Stocking Up at Walgreens!

Normally I prefer CVS to Walgreens.  CVS' Extra Care Bucks (ECBS for those in the know) are easier to use and less restrictive than Walgreens Register Rewards (which are being called Jingle Cash for the Holidays).  However, sometimes I just have to break down because of some good deals.  My couponing and stocking up have been very helpful during this time of no J-O-B for me.  We were finally depleting the razor stash and Walgreens happened to have Jingle Cash on Gillette razors so I sucked it up and went to Walgreens.  I now understand the stories of different Walgreens creating their own policies.  I went to a second Walgreens b/c the first was out of one of the items I wanted and had issues at this second store that I didn't experience at store #1.  After issues with my second transaction, I just told the cashier to void the transaction, give me back my coupons and now I will only deal with that Walgreens on a "must have" basis.  There was a misunderstanding on my part for one transaction and I accepted that, but a coupon on the second transaction was refused for a lame reason.  When I went back to the 1st Walgreens (which shall be referred to as the Good Walgreens) I had no problems using the same coupons with the same items.  Lesson learned, Walgreens will only accept the same number of mfg's coupons and Register Rewards as items you have.  The fix to that is to find the cheapest thing you can and buy enough of that item to supplement your transaction in order to equal the number of coupons and Register Rewards/Jingle Cash you have!  That explains the candy in the picture, I wasn't just satisfying my sweet tooth  :-) My total on all of the goods in the pic above was $29.68, of which $7.01 was tax.  According to the receipts I saved $111.13 with coupons/RRs and Walgreens' sale prices.  Now I know, their original prices are inflated, but still,  I paid less than 30 bucks for my haul!  The 3 razors alone almost cost that at regular price anywhere you go!  Also, if something is going to end up free, but its not something you use, get it anyway and donate it to a local food bank or shelter.   Someone else will benefit from your savvy shopping!

Have a Great Day!
DY

The Election

As I looked at the election numbers rolling in last night, I wondered how many people really take the time to research the candidates.  I mean, over 359,000 people voted for Alvin Greene??!!  Don't get me wrong, I think we need some fresh faces, not the usual good ole boys (or girls), but did any of these 359,000 people even take the time to listen to this guy talk (and yes I am very embarrassed he has a degree from USC)?  So how many people voted for him because he was a Democrat or because he was black?  It is so ignorant to vote for someone strictly because they are black, white, red, yellow, brown, green or pink.  Likewise with Nikki Haley, how many people voted for her strictly because she was Republican or because she was a woman?  I would love to see more women in office, but I'm not going to just vote for every woman that runs for a position without putting them up against their competition and seeing who is the best qualified for the job.  I'll  admit that I didn't think either candidate for Governor was a prize.  So I had to sit down and look at their pros and cons and decided one candidate's cons were just too much for me.  Voting isn't easy.  If you did your research and you felt your selections were the best, then good for you.  You voted based on your beliefs or the candidate you liked best based on their track record and that is how it should be done.  I thank God we all have the right to vote.  And yes, people have the right to vote for whoever is on the ballot, but to vote for someone strictly because of party, skin color or sex is a good way to keep our government spiralling downward. 

Happy Hump Day!   (Next article will be something frivoulous I promise)
DY

What are parents thinking?

  Okay, I'll start this out with the fact that I don't have children (well, the two legged kind anyway).   But I wonder what are parents thinking these days?  What brings this up is the latest picture of Noah Cyrus, Miley's little sis and daughter of Billy Ray.  This little girl is 10 years old.  Last Halloween she was dressed in a sexy costume at some event.   I know it's sick to use that word with a child (she was 9 at the time) but that is what it was.  There is a pic this week of Noah with her big sis and mom.  This child (she's 10, she's still a child!)  has on Daisy Duke shorts and a top with what what looks like a bra peeping out of the top!  I am not a prude by any means, but a 10 year old dressing like this girl dresses just sickens me.  And it's not just celebrity parents letting their children do this, just go to the mall and look around.  Jason & I were going through a store recently and saw a girl who looked to be about 9 or 10 with a cropped top and mini skirt on, and when I say cropped top, it stopped right below her chest.  What was even weirder was the Mom was dressed very conservatively so it wasn't a case of a "mini-me."  I've heard sometimes its  not worth the fight over letting the kids pick out their clothes, but there is a difference between letting the child out of the house is something that's just mismatched and something that is advertising your child to the perverts out there.  And while I'm on a soap box, what about the way some parents let their kids behave out in public?  We were out to eat last night and there was an area that had video games.  Okay, I don't have a problem with turning your kids loose to play the games.  But these kids took over that whole section, running, dancing & yelling, while the parents just sat back and chatted.  We & another couple were the unlucky ones closest to this racket, the parents were a section over (I guess so they wouldn't be as bothered as the rest of us).  We also watched a 10 or 11 year old boy in this group pull out his new phone to show off.  It was the newest Blackberry!  Really??!!  So we're watching a generation of kids who are allowed to dress and do as they please and are used to getting whatever they want.  God help us when these are the adults in charge of our corporations and our country.  I personally know some parents who are NOT raising their children this way and God bless them, because their children will grow up to be responsible, well rounded adults.  I saw a segment on parenting recently on a news show and the main point being made was that parents aren't there to be the child's best friend.  You're the parent and you're in charge and sometimes you have to do things that your kids don't like, but it's for their own good.  And the good of our future.

DY

It pays to shop around!

We've been looking at the "Replace Filter" light glowing at us everytime we open our refrigerator door.  Since we are currently renting, that is one of those things we're expected to maintain.  So it was with dread that we went to the local Sears parts place to see how much this would cost us.  The nice lady looked up our model # and led us to the filter.  $54.98 (+ tax of course).  Gulp!  I honestly had no clue what the price was, but was expecting between $30-$40.  While this isn't a huge chunk of change, I'm still without a job, so $58.55 (which is the filter with tax) for something like that (boring household necessity), was a little hard for me to swallow.  I knew I could find a better deal so we left the store empty handed and I came home to search the internet.  I found a couple of good sites that just sold refrigerator filters and watched the price come down with each new site.  My last search was Amazon, BINGO!!  They had the Whirlpool version of our filter for $31.47 with Free Shipping!!  That's right, $27 less than the Kenmore version at the Sears store!  And once again, this is a Whirlpool filter, not some no name item and I spent maybe 10 minutes on this search.   Too bad I can't land a job finding good deals, I'd be a superstar!

Rainy Days and Mondays

So when it rains on Monday, isn't that a double whammy?  I shouldn't complain though, we need it and we did have a beautiful Saturday out on the river with our buddies up in Murrells Inlet. Nothing like pulling your boat up and tying off at a bar/restaurant.  Even though the boat ride there was just a little rocky.  I think the prints of my fingers are a permanent part of Taylor's boat cushions! I do love the coastal life.
I tried to dodge the rain drops earlier today when I went out to the grocery stores, but didn't do such a good job.  It was pouring when I went into HT, but had stopped when I came out.  So I'm like "Yay, a break!" Then it starts again before I'm out of the parking lot good.  Slows down a bit when I get to The Pig, but was a frog strangler when I left there.

Thankfully it had eased up again when I got to the house but it has been off and on (mostly on) all day.  For those of you at work, the day is almost done and another Monday is in the books.  If you're complaining about working, then remember, you could be without a job so be thankful!  Stay safe on the roads, there are always idiots out, but they multiply in the rain!

DY

Aaahh, College Football

Yes, one of my favorite things...college football!!  And of course, especially The Gamecocks!  Wish I was at the game, but oh well, at least we have Cocky here with us to watch the game :-) 
AND there is a Nascar race tonight, I will be in TV overload today!  There are days like today that I wish I had a wall of TV's so I could see it all at once.  That's really bad isn't it?  I just might have an addiction...

Enjoy this wonderful day!
DY

Happy Friday!!

Yay, Of course it's a little different when you aren't working but it's still FRIDAY!  Happy with the results of both games last night and can't wait to watch my Gamecocks play tomorrow!  I did come across a deal today.  Restaurant.com has all gift certificates 80% off with the code TOUCHDOWN.  What I discovered today is that you can get a $50 Restaurant.com gift certificate for $4!!  What a great gift idea!!  This way your recipient can go online and pick which restaurant(s) they want.  Win, win!!  Where else can you find a $50 gift for $4?   http://www.restaurant.com/

Have a Super Day!!
DY

Hello!

Welcome to my attempt at blogging!  Dixie Belles are what me & most females I know are, but it's also derived from the name of my sweet chocolate lab, Dixie Belle.

My husband Jason & I also have a tuxedo cat named Peepers.  Peepers was an in & out cat when we lived in Spartanburg, but in Charleston he is strictly inside and has adapted very well. He sometimes dreams of being back outside, but he's decided it's better inside where it is climate controlled.

Hopefully this will be a fun way for me to share my valuable insights (said with the slightest touch of sarcasm),

shopping savvy and just things I like (or even things that piss me off). 

Have a great day and remember, it's almost the weekend!!