link to a great printable coupon for Arbor Mist wines, just in time for Summer gatherings! You do have to enter your birthday and zip code (the offer may not be available in all areas) and you'll be able to print a coupon for $3 off!
Thanks Jennifer! :)
28 July 2008
The Psychotic Housewife Bloggy Giveaway!
The Giveaway is closed now! I'll pick the winner tomorrow & email them - check back to see who won!
Wow, I can't believe how many different contests are running this quarter through the Bloggy Carnivale! If you haven't checked them out, run! You'll be busy all week! (Here's where having dinner ready in the freezer comes in handy! LOL) I can't enter without posting my own of course - I'd feel, well, funny.
So I thought and thought of all the wonderful things I'd like to giveaway. Books, things for the munchkins, maybe even something for the furkids.... and then I thought, well, maybe not all my readers are interested in those things. Sigh! It's so difficult to come up with something good! And so many stores are regional, so there goes somewhere like Fred Meyer (which I love to post the deals for)!
So here it goes: it's rather boring, but functional: a $10 gift certificate to either Target, or Wal-Mart - you choose! I know some people don't have a Target near them, and others think Wal-Mart is well, torture.
To enter: tell me which one you want, and what you'll spend the $10 on. I'll give you a second entry if you blog about my giveaway. And because I'm loving this Carnival, I'll even give you a third entry for subscribing to my feed (I love feeling the love!) US only, PLEASE make sure I have a way to contact you by either leaving your email or having it on your profile if you're not a fellow blogger. Contest ends August 1st, so get your entry in!
Good luck! I hope you'll visit me again after the giveaway is done. :)
Edited to say: Because I realized there are over 1,000 running this last week, I'm leaving this open until about 6pm ish PST so a few more folks can try - if your fingers aren't completely worn down to the bone from all that entering! LOL Next bloggy carnival, I promise I will be doing something for all the wonderful international folks too - I didn't realize how many you are excluded from! (that's no fun!) Good luck in all the giveaways, everyone! :)
Wow, I can't believe how many different contests are running this quarter through the Bloggy Carnivale! If you haven't checked them out, run! You'll be busy all week! (Here's where having dinner ready in the freezer comes in handy! LOL) I can't enter without posting my own of course - I'd feel, well, funny.
So I thought and thought of all the wonderful things I'd like to giveaway. Books, things for the munchkins, maybe even something for the furkids.... and then I thought, well, maybe not all my readers are interested in those things. Sigh! It's so difficult to come up with something good! And so many stores are regional, so there goes somewhere like Fred Meyer (which I love to post the deals for)!
So here it goes: it's rather boring, but functional: a $10 gift certificate to either Target, or Wal-Mart - you choose! I know some people don't have a Target near them, and others think Wal-Mart is well, torture.
To enter: tell me which one you want, and what you'll spend the $10 on. I'll give you a second entry if you blog about my giveaway. And because I'm loving this Carnival, I'll even give you a third entry for subscribing to my feed (I love feeling the love!) US only, PLEASE make sure I have a way to contact you by either leaving your email or having it on your profile if you're not a fellow blogger. Contest ends August 1st, so get your entry in!
Good luck! I hope you'll visit me again after the giveaway is done. :)
Edited to say: Because I realized there are over 1,000 running this last week, I'm leaving this open until about 6pm ish PST so a few more folks can try - if your fingers aren't completely worn down to the bone from all that entering! LOL Next bloggy carnival, I promise I will be doing something for all the wonderful international folks too - I didn't realize how many you are excluded from! (that's no fun!) Good luck in all the giveaways, everyone! :)
27 July 2008
Recipe: Fiesta Meatloaf
This is super yummy, and easy to prepare the ingredients and freeze to bake later in the week!
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chicken stuffing mix
1 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup chunky salsa, divided
3/4 Mexican Style shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix everything together except 1/4 cup of the salsa and the cheese. Shape into oval loaf in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with the remaining 1/4cup salsa.
BAKE 1 hour or until cooked through (160°F). Sprinkle evenly with the cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. You should get 6-8 servings of this, and of course, it's easy to freeze any leftovers for another meal!
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chicken stuffing mix
1 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup chunky salsa, divided
3/4 Mexican Style shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix everything together except 1/4 cup of the salsa and the cheese. Shape into oval loaf in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with the remaining 1/4cup salsa.
BAKE 1 hour or until cooked through (160°F). Sprinkle evenly with the cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. You should get 6-8 servings of this, and of course, it's easy to freeze any leftovers for another meal!
Win A Rocking Baby Sling From SIMPLE!
For all you fellow babywearers, S.I.M.P.L.E. is giving away a Rockin Baby Sling! All you have to do is comment about your favorite sling after visiting Rockin' Baby Sling's website!
I have to tell you, it's going to be hard to choose your favorite! They are all gorgeous! My favorite is Ever Fallen In Love (even though they are sold out - wah!)
Is July Over Yet?
I very rarely wear jeans, but since we were going to be doing serious shopping in Lowe's and I knew I'd be doing a lot of bending over, I had them on yesterday. I was very thankful to be wearing them, because as I got out of the car, I saw...
Yes, those are two completely different pairs of sneakers. In fact, they're not even the same brand (one is Nike, one Adiddas) Somehow I managed to grab one of my yard shoes and one of my newer ones. Since DH is never going to let me live it down anyways, I figured I'd show you. I really hope no one noticed (at least I didn't hear any snickering as we were in the store... I think anyways)
Note to self: pay more attention before leaving the house.
Yes, those are two completely different pairs of sneakers. In fact, they're not even the same brand (one is Nike, one Adiddas) Somehow I managed to grab one of my yard shoes and one of my newer ones. Since DH is never going to let me live it down anyways, I figured I'd show you. I really hope no one noticed (at least I didn't hear any snickering as we were in the store... I think anyways)
Note to self: pay more attention before leaving the house.
More Reasons To Stockpile
I happened to come across this article on Yahoo, and wanted to share.
I know for many, the number one reason not to stockpile is space, quickly followed by clutter. However, organizing available space properly is the key to a good little stockpile. (Notice I said little - I'm not a fan of having so much stockpiled that you rival your local Costco or Sam's Club unless you live in the middle of nowhere and only visit town once a month or longer)
Between the higher gas prices we are going to have to get used to, and the gloom and doom news of higher food and living costs, taking advantage of good sales to buy one or two more extra just makes sense. This only works though if it's an item you will use (unless you are planning to donate it to a local food bank or charity), otherwise you are wasting money. Watch the dates on anything perishable you are buying - sometimes an item is an unadvertised sale or on clearance because the store is trying to get rid of items that are about to expire.
Plus with the volatile economy, and companies downsizing, having a little stockpile means if you or your family member loses your job (or even is injured), you can function (and eat properly!) without worry of being able to afford food for your family for a month or two.
I know for many, the number one reason not to stockpile is space, quickly followed by clutter. However, organizing available space properly is the key to a good little stockpile. (Notice I said little - I'm not a fan of having so much stockpiled that you rival your local Costco or Sam's Club unless you live in the middle of nowhere and only visit town once a month or longer)
Between the higher gas prices we are going to have to get used to, and the gloom and doom news of higher food and living costs, taking advantage of good sales to buy one or two more extra just makes sense. This only works though if it's an item you will use (unless you are planning to donate it to a local food bank or charity), otherwise you are wasting money. Watch the dates on anything perishable you are buying - sometimes an item is an unadvertised sale or on clearance because the store is trying to get rid of items that are about to expire.
Plus with the volatile economy, and companies downsizing, having a little stockpile means if you or your family member loses your job (or even is injured), you can function (and eat properly!) without worry of being able to afford food for your family for a month or two.
Free Box of Cheerios & Extra Coupons!
Sign up for the Cheerios Challenge, and they will send you a coupon for a FREE box of Cheerios, as well as six $1 off coupons! They will also send you a weekly email with heart healthy tips each week. Hurry, this offer is limited to a certain amount of signups!
26 July 2008
Printable Pillsbury Coupons
Pillsbury has several printable coupons for General Mills, and Betty Crocker items located on their website this month, including:
*$0.80 off TWO BOXES any flavor Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups OR Fruit Roll-Ups Fruit Stickerz Fruit Flavored Snacks
*$0.75 off any ONE Curves Chewy Granola Bars
*$0.60 off any flavor Cheerios Snack Mix
*$1 off TWO any flavor Yoplait Kids Cup Yogurt OR Yogurt Drink
*$1 off TWO any flavor Yoplait products: • Yoplait Go-GURT Yogurt • Yoplait Go-GURT Fizzix Yogurt • Yoplait Go-GURT Smoothie • Yoplait Trix Multipack Yogurt
*$0.75 off Basic 4, Raisin Nut Bran OR Honey Nut Clusters cereal
*$0.75 off Kix cereal
*$0.55 off any Trix cereal
*$1 off TWO Pillsbury toaster strudel pastries
*$0.35 off any Totino's snacks
Fred Meyer Deals 7/27-8/2
Not much to get excited about this week. The best deals are on the fresh foods, not really any coupon match ups available for ad items. View the entire ad online here:
*Leaf Lettuce $0.88 each
*Broccoli crowns $0.98 lb
*Green beans $1.49 lb
*radishes or green onions 2/$0.88
*Washington Red Cherries $1.88 lb
*large peaches $0.98 lb
*large Australian navel oranges $1.49 lb
*Private Selection 5oz organic salad 2/$5
*Mini carrots 2lb bag 2/$4
*Kroger boneless chicken breast 4lb bag $1.88 lb
*Tony's pizzas 5/$10
*Lays Potato Chips 11-12.5 oz 2/$4
*Santiam canned veggies (green beans & corn) 2/$1
*Mountain Dairy milk 1 gallon $2.79
*Tillamook brick or shredded cheese 16oz $3.99
*FM yogurt 10/$4
*all Toms of Maine 25% off
*Knudsen recharge 4/$5
*12pk Miller products 2/$14.99
*Schiff glucosamine or Select Schiff products 50% off (coupon from sunday paper match up)
*Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner, styling products $2.89 ($1 MC from SC out there)
*Crest toothpaste 3.5oz-6.2 oz 2/$5 ($1 MC out there from P&G insert that expire 7/31)
*Darigold butter or Private Selection eggs 3/$5 w/ FM coupon (limit 6)
*Kelloggs Nutri Grain or Special K bars 5/$10 w/ FM coupon (limit 10)
*Mountain Dairy Ice cream (56oz) or Cool Classics ice pops 3/$4 w/FM coupon (limit 3)
*Kraft BBQ sauce $0.69 w/FM coupon (limit 3)
*FM 100% cranberry blends or grape juice 64 oz 3/$5 w/FM coupon (limit 6)
*Hormel black label bacon 2/$6 w/FM coupon (limit 2)
*Johnsonville grilling sausage 3/$10 w/FM coupon (limit 6)
As a reminder, the 10% gift card bonus ends Thursday, July 31st, so if you are still wanting to take advantage of this promotion, don't delay! I don't think we are going to see an offer like this again for a long while.
Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.
*Leaf Lettuce $0.88 each
*Broccoli crowns $0.98 lb
*Green beans $1.49 lb
*radishes or green onions 2/$0.88
*Washington Red Cherries $1.88 lb
*large peaches $0.98 lb
*large Australian navel oranges $1.49 lb
*Private Selection 5oz organic salad 2/$5
*Mini carrots 2lb bag 2/$4
*Kroger boneless chicken breast 4lb bag $1.88 lb
*Tony's pizzas 5/$10
*Lays Potato Chips 11-12.5 oz 2/$4
*Santiam canned veggies (green beans & corn) 2/$1
*Mountain Dairy milk 1 gallon $2.79
*Tillamook brick or shredded cheese 16oz $3.99
*FM yogurt 10/$4
*all Toms of Maine 25% off
*Knudsen recharge 4/$5
*12pk Miller products 2/$14.99
*Schiff glucosamine or Select Schiff products 50% off (coupon from sunday paper match up)
*Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner, styling products $2.89 ($1 MC from SC out there)
*Crest toothpaste 3.5oz-6.2 oz 2/$5 ($1 MC out there from P&G insert that expire 7/31)
*Darigold butter or Private Selection eggs 3/$5 w/ FM coupon (limit 6)
*Kelloggs Nutri Grain or Special K bars 5/$10 w/ FM coupon (limit 10)
*Mountain Dairy Ice cream (56oz) or Cool Classics ice pops 3/$4 w/FM coupon (limit 3)
*Kraft BBQ sauce $0.69 w/FM coupon (limit 3)
*FM 100% cranberry blends or grape juice 64 oz 3/$5 w/FM coupon (limit 6)
*Hormel black label bacon 2/$6 w/FM coupon (limit 2)
*Johnsonville grilling sausage 3/$10 w/FM coupon (limit 6)
As a reminder, the 10% gift card bonus ends Thursday, July 31st, so if you are still wanting to take advantage of this promotion, don't delay! I don't think we are going to see an offer like this again for a long while.
Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.
25 July 2008
Fresh Pet's The Loved Dog Treats Review & Coupons!
I admit that with my small petting zoo at home, I'm always excited to try out any new pet product on the market - especially dog treats. The Pudgy Princess is all about her treats! So when we spotted Fresh Pet's The Loved Dog Treats, well, of course we had to try them!
The Loved Dog Treats look like mini sausage links that are available in chicken or beef varieties. They are fully cooked, refrigerated 100% natural treats, with no corn, wheat or soy in them, so if you have a dog with allergies, these are great! We tried the beef kind, and the Pudgy Princess gives two paws up! In fact, she ignored some of her other treats in hopes of us opening the fridge and giving her one of these!
They are also sponsoring The Naughty To Nice Contest. You can submit a video or an essay to win the grand prize of a private training session with celebrity dog trainer Tamar Geller in your own home! Plus five first place winners will receive a Loved Dog Gift Pack! Contest ends August 15.
The Loved Dog Treats retail around $3.99 for an 8 oz resealable package. You can print a coupon for $2.00 off any of their treats! To find a location near you (our local Fred Meyer carries them), visit Fresh Pet's website.
Oh, and one more thing: these are made in the USA. After the whole pet food recall last year, I'm sure you agree with me and love things for your pet safely made here!
The Loved Dog Treats look like mini sausage links that are available in chicken or beef varieties. They are fully cooked, refrigerated 100% natural treats, with no corn, wheat or soy in them, so if you have a dog with allergies, these are great! We tried the beef kind, and the Pudgy Princess gives two paws up! In fact, she ignored some of her other treats in hopes of us opening the fridge and giving her one of these!
They are also sponsoring The Naughty To Nice Contest. You can submit a video or an essay to win the grand prize of a private training session with celebrity dog trainer Tamar Geller in your own home! Plus five first place winners will receive a Loved Dog Gift Pack! Contest ends August 15.
The Loved Dog Treats retail around $3.99 for an 8 oz resealable package. You can print a coupon for $2.00 off any of their treats! To find a location near you (our local Fred Meyer carries them), visit Fresh Pet's website.
Oh, and one more thing: these are made in the USA. After the whole pet food recall last year, I'm sure you agree with me and love things for your pet safely made here!
A Little Bit of Shopping Today
Not much though. I tried to hit the insanity known as WalMart, but I only walked out of there with a headache and a 25 cents (plus 1 cent tax lol) packages of Kotex liners ($1 minus $0.75 SC) Apparently all my fellow couponers in the area have been taking advantage of the $3 on 2 Clean Team coupons as they are (pardon the pun) cleaned out. Here's what I got at Rite Aid (needed to pick up a prescription to take to my grandmother)
*Snickers $0.42 (to keep DH happy)
*Huggies 2pk wipes $3.49 minus $0.50 coupon
*Pledge multi surface wipes clearanced $2.49 minus $1 coupon
*Tide 2x detergent (12 loads) clearanced $2.74 minus $0.35 coupon
*Bic Comfort razors on sale $2.99 minus $2 coupon
*Greenies 5pk clearanced $2.49
Total after coupons: $11.99
The Tide isn't a great deal, but I wanted a smaller bottle that I could refill if my washer or dryer bit the dust completely and I have to visit the laundry mat for a few weeks. I'd hate to drag the bigger bottle if I don't need to. It was good timing that my June rebate check was in the mail today, so it wasn't out of pocket, at least out of this month's total. And I know the Pledge wipes aren't green, but I have been going crazy trying to make the kitchen stove look clean (everything makes it look dirty food streaky) so it will used for when we have company over (which isn't very often with my anti social self)
*Snickers $0.42 (to keep DH happy)
*Huggies 2pk wipes $3.49 minus $0.50 coupon
*Pledge multi surface wipes clearanced $2.49 minus $1 coupon
*Tide 2x detergent (12 loads) clearanced $2.74 minus $0.35 coupon
*Bic Comfort razors on sale $2.99 minus $2 coupon
*Greenies 5pk clearanced $2.49
Total after coupons: $11.99
The Tide isn't a great deal, but I wanted a smaller bottle that I could refill if my washer or dryer bit the dust completely and I have to visit the laundry mat for a few weeks. I'd hate to drag the bigger bottle if I don't need to. It was good timing that my June rebate check was in the mail today, so it wasn't out of pocket, at least out of this month's total. And I know the Pledge wipes aren't green, but I have been going crazy trying to make the kitchen stove look clean (everything makes it look dirty food streaky) so it will used for when we have company over (which isn't very often with my anti social self)
24 July 2008
Someone Hand Me A Drink Please...
Even if it's non-alcoholic, I'll just pretend it's the real deal for right now, OK?
Yesterday, our beloved Pudgy Princess was just acting plain weird. She's never met a cookie she didn't like, so once she started turning down treats I knew something was up. Then she seemed to have problems with her back legs, and being a corgi, that hit my panic button.
So first thing this morning (and I do mean first thing - yikes!) we called a new vet to get her in ASAP. She had eaten (canned food always makes the world a better place), although still turning down things, and she had done the stairs alright, though she had another episode with her back legs just sliding out from her again late last night.
So blood work, urinalysis, and x-rays later, we came home and she happily munched on an overpriced Greenie. We have a bit of a weight issue - our move has apparently not been kind to her waistline (go figure, she finally has a yard all to herself and look what happens), so we'll be working on that one. We have a couple of meds for a possible infection and to help with any pain. And yes, my credit card is getting a workout. I am very thankful again for my stockpiling so I don''t have to worry about shopping for anything but some fresh stuff if necessary. (whew!)
Then I opened up the mailbox. The excitement of a Wal*Mart sample quickly vanished when I realized there was a medical bill for my urgent care runs last month that was supposed to be taken care of, but the paperwork still hasn't been processed - even though I was promised two weeks ago that it would be done last week! I called and complained - I am tired of wasting my time on the phone tracking down stuff that should already be done! The woman on the other line was so annoyed with me that she slammed the phone down when I was done - apparently, some people don't like to be pointed out to that they aren't doing their job. If you promise something will be done within a certain timeframe, do it, or at least notify that it will take longer!
If you can't tell, I'm a little worn out from all the drama and things falling apart here. Strawberry (fake) margaritas, anyone?
Yesterday, our beloved Pudgy Princess was just acting plain weird. She's never met a cookie she didn't like, so once she started turning down treats I knew something was up. Then she seemed to have problems with her back legs, and being a corgi, that hit my panic button.
So first thing this morning (and I do mean first thing - yikes!) we called a new vet to get her in ASAP. She had eaten (canned food always makes the world a better place), although still turning down things, and she had done the stairs alright, though she had another episode with her back legs just sliding out from her again late last night.
So blood work, urinalysis, and x-rays later, we came home and she happily munched on an overpriced Greenie. We have a bit of a weight issue - our move has apparently not been kind to her waistline (go figure, she finally has a yard all to herself and look what happens), so we'll be working on that one. We have a couple of meds for a possible infection and to help with any pain. And yes, my credit card is getting a workout. I am very thankful again for my stockpiling so I don''t have to worry about shopping for anything but some fresh stuff if necessary. (whew!)
Then I opened up the mailbox. The excitement of a Wal*Mart sample quickly vanished when I realized there was a medical bill for my urgent care runs last month that was supposed to be taken care of, but the paperwork still hasn't been processed - even though I was promised two weeks ago that it would be done last week! I called and complained - I am tired of wasting my time on the phone tracking down stuff that should already be done! The woman on the other line was so annoyed with me that she slammed the phone down when I was done - apparently, some people don't like to be pointed out to that they aren't doing their job. If you promise something will be done within a certain timeframe, do it, or at least notify that it will take longer!
If you can't tell, I'm a little worn out from all the drama and things falling apart here. Strawberry (fake) margaritas, anyone?
Printable Arm & Hammer Coupons!
Arm & Harmer has a bunch of printable coupons available on their website. Just click Get Coupons in the upper left hand side, then enter your name and email address to be able to print them. Included are:
*$1 off any Arm & Hammer laundry detergent or 100 fabric softener sheets
*$1 off 2 2lb or 4lb baking soda OR Refridgerator Air Filter
*$1 off any Arm & Hammer toothpaste 4 oz or larger
*$1 off any Arm & Hammer Carpet & Fabric Odor Eliminator
$1 off any Arm & Hammer Clumping Cat Litter (the 14lb box is currently on sale for $5.99 this week at Fred Meyer)
I love the fridge filter - it easily hides inside my fridge attached the the fridge walls and doesn't take up any valuable space on the shelves!
Certain boxes of Arm & Hammer cat litter have peelies on them for a rebate for a free fridge air filter with purchase - you could piggy back these coupons with the offer if you have cats!
As of 1/18/2009, these are still available to print!
*$1 off any Arm & Hammer laundry detergent or 100 fabric softener sheets
*$1 off 2 2lb or 4lb baking soda OR Refridgerator Air Filter
*$1 off any Arm & Hammer toothpaste 4 oz or larger
*$1 off any Arm & Hammer Carpet & Fabric Odor Eliminator
$1 off any Arm & Hammer Clumping Cat Litter (the 14lb box is currently on sale for $5.99 this week at Fred Meyer)
I love the fridge filter - it easily hides inside my fridge attached the the fridge walls and doesn't take up any valuable space on the shelves!
Certain boxes of Arm & Hammer cat litter have peelies on them for a rebate for a free fridge air filter with purchase - you could piggy back these coupons with the offer if you have cats!
As of 1/18/2009, these are still available to print!
23 July 2008
Dude, You're Getting A Dell!
I used to think those Dell commercials were the funniest thing. :)
My Compaq laptop has been on life support for about a year now. I'm actually surprised it's lasted this long, it's over 4 years old, and it's traveled a lot of miles, and well, basically been abused (it even had a soda spilled across the keyboard and lived to tell)
You can't even read the letters on most of the keys, they are that worn down. And that's for the keys that are even there - some of them are even missing!
So since it's been overheating, the battery no longer holds a charge for longer than 10 minutes, everything freezes all the time, and oh yeah, the spot where you put the electric cord into the laptop is frying the cords while popping back and forth between battery and electric for no reason, so DH told me a few weeks ago that I could buy a new laptop. I figured I'd stalk the back to school sales over the next few weeks and see if there was a good deal (all the while hoping it would last until Black Friday)
But today, the newer electric cord melted so bad it broke off part of the cord. I managed to jiggle it enough that it's in, and working off electricity, but the laptop cannot move, or the cord's toast and it's on battery.... which means I have about 5 minutes to jiggle it into the right position, or it's shut itself off.
So I bit the bullet, signed into MyPoints, and clicked through to Dell (3 points per dollar spent! plus I get points through our credit card!) They currently have a deal with an Inspirion 1525 laptop for $499 AND it's eligible for free 2 day shipping!
I'll admit my total was higher than that, as I choose to soup it up to higher memory among other things. But I will get another 4 years out of it, so it will pay for itself. When I purchased my first computer for myself back in 1997, I said it was going to pay for itself - and it did, with all the freebies, deals, and surveys I participated in. And each one since then always has.
I'm counting the days until the estimated ship date on August 5th. If I disappear for a few days, it's because the cord jiggling sent my blood pressure through the roof and I gave up!
What's That Smell?
We have had issues with a rather rank smell coming from our pipes from time to time. It pops up every few weeks or so. At one point, I seriously thought a skunk had been chased under the house, that's how bad it was.
Since my laundry has been smelling less than fresh (my load of towels smelled like mildew the other night) and I am tired of wasting water and energy re-washing things, I decided to give the old girl (ie, my washing machine that can say it's lived through the 80s) a white vinegar rise.
What's a vinegar rinse you ask? A small load of nothing with a gallon of vinegar poured into the water and fabric softener compartment. In order to get this to work, you'll have to use HOT water. (I know, I know) And if you can let it sit a few hours, even better.
While I was at it, I poured some vinegar into the toilet and let that sit a few hours too. And I did the bathtub, as well. (If you didn't know, vinegar and baking soda make a good natural cleaner.)
DH walked in the door and was overwhelmed by the smell of vinegar. Oops! But a gallon of vinegar is a lot cheaper than the stuff they sell specifically to clean out your washer - which I wasn't even sure would work in the first place, and certainly isn't very environmentally friendly.
I'm off to try washing the towels again to see if they smell a little fresher when they come out of the dryer (which I still need to figure out why it's not drying that well. *sigh*)
Want some more uses for vinegar? Visit the The Vinegar Institute!
Ile de France Cheese Printable Coupon!
Ile de France has a printable coupon for $1 off any of their products, including Brie, Goat Cheese and more! Just enter your name and email address to print it.
Their Brie is the best! If you've never tried it, it's well worth the purchase, especially with the coupon! I love it with warm french bread and a bowl of soup - yummy!
If you like to enter contests, they also have a giveaway on their site. Each week they are giving away a cheese party basket full of Ile de France products! Contest ends December 31st, and you can enter once each week.
22 July 2008
Maybe I Went A Little Overboard In The Shopping Lately...
Just a little. Here's a round up of everything since last week:
Albertsons #1:
*Planters peanuts $2.50 minus $3 off when you buy 3 Kraft items
*DiGiorno Singles pizza $2.50 minus $1 printable coupon
*California Pizza Kitchen singles (x1) $2.50
minus $3 off when you purchase $10 worth of Kraft items
*reduced bakery bagels (6) $0.99
Total after coupons: $3.99
Fred Meyer #1:
*Cottonelle toilet tissue 4pk $0.88 after FM coupon minus $0.25 SC
*Dove Pro Age deodorant clearance to $2 minus $2 instore MC
*Senseo coffee pods $4.99 minus FREE MC (from doing a survey for them)
*Reeses Peanut Butter cups $0.34 (For DH)
Total after coupons: $1.20
Albertsons #2:
*Scott bath tissue 4pk mega rolls $2.99 minus $1 printable coupons (coupons.com)
Total after coupon: $2.25
WalMart #1:
*Kotex 16pk liners $1 minus $1 printable coupon (for taking survey from samples)
*OB travel case set $0.97 minus $1 MC coupon (came with sample)
Total after coupons $0.14
Costco:
*Mission tortillas 40pk $4.99
*large 2lb bag of fresh spinach $3.99
*2pk of Velveeta $8.99
*12lb bag of baking soda $4.99
*1lb organic salad $3.79
Total: $26.75
WalMart #2:
*Kotex 16pk liners $1 minus $1 printable coupon (for taking survey from samples)
*Olay Body Ribbons Body Wash 2pk $4 minus $1.50 SC
Total after coupons: $2.95
Albertsons #3:
*Bertolli Pasta Sauce Pouch $1.69 minus $1 printable (available on website)
*Scott bath tissue 4pk mega rolls $2.99 minus $1 printable coupons (coupons.com)
Total after coupons: $2.94
Fred Meyer #2:
*FM canned tomatoes 3/$1 (x6) after FM coupon
*Cottonelle toilet tissue $0.88 (x2) after FM coupon
*Alexia sweet potato fries $2 minus $0.50 printable coupon
*FM Bratwurst $2.50 (x2)
*FM pita pockets $0.99
*bakery markdown bagels (6pk) $1.50
*Bic Soleil refills $4.99 (x2) minus $4 MC (x2)
*Sunday Seattle Times paper $1.50
*Friskies cat food 18lb bag $9.99 minus $2 printable coupon
Total after coupons: $25.57
Target #1 (pictured above):
*Elmers 4oz glue $0.22
*Archers Farms chips $0.89 (x2) minus $1 Target coupon (x2)
*Skippy Peanut Butter $1.66 (x3) minus $1 Target coupon (x3)
*Colgate Total toothpaste (w/bonus 2 travel size) $2.71 (x2) minus $1.50 MC (x2) minus $1 Target coupon (x2)
*3M Fur Fighter $9.99 minus $4 Target coupon minus $4 MC
*Tava 4pk soda $2.50 (x2) minus $1.50 (x2) printable coupon (coupons.com)
*Renuit TriScents plug ins $7.99 minus $5 peelie
*Diet Dr Pepper 2ltr $1.00 (DH was thirsty after all this shopping lol)
*Luvs jumbo diapers $7.99 minus $5 coupon (available through luvs.com)
*Dawn foam dish liquid $2.99 minus $1.50 MC (start sampling mailer)
*Dawn dish detergent $2.84 minus $1.00 MC (start sampling mailer)
*Cascade dishwasher rinse $2.49 minus FREE coupon (start sampling mailer)
*Old Spice body wash w/ bonus travel deodorant $2.10 (x2) minus $1 on 2 MC
*A+D diaper ointment w/bonus Coppertone travel sunscreen $2.79 minus $1 printable coupon
*Bic 10 ct pens $0.50 (x2) minus $1 on 2 printable coupon (coupons.com)
*Desitin creamy ointment $2.79 w/ bonus travel size minus $1 printable coupon (coupons.com)
*Johnson's Buddies soap $0.94 minus $1 MC
*Zone Bar (cranberry marked down) $0.67 minus $0.50 MC
*Ziploc sandwich bags 25 ct $1 (x2) minus $1 on 2 MC
*onesie (One Day I'll Demand A Pony) $1.25 (50% off)
*Pampers jumbo $9.99 minus $1.50 MC (was $2 but rang up wrong and I missed it - argh!)
*Pampers wipes $5 minus $0.50 MC
Pampers deal minus $5 Target coupon for both plus $5 Target gift card for both
Total after coupons: $38.23
Target #2:
*Ponds double packs of wipes clearanced $3.48 (w/mamma mia tickets!) (x3)
*Lunch box toy set (too cute! wooden PB&J set) clearanced $3.74
*Colgate Total toothpaste (w/bonus 2 travel size) $2.71 (x2) minus $1.50 MC (x2) minus $1 Target coupon (x2)
*Airborne Squid Soap $2.78 minus $0.75 MC
*Schick Intuition bonus pack $8.24 minus $4 MC
*Wizardology toy figure clearanced $2.62
*2pk wooden Monkey hangers $1
*Skippy Peanut Butter $1.66 (x3) minus $1 Target coupon (x3)
*Senseo coffee pods $4.24 minus FREE MC (from doing a survey for them)
*Coke Zero 12pk $2.75 minus $1 printable coupon (from Vocalpoint)
Total after coupons: $32.95 (and I used my $5 GC from the day before to bring it down more)
I'm tired from all that typing now!
The reason for some of the extra trips is because it was on the way to either the movies or other errands - I wasn't wasting gas on purpose, promise.
Printable Farm Rich Coupons Plus Contest
Farm Rich is giving away a Hawaiian dream trip for a family of four for a whole week! Visit their website to get your entry in through October 31st. Good luck!
They also have a coupon for $2 off any Farm Rich pizza snacks available to print or $0.75 off ANY Farm Rich product!
Murphy's Law
What can go wrong, will always go wrong in this household.
In the continuing saga of what will fall apart next, last week I noticed a crack in the toilet seat. It didn't look that bad, so I figured it could wait until this coming weekend when DH had several days off and we were planning to head to Lowe's to get a few items anyways.
DH always leaves the lid up. I figure as long as it's not the bottom half itself, it's a battle I am not fighting for now (well, until toys make their way into it... but that's not a problem yet)
So when I climbed out of my nice steamy shower a few minutes ago, and huffed and puffed to get my looking-pudgier-by-the-day leg onto the seat so I could attempt to huff and puff some more, and figure out how to bend over far enough to dry between my toes, I certainly wasn't expecting any excitement.
Oh no, I certainly wasn't expecting the toliet ring to split in half and go flying across the room faster than a speeding bullet. Luckily for the dog, she wasn't in it's flight path.
I stood there for a few minutes not knowing whether to laugh or cry. I think I did both for a few seconds.
So now I have half a toliet seat. (You are snickering as you are reading this, aren't you?) I contemplated duct taping it back together, since DH won't be home before any stores around here close for the night - except, the duct tape is in the car, with DH. I've got about 9 hours give or take before he's home.
Sigh.
The sad part? We just replaced the toliet seat when we moved into this place last December. Behold the beauty of made in China home improvement pieces from Wal*Mart.
(Did I mention my dryer wasn't drying properly last night?)
In the continuing saga of what will fall apart next, last week I noticed a crack in the toilet seat. It didn't look that bad, so I figured it could wait until this coming weekend when DH had several days off and we were planning to head to Lowe's to get a few items anyways.
DH always leaves the lid up. I figure as long as it's not the bottom half itself, it's a battle I am not fighting for now (well, until toys make their way into it... but that's not a problem yet)
So when I climbed out of my nice steamy shower a few minutes ago, and huffed and puffed to get my looking-pudgier-by-the-day leg onto the seat so I could attempt to huff and puff some more, and figure out how to bend over far enough to dry between my toes, I certainly wasn't expecting any excitement.
Oh no, I certainly wasn't expecting the toliet ring to split in half and go flying across the room faster than a speeding bullet. Luckily for the dog, she wasn't in it's flight path.
I stood there for a few minutes not knowing whether to laugh or cry. I think I did both for a few seconds.
So now I have half a toliet seat. (You are snickering as you are reading this, aren't you?) I contemplated duct taping it back together, since DH won't be home before any stores around here close for the night - except, the duct tape is in the car, with DH. I've got about 9 hours give or take before he's home.
Sigh.
The sad part? We just replaced the toliet seat when we moved into this place last December. Behold the beauty of made in China home improvement pieces from Wal*Mart.
(Did I mention my dryer wasn't drying properly last night?)
21 July 2008
Recipe: Easy Deep Dish Pizza
I love this recipe, because it's so easy to make, and incredibly filling!
1 can/roll biscuit dough (I use Pillsbury Grands, but you can use any similar)
1 - 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings as desired (veggies, pepperoni, sausage etc)
Preheat oven to 375. You can use a clear baking dish if desired (depending on amount of toppings) and place the biscuit dough side by side in the dish after spraying the dish with Pam or similar product) OR place the biscuit mix into a ball and roll it out onto a cookie sheet.
Add sauce and toppings as desired. Bake about 30 minutes (because of toppings, crust takes longer than if biscuits were baked as biscuits)
I've also used nacho cheese sauce instead of tomato sauce, and used leftover hamburger to make a cheeseburger pie with this. You'll probably need a fork and knife to eat this one! This easily serves 4-6 people with a side salad (unless your DH is like mine lol)
1 can/roll biscuit dough (I use Pillsbury Grands, but you can use any similar)
1 - 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings as desired (veggies, pepperoni, sausage etc)
Preheat oven to 375. You can use a clear baking dish if desired (depending on amount of toppings) and place the biscuit dough side by side in the dish after spraying the dish with Pam or similar product) OR place the biscuit mix into a ball and roll it out onto a cookie sheet.
Add sauce and toppings as desired. Bake about 30 minutes (because of toppings, crust takes longer than if biscuits were baked as biscuits)
I've also used nacho cheese sauce instead of tomato sauce, and used leftover hamburger to make a cheeseburger pie with this. You'll probably need a fork and knife to eat this one! This easily serves 4-6 people with a side salad (unless your DH is like mine lol)
Skin MD Natural Lotion
Recently, I received a bottle of Skin MD Natural lotion to try.
I have to say, I'm impressed with this skin care product. My skin has been a bit of a mess since I first got sick several months ago, dry and basically blah-blah looking. Skin MD perked it right up! My hands especially show the difference - my skin was cracking on my fingers and around the cuticles, and the problem is almost gone! It is a very light, natural skin care product, and even in hot sticky weather, it didn't feel sticky like some lotions do. It felt wonderful going on my skin, and especially on my face (where the other worst damage seems to be -I've never broken out so much in my life!) It absorbed right away, and I was able to put my make up on with no problem, and no extra waiting.
I figured the ultimate test would be on my DH. He has a rather annoying eczema problem, and nothing seems to help the poor guy. Half of what I've tried in the past has only managed to make it worse - but not Skin MD. So far he's scratching a lot less and the area just doesn't look so bad - you can tell that this really is a skin shielding product that's helping keeping irritants away from his skin. I can't wait to see the long term effect of Skin MD on his skin!
According to Dr Brian Zogg, a board certified dermatologist featured on the Skin MD website,
"Shielding Lotions form a protective shield with the outer layer of skin and help keep out irritants and chemicals. They also allow the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better. They are light and go on without a greasy mess." "Your skin needs help to keep out these moisture-robbing irritants. A fundamental difference between Shield?ing Lotions and traditional lotions are that Shielding Lotions enhance the skin's own natural protective abilities by turning the outer layer of skin into what could be described as a hydrating invisible shield making them many times more effective than mere protective lotions and moisturizing creams."
How good is this skin shielding product? Watch this video of how it protects skin from a rock dissolving acid!
(Doesn't that video make it sound like a great gift for a loved one who works with a lot of chemicals and pesticides outdoors?)
The ultimate clincher for me - this product is not tested on animals and it has no animal products! It is also Dermatology tested, fragrance and colorant free, hypoallergenic, paraben free, and non-comedogenic!
If you'd like to read what some leading skin experts (dermatologists - who do not have a vested interest) say about Skin MD Natural, feel free to visit here
A little of this bottle goes a long way! One bottle should last you at least one month, if not longer. I've been using it for a little over a week now on both of us, and the bottle feels just as heavy as the day it arrived.
Skin MD's suggested retail price is $18 for a 4 oz bottle. To locate a store, visit here. Or, if you'd like, you can purchase directly online! Right now if you make a purchase, they'll send you 10 free sample size packets that you can keep in your purse or take along when traveling if you fill out their survey at the bottom of the ordering page. If you'd also like to try it before buying it, you can order samples as well from their website for just $2.
Some Great Freebies Available Today!
I found so many great ones, I had to share!
Here's one for a coupon for a free bag of Nutro Natural Choice cat food or dog food. It's a 4 lb bag! You can find it at Petsmart, and Petco, and many independent pet shops. You'll have to confirm your request, so make sure you use a legit email for this.
Sam's Club and Glad are giving away a sample of the Force Flex trashbags. You don't need a Sam's membership to receive this, just leave the line blank. If you've never tried the Force Flex bags, they are well worth the money (bought on sale with a coupon, of course *wink*) especially if you are doing a lot of cleaning, donating clothing to charity, or when moving. (Click on Get Your Sample to pull up the form)
Here's one for the guy in your life (this would make a great stocking stuffer for your DH or teenage boy!) It's also for a contest. Pick out what design you'd like to see shaved into this guy's beard, and you'll have the option to receive a free Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer! Enter the site to get to the form (if you are on dial up, it may load a little slow)
And one more - here's a link to a sample for the new kinds of Dove Shampoo Hair Care. You can choose between Dove Shine Therapy and Dove go fresh Therapy Energize.
Here's one for a coupon for a free bag of Nutro Natural Choice cat food or dog food. It's a 4 lb bag! You can find it at Petsmart, and Petco, and many independent pet shops. You'll have to confirm your request, so make sure you use a legit email for this.
Sam's Club and Glad are giving away a sample of the Force Flex trashbags. You don't need a Sam's membership to receive this, just leave the line blank. If you've never tried the Force Flex bags, they are well worth the money (bought on sale with a coupon, of course *wink*) especially if you are doing a lot of cleaning, donating clothing to charity, or when moving. (Click on Get Your Sample to pull up the form)
Here's one for the guy in your life (this would make a great stocking stuffer for your DH or teenage boy!) It's also for a contest. Pick out what design you'd like to see shaved into this guy's beard, and you'll have the option to receive a free Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer! Enter the site to get to the form (if you are on dial up, it may load a little slow)
And one more - here's a link to a sample for the new kinds of Dove Shampoo Hair Care. You can choose between Dove Shine Therapy and Dove go fresh Therapy Energize.
19 July 2008
Fred Meyer Deals 7/20-7/26
Some good deals to be had this week. I've got the highlights here with the coupons, for the full list, visit FM online:
*Tomatoes on the vine - $0.98 lb
*Beef Loin Petite Steaks $2.99 lb
*Foster Farms drumsticks or thighs $0.99/lb
*Fresh Express 12oz garden salad $0.98
*FM BBG sauce $0.69 (limit 2)
*Campbell's Pork & Beans $0.25 (limit 4)
*Naturally Preferred Cage Free Eggs $1.99
*West Soy Non dairy beverages 4/$5
*Nature's Path EnviroKidz Cereals or 6pk bars 2/$5
*Amy Kitchen Gluten Free Frozen Entrees 2/$7
*9 Lives Canned cat food 5.5oz 3/$1
*Pedigree Canned Dog Food 10/$10 (there's $1 off 5 printable on their website, or from sunday paper)
*Pet Pride 28lb cat litter $6.99
*Red or Black Plums $1.48 lb
*Walla Walla sweet onions $0.78 lb
*Cantaloupe $0.69 lb
*Yellow or Zucchini squash $0.98 lb
*Red or green grapes $1.48 lb
*Deli Wrap sandwiches $2.99 each
*FM Deluxe Ice Cream 5/$10 (limit 5 w/ FM coupon)
*Kellogg's Cereals 5/$10 (limit 5 w/ FM coupon - Cocoa Krispies, Fruit Loops, Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Mini Wheats, Smacks, several more)
*FM Eggs or Country Oven and Vita Bee Bread BOGO (limit 4 w/ FM coupon)
*Big K pop 12pk 6/$10 (limit 6 w/ FM coupon)
*Nissin Top Ramen Noodles 10/$1
*Stouffers Red Box or Lean Cuisine Entrees save $5 when you buy 10 (FM coupon, stack with Lean Cuisine coupons from paper or home mailer)
*Bar S hot dogs $0.88 (limit 4 w/coupon) Stack with $0.25 printable here
*Lloyds BBQ meats or Chi Chis taco seasoned meats 2/$6 (limit 6 w/FM coupon)
*Kroger brand 8 oz shredded or block cheese - 3/$5
*Pepsi 12pk 3/$12
*FM 1/2 gallon milk or orange juice 2/$3
*Doritos 12.25 oz - 12.5 oz 2/$5
*Coffee Mate Creamer 10/$10 (FREE after printable coupon here!)
*FM paper towels 5/$3
*Ore-Ida potatoes 2/$5
*Del Monte fruit bowls 2/$4 (I think there's a coupon for this from the sunday paper?)
*FM canned veggies 2/$1
*Jergens lotion $4.99 ($1 or $2 coupon found in Sunday papers?)
*Johnsons baby product $2.99 (minus $1 instore coupon)
*Playtex 16-18 ct tampons $3.99 (minus $1 MC w/samples or $0.50 in store coupon)
*Aquafresh toothbrushes or toothpaste $1.99 ($1 off MC found in Sunday papers)
Fred Meyers will accept manufacturers coupons stacked with their store coupons available in the ad flyer. They are also still doing the stimulus promo until the end of the month (purchase $300 gift card, receive $30 extra, $600 gift card, get $60, $900, get $90) All FM store coupon limits are per day.
*Tomatoes on the vine - $0.98 lb
*Beef Loin Petite Steaks $2.99 lb
*Foster Farms drumsticks or thighs $0.99/lb
*Fresh Express 12oz garden salad $0.98
*FM BBG sauce $0.69 (limit 2)
*Campbell's Pork & Beans $0.25 (limit 4)
*Naturally Preferred Cage Free Eggs $1.99
*West Soy Non dairy beverages 4/$5
*Nature's Path EnviroKidz Cereals or 6pk bars 2/$5
*Amy Kitchen Gluten Free Frozen Entrees 2/$7
*9 Lives Canned cat food 5.5oz 3/$1
*Pedigree Canned Dog Food 10/$10 (there's $1 off 5 printable on their website, or from sunday paper)
*Pet Pride 28lb cat litter $6.99
*Red or Black Plums $1.48 lb
*Walla Walla sweet onions $0.78 lb
*Cantaloupe $0.69 lb
*Yellow or Zucchini squash $0.98 lb
*Red or green grapes $1.48 lb
*Deli Wrap sandwiches $2.99 each
*FM Deluxe Ice Cream 5/$10 (limit 5 w/ FM coupon)
*Kellogg's Cereals 5/$10 (limit 5 w/ FM coupon - Cocoa Krispies, Fruit Loops, Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Mini Wheats, Smacks, several more)
*FM Eggs or Country Oven and Vita Bee Bread BOGO (limit 4 w/ FM coupon)
*Big K pop 12pk 6/$10 (limit 6 w/ FM coupon)
*Nissin Top Ramen Noodles 10/$1
*Stouffers Red Box or Lean Cuisine Entrees save $5 when you buy 10 (FM coupon, stack with Lean Cuisine coupons from paper or home mailer)
*Bar S hot dogs $0.88 (limit 4 w/coupon) Stack with $0.25 printable here
*Lloyds BBQ meats or Chi Chis taco seasoned meats 2/$6 (limit 6 w/FM coupon)
*Kroger brand 8 oz shredded or block cheese - 3/$5
*Pepsi 12pk 3/$12
*FM 1/2 gallon milk or orange juice 2/$3
*Doritos 12.25 oz - 12.5 oz 2/$5
*Coffee Mate Creamer 10/$10 (FREE after printable coupon here!)
*FM paper towels 5/$3
*Ore-Ida potatoes 2/$5
*Del Monte fruit bowls 2/$4 (I think there's a coupon for this from the sunday paper?)
*FM canned veggies 2/$1
*Jergens lotion $4.99 ($1 or $2 coupon found in Sunday papers?)
*Johnsons baby product $2.99 (minus $1 instore coupon)
*Playtex 16-18 ct tampons $3.99 (minus $1 MC w/samples or $0.50 in store coupon)
*Aquafresh toothbrushes or toothpaste $1.99 ($1 off MC found in Sunday papers)
Fred Meyers will accept manufacturers coupons stacked with their store coupons available in the ad flyer. They are also still doing the stimulus promo until the end of the month (purchase $300 gift card, receive $30 extra, $600 gift card, get $60, $900, get $90) All FM store coupon limits are per day.
18 July 2008
A Psychotic Housewife Baby Coupon Giveaway!
I have a bunch of extra baby coupons that I don't want to see go to waste, so I figured I would share the love with someone. :)
So here's what's in it so far:
6 (yep, 6!) $2 off any size Pampers (jumbo or larger)
$1 off any Luvs diapers
$1 off any Good Nites sleep pants (jumbo or larger)
$1.50 off Pampers Easy Ups trainers (jumbo or larger)
$1 off any package of Huggies Little Swimmers
$1 off any Huggies Pull Ups Training Pants (jumbo or larger)
$2 off any size UnderJams Nightwear (any!)
$1 off any Playtex Bottle System or Fridge to Go Tote
$1 off Nido (for older babies over age 1) 1600g or 1800g
And for you lucky CVSers...
$1 off Playskool wipes
$2 off any Playskool diapers
And a Target coupon:
$3 off Pampers & wipes (stack this with the Pampers coupons above!)
And I'll add anything else I come across before it ends into there. Just to clarify, none of these are internet printed coupons - they're all straight from the Sunday paper or manufacturer themselves.
Ready? To enter, tell me if you have any deals in mind if you win this. If you don't have any ideas yet, share with us one of your best baby related deals you've scored. (C'mon! Make us jealous!) If you're just getting started on your diaper journey, and have neither, don't worry, just tell us. If you can't use the CVS coupons because you are unlucky like me and live in the land of no CVS (sob!), let me know in your post so I can save them for the next round. Blog about this giveaway, and receive a second entry - just post your blog link in another comment. Contest ends Friday July 25th whenever I log on the evening. ;) Sorry to the rest of the world, but unless you live on a base, these coupons are redeemable in the US only :(
Good luck mamas! :)
New Tide Total Care Laundry Detergent Sample
I'll admit it: I get excited whenever there's a new kind of laundry detergent or fabric softener on the market. I got excited even before the whole SAHW/SAHM thing, so I can't even blame it on that!
Tide is coming out with a new laundry detergent called Tide Total Care. There is a matching fabric softener as well from Downy. Tide Total Care is meant to help preserve your clothes through wash.... after wash.... after wash.... Head on over now to sign up for a free sample of the new Tide Total Care! Anything that can help my DH's clothes from fading with all the washing I have to do and get it clean on the first try, I'm willing to try!
Wal*Mart has other new samples up, if you haven't been to the site in a few days - run! There's lots of great offers, including this new Tide! (click on the free samples link towards the top to get to the other ones)
Edited to add: Here's a link to a coupon for $1 off of new Tide Total Care! It's still valid as of August 23rd.
Tide is coming out with a new laundry detergent called Tide Total Care. There is a matching fabric softener as well from Downy. Tide Total Care is meant to help preserve your clothes through wash.... after wash.... after wash.... Head on over now to sign up for a free sample of the new Tide Total Care! Anything that can help my DH's clothes from fading with all the washing I have to do and get it clean on the first try, I'm willing to try!
Wal*Mart has other new samples up, if you haven't been to the site in a few days - run! There's lots of great offers, including this new Tide! (click on the free samples link towards the top to get to the other ones)
Edited to add: Here's a link to a coupon for $1 off of new Tide Total Care! It's still valid as of August 23rd.
17 July 2008
Lazy Day & Shopping Trip Notes...
I don't know what it is, but today I have had no motivation. None. Zip. Zilch! I've spent the entire day half asleep - I've done nothing it seems, and I have no idea where most of the day went?! Luckily dinner tonight is using part of last nights leftovers (I had made a cheesey green bean & sausage dish) so the leftovers are being mixed with a can of Cream of Mushroom soup and rebaked. It's better than it sounds, I promise ;)
This morning DH said he needed gas, so I went out with him so I could do a little bit of shopping:
WalMart:
*Suave deodorant 1.6z oz $0.94 minus $0.75 SC
*Johnson Buddies soap (x2) $0.94 minus $2 on 2 coupon (the very last one! lol)
*Kotex liners $1 minus $1 MC (the one that arrived in the sample kit)
*Ponds Towelettes $6.86 (I needed one more movie ticket, even though I did not have another coupon I'd rather get the product and the ticket than just the ticket)
*Degree deodorant $1.72 minus $1 MC (arrived in sample yesterday)
Total after coupons: $8.70
Fred Meyer:
*Hormel chili $0.79 (x2) minus $0.55 on 2 MC
*FM canned beans (X6) minus FM coupon 3/$1 (normally I don't mind soaking beans, but I figured I should have these on hand for last minute meal decisions - or lazy days like today lol)
*FMV hot dog buns $0.39 (I'm going to be sad when they stop this promo!)
*Kroger fresh veggie medley bag $0.99
*FMV white bread (DH wanted stuffed sandwiches for lunch, and I had no bread defrosted)
*Friskies 18lb bag cat food $9.99 minus $1 internet printable
DH also snagged a bunch of tools from their clearance table, as they were all 60% off the lowest price, so my total after coupons was $38.16.
Apparently all the home area clearance is now 60% off the lowest price this weekend, so you may want to stop in and take a look. Our location had tons of stuff, including some really nice bed comforters that I really wish I could have justified (alas, our Ikea one is very warm and I had just bought a new duvet cover last fall, so I have no excuse!)
Lest anyone think I only feed my cats the cheap stuff (oh, the horrors!) one of them will only eat what I call "kitty junk food", and there's usually three different kinds of dry food sitting there for them to choose from - currently they are also eating Wellness and Science Diet. ;)
I guess I didn't post what I purchased at Grocery Outlet on Monday, so I'll do that here. For anyone reading this not from the West Coast, Grocery Outlet is kind of a cross between Aldi's and Big Lots, but primarily food unlike BL. Some of the prices can be high, but their can be great deals - the only catch is you have to watch the dates. They also don't take coupons, except the few of their own that they put out.
Grocery Outlet:
*Jif Peanut Butter Brownie Mix $0.79 (DH saw it and had to have it - men are worse than the kids sometimes, aren't they?)
*Purina Busy Bones 2pk $1.99 (x3)
*no-name 1lb tater tots $0.99 (x2)
*Knorr pesto sauce $0.25 (x2) - these were past the date by a couple of weeks, but I figured at the price (they are normally over $2) I would take a chance. I used one Tuesday night and it was fine!
*Smackos dog treats $1.99 (the Pudgy Princess is addicted to cookies and at her age, we indulge her)
*no-name 2lb steak fries $1.29
*Land O Lakes giant 1lb margarine bricks 3 for $1! I gleefully put this in the freezer for the upcoming baking season
*Knorr's garlic minicubes (160!) $0.99
*lighter fluid for DH's BBQ $1.99
*Kraft Sugar Free Cranberry Jello 5 for $1
*Kraft mozzarella dip $0.99 (x2)
*Propel Kiwi Strawberry drinks $0.50 (x2)
*Tropicana 64 oz orange juice $0.99 (x2) (I thought maybe it was at the date, but it didn't expire until next week!)
*Healthy Choice pizza $0.99
*Country Choice organic grahams $0.50
*Lipton noodles & sauce $0.50
*Cool Whip topping (the new aerosol can) $1.49 (for DH's sundae desserts)
and I also picked up a few little decorational things they have in a marked down corner, including a plastic tablecloth with snowflakes on it for 10 cents and silver tissue paper for 13 cents, plus two stuffed animals to take to my grandmother
grand total: $32.70
This morning DH said he needed gas, so I went out with him so I could do a little bit of shopping:
WalMart:
*Suave deodorant 1.6z oz $0.94 minus $0.75 SC
*Johnson Buddies soap (x2) $0.94 minus $2 on 2 coupon (the very last one! lol)
*Kotex liners $1 minus $1 MC (the one that arrived in the sample kit)
*Ponds Towelettes $6.86 (I needed one more movie ticket, even though I did not have another coupon I'd rather get the product and the ticket than just the ticket)
*Degree deodorant $1.72 minus $1 MC (arrived in sample yesterday)
Total after coupons: $8.70
Fred Meyer:
*Hormel chili $0.79 (x2) minus $0.55 on 2 MC
*FM canned beans (X6) minus FM coupon 3/$1 (normally I don't mind soaking beans, but I figured I should have these on hand for last minute meal decisions - or lazy days like today lol)
*FMV hot dog buns $0.39 (I'm going to be sad when they stop this promo!)
*Kroger fresh veggie medley bag $0.99
*FMV white bread (DH wanted stuffed sandwiches for lunch, and I had no bread defrosted)
*Friskies 18lb bag cat food $9.99 minus $1 internet printable
DH also snagged a bunch of tools from their clearance table, as they were all 60% off the lowest price, so my total after coupons was $38.16.
Apparently all the home area clearance is now 60% off the lowest price this weekend, so you may want to stop in and take a look. Our location had tons of stuff, including some really nice bed comforters that I really wish I could have justified (alas, our Ikea one is very warm and I had just bought a new duvet cover last fall, so I have no excuse!)
Lest anyone think I only feed my cats the cheap stuff (oh, the horrors!) one of them will only eat what I call "kitty junk food", and there's usually three different kinds of dry food sitting there for them to choose from - currently they are also eating Wellness and Science Diet. ;)
I guess I didn't post what I purchased at Grocery Outlet on Monday, so I'll do that here. For anyone reading this not from the West Coast, Grocery Outlet is kind of a cross between Aldi's and Big Lots, but primarily food unlike BL. Some of the prices can be high, but their can be great deals - the only catch is you have to watch the dates. They also don't take coupons, except the few of their own that they put out.
Grocery Outlet:
*Jif Peanut Butter Brownie Mix $0.79 (DH saw it and had to have it - men are worse than the kids sometimes, aren't they?)
*Purina Busy Bones 2pk $1.99 (x3)
*no-name 1lb tater tots $0.99 (x2)
*Knorr pesto sauce $0.25 (x2) - these were past the date by a couple of weeks, but I figured at the price (they are normally over $2) I would take a chance. I used one Tuesday night and it was fine!
*Smackos dog treats $1.99 (the Pudgy Princess is addicted to cookies and at her age, we indulge her)
*no-name 2lb steak fries $1.29
*Land O Lakes giant 1lb margarine bricks 3 for $1! I gleefully put this in the freezer for the upcoming baking season
*Knorr's garlic minicubes (160!) $0.99
*lighter fluid for DH's BBQ $1.99
*Kraft Sugar Free Cranberry Jello 5 for $1
*Kraft mozzarella dip $0.99 (x2)
*Propel Kiwi Strawberry drinks $0.50 (x2)
*Tropicana 64 oz orange juice $0.99 (x2) (I thought maybe it was at the date, but it didn't expire until next week!)
*Healthy Choice pizza $0.99
*Country Choice organic grahams $0.50
*Lipton noodles & sauce $0.50
*Cool Whip topping (the new aerosol can) $1.49 (for DH's sundae desserts)
and I also picked up a few little decorational things they have in a marked down corner, including a plastic tablecloth with snowflakes on it for 10 cents and silver tissue paper for 13 cents, plus two stuffed animals to take to my grandmother
grand total: $32.70
Free Box Of Zoe's Natural Cereal!
If you enjoy giving your opinion on products, and currently use Zoe's natural cereal, granola, and bars products, then you're invited to join Zoe Foods Consumer Panel! In exchange for giving your opinion, they'll send coupons for their products upon completion of the surveys they send. They're also offering a free box of their new granola cereals just for signing up!
Also available on their website, is The Zoe Foods Healthy Meal Plan. They have worked with a registered dietician to create the plan.
If you've never had a chance to try Zoe's products, they really are quite yummy. I really enjoy their Heavenly Apply bars - yum! DH's favorite is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss.
Also available on their website, is The Zoe Foods Healthy Meal Plan. They have worked with a registered dietician to create the plan.
If you've never had a chance to try Zoe's products, they really are quite yummy. I really enjoy their Heavenly Apply bars - yum! DH's favorite is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss.
16 July 2008
Who Won The First Ever Psychotic Housewife Giveaway?
Wow, a lot of you stopped by to add your name into the hat (or in this case, cauldron basket!) Thank you!
And the winner of the coupon for the free Knudsen's or Breakstone's sour cream is....
(drumroll)
Kimberly! Congratulations again!
Her post said:
One of my better savings deals that I can remember, is when steam fresh veggies were on sale 10 for $10, and there was a blinkie with $1.00 off of 2 - which made them $.50 a bag.
Isn't that a great deal? I wish I would have found that one!
I'll be having another fun giveaway real soon, so be on the look out! :)
And the winner of the coupon for the free Knudsen's or Breakstone's sour cream is....
(drumroll)
Kimberly! Congratulations again!
Her post said:
One of my better savings deals that I can remember, is when steam fresh veggies were on sale 10 for $10, and there was a blinkie with $1.00 off of 2 - which made them $.50 a bag.
Isn't that a great deal? I wish I would have found that one!
I'll be having another fun giveaway real soon, so be on the look out! :)
I Confess:
I confess: I have a few weaknesses.
If you couldn't tell, one is shopping. I love to shop! Strangely though, since I've been married, I feel guilty when it's a purchase for me, especially clothes. I can spend a fortune on DH and the baby, but when it comes to me, even though I really like nice things, it has to be a deep, deep discount for it to end up in my closet. (now, shoes... if they're cheap, usually the guilt goes away in two seconds! lol)
My other, is make up and beauty items. It might be a very good thing we live in the land of no CVS, because every time one of the make up deals would come along I'd milk it to the best extent I could! I feel I always should look nice for DH and take care of myself properly even if I am tired and feel like a hormonal mess. Now that I am married, and don't leave the house as much as I used to, my make up and skin care has changed - a lot. I still always use creams and cleansers, and make sure I have on a SPF of at least 30 before I leave the house, and try to at least have mascara and something on my eyelids. And I am always on the hunt for lip gloss! I think if you went through my coat pockets, and my purse, you'd easily find 5 or 6 different ones at the moment. (if not more!)
If you couldn't tell, one is shopping. I love to shop! Strangely though, since I've been married, I feel guilty when it's a purchase for me, especially clothes. I can spend a fortune on DH and the baby, but when it comes to me, even though I really like nice things, it has to be a deep, deep discount for it to end up in my closet. (now, shoes... if they're cheap, usually the guilt goes away in two seconds! lol)
My other, is make up and beauty items. It might be a very good thing we live in the land of no CVS, because every time one of the make up deals would come along I'd milk it to the best extent I could! I feel I always should look nice for DH and take care of myself properly even if I am tired and feel like a hormonal mess. Now that I am married, and don't leave the house as much as I used to, my make up and skin care has changed - a lot. I still always use creams and cleansers, and make sure I have on a SPF of at least 30 before I leave the house, and try to at least have mascara and something on my eyelids. And I am always on the hunt for lip gloss! I think if you went through my coat pockets, and my purse, you'd easily find 5 or 6 different ones at the moment. (if not more!)
Free Kotex Sample Box!
If you haven't already signed up for the cute little box full of Kotex samples from them, you should! It has samples of tampons, pads, and liners, and there's a coupon for $1 off any Kotex product! (which could always be used for free liners at WalMart and sometimes Albertsons!)
I received mine today, and I couldn't believe how nicely it was presented. This is a really nice freebie from Kotex! (Thank you Kimberly Clark!)
I received mine today, and I couldn't believe how nicely it was presented. This is a really nice freebie from Kotex! (Thank you Kimberly Clark!)
My Deals Today
I think my trip to Albertsons today might have been my best one ever, at least for amount of stuff compared to out of pocket cost. I did two transactions again:
Albertsons #1:
*Kraft pasta salad $0.79 minus $0.50 MC peelie
*Equaline mouth wash 16.9 oz $2.79 minus $1.79 store coupon
*Equaline toothbrush $0.89 (x10) minus $0.60 store coupon (x10)
Total after coupons: $3.55 (coupons tendered $12.19!)
Albertsons #2:
*California Pizza Kitchen Singles $2.50 minus $1 MC
*Kraft Caesar Salad Dressing $2.50 minus $1.01 store coupon
*Kraft Honey Dijion Salad Dressing $2.50 minus $1.01 store coupon minus $0.75 on 2 SC
*Planters jar honey roasted peanuts $2.50 minus $3 off when you buy 3 Kraft items
minus $3 off Kraft when you buy $10 worth of participating products
Total after coupons: $0.23!! (coupons tendered $14.43)
I'm thinking I might frame the second receipt, because while I do alright, I never do that great!
I also headed into Subway to redeem my free chips I won again a few days ago on their Get Smart instant game. I was rather unhappy though, when the girls behind the register first of all didn't even look at the prize email right - the first one had the deer in the headlights look and handed it over to girl #2 - who first tried to tell me I had already redeemed one before (well, yeah?) and that I must be copying them! What the?! At this point I was so startled (and getting angry, because I felt like she was calling me a thief) I nastily (well, for me, anyways) pointed out that it was a sweepstakes, I was WINNING them as a prize, and it said one per person per visit PER DAY. If she had read it to begin with, she'd have understood it!
I was just floored. We've actually eaten Subway quite a bit since this promo started, so it's not like we are just going in every single time just for the free chips (which, we actually can, since it is no purchase neccesary) I also don't always visit the same location with the winning emails, it just depends on what direction we are shopping, so again I was floored. (and next time I crave Subway, it will be another location!)
Albertsons #1:
*Kraft pasta salad $0.79 minus $0.50 MC peelie
*Equaline mouth wash 16.9 oz $2.79 minus $1.79 store coupon
*Equaline toothbrush $0.89 (x10) minus $0.60 store coupon (x10)
Total after coupons: $3.55 (coupons tendered $12.19!)
Albertsons #2:
*California Pizza Kitchen Singles $2.50 minus $1 MC
*Kraft Caesar Salad Dressing $2.50 minus $1.01 store coupon
*Kraft Honey Dijion Salad Dressing $2.50 minus $1.01 store coupon minus $0.75 on 2 SC
*Planters jar honey roasted peanuts $2.50 minus $3 off when you buy 3 Kraft items
minus $3 off Kraft when you buy $10 worth of participating products
Total after coupons: $0.23!! (coupons tendered $14.43)
I'm thinking I might frame the second receipt, because while I do alright, I never do that great!
I also headed into Subway to redeem my free chips I won again a few days ago on their Get Smart instant game. I was rather unhappy though, when the girls behind the register first of all didn't even look at the prize email right - the first one had the deer in the headlights look and handed it over to girl #2 - who first tried to tell me I had already redeemed one before (well, yeah?) and that I must be copying them! What the?! At this point I was so startled (and getting angry, because I felt like she was calling me a thief) I nastily (well, for me, anyways) pointed out that it was a sweepstakes, I was WINNING them as a prize, and it said one per person per visit PER DAY. If she had read it to begin with, she'd have understood it!
I was just floored. We've actually eaten Subway quite a bit since this promo started, so it's not like we are just going in every single time just for the free chips (which, we actually can, since it is no purchase neccesary) I also don't always visit the same location with the winning emails, it just depends on what direction we are shopping, so again I was floored. (and next time I crave Subway, it will be another location!)
Pond's Mamma Mia Free Ticket Promotion
I blogged a little bit about this the other day - purchase any participating Pond's product, and receive a code for a free Mamma Mia movie ticket at participating theaters!
I found the Pond's Age Defying Wet Cleansing Towlettes (a package of 30) at my local WalMart priced at $6.86 with a code for the movie redemption. (there's other products supposedly out there with the codes, but this is all I was able to find today) Now I did have a $1.50 off coupon (this came with a sample this week, so if you signed up for it from Univision, you should get the coupon as well. I'm not sure if the WalMart sample that was offered will have a coupon with it or not), so my total with tax came to $5.95.
I'll be honest in that this is a product I usually wouldn't use on a day to day basis - it's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't care for the extra waste. I usually buy these kind of disposable wipes when I am traveling for extended periods of time, but not when I am at home.
However, with the promotion, I actually came out ahead - the cheapest matinee ticket at our local movie theater is still $7.50, so I get the movie and a beauty product for less! (I'm happy!) If you are participating in this promo, and it's not a product you normally would use, keep in mind the cost of the product vs what you would pay for the movie ticket. If the product is just going to sit in your cabinets, you might as well just pay for the movie ticket itself. (At least donate it to a local women's shelter if you have a chance)
By the way, I do really like these little towelettes - they are worth the price if you find these with the code and decide to give them a try. It says you should see results after 2 weeks with more even skin tone, so I am curious to see if it will make a difference with mine. (and as I get older, I'm loving anything that says age defying! lol)
Edited to add:
I have found packages with the 30 count package plus a FREE 15 count package on clearance at Target for $3.48 with the Mamma Mia code attached!It was hidden on sale endcaps in the health & beauty department. BTW, you do need a printer to print out the slip to take to participating theaters (Regal Cinemas is participating!), but the slip is good through the end of September on ANY Universal Pictures movie! There is a limit of 3 redemptions per household.
I found the Pond's Age Defying Wet Cleansing Towlettes (a package of 30) at my local WalMart priced at $6.86 with a code for the movie redemption. (there's other products supposedly out there with the codes, but this is all I was able to find today) Now I did have a $1.50 off coupon (this came with a sample this week, so if you signed up for it from Univision, you should get the coupon as well. I'm not sure if the WalMart sample that was offered will have a coupon with it or not), so my total with tax came to $5.95.
I'll be honest in that this is a product I usually wouldn't use on a day to day basis - it's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't care for the extra waste. I usually buy these kind of disposable wipes when I am traveling for extended periods of time, but not when I am at home.
However, with the promotion, I actually came out ahead - the cheapest matinee ticket at our local movie theater is still $7.50, so I get the movie and a beauty product for less! (I'm happy!) If you are participating in this promo, and it's not a product you normally would use, keep in mind the cost of the product vs what you would pay for the movie ticket. If the product is just going to sit in your cabinets, you might as well just pay for the movie ticket itself. (At least donate it to a local women's shelter if you have a chance)
By the way, I do really like these little towelettes - they are worth the price if you find these with the code and decide to give them a try. It says you should see results after 2 weeks with more even skin tone, so I am curious to see if it will make a difference with mine. (and as I get older, I'm loving anything that says age defying! lol)
Edited to add:
I have found packages with the 30 count package plus a FREE 15 count package on clearance at Target for $3.48 with the Mamma Mia code attached!It was hidden on sale endcaps in the health & beauty department. BTW, you do need a printer to print out the slip to take to participating theaters (Regal Cinemas is participating!), but the slip is good through the end of September on ANY Universal Pictures movie! There is a limit of 3 redemptions per household.
Free Greenies Pill Pockets Dog Treats!
I get excited whenever there's a new pet food or treat - after all, I spend what seems like a fortune with our petting zoo! I was really excited to see that Greenies are now coming out with their own Pill Pocket treats. Having an older dog, we've had to give her several different medications over the last year, and I have to say - they're smart. They know when you're giving them meds, and they know how to get the treat without eating the pills themself. I tried cheese, hiding it in sausage - she always figured it out! I'll be happy to have these on hand for the next round of meds - maybe this time, she eat the meds!
Hurry on over for a free sample before they are all gone!
Hurry on over for a free sample before they are all gone!
15 July 2008
Do You Have Your Own Blog?
Would you like it to have a fresh new look to it? Pepper Scraps and her design site, Uniquehorn Designs, are giving away a FREE blog design in her contest! She's also got random prizes! (Fun!)
All entries even receive $50 off at Uniquehorn Designs! To enter, pop on over here, and give her your information. All entries are due by July 31st, so hurry over! Good luck! :)
All entries even receive $50 off at Uniquehorn Designs! To enter, pop on over here, and give her your information. All entries are due by July 31st, so hurry over! Good luck! :)
A Question About Surveys?
One of my readers asked such a good question, that I wanted to respond to it here instead of in the comments so others might benefit from it:
madeline said...
Hi, I just recently found your blog and saw that you participate in surveys. I just started surveys myself and wanted your oppinion about the offers you have to spend money on to get paid. Are they worth it or not? Thanks
When it comes to surveys, I would NEVER pay for a list of companies available or for the opportunity to take surveys. If you are offered for a chance to take a survey, but you need to pay $6.95 up front, it's not something you want to mess with. There are many legit survey companies out there - some only surveys several times a year, some you get bombarded with, some you'll see a survey once a month. I personally only post about companies who have "paid" me (be in cash, PayPal or merchandise gifts) several times without hassle because I know they should be safe for everyone else. (see my post here for several companies I've had great luck with)
Some companies even promise you products such a designer purse or a laptop for filling out forms and trials, such as signing up for credit card offers and referring friends - my honest opinion is to RUN. Your information will sold and you will be bombarded with spam, soliciting phone calls, and products you will be charged for even though you only wanted the free trial. Once they have your credit card number for participating in the trial, they can charge away! Yes, if you catch it, you can fill chargebacks, but the time spent on the phone with your credit card company is worth money too!
Now when it comes to programs like Memolink and MyPoints , I personally don't bother with the offers such a free trials and earn 800 points etc just to get the points. I really feel that the hassle of trying to stop shipments/cancel before the trial period/etc really is not worth it. If you miss canceling just one, you may be on the hook for $80 - and that certainly doesn't make the 800 points worth it!
The exception to that would be a product such as Netflix. This is something my family was interested in at one time, and something we could use. There was a one month free trial for a product that cost a reasonable amount every month, something I would have taken advantage of to begin with, so getting the points through a program was a bonus. A product such as ProActive might be something someone else might be buying anyway, so receiving the points for getting the trial through a program would be a bonus for them.
Always go with your instinct. If something looks too good to be true, sit back and think on it for a day. Do an internet search and see if you can find out information about other people's experiences with the company before you make any decision. When it comes to money, err on the side of caution - you and your family worked hard for it!
I hope I answered your question Madeline. If I didn't, please let me know. :)
madeline said...
Hi, I just recently found your blog and saw that you participate in surveys. I just started surveys myself and wanted your oppinion about the offers you have to spend money on to get paid. Are they worth it or not? Thanks
When it comes to surveys, I would NEVER pay for a list of companies available or for the opportunity to take surveys. If you are offered for a chance to take a survey, but you need to pay $6.95 up front, it's not something you want to mess with. There are many legit survey companies out there - some only surveys several times a year, some you get bombarded with, some you'll see a survey once a month. I personally only post about companies who have "paid" me (be in cash, PayPal or merchandise gifts) several times without hassle because I know they should be safe for everyone else. (see my post here for several companies I've had great luck with)
Some companies even promise you products such a designer purse or a laptop for filling out forms and trials, such as signing up for credit card offers and referring friends - my honest opinion is to RUN. Your information will sold and you will be bombarded with spam, soliciting phone calls, and products you will be charged for even though you only wanted the free trial. Once they have your credit card number for participating in the trial, they can charge away! Yes, if you catch it, you can fill chargebacks, but the time spent on the phone with your credit card company is worth money too!
Now when it comes to programs like Memolink and MyPoints , I personally don't bother with the offers such a free trials and earn 800 points etc just to get the points. I really feel that the hassle of trying to stop shipments/cancel before the trial period/etc really is not worth it. If you miss canceling just one, you may be on the hook for $80 - and that certainly doesn't make the 800 points worth it!
The exception to that would be a product such as Netflix. This is something my family was interested in at one time, and something we could use. There was a one month free trial for a product that cost a reasonable amount every month, something I would have taken advantage of to begin with, so getting the points through a program was a bonus. A product such as ProActive might be something someone else might be buying anyway, so receiving the points for getting the trial through a program would be a bonus for them.
Always go with your instinct. If something looks too good to be true, sit back and think on it for a day. Do an internet search and see if you can find out information about other people's experiences with the company before you make any decision. When it comes to money, err on the side of caution - you and your family worked hard for it!
I hope I answered your question Madeline. If I didn't, please let me know. :)
14 July 2008
Monday Mail Call
I've barely seen anything at all in my mailbox this last week, so I was happy to see it stuffed full of goodies today!
Sample box of Multi Grain cheerios from WalMart
Sample of Ponds with a $1.50 coupon
a coupon for $2 off 2 Johnson's buddies
a check for $108 from Survey Spot (no, that's not a typo)
another check for $5 from Survey Spot
a check for $5 from Your2Cents
and a copy of Dream Baby from DKMommy Spot! (thank you Diane!!!!)
Plus the new Hanna Andersson catalog arrived so I am drooling! They have the best tights for little girls, soft and they really last. You can find them on sale sometimes, but if your little girl isn't growing fast or you can use them as hand me downs, the price is well worth it.
I am really happy about the Ponds coupon. Ponds is sponsoring a lot of Mamma Mia promotions, and on specially marked boxes, you'll see that there is a ticket inside for the movie! Normally I wouldn't buy the Ponds (unless it was free or near free, lol) however, since I'd be paying $9.50 for the movie ticket, I might as well see if I can get the Ponds for cheaper and get both for the same price. ;)
Sample box of Multi Grain cheerios from WalMart
Sample of Ponds with a $1.50 coupon
a coupon for $2 off 2 Johnson's buddies
a check for $108 from Survey Spot (no, that's not a typo)
another check for $5 from Survey Spot
a check for $5 from Your2Cents
and a copy of Dream Baby from DKMommy Spot! (thank you Diane!!!!)
Plus the new Hanna Andersson catalog arrived so I am drooling! They have the best tights for little girls, soft and they really last. You can find them on sale sometimes, but if your little girl isn't growing fast or you can use them as hand me downs, the price is well worth it.
I am really happy about the Ponds coupon. Ponds is sponsoring a lot of Mamma Mia promotions, and on specially marked boxes, you'll see that there is a ticket inside for the movie! Normally I wouldn't buy the Ponds (unless it was free or near free, lol) however, since I'd be paying $9.50 for the movie ticket, I might as well see if I can get the Ponds for cheaper and get both for the same price. ;)
Recipe: Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
Here's one for the hot days when you don't want to cook inside:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 pounds of chicken (you can use legs & thighs, or boneless breasts, but the breasts will cook faster)
Salt & pepper to taste, as desired
Put the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, lemon juice and ginger in a medium bowl and whisk well. Pour half of the marinade in a large measuring cup and set aside, and refrigerate the remaining marinade. Season the chicken with salt & pepper to taste if desired, then use the marinade on the chicken (coat well in a plastic bag or in a dish) and chill for an hour or two.
Grill the chicken on a medium heat, slowly, turning frequently. If you are using drumsticks, it should take around 25-30 minutes, boneless a little less. Once it is deep golden brown, brush the remaining marinade on the chicken and grill for a few more minutes (not too long, as you don't want dry chicken!)
You can easily keep this marinade in the fridge for several days if 3 pounds of chicken at once is too much for your family. You can also marinade the chicken overnight for the following day. This is a great recipe for grill outs with friends and family!
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 pounds of chicken (you can use legs & thighs, or boneless breasts, but the breasts will cook faster)
Salt & pepper to taste, as desired
Put the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, lemon juice and ginger in a medium bowl and whisk well. Pour half of the marinade in a large measuring cup and set aside, and refrigerate the remaining marinade. Season the chicken with salt & pepper to taste if desired, then use the marinade on the chicken (coat well in a plastic bag or in a dish) and chill for an hour or two.
Grill the chicken on a medium heat, slowly, turning frequently. If you are using drumsticks, it should take around 25-30 minutes, boneless a little less. Once it is deep golden brown, brush the remaining marinade on the chicken and grill for a few more minutes (not too long, as you don't want dry chicken!)
You can easily keep this marinade in the fridge for several days if 3 pounds of chicken at once is too much for your family. You can also marinade the chicken overnight for the following day. This is a great recipe for grill outs with friends and family!
Bic Soleil, Where Are You?
Well, I am sure that Fred Meyer wasn't exactly expecting the response to the Bic Soleil deal that they had - apparently I wasn't the only one excited about it! Yesterday I went early enough that I was able to snag two as I told you about, but when I went back early yesterday evening, it was almost empty! There were two starter razor sets (the razor itself with an extra blade) left, and I only managed to find a blade refill box lurking on an endcap in another aisle! Wow!
I'm really hoping they are restocking today so I can get a few more of the blade refills for us. I did grab the last orange razor last night for DH to go along with the refill - somehow I don't think he'd be too thrilled with the sparkly pink one, lol!
I didn't have any problems using two coupons in a transaction, but YMMV as to whether or not your local store decides to allow you to use more than two or not. I would suggest that if you are stocking up with this deal (hey, wait, leave some for me! lol) that you stick to two per transaction and just do several transactions so nothing can be said. If you are sending one of your kids through the line to pay for a batch, remember that the tax is on the $4.99 pre-coupon price, not the $0.99 after coupon price.
I'm really hoping they are restocking today so I can get a few more of the blade refills for us. I did grab the last orange razor last night for DH to go along with the refill - somehow I don't think he'd be too thrilled with the sparkly pink one, lol!
I didn't have any problems using two coupons in a transaction, but YMMV as to whether or not your local store decides to allow you to use more than two or not. I would suggest that if you are stocking up with this deal (hey, wait, leave some for me! lol) that you stick to two per transaction and just do several transactions so nothing can be said. If you are sending one of your kids through the line to pay for a batch, remember that the tax is on the $4.99 pre-coupon price, not the $0.99 after coupon price.
Free Metamucil Berry Burst Sample Kit!
Metamucil is giving out sample kits featuring their new flavor, Berry Burst. There is a sample of the Berry Burst, as well as a good coupon. (CVS'ers, I am sure you can make good use of that lol)
They also have a new Pink Lemonade flavor. It's kind of nice to see these better tasting flavors coming out, isn't it? It's certainly better than tasting powdery cardboard!
They also have a new Pink Lemonade flavor. It's kind of nice to see these better tasting flavors coming out, isn't it? It's certainly better than tasting powdery cardboard!
13 July 2008
Hot Shopping Deals Today!
It really is HOT over here in Western WA! I was up early to plan my attack and do a few chores before it got too warm outside. Here's what I picked up today:
Fred Meyer:
*Bic Soleil razor $4.99 minus $4 mc available in store
*Bic Soleil 4 pk refills $4.99 minus $4 mc
*FM wheat hot dog buns $0.99 (they were all out of the FMV this morning - darn!)
Total after coupons: $3.77
Rite Aid:
*Electrasol power ball tabs $2.99 minus $2 SC in 7/13 Sunday paper *FAR*
*Crest whitening expressions toothpaste $2.49 minus $0.50 SC (P&G insert)*FAR*
Total after coupons: $3.20 (free after rebate with $2.28 overage after tax!)
WalMart:
*Powerade $0.60 minus $1 SC (7/13 paper)
*Starkist tuna pouches $0.97 x3 minus $1 on 3 blinkie
*Sams Choice 2 litre $0.67
Total after coupons: $2.27 (overage from the powerade!)
Albertsons:
*Dreyers frozen yogurt $2.50 minus $0.50 blinkie
*Best Foods olive oil mayo $1.50 minus $1 SC
*Schick Quattro 3 disposable razors (4pk)x2 $5 minus BOGO MC
*Fosters Farms skinless/boneless chicken $4.25 minus $1 MC (7/13 paper)
*Jenny O Turkey bratwurst $1.99 (marked down!)
*John Morell Smoked Turkey lunchmeat $3 minus $0.75 SC
*Fresh Express Romaine lettuce $1.99
*Deli rotisserie chicken $4.99
*Small cake $0.99 (bakery mark down)
*Kings Hawaiian 4pk rolls $1.09 minus $0.65 printable coupon
Total after coupons: 25.22 (coupons tendered - $25.36!)
Some of the Albertson's deals I did are store specific deals as they are still continuing their grand opening celebration, that's why the prices may look different than your local Albertson's. Normally I wouldn't have bought the rotisserie chicken, but it's just so hot to cook and we'll get a couple of meals out of it. The cake was just adorable, it had to come home with me - it had a little spiderweb design on top!
Tonight, DH and I are actually getting to go on a real date! We are using the Subway tickets that we won (it's per person, and DH was lucky enough to win a movie ticket Friday too!), and after we printed them out this morning, we saw that you can use it on ANY movie (including Wall*E!) playing at participating theaters. You don't have to go see Get Smart if it's not your cup of tea! DH wants to go see the Hellboy II so I told him alright on the condition that I get to see Mamma Mia when it comes out.
I'm going to hit up Fred Meyers again before we go to the movie to get some more of the razor refills before they are all out. We were out of all our good ones and into what I call "emergency rations" (the very cheap ones from Dollar Tree) and DH wasn't too happy with them. They are good for traveling if you are only going to use them once and throw them out - but shaving more than once, you are going to be losing a lot of blood! I tried one on my legs since I had used my last beloved Intuition from a deal last year (they messed up the price, so I got several 8pks of refills free!) and I had nicks for the first time in ages. I really feel that with razors, you get what you pay for (in original retail price, of course!).
Fred Meyer:
*Bic Soleil razor $4.99 minus $4 mc available in store
*Bic Soleil 4 pk refills $4.99 minus $4 mc
*FM wheat hot dog buns $0.99 (they were all out of the FMV this morning - darn!)
Total after coupons: $3.77
Rite Aid:
*Electrasol power ball tabs $2.99 minus $2 SC in 7/13 Sunday paper *FAR*
*Crest whitening expressions toothpaste $2.49 minus $0.50 SC (P&G insert)*FAR*
Total after coupons: $3.20 (free after rebate with $2.28 overage after tax!)
WalMart:
*Powerade $0.60 minus $1 SC (7/13 paper)
*Starkist tuna pouches $0.97 x3 minus $1 on 3 blinkie
*Sams Choice 2 litre $0.67
Total after coupons: $2.27 (overage from the powerade!)
Albertsons:
*Dreyers frozen yogurt $2.50 minus $0.50 blinkie
*Best Foods olive oil mayo $1.50 minus $1 SC
*Schick Quattro 3 disposable razors (4pk)x2 $5 minus BOGO MC
*Fosters Farms skinless/boneless chicken $4.25 minus $1 MC (7/13 paper)
*Jenny O Turkey bratwurst $1.99 (marked down!)
*John Morell Smoked Turkey lunchmeat $3 minus $0.75 SC
*Fresh Express Romaine lettuce $1.99
*Deli rotisserie chicken $4.99
*Small cake $0.99 (bakery mark down)
*Kings Hawaiian 4pk rolls $1.09 minus $0.65 printable coupon
Total after coupons: 25.22 (coupons tendered - $25.36!)
Some of the Albertson's deals I did are store specific deals as they are still continuing their grand opening celebration, that's why the prices may look different than your local Albertson's. Normally I wouldn't have bought the rotisserie chicken, but it's just so hot to cook and we'll get a couple of meals out of it. The cake was just adorable, it had to come home with me - it had a little spiderweb design on top!
Tonight, DH and I are actually getting to go on a real date! We are using the Subway tickets that we won (it's per person, and DH was lucky enough to win a movie ticket Friday too!), and after we printed them out this morning, we saw that you can use it on ANY movie (including Wall*E!) playing at participating theaters. You don't have to go see Get Smart if it's not your cup of tea! DH wants to go see the Hellboy II so I told him alright on the condition that I get to see Mamma Mia when it comes out.
I'm going to hit up Fred Meyers again before we go to the movie to get some more of the razor refills before they are all out. We were out of all our good ones and into what I call "emergency rations" (the very cheap ones from Dollar Tree) and DH wasn't too happy with them. They are good for traveling if you are only going to use them once and throw them out - but shaving more than once, you are going to be losing a lot of blood! I tried one on my legs since I had used my last beloved Intuition from a deal last year (they messed up the price, so I got several 8pks of refills free!) and I had nicks for the first time in ages. I really feel that with razors, you get what you pay for (in original retail price, of course!).
12 July 2008
Fred Meyer Deals 7/13 - 7/19
A few interesting things this week:
*Personal size watermelon or Tuscan cantaloupe 2/$5
*Organic lemons 5/$5
*Betty Crocker cake mix 10/$10
*Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni 5/$5 (not sure if it includes Nature's Way varieties, if so, printable coupon on SmartSouce.com for 50 cents off)
*Friskies 16 or 18lb bag cat food $9.99 (printables available from Purina)
*FM Sour Cream 4/$5
*Bic Soliel razor or refills $4.99 (in store coupon available for $4 off!)
*Kroger baby wipes tub 80 count $1.99
*Seventh Generation diapers or wipes 25% off (coupons available on website, see post here)
*Annie's mac & cheese 3/$5
*Private Selection ice cream 2/$6
*FM frozen veggies 10/$10 (stock up, rare sale if you use them)
*Healthy Choice entrees (selected varities) 5/$10
*8pc baked or fried chicken $5.99
*organic strawberries 1lb 2/$5
*Celery $0.88 lb
*Roma tomatoes $1.48 lb
*FM grilling sausage 2/$5 w/coupon limit 4
*Cottonelle $0.88 w/coupon (limit 4 - stack with $0.25 SC!)
*FM canned tomatoes or beans 3/$ w/coupon (limit 6)
*Tillamook 16 oz butter 2/$4 (limit 4 with coupon)
*Kroger brand 2lb medium cheddar cheese blocks $4.49 (limit 2 w/coupon)
*Crest toothpaste $1.99 w/coupon (limit 2, stack with $0.50 SC)
The best deals may be the FM frozen veggies and canned tomatoes/beans for the food,the Bic Soleil (run!) and also the Cottonelle bath tissue if you still have your coupon for H&B deals.
Fred Meyers will accept manufacturers coupons stacked with their store coupons available in the ad flyer. They are also still doing the stimulus promo until the end of the month (purchase $300 gift card, receive $30 extra, $600 gift card, get $60, $900, get $90)
*Personal size watermelon or Tuscan cantaloupe 2/$5
*Organic lemons 5/$5
*Betty Crocker cake mix 10/$10
*Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni 5/$5 (not sure if it includes Nature's Way varieties, if so, printable coupon on SmartSouce.com for 50 cents off)
*Friskies 16 or 18lb bag cat food $9.99 (printables available from Purina)
*FM Sour Cream 4/$5
*Bic Soliel razor or refills $4.99 (in store coupon available for $4 off!)
*Kroger baby wipes tub 80 count $1.99
*Seventh Generation diapers or wipes 25% off (coupons available on website, see post here)
*Annie's mac & cheese 3/$5
*Private Selection ice cream 2/$6
*FM frozen veggies 10/$10 (stock up, rare sale if you use them)
*Healthy Choice entrees (selected varities) 5/$10
*8pc baked or fried chicken $5.99
*organic strawberries 1lb 2/$5
*Celery $0.88 lb
*Roma tomatoes $1.48 lb
*FM grilling sausage 2/$5 w/coupon limit 4
*Cottonelle $0.88 w/coupon (limit 4 - stack with $0.25 SC!)
*FM canned tomatoes or beans 3/$ w/coupon (limit 6)
*Tillamook 16 oz butter 2/$4 (limit 4 with coupon)
*Kroger brand 2lb medium cheddar cheese blocks $4.49 (limit 2 w/coupon)
*Crest toothpaste $1.99 w/coupon (limit 2, stack with $0.50 SC)
The best deals may be the FM frozen veggies and canned tomatoes/beans for the food,the Bic Soleil (run!) and also the Cottonelle bath tissue if you still have your coupon for H&B deals.
Fred Meyers will accept manufacturers coupons stacked with their store coupons available in the ad flyer. They are also still doing the stimulus promo until the end of the month (purchase $300 gift card, receive $30 extra, $600 gift card, get $60, $900, get $90)
Your Sunday Paper: Is It Worth It?
It depends on your location and whether or not you actually read the entire paper.
If you live in the middle of nowhere, and are only getting the paper for coupons and ads, it may not be worth the price (unless you are getting it delivered for $1 or less) I signed up to receive our local paper, The Kitsap Sun, for $1 for the weekend papers delivered for three months. This sounded like a great deal to me at first, since I wouldn't have to use any gas to get our paper and could plan out my shopping plan of attack from the comfort of my own home. Plus, we use newspaper in the winter for lighting the fireplace, so I could save it for then.
But after a few weeks I realized the coupon selection was much more limited than when we used to get the Seattle or Tacoma papers. Some weeks I was barely breaking even for the $1 with just one or two coupons that we could use. I was finding myself more and more relying on trading or buying people's time to clip coupons online.
So when I received notice that it was time to renew (at a higher non-promotional rate, at that) I decided it simply wasn't worth it. I could view the Rite Aid, Walgreens and Fred Meyer ads online. And since I was getting my coupons online, I might as well put the money for the paper towards that.
Today, when we went to our bank, I noticed that Fred Meyer already had the advance copy of the Seattle Sunday paper out! I flipped through it, and sure enough, there's the normal amount of coupons - at least 3 times more than what I was receiving in the Kitsap Sun. Tomorrow I will verify when my last Sunday paper arrives, but I'm pretty sure it's nowhere close. Even better, I'm getting the coupons and the ads a day early by purchasing it at Fred Meyer, so I can be at Rite Aid before all the FAR items are gone (my biggest pet peeve living in a smaller area is that stores are not very well stocked up for any sort of promo!)
Yes, I am using gas to get the paper on Saturday, but I figure I can start to do some errands on that day to combine a trip. (Plus, some weeks there may be coupons I can use at FM before the sale ends that Saturday!) The Sunday Seattle paper does cost $1.50 at FM, but if you bring your own bag it comes down to $1.45 - 45 cents more than having the Kitsap Sun delivered to us, but the extra coupons more than make up for the difference.
If you live in the middle of nowhere, and are only getting the paper for coupons and ads, it may not be worth the price (unless you are getting it delivered for $1 or less) I signed up to receive our local paper, The Kitsap Sun, for $1 for the weekend papers delivered for three months. This sounded like a great deal to me at first, since I wouldn't have to use any gas to get our paper and could plan out my shopping plan of attack from the comfort of my own home. Plus, we use newspaper in the winter for lighting the fireplace, so I could save it for then.
But after a few weeks I realized the coupon selection was much more limited than when we used to get the Seattle or Tacoma papers. Some weeks I was barely breaking even for the $1 with just one or two coupons that we could use. I was finding myself more and more relying on trading or buying people's time to clip coupons online.
So when I received notice that it was time to renew (at a higher non-promotional rate, at that) I decided it simply wasn't worth it. I could view the Rite Aid, Walgreens and Fred Meyer ads online. And since I was getting my coupons online, I might as well put the money for the paper towards that.
Today, when we went to our bank, I noticed that Fred Meyer already had the advance copy of the Seattle Sunday paper out! I flipped through it, and sure enough, there's the normal amount of coupons - at least 3 times more than what I was receiving in the Kitsap Sun. Tomorrow I will verify when my last Sunday paper arrives, but I'm pretty sure it's nowhere close. Even better, I'm getting the coupons and the ads a day early by purchasing it at Fred Meyer, so I can be at Rite Aid before all the FAR items are gone (my biggest pet peeve living in a smaller area is that stores are not very well stocked up for any sort of promo!)
Yes, I am using gas to get the paper on Saturday, but I figure I can start to do some errands on that day to combine a trip. (Plus, some weeks there may be coupons I can use at FM before the sale ends that Saturday!) The Sunday Seattle paper does cost $1.50 at FM, but if you bring your own bag it comes down to $1.45 - 45 cents more than having the Kitsap Sun delivered to us, but the extra coupons more than make up for the difference.
11 July 2008
A Psychotic Housewife Giveaway!
Contest is now over! Please stop by my blog again soon to see who the winner is! :)
Yes, finally, a contest from me!
Up for grabs is a coupon for a FREE container of Breakstone's or Knudsen's Sour Cream (up to $3) Since I am always writing about deals it seems, of course my first giveaway would have to be something to help you keep your grocery bill low!
Here's a yummy recipe you could try with it:
4 cups hot prepared mashed potatoes (fresh, or with a mix - either works fine)
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. chopped bacon or chives (you choose)
MIX all ingredients in a bowl, serve immediately.
Or maybe it's perfect for your family's Mexican themed dinner night?
To enter: Leave me a post with your favorite shopping deal that you've ever done (like the Planters deal for instance, a great clearance deal, or CVS trip) (if you've written a blog entry about it in the past, feel free to just leave the link)
Want a second entry? Blog about this giveaway and link back to it. (leave a separate comment so I know you've got two entries)
Contest ends Wednesday July 16th. Make sure your email is available on your profile or that you have a blog you update so I can contact you - if I can't reach you, you can't win! Anonymous entries that I can't contact won't be counted.
My Deals From The Last Few Days
Here's the (boring) rundown of my shopping trips the last few days:
Albertsons #1:
*Juicy Juice 8pk juice $2 minus $1 printable coupon
*Betty Crocker corn muffin mix $0.33 (I can make it for cheaper, but sometimes it's nice to have a ready made pack instead of measuring everything when it's late at night)
*Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes $1.50 minus $1 printable coupon (couponbug.com)
*Oscar Mayer Naturals bacon $1.99 (marked down from $5.99!)
*Wild Harvest 2lb carrots $1.99 minus $1 printable coupon
*German chocolate oversized slice of cake $0.99 (too hot to bake here, so we split this for dessert last night)
*Jalapeno cheddar bread $1.99 (again, because of the heat or I'd make it myself)
Total after coupons: $7.79
Albertsons #2 (more on this transaction at the end):
*Curves granola bars $1.99 minus $0.75 printable coupon
*Nature Valley granola bars $1.99 minus $0.60 printable coupon
*Chicken Helper $1.49 x3 minus $1 printable on 3 (bought for the deal)
*Betty Crocker Dessert Bowls $1.99 (x2) minus $0.55 printable (x2)
*General Mills Trix cereal $1.99 minus $0.55 printable coupon
*GM Frosted Cheerios $1.99 minus $0.75 printable coupon
*CM Cheerios $1.99 minus $0.55 printable coupon
Total after coupons $13.10
Safeway:
*Attune bar $1 minus free product coupon
*Oscar Mayer mini hot dogs (a ziplock bag of 20) $2 minus $1 peelie
Total after coupons: $1
Wal*Mart:
*Johnson Buddies soap $0.94 (x2) minus $2 on 2 printable coupon
*Gold Bond Ultimate lotion (trial size) $0.97 minus $1 printable coupon
*Sam's Choice Diet Dr Thunder 2liters $0.67 (x3)
Total after coupons: $3.01
Fred Meyer #1:
*Tony's Pizza $2.50 (for future lazy days)
*Banquet Chicken Patties (large bag) $4.29
*Land of Frost turkey lunchmeat $1.79
*bag of markdown bakery bagels $1.50
*Soy Dream $1.25 minus $0.75 printable coupon
*1lb coleslaw marked down $0.79
*organic greens tubs 5oz marked down to $1.29
*travel size Battleship game $3.19 (for us on the plane to visit family)
Total after coupons: $16.01
Fred Meyer #2:
*6pk Budweiser for DH $4.99 (will last ages lol)
*Degree deodorant $2.59 minus $2 in store coupon
*Mission burrito tortillas on sale 2/$4 minus $1 on 2 SC
Total after coupons: $8.34
Fred Meyer #3:
*Fresh Scent 14lb cat litter $5.99 minus $1 peelie
Total after coupons: $5.45
I split my Albertsons transactions into 2 because of the Batman 2 movie tickets deal - I wanted to keep track of the total amount spent to get the tickets. My scenario with the coupon choices aren't as great because I had already printed a lot of the coupons to use earlier this week with the Safeway deal on last weeks ad (I should have waited!) Otherwise, I would not have bothered with the Betty Crocker bowls and the Chicken Helper which to me were overpriced and unnecessary (for some reason though, DH adores CH and HH - I don't get it?) Of course, we had planned to see the movie anyways, and the cheapest tickets would have been $15 for both of us to see it, so I still came out ahead and we got technically free food.
At Wal-Mart, I had the first coupon problems in a long time. I went to a clerk I had gone through several times in the past, and never had any problems. I am going to assume that WM is cracking down big time, because I waited while she tried to sort it out and decide whether I could use them or not. I was perfectly fine with not getting the few cents of overage, but she ended up giving them to me anyways. I'll see if next week I end up with the same problem or not (though, I don't believe I have any coupons for overage left at the moment, I know I am finally all out of the Buddies coupons! lol And yes, we are set on those for a long time!)
I also ran into a problem at Fred Meyer with a cashier. I originally also had a Dove deodorant (I posted about this deal earlier in the week) to go along with the Degree deodorant on transaction #2. She refused to let me use the coupon, even though I pointed out she could price adjust it. I have had problems with this cashier in the past with coupons (such as using coupons on sale items), so I don't feel it is FM's fault so much as this particular cashier not understanding how coupons work overall (I will post her first name when I notice it next time so she can be avoided) I wasn't about to argue with her after the day I had yesterday so I just took the item off and let it go.
The Safeway and Fred Meyers #3 were only done today because DH needed to pick up some money my MIL sent us because of the Walt's fiasco. Normally I would not go out for so little!
I took advantage of being in Safeway to look through the items that are covered in their Summer Savings Marathon Promo deal that runs through July 29th. I didn't see any jump out at me kind of deals. Nothing included in the deal is under $1 at this moment (unless they do sales next week which could change it) Most of the items included are larger family or jumbo sizes. The one thing I don't care for myself is that the deal spits out a Catalina coupon for $20 if you buy 25 - therefore you are stuck pulling the cash up front for the first deal. Try to use as many coupons as possible for the deal, and keep in mind that many items are overpriced for this deal, so you may not be coming out ahead.
Albertsons #1:
*Juicy Juice 8pk juice $2 minus $1 printable coupon
*Betty Crocker corn muffin mix $0.33 (I can make it for cheaper, but sometimes it's nice to have a ready made pack instead of measuring everything when it's late at night)
*Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes $1.50 minus $1 printable coupon (couponbug.com)
*Oscar Mayer Naturals bacon $1.99 (marked down from $5.99!)
*Wild Harvest 2lb carrots $1.99 minus $1 printable coupon
*German chocolate oversized slice of cake $0.99 (too hot to bake here, so we split this for dessert last night)
*Jalapeno cheddar bread $1.99 (again, because of the heat or I'd make it myself)
Total after coupons: $7.79
Albertsons #2 (more on this transaction at the end):
*Curves granola bars $1.99 minus $0.75 printable coupon
*Nature Valley granola bars $1.99 minus $0.60 printable coupon
*Chicken Helper $1.49 x3 minus $1 printable on 3 (bought for the deal)
*Betty Crocker Dessert Bowls $1.99 (x2) minus $0.55 printable (x2)
*General Mills Trix cereal $1.99 minus $0.55 printable coupon
*GM Frosted Cheerios $1.99 minus $0.75 printable coupon
*CM Cheerios $1.99 minus $0.55 printable coupon
Total after coupons $13.10
Safeway:
*Attune bar $1 minus free product coupon
*Oscar Mayer mini hot dogs (a ziplock bag of 20) $2 minus $1 peelie
Total after coupons: $1
Wal*Mart:
*Johnson Buddies soap $0.94 (x2) minus $2 on 2 printable coupon
*Gold Bond Ultimate lotion (trial size) $0.97 minus $1 printable coupon
*Sam's Choice Diet Dr Thunder 2liters $0.67 (x3)
Total after coupons: $3.01
Fred Meyer #1:
*Tony's Pizza $2.50 (for future lazy days)
*Banquet Chicken Patties (large bag) $4.29
*Land of Frost turkey lunchmeat $1.79
*bag of markdown bakery bagels $1.50
*Soy Dream $1.25 minus $0.75 printable coupon
*1lb coleslaw marked down $0.79
*organic greens tubs 5oz marked down to $1.29
*travel size Battleship game $3.19 (for us on the plane to visit family)
Total after coupons: $16.01
Fred Meyer #2:
*6pk Budweiser for DH $4.99 (will last ages lol)
*Degree deodorant $2.59 minus $2 in store coupon
*Mission burrito tortillas on sale 2/$4 minus $1 on 2 SC
Total after coupons: $8.34
Fred Meyer #3:
*Fresh Scent 14lb cat litter $5.99 minus $1 peelie
Total after coupons: $5.45
I split my Albertsons transactions into 2 because of the Batman 2 movie tickets deal - I wanted to keep track of the total amount spent to get the tickets. My scenario with the coupon choices aren't as great because I had already printed a lot of the coupons to use earlier this week with the Safeway deal on last weeks ad (I should have waited!) Otherwise, I would not have bothered with the Betty Crocker bowls and the Chicken Helper which to me were overpriced and unnecessary (for some reason though, DH adores CH and HH - I don't get it?) Of course, we had planned to see the movie anyways, and the cheapest tickets would have been $15 for both of us to see it, so I still came out ahead and we got technically free food.
At Wal-Mart, I had the first coupon problems in a long time. I went to a clerk I had gone through several times in the past, and never had any problems. I am going to assume that WM is cracking down big time, because I waited while she tried to sort it out and decide whether I could use them or not. I was perfectly fine with not getting the few cents of overage, but she ended up giving them to me anyways. I'll see if next week I end up with the same problem or not (though, I don't believe I have any coupons for overage left at the moment, I know I am finally all out of the Buddies coupons! lol And yes, we are set on those for a long time!)
I also ran into a problem at Fred Meyer with a cashier. I originally also had a Dove deodorant (I posted about this deal earlier in the week) to go along with the Degree deodorant on transaction #2. She refused to let me use the coupon, even though I pointed out she could price adjust it. I have had problems with this cashier in the past with coupons (such as using coupons on sale items), so I don't feel it is FM's fault so much as this particular cashier not understanding how coupons work overall (I will post her first name when I notice it next time so she can be avoided) I wasn't about to argue with her after the day I had yesterday so I just took the item off and let it go.
The Safeway and Fred Meyers #3 were only done today because DH needed to pick up some money my MIL sent us because of the Walt's fiasco. Normally I would not go out for so little!
I took advantage of being in Safeway to look through the items that are covered in their Summer Savings Marathon Promo deal that runs through July 29th. I didn't see any jump out at me kind of deals. Nothing included in the deal is under $1 at this moment (unless they do sales next week which could change it) Most of the items included are larger family or jumbo sizes. The one thing I don't care for myself is that the deal spits out a Catalina coupon for $20 if you buy 25 - therefore you are stuck pulling the cash up front for the first deal. Try to use as many coupons as possible for the deal, and keep in mind that many items are overpriced for this deal, so you may not be coming out ahead.
Printable Alexia Foods Coupon!
Alexia All Natural Foods are kind enough to have a printable coupon available on their site to save $0.50 on any of their products. You do have to register with their site; however, this is not a bricks or smart source coupon, so you don't have to worry about installing any coupon printing software (so you can even print it at work if you are allowed to) Also, you can print several (please don't go overboard and waste your ink though!) This coupon does print out rather big on the page, be warned, and while I normally recommend using the lowest ink setting on your printer (the draft option) this coupon doesn't scan so easily on it. You'll probably have to print it on regular quality unless you know you will have a great cashier who won't blink an eye if it doesn't scan on the first try.
If you print a coupon, and you have a moment, please drop Alexia a line here and give them some thanks for the coupon, and let them know how much you enjoy their products.
I often see their potato products on sale for $2 each at Fred Meyer and Albertsons! I adore their sweet potato fries.
If you print a coupon, and you have a moment, please drop Alexia a line here and give them some thanks for the coupon, and let them know how much you enjoy their products.
I often see their potato products on sale for $2 each at Fred Meyer and Albertsons! I adore their sweet potato fries.
10 July 2008
Walt's Take Two! (Avoid Them!)
I don't even know where to start or if this will even make sense, so bear with me!
Part 1:
We went out to run some errands (I'll do that in a separate post) and we filled up at Fred Meyers. As we were pulling out I could smell a lot of gas (we had our windows down) so I figured DH must have spilled a tiny bit since I had him completely fill it this time.
We get home and DH noticed as he was taking groceries out that there was a leak! So DH called and told them; Walt's told us to bring it in and they'd look at it. At this point, DH needed to be at work within the hour; when he called to let them know what happened and that we had no idea what time he could be in, they told him just to take the day off (of course, unpaid which we need like a hole in our head!)
Part 2:
While DH was talking to work, I was checking out our bank online. I had deposited money today and when I got the receipt the balance was incredibly low - and DH's paycheck was just deposited! Panic set in when I realize WALT'S HAD DEBITED THE AMOUNT TWICE! and two of my scheduled payments for Tuesday has received overdrawn/insufficient funds! I freaked as I have never bounced a check or missed a payment on anything!
So we go into Walt's and I confronted them. They said it wasn't possible and denied it over and over again. Meanwhile we are waiting for them to tell us what was wrong for over a half an hour. They finally come in and say they need to remove the gas tank completely (here we go again!) and we will loose gas doing this (I had just spent $70 filling up!). I had to walk out the door before I really lost it on them at this point, I needed a moment to recover from my frustrations.
DH said to just let them do it, so we wait another HOUR while they do this (they didn't bother to tell us how long it would be) and finally we are told the seal didn't set properly.
Meanwhile they still aren't owning up to the double payment, so we drove to our bank. When I got to the bank, the bank says it's Walt's fault, they need to credit it back and gave me a print out of the transactions (which I should have done before we left, but I was in such shock at what had just happened).
Back to Walt's we go. They STILL WON'T own up to it! Finally I had enough and went back to the bank and began the equivalent of a chargeback because I had no other choice. (The one time I don't use my credit card for a purchase over $100 I get burned!)
So now I have to wait 5-7 days to see the funds (never mind that I have the rest of the bills due Monday!) and wait to prove that they (Walt's) were wrong. Not even a handwritten apology will make me feel better about the way things have gone.
I will never EVER go near another Walt's location again! What an expensive coupon that turned out to be!
Part 1:
We went out to run some errands (I'll do that in a separate post) and we filled up at Fred Meyers. As we were pulling out I could smell a lot of gas (we had our windows down) so I figured DH must have spilled a tiny bit since I had him completely fill it this time.
We get home and DH noticed as he was taking groceries out that there was a leak! So DH called and told them; Walt's told us to bring it in and they'd look at it. At this point, DH needed to be at work within the hour; when he called to let them know what happened and that we had no idea what time he could be in, they told him just to take the day off (of course, unpaid which we need like a hole in our head!)
Part 2:
While DH was talking to work, I was checking out our bank online. I had deposited money today and when I got the receipt the balance was incredibly low - and DH's paycheck was just deposited! Panic set in when I realize WALT'S HAD DEBITED THE AMOUNT TWICE! and two of my scheduled payments for Tuesday has received overdrawn/insufficient funds! I freaked as I have never bounced a check or missed a payment on anything!
So we go into Walt's and I confronted them. They said it wasn't possible and denied it over and over again. Meanwhile we are waiting for them to tell us what was wrong for over a half an hour. They finally come in and say they need to remove the gas tank completely (here we go again!) and we will loose gas doing this (I had just spent $70 filling up!). I had to walk out the door before I really lost it on them at this point, I needed a moment to recover from my frustrations.
DH said to just let them do it, so we wait another HOUR while they do this (they didn't bother to tell us how long it would be) and finally we are told the seal didn't set properly.
Meanwhile they still aren't owning up to the double payment, so we drove to our bank. When I got to the bank, the bank says it's Walt's fault, they need to credit it back and gave me a print out of the transactions (which I should have done before we left, but I was in such shock at what had just happened).
Back to Walt's we go. They STILL WON'T own up to it! Finally I had enough and went back to the bank and began the equivalent of a chargeback because I had no other choice. (The one time I don't use my credit card for a purchase over $100 I get burned!)
So now I have to wait 5-7 days to see the funds (never mind that I have the rest of the bills due Monday!) and wait to prove that they (Walt's) were wrong. Not even a handwritten apology will make me feel better about the way things have gone.
I will never EVER go near another Walt's location again! What an expensive coupon that turned out to be!
09 July 2008
Panic At The Registers
If you've been reading any blogs the last few days, you may have seen postings where folks have been turned down using their legit, printed from Target's own website at their local Target. I've heard more stories about problems redeeming coupons at Wal*Mart as well, not that is new - they are known for being rather cranky when you present coupons at the register.
So I wasn't too thrilled to see this video on the Yahoo page earlier.
I'll be honest, the thought of not being able to use any coupons when I shop scares the living daylights out of me. I, like many others, heavily rely on them to have pretty much everything we need in this family - even when we out to eat, or purchasing clothing or items for the house. It's a very rare occurrence that I go shopping without using at least one coupon - and I mean VERY RARE.
I remember a few years back when hardly anyone wouldn't accept our now beloved internet printed coupons, and I hope this will not be the case in the near future. I also hope that this doesn't cause them to stop taking even the manufacturer's coupons from the Sunday papers at times!
It's bad enough that many stores don't bother to take the time to educate their cashiers on the store's coupon policies or even how to input coupons properly through the registers (how many times do you stand in line while the clerk calls someone over because they are unfamiliar with the process if it doesn't scan on the first swipe?) But to be made out like a criminal (which I've had happen in the past myself) because you are using coupons is just completely unacceptable.
I hate that a few bad apples are ruining it for the rest of us honest folks just trying to make the most out of our hard earned money.
So I wasn't too thrilled to see this video on the Yahoo page earlier.
I'll be honest, the thought of not being able to use any coupons when I shop scares the living daylights out of me. I, like many others, heavily rely on them to have pretty much everything we need in this family - even when we out to eat, or purchasing clothing or items for the house. It's a very rare occurrence that I go shopping without using at least one coupon - and I mean VERY RARE.
I remember a few years back when hardly anyone wouldn't accept our now beloved internet printed coupons, and I hope this will not be the case in the near future. I also hope that this doesn't cause them to stop taking even the manufacturer's coupons from the Sunday papers at times!
It's bad enough that many stores don't bother to take the time to educate their cashiers on the store's coupon policies or even how to input coupons properly through the registers (how many times do you stand in line while the clerk calls someone over because they are unfamiliar with the process if it doesn't scan on the first swipe?) But to be made out like a criminal (which I've had happen in the past myself) because you are using coupons is just completely unacceptable.
I hate that a few bad apples are ruining it for the rest of us honest folks just trying to make the most out of our hard earned money.
Win 5 Hand Stamped Happy Birthday Cards!
The Giveaway and Tina Lina are giving away a set of five beautiful hand stamped Red Petals "Happy Birthday" cards made by Tina Lina! Pop on over to Tina Lina's Etsy store and then go over to The Giveaway and tell them what your favorite item was in her Etsy store. The contest ends on July 14th, so stop on by and get your entry in before then!
My favorite is the Mini Frogs cards. I think these would be just perfect to use as gift tags on Spring birthday gifts!
Buying Organic And Natural Goods On An Nearly Empty Wallet
I know all too well wanting to buy organic only but not having the budget to allow it.
Compromise. You may not be able to have everything in your refrigerator and pantry organic, but you can have plenty of it with a little ingenuity.
Want organic veggies but can't afford them? Try planting a container garden with tomatoes and herbs such as parsley and basil. The herbs grow easily in any sunny spot near a window, inside or outside. As long as you have a sunny spot that a medium size pot can fit, you can have tomatoes even if you don't have the space for a full veggie garden. Have the space? There's tons of great veggies you can easily plant, and freeze for all year round. Not only do you know what has come in contact with them, you help the environment too (no transportation to your local store! hurray!)
Look for sales and mark downs in the organic aisles. I often get my organic greens for half the price because the Use By date is in 2 or 3 days. I just scored organic eggs for $1.39 (more than half off!) and the Use By/Purchase date was 11 days away - they'll be long gone in my recipes by then!
Look for coupons. Many stores have free flyers and mini magazines located in their organic departments that have several coupons for organic goods such as milk and cereal. Sometimes organic and natural items will place their coupons in the Sunday paper, or will have their coupons available to print on their website or printable coupon sites like Coupons.com or SmartSource. Even sometimes when you purchase something organic, a Catalina coupon will print out for a competitor's item. I get lots of Seventh Generation catalina coupons this way.
Buy an organic meat, but just use less. The taste is different, more flavorable so you can use less in a recipe.
Try different stores. Out here in WA, we have stores known as Grocery Outlet. I can often find great deals on organic goods there - such as organic tomato soup for 25 cents a can. That's better than the non-organic prices! The only catch is you have to watch the Use By dates on some of these items - every so often, an item will be just past the date.
How do you get deals on your organic purchases?
Compromise. You may not be able to have everything in your refrigerator and pantry organic, but you can have plenty of it with a little ingenuity.
Want organic veggies but can't afford them? Try planting a container garden with tomatoes and herbs such as parsley and basil. The herbs grow easily in any sunny spot near a window, inside or outside. As long as you have a sunny spot that a medium size pot can fit, you can have tomatoes even if you don't have the space for a full veggie garden. Have the space? There's tons of great veggies you can easily plant, and freeze for all year round. Not only do you know what has come in contact with them, you help the environment too (no transportation to your local store! hurray!)
Look for sales and mark downs in the organic aisles. I often get my organic greens for half the price because the Use By date is in 2 or 3 days. I just scored organic eggs for $1.39 (more than half off!) and the Use By/Purchase date was 11 days away - they'll be long gone in my recipes by then!
Look for coupons. Many stores have free flyers and mini magazines located in their organic departments that have several coupons for organic goods such as milk and cereal. Sometimes organic and natural items will place their coupons in the Sunday paper, or will have their coupons available to print on their website or printable coupon sites like Coupons.com or SmartSource. Even sometimes when you purchase something organic, a Catalina coupon will print out for a competitor's item. I get lots of Seventh Generation catalina coupons this way.
Buy an organic meat, but just use less. The taste is different, more flavorable so you can use less in a recipe.
Try different stores. Out here in WA, we have stores known as Grocery Outlet. I can often find great deals on organic goods there - such as organic tomato soup for 25 cents a can. That's better than the non-organic prices! The only catch is you have to watch the Use By dates on some of these items - every so often, an item will be just past the date.
How do you get deals on your organic purchases?
08 July 2008
I won! I won!
Thank you to LoveEtsyFeedback and JILLreDESIGNS for this absolutely GORGEOUS ring I won from them! Every piece is handcreated by Jill. I'm gushing because I can't believe how beautiful it is in person!
Check out JILLreDESIGNS's Etsy store full of wonderful, pretty jewelry!
I Hate Cars!
I really do! So we were all up early this morning to have the car in at 8AM. When we turn in the keys, they guy working the counter says it should take a few hours, three at the most.
Fine, no problem. There's an Albertson's across the street that's open already, and a Saar's market, I can look at prices and see if I have any coupons matching any hidden deals. So I end up with:
Albertson's:
*Huggies Clean Team washcloths $1.29 minus $1 SC
*Tampax Pearl tamponns $3 minus $1 SC (not a great deal, but I'm working on my stash and being CVS-less, it's hard to get them free or nearly free)
*a pumpkin scented votive candle, $0.42 (my treat for getting up so early! lol)
Total after coupons: $3.12
Saar's Marketplace:
*Nature's Way cheese rice marked down to $0.60
Total $0.60
I never really find anything at Saar's, so unless we are getting an oil change I never go in there. I find their prices are as high if not higher than Safeway, and a lot of their meat products border on rank. The one time I bought meat there it ended up in the trash that night - I learned my lesson.
At this point I had only wasted close to two hours, so we went into Jack in the Box and DH got $1 chicken sandwhich and we split a small drink (free refills!). At least we were sitting and in AC as it was already getting pretty hot by this time.
So we wasted another hour sitting in there (I took advantage of the time to sort through my coupons and familiarize myself with them) and then when we came out, we saw the car sitting in the lot. We headed back over there thinking we could pick up the car.
Another guy was in there and said they hadn't even started yet! Um, what?! He tried to tell us that they told us yesterday it would be an all day thing! Um, that was yesterday because you didn't have the part ordered. We made an appointment for 8 am when you would already have the part for today and we wouldn't have to wait so long? Remember that, Walt's?
Frustrated I told DH that we'd just walk down the road towards another shopping plaza. By this point the sun is roasting, and there's no sidewalks so we have to be careful with oncoming traffic. And by this point, my lungs are reminding me that I am still getting over an infection. The more I walk the more frustrated I am getting.
So we visited Goodwill (I found a brand new Quesadilla maker for $7.99!) and I told DH we'd just hit the pizza buffet so at least we had somewhere to sit in the AC. (it was that or A&W and I figured they would throw us out after an hour, lol) So here I am muttering to myself about so much for my 15% discount coupon, here I am spending it on food to waste time while waiting.
So another two hours later we go back, and they're STILL NOT DONE. At this point I can't even open my mouth because I know I am just going to voice my anger (something I don't want to do with my car up in the air, who knows how bad they will finish it at that point)
With the discount, it still came to $471. (Cringe, that's like more than I spend in two months) And if I feel the need to use a Walt's coupon, I'll make sure to visit a different location!
Fine, no problem. There's an Albertson's across the street that's open already, and a Saar's market, I can look at prices and see if I have any coupons matching any hidden deals. So I end up with:
Albertson's:
*Huggies Clean Team washcloths $1.29 minus $1 SC
*Tampax Pearl tamponns $3 minus $1 SC (not a great deal, but I'm working on my stash and being CVS-less, it's hard to get them free or nearly free)
*a pumpkin scented votive candle, $0.42 (my treat for getting up so early! lol)
Total after coupons: $3.12
Saar's Marketplace:
*Nature's Way cheese rice marked down to $0.60
Total $0.60
I never really find anything at Saar's, so unless we are getting an oil change I never go in there. I find their prices are as high if not higher than Safeway, and a lot of their meat products border on rank. The one time I bought meat there it ended up in the trash that night - I learned my lesson.
At this point I had only wasted close to two hours, so we went into Jack in the Box and DH got $1 chicken sandwhich and we split a small drink (free refills!). At least we were sitting and in AC as it was already getting pretty hot by this time.
So we wasted another hour sitting in there (I took advantage of the time to sort through my coupons and familiarize myself with them) and then when we came out, we saw the car sitting in the lot. We headed back over there thinking we could pick up the car.
Another guy was in there and said they hadn't even started yet! Um, what?! He tried to tell us that they told us yesterday it would be an all day thing! Um, that was yesterday because you didn't have the part ordered. We made an appointment for 8 am when you would already have the part for today and we wouldn't have to wait so long? Remember that, Walt's?
Frustrated I told DH that we'd just walk down the road towards another shopping plaza. By this point the sun is roasting, and there's no sidewalks so we have to be careful with oncoming traffic. And by this point, my lungs are reminding me that I am still getting over an infection. The more I walk the more frustrated I am getting.
So we visited Goodwill (I found a brand new Quesadilla maker for $7.99!) and I told DH we'd just hit the pizza buffet so at least we had somewhere to sit in the AC. (it was that or A&W and I figured they would throw us out after an hour, lol) So here I am muttering to myself about so much for my 15% discount coupon, here I am spending it on food to waste time while waiting.
So another two hours later we go back, and they're STILL NOT DONE. At this point I can't even open my mouth because I know I am just going to voice my anger (something I don't want to do with my car up in the air, who knows how bad they will finish it at that point)
With the discount, it still came to $471. (Cringe, that's like more than I spend in two months) And if I feel the need to use a Walt's coupon, I'll make sure to visit a different location!
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