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Whew!  I am whooped.  I feel like I just lived an entire year in 2 days.  New Year’s Eve we were shoppin’ fools – Target had 75%-off clearance and there’s nothin’ like scorin’ kids gifts from the Dollar Spot for 25-cents – heh.  And then we hit Wags for some scores there.  Lunch out just my husband and I (got a $10 off $30 card in the mail from Famous Dave’s – we don’t pay full price for anything ;)).  And then we did the Wii that night with the kiddies.  And fireworks.  And ate…a lot of junk.  And then yesterday after staying up late doing fireworks in 5 degree weather, we got up at 6am to be at Dillard’s at 7am when they opened for their 75%-off clearance.  Gotta love running in to people from work the day after New Year’s Eve with your hair not curled, no lipstick on, wearing Christmas socks that don’t match your outfit *giggles*  But I am pleased to say that we now have about 75% of our Christmas shopping for 2011 done…on the cheap.  Oh – and a little tip – look for Christmas clearance candy that is chocolate, or red and white, that can be repackaged to use for Valentine’s Day.  I scored some individually wrapped gourmet marshmallows that are going to be great for the school and church class teachers for Valentine’s Day.

Alright – so this week’s coupon adventure as you may have gathered by the title is not a good one.  At least the first half.  And I’ll tell you why:  because Rite Aid sucks.  There I said it and I don’t care.  I doubt that the president & CEO of Rite Aid reads my blog and if he does, sir, I have to tell you – you suck.  Your stores suck.  I went to 3 of them – and they all suck.  And here’s why…

Little garage sale stickers.  We are having a garage sale again this year – donating 1/2 our proceeds to the kids’ school – so I thought I should get some of these stickers.  Why not?  They are $2.29 with a tag that says “get a $2 + Up Reward when you buy this item”.  So that will make these little guys 29-cents.  I want them….need them actually.

Paper clips.  The big colored ones.  Don’t need them, but they are $1.99 with a tag that says “get a $2 + Up Reward when you buy this item”.  So that makes them…free.  I need them if they are free.

Sharpies.  I love Sharpies, who doesn’t, right?  They are $8.99 with a $4 + Up Reward when you buy this item.  So they are $4.99.  And then I use my $4 from the scores above and I get all (3) things for 99-cents.  I’m down.  Yeah.  Rite Aid – not so down.

I get up to the register and pay and I don’t get a $2 + Up Reward for the paper clips and the garage sale stickers.  And this is after you pay which kinda sucks, but that’s how these things work at all these stores.  But no worries because the sign says, so it must be, right?  WRONG.  I got 1, not 2 + Up Rewards.  I ask why and the lady tells me that it happened to someone else too and she had to return all their stuff.  Well guess what, you’re returning my stuff too because I ain’t payin’ for things that I don’t need – duh.  But if the sign says you get something, don’t they have to give it to you?  So I ask for the supervisor who just does the shoulder shrug and says “that’s what’s been printing out”.  Hi, how about honoring what your sign says or take the blasted sign down!  And they totally could have found a workaround or a way to honor it – Wags and Albies are really good about figuring out a way to make things right with you.  Not Rite Aid.  (3) different Rite Aids and the exact same situation.  Ticked me off.  What a waste of a good lunch hour.

By the 3rd store I was determined to get something for my time.  So here’s what I did.  I got the paper clips and the garage sale stickers – and got 1 not 2 of the $2 + Ups.  I bought double to get 2 of the + Ups and then I made them return one set – I did my own workaround 😉  And then I got the Sharpies.  And then I got these Pilot pens which were $2.29 each with a $4 + Up Reward when you buy 2.  So I spent $18.46, got $12 + Up Rewards which had me spending $6.46.  The deal was NOT supposed to work this way, but I was frustrated and hungry so I just let it go.  Saved about 65% which is not bad but certainly not the deal of the century but worth it to me to confidently say that I will never coupon at Rite Aid again.  Never.  I have never had a deal go as planned, or as advertised, at Rite Aid.  So I am done with them.  I don’t care if the deal is working at every store and they are handing out gold coins just for saying hello – I am so. over.  Rite Aid.

But you know who I heart?  Wags.  Wags is the best. 

I have to laugh at this next picture because when we were running around I asked my husband if he would run in to Wags and get the Chex Mix and it was easy blah blah blah, and oh, grab this for me too because I have a free coupon.  He did the “oh hell no!” to me – LOL   So I went in with him.  I register for everything free online – they sent me a free coupon for some weirdo tampons that I’ll give to the women’s shelter.  If it’s free, it’s for me 😉

And then I scored the Chex Mix deal I was telling you about earlier this week.  Chex Mix is on sale for 99-cents each, buy 5 = $4.95, use (4) 50-cent off coupons = $2.95 and get $3.50 back.  That’s what they call a moneymaker, my friends.

Why yes, I am opening my own drug store – LOL  OK before you scold me for getting too much of these Sinex things let me defend myself.  They don’t expire until 2013.  My husband has sinus issues all the time – he actually used some of this last night.  I had a sinus infection last month, I think it was.  I am all about trying anything before going to the Doc, paying your co-pay and then the money you spend on prescriptions.  So I stocked up because I could – and they would totally get used.  And this was a hot deal….a serious moneymaker.  Buy (4) at $5 each = $20.  Use (4) $4 off 1 coupons takes you down to $4.  Get back $10.  Hello!  I just got paid $6 to take (4) of these…um, or $60 to take (24) of these is what I got actually.  And then I turned around and took that down to the Walmart and scored a boatload of Christmas clearance stuff.  And I still have $30 left that I am going to coupon with today.  Today it’s the Walmart and Albies because hello – there are doublers in the paper today!

Have you signed up for my First Annual Valentine Gift Exchange?

Last day on my lil’ shoppe sale.

Place an order from now through Sunday and 11% will be refunded to you.