Sense to Save

Rite Aid deals for February

If you have a Rite Aid near you, have a prescription that needs to be filled sometime in February (but haven’t had one filled there in the last 6 months), you can get a $30 gift card, plus an additional $5 and $5 if you transfer a prescription there.

Look in this week’s insert–you’ll find two coupons for this, and read more about it here.

It’s important to remember that if you have multiple prescriptions, you should have them all filled at one pharmacy. That way, the pharmacist can better detect possible drug interactions and things. If you have 3 prescriptions scattered across 3 pharmacies, it will be much harder! So, it’s only worth doing if you’re willing to transfer all of your prescriptions, or if you have a family member that just requires one prescription.

Still, a $30 gift card can go a long way at a drug store that also has free stuff.

Here’s what’s free-after-rebate at Rite Aid for February. Consult your flier to be sure you’re getting the exact sizes and varieties that qualify. All are limit 1, unless otherwise noted. Click here to see the full list.

Rebate #1
Valid from 01/27/08 to 03/01/08
up to $9.95  Rebate
Green Dot
Purchase One (1):
• Prepaid MasterCard or Visa
Excludes Nascar Visa Card
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $9.95). Sales tax excluded. (Might be good for those of you who don’t use credit or debit cards, but still like to make purchases online. I *think* these will work in that scenario.

Rebate #13
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 2/3/08 – 2/9/08**
Mennen Speed Stick
Purchase One (1) of Any Variety:
• 24/7 Deodorant/Antiperspirant
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $3.99). Sales tax excluded.

Rebate #14
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 1/27/08 – 2/2/08**
Fructis
Purchase One (1) of Any Variety:
• Shine Burst Shampoo or Conditioner, Brilliantine Shine Spray or Wet Shine Gel
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $2.99). Sales tax excluded.

Rebate #41
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 2/10/08 – 2/16/08**
ReliaDose
Purchase One (1):
• Children’s Medicine Dispenser
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $7.99). Sales tax excluded.

Rebate #148
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 2/17/08 – 2/23/08**
Garnier
Purchase One (1) of Any Shade:
• Color Break Hair Color, One Application
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $5.99). Sales tax excluded.

Rebate #156
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 2/10/08 – 2/16/08**
Fructis
Purchase One (1) of Any Variety:
• Non-Aerosol XXL Hairspray, Curl Sculpting Cream Gel or Hard Curl Gel
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $2.99). Sales tax excluded. (Use a $1 off coupon from recent inserts to save even more!-Kacie)

Rebate #157
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 2/24/08 – 3/1/08**
Fructis
Purchase One (1) of Any Variety:
• Strength & Repair Shampoo, Conditioner, or Melting Masque
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $2.99). Sales tax excluded. (Use a $1 off coupon from recent inserts to save even more!-Kacie)

Rebate #160
VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS
PURCHASED 2/24/08 – 3/1/08**
Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste
Purchase One (1):
• Clean Mint, Cinnamon or Night, 4.2 oz.
*Purchase Price Will Be Refunded (up to $2.49). Sales tax excluded.

Rebate #224
Valid from 01/27/08 to 03/01/08
$1.50  Rebate
Electrasol
Purchase One (1):
• Orange Powder or Gel, 75 oz.
• Powerballs or Gelcaps, 20 ct. (Not free, but I love the powerball tab things! And, there’s usually manuf. coupons out there you can add on to this. -Kacie)

H&R Block giving free tax advice until Jan. 31

This came in my inbox from an H&R Block PR rep, and I thought I’d pass it along:

I thought you would like to know that H&R Block is offering free “Ask a Tax Advisor” sessions in honor of National Tax Advice Day 2008.  Through Jan 31, anyone can have a free email or phone exchange with an H&R Block tax pro. And it’s not some overseas operator– you’ll be working with a real tax pro with more than 8 years of experience and over 250 hours of training.

Check it out here: http://digits.hrblock.com/ssDigits/NTAD.php

Gotta love free tax info. We’re still waiting on two W2 forms. Can’t wait! I want my refund!

Top ingredients to make homemade

I’m trying to prepare more and more food items from scratch, rather than buy a convenience version at the store. I like cooking, and I like to know what’s going into my food. Plus, in many cases, it’s more economical to do it yourself.

Some items I’ve made recently include:

• Homemade tartar sauce (It’s just mayo, relish, a few drops of lemon juice/vinegar, and dill)
• Bread crumbs. I just save the heels of bread loaves, and put them in the freezer. When I need to restock my supply, I toast the bread in the oven, and toss it into my food processor. I add some seasonings, and that’s it! Sooo much cheaper than the store-bought version.
• Jello as a spread on toast. Have you ever done this? Sometimes, we like to put butter on toast, and then sprinkle a little bit of Jello (the powder, not the finished product). It’s delicious! I don’t know how good or bad it is for ya, but it’s an idea for when you want some flavor but are out of jelly.
• Apple syrup. Yum!

Visit Tammy’s Recipies and Hillbilly Housewife for tons of ideas.

Here’s a list of interesting foods you can make. My husband put this list together. (He’s actually pretty involved with this site! I love it)

Top 16 homemade ingredients:

1. Instant Oatmeal
2. Microwave Popcorn
3. Peanut Butter
4. Brown Sugar Syrup
5. Mustard Spread
6. Grape Jelly
7. Yogurt Mixins
8. Ranch Dressing
9. Beef Jerky (without dehydrator)
10. Honey Mustard Sauce
11. Curry Powder
12. Salsa
13. Corn Relish
14. Chocolate Syrup
15. Apple Butter
16. Granola

… and for something completely different

1. Kool Aid Pickles
2. Mountain Dew jelly

What do you make from scratch? What has worked, and what is better to just buy pre-made?