Pamida Trip

I have had a sick lil boy since Thursday. Saturday my husband kicked me out of the house for a much needed break. So, I went to Pamida. They started the double coupon event. I got a little bit carried away. I definitely deviated from my short list! I bought:

2 boxes of 2 count Mr. Clean Magic Erasers $3.50 x 2 = $7.00 - $4.00MC (I had 2 $1.00MC that were doubled) = $3.00 for both boxes!

4 boxes Puffs Plus on sale for $0.88 from $1.29. $0.88 x 4 = $3.52 - $2.00MC = $1.52 for 4 boxes or $0.38 per box

Huggies Pull UPs $9.99 on sale from $11.99 - $2.00MC = $7.99

2 Olay Ribbons Body Wash on sale 2/$7 from $5.49 per bottle. $7.00 - $4.00MC = $3.00 or $1.50 per bottle

Dawn with Olay Dish Soap $2.79- $2.00MC = $0.79 for a 20oz bottle!

Old Orchard Juice 64oz on sale for $1.28 - $1MC = $0.28!

2 boxes Ziploc Freezer Bags $2.89 x 2 = $5.78 - $2.00MC = $3.78

Quaker Oatmeal 10 count Maple and Brown Sugar $3.00- $2.00MC = $1.00

Children's Ibuprofen: $4.79

I spent a grand total of : $29.26
Without Coupons:  $47.15
$53.48 without sale items and coupons

It was a good trip!! I'd love to hear about your shopping trips too!

Walgreens and CVS

I wasn't a big shopper at either of these places until I attended Misty's coupon class. By the way Misty is still holding classes. You can check out her blog at http://www.thefrugalfamily.blogspot.com/  for the schedule and more information. What I really like about these stores is their Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks. I can also plan 3 weeks ahead for these stores. The websites: http://www.iheartwags.com/ and http://www.iheartcvs.com/ have the ads up to 3 weeks in advance. If you go to the actual store sites you can sign up for e-mail updates. The websites also have printable coupons.  I didn't find too much for CVS but there were several things in the Walgreens ad;

General Mills Cereal $1.99 You can always find coupons for these at http://www.coupons.com/ or go to http://www.couponmom.com/ for even more coupons and deals lists.

Gatorade 32oz $0.69 limit 10. My husband works outside in the spring and summer so this is a good stock up price.

Reynolds wrap aluminum foil 25sq ft and wax paper 75 sq ft.  for $0.89 limit 3

Ajax Dish Soap $0.89 - $0.50 MC= $0.39   I now get dishsoap either for free or for change with coupons

Duracell Batteries $2.99 I have $1 and $0.75MC for these

Dial Nutriskin Lotion 21oz. $4.99-$1.00MC= $3.99 out of pocket then get $3 Register Rewards back. It's like getting it for $0.99            I can afford to pamper myself with the good stuff at this price!

Pantyhose $0.79 limit 3

Irish Spring Deodorant 2/$6 - $2MC= 2/$4 out of pocket then get $4 Register Rewards back. After Register Rewards it's FREE!

Blistex and Chapstick $0.99- $0.35 MC= $0.64

Aussie Hair Products $2.99 - $1 MC= $1.99 out of pocket then get $1 Register Rewards back. That makes it $0.99!

Gillette Body Wash Buy 1 Get 1 50% off. I have 2 $2 off MC and 2 bogo free MC for this so I'll see what the price is.

These are just the deals I will be seeking. Check out the ads for more deals.

Schnucks

The Schnucks ad starts on Wednesday or Thursday of the week. They do double coupons up to $0.40 every day. I have honestly never shopped there. 3 things interested me in their ad this week;

Split chicken breast $0.99/lb
Honey Bunches of Oats $1.77 (If they have the Raisin Medley there is $1 MC which would make it $0.77!)
Dr. Pepper (2-liter) $0.87 (I really LOVE Dr. Pepper and this is a really good deal!)

IGA

I wasn't too impressed with the IGA ad for this next week. I am not brand loyal so, if I can't get it cheaper than Aldi I don't buy it. IGA is having their Spring coupon event. I tried gettings some manufacturer coupons to go along with the store coupons. If you don't know how to do that just type what you want into google.

For example, Kelloggs Cereal Store coupon is 2/$3. Right now if you sign up at http://www.kelloggs.com/ you can get about $5 in free coupons. I got a $1MC off of 2 which makes the cereal 2/$2 or $1 a box. You really can't beat that price!

Malt O Meal Cereal $1.99-$0.75MC from the malt o meal website= $1.24

Westpac frozen Veggies 4/$3 or $0.75 per bag. This is great if you are buying frozen green beans. At Aldis the other frozen veggies run about $0.69.

Jenny-O Turkey Breast from the deli $2.79 for the first lb. This is a good price for deli meat. A better option is to buy whole meat when it's at it's lowest price. Then, slice your own meat for sandwiches. By doing the work yourself you save a ton of money! Convenience foods cost more because they are well...convenient.

Most if not all brands have websites where you can sign up for promotions and coupons. It's really worth looking into. If you are worried about flooding your e-mail account with junk set up a seperate e-mail account for all of your advertisements, updates, promotion offers, etc.

Pamida

I received the Pamida ad yesterday. I usually don't find too much there. I'm not a regular Pamida shopper but, a few things caught my eye. They are having a double coupon event. They will double coupons up to and including $1. That means your $1 coupon becomes worth $2!!! This is really good. The event runs from Saturday, March 12-March 18. Here are a few deals that I thought were worth noting:

Puffs 56 count cubes for $0.88. I have 2 MC worth $0.50 off 2 boxes that will be worth $1 a piece. 4 boxes will cost $3.52 - $2MC= $1.52 for 4 boxes or  $0.38 per box!

Olay Body Wash 2/$7. I have 2MC worth $1 ($2 when doubled)
2/$7- $4MC= 2/$3 or $1.50 per body wash. That is better than the Walgreens ad for next week!

Huggies Pull Ups Jumbo Pack $9.99 - $2MC= $7.99

Follow up

Heard from someone about the one-legged man yesterday. Turns out he has been offered job applications and he drives a nice car and usually travels with 1-2 ladies that also stand on the corner with signs. Also, he changes his sign! It is a complete scam! People like this make it hard to be charitable and ruin it for the truly needy.

Venting

Reader warning: This post contains my pet peeves and opinions on them. Some may not want to read this. You have been warned.

Do you ever have one of those days where you see something that triggers a need to vent? Today is one of those days!

I was coming home from Champaign and what do I see but, the one-legged man holding his cardboard sign for money, of course. It's not that I don't have sympathy for disabled people but this man stands on the corner almost every day, all day. I also see him frequently in Urbana begging at Wal-Mart. He is not dressed poorly and he's not dirty. In my opinion he could spend his time a lot more wisely like trying to get a job! What I have observed is that people who truly need help and need money are the ones that don't ask for help. They aren't the ones standing on the street corner asking you for money. In fact a lot of the people on the street corners are actually pretty wealthy. They play on people's sympathies to make their living. Yes, I'm standing on my soap box but, I'm not wealthy by any means if you are measuring by money. We are a 1 income family. Count them, 1!! We don't live in a $200,000 home or even a $100,000 home. We don't dine at 4 star restaurants or drive $60,000 cars, or take exotic vacations. Those things aren't important to us. Sure we could both work but, it was important to us for me to be able to stay home and raise our son. So, we made sacrifices to be able to do that.

I'm not a heartless person but, being a nurse has made me lose a lot of compassion. Being around people every day who just use the system and are too lazy and irresponsible to take care of themselves will do that to you. It's sad that you can tell by looking at a patient if they have insurance or not. What makes me angry is when they have the nerve to complain about their measly little copay. It took everything in me not to say, "Well, who do you think is paying for the rest of it? Those of us with jobs!" or "Imagine what it would be like if you had to actually pay your own bill?" It's funny because I thought that being a nurse would make me more compassionate. The majority of patients that I took care of were not married, didn't know who the father of their baby was (or he was in prison), didn't know the race of their baby, had kids with multiple fathers, were teenagers, and of course were on Medicaid (but, you can bet they could still afford to buy their cigarettes).  A good day is when you got the big 3; married, wanted their baby, and had insurance. It was like hitting the jack pot if you were lucky enough to get one of those patients. It's so sad that it's so rare now. The patients of today are me-centered. It's what can you do for me and what can I get for free, and how much of it can I have? It's not just patients but in society as a whole. The sad thing is instead of educating them we just give them the handout and make them more dependent. I'm sorry but there's a serious lack of priority and education if you can't pay your bills or feed your children but, you go out and buy a dog, get a tattoo, and can still afford your cigarettes. It's amazing to me the number of people (I can't bring myself to say the word parents) who don't have formula, diapers, a car seat, clothes, or the essentials for their child when they go home. Haven't they had months to prepare? Plus, they know absolutely nothing about taking care of a baby! And as nurses we had 24-48 HOURS to teach them how to take care of their child and usually 8-16 hours of that time that baby was in the nursery because the parents wanted to sleep. Plus you had to work around their visitors and phone calls. It is impossible to teach them everything that they need to know to be a parent. I was a nurse for 4 years before I had my son and I still felt unprepared as a parent!

Maybe this is such a sore subject for me because it wasn't easy for me to have a baby. No one ever thinks about not being able to have a child until they can't. It certainly never crossed my mind. I planned on having 4 kids and being Super Mom. That was my dream always. If Hell had a name it would be; Infertility. That's what we went through literally. The endless tests, painful procedures and surgery, innumerable ultrasounds, hormone shots that made me break down into tears, and almost made my psychotic. The physical part wasn't nearly as bad as the emotional part. Every month having a negative pregnancy test was devastating. It was almost impossible to hear when someone was pregnant. I would just cry. Then, we were told that we weren't going to be able to have a baby. My heart shattered into a million pieces. I hit rock bottom. I have never felt such despair. There was nothing that anyone could say that made it better and more often than not it made it worse. If I could give anyone advice it's this: Do NOT ask people when they are going to have children and do NOT ask them when they will be having more children! It is frankly nobody's business but the couples. I literally laid into a someone for asking me that question. I also hated hearing, "I know how you feel." No you don't know. Everyone's experience is different. We were extremely blessed with a happy ending. Our son is our world and he brings us the greatest joy.

I guess what I'm really trying to say in all this is the world is definitely not perfect. I wish people would stop being lazy and take care of their responsibilities instead of being dependent on everyone else or expecting everyone else to do for them. Change starts first by recognizing that there is a need for change. I truly believe that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us and is willing to help us in any way but, we need to first do our part by doing all that we can first and then, he'll make up the difference. We have to put forth effort and work. For example, He is not just going to give us a job if we ask for it but don't apply anywhere. He has promised to never try us beyond what we can endure. This life isn't suppose to be easy, just worth it.

P.S. I don't think everyone on Medicaid is a total user. I understand that there are circumstances beyond anyone's control that would cause it to be necessary. My concern is more for the people who use it and have no desire to try to get a job and just want to be taken care of.

This Week's Shopping

This was a way better week for deals! Here is the summary:

Walgreens:

1.Duracell Batteries $9.99 x2= $19.98 get $5RR back
   I had 2 MC (manufacturer coupons) $1 off and $0.75 off
   Butterball Chicken Broth 2/$1 x2= 4/$2
   I also had $5RR from my last trip that I used in this transaction
   Total: $17.00 oop Would have spent: $30.75

2.Charmin 6 Big Rolls $2.99 x2= $5.98
   I had 2 MC for $0.25 off
   Aquaphor lip treatment $4.99 get $4RR back
   I had a MC for $1.00 off
   Hershey Choc Bar $0.69
   I used $5RR from the 1st transaction
   Total: $6.18   Would have spent: $14.48

3.Huggies Pull Ups $8.99 get $2RR back
   I used $4RR from 2nd transaction
   Total: $5.78   Would have spent: $11.78

4.M&M 2/$5
  I had 1 MC for $1.50/2 and a SC (store coupon) for $1 off
  Baby Magic $3  get $3RR
  Gillette Deodorant bogo 50%off    $5.49
  Gillette Body Wash bogo 50% off  $4.99
  I had a MC for buy a deodorant get a body wash free
  Olay Body Wash $4.99
  Olay Face Wash $4.99
  I had a MC for buy face wash get body wash free and a MC for $1 off body wash
 Secret Deodorant 0.99
 MC for $1 off 
 Total: $10.11  Would have spent: $34.56

Total of Trip: $39.07  Would have spent: $91.57!!!!

County Market:

Wheat Thins 2/$5 and in ad coupon for $3 off of 4 boxes

Bananas $0.39/lb

Grapes $0.99/lb

Total: $11.39  Would have spent: $21.73

CVS:

1. Crest Prohealth $3.29 get $3.29 ECB

I had MC for $1 off

I also had $2 ECB from my last trip

Total: $0.58 oop  Would have spent: $4.08

2. Puffs 2/$2

I had MC for $0.50 off

Dozen Large eggs $0.99 x2

I had MC for $0.55 off of 2 dozen  (that made them $0.71 per dozen!!)

Dawn Dishsoap $0.94 x2

I had 2 MC for $0.50 off

I used the $3.29 ECB from transaction 1

Total: $1.13 oop Would have spent: $10.86

3. Crest Prohealth $3.29 get $3.29 ECB

Total: $3.58

4. Pringles 2/$3 x 2 or 4/$6

2 MC for $1 off

I used the $3.29 ECB from transaction 3

Total: $0.77 oop  Would have spent: $7.54

Total spent: $6.06 Would have spent: $26.06

Meijer:

Old Orchard Juices 10/$10

I had a MC for $1 off of 4

Spinach 10/$10 (free for being the 11th item)

Strawberries 2/$4

Oranges 5lb for $2.99

Total: $16.16  Would have spent: $ 29.48

Target:

Up Bleach $1.27

SC for $1 off

Miracle Whip $2.50

2 MC for $0.75

SC for $1 off

Orbit gum $0.99

MC for $0.75

Elmo Sunglasses $1

Total: $4.18  would have spent: $9.21

It was a good shopping week! I will send my hubby on Wednesday to get milk for $1.99 at County Market and to Meijer to get a box of cereal for $0.99 that they were out of.

Total of all trips: $76.86  Would have spent: $178.05