Sense to Save

Wooeee! Lotsa savings today

Would you drive an hour round trip for $20? I guess I would.

I went to my closest CVS (maybe 10 minutes away) to see if they had any of the “Managing and Preventing Diabetes” booklets I’ve heard about. They did! I grabbed a few, since they were well-stocked, so I could use a coupon to get a free blood glucose monitor and $20 Extra Care Bucks.

That CVS didn’t have the monitors. So, I took the free booklets and went home. I called the next closest CVS to find out if they had the monitors, and they didn’t. That phone call saved me a lot of time and gas money.

The next CVS had two, and the pharmacist said he’d hold one for me. Yay!

I did get a little lost, but overall the entire trip took an hour there and back. Eep.

But here’s what I got:

Nova Max blood glucose monitor (I will either sell this on eBay or donate it). On sale for $29.99. The coupon booklet had a $50 off coupon. The cashier keyed in $29.99 so I got it for free. No sales tax!

Then, the machine spit out $20 Extra Care Bucks. Even the cashier was impressed with this one. I should be able to turn that $20 into…well, at least $100 worth of CVS stuff, I think. Let’s see how I do :)

I had $3 ECB from a previous (and disastrous) purchase, and I used that to buy a gallon of milk for $3.61.

Earlier this afternoon, I stopped by Rite Aid to see if they had any of that Glucerna cereal. They didn’t, but I found a receipt on the ground in the parking lot. Someone bought an item that gave a $3 rebate and threw it away. Can you believe that?

I’m going to input that receipt and get the rebate myself. It’s just the same as if I found $3 on the ground, right?

Update to the Rite Aid thing: Uh…I guess this is “the receipt that wasn’t meant to be.” I lost it before I could enter it on my computer. Oops Ok nevermind, I found it! Yay for $3 bonus dollars!

EDIT:

I can’t believe I forgot to mention the source for this coupon idea. Shame on me! I usually include this. I’m really sorry, Thrifty Florida Mama. [She didn't contact me about this, but I just realized that I forgot to include her]. Anyway, me knowing about this deal is all thanks to her.

Rite Aid & Walgreens rebate deadlines

I mailed my Walgreens rebate info for October, and I want to remind everyone to submit their rebates. It must be postmarked by November 3. Put it in the mail TODAY. Why wait?

The Rite Aid rebate program for October has ended, so last week, I requested my check. It will be $52.19. Whoa! Yeah, gimme my money.

The end of the rebate period was October 27. You have until November 10 to request your check. DO NOT WAIT. Do it right now! Since you don’t have to mail in any forms, there’s really no excuse. You’ll just forget or lose your receipts.

I don’t expect to get my check for a few weeks, though. They said they’ll send it out around November 6. Arg. I guess the money needs to grow more interest in their bank account.

Reader Jes wanted to know more about the Rite Aid rebate program.

I’ve never done the Rite Aid MIR before, do you need to get a book like Walgreen’s? How exactly does that work? How fast are they at getting the rebate back to you, does it come in check form or gift card form?
Thanks!

October was the first month I participated, but I’ll do my best to answer your question. You don’t need a rebate book or anything to fill out. However, I like to use the weekly fliers to make sure I’m getting the exact product needed for the rebate. Sometimes (ok, a LOT at the stores I visit) the sticky sales tags on the shelf in the store do not match up with the correct product. If I’m totally sure it’s misplaced, I move the tag to the correct item.

As soon as you return from your Rite Aid trip(s), go online and enter information from your sales receipt. They use their register software to verify that you purchased those items, and then it will show the amount you will get for your rebate. At the end of the month, you click a button to request your check. Wait until the last week of the month, because you can only request one check per rebate period. You don’t want to lose out on your money!

I don’t yet know how fast to expect a refund. The web site says it usually takes 2-3 weeks from the end of the promo period. It will come in check form, so you can cash it at your bank and use it to pay your light bill, if you want.

Instant frugal heat (or cold) pads

I’m sure most of you already have tried this tip, but I love it so much, I’m going to post about the wonders of a sock filled with rice.

When you have a sock that has lost its mate, such as a blue one (where on Earth did I get a blue sock?), you can turn it into a wonderful heat or cold pack.

Simply select a cotton sock, make sure there aren’t any holes in it, and pour in some uncooked rice–however much you want.

Tie the top of the sock around itself, do ya know how I mean?

Voila! In 30 seconds, you’ve given a sock a new purpose and have created a very handy item.

Keep one or two in the freezer for when you need a nice cool pack. If you tend to rough out the summers without air conditioning, putting one of these cold packs on your head as you fall asleep could cool you down just enough to do the job.

When you need heat, put one in the microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. It will be hot, so be careful! You can apply it to sore muscles or put it under the covers at the foot of your bed before you get in on frosty nights.

When you want to wash your sock, empty the rice into a container, throw the sock into the laundry and fill it when it’s dry.

How many of you use these rice packs?