Mybrainisinsideout's Weblog

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queen of the urban jungle — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:33:11 +0000

One of these days i’ll learn to use wordpress and be able to add things other than what i type in the little box.

CVSing this weekend

queen of the urban jungle — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:10:34 +0000

we went to my parents’ house for father’s day and the first thing my mom said was, “do you have your coupons??” i’ve recently gotten her into freeshopping at CVS and she’s still VERY excited about it. she wants to max out every sale whereas i’ve learned to let go of a few anyway i didn’t have my coupons (missed the memo we were going to CVS right after brunch i guess) and we ended up having to come home to get them. it all worked out in the end though, this is what i got.

Transaction #1 & #2

2 stages power toothbrushes……$11.98

honey bunches of oats……………$4.29

1 brut deoderant……………………$3.19

-CVS $4/$20 email coupon……..-$4.00

-free cereal coupon……………….-$4.29

-B1G1 stages coupon……………-$5.99

-brut coupon………………………..-$0.55

-CVS extra bucks…………………-$3.98

Total OOP…………………………. $0.65 plus $9 ECB back!

Transaction #3

2 Alavert…………………………….$13.98

1 almay mascara………………….$6.99

-CVS $4/$20 email coupon……..-$4.00

-alavert $4/1 coupons (2)………..-$8.00

-almay coupon…………………….-$1.00

-CVS extra bucks…………………-$7.98

Total OOP……………………………$0 plus $10 ECB back!

Transaction #4

2 Sally Hansen quick nail pen…………..$15.98

honey bunches of oats cereal…………..$4.29

-CVS $4/$20 email coupon……………..-$4.00

-free cereal coupon……………………….-$4.29

-sally hansen beauty book Q $3/2…….-$3.00

-CVS extra bucks…………………………-$9.00 (from transaction #1)

Total OOP……………………………………$0 plus $10 ECB back!

the free cereal coupon was from a mail in rebate in the paper a few weeks ago. you had to send them coupons for a kind of cereal other than honey bunches of oats, and they sent you a coupon for a free box in return. i have several love them for getting my total up enough to use am $x/$xx coupon without actually having to spend more money! the B1G1 dasani waters paired with the $1/1 coupons from the beauty book would accomplish the same thing for roughly the same dollar amount.

overall totals from sunday: spent $1.30 out of pocket (used a money card from a much earlier transaction when ECB’s didn’t print. manager couldn’t get it to work so he gave me the value of the ECB’s on a CVS money card. it was from the M&M deal i think). altogether spent $25 ECBs, and got $38 for a profit of $13. love it!

a guest appearance by Shaw’s

queen of the urban jungle — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:06:50 +0000

normally i don’t go to shaw’s market EVER because they tend to be overpriced for what i want to buy. i can get everything i need from CVS, target, BJ’s and my garden for free or very close. the exception to the no shaw’s rule is when they’re having a really, really good sale….like this week came home with quite a few pantry goods.

Shaw’s $1 sale!

muir glen organic tomato paste……….10 @ $1 each

Near East cousous………………………..5 @ $1 each

Chex Mix…………………………………….5 @ $1 each

Progresso soup…………………………….5 @ $1 each

Hamburger Helper………………………….7 @ $1 each

Shaw’s pasta………………………………..5 @ $1 each

Crystal Farms shredded cheese………..4 @ $3.39 each

Subtotal (before coupons) $50.56

-muir glen product $1/1, used 10 -10.00

-pasta $0.20/1 store coupons -1.00

-near east couscous, $0.50/1, used 5 -5.00

-chex mix $1/1, used 2 -2.00

-chex mix, $0.65/1, used 2 -2.60

-crystal farms B1G1 store coupon -6.78

-hamburger helper $1/1, used 1 -1.00

-hamburger helper $1/2, used 3 -3.00

Total after coupons $19.18!

I’m pretty happy with that haul. the last time i went to shaw’s for a “big” sale was when they had perdue shortcut chicken (the smaller package, equivalent to 1 cooked breast) on a B1G1 sale which coincided with $2/1 printable coupons….needless to say we had a lot of free chicken in the freezer after that! as far as this sale goes, i might print more for the couscous and chex and go back tomorrow on my way home from work. i make a lot of summer salads with couscous and……….i love chex mix. especially the cheddar one!

forgot to mention……shaws doubles coupons up to 0.99. thier official policy is NOT to double printable coupons that specifically state “do not double”, but it really seems to depend on the cashier. for instance, my 0.65/1 chex mix coupons said do not double and the register beeped, prompting her to remove the automatic doubling, but she hit override and let it double anyway, giving me overage!

my coupon is expiring!

queen of the urban jungle — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:16:45 +0000

i haven’t come across a new $3/$15 coupon yet, so i’m going to do quite a few transactions today since the one i have is about to expire & i still haven’t maxed out on the monthly deals. also, it’s pretty hot out and i don’t have air conditioning, but CVS does tomorrow i’ll drop off a bag of CVS loot to my nana’s house. it’s CVS christmas every week!

Transaction #1 (my card)
Nivea shaving cream…..(4) @ 2.99 each    11.96
Brut deoderant……(1) @ 3.19    3.19
CVS $3/$15 coupon    -3.00
Nivea coupons……….(2) @ $4/2    -8.00
Brut coupon………(1) @ 0.55    0.55
CVS Extra Bucks…………    -3.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 0.60
Extra Bucks back 8.00

Transaction #2 & 3 (did this previously for my card, this time it’s on Nana’s card)
Listerine Smart Rinse……….(1) @ 3.49    3.49
Garnier micro bead scrub……(2) @ 5.99 each    11.98
CVS $3/$15 coupon    -3.00
Garnier printable coupon……….(2) @ 2.00 each    -4.00
Listerine coupon……..(1) @ 1.00    -1.00
CVS Extra Bucks…………    -7.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 0.47
Extra Bucks back 13.49

Transaction #4 (again, Nana’s card)
Cinnamon Toast Crunch…….(2) @ 3.33 each    6.66
Fiber One granola bars……….(1) @ 3.34    3.34
Folgers coffee……….(1) @ 10.00    10.00
CVS $/$20 welcome coupon…….    -4.00
Cinnamon Toast Crunch printable……(2) @ 0.65 each    -1.30
Fiber one printable……(1) @ $1.00    -1.00
Folgers coupon (BJ’s home mailer)    -3.00
CVS Extra Bucks…………    -10.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 0.7
Extra Bucks back 10.00

Transaction #5 (back to my card now)
Biore face scrub…….(2) @ 5.99 each    11.98
Balance bars……….(2) @ 1.69    3.38
CVS $3/$15 coupon    -3.00
Biore coupon…….(1) @ $3/2    -3.00
Balance bar coupon………(2) @ 0.55    -1.10
CVS Extra Bucks…………    -7.99

Total spent out of pocket (in change!)    0.27
Extra Bucks back    0…..but hold on a minute

Transaction #5 (still my card)
Biore pore minimizer scrub…….(1) @ 5.99 each    5.99
Balance bars……….(6) @ 1.69    10.14
CVS $3/$15 coupon    -3.00
Biore coupon…….(1) @ $2    -2.00
Balance bar coupon………(7) @ 0.55    -3.85
CVS Extra Bucks…………    -8.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 0
Extra Bucks back 16.00

CVS shopping so far this week

queen of the urban jungle — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:44:50 +0000

went three times yesterday……well, i only went once but did three transactions while i was there. i ran into my (least) favorite manager. he acts like i’m stealing! once he even followed me around the store. jerk. i didn’t write the CVS extra bucks policy. i would kiss whoever did though!! there must be other people who go to the same CVS who take advantage of the policy. i follow all the rules! maybe he’s jealous of my mad crazy freeshopping skills. i would share my granola bars if he was nice. it’s funny, when i first started (and was still getting the hang of things, aka had to spend a little green money each and every time), he was really nice to me, very pleasant…..but now, not so much. now he’s openly snappy at me if i have a question and i’ve caught him rolling his eyes at me more than once. hey, with the price of EVERYTHING going up, he’s got no right to fault me for a) trying to get our necessities for free/as close to free as i legally can and b) stocking up on all the pantry staples i’m able to in case they’re hard to come by later on (wheat and rice worldwide shortages anyone? corn for fuel while people starve? what is wrong with the world???).

anyway……leaving the gloom and doom rant behind……it was about to happen i could feel it a’comin’. here’s my CVS haul so far this week. more to come later.

Transaction #1
Nature Valley Granola Bars……(7) @ 3.33 each 23.33
Listerine Smart Rinse………(1) @ 3.49 3.49
CVS $5/$25 coupon -5
Granola bar coupons…….(7) @ 0.65 each -4.55
Listerine coupon……..(1) @ 1.00 -1.00
CVS Extra Bucks………… -15.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 1.27
Extra Bucks back 13.49

Transaction #2
Listerine Smart Rinse……….(1) @ 3.49 3.49
Garnier micro bead scrub……(2) @ 5.99 each 11.98
CVS $3/$15 coupon -3.00
Garnier printable coupon……….(2) @ 2.00 each -4.00
Listerine coupon……..(1) @ 1.00 -1.00
CVS Extra Bucks………… -7.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 0.47
Extra Bucks back 13.49

Transaction #3
Nivea shaving cream…..(4) @ 2.99 each 11.96
Gallon of milk………(1) @ 3.99 3.99
CVS $3/$15 coupon -3.00
Nivea coupons……….(2) @ $4/2 -8.00
CVS Extra Bucks………… -5.00

Total spent out of pocket (in change!) 0!!
Extra Bucks back 5.00

i’m done with you

queen of the urban jungle — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:26:40 +0000

have you ever had a friend who felt like an emotional black hole? i try, try, try to be there for my friends and family when they need me, whatever it’s for……but this one person, i have to say, tests me beyond anyone else. i don’t even truly feel that we are friends……more like i am her friend, but she is not a friend to me in return. she only calls when there is a crisis in her life (which is about every other day) or when she wants something. i can’t even tell you how many conversations have started with “i need you to do me a favor”. conversely i can count on one hand the number of times she has asked how i was….even if i was clearly sick or upset. i don’t really consider being talked at rather than talked to be a good conversation. she always asks advice yet ignores it every time and ends up making self-destructive decisions. why ask in the first place?? why ask for help when you’re unwilling to accept it?? it’s very frustrating and very hard to watch. it makes me angry because i feel like she doesn’t care AT ALL about us being friends; only that she has someone to listen to her. it also makes me angry that she sets herself up in situations that any rational person could see were not a good idea, and when it all falls apart she acts surprised and hurt. she’s not a stupid girl; it’s willful ignorance.

it’s partially my own fault for letting her get to me. i know this is how she is, i should stop acting like one day she’s going to change her ways. the conversation we had the other night pushed me towards the decision i’ve made……i’m done. done trying to be friends with her, done trying to talk her out of her terrible ideas, done thinking she’s going to care about anything going outside her immediate area. she called and accused me of betraying her…..called me at 11 at night and offered me a chance to “come clean” about things i never did. couldn’t just let me be the person in her life who was NOT caught up in some kind of soap opera, had to convince herself that i must have lied about something, because no one really is what they seem.

guess what? i am. this is just me. i didn’t lie to you. i have never betrayed your confidence or your friendship. i have never asked anything of you, let alone anything comparable to what you’ve asked of me. i accepted you as my friend despite not feeling your friendship in return. i listened when you needed someone to lean on and did what i could to help you through. your response: YOU betrayed ME. i did what i could for you, i defended you when you weren’t around to defend yourself, i covered your ass at work, i was always honest with you, and you accused me of lying and going behind your back.

well. we’re done. i’m sorry this is how it ended, but i’ve got nothing else to give and nothing else to say.

CVSing this week

queen of the urban jungle — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:42:48 +0000

i’m starting to realize i don’t need that many things, now that i’ve been CVSing religiously for two months or so i’ve reorganized the linen closet quite a few times already to make room and the food shelves in the basement are overflowing. maybe i should have a yard sale to get rid of some of this stuff! i caught myself putting free things back–you have no idea how hard it is for me to put something back on the shelf that i know i can take home for free!!!–because i simply don’t have room for it. a yard sale to get rid of the extra could help a couple ways: make more room to further fuel my addition to freeshopping, and at the end of it i’d have another nice payment to get rid of that pesky credit card and/or save for christmas shopping later in the year. i have quite a few ECB’s built up at the moment, $38 on my card and $74 (!!!) on the card i do for my grandmother. she wants a disposable camera, denture cleaner (ew), cookies and a couple other grocery type things. easy enough. it definitely helps stretch her income, being able to get so many necessities and a fair amount of groceries at CVS….we have several of the big big 24h ones around. they have LOTS of pantry and refrigerated type foods. i haven’t gone yet for myself this week but here’s what i plan on getting. i’m so sad the $5/$15 coupon is no more!

Transaction #1:

12 Balance bars….17.88 (1.49 each)

2 Chex Mix….2.00 (sale price 1.00 each)

-0.55/1 balance bar coupon (12)

-$1/1 Chex mix printable coupon (2)

-$4/$20 CVS coupon from updating my email address

-$6 ECB’s from last week

Final Cost: 0.28 out of pocket, earned 9 ECB’s

Transaction #2

4 Listerine Smart Rinse……..$13.96 (3.49 each)

1 Chex Mix……1.00

-$3/$15 CVS coupon

-$1/1 Chex mix printable

-$1/1 Listerine smart rinse (4)

-$7 ECB’s

Final Cost: ZERO DOLLARS SPENT plus $13.96 ECB’s earned

i’m never good enough to make the out of pocket balance come out to exactly zero. for this one i the amount due after coupons/before ECB’s is $6.96 and my closest ECB is $7, so i technically will lose $0.04 on this transaction. i’m ok with that though

Transaction #3

3 OralB twin pack toothbrushes…….20.97 (6.99 each)

-$4/$20 coupon

-Buy two, get one free oral B coupon from the sunday paper

-$10 ECBs

Final Cost: zero dollars out of pocket, $20.97 ECB earned

Transaction #4 (last one)

gallon of milk 3.89

Tiday Cats cat litter 5.99

Land O Lakes butter 2.99

dozen eggs 2.19

Complete contact lens solution 6.99

-$4/$20 CVS coupon

-$2/1 contact solution coupon

-$1/1 land o lakes butter coupon

-$1/1 tidy cats printable coupon

Final Cost: $14.05, which i will pay for completely with ECBs.

Totals for the week: i will end up with $77.86 worth of stuff, most of it groceries, for $0.28. i’m starting the week with an ECB balance of $38 and ending with a balance of $45. rock.

not really

queen of the urban jungle — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:11:16 +0000

i paid off one of two credit cards today. it was THE BIG ONE. it’s about to become THE CANCELED ONE. i thought i’d be a little more excited about it, but i guess that feeling is reserved for when the other one is paid off too.

a real fence would have been better

queen of the urban jungle — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:23:22 +0000

my garden is about 80% in. it looks good. gardening lends itself well to my obsessive need for order and patterns so, in the ground go all my happy little plants. i stand back and admire how nicely the beds came out. built them myself, thank you very much. 4 4×8 raised beds for now, more to come in the main part of the garden and elsewhere in the yard later. i think grass is overrated.

i’m digressing. back to the point (i know where i’m going with this, even if no one else does). the garden is in. the salad greens will be ready in a few days at most. i’m excited, especially so because i should have had these planted about a month ago. i spray something called “LIQUID FENCE” around the perimeter of the beds. it claims people aren’t supposed to be able to smell it, but that’s a load of crap. in fact what came out of the bottle smelled like a load of dog crap, mixed with something spicy. ick. it’s supposed to keep deer (we have no deer), rabbits (i think we might have rabbits, but i’ve never seen one) and chipminks (we have LOTS) away from the garden. i say good night to the plants–yes, out loud– and go back in the house.

next morning before work i walk outside with my coffee to visit the plants. they have been beheaded. in my half asleep state i looked around, confused and disturbed that someone would come into my yard and steal my broccoli plants. who on earth would do such a thing? i realize i’m not making sense. people might steal a head of broccoli, but not my seedlings. kneeling down i see they were not stolen but rather eaten right down to the ground. so are most of my sugar peas and all of the lettuce, kale, brussel sprouts and spinach. ACK! my poor plants! it would have been easier if i bought the plants, but i didn’t, i grew them. liquid fence my ass. i might as well have put a sign up saying, here’s my garden, please come destroy it! so…..do i start again in pots close to the house? go buy new plants? grow them again and resign myself to a very late season? on an up note, the tomatoes, peppers, shallots, onions and garlic were not bothered. maybe it’s all a sign i should cook more italian food.

what i was able to get for (almost) free

queen of the urban jungle — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:53:53 +0000

it took a couple trips to the store (thankfully i can walk so no wasted gas) but this is what i was able to get. it’s kind of summer themed i think!

First Transaction:

French’s mustard (4) 2.64….0.66 each

Kraft BBQ sauce (2) 1.32…..0.66 each

Sierra Mist (4) 4.00……1.00 each

Revlon Nail Polish (2) 7.98….3.99 each

Total before coupons: $15.94

Coupons used:

Buy one get one free mustard (used two)

$0.50/1 mustard (used two)

$2/1 revlon product (used two)

2 buy one get one free sierra mist, PLUS the soda was already on buy one get one free sale, so all 4 were free!

$5/$15 CVS coupon

Total after coupons: 0.62 PLUS 6 extra care bucks back to spend later!

Second Transaction:

Revlon Nail polish (1) 3.99

Hellman’s mayo (1) 3.00

Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (2) 8.58….4.29 each

Lipton Tea (1) 3.00

Total before coupons: $18.78

Coupons used:

$5/$15 CVS coupon

$1.50/1 lipton coupon

$1.50/1 Hellman’s coupon

$2/1 Revlon coupon

buy one get one free cereal (CVS sale)

$2/1 honey bunches of oats cereal (used two)

Total after coupons: 0.78 PLUS 3 extra care bucks to spend later!

Third Transaction (last one):

Hellman’s mayo (1) 3.00

Lipton Tea (1) 3.00

Rolaids (4) 9.96…….2.49 each

Total before coupons: 15.96

Coupons used:

$5/15 CVS coupon

$1/1 mayo coupon

$1/1 lipton tea coupon

6 ECB’s and 3 ECB’s from earlier two transactions

ZERO DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET, PLUS 11 EXTRA CARE BUCKS FOR NEXT WEEK

the change for the first two i was able to scrounge while cleaning up the house and checking the bottom of my purse/pockets. not too bad.