A Good Deal Today

I was able to purchase 4 tubs of Shedd's Spread and 4 pouches of StarKist tuna for a total of .47. At the rate I use margarine, these 4 tubs of Shedd's will last a year! I don't mind tuna salad sandwiches a few times a week, either.

I fell into the trap today. They were calling for sleet and snow and so I went to the store to get milk, etc. I just used a GC, so, I wasn't out any money. It's a good thing I did; we have so far gotten twice as much snow as predicted and it hasn't stopped yet. We don't do well with snow here. There are no snow removal vehicles and only a few sand/salt trucks. We so rarely get any significant snow that we just don't know what to do with it.

Just think; last week I was at a hotel with palm trees! Now, this!

My Speeding Ticket Details

I have consulted a lawyer in GA where I got the ticket. He says I shouldn't go there to contest the ticket, "not in this day and age," he said. He is in touch with the Solicitor of the court and trying to get it removed from my driving record, although I will probably still have to pay the fine. I'm really not happy about that, but, I can live with it if it doesn't go against my driver license. Really! Thirty-eight years with no record!

I had a big dinner planned for tonight, but, I'm feeling less and less like fooling with it. I have some leftover mac & cheese. I think I will have that and call it a day.

I'm Feeling More Like Cooking Lately

I've got tomorrow's menu all planned; Hormel Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and peas. All either BOGOF w/ Q or double Q or some such great deal. Still have the cake from Sunday. The amount I will be preparing will make at least 3 dinners and all for less than $4. That's getting it down. There's a woman who publishes a newsletter or something called, "$5 a day dinners." She says she feeds a family of 4 dinner on no more than $5 per day. Oh, man! If I could squeeze 4 dinners out of a sawbuck! That would be sweet!

That said, I still maintain that cooking for one is a lot harder than cooking for a family. I have to eat the same thing for 3-4 days before it goes bad to get my money's worth. Wouldn't you get tired of that?

I hate to bore you, but, it's cat food time again. I think I have enough for about 4 days. I was hoping to stretch it out to February 1, but, I think I'm going to be short a day or two. I'm also low on cat litter. My cousin gave me a $25 Wal-Mart GC for Christmas, so, as much as I hate to shop at WM, I'll go there and get food and litter and use my GC. I wish I had some Qs for these items, but, I don't think there are any out there for my brands right now. Because of the weight circles and the Purina Pro Club, I only buy Purina cat food. After X number of bags, I can redeem for $6 check on future purchase.

Did I tell you I got a speeding ticket last week? I've been driving for over 38 years and have never had a moving violation. This really bites! The fine is $210. I got the ticket about 225 miles from home. They expect that I will just mail in the fine. I plan to go back and fight it. I will plead for leniency, hoping that my perfect driving record counts for something, at least once. What's the worst that can happen? I spend some money on gas and still have to pay the fine. They can't eat me!

I've Jump-Started My "3-A-Day" Rule

I've been up since 3:00 this morning. Just one of those days when I cannot sleep. So, I'm rambling around the house and decide that I'm going to make a huge lunch. After all, by noon, it will be about the same as dinner considering how long I've been up! Anyway, I'm using 8 stockpile items today. I'm having Hormel pork chops, a can of apple pie filling (don't you love apples with pork chops?), green beans, mac & cheese, and a lemon pound cake. Now, you understand that I will not be able to use 3 stockpile items tomorrow. I'll still be eating all of this for 3 days, at least.

The Hormel meat was BOGOF w/ a Q, the apple pie filling was BOGOF w/ a Q, green beans w/ a Q, mac & cheese, Wags Q + manu. Q, lemon cake mix was BOGOF, and lemon pudding w/ a Q. I'm not able to calculate just how much this meal has cost, it's just been too long since the items were purchased for me to remember the prices. I do know that it wasn't much.

I must confess to some stockpiling yesterday. Walgreens had Lindsay olives for .99 ea. w/ th in-ad Q and I had several $1/2 Qs. I ended up w/ 10 jars and cans of olives. I think my total for 10 was $5.67. My dad loves green olives and I like to use black olives in salads. I hope you will forgive me for my temporary lapse into stokpiling.

The "Free Egg" Deal Is Not Working Out

The guy who said he'd trade eggs for my egg cartons has not been at the flea market the last 3 times I went to see him. It's about a 45 mile round-trip for me. I've spent way too much gas to try anymore. Pooh! I really thought I had a great deal worked out.

I'm going to redouble my efforts to get back on the "3-a-day" rule. I suppose that can only work if I start eating again! I used to weigh 280 pounds. Eating was not a problem. I now weigh about 122 and I can hardly stand the thought of food. I don't mind cooking, but, once I get something prepared, I no longer have any appetite for it. I guess I could cook a big meal and take it to my parents. They are both sick. I would have competition, though. Their next door neighbor brings dinner to them almost every night. Apparently, the son in the household fancies himself a great chef (he's about 18 or 19) and I think he has just about taken over the meal preparation for the whole family. From what I've heard about his cooking, he may have a future.

The Junk Mail For GC Is Dead

I was just informed that I have referred my limit to the program for junk mail for GC. Sorry to all of you who were sitting on the fence. It's over. I earn from $20-$40 a month in GC. It was a great run while it lasted.

I've Really Blown It With My "3-A-Day" Rule

Last year, I said that I would use 3 stockpile items every day. Boy, have I fallen down on that rule! It's impossible to use 3 non-food items every day. A bottle of shampoo or body wash lasts a long time. I haven't been cooking lately. I'm really just turned off by food right now. I hope that doesn't last too long. Sounds dangerous. I have been eating off of a family sized vegetable lasagna dinner for a few days. Can't tell you how glad I'll be when it's gone. I'm not going to throw any of it away, though.

I was out of town for a few days on business, so, I'll use that as my excuse for not eating in and using stockpile items.

Maybe after the lasagna is gone, I'll hop back on the taco merry-go-round. You know what I mean; none of the ingredients are used up at the same time. You have to keep opening something new to go with the old and so on.

I should really try to use up some canned soup and chili. I'm overloaded with stuff like that. I'm not even going to look at the expiration dates!

I Made Good Use Of My Walgreens RR

I had $10 in RR that were to expire a few days ago. I needed milk and I also found some good deals on other grocery items Sunday. I bought about $20 worth of groceries and paid $1.67 and used my RR.

I've been out of town working for a couple of days. Just got home and my cats are nowhere to be found! They usually hear my car coming up the street and come down to meet me. Maybe the rain kept them in. The other possibility is that they were mad because they got locked out of the house for a few days. Hey, I gave them plenty of chances to get back in the house before I left. They were having such a hot time in the good weather that they wouldn't come in. Don't worry. My dad came down every morning and fed them.

Some of you are going to hate me for this, but, last night I stayed in a hotel in SE GA with PALM TREES on the property. I didn't want to leave. It got up to 70 degrees there today. I'm back in ole' Tennessee, though, in rain and moderately cold weather.

Update

My mom came home from the hospital tonight. She has just had quad bypass surgery and as far as I can tell, is in no condition to be released. What do I know? Anyway, she is doing as well as expected. Just wanted you all to know.

I'm Getting Way Too Cocky

Wow! I've made it a half a month and only spent $40. I'm feeling really full of myself right now. I can't imagine what I might need this month except maybe milk and bread. I can handle that with Walgreens RR, I hope. The first of February requires more cat food, but, you knew that. I have a Siamese tom who eats his weight in cat food every day. I weighed him the other day; 14 pounds. He's a monster. He also chases the spayed females. I think his sniffer is broken! Maybe he's just so "in love" that he doesn't care what he chases.

My mother may be going home today, at the most, tomorrow. She is not really in any condition to be at home, but, you know how it is these days. They boot you out of the hospital no matter what condition you are in.

No time for breakfast today, Dad bought lunch at the hospital, and I don't think I want dinner tonight. Cheap day! I have a mystery shop for a meal on Sunday, so, more free food!

Do you know about mystery shopping? You can go to www.volition.com and get a wealth of information about the who, what, where, etc. I work on and off for about a dozen mystery shopping firms. I think there are about 200-250 active firms in North America. Somebody somewhere is looking for YOU to do mystery shopping. You can't make a living at it, but, it's a great way to get free meals, a hotel stay, or make a few bucks at a retail store. If you see ads that say, "Shop your favorite stores and keep what you buy," don't believe it. Most of the retail shops require you to return the items you purchased to complete the shop. Either that, or they let you keep what you buy but don't pay you anything else. I like the hotel shops. They are usually ones in a group that issues frequent stay points to use later. Points: money in the bank. I'm traveling to Hawaii in May all on points.

I Think I'm On Track

I know it's early, really too early to tell, but, I've made it almost 1/2 the month and only spent $40. If that trend continues, I will be at about $80 for the month. If I can keep it at $83 a month for the year, I will come in at $1,000.

What would you do with 30 boxes of rotini? Other than sell at the flea market, that is! I keep browned ground beef in baggies in the freezer and plenty of pasta sauce on the shelf. What are the other possiblilities? I'm not much of a cook, to tell the truth. I'm completely overloaded with cooking magazines, books, and boxes of recipes, but, it's too much to wade through. It's the same as not having any, you know?

I earned $40 in GC from the junk mail thing I'm involved in. If you haven't signed up, you are missing real money. The usual is $20 per month. I just had a pretty good month for December. All I need is your name, address, and email address and I can get you in, "like Flynn." Old saying. If you're under 30, you've probably never heard that!

I know that I have mentioned in the past that I am disabled and receive Social Security Disability Income. I just found out that I can get my old 1930's house weatherized to the tune of $6,200 courtesy of the city. If you are over 65 or disabled, contact your local human services department for weatherization assistance. When I worked, I was on the top of my game and did everything on my own. Now that I am disabled, I have to depend on other people sometimes to get needed services. I hope this helps someone out there.

Do Any Of You Collect Coke Points?

Off and on, I have had other people who would collect coke points for me. My cousins were pretty active for a while, helping me "pay" for their mother's Delta trip to Hawaii. I drink only Coke Classic and I've been known to stop on the side of the road to scavange for points.

I think the program has been going on for 3 years or so. They have just extended it for another year. If you are not saving coke codes, you are missing some serious stuff. If nothing else, you can exchange them for coupons for free Coke. I have mostly used mine for Delta, Hilton (no longer a member), and Holiday Inn points. I have redeemed for some coke coupons in the past.

I look at this as "money." If I can collect enough points for a free hotel night, I've made money, right? It's the same as the program I'm in where I send in my junk mail and email for gift cards. Money! It's in small increments, I admit, but, it counts up.

This year, in addition to keeping up with money spent and coupons used, I'm also keeping track of GC, RR, and ECB that I receive for no money. I don't know why I didn't think of this years ago. Just a lapse, excuse me! These things are money, make no mistake about it. They have value and can be exchanged for something you want, which is the same thing with money. You have money, you exchange it for things you want.

I'm sure that if you are reading this post, you already participate in MyPoints, Greenfield Online, Harris Polls, etc. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the number of surveys I have a chance to participate in, but, it all adds up. Were it not for these different programs, Christmas would have been a lot more bare in my family. I was able to give nieces, nephews, and cousins something of value that I had accumulated due to my participation in these programs.

We are usually looking for the big pay-off. Let's not overlook the small ones.

The Surgery Went Well

My mom had a quad bypass last night. She was alert and oriented to time and place this morning. I'm going to see her in about an hour. Of course, she is in SICU,so, visitation is extremely limited. She'll be in the hospital for another week, then, I guess in a rehab hospital for a couple of weeks before going home. They took out veins from her legs, back, and ribcage to form new veins for her heart. I think the surgery took about 5 hours.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. God has been merciful. My dad was able to have his chemo this morning. Last week his blood platelets were 39; today, 305. Great news! This usually knocks him on his keister for a couple of days, but, I'm sure he will be at the hospital the whole time.

Hopefully, in a couple of days, I will be back to "regular programming" of deals and steals. Right now, my family is heaviest on my heart.

My Step-Mother Went Into Surgery About An Hour Ago

They have decided that they can "re-plumb" her heart system with veins from her legs and back. She went into surgery about an hour ago. I'm at home. My dad wants me to stay here. He is at the hospital and will let me know as things progress.

I hope she survives the surgery. She told the doctor yesterday that she only wanted to live long enough to bury her husband. That's what's been keeping her going all this time.

I Cheated A Little, But, Received $10 Walgreens RR

Wags had the Contour monitor for $14.99 with a $5 RR. They also had a deal when you buy $20 of Boost products, you get $5 RR. My dad drinks a 6-pack of Boost every day. My mother is in the hospital and she sent me to Wags to buy 2 packs. When I saw the deal, I bought 4 packs, had $1.50 Qs on all, and got a $5 RR for my trouble. She thought I did the right thing by getting 4 packs with the Qs. I earned $5 for my efforts.

I really messed up. I had several Tidy Cats $1 Qs expiring today and I meant to go to the store and use them. Well, I received such bad news about my mother that I never made it to the store.

My step-mother's doctor told my dad today that her heart is so compromized that there is nothing they can do for her. The doctor was upset that the other doctor hadn't told us 2 days ago and released her. She will go home tomorrow and I guess just wait to die. Her heart is 75% dead. My dad is also near death with pancreatic cancer. There's just no good news here today.

Thank you to all my readers for allowing me to vent this out. I appreciate your concern and prayers.

A Little Off-Topic, But, You Know Me!

Sometimes there are things more important than coupons and deals. My dad was refused his chemo treatment this week because his blood platelets were too low. We go back next Friday to see if they've come up enough for treatment. I fear that the end is near.

My step-mother had a heart attack New Year's Eve. She is currently in the hospital and will be getting "the full treatment" on Monday, whatever that means. We don't really know right now what they are going to do then.

I was hoping to make it a few days into the new year before I spent any money at the grocery. No luck; I shopped yesterday and today for necessities. Had to have that darned cat food today. It's a big ticket item, but, even still, I'm at 74% off so far.

I haven't been eating well lately. It just seems like too much trouble. I know I need to do better. On that front, at least, I have a bit of good news. The salsa, sour cream, and seasoned taco meat all ended up being used at the same time! How's that? You know how it is when you do tacos and nachos; there's always something left over or you have to open a new something or other to finish out today's stuff. I can't believe it worked out so well. Now I can turn my attention to eating something different. I won't feel bad for letting something go bad.

I went to the flea market again this morning, but, couldn't find the "egg man." I'm thinking of maybe putting a small ad in the classifieds to find someone to trade eggs for egg cartons with me. I'm not going to spend too much money looking for someone; it wouldn't be cost effective. My local paper has a "3-line, 3-day, free" ad deal. I'm not sure what category to put it under. I checked the paper today and couldn't find a "for sale or trade" column or "barter" column. Maybe they'll make up a new one just for me!

Oh, this is cool. Yesterday, I went to Bi-Lo to pick up a couple of things that I had free Qs for. With the bag credit, they owed ME a nickel. The cashier was unruffled. He called for the cashier with the key, did his little thing, and handed me 5 cents. That, friends, is a great feeling! It's not so much the nickel, it's just that the cashier knows how to do his job and doesn't give me any grief over it.

New Year, Resolutions Abound

I keep track of everything I spend, but, that doesn't necessarily mean I am careful with my spending! I have, over the past couple of months, gone way overboard eating out. These are the careless kind of expenses; I leave the house and drive through the golden arches for a cup of coffee and end up with a breakfast sandwich when I could have made coffee at home. I've also been tempted, and fell for it, to earn frequent flyer miles by eating at certain restaurants. There's always an excuse, you know. Anyway, new year, new me, I'm ready for the financial challenge of the year.

I have on hand the following GC that I have acquired at no cost:

$25 Bi-Lo
$25 Food Lion
$25 Wal-Mart
$57.95 CVS
$0.09 Rite Aid

Are you signed up with "Swagbucks?" I have a link to it in the right-hand column. It's a search engine, a place to recycle old cellular phones, and they also publish a bonus code nearly every day. I haven't figured out where to find it, but, my friends over at FlyerTalk post them when they find them. I was thinking that if any of you are a member, I could try to find the bonus codes every day and post them here. I usually earn a swagbuck every day just from internet searches. It's a pretty painless way to earn some GC. I've cashed in for several Starbucks GC over the past few months.