What did you do to save money this week (2/4/07)?

[vhoffman]

Not sure if everyone knows this but on the Wal-Mart website under "Pharmacy" there is quite a large list of their $4.00 generic brand prescriptions. Anything on that list (in the correct dosage amount) will be filled for a price of $4.00...and this is entirely separate from insurance...you don't have to have insurance to get this price. There are hundreds of medications on there...some are long term, others are simple, regularly prescribed antibiotics.

Our prescription rates this year for the company I work for has more than doubled...so I printed off a copy of the $4.00 list and leave it in my car. When I have had to take the kids to the doctor for anything I ask my physician to please try to prescribe though one of the medications on the list.

Just this year alone, I've saved over $250 on medications rather than having them filled through our insurance!! It's worth taking a look at!

Some of the meds we take don't have a generic equilivant, but it doesn't hurt to take the list along for a doctor's appointment to see if there's something acceptable on it. Dh takes Lisinopril, ~$50 for 3 month's supply, can get it through Walmart for $4 a month, so there's a savings of $38 every 3 months

Just FYI Target also has this plan, the list looks the same.

 

[MyGoofy26]

While we're on the subject of Walmart's pharmacy (I don't think all states have that $4 plan yet) They'll even pricematch in the pharmacy. My aunt was able to get a better price on one of her prescriptions at Giant Eagle and called up a family friend that's a Walmart pharmacist and he was able to match Giant Eagle's price.

So call up other pharmacies and get some price quotes! I don't know if they need some sort of documentation - since this guy knew us, he trusted my aunt's word on the price. Just ask the pharmacist at your local Walmart what you need to prove that someone's offering a better deal.

Oh, and if you have a prescription for any sort of vitamin (sometimes people are prescribed stronger doses than over the counter) The same pharmacist figured out how many "regular" vitamins (folic acid) my aunt would need to equal her prescription so now she's able to get these OTC for like 1/4th of the price.

 

[delmar411]

I've been quiet the past few days so I figured I'd add in my things...

avoiding the Gymboree baby sale but found some clothes for my DD anyway. Spent $58 but did get a gymbuck and I'll sell that off. Also listed a few things on Ebay and the speakers I have up there are at $20.50 with a few hours left, I was hoping to get the $12.99 for them and only had a $19.99 BIN on it, took it off because I didn't think I would get that! LOL Sold 2 sets of coupons for $10 and $9.50...coupons I got off tearpads so they didn't cost me anything. yay!

hmm, paid off a few debts with my tax return and I'm just waiting on 1 bill copy to get here so I can pay that off. Paid of the Target card as well so no interest there.

went through sunshinerewards and bought $250 in GCs to Disney and will get $20 back through them plus $2 signing up bonus. 8% extra is more than I could get saving that money and now I know we have that for spending money when we are there...is $270 enough for 10 days???

hmm, I'll have to call Disney and see if I can pay for our package with GC's....that would give us...$200 in Disney dollars for just paying what we had planned on paying and I would also get the points from our bank card too(4pts per dollar)....

decided to stop paying on my disney trip because the money isn't earning any interest for me when Disney has it so that money will all go into our ING acct until I have to pay off our trip. Same with the plane money. Until SW releases their fares I'm going to sit on that money and earn some interest.

hmmm, off to investigate this GC thing....

 

[Pooki]

Today I had to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few things I truly needed (I've been avoiding stores like the plague to keep from spending) and I saw that they are starting to have winter items on clearance. I bought both my kids some thick winter gloves, about 75% off, for when we move next year (apparently it will snow there often, so might as well get ready!). They also had overalls on clearance for $5 each, so I bought my son a pair for next winter, and a cute pair of purple slide on shoes for my daughter, again on clearance for $5, for part of her birthday gift.

Granted I didnt intend on spending any money other than the few things I actually went in for, but what I got are things that I will have saved money on for next year, plus an inexpensive gift for my daughter that she will actually use and love (trying to stop buying as many gifts...I always go overboard and blow money on stuff that will get lost at the bottom of the toybox after a day or so...not anymore!).

 

[Chickysmom]

ran to bank to take care of a few items and closed two money market accounts, one in my name and one for my DD....rolled both into our ING accounts!

 

[vhoffman]

I just read on the teen board that toothpaste gets rid of zits. Ds10 just got his first zit yesterday, instead of buying expensive zit cream for one zit I'll try the toothpaste trick!

 

[carissanboys]

Where are the best places to buy items in bulk, such as hand wash, ketchup, etc? From all that I've read, Sam's Club really isn't a great price on those things. Would Walmart be the best? My commissary doesn't usually sell things in large quantities.

 

[delmar411]

wohoo my auction item ended up at $24.50! yay! I've managed to hit my goal for Feb....I set a monthly goal of making a little extra money on Ebay by listing at least 1 item a month. I did 2 things last month and 3 things so far this month! I'm up more than $70 in the past 3weeks! Plus I've been selling off my stockpile of freebies so I'm at about $100 in 4days with that.

 

[delmar411]

Where are the best places to buy items in bulk, such as hand wash, ketchup, etc? From all that I've read, Sam's Club really isn't a great price on those things. Would Walmart be the best? My commissary doesn't usually sell things in large quantities.

Why buy them in bulk? Are you packing out to go overseas? If not then I'd suggest waiting until you find a good sale and combining with a coupon to stock up at a rock bottom price. There are almost always Hunts and Heinz coupons around. You just have to find the sale that goes with them! LOL As for handsoap, if you mean liquid handsoap, Softsoap goes on sale very frequently here for $1 each at the grocery store and combined with a .35/1 coupon doubled to .70, that makes it a great deal for stocking up.
As for an everyday low price, I've found Walmart can be hit or miss. You'd have to go by each of your local stores to compare prices by unit to get the best idea of what is good for your area.

 

[vhoffman]

Where are the best places to buy items in bulk, such as hand wash, ketchup, etc? From all that I've read, Sam's Club really isn't a great price on those things. Would Walmart be the best? My commissary doesn't usually sell things in large quantities.

Just my opinion, but I've found buying in bulk isn't really a money saver, because you just go through it faster. Why bother to squeeze the last serving or so out of a ketchup bottle when you have 20 more in the pantry? I was buying snack/lunch stuff for my kids in bulk at Costco, and it was a good deal money wise, but they just ate it up at home. Now I buy whatever's on sale with a coupon for the week.

 

[carissanboys]

When I said bulk, I meant more along the lines of a larger container...not a whole box of them I just like having large containers so I'm not always having to run to the store for them or having to find some place to keep large quantities of smaller containers. Does that make sense?

 

[Chickysmom]

Have to pick up DD at take her to babysitting job and planned on stopping at Walgreens on the way, since I don't get over that way often. Well, I looked through the sale ad and decided to pass on it! There's nothing that great in there I HAVE to have or that we NEED, so I'll wait for the next sale paper to come out and catch the rebate items I was wanting then!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Today DH and I went for our usual Friday lunch date. We stopped at the library and I got "More than Enough" by Dave Ramsey. DH said he just saw it recently at Sam's Club and was going to tell me about it. So we saved by getting it from the library.

Then we ate lunch at Whataburger ($9.87 for both of us and the cups are HUGE so I took a refill back to the office with me that lasted most of the afternoon). We usually spend $15 - $25 on Friday lunch.

Stopped at Walgreens for air freshener on the way home. They were out yesterday but the clerk told me the stock truck comes on Fridays, so I was able to get what I needed with the Walgreens coupon and I had a manuf. coupon for 55 cents off 3. Well, the manuf. coupon didn't ring up, so I don't know what the cashier did, but I ended up instead of it being $2.65, he only charged me $2.13. So that makes the air fresheners 71 cents a piece (I take them to work for our microwave room/closet and my office space).

Then I walked down to Publix. I had perused the ad so I knew that the Smart Ones I get for lunch were on sale so I stocked up on those (plus I had coupons)... the $1.99 spaghetti ones ended up at 79 cents Got some other things we needed and a couple of sale items as treats for the boys. Spent $36 for $65 worth of groceries!

 

[vhoffman]

When I said bulk, I meant more along the lines of a larger container...not a whole box of them I just like having large containers so I'm not always having to run to the store for them or having to find some place to keep large quantities of smaller containers. Does that make sense?

Ok, if you want large containers of items, either Sams or Costco. Personally I like Costco best. But look at Walmart, too. They have a restaurant/bulk isle, with certain food item, condiments, etc. in large containers. I'd check out that first before ponying up the Costco fee.

We pay the Costco fee of $50 just for the savings on milk alone--its typically about $1.50 a gal cheaper than area grocery stores!

 

[ducklite]

I subscribed to the Sunday paper for home delivery, 50% off for a year if I paid in advance. Because I don't know how long that promo will last, I went for the entire year.

Anne

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

someone had posted about putting fabric softener on a washcloth and sticking it in the dryer? Can someone tell me about that ??????

is the washcloth wet or dry when you put it on? how much? then do you let it dry before you put it in the dryer? if not, doesn't it leave stains on your clothes? and how many times can you use it?

TIA!

 

[carissanboys]

We pay the Costco fee of $50 just for the savings on milk alone--its typically about $1.50 a gal cheaper than area grocery stores!

That's why I don't really want to pay the fee at Costco or Sam's Club (or at least I want to know if it's worth it for me) because the milk at the commissary is pretty cheap (under $2 a gallon).

I'll check out Walmart though, thanks! I never think to buy stuff like that at Walmart. I lived in Australia for 3 years (just moved back in June) and I didn't have a Walmart where I was and prices were outrageous at the grocery stores. So I'm having to learn all of this stuff over again...not that I ever really knew it before! LOL

 

[deekaypee]

DH and I will celebrate Valentine's Day this weekend. He's working late and so...

For tonight:
--I made him a card, using one of his favorite poet's new poems and pictures from a recent trip.
--I walked to the library and checked out his favorite movie.
--I made a red velvet cake, because I had all the ingredients in the fridge except for buttermilk and cream cheese.

His gift? Okay, I bought him a subscription to Jazz Times. We tend not to buy a lot of things for each other but try to focus on gifts each other really want without blowing our budget. Several months ago, he mentioned he enjoyed reading this magazine and was thinking about getting a suscription again. (Our library doesn't carry it.) So I filed that info away for just such an occasion.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

That's why I don't really want to pay the fee at Costco or Sam's Club (or at least I want to know if it's worth it for me) because the milk at the commissary is pretty cheap (under $2 a gallon).

I'll check out Walmart though, thanks! I never think to buy stuff like that at Walmart. I lived in Australia for 3 years (just moved back in June) and I didn't have a Walmart where I was and prices were outrageous at the grocery stores. So I'm having to learn all of this stuff over again...not that I ever really knew it before! LOL

I don't know how long you've been commissary shopping, but in case you haven't seen one, every few months they have a "case lot sale". I've seen them set up in the parking lot or on the sidewalk in front of the store. They sell items by the case for cheap and you can use coupons on them as well. They also usually have either coke or pepsi products on sale. You can go to the DECA website, I think it's www.commissaries.com , but my spelling may be off, and put in where you shop and it'll tell you when there's one coming up. You can print coupons off of there, too, that you can only use at the commissary.

Vhoffman, I read in Redbook that Hillary Duff swears by vinegar to get rid of zits, so you may want to try that, why not, it does everything else .

 

[OceanAnnie]

We took my dad out to eat for his birthday. Total with tip was $60 --- yikes! He picked the place. As luck would have it we had $35 in GC and I had a $5 off coupon on top of that. We never go there. It was a fluke I had the coupon. It was spend $25 get $5 off. So all of our meals ended up just being $20 out of pocket. Oh and we gave him a nice GC that came out of the birthday fund.