Using Up Some +Up Bucks

Got this idea from Frugalsuz.  I've been swimming in +up bucks lately so I decided to buy a Duracell MyGrid Power Skin at Rite Aid because it's 26.99 with my 10% wellness discount and I will submit for $25 SCR.  Hopefully I can sell it on ebay for a few bucks :)  I don't even know what is it, exactly...  LOL

Duracell MyGrid Power Skin 26.99
4 Alpo dog food at 1.25 each
quaker oats 1.99 (used 1/1 manuf. coupon)
used 5/25
used 24 +up bucks
subtotal: 2.98
w/ tax: 6.14, received 1+up for quaker oats and will submit for $25 duracell SCR


So happy that I'm ALMOST at 20% wellness discount.  Does anyone know how long the discount will last?  Will it all reset at the beginning of the new year?  I hope not!

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the 250 business cards from UPrinting.com is...  Chitra!  I will be emailing you shortly.  Congrats and I hope to have another giveaway soon!

Amazingly Easy Black Bean Salsa Dip

One of my co-workers made this for a work party a couple of years ago, and I asked her for the recipe.  Over the years, I've simplified it again and again until now it's so easy I can make it while holding a small child.  And isn't that the kind of recipe every mom needs? :)

All you need to do is drain a can of corn, a can of black beans, and a can of diced tomatoes (choose a zesty one for more flavor).  Dump them all into a giant bowl, mix it together, and top it off with some Paul Newman's Balsamic Dressing.

The original recipe listed this specific dressing and I haven't wavered from that.  I'm sure other balsamic dressings would be fine, but I haven't tried yet...  Serve with tortilla chips and you have a snack, an appetizer, or even a simple meal for a relaxing night watching a movie.  You could even put this in a fancy bowl and bring it to a party.  I promise everyone will think you put in more work than you did!  The best part of this recipe is that my fussy children love it and they eat some corn, tomatoes, and beans (3 things that they are often fussy about when served by themselves or in different forms).

For all you adventurous chefs, the original recipe called for scallions and garlic and a few other little additions, but then you would need full use of both extremities. :)

**Please enter my giveaway!  The chances of winning are very good!

Squeaky Clean Kids... Thanks to Rite Aid

Have I mentioned how much I love Rite Aid lately?

Transaction 1:
7 Johnson & Johnson items 3.99 each (used 7 1/1 and 1/1 vv))
1 Desitin 3.99 (used 1/1)
used 5/25
used 10+up, 5 +up, and 1.50 +up
subtotal: 1.42
total w/ tax: 3.25 on gift card, received 8 2+up (for each item) and 10+up for buying $30 worth of Johnson & Johnson items


Transaction 2 - not pictured, but basically a repeat of Transaction 1.

I tried to use a +up the other day but it was cutting into the tax so the register didn't accept it.  I tried to use it today but because it had been scanned the other day, the register said it was already used.  The manager looked at me suspiciously, but punched something into the register and accepted it.  I really hope Rite Aid fixes this glitch soon.  Is anyone else having problems with this?

**Please enter my giveaway!  The chances of winning are very good!

Giveaway: 250 Business Cards!

I'm really excited to be hosting another giveaway!  The winner of this giveaway will receive 250 Die Cut Business Cards from UPrinting.com.  My husband is just beginning a side business, so that got me thinking that this would be a great way for someone else to promote themselves or their business.  Maybe you sell items at craft fairs or just want to promote your own blog...  I bet these will be super useful for someone!  You can check out some of the cool options for designing your business cards here.  

Here's more information about the business cards the winner will receive:

• 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
• Die cutting options available: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle
• Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated       
• Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides            

Mandatory: To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post.  You can tell me what you would do with the business cards, share a great deal going on this week, or just say hi!  Make sure you include your name and email address.  This giveaway is limited to US residents, 18 years old and older.  

Additional entry:  For additional chances to win, become a follower of this blog, let me know you are already a follower, or blog about this giveaway.  Then leave a comment to let me know you did one or both of these things!

This giveaway will end on Friday, September 24th at 9PM, and the winner will be announced and emailed the following day.  Good Luck!!

*I will also receive 250 business cards for hosting this giveaway.

Free Toilet Paper and Toothpaste But a Lot of Anxiety!

I volunteered to do my non-frugal grandmother's shopping today since I was going to Shoprite.  But her giant and very specific list + my coupons + chatty child in cart = anxiety attack.  Not a fun trip.  The cart was overflowing, I kept dropping coupons,... ugh.  And it took soooo long.  Trying to shop for someone else (especially someone who's very specific) is like a scavenger hunt.

• 3 SR spring water .79 each
• 6 Marcal (6 freebie coupons)
• 2 Hefty trash bags 1.24 each (used 2 .55/1)=.14 each
• 12 alpo dog food - 6 for 3.99 (used 1/6)
• 3 hamburger helper - 3 for 4.00 (used .75/3 doubled and .75/1 cellfire coupon) = 1.75/3
• 1 chex mix and 1 bugles 1.50 each (used .50/1 cellfire and 2 .50/1 doubled)
• perdue chicken 5.38
• sr ground turkey 2.61
• reduced salad 1.50  (used .75/1)
• organic grapes 6.07 - crazy!!!  I didn't notice the price but I think I have a produce NBPR rebate
• bananas .99
• yo crunch fruit parfait 2.50 (used freebie catalina)
• 2 international delites 1.99 each (used 2 .55/1 doubled)=.89 each
• totinos pizza rolls .88 (had a .55/1 coupon but I forgot it - oops)
• fisherboy fish sticks .99
• 12 kaiser rolls 1.99 (1/1 sr bakery coupon)
• 6 colgate toothpaste .77 (used 6 .75/1)

total: 31.60 - I was so frazzled by the time I left that I just shoved the catalinas in my purse and haven't checked them yet, but I should have received 1.50 catalina for hamburger helper and .50 for alpo.

Making Money on Air Wick at Rite Aid

My fussy cat loves Purina Friskies pouches of cat food.  Won't touch any other type of wet cat food.  He's also allergic to salmon and beef makes him throw up.  Rite Aid and Petsmart are the only places I have found that sell the individual pouches of cat food.  Everywhere else sells a variety pack which includes one or two of the types my cat can't eat.  So off to Rite Aid to turn air fresheners into cheap cat food...

Transaction 1:
7 Air Wick i-motion kits 4.99 each (used 7 4/1 from 8/29 SS and 1/1 Airwick vv)
used 5/25
subtotal: .93
total w/ tax: 3.32 on gc, received $10 +up


Transaction 2:
10 pouches of friskies .89 each
2 biotrue 4.49 each (used 2 2/1)
1 alpo 1.25
1 c.booth honey almond body butter 4.99*
used 5/25
used 10+up, 1+up, and 2+up
subtotal: 2.12
w/ tax: 2.93 on gift card, received 2 4+up for biotrue
*I realized right after I paid that I forgot to use the 5/1 c.booth in-ad coupon that I was holding...  Those of you who shop with kids totally understand how this can happen, right?  Anyway, I told the cashier and she gave me $5 cash back.  Thanks! :)

Be on the Look Out for Free Shave Gel Peelies at CVS

Walmart
milk 3.48
purina cat chow 3.98 (used 1/1)
subtotal: 6.46
w/tax: 6.78 on gift card


CVS
pez .38 clearance
scott paper towels 4.99 (used 1/1)
schick hydro razor 8.97 (used 5/1)
schick shave gel 3.99 (used freebie peelie on the schick hydro razor wyb both, cashier took off 4.99)
5 alpo dog food cans 1.19 each
peppermint patty for my mom .89
used 7.99 ecb, 4 ecb, and 3 ecb
subtotal: -.81
w/tax: 1.20 on gift card, received 4 ecb for hydro

Watch Carefully When +Ups Are Scanning at Rite Aid

Grabbed a few things at Rite Aid yesterday in what was supposed to be a quick trip.  But my total seemed really high, and then I realized that 6 +up bucks that I had given the cashier were not anywhere to be found on my receipt.  I was sure they were scanned because :I saw her do it, but she also scanned a bunch really quickly.  The cashier and supervisor played around with the register for a LONG time before deciding how to handle it.  They ended up just giving me $6 in cash.  So I learned my lesson and now have to hand over each +up buck separately and watch to make sure the amount is deducted.  Don't you hate these games we have to play?

• gain .89 (used 1/1 from 8/29 P&G)
• poland spring 3.99 and 1.20 bottle deposit charge
• tugaboo diapers trial size .89 (used 1/1)
• cascade 4.04 (ouch- we ran out)
• poster lights 3.59
• pantene restoratives 4.00 (used 2/1 from 8/29 P&G)
• bufferin 6.99 (used 3/1 from  7/11 SS)
• john frieda root awakenings smoothing lotion 6.29 (used 3/1)

used 4 +up
subtotal: 12.88
w/tax: 14.38 on gc and cc, received 1 +up Poland spring, 2 +up Pantene, will submit for $6 scr Bufferin and 3.59 scr poster lights, will also try to get a $10 gift card for buying John Frieda here

**Rite Aid's coupon policy states they do not give overage, but sometimes their registers do anyway.

How I Got Free Cheese at Shoprite!

I wasn't too thrilled with my recent unorganized trip to Shoprite so I thought I'd redeem myself...  Before I breakdown my purchases, I wanted to share that the Borden cheese slices sale ( .99 each) includes the Single Sensations (which are really good, by the way), and there's a $1.00 PDF available here.  Just click on Get Special Savings.

• 3 Quaker Mini Rice Cakes .99 each (used 3 .75/1 doubled found in boxes of Quaker oatmeal)=.51 overage on each
• 2 marcal toilet paper .99 each (used 2 freebie coupons)=free
• 1 can SR corn .75
• Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice 1.99
• santitas tortilla chips 2.00
• SR white bread .88
• Fast Fixin buffalo tenders 6.49 (used 1.25/1 from recent All You, sorry can't remember if it was July or August)
• 2 Del Monte fruit smoothies 1.00 each (used 2 1.00/1 from coupons.com) (these are located in the produce aisle)
• garlic .52
• 4 Mission burritos 1.64 each (used 4 .75/1 doubled)=.14 each
• 6 Borden Single Sensations .99 each (used 6 1.00/1)=.01 overage on each
• used $1 catalina
• received .20 canvas bag refund
• total: $6.50 on cc, will submit for $6.49 TMF refund on Fast Fixin (TMF sticker on the bag)

Looking at my receipt, I see that there are 2 mistakes.  It seems like the cashier accidentally scanned the Fast Fixin 1.25 coupon twice, and there's also an extra .75/1 doubled coupon.  This explains why my total is a little lower than it should be.


I'm totally planning to go back on Saturday and snag more free cheese and cheap tortillas!  Does anyone know if tortillas freeze well?