Planning a Trip. Should You Drive or Fly?

Driving or Flying? That's the question we asked ourselves as we decided to visit a friend in Charlotte, North Carolina. It actually wasn't that hard of a decision for us to choose to drive our car from central Florida, for a variety of reasons. Which is the point of this article, to help you decide based on your priorities and situation, because of course it makes a difference. Here are questions to ask yourself to determine if you should drive or fly -

1. How long would it take to drive there vs fly? Generally I like the time at the event to be twice the time it takes to commute (E > 2T). For example, if I want to go to a concert in a different city that is 90 minutes away driving (2 x 90 min = 3 hrs), and the concert will last from 7 pm to 11 pm (4 hrs) then I would consider it. But if it took longer to commute somewhere than I would be staying, I would probably not go. So, likewise with a trip across the country. Driving to NC took 9 hours x 2, so 18 hrs. We stayed from Thur evening to Sunday morning so it was over a 50 hour visit. Making the drive worth it.
2. Do you have more than one driver, do you have pets, elderly passengers or children that may not handle a long drive well? Another consideration, but these types of passengers may not fly well either, so cost may be more of a factor. But driving allows you to stop more frequently and tend to any needs that develop.
3. Calculate the cost of fuel vs flight costs. This is a no brainer, but the more passengers you have the cheaper it will cost to travel. If you don't have a travel worthy vehicle, you could consider renting one for the trip and calculating the cost too. Again, more passengers will probably steer you to drive.
4. Will you need transportation at your destination? Most people do, unless you are going to a conference in one location the entire time. But then you are probably going solo and flying would be cheaper too.
5. I don't generally consider the wear and tear on a car since they last forever even with high miles if you care for it properly. Our Camry is ten years old and just rolled over 90K on our trip. We will probably keep it another ten years and it still will have lots of life left at that point. But, if you like to trade in cars, or lease them you need to consider wear and tear for driving trips.
6. Another consideration is the amount of possessions you will bring with you on your trip. If you are bringing some of your stockpile to save on food and beverage costs, you probably want to drive. If you can travel light with just one bag (and bring twice as much cash), you could do better to drive.

My Walmart Publix BOGO Chicken Price Match Trip

Wow. What an experience. I probably wouldn't normally recommend anyone shop at Wal-Mart to get a deal if it wasn't such a good deal. This week (10/17/13 - 10/23/13) Publix has boneless, skinless chicken breasts on BOGO for $4.69/lb. But Wal-Mart has the same boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.99/lb. And they will price match BOGO deals in Florida, so I thought I would give it a try.

We found nice big 5 lb packages that ranged in price from nine to ten dollars per pack. Wal-Mart lets  you do two deals per BOGO, so me and DH each got 4 packs of chicken. The thing to keep in mind is that they will charge you for the two most expensive packages and then you get the two cheaper ones for free. I thought they would pair the ten dollar packs BOGO, and then pair the nine dollar packs BOGO, but no they didn't.

Before we even went on this shopping odessy, I called the store and got put on hold four different calls. Finally, I talked to a manager and they said yes they would do the deal, just bring in the ad. So we went prepared for an easy deal. But no. It doesn't work that way at Wal-Mart. And don't bother to call Corporate (479-273-4000 ask for priority assistance to get customer assistance immediately) because the person on the phone will say that the manager can decide to do anything they want. So we knew we didn't have an ally in Corporate (the total opposite of Publix), so we resorted to being really nice and patient.

Our cashier was nice and competent, except the computer doesn't know how to ring up free BOGO meat, or variable price packages. So she went to get help. And more help. It took about 5 Wal-Mart supervisors and managers to void about a dozen tries before they finally did it the "old way" - whatever that way is. So thirty minutes later, with salmonella growing on our warm chicken we finally walked away with 38 lbs of chicken for $38, for a final cost of $1/lb. The same amount of chicken would have cost $89 at Publix on BOGO.

In the end, I'm glad I got my chicken. I paid half of what it would have cost me at Zaycon. But it took a lot of time and patience. Wal-Mart is going to have to work on this. I think an email to fbsupt@Wal-Mart.com will be necessary to let then know how frustrating this experience was.

So, if you're feeling brave and want to try this deal, I recommend calling ahead and getting the managers name and approval for the deal. And be prepared to wait while they figure it out.

Good Luck

Running Out? Run In at Publix #MyBlogSpark

From October 9th through October 25th you can take advantage of great savings on some of your favorite brands from General Mills and Procter & Gamble, like Yoplait, Totino’s, Charmin and Crest. What’s great is that when you buy $30 of participating items in one shopping trip you can mail in to receive a $10 Publix gift card to use on your next shopping trip!

PARTICIPATING PRODUCTS: Immaculate Baking^® Honestly Delicious^™; Yoplait^® Go-GURT^® (8ct, assorted varieties); Gain Laundry Detergent (100oz, assorted varieties); Old El Paso^® Dinner Kits (assorted varieties); Totino's^®Party Pizza^® (assorted varieties); Dawn^® Dish Detergent (20-24oz bottle, assorted varieties); Betty Crocker^®Hamburger Helper^® (assorted varieties); Suddenly Pasta Salad^® (assorted varieties); Charmin^®Basic Bathroom Tissue (12 double roll pkg, assorted varieties); Pampers^® Diapers (Jumbo, assorted varieties); Green Giant^®Canned Vegetables (4pk, assorted varieties); Crest^® Toothpaste (8.2oz, assorted varieties); Herbal Essences^® (6.0 -11.7oz, assorted varieties) and Vidal Sassoon^® Shampoo/Conditioner (12oz, assorted varieties); Tide^® Pods (18ct, assorted varieties)

Head over to the Running Out? Run In. page to download your rebate form.

Make sure you “Like” Publix on Facebook to keep up with all the latest promotions.

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

New Printable Coupons - Glade, Covergirl

Food + Beverages

• Save $1.00 off any two (2) 64oz Old Orchard 100% Juice Blends
• Save $1.00 off any two (2) Healthy Balance™ reduced-sugar juice drinks
• Save $1.00 off any four (4) Old Orchard frozen juice concentrates (Available at Walmart)
• Save $1.00 off any two (2) Cranberry Naturals™ reduced-calorie juice drinks
• SAVE $1.00 ON ANY ONE (1) FARM RICH SNACKS OVER EIGHTEEN (18) OZ OR LARGER
• SAVE $1.00 on the purchase of any two (2) VALLEY FRESH® products
• Save $1.00 off any El Monterey® Taquitos or Mini Chimis
• SAVE $1.00 off any ONE (1) Newman's Own® Frozen Pizza
• SAVE $1.00 off any ONE (1) Newman's Own® Complete Skillet Meal
• $1.50 OFF the purchase of any three (3) HORMEL® COMPLEATS® microwave meals

Personal Care

• $1.00 OFF ONE Crest® ProHealth Rinse 1L or larger (excludes trial/travel size) De descuento en UN enjuague bucal Crest® ProHealth de 1 L o
• $1.00 OFF ONE Crest® 3D Whitening Rinse 32oz or larger (excludes trial/travel size) De descuento en UN enjuague bucal Crest® 3D Whitening
• Save $2.00 on any Burt’s Bees® Natural Acne Solutions Product
• $2.00 OFF ONE COVERGIRL® Blast Mascara (excludes trial/travel size) de descuento en UNA mascara de COVERGIRL® Blast (excluye tamaños de pr
• $2.00 OFF ONE COVERGIRL® Clean Whipped Crème Foundation (excludes trial/travel size) de descuento en UNA Clean Whipped Crème Foundation de
• $1.00 OFF ONE COVERGIRL® Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm (excludes trial/travel size) de descuento en UN Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm d
• $1.50 OFF TWO COVERGIRL® Nail Products (excludes trial/travel size) de descuento en DOS producto para uñas de COVERGIRL® (excluye tamaños
• $2.00 OFF ONE CC Cream Tone Rehab or ONE CC Cream Eye Rehab product (excludes trial/travel size) De DESCUENTO en UNA crema CC Tone Rehab o
• 50¢ OFF ONE Scope® To Go Outlast 4ct (excludes trial/travel size) De descuento en UN Scope® To Go Outlast de 4 u (excluye tamaños de p
• 50¢ OFF ONE Scope® To Go Dual Blast 4ct (excludes trial/travel size) De descuento en UN Scope® To Go Dual Blast de 4 u (excluye tamaños

In the Home

• Save $0.50 when you buy ONE (1) package of Hefty® Tallboy Cups (Walmart)
• SAVE $1.00 on any TWO Windex® Products
• SAVE 50¢ on any Scrubbing Bubbles® All Purpose Cleaner with fantastik®
• SAVE 50¢ on any Scrubbing Bubbles® Foaming Disinfectant Bathroom Cleaner
• SAVE $1.00 on any TWO Scrubbing Bubbles® Bath Cleaning Products
• SAVE $1.50 on any TWO Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel products
• SAVE $1.50 on any TWO Pledge® Furniture Care Products
• SAVE 75¢ on any TWO Shout® Products (Excludes Travel & Trial Sizes)
• SAVE 75¢ on any TWO Shout® Color Catcher Products
• SAVE $1.00 on any TWO Glade® Fall Collection products

How To Spend Less At Your Pet's Vet

 

My dog's allergy medication was running low so I had to schedule a visit to the veterinarian so they could poke and pinch her a little before they would renew her prescription. I personally hate having to visit the doctor when I'm healthy and well, and I don't like doing it for my pet either. They insisted she needed a visit which would cost about $56 just for the exam, plus more.

Well, I loaded up all her meds we would want a prescription for - her allergy pills, flea and heartguard stuff, and some ointment for occasional ear infections. When we got there, the vet of course wanted to give us an estimate for an oral tooth cleaning, some unneeded shots, a fecal parasite test, a heartworm test and a senior dog blood profile to check her organs. We declined the tooth cleaning and blood profile right off since those would cost hundreds each alone. They came back in the room with a printed estimate of $440 for the visit for a perfectly healthy dog. It really pissed me off. When I asked if any of them were required for her health and well being, or for her prescriptions the answer was no. How about that, they wanted to have us pay hundreds of dollars for tests that would not lead to any diagnosis or health improvement.

They also put the three medications we wanted on the "estimate" and they charged double the price of my online vet pharmacy I use (Allivet.com). I was going to concede and get the ear ointment at the vet since it was only $47, but when I quickly looked it up using my smartphone I discovered it was only $25 at the online pharmacy. The vet also wanted $113 for some pills that I can get online for $56. I told them I wanted paper prescriptions and to please fax them to my online vet pharmacy, since I had the order on hold pending their Rx.

We ended up paying $93 for the visit, which is a far cry from over $400. Here are my tips to save money at the vet:

1. Just because a vet offers or recommends a service does not mean your dog needs it. You can brush your dogs teeth at home with a soft moistened cloth with baking soda. Ask the doctor if the recommended service is required. If it's not, don't do it.
2. If you never board your dog, you don't need a lot of those shots. We decline all shots except Rabies.
3. You don't need to get heartworm or fecal parasite tests. Give your dog Revolution which has heartworm and flea protectants together in one application. You can tell if your dog gets worms by looking at its poo when you clean it up outside. There are over the counter meds to control it if it is a problem.
4. The older your dog is, the more dangerous it is to do surgery or sedate them for procedures. Consider the risk and reward of the process. Our dog is 13 years old and has fatty deposits under her skin that are more noticeable. They are harmless and certainly not worth sedation and surgery to do a biopsy to find out they are benign.
5. Get all prescriptions written out and fax them to an outside online vet pharmacy to save money. Your vet will charge double the price of an online pharmacy. Sometimes, your vet will prescribe a simple antiobiotic ointment or pill that you can even get for free from Publix.
6. Make sure your pet is clean and brushed, with trimmed nails and clean ears and eyes when you bring it to the vet. It will demonstrate that you care properly for your pet and you won't have them offering to bath, trim or clean your dog at their high prices. 
7. Do not buy any products from your vet, they are all double the price of an online pharmacy. You can get the same products online.
8. Keep your pet healthy and well, feeding it good food, and doing mini checkups at home (check paws, trim nails or hair, clean ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, brush hair, check for lumps) regularly so you can monitor if an issue is getting better or worse. Get treatment before it becomes an emergency which are very expensive visits.

A healthly pet is a happy pet, and will greet you warmly every time you walk in the house.

Join Yoplait in The Fight Against Breast Cancer #MyBlogSpark

Who doesn't know someone who has suffered from breast cancer? Hardly anyone. Even with all the awareness and charitable programs, it continues to affect way too many people. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, General Mills and Yoplait lead the campaign where people are being asked to participate in Pledge Your Part, a new online initiative designed to encourage and empower them to make a pledge to help fight breast cancer, whether through saving lids, participating in a breast cancer awareness event, or in any way they choose.

Saving Lids to Save Lives is where you can go to submit your pink lid codes and pledge your part to fight breast cancer. For 15 years this program has donated millions of dollars to the breast cancer cause - one lid at a time. General Mills will donate ten cents to Susan G Komen for each lid received  by 6/30/2014.

The following items are currently on sale at Publix® as part of the Yoplait Saving Lids to Save Lives event.

• $1 off any one Large Size, Light with Granola or GoGurt (coupon on select products and look in the new Advantage Buy Flyer for BOGO Publix coupon 10/5 - 10/25) - 10/2 - 10/18
• 20 for $10 on Yoplait Core cup - (10/3 - 10/9 current ad)
• Light with Granola BOGO - 10/5 - 10/25 (look for BOGO PQ couponin Flyer)

• Don't forget to visit Publix® website or like Publix® on Facebook, and while you're there like Frugalapolis on Facebook too!

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”
 

My Publix Trip 0.87 plus tax

My Publix shop this week is a little late because I've never been able to find the Glade Plugins. The shelves have been empty since the sale started but those trusty Publix trucks delivered fresh stock for the shelves today, at least in one of the three stores I went to. I did happen to get some of the new MomSaver booklets from the demonstration lady at one store.

I split my order to be able to use more than one $5 off $40 coupon, but my other order isn't listed here. I used a raincheck for the Glade to allow me to use the Purple Flyer Publix coupon that expired yesterday, although the LU# was still active in the register so I probably could have saved the raincheck. My order total was $3.08 and I saved $72.28, a savings of 95%.

Green Bean Casserole with Outback Fried Bloomin Onions

Green Bean Casserole is everyone's favorite #recipe, whether its for a holiday meal or just as a vegetable side dish. I tried a new twist with my green bean casserole this time by making it using our left over Outback Fried Bloomin' Onion we got free from the recent Flugtag "The Onion Flew" promotion. And this isn't the first free Outback Bloomin' Onion we've gotten this summer, since Ryan Newman has Outback for a sponsor they've been giving away free onions every Monday after Ryan comes in the top ten finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. It's actually very frugal to prepare since you can always get canned vegetables and soup very cheap with coupons, especially now in the fall.

Here's the Recipe for Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions:

2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 - 1/3 leftover bloomin fried onion from Outback (Or Frenches Fried Onions like the real recipe)
Sprinkle of black pepper

Instructions: Mix the soup and the milk in a container. Take half of your fried onions and mix with the green beans in a 1 1/2 quart glass pan. Pour the mushroom soup mixture over the beans and sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Add the remainder of the fried onions on top of the casserole and continue baking a couple more minutes. Serves 4

Disclosure: this is NOT a sponsored post, I just like this recipe.

FREE BEER At Busch Gardens Tampa



remember the free beer samples at Busch Gardens??

Who doesn't love #free stuff? Remember when I told you about the cool promotion at Busch Gardens Tampa in July and August? Well, they're back at it for September and October. This months promotion if you're a season pass holder is a free 6 x 8 photo - each day! That's right you can get a photo one day on Kumba roller coaster, the next day you could get one on Gwazi, and the next day on Montu; or you could get one by the adventure photo staff as you walk in the front entrance. Anyway, this is a great way to get some nice photos taken.



Jerry the bartender at the former Hospitality House

I can't wait for October though. Busch Gardens is having their own sort of Octoberfest by providing season pass holders with a FREE BEER at Crown Colony House, or any other beer stand each and everyday in October 2013. They haven't offered #free beer since Feb 1, 2010 when they ended their free samples of fine libations. But now is your chance to catch up. You can get 2 ten oz samples or 1 20oz beer (Budweiser, Bud Light or Leinenkugel) between 11 am and 4 pm.

 

How great is that, just like old times.

My Publix Trip - Paid Six Cents

Just a quick trip to get salad. Broke up a raincheck for Buitoni since they only had 4, and there were no other moneymakers except the Rachel Ray dog food. Spent $0.06 and Saved $45.41.