I'm Really On Track This Month--Yea!

I'm a bit under $50 so far this month. I have been using a lot of the $1/2 Nabisco Qs for 4 oz. -big sizes. Rite Aid and CVS have had them on sale for .99 and $1 each. With the Qs, it breaks down to a lot less than buying a one pound size of crackers, ritz, oreos, etc.

I think I'll go to Target tomorrow or Sunday for a big bag of cat food. I have a $3.50 manufacturer's Q + I received a $2 Target Q for Purina Cat Chow when I was there yesterday to buy a bridal gift. I think the 14 lb. or 16 lb. bag is about $12.50 or thereabouts, so, with $5.50 off, I'll be doing quite well.

My favorite grocery store has a turkey promo every year, starting about 8 weeks before Thanksgiving (it's close, people!). With each $35 order, you get a turkey point and you need 7 to redeem for your free turkey. I've been hoarding my free Qs so that I can get a couple of turkey points without spending any money. After that, I guess I'll do a bit of stockpiling. How long can you keep a frozen turkey? I still have last year's!

I must confess that I have not adhered to the "3-a-day" rule for using stockpile. Today, though, I managed it. I'm in the midst of cooking a big meal; pork chops (Hormel, on a great sale), green beans (B2G1F), apples (BOGOF), and scallopped potatoes (Betty Crocker, free with a doubled Q). I think I have about $7.50 invested in it and it will feed me for 3-4 days. I've heard of a woman who has a website called "fivedollarmeals" or something like that. She feeds a family of 4 for no more than $5 a night. I'm not quite that good, but, I'm closing in on her. It really is harder to cook for one than it is to cook for 4. I know that I throw out some things because they've just been around too long.

I got a bit of a scare today. One of the "strays" that hangs out here was lying in the middle of the road, kind of twisted. I thought she'd been hit by a car. I walked closer to her and she didn't move. A car went by and she still didn't move. When I got to her, I was sure she was hurt. I gently picked her up and off she went! She apparently just likes the feel of asphalt! She's outside the front door right now and seems fine.

My dad is doing pretty well. The report he got from the doctor the other day was not too encouraging. His tumor is still inoperable. He is continuing on an oral chemo treatment every day. He's determined not to miss a home game of the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, a little more than 100 miles away. He has a friend going with him tomorrow, so, I get a day off.

Mid-Month, Looking Good

I'm at $43.76 for the month so far. My coupon use is hovering around 73% for the year. It's time for more cat food, so, the % will fall somewhat with those purchases. I had a really good day at Petsmart lately; I got about $30 worth of stuff for about $5.50. Used a lot of Qs, had a Petsmart Q for $3 off a $10 purchase. Someone sent me a few of the $3 for Purina One. Petsmart had the $7.99 bag on sale for $4.99, so, I really did well. If you could just see all those little faces looking up at me every morning when I go into the basement to feed them. It would just melt your heart. I guess I am the neighborhood patron saint of cats. I think that's a good thing.

I hate to admit it, but, I almost never really look at the Walgreens or CVS flyers anymore. I do flip through them, but, if nothing jumps out at me, I don't go. I think it's saving me a lot of money, though! I have 100 tubes of toothpaste and 50 bottles of shampoo and conditioner. What could I possibly buy?

Good Deal On Cat Food

A 3.5 lb. bag of Purina One is usually $7.99. Too rich for my blood. Right now, Petsmart has it on sale for $4.99 and I had 2 of the $3 Qs on it. Not the best deal, but, the weight circles are worth twice as much as regular Purina Cat Chow. I feel like I did pretty well. I also had various canned food Qs, mostly BOGOF, that I used at Petsmart, along with the $3 Q I got for my cat's birthday. All totalled, I got close to $30 worth of cat food for $8.00 and change. I have in reserve 3 of the $3.50 Purina coupons for later use. I checked the Purina Give-A-Bowl site and found that the coupon is no longer available. I'll be keeping my eyes open for another opportunity. If you are reading this and find another Purina IP deal, PLEASE let me know. I am currently feeding 10 cats a day. At least, I don't have to put them though college!

A Good Green Giant Deal @ Bi-Lo

I found this deal at Bi-Lo (regional chain, southeast), but, many times, other stores have the same deal going on at the same day. Anyway, here's the details:

9/11 through 10/4/09

Green Giant Boxed Veggies

Buy 3, get $1.00 catalina
Buy 4, get $2.00
Buy 5 OR MORE, get $3.00

If buying more than 5 at one time, it would be smart to do separate transactions to get the most bang for the buck.

I'm really bad about not remembering where I find IP coupons. I was able to print several yesterday; some are from coupons.com and some from Smart Source. There must have been 3 different outlets for it, now that I look at how many coupons I printed. Oh, value, .50/2.

Every so often, Bi-Lo has the GG boxed veggies $10/10. I'm crossing my fingers that they have it again before October 4.

I'd be interested in learning if other grocery chains are having the same deal. I would think that Green Giant would sponsor more than one chain at a time.

I've Got To Start Brushing My Teeth More Often

Since I'm not going to the flea market anymore this year, I have brought all my stuff home and trying to re-integrate it all back into the places where I used to have them. I think I have about 100 tubes of toothpaste. Maybe if I start brushing my teeth about 6 times a day, I can use it all before I die!

Yesterday, I received $30 in Chili's GC for some survey or another. Chili's just had a promo for the past 2 weeks where you would collect game pieces and you could scratch them off starting today. I ate at Chili's, took my dad a great meal from there, and with the coupon and GC, spent nothing. Oh, yeah! That's the way I like it. And, I made sure my dad had something tasty and nutritious for lunch.

About my dad; his weight is up a little bit. We saw the oncologist yesterday. The tumor has not shrunk any, but, it hasn't grown any, either. He is staying on the chemo by mouth. That crap costs $4,000 a month. He has Medicare Part D and it pays some. This year, he had to pay over $2,000 a month for 2 months before he got through the doughnut hole. It's about $250 a month for the rest of the year. Starting in January, though, it's going to be right back up there.

Oh, yeah, I was with my dad when I bought a bag of cat food today. He said, "Let me feed the cats this month." Wow! Saved about $14 right there. That was good of him to do it for me.