Happy Halloween to you and your families. I hope you are all having a fun and safe day!
I have been busy here the past few days. I am working on a year budget that we are starting tomorrow, November 1st. I decided not to wait until January 1st because rising costs are not waiting until then. It is also a way to keep holiday costs under control. More on that later......
Besides that I babysat West on Saturday evening while his Mom and Dad toured a haunted house and went out for coffee. He also came to visit us that morning. He is getting so big as you can tell by the picture above.
Yesterday, I cooked a turkey dinner and we watched the Buffalo Bills game. It was a lazy day for me.
Today, I made a quick trip to Aldi's to pick up a few things. I purchased:
1 Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Ham at $ 1.69 a lb = $ 16.41 ( This is my Christmas ham. I used to buy these hams in AZ and they are one of the best we have ever had. So I wanted to get mine early while they still have them.)
2 Unsalted Butter - $ 1.99 each = $ 3.98
1 Pineapple - $ 1.99
2 cans of Candied Sweet Potatoes - $ .99 each = $ 1.98
Total OOP was $ 24.36.
We have had a wonderful Halloween. Our little monster, West came trick or treating. He was so excited to get Cheerios to put in his pumpkin. I have to run and answer the door again but I am enjoying every minute of seeing the little ones and their costumes. They are all so cute and so polite. I hope you are all having as much fun.
With prices rising so rapidly, Aldi's is becoming my favorite place for groceries. And with the crowds that I am encountering when I go there, I believe it is becoming many people's favorite store. You just can't beat their prices on most items even if you have doubled coupons in your area. The Top's flyer has been very disappointing the last month or so and continues to be even this Sunday.
I spend a little time while I am in line checking out other people's carts and asking them about certain products they buy. A woman this morning told me that the Cattlemen's Ranch Beef Steaks are outstanding. I will be buying them next time I go.
This morning I made a quick stop at Walmart to pick up some Equate Ibuprofen. It is 1/2 the cost of Advil. I got a 200 ct. bottle for $ 6.98.
Then I went to Aldi's, armed with my list, where I purchased:
1 - 200 sq. ft. roll of Plastic Wrap - $ 1.29
2 Casa Mamamita Salsa - $ 1.19 each
1 Pkg. of Prosciutto - $ 2.49
1 Pkg. Muenster Cheese - $ 2.19
1 Doz. Large Eggs - $ .89
1 Pkg. of Cocktail Sausages - $ 2.49
1 Bottle of Cocktail Sauce - $ 1.09
1 Pkg. of Broccoli Crowns - $ 1.49
1 Pumpkin Spice Liquid Coffee Creamer - $ 1.39
1 Stove Top Stuffing Mix - $ .89
1 Fit & Active FF Chicken Broth - $ 1.39
2 Bottles of Tartar Sauce - $ 1.19 each
Total OOP was $ 20.36 + tax.
I had lots of energy to shop after DH made breakfast for me this morning while I sat and enjoyed my coffee. He made homemade blueberry waffles and they were so good. He likes to make a bunch when he does it so we have a few packages in the freezer ready for other meals.
Are you doing more shopping at Aldi's than you used to? Are there particular items that you especially love. Please leave a comment and share with all of us what you buy there.
These are the things we did today to save money today:
- Breakfast was homemade Egg McMuffins made with eggs, turkey bacon and cheese on a Multigrain English muffin.
- We shampooed our bedroom carpeting with our steam cleaner. Since we purchased our own steam cleaner 7 or 8 years ago, it costs us nothing but a little shampoo and electricity to do our own carpets. This way we can do them on our own schedule instead of hiring and paying a service to do them. This has paid for itself many times over.
- DH received a bill from the eye doctor. After checking it out, I realized they had made a billing error. So I got my records out and called them. Sure enough, they had made a posting error and we only owed 1/2 the billed amount. I check and double check every bill because so many practices seem to make mistakes these days.
- While I was grocery shopping on Monday, I picked up the giftcards that I needed for Christmas gifts. This saved me gasoline since I won't have to make a special trip out to purchase them. I have added these gifts to my organizer so that I know what I have.
- Sold some books to: Cash 4 Books . I have sold so many books to these people. It is so easy and efficient. I have been gleaning books I no longer want from those shelves in the basement. I want that bookcase gone from my pantry area.
- I have decided not to order an Entertainment Book this year. I will keep the $35.00 in my pocket. We go out to dinner less than once a month and the restaurants that we choose to go to are not in the Entertainment Book. We also very rarely do fast food unless it is take out at Panera Bread. So I would be spending $ 35.00 buying one. I will keep my eye open for coupons in newspapers, etc. for the restaurants we go to.
- Since our automobile policy will be up for renewal soon, I am researching the best deal for insurance. Since the car is almost 10 years old, we will be dropping the collision on it.
- My sciatica has gone away enough for me to be able to do the exercise bike. So I rode 3 miles today. Cheap exercise in my goal to be healthy.
- I was making my grocery list of necessities for next week when I realized that next Tuesday is Senior Day( Young Heart's Club) at Top's. So I will put off my shopping until that day.
- Heat is still at 68 and all but one light is off. It is a rainy dreary day here so I need a light while I write this. I am still watching all electricity and natural gas use in our home.
- I am researching the best place and price to buy some new jeans for me. I am down to one old pair and one okay pair. Since I am losing weight, I do not want to spend a lot of money on 2 more pairs.
- DH cut up an old pallet in the garage for more firewood for our outside fireplace.
- In the mail today, I received $ 11.00 in rebate checks and two free magazines.
- Lunch was a can of Campbells Chunky sausage and gumbo soup which DH and I split.
That is about all for now. Please feel free to leave a comment and share with all of us what you have done to save money today.
After a busy weekend of yard work, housework and babysitting, I finally had time to do a little shopping today. I just went to two different Top's and to make a deposit at the bank.
Even though I went to 2 different stores, I will consolidate the orders to save my time. This is what I purchased:
10 Bags of Whiskas Dry Cat Food - $ 3.99 each - Used $ 2./1 MQ's = $1.99 each = $ 19.90
4 Jars of Smart Balance Mayonaise - $ 3.00 each - Used $ .75/1 MQ'sD = $ 1.50 each = $ 6.00
4 Jars of Smart Balance Peanut Butter - $ 3.00 each - Used $ .75/1 MQ'sD = $ 1.50 each = $ 6.00
5 Dr. Pepper Ten - $ 1.00 each - Used Free Q's = All Free
3 - 28 oz. Furmano Diced Tomatoes - $ 1.00 Each - Used $ 1./3 MQ = $ 2.00 for all 3
8 Bags of Pepperidge Farm Artisan Rolls - $ 3.49 each - Used $ .75/1 MQ'sD = $ 1.99 each = $ 15.92
4 Tabasco Sauce - $ 1.00 each - Used $ .75/1 MQ's D = All Free
1 Pkg. of Boneless Wild Shark at $ 7.99 a lb. = $ 1.75
1 Pkg. of Alaskan Whitefish at $ 3.99 a lb. = $ 9.06
2 Bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix - $ 2.50 each = $ 5.00
2 Mission 96% FF Tortillas - $ 3.49 - Used $ 1./1 MQ's = $ 2.49 each or $4.98
1 Romaine Lettuce - $ 1.91
1 Pkg. Baby Carrots - $ 1.50 - $ .62 credit for Tops Baby Carrots Super Cpn = $ .88 ( Q was for a 2 lb. bag but I accidentally picked up a 1 lb. bag; the cashier let me use it anyhow)
Seedless Green Grapes at $ 1.77 lb = $ 3.43
Total OOP was $ 76.83 + tax and bottle deposits. Since I was flush with grocery money this month, I decided to fill in the holes in my stockpile. The dry cat food will last almost a year. The stuffing will be for turkeys I will get near Thanksgiving. The artisan rolls will be so easy for the holidays and I love that I can take just 2 out for DH and I for dinner. I planned on buying a few meals of whitefish. However the shark was an impulse purchase. I have always wanted to try shark. So I bought just a little piece to try. DH won't touch it.
Feel free to leave a comment and share any great deals that you are getting this week.
These are the things we did today to save money:
- DH repaired my HP computer. We had gotten an estimate of $250. including the part and labor that we needed to have someone repair it. DH took it apart and he determined the power supply was bad. So he found a brand new power supply online that even with shipping only cost us $ 56. The HP is up and running like brand new.
- Washed two loads of laundry using the HE's and minimal detergent.
- Ran the dishwasher on quick wash cycle thereby saving energy and money.
- I dug out all of the gifts that I have been stockpiling for Christmas and made a list in my Christmas organizer of what I have and for whom and what I still need to buy. Hopefully I will be done sometime next week with all of the shopping.
- DH and I were thinking about buying a large prelit tree to put up between our morning room and kitchen. We have a small tree that we brought with us from AZ. We have decided that we really don't need the large tree. We will put the small one up on our marble table and that will be perfect for us. We will use the $ 300. we would have spent for necessities.
- We got our gas and electric bill for the past 30 days. It was $10.00 less than the same period last year. Since our rates went up last month, I feel great that we did that well. Our natural gas usage was way down as a result of the warm weather for a couple of weeks and the fact that we are setting our heat at 68 this year instead of 72. I will continue to work on saving as much energy as possible every month.
- Had a turkey sandwich on my homemade bread for lunch made from a turkey breast I roasted.
- Dinner will be cold turkey slices, broccoli and sweet potato fries.
- I am reworking our medical figures into our budget today. DH went to pick up a couple of prescriptions and the cost was $220. It was a shock....co-pays have gone up so much. So I need to account for these increases in the money we set aside for medical.
- DH is taking the van in, as I write this, to have the snow tires put on. The place where we go sent us a 25% off coupon that expires tomorrow.
- I belonged to the campaign at BzzAgent to read a John Grisham book that they sent me last August. If I buzzed enough about the book, they promised they would send me a copy of his new book, "The
Litigators" that was just released. It arrived today. I bet you can't guess what I will be doing this weekend. :-)
- Caught up all of my points programs and surveys that I missed doing while I was away.
- Prepared my shopping lists for Sunday.
- Lights are off until dark today. TV's and radios are also off until this evening.
- Cleaned the bathroom counters and the outside of the toilets with homemade cleaning wipes.
- Watched a Netflix DVD today: Heat
That's all today. Please feel free to leave a comment and share with us what you did to save money today.
I love homemade fudge. Especially during the holidays to give for gifts. This year I will be giving a box of homemade to the mailman, my UPS man and the paperboy for Christmas. Since I already have the boxes to put it in, purchased years ago, there will be no cost for those.
Since I was craving chocolate yesterday, I decided to do a dry run and make some fudge. I use the Five Minute Fudge Recipe that has been around for years and have added my costs:
2/3 cup of evaporated milk ($ .50)
1 & 2/3 cup of sugar ($ .43)
1/2 tsp. salt (less than a penny)
1 & 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows ($ .25)
1 & 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips ($ .75)
1 tsp. vanilla ( or a substitute flavoring) ( $ .10)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts ( or any nut that you have in your pantry)($ .25)
Put the milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan and heat to boiling stirring constantly. Then continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and add the marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla, and nuts. Stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes or so. Pour into a buttered 8 x8 or 9 x 9 pan. Cool and cut into squares. You can also substitute butterscotch chips for the chocolate chips or maple or amaretto flavoring for the vanilla.
My cost for this recipe would be less than $ 2.29. Yesterday, I paid $2.04 because I didn't use the nuts. I am saving them for when I make these gifts and for other baking purposes. If I purchased an equivalent amount of fudge, I would pay at least $ 8.00. Think about how cheap it is to make this the next time that you are tempted to pay $ 8.00 or more for a lb. of fudge.
I believe for such little money, I will have a nice gift for these service people. There are many people you could make this yummy cheap gift for besides service people...think of your neighbors, children's teachers, or even extended family.
Please feel free to leave a comment and share with us anything that you have made cheaper to give as a gift.
These are the things that we have been doing the past 5 days or so to save money:
- Made a pork tenderloin in the crockpot with sliced apples, onions and just a touch of brown sugar. It was melt in your mouth good. By using the crockpot, I saved a lot of energy by not cooking it in the gas oven.
- Finished two homemade Christmas gifts using materials that I already had.
- Rather than find someone to fix my computer, DH tore it down himself. It was not an easy job but he has the patient of a saint. He has determined that most likely the power supply is bad. My son took a look last night and he seemed to agree. So DH researched online for one and has ordered a brand new one for $45. He will install it when it arrives. Having someone repair it would have cost a fortune.
- Our heat is on because it has been getting down in the low 40's at night and only the 50's and 60's during the day. However, we have set the heat this year at 68 instead of 72. I think our blood has finally thickened up. :-)
- I did 4 successive loads of laundry after our trip using the HE's. I had too much to hang so by drying one load after the other, the dryer never lost the residual heat.
- In the mail, I received another makeup bag from Target. This one is even nicer than the last one. It was full of shampoo, lotion, and facial samples.
- I have also received $ 26.00 in rebate checks and $ 50.00 in Prepaid Visa's from the Cottonelle Cars 2 promotion. This $ 76. will help defray our Christmas cost this year.
- Earned the $ 10.00 Old Navy giftcard at CVS which will also help defray those costs.
- I am still stockpiling but being much more selective now that my stockpile is built up.
- Shopping will only happen once a week or twice at the most to save on gasoline costs. Our price for gas here in WNY is one of the highest in the nation and last night they said prices are headed up again.
- DH has planted 25 bushes and perennials that we brought back from my SIL's garden in Albany. She was thinning out and we were happy to take columbine, 3 white rose of sharon bushes, hostas, ferns, etc. These are the things that we needed to finish our gardens on the north side of the house. My SIL has a green thumb and everything she gave us last year has thrived. So I am sure these will also.
- After I have used the oven, I open the oven door up to let that warm air into the house to help with the heat. Might as well take advantage of that residual heat.
- Today, I will be bringing my herbs that I have grown all summer into the house so that I can hang them to dry. I still have parsley and coriander to do. The chives will survive the winter, so they can stay outdoors.
- Made French toast for breakfast using homemade bread.
- Dinner will be homemade turkey bacon,onion,and macaroni goulash. I will make garlic bread with the homemade bread. Lunch was salsa and tortilla chips.
- We had the lines blown on our sprinkler system today. This is cheap insurance so that the water does not freeze in them and damage the system.
- We also had the fertilizer company put down weed killer and the winter fertilizer on our lawn. This will keep the lawn in good shape for the spring. We have a great company that takes care of all of our needs for the lawn all season. They do a great job and are cheaper than if DH bought the supplies and did it himself.
- DH marked the sprinkler system heads on the south property line because they will be leveling that lot soon to build on. This way they won't accidentally dig them up.
- Since I am craving chocolate again, I plan on making homemade fudge this afternoon.
- DH and I will watch the NCIS's and Body of Proof on the TV tonight for entertainment.
Please feel free to leave a comment and share with us what you have been doing lately to save money.
Unless you have been locked in a closet, you have noticed the price increases in the grocery stores. I don't know about you but many products for me are now way too expensive for my grocery budget. So I will be making many of the items from scratch that have skyrocketed to bring down my cost.
One of the items that has become cost prohibitive is bread and bread products. I have no bread outlet store near me, so a loaf of good bread starts at $ 2.50 a loaf if I catch a good sale. If no sale, then I can pay up to $ 3.69 for a loaf of bread. I have tried Aldi's and Save-A-Lot's bread and DH does not like it. So I am back to making my own bread.
We have no bread in the house at the moment. I was not about to run to the store and pay what I consider an exorbitant price for a loaf. Besides the cost of gasoline at $ 3.699 a gallon here makes the trip for a loaf cost prohibitive also. So I opted to make a 2 lb. white loaf in my breadmaker. Here is the recipe with a cost breakdown:
1 & 1/4 + 2 Tbsp. warm water
2 Tbsp. of oil - $ .06
3 Tbsp. of sugar - $ .06
2 Tsp. of salt - $ .02
2 Tbsp. of dry milk - $ .40
4 & 1/2 cups of unbleached flour - I used 3 & 1/2 cups of organic Free from my DIL and 1 cup that cost $ .15
2 & 3/4 tsp. of active dry yeast - $ .20
So my cost for a 2 lb. loaf is $ .89 and it will taste better than any loaf of white bread that I can buy. Even if I had to pay for the free flour, it would only add $ .52 to the cost which is more than a dollar less than I can buy it on sale.
With flour and sugar at rock bottom prices now before Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is the perfect time to stock up for the year. I know I will be. It is a no brainer! So now I have bread to make sandwiches with the leftover roast chicken from Saturday night. Plus French toast will be on our breakfast menu tomorrow.
DH made the above crockpot full of his chili for dinner last night. His Dad was raised in Mississippi and Texas and he taught DH to make the best Texas All Meat Chili. The recipe is here:
http://frugalmakescents.blogspot.com/2010/10/dhs-chili-recipe.html
This pot will give us 3 meals and some to put on hot dogs. This chili also freezes very well. I know I am looking forward to eating it again tonight with a nice slice of homemade bread and a Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer. YUM!
This series, " Making It Cheaper" will become a regular on my blog. I will be making many products cheaper than I can buy them. So stay tuned for more.
If there is something you would like to be able to make cheaper than you are paying for it at the supermarket, leave a comment and let me know. I will see what I can do for you. Also if there is something that you make cheaper, please leave a comment and share it with all of us.
We are still trying to figure out whether to fix the HP or buy a new computer. The cheaper option would be to repair it. However, I am not reading good reviews on the Touchsmart. They seem to break a lot. I hate to throw bad money after bad money! But for now, I have connected my old Dell Laptop, updated everything and installed my camera so that I can blog. I still can't retrieve my e-mail though for those of you trying to reach me.
This morning I did most of my shopping for the week. This is what I purchased:
Save-A-Lot:
10 Pkgs. of Butterball Turkey Bacon - $ 1.00 each - Used $ .65/1 MQ = $ .35 each
10 Parkay Margarine - $1.00 each
5 Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy - $ 1.00 each
Used a $ 5.00/$25.00 Save - A - Lot Q
Total OOP was $ 13.50.
CVS:
14 Cans Blue Diamond Almonds - on sale 2 for $ 5.00 = $35.00 and I received a $ 10.00 Gift Card
4 Colgate Total Toothpaste - $ 1.99 each - Used $ .75/1 MQ's = $1.24 each
Used $ 38.00 in ECB's
Total OOP was $ 1.96 + tax. I received a $ 10.00 Gift Card good at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, etc. This giftcard will help with Christmas shopping.
Rite Aid:
1 Rite Aid All Purpose Cleaner clearanced at 75% off = $ .87
3 cans of Folger's Coffee - $ 3.99 each - Used $ 1./1 MQ's = $ 2.99 each
1 RA Kleenex Purse Pack - $ .39 - Received 20% Wellness Discount = $ .31
Used $ 10.00 in UP Rewards
Total including tax was $ .26.
Top's:
20 cans of Campbell's Select Harvest Soup - $ 1.25 each - Used(10) $1./2 MQ's = $ .75 each or $ 15.00
5 Dr. Pepper Ten - on sale 3 for $ 5.00 - Used 5 Free MQ's = All 5 Free
Used $ 5.00 OYNO Catalina Q
Total OOP was $ 10.00 + tax and bottle deposits.
Analysis:
I was so happy to replenish my turkey bacon at this great price. The same goes for the cheap margarine. I like to have some jarred gravy on hand for when I run out of homemade for turkey leftovers.
We were down to our last tube of toothpaste, so I was glad to see this sale. With nut prices escalating in the next month by 40%, I was happy to stock on the almonds. DH and I eat a small handful each day. This was a great sale price plus I earned the giftcard. Since my ECB's were expiring in a few days, this was a great way to use them.
I also had the UP's that were expiring and I can always use coffee. The cleaner I stumbled on. The kleenex was a filler.
We love this soup and I am now stocked for the winter for lunches. The soda was free.
Please feel free to leave a comment and share with all of us what you got a great deal on.
When I tried to turn on my 15 month old HP Touchsmart PC this morning, it would not turn on. After checking with HP this morning, I was informed that the warranty expired at one year. We have done as much troubleshooting as we can on it and still can't get it to work. So we have to find someone to fix it. Hence, I don't when I will be back blogging again. Just wanted to let you know so you don't think that I have left for good. This is going to drive me nuts because I can't even get to my e-mail, etc. I will return as soon as I possibly can.
Since Top's is close enough to me, I decided to make a quick trip today. There was a couple of things that I desperately needed like milk and margarine. So I scanned this week's ad very quickly and bought a few other items. I don't like shopping on Friday because a lot of shelves with sale items have been cleared by then. So there were a few items that I couldn't get. But they will go on sale again in about 12 weeks.
This is what I purchased:
2 dozen eggs - $ 1.79 each = $ 3.58 = Used $ .55/2 IPQD = $ 2.48
2 Smart Balance margarine - $ 3.00 each = $ 6.00 - Used $ 1./2 MQ = $5.00
1 gallon of Milk - $ 2.39 - Used $ 1. off Milk Q = $ 1.39
1 gallon of apple cider - $ 3.99
12 Green Giant vegetables - $ 1.00 each = $ 12.00 - Used (4) $ .60/3 MQD = $ 7.20 or $ .60 each
1 Powerade - $ 1.00 - Used Free Q = Free
2 Top's Popcorn - $ 1.00 each - Used (2) $ 1.00 off Salty Snacks Q's ( I won these from Mom's Coupon Affair shown on my sidebar) = Both Free
3 - 1 ltr. Diet A&W - $ 1.00 each - Used B2G1F Hangtag = $ 2.00 for all three
6 bags of Mama Rosie's Cheese Ravioli - on sale B1G1F = $ 2.79 x 3 = $8.37 - Used (3) $ 1./2 Top's Q's and (3) $ 1./2 MQ's = $ 2.37 for all 6 bags and I received 200 gasoline points
12 cans of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes - $ 1.00 each = $ 12.00 - Used (4) $ .45/3 MQ's D = $ 8.40 or $ .70 each
8 cans of Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce - $ 1.00 each = $ 8.00 and I received a $ 5.00 OYNO Catalina Q for buying the Hunt's sauce and tomatoes
Used a $ 10.00 OYNO Catalina Q
Total OOP was $ 30.83 and I received a $ 5.00 Catalina OYNO Q and 300 gasoline points for the Mama Rosie's purchase and for using 10 coupons.
Please feel free to share any great deals you got today with us by leaving a comment.
We left last week on Wednesday to go visit my son, DIL, and grandaughter in Albany. Alexa has grown so tall since we saw her last. She is reading now and does really well for a 4 year old. She never fails to amaze me with her vocabulary which seems to grow every day. I just wish we had had more time to time to spend with her on this trip. We spent a couple of wonderful days playing with her before we went with DH's sister and BIL to stay at their townhome on Schroon Lake up in the Adirondacks.
As you can see in the picture above, this is no small place. It is 3000 sq. ft. and so beautiful. They have 3 floors of rooms with a master bedroom suite on each floor. The suite we stayed in had a balcony off the bedroom which overlooked the lake. The views were just incredible as you can see below. There is a bubbling brook right next to them which was just beautiful. The view of the lake is breathtaking. We spent a lot of time on the balcony just taking it all in.
We have been away on vacation for eight days. We just returned and I hope to get back to blogging soon. I want to thank Michelle for keeping up with most of the comments while I was away. The last two blog posts were set to post automatically while I was away. Give me a day or so to get laundry done, do the grocery shopping, catch up on the mail, etc. and I will be back blogging as I normally do.
Since DH has been battling such a rotten cold, I decided to make him some comfort food. This an old recipe that I have been making for years:
Tater Tot Casserole
Tatertot Casserole:
1 lb. of ground round browned
2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 -3/4 cup of milk
16 oz. of tatertots
Cheddar Cheese
Put the ground beef in a layer in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam or butter it so the food doesn't stick. Next put a layer of tater tots. Mix the soups with the milk and pour over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Take out of the oven and sprinkle a couple of handfuls of cheddar cheese on top. Put back in the oven till it melts!
This is so easy and so YUMMY. This will serve DH and I about 2 meals. You can substitute cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup. DH hates mushrooms and we really like the taste of cream of chicken so that is what I use.
I believe that everyone's medical bills are rising. When Obamacare was passed, they said that it would make medical costs cheaper. Now I realize that it isn't in effect full force yet, but all of the things that the government has told the companies they have to do these past couple of years have raised the rates dramatically. We have gone from having one increase per year to two. Our premium just went up another $ 26. October 1. I know I just can't wait to see what happens when the full bill takes effect. None of us will be able to afford it. But I think that is what they want. Everyone paying into a government system, not your own policy. Oh, I forgot not every one. Obama and his family and the politicians are exempt. Because we all know the plan isn't good enough for them. They are just ramming it down every other American's throat whether we want it or not but they don't want any part of it.
We just also had an increase for our drug co-pay from $ 30. to $50. and $ 70. to $90. for prescriptions. I don't know if everyone's going up like this but I know it is killing my medical budget. Our Dr. co-pays just went up from $ 20. to $ 25. We had similar increases last January and last Fall.
So I have to had to take a look at what I can do at the moment to lower costs. This is what I am considering:
- Asking for samples of drugs at my Doctor's office.
- Getting the Dr. to write prescriptions for double the dosage ( on the drugs that they make those dosages) we take and cutting them in half.
- Having the Dr. change our drugs from the higher priced ones to the lower priced ones.
- Keeping a list of all things to ask my Doctor so that I don't forget anything and have to make another appointment.
- Have the Dr. write prescriptions for a year so that I can do wellness visits once a year instead of twice.
- Always check for coupons here: Coupons before ordering a prescription.
All non - prescription drugs that I keep in my medicine cabinet will only be purchased on sale and a ECB, UP Rewards or RR deal at the drugstores. They will be purchased with single check rebate money or ECB's, UP Rewards or RR's.
DH and I have never run to the Dr. for every little thing. We have to be really sick to go there. My grandmother always said the farther away you stay from them, the better off you are. She lived to 87 and never went to them. She may have had something there. I do believe in preventative action such as your yearly check ups but not in going for a hang nail.
Please leave a comment and share with all of us what you do to cut back on your medical costs without affecting your health.
I really don't have time today to document all of this but my body hurts so bad from shopping all morning that I have to sit for a while. So this is what I purchased:
Top's ( 2 separate stores):
8 Success Rice - $2.00 each - Used $ .50/1 MQD = $1.00 each = $ 8.00
2 Farm Rich Appetizers - $ 4.99 each - Used $ .75/1 MQD = $ 3.49 each = $ 6.98
4 Marie Callender Bakes - $ 5.49 each - Used $ 1./1 MQ = $ 4.49 = $17.96 and I received a $ 10.00 Q OYNO for buying $ 30.00 worth
3 Mott's For Tots Juice - $ 2.50 - Used $ .55/1 IPQD = $ 1.40 each = $4.20
12 Sierra Mist Diet Sodas - 3 for $ 5.00 each - Used $ 1./2 MQ's = $14.00 and I earned 400 extra gasoline points
1 Large Pkg. of Ground Chuck - $ 14.88 and all of the following Items Free as Part of this Meal Deal
1 Hunt's Manwich - Free
1- 8ct. Bimbo Hamburger Rolls - Free
1 - 2 ltr. Top's Diet Soda - Free
1 Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper - Free
1 Top's Soft Cookies - Free
1 Top's Soft Tortillas - Free
1 Kraft Shredded Cheese - Free
1 McCormick Seasoning - Free
2 Lipton Natural Iced Teas - $ 1.00 each - Used $ 1./2 MQ = $ 1.00 for both
1 Margherita Turkey Pepperoni - $ 2.00 - Used $ 1./1 MQ = $ 1.00
10 Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes - $ 1.25 each - Used $ .50/2 MQD = $ .75 each or $ 7.50
1 Keebler Wheatables - $ 2.99 - Used Free Q = Free
1 Van's Gluten Free Waffles - $ 2.49 - Used $ 1./1 - $ 1.49
2 Old El Paso Taco Seasonings - $ 1.09 each - Used $ .50/1 IPQD = $ .09 each or $ .18
1 Carolina Spanish Rice - $ .99 - Used $ .50/1 MQD = Free
10 boxes Kleenex Cool Touch Tissues - $ 1.50 each - Used $ .50/1 MQD = $ .50 each = $ 5.00
9 Gillette Body Wash - $ 3.00 each - Used $ 2./1 MQ's = $ 1.00 each = $9.00
Used 8 - $ 1.00 Doubler Q's
Received 6% Young Hearts Discount of 9.28
Total OOP was $ 73.91 + bottle deposits and tax and I received $ 10.00 OYNO Q. The way they are doing the Young Hearts Discount differs from store to store. One store did it after Q's and 1 before.
Wegman's:
1 Bag of Wegmans Shrimp - $ 9.99 - Used $ 1./5. Wegmans IPQ = $8.99
2 Wegmans Roasting Chickens at $ .88 a lb = $ 10.29
4 cans of Wegman's Coffee - $ 2.49 each = $ 9.96
2 cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk - $ 1.49 - Used $ .50/2 IPQD = $ .99 each = $1 .98
2 Poland Spring Water - $ .99 each - Used $ .50/1 IPQD = Both Free
4 Sierra Mist Soda - $ 1.25 each - Used $ 1./2 MQ = $ .75 each = $ 3.00
2 Nestle Toll House Semi Sweet Morsels - $ 1.99 each - Used $ .50/1 IPQD = $ .99 each = $ 1.98
Used 4 $ 1.00 Tops Doublers which Wegman's honors
Total OOP was $ 32.20 + bottle deposits + tax.
Rite Aid :
6 Cover Girl Blush on sale B1G150% - 3 at $ 4.39 and 3 at $ 2.19 = $19.74 - Used (3) $ 8./2 MQ =
Made $ 4.26
2 Cover Girl Foundation B1G150% - 1 at $ 8.45 and 1 at $ 4.22 = $12.67 - Used a $ 8./2 MQ = $ 4.67
Total OOP was $ .41 and I received a $ 10.00 UP for buying the Covergirl and I will be sending for the P& G Rebate also.
CVS:
6 Dove Shampoo - $ 3.00 each = $ 18.00 - Used ( 3) B1G1FQ's and (3) $ .75 MQ's = $ 6.75 for all 6 and I received a $ 5.00 ECB
6 Covergirl Clean Foundation on sale at 2 for $ 14.00 = $ 42.00 - Used (3) $ 8./2 MQ's = $ 18.00
2 Covergirl Blush on sale B1G150% off - 1 at $ 6.39 and 1 at $3.24 - Used a $ 8./2 MQ = $ 1.63
Used $ 16.00 in ECB's
Total OOP was $ 10.48 + tax and I received a $ 5.00 ECB.
Ignore the Snickers which were in the glove compartment of the car. I threw them in a bag to bring them in and forgot when I took the picture. Now you know my guilty pleasure!
Please feel free to leave a comment sharing with all of us any great deals you got today.
Today was a quick trip to Aldi's, Dollar General and Valu Center. This is what I purchased:
At Aldi's I bought 1 Fit and Active Vanilla Yogurt - $ 1.99, 4 Fit and Active FF Chicken Broth - $ 1.39 each, 6 cans of whole potatoes -$ .59 each and 4 Casamita medium salsa - $ 1.19 each for a total OOP of $15.85.
At Dollar General I got 2 Glade Solid - $ .25 each after using (2) $ .75/1 MQ's and 2 Lysol Clean Flip Wet Mopping Cloths - $ .50 each after using (2) $ 3./1 IP Q's for a total OOP of $ 1.50 + tax.
And lastly I stopped at Valu Center and picked up this Stuff a Pumpkin for free using the coupon on their Facebook site. I have to thank Tricia at Tricia's Frugal Finds for posting this deal.
Please feel free to leave a comment and tell us about any great deals you got today.
It is a very cold and rainy day here but I managed to drag myself out of bed to do some shopping. First stop was at Top's to run in quickly and see what reduced for quick sale meat they had. I found this 1.28lb. package of ground veal marked down from $ 7.03 to $ 3.52. I love mixing ground veal into meatballs and meatloaf.
Next stop was CVS where I purchased the following:
2 Fritos Corn Chip Scoops - $ 3.00 each = $ 6.00
2 Cheetos - $ 3.00 each = $ 6.00 - Used $ 1./2 MQ = $ 5.00
4 Lipton 100% Natural Iced Teas - $ 1.00 each - Used $ 1./4 MQ = $3.00 and I received a $ 5.00 ECB for buying $ 15.00 worth of Fritos, Cheetos and Lipton
2 Cover Girl Blush - on sale B1G1 50% off - one was $ 6.49 and one was $ 2.64 after 50% discount = $ 9.13 and I used a $ 8.00/2 MQ = $ 1.13 for both and I am working on a rebate.
1 - 2 pack of Reach Toothbrushes - $ 3.99 - Used $ 2.00 IPQ = $ 1.99 and I received a $ 2.00 ECB so a $ .01 moneymaker
Used $4.00/20.00 CVS Q
Used $ 12.79 in ECB's
Total OOP was $ .33 + tax and I received $ 7.00 in ECB's.
Then I stopped at Walmart where I got these 4- 2 pks. of Cello Scrubber Sponges for $ .92 each and used (2) $ 1./2 IPQ's for a total OOP of $ 1.68 + tax. At a second Walmart I got 10 Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Bowl Starter Kits for $ 3.97 each I used a $4.00 MQ on each which gave me $ .30 overage which I used to buy a Snickers Bar.
At Save-A-Lot I purchased 10 Pillsbury Grands for $1.00 each using a $ .30/1 MQ on each = $ .70 each and 2 boxes of Banquet Brown and Serve Sausage Patties at $ 1.00 each for a total OOP of $9.00. I love to make a box of the biscuits up and make egg, sausage and cheese sandwiches for the freezer. On the days, I am going shopping really early, I can grab one and nuke it to eat before I leave. The biscuits were a great deal. I noticed that at Top's they are $ 2.19 a can on sale.
And last stop was Walgreens where I purchased:
1 Finesse Shampoo - $ 1.99 and I will mail in the Try Me Free Rebate.
1- 12 pack Cottonelle Toilet Paper - $ 5.00 - Used a $ 1./1 MQ and a $1./1 Walgreens Booklet Q = $ 3.00
4 J&J First Aid Tape at B1G1 50% off - 2 were $ 1.49 and the two were $ .75 - Used (2) $ 1.50/2 MQ's = $ 1.48 for all 4
Total OOP was $ 6.47 + tax but I will get $ 1.99 back on TMF Rebate.
Feel free to leave a comment and share with us any great deals that you got today.
