My Publix Plan

I always shop on Thursdays, so here's my plan for tomorrow. I have a couple rain checks that will turn into money makers this week, and of course the $10/$50 Publix coupon from the mail yesterday. The BIC Soleil razors were BOGO a couple weeks ago and of course they were sold out in all the stores I shopped. But the rain check deal is better since there was just a BOGO coupon in 8-1 SS that I can stack with the rain check. I also have some of the $3/1 coupons and will use on the deal to make each pair give me $3 overage. I also have a rain check on the Crest toothpaste 10/$10 from last weeks sale, on these I'll use the $1/1 peelies or the $0.75/1 8-1 PG stacked with the $0.50/1 Target coupon, to give me 0.25 to 0.50 overage each. If there's any Thermacare or Vitamin D, I'll get a bit more overage - except I don't really ever count on that since I haven't had luck getting it lately. So with the overage I'll get a $15 Gift Card for my neighbor who watches the dog when we travel, since we have a long weekend out of town coming up.
 
So, here's my list:
 
5-Aug 34   89.10 14.57 76.48 tax 0.99 39 -98.89%
Product qty price subtl -B1G1 -Q   total Q# Q details
banana 2 0.32 0.64       0.64    
mushrooms 1 1.69 1.69       1.69    
garlic 1 0.10 0.10       0.10    
cucumber 1 0.50 0.50       0.50    
avocadoes 2 1.50 3.00   1.75   1.25 2 $0.75/1 PQ+$1/2 MQ print
strawberries 1 2.50 2.50       2.50    
peaches 1 0.89 0.89       0.89    
Dole Salad Blend BOGO 2 3.59 7.18 3.59 2.00   1.59 2 $1/1 MQ print ( Winn Dixie bogo 2.99)
Bulls Eye BBQ sauce 1 1.50 1.50   1.50   0.00 1 free coupon
Hormel bacon bits 2 1.59 3.18   2.00   1.18 2 $1/1 simply entertaining bklt
Glad cling wrap 1 1.00 1.00   0.75 0.07 0.32 1 $0.75/1 simply entertaining bklt
Publix gift card 1 15.00 15.00       15.00    
Bic Soleil razors raincheck 4 5.49 21.96 10.98 16.98 0.77 -5.23 4 raincheck+$3/1 MQ + BIGI MQ 8-1 ss
Sundown vitamin D 2 2.99 5.98   8.00 0.42 -1.60 3 $6/2 PQ+$1/1 MQ peelie or 8-1 RP
Thermacare 2ct 2 6.99 13.98   16.00 0.98 -1.04 4 $5/1 PQ+$3/1 MQ 7-25
crest toothpaste  raincheck 10 1.00 10.00   12.50 0.70 -1.80 18 $1/1peelie, 0.75/1 8-1+ 0.50/1 TQ 8-1
$10/$50   2.79 0.00   10.00 0.00 -10.00 1 $10/$50 PQ x8/17
$/$$ coupon   0.00 0.00   5.00   -5.00 1 $5/$25 competitor x8/12

 

Check Your Mail for Publix Q

In the Tampa Bay area, people have reported receiving a $10 off $50 Publix coupon in Red Plum mailer today. Its in the Publix BOGO ad, so check your mailbox. For coupon matchups to the upcoming ad, check out iheartpublix.com.
 

A Cool Tax Credit

Did you know that your summer daycare expenses may qualify for an income tax credit?  Many parents who work or are looking for work must arrange for care of their children under 13 years of age during the school vacation.  Those expenses may help you get a credit on next year's tax return.
Here are five facts the Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about a tax credit available for childcare expenses.  The Child and Dependent Care Credit is available for expenses paid during the lazy, hazy days of summer and throughout the rest of the year.
  • The cost of day camp may count as an expense towards the child and dependent care credit.
  • Expenses for overnight camps do not qualify.
  • If your childcare provider is a sitter at your home or a daycare facility outside the home, you'll get some tax benefit if you qualify for the credit.
  • The actual credit can be up to 35 percent of your qualifying expenses, depending on your income.
  • You may use up to $3,000 of the unreimbursed expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual, or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals to figure the credit.
For more information check out IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. This publication is available on the IRS Website, IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).  Please note that Revenue does not guarantee any tax credit and employees should consult a tax specialist if you have questions or concerns about filing your federal taxes.     
Source: Internal Revenue Service web site

Florida Sales Tax Holiday 8/13,14,15

It's back!  Florida's popular "back-to-school" sales tax holiday returns after a two-year break.  From August 13 through August 15, you and all Florida shoppers will not pay state or local sales tax on books, clothing, footwear, and certain accessories priced at $50 or less.  School supplies priced at $10 or less are also tax exempt.  Even if you don't have kids at home, you can also buy any of these items and donate them to schools and other volunteer organizations. 
What's In, What's Out?
A tax-exempt book, priced at $50 or less, is a set of printed sheets bound together and published in a volume.  It doesn't include newspapers, magazines, other periodicals, or audio books.
Tax-exempt clothing, priced at $50 or less, is any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates), worn on or about the human body.  However, "clothing" does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, or sporting equipment.
Tax-exempt school supplies (priced at $10 or less) include:
  • pens
  • pencils
  • erasers
  • crayons
  • notebooks
  • notebook filler paper
  • legal pads
  • binders
  • lunch boxes
  • construction paper
  • markers
  • folders
  • poster board
  • composition books
  • poster paper
  • scissors
  • cellophane tape
  • glue or paste
  • rulers
  • computer disks
  • protractors or compasses
  • calculators

Frugal Vacuum

I have this Hoover-U5180-900-Cyclonic-Bagless-Upright Vacuum Cleaner that I purchased over two years ago for forty bucks on Amazon. It has worked pretty good and I'm always amazed at how much dog hair it picks up from just one room. I empty the bagless canister a couple times whenever I vacuum because it just seems gross to have all that dust and hair whirling around. Anyway, its been a pretty good vacuum, but the front wheel carriage broke a short while ago, and its a hassle to have to push the thing around, instead of wheel it around.
 
So I was watching www.slickdeals.net for a deal on vacuum cleaners, but I missed out on a good deal a week ago. So, now I'm going to do the frugal thing. I'm going to just repair the thing by purchasing a wheel carriage part for $3.49 and fix it myself.
 
A lot of times it is really easy to fix things rather than replace them. Google is your friend. Just google your item and part needed and see what comes up. Usually, for a fraction of the cost of the item it can be repaired. 

Evil Scale Update Week 2

It was a disappointing week of dieting. I still managed to burn more than I ate, but only lost 1 pound this week for a total loss of 3.6 lbs. Remember my goal is to lose 15 lbs, but at this rate it will take a while. Its been so hot and steamy, that its hard to get plenty of outdoor exercise without getting fatigued from the heat. I did get a bicycle ride in on Sunday morning and it felt harder to ride my bike with no panniers, than it does with them loaded down on my way to work riding.
 
I did ride my bike to work today despite the 40% chance of rain in the forecast. One of my favorite treats to eat this past week has been a fruit cup. We got pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, grapes and blueberries mixed into little fruit cups and they are the perfect snack - low calorie and satisfy the thirst and hunger.

Publix Sneak Peek BOGO 8/5-8/11

My favorite cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats is going to be BOGO, but the coupon matchups for it are slim. I didn't see any money makers but who knows what will come up with all the geniuses doing matchups. To see the complete listing of BOGO and grocery specials, check out True Couponing.
 
BOGO's
 
Dole Salad 5-12 oz bag BOGO (surprising low price)
Mott's 100% apple juice or Juice Medleys, Mott's for Tots, or Mott's Plus 46-64oz bott BOGO $2.95
General Mills Cereals: Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Reese's Puffs 11.25-13oz box or Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch 16-17oz box BOGO $3.99
Bantry Bay Mussels assorted varieties 16oz pkg BOGO $4.99
Alouette Crème De Brie Cheese 5 oz pkg BOGO $5.99
Juicy Juice 46oz BOGO $2.65Post cereal Honey Bunches of Oats 13-18oz (excludes family size) BOGO $3.99
Progresso 100% Natural Broth (Chicken or Beef) 32 oz ctn BOGO $2.59
Wish-Bone Dressing 16oz bott BOGO $2.69
Ronzoni  Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat  Blend pasta 12oz – 13.25oz pkg BOGO $1.79
Ragu Pasta Sauce 16-26.3 oz jar (excluding Organic) BOGO $2.27
Betty Crocker premium muffin mix 15.2-18.25 oz box BOGO $2.59
Betty Crocker or Sunkist Fruit Snacks 4.5-9 oz box BOGO $2.49
Crystal Light  8qt canister or On The Go  7-10 ct box  BOGO $2.99
Crisco 100% Extra Virgin Olive oil 16.9oz bott BOGO $5.99
Vlasic Stackers Dills or Pickles or spears BOGO $2.47
Nabisco Variety snack packs or Kraft Handi Snacks 12-pack BOGO $5.99
Pepperidge Farm Swirl bread 16oz loaf BOGO $3.59
Lance crackers or Cookies or Wafers 6-10oz pkg BOGO $2.89
Blue Diamond Almonds 6 oz can BOGO $2.95
Mentos Pure fresh gum 50 ct BOGO $3.29
Healthy Choice Premium Ice Cream Bars or Sandwiches 15-24 oz carton BOGO $3.99

Klondike Bar or Slim-a-Bear16-27oz box BOGO $3.49
Morey's Fish Creations 10oz box BOGO $6.59

Breyers Ice Cream  48 oz carton BOGO $4.69
Yoplait Trix Yogurt BOGO $2.79
Nestle Toll House refrig cookie Dough 16-16/5oz pkg BOGO $2.79
Arrid XX anti-perspirant deodorant 2.6-2.8oz or Arm&Hammer Deodorant  BOGO $2.99
Chinet Classic White Plates, Lunch, Dinner, Compartment or Platters 24-55 ct pkg BOGO $5.99
Shout stain remover 22 oz bott BOGO $2.99
Scrubbing Bubbles 22 oz can BOGO$3.29
Kraft South Beach Living High Protein Cereal bars 5.88-6.15oz box BOGO $2.99

Kanes Strike Out - Get Your Free Pizza

Sunday the Rays did it again, 10 strikeouts! That means free pizza. Just go to http://www.kanesstrikeoutcontest.com/ and print your certificate. I would HURRY and print one for the 7/31 game, and after the game is over in a little bit and they change the date on the certificate then print one for the 8/1 game. That way you can bring in two to your nearest Kanes for a free Papa Johns Pizza.

Rays Get 10 Strikeouts, Free Pizza Again

Well they beat the Yanks Friday night but didn't get the strikeouts, and tonight (Saturday) they got the 12 strikeouts but lost the game 5-4. I hope they win tomorrow!. Anyway, If you're in the Tampa Bay area, that means FREE PIZZA from Papa Johns. Just go to www.kanesstrikeoutcontest.com and print your certificate within 24 hours of the game. Then you have 3 days to bring it to a Kanes Furniture store near you to exchange it for a free pizza coupon. The coupons now are valid through 10/25/10.

Now you can bring in your Thursday 7/29 certificate and todays 7/31 certificate, to get 2 pizza coupons in one trip.

Window Shopping

A few weeks ago, the passenger window of the 04' Camry started failing us. The window started to lug and lurch when we tried lowering it or raising it, kind of like the motor was failing. We left it closed and decided we better get it fixed before our racing trip coming up in August. Well, today we're planning on giving blood after work and the location is near the car dealer. It would be an ideal time to both drive and then drop off a car, so I called the dealer to figure out whats involved.
 
Well to my surprise, it costs a bunch of money to make a car window go up and down. First there is the inspection fee to determine if its just the regulator or the motor, or both. And then of course they don't have parts for THAT in stock, so it takes a day to get it from somewhere else, another dealer or supplier. So essentially, it means two trips to the dealer - or leave the car for two days. For us its not that big a deal because we have other wheels to get to work, but for some people this would suck.
 
So I'm wondering what is the value of the having a window go up and down, and what is the urgency to do it. Personally, we do not like to own cars or anything for that matter, that is makeshift or only partially operable. I like everything to work as designed, so we usually fix anything that breaks right away, or we replace it. I hate broken crap, or using stuff that doesn't work. I hate that the back window windshield wiper on the SUV is wacky and only clears 1/2 the window, but I guess I can live with that. But can I live with a window that doesn't go down? Maybe. Is it worth $682 to have the window go down? Maybe.
 
But you know us - the frugal ones, we have to check out our options, call another dealer who might have parts, find a competitor coupon that they would match, or go to the local guy Elmer around the corner who's done good work for us before on the cars. I might even check out youtube to see if there's a video on how to do it myself. Who knows it might be really simple, just to pop out the door molding and pop in a quick connect regulator. Its possible. I could seek advice from my un-frugal brother who is a service manager at a dealer, but he would tell me to quit being so cheap and just bring it to the dealer.
 
We ultimately will get the window fixed because the car only has 64,000 miles on it and is intended to last forever for us. But for now all we'll be doing is some window shopping.
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