Publix Sneak Peek 7/15-7/21

I was getting a new box of cereal off the stockpile shelf and noticed I'm getting a little low on supply, less than a dozen boxes. So, lucky for me I have some of the good peelies for GM cereals because they're going to be BOGO this coming week. For a complete listing with most of the coupon matchups, check out True Couponing.

That One Coupon...

You know how sometimes you're reading the store sales with the coupon match ups and think, I wish I had that one coupon. That happened to me this week since Publix finally has the 18 lb bag of Purina One Dog Food on sale. The salmon flavor is the only one my dog should eat because other brands and flavors irritate her skin allergies. Anyway, there was a single page flyer available in Publix last month for $3.50/1 and I never was able to locate a copy. I have a bunch of the $2/1 but that was almost half the value of the elusive $3.50 Q.

 

I looked every time I was at Publix, which is about 3 or 4 times a week, but never found the Purina flyer. I finally figured I needed to try to buy some. But it wasn't listed on any coupon clipper sites. I did see it for sale on ebay, but the price was too high and shipping killed the deal. Plus I needed it this week - I haven't had the quickest deals ever go through on ebay. So I started perusing the forums, like Slickdeals and Hot Coupon World for trades. But since I've never traded, I don't have much clout. I signed up on some blogs on the trader wall for ISO (in search of) coupon and no response.

 

So how did I get the coupon, you're wondering. Well, I PM'd one of the forum members who happened to make an entry about the seeing the Purina coupons. Sure enough, this person had nine copies of the coupon I needed, and she wasn't going to use them. We agreed on 10% cost (0.35 ea) and the cost of a stamp. I used paypal to pay her (use personal, gift check boxes to ensure no fees are added), and she mailed the coupons.

 

Sometimes, if you really need THAT ONE COUPON, try searching the forum for a keyword. Ask individuals if they have them. It works, but you need to think outside the box and be persistent. If you're frugal you're persistent anyway so that shouldn't be a problem.

Free Food But No Free Beer

For our daily exercise yesterday, we decided to take a lap around Busch Gardens. I happened to notice all sorts of people with the bright neon wristbands indicating they had purchased the Play All Day & Dine For Free offer. Since the takeover of Anheuser Busch last December by Merlin, there have not been many improvements and upgrades in the theme park. Granted they did have the spring concert series, but nothing special on July 4th this year - just fireworks.

 

Anyway, I find it ironic that they stopped serving free beer samples in January of 2009 and their attendance tanked. The former hospitality house has been empty most days, and no one dances to Dr. Dave or Andre as they play the piano by the bird gardens. But now they want to get more business since it has not been the same since. So if you're willing to shell out $74.99 for a full price ticket, they'll give you a $30 meal plan. The plan is actually pretty good, and if you can be frugal and "share" the food with your partner, its not a bad deal.

 

But Busch Gardens certainly doesn't act like they appreciate Florida residents at their park. Even people who don't spend hundreds of dollars when they visit, are good for making it seem like the place is crowded and a cool place to be. They take away the free beer, but now they give away free food. I've got to think the food deal costs them more than a few 10 oz beers.

 

By the way, if you haven't gone to the Summer Nights events, you're missing out on some good entertainment. Jeff Civilico the juggler, was there last year and now has shows on Fri, Sat & Sun only. Each of the three daily shows is different and funny. I like the 6:30 pm show where he gets male audience members to help him get up on his unicycle.

 

We haven't been to the Kinetix show yet, but were intrigued by the preview of three jugglers with glowing face paint and glow in the dark clubs. We're planning on seeing it this weekend.

 

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the free beer.

Another 10 Strikeouts for the Rays!

They're updating the form HERE right now so you can get ANOTHER free pizza!. The Rays got 10 strikeouts again tonight against the Boston Red Socks. So, don't procrastinate - print your certificate now. You have through FRIDAY to bring in both certs for Tues & Wed games, to get 2 pizza coupons.

 

This is getting fun isn't it?

Go Rays! Get Your Free Pizza

Once again the Rays have 10 strikeouts. And we know what that means - Free Pizza! Go to http://www.kanesstrikeoutcontest.com/ and fill out the form and print TODAY. I suspect they'll get 10 strikeouts again either tonight or tomorrow, so hold onto your certificate and turn in a couple at once at your nearest http://www.kanes.com/ within 3 days of the game for a Free 10" cheese pizza at Papa Johns.

They beat the Boston Red Sox to advance to 2nd place in the standings, those pesky Yankees lead for now.

Free Workout Music Download

Subway and The Biggest Loser have come up with a pretty good workout mix of songs for you. I just downloaded them and then you have to unzip the file. Then just import the folder into itunes, and you can put it on your ipod!. It may seem like a few steps but it only just took a couple minutes. And the workout mix is great!. I am so tired of my same 200 songs on my ipod while biking to work, this will be a nice change.

1. Telephone Lady Gaga

2. In My Head Jason Derulo
3. Revolver Madonna
4. Empire State of Mind Jay Z Feat. Alicia Keys
5. Hard Rihanna
6. Bulletproof La Roux
7. Hey Soul Sister Train
8. Blah Blah Blah Ke$ha
9. According To You Orianthi
10. Whataya Want From Me Adam Lambert
11. Russian Roulette Rihanna
12. Need You Now Lady Antebellum

So go ahead and download from HERE, you'll love it.

Publix Sneak Peek 7/8-7/14

Not a lot of interesting stuff this week for me, lots of it junk food. Maybe the Yoplait Yoplus 4pk of yogurt BOGO $2.50, or the Simply Potatoes BOGO $2.50, and the Natures Own Bread 20oz is BOGO $2.75, but use the $0.75/1 MQ from 05-16 RP to make it $1.25 for two loaves of bread. But you'll have to head over to TC to see the listing of Publix Sneak Peek BOGO's.

Don't forget to clip the $5 off $40 Sweetbay coupon that was on page 6A of the Saturday paper to use as a competitor coupon at Publix this week. You can print it HERE. Expires 7/9/10.

Happy 4th of July

Hope you all have a great 4th of July!

 

I woke up this morning to NOT find my Tampa Tribune on my driveway. I had stopped all my extra copies except for one. But they always screw up the paper on these holiday weekends. The stupid carrier sees the suspension on her list and just rolls on by my house. My DH is on the phone now a few minutes before the circulation office closes and it looks like we won't get a paper. No wonder the circulation of newspapers is down.

Home Depot Haggling

 

I've been wanting to get a shade canopy for when we go to NASCAR races and tailgate, but I could never find a cheap one on Craigslist. To me the thing is just not worth $100. Well, with the weekend 4th of July parade coming up Saturday, I decided it was time to indulge in a canopy to watch the parade in the shade. So we trudged down to Home Depot with my new wallet (since mine was stolen on Sunday) full of gift cards, store credit and a couple $10 off $50 competitor coupons. The coupons clearly state they can not be combined, but I planned to ask anyway, since we were going to spend $100.

 

So we ask around, and finally a smart dude who works there directed us to the back shelves of the garden center to find the canopy. So we're looking and looking and finally spotted this grungy, ripped open, worn out box on the second shelf with a canopy. The box was in such bad shape, I told DH that we should open it up and make sure the canopy wasn't damaged. The way that box looked, it had been tossed around back there for a long time. Anyway, the canopy looked good - the feet were new and not scuffed, the canvas was still in its factory sealed plastic bag and the wheeled carrying bag was too. So, I tell DH my plan to ask for a discount based on the fact that it was the last one and the box was damaged. He said fine, I'm staying out of it.

 

We're at the counter with a young man and I asked if I could use both coupons because my item was more than the value the coupons required. He read the back and said no. I politely asked him to get a manager to get approval. When Mary the Manager came over, I explained how I would like to ask for a discount for the item due to the damaged box. I proposed that she allow me to use both coupons toward the item, and she thought about it 2 seconds and said "That's Fine". She instructed the cashier on how to enter it as a "customer satisfaction" code and they took $20 off my total. That was it, simple and quick.

 

After my haggling, coupons, gift cards and store credit, the canopy was $39 - right in my price range.

 

You too can get a coupon for Home Depot by signing up, just click the banner above or the link.

The Winner...

of the Wanchai Ferry Dinner VIP coupon and Tea Set Giveaway is Lindsay at Laughing Lindsay.  Thanks everyone for entering!

Getting Rid of My Stockpile

Over the past year I've accumulated quite a bit of product (food and household supplies) that was either free or a moneymaker. I actually still have stuff I bought last year not realizing how long it would last. So I was at happy hour with a friend who was telling me how she goes to Target and spends $300 every month buying stuff for her house like paper towels, laundry detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, cleaning products, and food. I told her I had most of that stuff in my stockpile and was planning on having a garage sale to sell most of it. She said she wants the whole bunch of it.

 

So I made a list of over 100 items valued at over $350, priced an average of $1 each and I'm going to sell her 6 boxes of product for $100. Its totally a win-win deal because she needs the stuff, and I don't. I'm going to take the cash and get Publix gift cards for my shopping in July.

 

This month I spent about $70 in cash, and used $95 in gift cards for about $165 in spending. To me that seems a little high, since there are only two of us. We did stock up on chicken and Mt Dew, but I would like to be at about $100 for the month. I think having gift cards is like having free money so I spend it more freely, but really I should change my mindset here.

 

Anyway, I'm super excited to sell my stockpile. Even though I've moved out 6 boxes of stuff, it hardly made a dent in the spare room. Still lots of gatorade, powerade and SOBE to move through. 

 

I am wondering if I sold the stuff too cheap. Like the Olay Regenerist pump facial cleanser for a $2? All detergent 50 oz for $1.50? 

 

What do you think are fair prices to sell your stockpile items?  

 

Don't forget to enter the Wanchai Dinner and Tea set Giveaway which closes tomorrow. Your chances are REALLY good to win!

Publix Sneak Peek 7/1-7/7

Finally they are having the Bic lighters BOGO this year, I'm almost out from buying them last year. Lots of good BBQ stuff on sale and Split Chicken Breasts are $1.69/lb. To see the complete listing, with some matchups check out True Couponing.

 

Remember there are still lots of good money makers from the Green Advantage Flyer that are still good until July 2 - Schick Hydro Edge 3 razors, Gas-x, and Sundown vitamins.

Lost Wallet

Today we went to Five Guys to have a burger and fries. We rode our motorcycles so it seems I always have a ton of things to keep track of; glasses, keys for DH saddlebags, keys for my bike, wallet, gloves, and phone. I'm not very good at keeping track of this stuff and occasionally I misplace stuff or drop it. I've always managed to gather it up and keep going. But today, I set down my wallet at the condiment station - loaded up ketchup, napkins and black pepper and wandered to find a table. 

 

We ate our meal and left, only to realize shortly after that I didn't have my wallet. We returned to the shop and asked if anyone had turned it in, to no avail. Some one stole my wallet and didn't turn it in. There were only a handful of people there and I know who was at the counter right after me, but by then it was too late. We checked the restrooms, checked the garbage can and realized it was a lesson learned.

 

I probably had about fifty bucks cash, along with my drivers license, Visa card, Debit Card, AMEX card and my Busch Gardens season pass. I canceled the credit cards and ordered a replacement drivers license for $25, and my BG season pass will cost $5. It's a hassle but not the end of the world since it didn't have all my gift cards, other credit cards, CWP, security license and BP gas cards that are in my purse.

 

I wish more people in the world were honest though. I was reading a couple blogs that discussed this topic, The Simple Dollar and Free Money Finance this week. After being the victim of misplacing my wallet and having some one take it when they could have returned it, I am disappointed. 

 

If you ever find money, here is a good principle to follow for handling all found money.

If you find money with identification attached to it, please try to return it. If there is ID with the money, or any identifying feature that could be described by the person who lost it (like a unique design, a money clip, or keychain) please make some effort to return it to its rightful owner. It doesn't matter where you find it – if you have some information that makes identification directly possible, try to return it yourself.
If there is no identification and you're in a store, or business location, inform customer service or the manager but retain the item. Just go to the manager and let them know you found some money and would like to return it to its rightful owner. Offer to leave contact information there, or offer to check back in a day to see if anyone has inquired and then ask for the contact information of the person who lost the money. Don't turn over the money to the person at the counter because that money is not likely to be returned. Wait and see if anyone contacts you and can identify the exact amount lost. If someone does, then return it to them. If no one inquires in a reasonable amount of time, like a week, check back at the location and if no news, then just keep the money.
If there is no identification and you're in a public place, like a street or a park, keep the money. There is no simple or effective way to return the money in this situation because there is no effective "lost and found" for someone to seek the item. But, if someone returns while you're still there and is searching for the money, ask them what they're looking for and if they tell you, then give them the money that was found.
Take a few minutes to empty out your wallet and just copy it on your printer, it can save you the headache of replacing stuff later. I didn't know the account numbers on my debit card, and now I don't have copies of my motorcycle registration, or my insurance information either. I also realize that if some one did want to return my wallet, my cell phone number was not located on anything in there either.

Get Your Free Pizza

Last night the Rays lost after their former pitcher threw a "no hitter", but the Rays did manage to get 10 Strikeouts so that means free pizza. If you're in Tampa, you have today only to click www.kanestrikeout.com and print your certificate for a free pizza coupon. More details are HERE.

 

Also don't forget to enter the Wanchai Dinner & Tea set Giveaway, which closes June 30.

Yummy Dinner Giveaway

The other night we had just gotten back from a nice motorcycle ride from the out of town Publix and then we had to shock the pool, and before you know it - I was hungry for dinner. Since we just stocked up on ice cream, I wanted to use up something from the freezer, so I grabbed the bag of Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli meal. I flopped it on the counter and was reading the back to figure out how long to microwave it. Since we just finished our kitchen remodel, I love the turning plate to cook microwave meals. Anyway, I was disappointed to determine that this meal required cooking on the stove top. I was trying to figure out how to make it in the microwave but once I opened the bag I realized the rice packet could indeed be microwaved, but the sauce packet was frozen and needed to be simmered with the frozen vegetables and few pieces of beef. The serving size is not very big on this product, so you better either add more rice or have it as a side dish.

 

We ended up cooking it in a saucepan on the grill while we did some of our backyard chores. We also added some filet mignon leftovers to make it meatier. The product itself is a little sparse in meat, but the flavor is great. It doesn't have MSG or lots of fat, but man it tasted wonderful. The vegetables were colorful with tender broccoli bites, sweet red pepper strips and crunchy water chestnuts. It tasted like a restaurant meal!

 

This was a great quick and lite meal and I would definitely consider getting it if Publix had it on BOGO and there were coupons to stack with the sale. It is kind of pricey, and there are lots of great frozen meals out there that you can get for one buck if you stack a good sale with a good coupon. So while you're waiting for a sale to come along at your favorite store, here's a coupon for $1.50 off one HERE.

 

If you want to see what other wonderful flavors or meal tips they have you can visit the Wanchai Ferry website HERE. Be sure to try the two additional new flavors - Kung Pao Chicken and Szechuan Style Chicken, which will soon join five other delicious meals including Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken.

 

As a bonus for my readers, One (1) lucky reader will receive a Wanchai Ferry prize pack that includes a VIP coupon for a Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entree and two tea sets (2 mugs, 2 tea strainers, and 2 tins of green tea).
Please leave a comment about what Asian flavor you would like included in this product line; include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information if you win. This giveaway will end at midnight on June 30. Winner will be picked from Random.org. 
Open to US and Canadian residents only. 
Good Luck.

 

I must disclose that the product, prize pack, information, and giveaway have all been provided by Wanchai Ferry through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are my own.