If anyone needs me over the next 2 weeks, you can probably find me at the Jewel. They are doing another P&G deal and I have an obscene amount of coupons.
That is all.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Got Breakfast?
Because I do! It has been a little while since I posted a Deal, so I thought I would let you in on what I have been getting this week. This is the 19 Bisquick Shake n Pours I picked up.
These were all basically free between coupons and store promos. I think I may have spent $0.50 total.
This is actually a CD rack that we are not using at the moment. It has become a temporary staging place for some things that I haven't figure out a place for yet. I need to get a pantry of some sort. Some of the items here are Oatmeal to Go, Lipton teabags, Jif and Skippy peanut butter and Smuckers jelly.
The tea bags were actually almost free, the Jif and Smuckers made me money after rebate and the Oatmeal to Go were 0.50 a box and I have rebate forms for some of them too.
Lastly, Quaker Instant oatmeal, this does not include the 4 boxes I sold, the 2 I gave to my mom and the one box that is open in my cabinet. So add another 7 boxes to this.
Most of this cost me between 0.05 - 0.30 a box. Total score.
Now, I know you think I am nuts. That's okay. I see you over there, Princess Consuela Bananahammock, shaking your head and making a list of who to call. Just grant me one favor, let me know when my intervention will be so I can make Oatmeal cookies.
These were all basically free between coupons and store promos. I think I may have spent $0.50 total.
This is actually a CD rack that we are not using at the moment. It has become a temporary staging place for some things that I haven't figure out a place for yet. I need to get a pantry of some sort. Some of the items here are Oatmeal to Go, Lipton teabags, Jif and Skippy peanut butter and Smuckers jelly.
The tea bags were actually almost free, the Jif and Smuckers made me money after rebate and the Oatmeal to Go were 0.50 a box and I have rebate forms for some of them too.
Lastly, Quaker Instant oatmeal, this does not include the 4 boxes I sold, the 2 I gave to my mom and the one box that is open in my cabinet. So add another 7 boxes to this.
Most of this cost me between 0.05 - 0.30 a box. Total score.
Now, I know you think I am nuts. That's okay. I see you over there, Princess Consuela Bananahammock, shaking your head and making a list of who to call. Just grant me one favor, let me know when my intervention will be so I can make Oatmeal cookies.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
They grow up so fast.....
Seems like yesterday that I had Gene Simmons of newborns. Now I have a little boy who goes to school. Yesterday was Andrew's first day of preschool. He goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Justin is in classes. The preschool is at the community college.
My kid has no real issues with us leaving him with strangers. At least he doesn't if it is with a pretty girl who shows him trains. They arrived yesterday, washed Andrew's hands and put his stuff in his cubby. Andrew got a little clingy when other kids started to arrive, but Miss Emily asked if he liked trains and that was all it took. He said yes (actually he says Eee Eee, kinda like a dolphin and that means yes) and they took off to play with toy trains. He didn't even care that Justin was leaving. The teachers said he did well, except for not wanting to nap. Miss Emily sat down and rubbed his back and he went to sleep. (Such a little operator)
He is the youngest in the class. They start at 2 and he just turned 2 a few weeks ago. I think this will be good for him. He needs more interaction with kids, but I just can't help wondering where the last 2 years went.
My kid has no real issues with us leaving him with strangers. At least he doesn't if it is with a pretty girl who shows him trains. They arrived yesterday, washed Andrew's hands and put his stuff in his cubby. Andrew got a little clingy when other kids started to arrive, but Miss Emily asked if he liked trains and that was all it took. He said yes (actually he says Eee Eee, kinda like a dolphin and that means yes) and they took off to play with toy trains. He didn't even care that Justin was leaving. The teachers said he did well, except for not wanting to nap. Miss Emily sat down and rubbed his back and he went to sleep. (Such a little operator)
He is the youngest in the class. They start at 2 and he just turned 2 a few weeks ago. I think this will be good for him. He needs more interaction with kids, but I just can't help wondering where the last 2 years went.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
New friends and new hobbies.
Okay, so my new friend isn't exactly new, but Monday was the first time we met in person. We have been corresponding via email for a while, since we traded coupons a few months ago. We have been talking about getting together after the holidays for the past few weeks and we finally did. We got together to enjoy our new favorite hobby.......Dumpster Diving for coupons.
Okay, now do you have a good image of me in your head? For those of you who haven't seen me in a while, I am how shall we put it, a big girl. I am not small, even though I am short. I am working on that, but that is for another place entirely. So, think Oompa Loompa but less orange and more round. Got it, good.
Now, picture me next to a recycling dumpster that is almost as tall as I am. Now picture me standing on a plastic recycling bin, one foot wedged into a hole in the side that is there so the trucks can lift and dump it, and hauling myself into the dumpster. Getting out of the dumpster was another challenge because we did not think to bring the recycling bin into the dumpster. To get out, we piled a bunch of papers in the corner and I stood on them. They then collapsed so I am hanging onto the side of the dumpster while my feet slide out from under me. We make a new pile and I use it and a spot on the dumpster to kind of boost myself onto the lip of the dumpster. I get out and use a clever system (plastic bag w/ one end tied to a snow shovel and the other to the recycling bin) to send the recycling bin in for my pal so she has a slightly easier time and we can get the recycling bin back when she is out.
We sorted through the newpapers for coupon inserts and got quite a few. This is so cool because I hate buying a ton of papers. For those of you who don't know, this past Sunday was the biggest coupon insert weekend of the year. Over 250 coupons and some of them are really good ones. Since it was a newpaper recycling bin only, it's really clean inside. It was pretty empty so going through everything was pretty easy. We had a blast and plan to go again tomorrow. Hopefully the dumpster will have filled up. I will be bringing my papers with to recycle there and my stepladder to make getting in easier.
Wish us luck!
Okay, now do you have a good image of me in your head? For those of you who haven't seen me in a while, I am how shall we put it, a big girl. I am not small, even though I am short. I am working on that, but that is for another place entirely. So, think Oompa Loompa but less orange and more round. Got it, good.
Now, picture me next to a recycling dumpster that is almost as tall as I am. Now picture me standing on a plastic recycling bin, one foot wedged into a hole in the side that is there so the trucks can lift and dump it, and hauling myself into the dumpster. Getting out of the dumpster was another challenge because we did not think to bring the recycling bin into the dumpster. To get out, we piled a bunch of papers in the corner and I stood on them. They then collapsed so I am hanging onto the side of the dumpster while my feet slide out from under me. We make a new pile and I use it and a spot on the dumpster to kind of boost myself onto the lip of the dumpster. I get out and use a clever system (plastic bag w/ one end tied to a snow shovel and the other to the recycling bin) to send the recycling bin in for my pal so she has a slightly easier time and we can get the recycling bin back when she is out.
We sorted through the newpapers for coupon inserts and got quite a few. This is so cool because I hate buying a ton of papers. For those of you who don't know, this past Sunday was the biggest coupon insert weekend of the year. Over 250 coupons and some of them are really good ones. Since it was a newpaper recycling bin only, it's really clean inside. It was pretty empty so going through everything was pretty easy. We had a blast and plan to go again tomorrow. Hopefully the dumpster will have filled up. I will be bringing my papers with to recycle there and my stepladder to make getting in easier.
Wish us luck!
Friday, January 05, 2007
I heart Target.
Tonight I had fun cleaning out the Target clearance. The Target on my way home from work finally went to 90% off. WoooHooo!!!! The big deal about this is that I have been waiting for this particular store to drop. They have a ton of air freshener products in the regular area that are part of the Christmas clearance. I have especially been waiting for the Airwick Freshmatic refills. They are regularly 3.74. That is entirely too expensive for me. So, I want to stock up if I can while they are cheap. So here is what I bought today:
6 Airwick Freshmatic Refills in Harvest Spice (0.37/ea)
3 Airwick Decospheres in Harvest Spice (0.28/ea)
2 Airwick Scented Oil Refill 2 pk in Harvest spice (0.39/ea)
1 Glade Scented Oil Fan in Apple Cinnamon (0.66/ea)
1 Glade Scented Oil refill 2 pk in Glistening Snow (0.46/ea)
3 Glade Scented Oil 4oz Candles in Apple Cinnamon and French Vanilla (0.27/ea)
4 Febreeze Noticeables in Vanillas (0.79/ea)
5 Night Before Christmas board books (0.10/ea)
1 Bag of Assorted Gift Bows (0.49)
1 Lionel Richie Sounds of the Season CD (0.69/ea)
1 John Legend Sounds of the Season CD (0.69/ea)
1 Stocking Holder (0.99)
1 2pk of Gift boxes (0.19/ea)
Used 1 $1 off Febreeze Noticeables coupon and 1 $5 gift card
Total oop: $7.38
Looks like we will be smelling of Harvest Spice for a while.
6 Airwick Freshmatic Refills in Harvest Spice (0.37/ea)
3 Airwick Decospheres in Harvest Spice (0.28/ea)
2 Airwick Scented Oil Refill 2 pk in Harvest spice (0.39/ea)
1 Glade Scented Oil Fan in Apple Cinnamon (0.66/ea)
1 Glade Scented Oil refill 2 pk in Glistening Snow (0.46/ea)
3 Glade Scented Oil 4oz Candles in Apple Cinnamon and French Vanilla (0.27/ea)
4 Febreeze Noticeables in Vanillas (0.79/ea)
5 Night Before Christmas board books (0.10/ea)
1 Bag of Assorted Gift Bows (0.49)
1 Lionel Richie Sounds of the Season CD (0.69/ea)
1 John Legend Sounds of the Season CD (0.69/ea)
1 Stocking Holder (0.99)
1 2pk of Gift boxes (0.19/ea)
Used 1 $1 off Febreeze Noticeables coupon and 1 $5 gift card
Total oop: $7.38
Looks like we will be smelling of Harvest Spice for a while.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Chapped lips won't be a concern this winter.
I did something tonight that might seem crazy, but was actually an act of goodwill. I purchased 28 CVS brand Chapsticks. Yes, you read that right, 28. This is in addition to the 8 or so I have bought throughout the month. Now, you might be wondering how on earth this amounts to goodwill. Well, lemme explain.
Apparently my usual CVS store in Geneva is having a little contest to see who can sell the most CVS Chapsticks in December. Shannon is one of the nicest cashiers and never gives me any problems with coupons. This is a big deal because I use a LOT of coupons. Last Friday when she was ringing me up, I added 3 CVS Chapsticks to my order. This is what I have been getting when I need an additional item to bring either my subtotal or my item count up so I can use all of my coupons and ECBs. She was so happy that I bought 3. So I asked if they were having a contest and she said they were, but she was losing badly to another cashier. When I stopped in on Saturday, I found out from the Beauty Coordinator that only 2 cashiers were really competing and how it was funny that Shannon was losing because she really wants to win. Apparently she was behind by something like 30 and nobody thought she could catch up. So, I decided to be nice and blow 20 ECBs and a few coupons to help her catch up and at least have a chance. So tonight I purchased 28 of them. She was so excited and said I was her favorite customer ever. I figure it was worth the 20 ECBs because I appreciate good service. I only paid 0.73 in cash, so it's not like I am out real money.
So, don't be surprised when the Chapstick Fairy sends you a present.
I also had a rather good time shopping at Bath and Body Works. I got sucked into buying a cheesy denim tote because it came with coupons. It was only $5 with a $25 purchase. Well, I had a $25 gift card and they were having a shower gel sale. I got 3 regular shower gels, 1 CO Bigelow Body Cleanser (Lavender scent, smells awesome) 3 of the hand soap pumps, 1 2oz preview lotion in the new Midnight Pomengranate (smells great), and the denim tote w/ the coupons. Total was $33, so I only spent 8 oop. The coupons are mostly for free products in the coming year and some of them have no minimum purchase. The regular shower gels were on sale for $3 instead of 9.50 so that was a total score for me.
Target was good to me. They had some of the Glade scented oil candles (the ones with the holder that are usually 6.99) on holiday clearance for 2.49 and I had $3 off coupons. So I took the 3 they had. I love it when things cost me in negative amounts. You can get overage at Target as long as you have something to cover it. Meaning your total never goes negative. I got 2 of the Glade 4 oz candles in pumpkin pie, on sale for 1.39 and I had $1 off coupons. I got 2 turtleneck onesies for Andrew on clearance for 1.88/ea. So all told for the 5 candles and the 2 onesies I paid $4.03. Total savings of around $32.50 based on the original prices, or $11 off the sale prices.
I think it was a good day for me.
Apparently my usual CVS store in Geneva is having a little contest to see who can sell the most CVS Chapsticks in December. Shannon is one of the nicest cashiers and never gives me any problems with coupons. This is a big deal because I use a LOT of coupons. Last Friday when she was ringing me up, I added 3 CVS Chapsticks to my order. This is what I have been getting when I need an additional item to bring either my subtotal or my item count up so I can use all of my coupons and ECBs. She was so happy that I bought 3. So I asked if they were having a contest and she said they were, but she was losing badly to another cashier. When I stopped in on Saturday, I found out from the Beauty Coordinator that only 2 cashiers were really competing and how it was funny that Shannon was losing because she really wants to win. Apparently she was behind by something like 30 and nobody thought she could catch up. So, I decided to be nice and blow 20 ECBs and a few coupons to help her catch up and at least have a chance. So tonight I purchased 28 of them. She was so excited and said I was her favorite customer ever. I figure it was worth the 20 ECBs because I appreciate good service. I only paid 0.73 in cash, so it's not like I am out real money.
So, don't be surprised when the Chapstick Fairy sends you a present.
I also had a rather good time shopping at Bath and Body Works. I got sucked into buying a cheesy denim tote because it came with coupons. It was only $5 with a $25 purchase. Well, I had a $25 gift card and they were having a shower gel sale. I got 3 regular shower gels, 1 CO Bigelow Body Cleanser (Lavender scent, smells awesome) 3 of the hand soap pumps, 1 2oz preview lotion in the new Midnight Pomengranate (smells great), and the denim tote w/ the coupons. Total was $33, so I only spent 8 oop. The coupons are mostly for free products in the coming year and some of them have no minimum purchase. The regular shower gels were on sale for $3 instead of 9.50 so that was a total score for me.
Target was good to me. They had some of the Glade scented oil candles (the ones with the holder that are usually 6.99) on holiday clearance for 2.49 and I had $3 off coupons. So I took the 3 they had. I love it when things cost me in negative amounts. You can get overage at Target as long as you have something to cover it. Meaning your total never goes negative. I got 2 of the Glade 4 oz candles in pumpkin pie, on sale for 1.39 and I had $1 off coupons. I got 2 turtleneck onesies for Andrew on clearance for 1.88/ea. So all told for the 5 candles and the 2 onesies I paid $4.03. Total savings of around $32.50 based on the original prices, or $11 off the sale prices.
I think it was a good day for me.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Collapsing like a flan in a cupboard.
It is finally over. The crazy mad dash of December, this year made worse by the addition of a new sport we call CVSing. Okay, so lets get this going with Andrew's birthday.
He turned 2 and we had a party. Everyone was packed into our apartment and we have realized that our apartment is not as big as we thought. Everything went well, the kids all played together with only one minor injury. I got to see friends and family and Andrew got tons of stuff. Like he really needs more stuff, he is not lacking for anything. He got a lot of books this year which is what I told anyone who asked me to get. He has tons of toys and with a birthday so close to Christmas, the toy glut is truly insane. He did get THE Tickle Me Elmo and I admit it is super cute. He actually opened presents this year and ran around screaming all day. He seemed to enjoy himself. I as usual obsessed about the amount of food and the fact that I ran out of Italian beef. I get a little whacked when entertaining, I just want everyone to have a great time.
We went to the mall to see Santa. Andrew was very good, no crying. He is a pretty flexible kid and since he spends most of his time with Daddy, he is not afraid of men with beards. After Santa, we had "peepa" (pizza) for dinner and on the way out, he got to ride Scoop. All in all, it was a nice time.
Christmas was the usual running around. The 23rd we went to Justin's grandmother's house. No real present opening there, just a nice evening spent with family. Then Christmas Eve was at my in-laws. We had some awesome prime rib for dinner and the boys seemed to really enjoy their presents. Then it was home and my mom came over to spend the night so she could be there early Christmas morning. The amount of stuff under the tree for Andrew was insane, and most of it was not purchased by me. We will be going through all of his toys soon because there is just not enough room in our house. He got a Power Wheels 4 wheeler from my Mom that he adores, except that he won't ride it without his helmet. That is a good thing, except that the helmet my mom got him is too small. So he puts it on and gets on the bike. Then he hits the button, goes a foot and the helmet falls off. He gets off, puts the helmet back on and tries again. It is pretty funny to watch. He also loves his Thomas pop up tent. This was a great Christmas, it really is a lot of fun when you have kids.
Now that it is all over, it seems my body is in the process of mutiny. I have pushed myself to the limit this holiday and it seems I am paying for it. It is either my IBS acting up badly or perhaps my appendix. I have taken a large dose of fiber, so we will see. Anyone out there missing their appendix and want to share? I will keep you posted.
He turned 2 and we had a party. Everyone was packed into our apartment and we have realized that our apartment is not as big as we thought. Everything went well, the kids all played together with only one minor injury. I got to see friends and family and Andrew got tons of stuff. Like he really needs more stuff, he is not lacking for anything. He got a lot of books this year which is what I told anyone who asked me to get. He has tons of toys and with a birthday so close to Christmas, the toy glut is truly insane. He did get THE Tickle Me Elmo and I admit it is super cute. He actually opened presents this year and ran around screaming all day. He seemed to enjoy himself. I as usual obsessed about the amount of food and the fact that I ran out of Italian beef. I get a little whacked when entertaining, I just want everyone to have a great time.
We went to the mall to see Santa. Andrew was very good, no crying. He is a pretty flexible kid and since he spends most of his time with Daddy, he is not afraid of men with beards. After Santa, we had "peepa" (pizza) for dinner and on the way out, he got to ride Scoop. All in all, it was a nice time.
Christmas was the usual running around. The 23rd we went to Justin's grandmother's house. No real present opening there, just a nice evening spent with family. Then Christmas Eve was at my in-laws. We had some awesome prime rib for dinner and the boys seemed to really enjoy their presents. Then it was home and my mom came over to spend the night so she could be there early Christmas morning. The amount of stuff under the tree for Andrew was insane, and most of it was not purchased by me. We will be going through all of his toys soon because there is just not enough room in our house. He got a Power Wheels 4 wheeler from my Mom that he adores, except that he won't ride it without his helmet. That is a good thing, except that the helmet my mom got him is too small. So he puts it on and gets on the bike. Then he hits the button, goes a foot and the helmet falls off. He gets off, puts the helmet back on and tries again. It is pretty funny to watch. He also loves his Thomas pop up tent. This was a great Christmas, it really is a lot of fun when you have kids.
Now that it is all over, it seems my body is in the process of mutiny. I have pushed myself to the limit this holiday and it seems I am paying for it. It is either my IBS acting up badly or perhaps my appendix. I have taken a large dose of fiber, so we will see. Anyone out there missing their appendix and want to share? I will keep you posted.
Monday, December 18, 2006
I can now Kitchener!!!!!
For non-knitting people this post will mean nothing, but last night I completed my first sock type object. I have a sock that is mostly made, but I have never finished the toe before. The stitch used to close the toe is the Kitchener stitch. I now know how to Kitchener.
Now to finish the mate.
Seriously, can we add on 4 hours of time in the middle of the night this week so I can get some sleep. I still have the tree to get and decorate, my Christmas boxes to find, fudge making and baking to do and finish my shopping. Plus it is a good CVS week and we have discussed how the deals never sleep. Seriously, how can I not turn $6 into $40 if things go as planned.
If I am not a drooling moron by the time this week is done it will be a miracle. Oh, and I forgot to mention that we are doing Christmas 3 times this year. The 23rd at Justin's grandmas, Christmas eve with my in-laws and Christmas at my house. Ladies and gentlemen, I have just lost a day.
On the upside, Andrew's birthday party was a good time. Stay tuned for a post and pics.
Now to finish the mate.
Seriously, can we add on 4 hours of time in the middle of the night this week so I can get some sleep. I still have the tree to get and decorate, my Christmas boxes to find, fudge making and baking to do and finish my shopping. Plus it is a good CVS week and we have discussed how the deals never sleep. Seriously, how can I not turn $6 into $40 if things go as planned.
If I am not a drooling moron by the time this week is done it will be a miracle. Oh, and I forgot to mention that we are doing Christmas 3 times this year. The 23rd at Justin's grandmas, Christmas eve with my in-laws and Christmas at my house. Ladies and gentlemen, I have just lost a day.
On the upside, Andrew's birthday party was a good time. Stay tuned for a post and pics.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Such a busy time of year.
Wow, I feel like the 2 weeks have just flown by. I feel like I am walking around in a fog some days. Trying to keep all of the current deals straight in addition to planning Andrew's 2nd birthday party and Christmas is proving a bit of a challenge. I think that Jewel, Meijer and CVS have formed an alliance bent on my destruction. What is a girl to do when the deals are just so great? She orders a ton of coupons and starts the Great Potato and Charmin Freshmates campaign. That's what.
CVS is doing some decent deals, including one that is working for diapers. So total score there. If anyone out there would like some Cover Girl Advanced Raidiance Foundation in Ivory, let me know. I have 4 and will probably never use it.
At Meijer, I am currently getting microwavable pouches of Betty Crocker potatoes for $2.65 for 15 pouches and I get a coupon for a $10 gift certificate, redeemable next week. So, using the $20 gift card I had been saving, I am buying lots of potatoes. (I goofed my coupon order and over ordered). I will probably have 78 pouches of potatoes, 1 box of Bisquick, 4 bags of Chex Mix and 7 Jenos pizza. I will have spent $33.36 (20 of that on a gift card, not from checking) and I will redeem $60 worth of gift cards next week. Woo Hoo!
Jewel is running the catalina deal again. Charmin freshmates (grown up wipes) are on sale for 2/$4, I have $1 off coupons for these and I get a $10 off my next order coupon when I purchase 5. So, I spend $5 on the first batch and after that I will buy 5 Freshmates and $5 worth of groceries, use my $10 off coupon and keep repeating until I run out. I ordered 55 coupons by the way. Did I mention that? Those cost me about $5. I think this will return a tidy little profit. I will buy Dawn and Puffs tissues when I run out of Charmin coupons. I have until the 17th, so watch out.
Speaking of Dawn, it would have come in handy if the commercial with the penguin in it is to be believed. We discovered a couple of interesting things this week.
We discovered that even after a bath, Vicks will remain in the hair. It may not smell, but it is still there.
We discovered that Andrew can unscrew caps.
We learned that he is clever and knows when he is in trouble. It is cute to hear him say "Sorry Daddy"
Our wonderful little boy took his little chair, dragged it over to his changing table, climbed up on the chair, opened the drawer, got the Vicks out, unscrewed the cap, smeared it all over the changing table, his chair and himself. Then he goes into the living room and climbs onto the couch next to Daddy. Daddy asks him why he smells like Vicks and goes into Andrew's room to investigate. He is nearly knocked unconscious by the overwhelming smell of eucalyptus. Needless to say, everyone had clear sinuses and a headache that day. When Justin asked Andrew "what did you do?" Andrew replied "Sorry Daddy". Boy gets a bath, Vicks gets cleaned up, which is harder than it looks. He is definitely a determined young man, it was quite a string of tasks for a 2 yr old to perform. Justin called me at work to tell me about it and I just could not stop laughing. I ended up washing his hair with dish soap to get all the grease out. Good Times!
Andrew's party is coming up and I have no idea how I am going to get everything done, but I will manage it somehow. Still have Christmas cards to do, still don't have a tree. Can't find the Christmas boxes. I think most of this will get done this weekend. Hopefully. Maybe.
CVS is doing some decent deals, including one that is working for diapers. So total score there. If anyone out there would like some Cover Girl Advanced Raidiance Foundation in Ivory, let me know. I have 4 and will probably never use it.
At Meijer, I am currently getting microwavable pouches of Betty Crocker potatoes for $2.65 for 15 pouches and I get a coupon for a $10 gift certificate, redeemable next week. So, using the $20 gift card I had been saving, I am buying lots of potatoes. (I goofed my coupon order and over ordered). I will probably have 78 pouches of potatoes, 1 box of Bisquick, 4 bags of Chex Mix and 7 Jenos pizza. I will have spent $33.36 (20 of that on a gift card, not from checking) and I will redeem $60 worth of gift cards next week. Woo Hoo!
Jewel is running the catalina deal again. Charmin freshmates (grown up wipes) are on sale for 2/$4, I have $1 off coupons for these and I get a $10 off my next order coupon when I purchase 5. So, I spend $5 on the first batch and after that I will buy 5 Freshmates and $5 worth of groceries, use my $10 off coupon and keep repeating until I run out. I ordered 55 coupons by the way. Did I mention that? Those cost me about $5. I think this will return a tidy little profit. I will buy Dawn and Puffs tissues when I run out of Charmin coupons. I have until the 17th, so watch out.
Speaking of Dawn, it would have come in handy if the commercial with the penguin in it is to be believed. We discovered a couple of interesting things this week.
We discovered that even after a bath, Vicks will remain in the hair. It may not smell, but it is still there.
We discovered that Andrew can unscrew caps.
We learned that he is clever and knows when he is in trouble. It is cute to hear him say "Sorry Daddy"
Our wonderful little boy took his little chair, dragged it over to his changing table, climbed up on the chair, opened the drawer, got the Vicks out, unscrewed the cap, smeared it all over the changing table, his chair and himself. Then he goes into the living room and climbs onto the couch next to Daddy. Daddy asks him why he smells like Vicks and goes into Andrew's room to investigate. He is nearly knocked unconscious by the overwhelming smell of eucalyptus. Needless to say, everyone had clear sinuses and a headache that day. When Justin asked Andrew "what did you do?" Andrew replied "Sorry Daddy". Boy gets a bath, Vicks gets cleaned up, which is harder than it looks. He is definitely a determined young man, it was quite a string of tasks for a 2 yr old to perform. Justin called me at work to tell me about it and I just could not stop laughing. I ended up washing his hair with dish soap to get all the grease out. Good Times!
Andrew's party is coming up and I have no idea how I am going to get everything done, but I will manage it somehow. Still have Christmas cards to do, still don't have a tree. Can't find the Christmas boxes. I think most of this will get done this weekend. Hopefully. Maybe.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Deal of the year!!!!
I recently had a procedure done, but I am doing okay with no real recovery problems so far. The procedure I am speaking of is the dreaded "Cashendectomy". The process of removing a large sum of money from my checking account that is spent on an uneccessary item. I have spoken of this before.
The item this year is the XBox 360 Platinum bundle. At a retail of $399.99, this a major expenditure. But come on, you do see the title of the post and knowing me as you do, dear readers, you must realize that there is no way I am paying that much. We purchased 2 items, The Xbox and a Vonage phone adapter. Our out of pocket was $280. We have $150 in rebates to submit, bringing our total down to $130. I know that you are wondering how we did that. Well, I will tell you. Microcenter (Disneyland for Geeks) was having a special where if you buy a 360 you get a $100 rebate, they also had a promo that if you sign up for Vonage, you get $200 off your purchase of $199 or more, and there are 2 rebates for the phone adapter making it free.
I generally will not sign up for a service in order to get a discount. You end up spending more for the service than the discount and this is true with the Vonage service, it is a year contract. The only reason I agreed was because we were planning to sign up for Vonage in January. We have a cable modem already and we do not have a home phone. We are strictly cell, but wanted to finally get a house line again. So, why not jump on it now and get the $200. Halo 3 will be coming out soon and when that happens Justin will be climbing the walls to get one. So this way we save a bunch of money on something we would eventually be buying.
I was tempted to make him wait to open it until Christmas. While the thought of torturing him that way is mildly appealing, it is just too mean. So, I will be wrapping the box for under the tree and he has promised to act surprised for photos. Luckily, I still have a few little surprises for him this year.
The item this year is the XBox 360 Platinum bundle. At a retail of $399.99, this a major expenditure. But come on, you do see the title of the post and knowing me as you do, dear readers, you must realize that there is no way I am paying that much. We purchased 2 items, The Xbox and a Vonage phone adapter. Our out of pocket was $280. We have $150 in rebates to submit, bringing our total down to $130. I know that you are wondering how we did that. Well, I will tell you. Microcenter (Disneyland for Geeks) was having a special where if you buy a 360 you get a $100 rebate, they also had a promo that if you sign up for Vonage, you get $200 off your purchase of $199 or more, and there are 2 rebates for the phone adapter making it free.
I generally will not sign up for a service in order to get a discount. You end up spending more for the service than the discount and this is true with the Vonage service, it is a year contract. The only reason I agreed was because we were planning to sign up for Vonage in January. We have a cable modem already and we do not have a home phone. We are strictly cell, but wanted to finally get a house line again. So, why not jump on it now and get the $200. Halo 3 will be coming out soon and when that happens Justin will be climbing the walls to get one. So this way we save a bunch of money on something we would eventually be buying.
I was tempted to make him wait to open it until Christmas. While the thought of torturing him that way is mildly appealing, it is just too mean. So, I will be wrapping the box for under the tree and he has promised to act surprised for photos. Luckily, I still have a few little surprises for him this year.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Pooped!
Well friends, I am pooped. I think that the hectic schedule of the last few months has finally caught up with me. After shopping on Friday, I just kinda felt tired. I know that some of you are not surprised and neither am I. It has been a crazy couple of months.
So for the recap, Thanksgiving was at my in-laws. It was a fun time, but it usually is. I spent most of my time going through the ads. Andrew was a good eater and especially enjoyed the sweet potatos. We went home and my mom came over to spend the night so we can get up early and do our shopping.
Black Friday. Wow, you would think that they were giving stuff away with the lines of people. Walmart was a circus. I only needed a few things there, so my mom waited with the cart and I waded in and got the stuff I wanted. We headed to the grocery side for a cinnamon roll, got those and headed for the checkout. We didn't have to wait more than a couple minutes in line. That side of the store was dead. The lines at the registers down at the other end were huge, but the grocery side was empty. Sometimes I really wonder about people.
At Walmart, I realized that my debit card was in my other pants, so after we left Walmart, we stopped at my place to get it, then off to Target. The line there was insane. I mean, down the building and around the corner. We waited in the car and at 6 am, just walked in without waiting. Got what we wanted and were off. This was the way the day worked out. No real waiting in line.
We went to Elder Beerman (think JC Penny), Walgreens, CVS, Home Depot, and Kohls. It was fun, I spent like $250 and got a lot accomplished. I got a ton of stuff, but still am not finished. I would list everything, but some family members read this and I don't want to give anything away. The best thing was I made my Mom a believer in my crazy CVS stuff. She bought a bunch of stuff and only paid $12. I use her card to get stuff and let her spend the ECBs. She was amazed. I got $177 worth of stuff at CVS for $6 after ECBs and coupons ($97 in ECBs spent) I also got $16 back in ECBs from stuff bought that day. So, I think that was a good trip. It was mostly toys.
The lady at Walgreens messed up one of my coupons so I had to ask for it back. It was for a free box of Tampax. I have 8 of them and need to use the ones that expire in Dec., so I thought I would use one while I was there. She scanned the coupon, but never entered the amount, so it didn't credit me the 4.29. So, I asked for the coupon back. She looked at me like I had 2 heads, but after explaining it twice she did give it back. So, I paid 4.29 for a box of Tampons I really don't need. I will be keeping them, since I have 2 rebate items on that receipt and have to send it in. I chalk it up to the cost of the game. Not that I am happy about it. I might still return them, I just don't want to screw up the $15 in rebates. (Sometimes Walgreens will reject a receipt if there is a return attached to it.)
I did get Andrew a Christmas romper that says HO HO HO on it and his holiday outfit. It is a cute red sweater vest with a moose on it, with a plaid shirt and brown cords. Trust me, it is so cute. I bought a couple of bras for myself. They were on sale for 13.97 and had a buy 2, get one free coupon. So 3 Vanity Fair bras for $28.
Saturday, I mainly sat around and read a book. I just really needed to unwind. Sunday, we went to my in-laws to see some relatives that were in town. Had a good time. When we left Andrew said goodbye to everyone including the pizza. Bye, Bye Peepa.
So for the recap, Thanksgiving was at my in-laws. It was a fun time, but it usually is. I spent most of my time going through the ads. Andrew was a good eater and especially enjoyed the sweet potatos. We went home and my mom came over to spend the night so we can get up early and do our shopping.
Black Friday. Wow, you would think that they were giving stuff away with the lines of people. Walmart was a circus. I only needed a few things there, so my mom waited with the cart and I waded in and got the stuff I wanted. We headed to the grocery side for a cinnamon roll, got those and headed for the checkout. We didn't have to wait more than a couple minutes in line. That side of the store was dead. The lines at the registers down at the other end were huge, but the grocery side was empty. Sometimes I really wonder about people.
At Walmart, I realized that my debit card was in my other pants, so after we left Walmart, we stopped at my place to get it, then off to Target. The line there was insane. I mean, down the building and around the corner. We waited in the car and at 6 am, just walked in without waiting. Got what we wanted and were off. This was the way the day worked out. No real waiting in line.
We went to Elder Beerman (think JC Penny), Walgreens, CVS, Home Depot, and Kohls. It was fun, I spent like $250 and got a lot accomplished. I got a ton of stuff, but still am not finished. I would list everything, but some family members read this and I don't want to give anything away. The best thing was I made my Mom a believer in my crazy CVS stuff. She bought a bunch of stuff and only paid $12. I use her card to get stuff and let her spend the ECBs. She was amazed. I got $177 worth of stuff at CVS for $6 after ECBs and coupons ($97 in ECBs spent) I also got $16 back in ECBs from stuff bought that day. So, I think that was a good trip. It was mostly toys.
The lady at Walgreens messed up one of my coupons so I had to ask for it back. It was for a free box of Tampax. I have 8 of them and need to use the ones that expire in Dec., so I thought I would use one while I was there. She scanned the coupon, but never entered the amount, so it didn't credit me the 4.29. So, I asked for the coupon back. She looked at me like I had 2 heads, but after explaining it twice she did give it back. So, I paid 4.29 for a box of Tampons I really don't need. I will be keeping them, since I have 2 rebate items on that receipt and have to send it in. I chalk it up to the cost of the game. Not that I am happy about it. I might still return them, I just don't want to screw up the $15 in rebates. (Sometimes Walgreens will reject a receipt if there is a return attached to it.)
I did get Andrew a Christmas romper that says HO HO HO on it and his holiday outfit. It is a cute red sweater vest with a moose on it, with a plaid shirt and brown cords. Trust me, it is so cute. I bought a couple of bras for myself. They were on sale for 13.97 and had a buy 2, get one free coupon. So 3 Vanity Fair bras for $28.
Saturday, I mainly sat around and read a book. I just really needed to unwind. Sunday, we went to my in-laws to see some relatives that were in town. Had a good time. When we left Andrew said goodbye to everyone including the pizza. Bye, Bye Peepa.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Making a list and checking it twice.
Well boys and girls, it is time for my absolute favorite holiday of the year. Yes, you guessed it.
Black Friday! (how could it be anything else.)
Every year my mom and I get up at the buttcrack of dawn to wait in the cold with the rest of the loons for stores like Walmart and Target to open. By 1:00, we are generally asleep on the couch, but until then, it is a frenzy of bargains to be had.
Each year is a carefully crafted schedule of stores to hit with precision timing. This year is no different. I really appreciate Walmart and Target staggering their opening times, as this will give me the ability to acheive my goals without any problems.
There is more that goes into Black Friday than meets the eye. Comfortable shoes are a must. My mom was talking about how she needs to start walking on the treadmill to prepare. This year I am implementing a new procedure with the addition of Poise pads. Since having a child, the urge to pee hits like a freight train. Fast and furious. There is nothing worse than doing the pee-pee dance while in the checkout line. I know this is probably TMI, but come on, you know that this has happened to you. Full cart of groceries and all of a sudden, BAM, you have to pee so bad you are afraid to take a step for fear of wetting your pants.
Anyone.....just me?......okay then, moving along.
This year, with the addition of CVS ECBs and coupons, I fully expect the bargains to be great. This year we will be branching out to new territories, the big question is which direction to go. Rockford or Geneva. Geneva has a Meijer and the CVS that I usually shop at. But Rockford has Old Time Pottery and a bunch of CVS stores. I guess we could head to Rockford and I could go to the Geneva CVS store later in the day or on Saturday. I guess we will have to see what ads there are in the Rockford paper and decide from there.
All in all, I expect this to be a great day as usual. Every year we dread getting up early and fear that one of us will have to ride on the roof because we can't fit everything into the car. Last year was a close thing. The car was packed. This year we are taking my mom's new car, which is bigger than her old one we took last year. By noon, we will be having lunch and laughing about the insanity of the day. We really do have fun!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and happy shopping to anyone joining us crazies out there on Friday!
Black Friday! (how could it be anything else.)
Every year my mom and I get up at the buttcrack of dawn to wait in the cold with the rest of the loons for stores like Walmart and Target to open. By 1:00, we are generally asleep on the couch, but until then, it is a frenzy of bargains to be had.
Each year is a carefully crafted schedule of stores to hit with precision timing. This year is no different. I really appreciate Walmart and Target staggering their opening times, as this will give me the ability to acheive my goals without any problems.
There is more that goes into Black Friday than meets the eye. Comfortable shoes are a must. My mom was talking about how she needs to start walking on the treadmill to prepare. This year I am implementing a new procedure with the addition of Poise pads. Since having a child, the urge to pee hits like a freight train. Fast and furious. There is nothing worse than doing the pee-pee dance while in the checkout line. I know this is probably TMI, but come on, you know that this has happened to you. Full cart of groceries and all of a sudden, BAM, you have to pee so bad you are afraid to take a step for fear of wetting your pants.
Anyone.....just me?......okay then, moving along.
This year, with the addition of CVS ECBs and coupons, I fully expect the bargains to be great. This year we will be branching out to new territories, the big question is which direction to go. Rockford or Geneva. Geneva has a Meijer and the CVS that I usually shop at. But Rockford has Old Time Pottery and a bunch of CVS stores. I guess we could head to Rockford and I could go to the Geneva CVS store later in the day or on Saturday. I guess we will have to see what ads there are in the Rockford paper and decide from there.
All in all, I expect this to be a great day as usual. Every year we dread getting up early and fear that one of us will have to ride on the roof because we can't fit everything into the car. Last year was a close thing. The car was packed. This year we are taking my mom's new car, which is bigger than her old one we took last year. By noon, we will be having lunch and laughing about the insanity of the day. We really do have fun!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and happy shopping to anyone joining us crazies out there on Friday!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Picture pages
As I sit here bored at work, I figure hey why not post some pictures. So here are some shots of the boy from over the weekend.
Mommy's little rocker!
This is what happens when you realize your son is in his room being very quiet. Too quiet.
Wipe fight!
We had fun throwing the wipes at each other.
Mmmmmm. Brownies.
Worn out after all the fun. (That is my jacket he is laying on. He has taken to carying it around with him)
Mommy's little rocker!
This is what happens when you realize your son is in his room being very quiet. Too quiet.
Wipe fight!
We had fun throwing the wipes at each other.
Mmmmmm. Brownies.
Worn out after all the fun. (That is my jacket he is laying on. He has taken to carying it around with him)
Monday, November 20, 2006
Surprise!
Okay, this post might make me seem like a horrible parent. There are times when I feel like I am not a good parent because my kid LOVES TV. I mean, really loves TV. So much so, that he insists on having a video running in his room at all times. We put the Baby Einstein DVD's on repeat in there. Then the TV in the living room is tuned to PBS Sprout all day. I told you this was going to make us sound bad. The TV is on all the time. If we turn it off, Andrew will stand and point to it and tell us "TV on". In our defense, we do impose some limits. He doesn't get to watch it in bed. Sleeping time is for sleeping.
Now, I need to explain some things. He does not sit there and watch TV all day. We play with cars and balls, we color, we sing, dance, play Daddy's bass guitar, we read books. In short, we do a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with the TV. But it is there, in the background. Sometimes, he will grab his juice and go sit in his beanbag chair or the couch and watch TV for a little while. So, on the average, he probably watches about a hour, maybe two hours a day.
So, we are eating dinner last week and Andrew starts playing with his corn. He picks up a piece and tells me "1", so I think cool he is learning his numbers. He picks up another piece and says "2". This continues all the way to 5. I am stunned and so is Justin. We didn't know he could count to 5. Recently, we switched the Baby Einstein DVD in his room to the counting one. He has been enamoured of the tiger in it. Absolutely loves the tiger. Looks like it worked. I will say that we read him books with numbers in them. We tell him the names for everything. In general, all the things you are supposed to do.
Although, after 5 he told us the next piece was 8, so there is work to do.
Now, I need to explain some things. He does not sit there and watch TV all day. We play with cars and balls, we color, we sing, dance, play Daddy's bass guitar, we read books. In short, we do a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with the TV. But it is there, in the background. Sometimes, he will grab his juice and go sit in his beanbag chair or the couch and watch TV for a little while. So, on the average, he probably watches about a hour, maybe two hours a day.
So, we are eating dinner last week and Andrew starts playing with his corn. He picks up a piece and tells me "1", so I think cool he is learning his numbers. He picks up another piece and says "2". This continues all the way to 5. I am stunned and so is Justin. We didn't know he could count to 5. Recently, we switched the Baby Einstein DVD in his room to the counting one. He has been enamoured of the tiger in it. Absolutely loves the tiger. Looks like it worked. I will say that we read him books with numbers in them. We tell him the names for everything. In general, all the things you are supposed to do.
Although, after 5 he told us the next piece was 8, so there is work to do.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Houston, we have testicles!
Apparently the pediatrician was wrong. So was the ultrasound. I learned a lot about how testicles work today. I am a girl, what do I really need to know about testicles.
The urologist said that ordering an ultrasound to check for undescended testicles is stupid. You come at the kid with a cold probe, in a cool room, with his pants down and the testicles retract. I knew about testicles retracting. The old cold water joke and all.
We thought his testicles had dropped, but took the pediatrician at her word. I am glad that she is thorough, but you would think that she would know a little bit about this. Maybe he wasn't on the ball the day she checked him. (Sorry, couldn't resist the bad pun)
So, there will be no nuts for Christmas this year. He already has them.
The urologist said that ordering an ultrasound to check for undescended testicles is stupid. You come at the kid with a cold probe, in a cool room, with his pants down and the testicles retract. I knew about testicles retracting. The old cold water joke and all.
We thought his testicles had dropped, but took the pediatrician at her word. I am glad that she is thorough, but you would think that she would know a little bit about this. Maybe he wasn't on the ball the day she checked him. (Sorry, couldn't resist the bad pun)
So, there will be no nuts for Christmas this year. He already has them.
More of the same.
Okay, the Jewel P&G promotion ended last night. So here is the rest of the tally. Add this to the previous post and you will get the total purchased at Jewel this week.
21 Crest Whitening Expression Gel Toothpaste
10 Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
8 Cover Girl eye pencils
2 Gillette Fusion shave gel
2 Max Factor eyeshadow
2 Cover Girl nailpolish
4 Del Monte diced tomatoes
4 Del Monte corn
4 Del Monte carrots
4 Del Monte green beans
2 College Inn Beef broth
2 Black Angus Chuck Pot Roast (1.5 lb)
1 Pork Loin Roast (4 lb)
1 Red Rome Apples (1.5 lbs)
1 Family size Tyson chicken tenders
2 Jewel trash bags (10ct)
2 Oscar Mayer Bologna
1 Arm & Hammer cat litter box deodorizer
1 Jewel ketchup (46oz)
1 Jewel apple juice (64 oz)
1 Scott toilet paper (6 pk)
1 can tomato soup
1 Appliance light bulb
1 Memorex DVD-R (5 pk)
6 Kelloggs limited edition cereal bowls (clearance score!!!)
Total oop: 16.96
Total savings: 156.90
Now here is where it gets fun. I went through all 18 receipts, and added up the total that actually came out of my checking account. I used a gift card to pay for some of this, so the numbers are skewed. I also used the $10 I got from one of the stores when the coupon didn't print. So add up the last post and this post as far as the amount of stuff I bought and check out my total.
Total spent from checking: 26.13
There are a couple of things to factor in. I still have a $10 coupon for my next Jewel purchase and I will be getting a $10 rebate from Del Monte. So subtract $20 from that and you will get my actual spent money.
Total actual spent is $6.13.
Think I did okay?
21 Crest Whitening Expression Gel Toothpaste
10 Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
8 Cover Girl eye pencils
2 Gillette Fusion shave gel
2 Max Factor eyeshadow
2 Cover Girl nailpolish
4 Del Monte diced tomatoes
4 Del Monte corn
4 Del Monte carrots
4 Del Monte green beans
2 College Inn Beef broth
2 Black Angus Chuck Pot Roast (1.5 lb)
1 Pork Loin Roast (4 lb)
1 Red Rome Apples (1.5 lbs)
1 Family size Tyson chicken tenders
2 Jewel trash bags (10ct)
2 Oscar Mayer Bologna
1 Arm & Hammer cat litter box deodorizer
1 Jewel ketchup (46oz)
1 Jewel apple juice (64 oz)
1 Scott toilet paper (6 pk)
1 can tomato soup
1 Appliance light bulb
1 Memorex DVD-R (5 pk)
6 Kelloggs limited edition cereal bowls (clearance score!!!)
Total oop: 16.96
Total savings: 156.90
Now here is where it gets fun. I went through all 18 receipts, and added up the total that actually came out of my checking account. I used a gift card to pay for some of this, so the numbers are skewed. I also used the $10 I got from one of the stores when the coupon didn't print. So add up the last post and this post as far as the amount of stuff I bought and check out my total.
Total spent from checking: 26.13
There are a couple of things to factor in. I still have a $10 coupon for my next Jewel purchase and I will be getting a $10 rebate from Del Monte. So subtract $20 from that and you will get my actual spent money.
Total actual spent is $6.13.
Think I did okay?
Saturday, November 11, 2006
And now for something completely different.
Yeah right. Just where do you think you are. I know this may be hard to believe, but I have only been to CVS once this week. (insert horrified gasp here) You may be thinking, but Chris, what about the deals. Well friends, this week the deals are at Jewel. It is a good thing because woman cannot live on Kotex alone. So here it is, my week at Jewel:
3 Crest Toothpaste (various)
15 Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
11 Glide Dental floss
5 Cover Girl Nail polish
4 Max factor eyeshadow
1 Gillette Fusion shave gel
1 Always pads
3 Hungry Jack Potatos (2 scallop and 1 augratin)
3 Pillsbury Flour (5lb bag)
7 Pillsbury Brownie mix
23 Pillsbury cake mix (variety of flavors)
1 Apples (3lb bag)
2.15 lbs of red grapes
2 Campbells Broccoli Cheese soup
1 Jewel Apple Juice
1 Box of flat toothpicks
2 Sargento shredded swiss cheese
3 Diet Pepsi (20 oz)
6 Diet Pepsi (12 pk)
1 Diet Coke (12 pk)
Total oop: 29.93
Total savings: 201.06 (preferred savings and coupons)
Add to this the fact that the Procter and gamble promotion did not work the first 2 times I tried it. Promo is buy 5 items, get a coupon for $10 off your next purchase. So, I had to go to the service desk those times. So I rec'd a $10 gift card and $10 in cash that are not factored into the above totals, and I have a $10 off coupon for my next order. The P&G promo runs through the 15th and I have 25 crest coupons coming. So next week should be really great also.
I did however get burned on the Walgreens deal. The first time I did not get the $10 off your next purchase coupon. It is a good thing the comtrex works so well, or they would have gotten that back. I did make it work twice, so I have 2 $10 off my next purchase coupons to use. The big way I got burned was that my coupon order has not arrived yet. The order mailed on Tuesday and the last time I ordered from them it came really fast. So now I will have 20 Comtrex coupons for a promotion that ends today. Oh well, I guess that is the chance you take in this game. It is the missed opportunity that gets me, not the $2 I spent on the coupons. The Crest coupons should more than make up for it.
3 Crest Toothpaste (various)
15 Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
11 Glide Dental floss
5 Cover Girl Nail polish
4 Max factor eyeshadow
1 Gillette Fusion shave gel
1 Always pads
3 Hungry Jack Potatos (2 scallop and 1 augratin)
3 Pillsbury Flour (5lb bag)
7 Pillsbury Brownie mix
23 Pillsbury cake mix (variety of flavors)
1 Apples (3lb bag)
2.15 lbs of red grapes
2 Campbells Broccoli Cheese soup
1 Jewel Apple Juice
1 Box of flat toothpicks
2 Sargento shredded swiss cheese
3 Diet Pepsi (20 oz)
6 Diet Pepsi (12 pk)
1 Diet Coke (12 pk)
Total oop: 29.93
Total savings: 201.06 (preferred savings and coupons)
Add to this the fact that the Procter and gamble promotion did not work the first 2 times I tried it. Promo is buy 5 items, get a coupon for $10 off your next purchase. So, I had to go to the service desk those times. So I rec'd a $10 gift card and $10 in cash that are not factored into the above totals, and I have a $10 off coupon for my next order. The P&G promo runs through the 15th and I have 25 crest coupons coming. So next week should be really great also.
I did however get burned on the Walgreens deal. The first time I did not get the $10 off your next purchase coupon. It is a good thing the comtrex works so well, or they would have gotten that back. I did make it work twice, so I have 2 $10 off my next purchase coupons to use. The big way I got burned was that my coupon order has not arrived yet. The order mailed on Tuesday and the last time I ordered from them it came really fast. So now I will have 20 Comtrex coupons for a promotion that ends today. Oh well, I guess that is the chance you take in this game. It is the missed opportunity that gets me, not the $2 I spent on the coupons. The Crest coupons should more than make up for it.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Pictures of the madness
So here they are. Some pictures of the stockpile. To start you off, it is a box of Pantene Ice Shine shampoo and conditioner. There are 18 of each. This box is sitting on top of my cabinet until I determine what I am going to do with it.
Next we have a shot of the top shelf of my bathroom closet. The Kotex is 3 layers deep to give you and idea of how much is in there. The Playtex is 2 layers deep.
What else can I say but Toothpaste!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A close up on the feminie hygiene sector.
This is my other cabinet. The top left is shampoos and conditioners. Top right is styling products. Bottom left is Hand soap, hand sanitizer, and deodorant. Bottom right is lotion, body wash and bug spray.
So there is a sampling. I have added 9 battery operated toothbrushes, 3 manual toothbrushes, more kotex and lots more toothpaste since these were taken, but I think you get the picture.
Next we have a shot of the top shelf of my bathroom closet. The Kotex is 3 layers deep to give you and idea of how much is in there. The Playtex is 2 layers deep.
What else can I say but Toothpaste!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A close up on the feminie hygiene sector.
This is my other cabinet. The top left is shampoos and conditioners. Top right is styling products. Bottom left is Hand soap, hand sanitizer, and deodorant. Bottom right is lotion, body wash and bug spray.
So there is a sampling. I have added 9 battery operated toothbrushes, 3 manual toothbrushes, more kotex and lots more toothpaste since these were taken, but I think you get the picture.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Drumroll please.
Here it is. Prepare to be amazed. The CVS final for October.
45 Pantene Ice Shine - 21 shampoo, 23 conditioner, 1 mousse
31 Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste
30 Kotex Ultra Compact Pads
21 Colgate Sparkling White Vanilla mint
18 Garnier Fructis styling products (gels, mousses and creams)
17 Playtex Sport Tampons
12 Carefree Pantiliners
11 Samy haircare products
10 Aquafresh toothpaste
10 Oral B Crossaction Power Toothbrushes
10 Aleve (20 ct)
9 Spree candy
6 bags of Halloween candy
6 candy bars (misc)
6 Revlon 12 hr Single Eyeshadows
6 boxes of Gas-X (10 ct)
6 Dove Advanced Hair Care products
5 Halloween sippy cups
5 Bayer Low Dose Asprin (20 ct)
4 Grape Nuts Trail Mix cereal
4 Colgate Sparkling White Cinnamint
4 Poise Pads
4 2l of Diet Coke
4 12pks of Diet Pepsi
4 Snickers pumpkins
3 Robitussin (4 oz liquid)
3 Advil PM (20 ct)
3 bottles ACT restore Mouthwash
2 bottles Benefiber chewables (36 ct)
2 Loreal HIP Foundation
2 Advil Cold & Sinus
2 Schick Quattro razors
2 pks of Pampers Easy ups
2 tubes Johnson & Johnson soothing vapor cream
2 pks Huggies Pull-Ups
2 One A Day All Day Energy
2 One A Day Weightsmart
2 Purell Hand Sanitizer (8 oz)
2 CVS Babywipes (160 ct)
2 Small storage baskets
2 Pumpkin potholders
2 Pumpkin kitchen towels
1 Pumpkin placemat
1 Halloween magnets
1 Halloween activity book
1 Fall tablecloth
1 Fall jar candle
1 Sunday Tribune
1 Pocket pack of tissues
1 Crest Pro Health Rinse (trial size)
1 pk Pampers Cruisers
1 Fixodent Free
1 Scott Toilet Paper (12 pk)
1 Bic Comfort 3 Advance razors (4ct)
1 Bic Comfort 3 Womens razors (4ct)
1 2pk pregnancy tests
1 Dayquil caplets (20 ct)
1 Tylenol Go-tabs
1 bottle Johnson & Johnson Calming softwash
1 Advil trial size (6ct)
1 Advil Liquigels (20ct)
1 Robitussin Cough Drops
1 Fresh Step Cat Litter (14 lb)
1 CVS trash bags (20 ct)
1 Underbed Storage box
1 Single serve CVS Pedialyte
1 Gold Emblem Cashews (Single pack)
Total oop: $107.41
Total coupons used: $376.23
Total ECB spent: $577.77
Total ECB earned: $962.31
And somehow I feel like I could have done better. I still have 2 Playtex sport coupons that I couldn't use because nobody has those in stock. I think there is something wrong with me. The final count for toothpaste is 66 tubes. I ended up with around $277 in profit. That is after I deduct my oop. I have almost $400 in ECBs to spend in the next month. Needless to say, it is going to be a CVS Christmas. They are starting to get some cute stuff in for the holidays, including some of the toys I want to get Andrew.
Next post I will put up some pictures of the stash. We did have a minor Kotex avalanche, but not to worry, the Sherpas got everyone out safely. Now, I will be devoting the next 2 weeks to Jewel and Walgreens. Wish me luck.
45 Pantene Ice Shine - 21 shampoo, 23 conditioner, 1 mousse
31 Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste
30 Kotex Ultra Compact Pads
21 Colgate Sparkling White Vanilla mint
18 Garnier Fructis styling products (gels, mousses and creams)
17 Playtex Sport Tampons
12 Carefree Pantiliners
11 Samy haircare products
10 Aquafresh toothpaste
10 Oral B Crossaction Power Toothbrushes
10 Aleve (20 ct)
9 Spree candy
6 bags of Halloween candy
6 candy bars (misc)
6 Revlon 12 hr Single Eyeshadows
6 boxes of Gas-X (10 ct)
6 Dove Advanced Hair Care products
5 Halloween sippy cups
5 Bayer Low Dose Asprin (20 ct)
4 Grape Nuts Trail Mix cereal
4 Colgate Sparkling White Cinnamint
4 Poise Pads
4 2l of Diet Coke
4 12pks of Diet Pepsi
4 Snickers pumpkins
3 Robitussin (4 oz liquid)
3 Advil PM (20 ct)
3 bottles ACT restore Mouthwash
2 bottles Benefiber chewables (36 ct)
2 Loreal HIP Foundation
2 Advil Cold & Sinus
2 Schick Quattro razors
2 pks of Pampers Easy ups
2 tubes Johnson & Johnson soothing vapor cream
2 pks Huggies Pull-Ups
2 One A Day All Day Energy
2 One A Day Weightsmart
2 Purell Hand Sanitizer (8 oz)
2 CVS Babywipes (160 ct)
2 Small storage baskets
2 Pumpkin potholders
2 Pumpkin kitchen towels
1 Pumpkin placemat
1 Halloween magnets
1 Halloween activity book
1 Fall tablecloth
1 Fall jar candle
1 Sunday Tribune
1 Pocket pack of tissues
1 Crest Pro Health Rinse (trial size)
1 pk Pampers Cruisers
1 Fixodent Free
1 Scott Toilet Paper (12 pk)
1 Bic Comfort 3 Advance razors (4ct)
1 Bic Comfort 3 Womens razors (4ct)
1 2pk pregnancy tests
1 Dayquil caplets (20 ct)
1 Tylenol Go-tabs
1 bottle Johnson & Johnson Calming softwash
1 Advil trial size (6ct)
1 Advil Liquigels (20ct)
1 Robitussin Cough Drops
1 Fresh Step Cat Litter (14 lb)
1 CVS trash bags (20 ct)
1 Underbed Storage box
1 Single serve CVS Pedialyte
1 Gold Emblem Cashews (Single pack)
Total oop: $107.41
Total coupons used: $376.23
Total ECB spent: $577.77
Total ECB earned: $962.31
And somehow I feel like I could have done better. I still have 2 Playtex sport coupons that I couldn't use because nobody has those in stock. I think there is something wrong with me. The final count for toothpaste is 66 tubes. I ended up with around $277 in profit. That is after I deduct my oop. I have almost $400 in ECBs to spend in the next month. Needless to say, it is going to be a CVS Christmas. They are starting to get some cute stuff in for the holidays, including some of the toys I want to get Andrew.
Next post I will put up some pictures of the stash. We did have a minor Kotex avalanche, but not to worry, the Sherpas got everyone out safely. Now, I will be devoting the next 2 weeks to Jewel and Walgreens. Wish me luck.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
It not the news we wanted.
Well friends, the ultrasound revealed that Andrew's testes are still in the canal. There is no amount of running that will make them drop. He could run to China and they would still be in the canal. So we will be seeing a urologist in 2 weeks for evaluation and determine what we will be doing. It is mainly a chance for the urologist to confirm and see Andrew before we schedule him for surgery.
It is a very simple procedure and doesn't involve any major organs. The worst thing is that they are going to have to knock him out. If he were an adult, they could do this with local anesthesia. But there is no way a local will work with a toddler. I am sure that everything is going to be fine. It is not the news I wanted, but it could be much worse. Everything other than the fact that they are up in the canal is fine, good blood flow, everything is healthy.
So it will be a threefold for presents this year. Birthday, Christmas and the gift of Testicles.
It is a very simple procedure and doesn't involve any major organs. The worst thing is that they are going to have to knock him out. If he were an adult, they could do this with local anesthesia. But there is no way a local will work with a toddler. I am sure that everything is going to be fine. It is not the news I wanted, but it could be much worse. Everything other than the fact that they are up in the canal is fine, good blood flow, everything is healthy.
So it will be a threefold for presents this year. Birthday, Christmas and the gift of Testicles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)