Life has been extremely busy these last few days and doesn't show signs of being less busy for a few more days.
Monday...Well, Monday's are Monday's. Then add an ECoG test on top of that. I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. So much fun for me. I knew I was dizzy, nauseas, echoing in my ears for a long time, just didn't realize they were all related. So now I am on a low, and I mean LOW sodium diet. And I return to the doctor on Friday to review results and get more medication to take. Little Man comes home from school with a red, swollen, sore elbow.
Tuesday...Took Little Man to the doctor, because I knew his elbow was infected. Can't take a chance with infections due to his heart condition. So we spent on hour at the doctors office yesterday morning to discover he has a Staph infection. First, squeezing the infection out of the elbow. Can you say, OUCH? Blood was drawn from one arm for CBC and sedimentation rate. Doctor called Little Man's cardiologist. After that call, more blood had to be drawn from the other arm for a blood culture, to see it the infection had gone septic. Left knowing we might have to go on IV antibiotics, an appointment for tomorrow, and horse pill antibiotics to take 3 times a day. Then Little Man could not go back to school, due to having to monitor his behavior. In the midst of the doctor's office visit, my Meniere's decided to make a visit. Dizzy, nausea, had to lay down. Why in the middle of Little Man's appointment. Squeezed more infection out last night. Can you say, GROSS?
Wednesday...Back to the doctor's office at 8:30 this morning. Infection was not found in the blood. So that is a good thing. Still able to squeeze infection out of the elbow. The elbow is still red, but not blood red like yesterday. Swollen, but not as bad. And still tender. Meniere's set in again, UGH. Left doctor's office this morning with another appointment for tomorrow morning. IV antibiotics is still a potential. Will lance the elbow and clean out as much of the infection as possible tomorrow. Trying to give the antibiotic a fighting chance of catching up to the infection.
Tomorrow...We'll see at the pediatric office.
Friday...Back to the ENT for Meniere's.
Doctors are great, but sometimes, do you ever feel like you are just seeing them WAY to much.
I walk pass Mini-Me's bedroom. He is under his sheets with his head covered. I walk down stairs. I see the bar chair fallen on to the aquarium. I pick it up, and go back upstairs to Mini-Me's room.
Conversation goes like this (with Mini-Me still under the sheets):
Mommy: What are you doing?
Mini-Me: Hiding.
Mommy: Why are you hiding?
Mini-Me: Because I want too.
Mommy: Why do you want to hid?
Mini-Me: So daddy can't find me.
Mommy: Why don't you want daddy to find you?
Mini-Me: I don't want him to spank my hinny.
Mommy: Why would daddy spank your hinny?
Mini-Me: Becuase the chair fell.
Mommy: Oh, okay (trying not to laugh)
Little did he know, his cuteness kept him out of trouble, becuase he dented the aqaurium stand pretty bad and dented the bar chair as well. Apparently, he was sitting under the chair which we tell him not to do a lot. I guess we don't know what we are talking about.
Okay, so I shopped at RiteAid this week. It is pretty easy and words very similarly to the CVS Extra Care Buck program. In a previous post, I already posted the coupon policy, so don't forget to read that since I won't post that again in this one.
So here's how I did it this week.
Transaction 1
M&M's 2/$4.00 get $1.00 +up
Buy 3 bags of M&M's
Use Buy 1 Get 1 MC
Use $1.00 off pretzel M&M's
OOP = $3.00
+Up = $1.00
Transaction 2
Granier Shampoo and Conditioner 2/$6.00 get $2.00 +Up
Buy 2 bottles
Use 2 $1.00 MC
Use $1.00 +Up
OOP = $3.00
+Up = $2.00
So, three bags of M&M's and shampoo and conditioner for $6.00 OOP and $2.00+Up rewards in my pocket.
So far the only real difference I see between the CVS program and the RiteAid program is the rain check procedure. With CVS you can get a rain check for the sale price with the ECB attached. So if the item would be $4.00 with $3.00 ECB, when the item is back in stock you would go in, get the item and they would print your ECB. However, with the RiteAid rain check procedure, if the same item is $4.00 with $3.00 +Up rewards and you have to get a rain check it will be written for $1.00. Rite Aid is unable to print the +Up rewards out after the sale, so they will right the rain check for the sale amount minus the +Up reward amount.
Staples is a wonderful store. I don't just go in there to buy because I need something, they are generally more expensive. However, that being said I get lots for stuff for very little to free in Staples by using the two different programs they have available to use. Their two programs are their "Easy Rebates" and "Staples Rewards". I will explain both of these separately.
First as for coupons, Staples accepts them. They will take MC and SC coupons. I have never tried a CC, but I also have not asked. That is always something that you can ask. They will tell you and not even get mad about it.
Secondly, if you don't have one of their store cards you have to have one to participate in their programs. It is another free card like Kroger, CVS, and RiteAid.
Now, the "Easy Rebates" (ER) is a program where you go into the store and purchase the items you want and will use that have the ER attached to them. You will pay for them out of pocket or with "Staples Rewards". After you have made your purchase, you will log in to the Staples Easy Rebate website, which is on your receipt. Set up an account so you only have to login every time after the first time and not re-enter your address, etc. Follow the instructions on the website to enter the numbers off of your receipt. The instructions are very easy to follow and very helpful. After you have enter the information, it will come up with how much money you will get back. And with the rebates, it is money. Staples will send you a check in the mail in about 4 to 6 weeks that you can take to the bank and cash. I put the money back into my grocery budget because that's where it came from the begin with. My mom saves hers as her fun money. Do what works for you.
Examples from next weeks Staples Ad for Easy Rebates:
1- Staples Multipurpose copy paper is on sale for $4.99, you will get $3.99 in rebate money back. There is a limit of 2. So you would buy 2 for $9.98 and then get $7.98 back in rebate money in the mail.
2 - Scotch Tape dispenser is on sale for $3.00. You will get $3.00 in rebate money.
3 - Post note 1 1/2" x 2" 12 pack is on sale for $5.29. You will get $5.29 back in rebate money.
So if you bought all these items at one time and submitted you rebate at one time you would spend $18.27 plus tax out of pocket, but in a few weeks you will get a check back from Staples for $16.27. Therefore, all you have paid is $2.00 for your paper and sales tax. And if you do it Sunday, no sales tax due to sales tax holiday.
Now on to the "Staples Rewards" program. This program is money back to use in Staples only. They send out the rewards once a quarter, so they build up. You don't have to do anything to get these, like the rebates were you have to submit them. I have been know to get $80.00 in rewards back to spend on ink or whatever else I need. You will know what has rewards attached to it from the sale paper as will. I'll go over next weeks in just a minute. One thing to remember with Staples is they will give you $2.00 per ink cartridge up to 10 per month back in Staples Rewards and 10% back on ink. They are also known to run specials on ink and cartridges sometimes. When they do this you will get 20% in ink rewards and $4.00 on each cartridge when purchased and return in the same transaction. This is how I manage to get a lot of rewards, because I save my cartridges and take them in when they run this special. I get a box of ink and turn in all my cartridges and get $4.00 per cartridge up to 10 and 20% on my ink purchase.
That's two ways for earn rewards, then the other is through purchases that are in the sale paper. So for next week they have a PNY 2g flash drive with rewards attached to it. So you would buy one flash drive for $9.99 and get $8.99 back in Staples rewards to use in the store. Now remember your rewards are sent out once a quarter, so you will have to wait a little while, unless it happens to be near the end of the quarter. But it's worth the wait to know you get your money back to spend in the store. So that is how I get most of my ink. When my rewards come in, I buy more ink and return cartridges and earn more rewards with my rewards. Therefore I am spending very little out of pocket for ink and paper, and other miscellaneous office supplies for around the house.
Here is the coupon policy for RiteAid. I will try to go in to RiteAid next week and sign up for the card and try purchasing a couple of their +Up products and see how their systems works. After I have done that I will post on how it works. Give me a week or so though.Manufacturer Coupons•Manufacturer coupons are found in newspapers, magazines and even affixed to products. The UPC on these coupons begins with a “5.”
Rite Aid Manufacturer Coupons
• Rite Aid Manufacturer coupons generally appear in our weekly circular, on our website and are sent to customers via e-mail. These coupons are labeled “manufacturer coupon” and have a UPC that begins with “49.”
Rite Aid Valuable Coupons
• Rite Aid coupons are labeled “variable coupon” and have a UPC that begins with “48.”
Internet/Print at Home coupons
• Rite Aid will accept Internet/print at home coupons up to the equivalent value of $5.00 off.
• A Rite Aid coupon (with the Rite Aid logo) is NOT considered an Internet coupon (even if printed off the Internet) and is therefore not subject to the $5.00 maximum.
+UP Reward Coupons
• +UP Reward coupons are special coupons earned by a customer in a prior purchase that can be used for any nonprescription purchase with a small number of exclusions that are listed on the +UP coupon. Multiple +UP coupons can be used (subject to the printed exclusions) up to the amount of purchase before sales tax.
Buy One, Get One Free
• We accept two coupons for the purchase of two items that are on Buy One, Get One Free Promotion.
• We accept a Buy One, Get One Free Coupon with an item that is in our flyer as Buy One, Get One Free, meaning both items are free. The cash register will compute any sales tax due, which varies by state law.
Total Purchase Coupons
• Rite Aid may feature total purchase coupons which discount the total purchase amount based upon meeting specific requirements. For example, $5 off a $25 purchase price threshold coupon.
• These coupons are accepted under the following conditions:
o The coupon is valid and in date; only one total purchase coupon
per transaction.
o Total purchase equals or exceeds $25 before tax (before any
coupons are applied).
o Coupons for individual items can also be used including another
“48″ coupon that is tied to an item in the transaction.
o Provided the total of items purchased is equal to or greater than
the purchase requirement, other coupons can be used in
conjunction with the total purchase coupon.
ACCEPTANCE GUIDELINES:
General Guidelines:
• Coupons must be valid and in date; Coupons cannot be exchanged for cash.
• Register will validate coupon through scanning or keyed entry of the coupon UPC number.
• In the event that any item’s selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Rite Aid will accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is allowed.
• When making a return for a product that had a coupon attached, Rite Aid cannot refund cash for the value of the coupon and cannot return the coupon that was used.
• Rite Aid reserves the right to not accept any coupon where the validity or the coupon cannot be established.
Multiple Coupons
• More than one coupon can be used on the purchase of a single item under the following conditions:
• All coupons match the item being purchased.
• The total of the coupons is equal to or less than the selling price of the item before sales tax.
• No more than one “48″ Rite Aid valuable coupon, one “49″ Rir,eAid Manufacturer coupon, and one “5″manufacturer coupon can be used on a single item.
• Rite Aid may accept multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers within the store manager’s sole discretion.
