Shop Rite 7/29/09

I had a GREAT run with DH to Shop Rite! Eventhough as soon as we pulled into the parking spot, it downpoured.....I still made out like a bandit!!! Check it out!



I got ALL this for 18.99 OOP (out of pocket) and used the sales along with coupons to get out of there so cheap! Before store savings and Qs, the OOP was $106.21! I also got back a $5 CAT OYNO (on your next order) and a $3 CAT. I also got 2 coupons for FREE re-usable bags to be earth friendly! YIPPEE! Can you spot all the deals???

Paw It Foward

Hello, my name is Lucky and I'm Grocery Hound and Poker Chick's daughter. When I first met mommy and daddy, they were so nice to me! They fed me tons of good food every day and always left me water to drink. I figured I'd give them a shot and I adopted them. They think that they control me, but we all know who is the boss around here...ME!

Mommy is too busy to put up the blog, so I figured I'd give this 'blogging' thing a shot. I wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Shelly at The Life I live for the package I got in the mail last month. I haven't yet had my mail changed from outside to inside, so I haven't gotten all my mail....but I did get this!



This was me checking out the box and rubbing it on it.



C'mon mom, I can't get it open by myself!



Hmmmm, this isn't the dead mice I ordered....but it'll do! OH, is that a cat I smell?????



I LOVE my new box!



That's me scoping out the goods.



I know I know....I'm lazy, just like mommy. I need a break after all this excitement!



Nobody is fooling me....these aren't REAL mice!



Ok, now here come's the fun part! Mommy said for me to just copy exactly what Shelly wrote from The Live I Live said so I wouldn't make any mistakes on how to play this game. Now I sure don't want to make a mistake on mom's blog........she'd never let me on the computer again! So here's Shelly!

"This was all a part of Paw it Forward. It is now our turn to have fun pawing it forward to the next cat or dog blogger.

The guide to Paw it Forward is as follows: "The exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and 'pay it forward' in their own way.This is how it works...I am going to agree to send something fun, inspiring or uplifting to the first blog owner who posts a comment on this entry if you agree to paw it forward too. In turn you will then post about this on your blog, link to me, then send something to the first person who signs up to play along through your blog. There are no cost restraints, BUT don't go crazy! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found. No biggie, just a gift that will make the person smile. Maybe something unique from where you live? And, remember that kindness does not have to involve money; there are untold ways to help others every single day, everywhere you go - just look around". The rules were changed a little bit. We know that times are tough for a lot of people, and in the past the idea was to paw it forward to 3 bloggers. We are going to paw it forward to one and doing this might make it more playable for people. If you want to play with three people, it is your choice, or if you'd like to play with one or two people, that is also your choice. Keep the fun going and let me know if you want to play!"

Snowball: If you want to play, just be the first to leave us a comment saying so! We loved playing so much we already picked out some new toys to paw forward. Thanks for reading!

Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary to Me (and DH)!

So, Tuesday marked mine and DH's 2nd wedding anniversary! Last year, we took a few days off of work and went down to AC to celebrate. This year, I wanted to keep with the AC theme and go again for a few days. We got engaged in AC, honeymooned in AC, and spent our 1st and 2nd Wedding anniversaries there, so I guess AC holds a special place in our hearts (and our wallets lol).

On Sunday, we went to Brigantine Beach (right over the bridge from AC). We got there around 10 and sunbathed for about two hours. We left around noon and looked around the island, it's beautiful! Some multimillion dollar homes had open houses, but DH was a party pooper so we didn't get to go inside. We went to Borgata and checked into the hotel, then hit the gift shop for the clearance rack (DH's idea! I'm rubbing off on him!). Didn't see anything we liked, so we went to the room to shower up. We met up with some friends at Trump Plaza's beach bar. It was pretty nice there...a lot of 80's music...right up my alley! When we went back to Borgata, we grabbed a bite to eat then hit the poker table for the rest of the night.

We woke up late on Monday since we went to bed late on Sunday night. We went to go to Bread and Butter for breakfast (it's soooo yummy there!) but the line was way too long, so we went to the Metropolitan (diner type). After that, we went up to the room to shower then off to get me on a helicopter! We headed to Taj and went to Steel Pier, but it was closed, opened at 3pm. It was about 2pm, so we hit the 3 card table for an hour....we won some money so that's a plus! We went to the pier, and the helicopter ride wasn't open yet, they said about 45 minutes. We went to Resorts so I can play a slot machine (last time I hadn't been there in awhile and I played a penny slot, 2 weeks later I got TONS of comp rooms, so I figured I'd try that again). We then walked around then headed to the helicopter ride....I LOVED it! I can't believe I got on, but I did...next stop, airplane!


This was us before the ride, with our 'son' Clifford. DH won him for me at the basketball game on the boardwalk :)



DH and I on the helicopter...it was really windy!!!


The view of Brigantine Beach from the helicopter.


Us on the escalator at Taj.



Checkout day:(


We then went to the Shore Mall since DH has been bugging me to get a Blackberry and I gave in....however, no Verizon store in the mall. We went back to the Borgata and ate at Noodles of the World (NOW). It was GREAT! Then we played some cards for awhile and were up in the room around 9:30pm, so it was an early night for us.

I was up early since I conked out early the night before so we um, celebrated our anniversary then laid in bed then got up to shower and check out. I hate check out day. We went to Bread and Butter again, another huge line. We weren't that hungry so that worked. We went to the Let It Ride table and sat with 3 older ladies, they were so fun! I ended up hitting a straight flush in my 3 cards, so that helped! We then played some poker (not a happy ending) then headed home early. We tried to go to a fancy place for dinner, but the kitchen was closed, so we went to the Outback...YUMMY! I got a Wallaby Darned, it was so yummy!


Me and my Wallaby Darned and DH with his strawberry margarita.


In the past two years, my DH has made my life complete. There have been times where he has worked my last nerve, but in the end, it's all worthwhile. I have grown and learned so much from him, and I'm sure he's grown and learned a lot from me. We had a great wedding 2 years ago and now that the newlywed stage is over, it's time hunker down and think about raising a family. It will take some time for that since we have a few vacas planned and he's planning a huge 30th bday blowout for me next year, so we'll see what happens.....

30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels Giveaway!

I know I need to start getting into some shape (round is no longer a shape!) and I'm getting some motivation from Coupon Geek this week! She is doing a giveaway here for 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels! Click on the link to check it out!

I LOVE TRIPLES!

Here's what I got at A & P today. Lucky sure is one lucky kitty! Here's the breakdown of what I did.

Transaction 1:
Viva Paper Towels: .04
Newman's Own Dressing (4): FREE!
Aunt Jemima Syrup (2): 1.49

Transaction 2:
Viva Paper Towels: .04
Whiskas All Natural Temptations (4): .24

Transaction 3:
Whiskas All Natural Temptations: .24

All in all, I spent $6.16 OOP, which isn't too bad for all that stuff! Lucky was excited when I came home with MORE of her treats. She came to me underweight, and I'll do anything to get her weight up to normal!

A & P and Shop Rite

Shop Rite 7/12/09
Here's some of the stuff I got and how much I paid:

Purina One Cat food: 1.99
GM Cereal: 3 each for 1.55
Pop Secret Popcorn: 1.00 each
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars: 1.49
Quaker Quakes: FREE!
Manwich: .67 got 3
McCormick Grinders: 3 for .99 each
Bread: .99
Wonder Rolls: 2 for .99 each
Lettuce: 1.69
Pears: 1.74
Bananas: 1.96
Cherries: 1.49 a pound
Minute Maid Cherry Limeade: 1.67
Lactaid Milk: 5.59

Total OOP was 34.03 and I saved 55.46 or 62% Not too shabby!

A & P 7/13/09

They are doing triples this week. I went last night with DH but what I wanted was OOS. I tried on lunch today at the one by my house and all the stuff I wanted, they didn't have. So here's what I got:
Newman's Own Salad Dressing: FREE after Q! (NO overage....they must be on to us hounds!)
2 ears of corn .80

Total oop was .80 for 72% savings.

I'm going to go for an 'early' lunch tomorrow to see if they are stocked. If not, I will come into work late Wednesday or Thursday and get there when they first open. I have comp time to use before I lose it, so may as well hound!

Want to know how I saved so much and paid so little? Sign up for one of my coupon classes! Ask me how!

My first 'issue' with a cashier while couponing...

That was me this afternoon after work when I tried to do the right thing. I went to A & P on lunch to get some treats for Lucky. They are on sale for $1.09 and I have a ton of Qs for $.50 off (doubled is $1.00 off), which makes them $.09 each. I got 4 since I think they double up to 4 of one item (like at shop rite). So, on lunch I did self checkout, and the coupon didn't ring up. Uh-oh, so my light blinks and the guy starts walking over. Crap! I thought the Q was okay and matched the product. So I checked again, Yes, any Temptation, Yes, it's the 3 oz. package, it's all good. So the guy looks at it, compares them, and manually puts them in. I thanked him, and he was off. Total OOP was .67 with tax.

I went back after work and decided instead of doing self-checkout and making the poor boy do it again (he was there, I saw him) I went right to a cashier, that way they can just enter it in, 1, 2, 3. So I get up there (after the girl in front of me cut me off getting in line, the proceeds to pay her bill in change, whatever!). I put my stuff down, give her my card and go to give her my Q's. She's like 'Your total is (whatever it was) and I'm like 'Here you go, I have these coupons.' ( I had them out the entire time, waiting for her to take them). She goes to scan one and it beeps. She looks at the coupon, then tries again, beeps again. She's like 'You can't use these coupons.' And I'm like 'Oh?" (I was very nice and polite). She's like 'You can only use it on 1, so you can't use them all" And I'm like 'Can you read what the Q says?" The lady in back of me huffs and puffs. She's like 'Well, the computer isn't reading it, so you can't use it.' I ask again what the coupon says and she says that it's good for only one. I say "yes, I know that, that's why I have 4 pouches and 4 coupons.' She goes again to tell me 'well, the computer won't take it, so you can't use it.' I told her i used them earlier' and as I was about to continue to say that the guy had to enter it in, she walks away...to talk to a manager. Thanks for the 'Be right back, I need to check with my manager.' A girl, probably just out of high school comes back over and is like 'Oh, you just have to type it in, that's all' So she does that, then the original girl comes back, gives me my total. I give her the money, she gives me the change. She says 'Have a nice day' as she's taking the next customer! I said 'THANKS' really loud but nice, not sarcastic and told her to have a nice evening. Man, some people just DON'T like others using coupons!

Forget Disney, I'm going to the World Series of Poker!

Okay so that's a lie, but it's what I feel! Being a poker player, my goal is to one day play in the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Why? Because that is what every poker player's goal is, to play in poker's biggest event, ever. There are so many people that come out all over world to play in the WSOP out in Vegas. My bankroll doesn't support me putting up a smooth 10k to play in one tournament. Even if I did have a significant poker bankroll, I still can't see myself dropping 10k for one tournament. My plan is to get out to Vegas and try to satellite myself in to the big one. For those not familiar with poker terms, a satellite is a great thing for those that want to play bigger tournaments, but just don't have the cash to put down for it. You play a satellite tournament for significantly less money and try to beat out the field to get a voucher to the bigger tournament. There are satellites online, but with all the laws about/against online gambling, I don't play online anymore, I haven't played online in years.

I have played a few satellites at the Borgata in the past, but when the satellite prices are low (about $100 buy in), I notice the play is at that $100 level. However, for a larger buy in ($300-$500) the play is significantly better and more my speed. I tried to get away from tournament play, but did well recently at the Showboat, so now I want to get back into the swing of things.

In September, Hubby Mike and I are taking a vacation and will try to get into the Borgata Fall Poker Open's main event (10k buyin) by satelliting in. Even if we don't get it, I don't mind being in AC on vacation anyways! We may even be able to get on TV since the final table is televised, and we'll be there! This will be great practice to satellite into the Main Event WSOP in Vegas.

So here's what I need to do/accomplish to make this dream a reality:
1. Get on a plane. For those that know me personally, know our honeymoon story. I feel that right now, if I went to the airport, I can get on a plane and go anywhere. I need a practice flight before the 5 hour flight to Vegas.

2. Practice, practice, practice! This means playing more tournaments (which Hubby Mike won't like). He thinks I'm much better at cash games and should stick to that, but I like tournaments. I guess I'm a pain in the you know what!

3. Try to get off for the time necessary for the Main Event. There are a few different starting dates to accomodate the numbers of players in the field, so they have days 1a-1d I believe. It will be hard for Hubby Mike to get time off in the summer, so if we can't do it next year, perhaps we can wait until the following year.

4. Read some more poker books! They are great for those times I can't play b/c I'm stuck home. I have Doyle's books, but I haven't had the time to get through them yet.

5. Build up my bankroll, which could hurt if I play tournaments and don't cash, and lose money in cash games. I will need to sit back and really manage the bankroll once I start to go gung ho.


Hopefully, one day, I can accomplish my goal!

June Grocery Savings

I went for my second month in a row setting my goal at 60% grocery savings. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it, but I DID IT AGAIN! I exceeded my goal! Not by much, but I did exceed it! Here's my totals:

Number of items: 139
Total before savings: $471.19
Store Savings: $163.48
Coupons: $128.35
Number of Q's: 93
OOP: $185.96
Total Savings: $285.73 or 61%!!!

As you can see from last month's numbers, I bought significantly less stuff in June. But I saved MORE moneywise then May. Not too shabby! I probably could have saved a ton more, but I didn't go out to the stores much, I only went out 12 times, prior, I had gone out more then 20 times a month. So far this month, I went one time to A & P for 50% savings on Gatorade for DH. We'll see how the rest of the month goes! I'm aiming for another 60% goal for July!

A New Thing I Want to Try.....

crocheting! I see so many people making baby clothes by crocheting, and they are just sooooo adorable! I saw last week at A.C Moore starter kit type of things to make baby clothes, etc and I should have bought it! I just saw THE cutest baby boy jacket that a friend crocheted for another friend and it is sooooo precious!
Does anyone out there that follows my blog crochet? If so, where should I get started?