More Great Deals @ CVS Plus Hitler Being His Usual Self

Woot!  I found a new CVS relatively close to my house that actually stocks the weekly AND monthly ECB items.  Which means I got another bottle of Listerine Smart Rinse, four Oral B Cross-Action toothbrushes, and yet another tube of Colgate toothpaste for the lovely sum of free ninety-nine.  If you want to get technical about it, I believe I paid something in the range of $1.

I did two transactions there and considered rolling the ECBs a few more times, but the cashier seemed a little annoyed.  I try not to be an asshole customer.

My family is definitely making fun of me right now.  They’re going to do it again next time I go to CVS, which might be tonight.

For fun, I present a photo of Hitler.  He was tormenting me with a Teletubby snagged from the child’s room.  The teletubby was making noises.  I hate Teletubbies.

Explanation

Heh.  Someone asked what I do with all the stuff I get at CVS with ECBs, particularly detergent and toothpaste.  I figure this is best demonstrated with a photograph:

This is actually just a very small part of the items I have accumulated, but you’ll notice in particular the eight unopened boxes of toothpaste.  These are in addition to the opened tubes in each of my bathrooms and the kitchen, plus the one that’s still sitting in a bag I brought home when I lost my old job, plus one in a suitcase that was never completely unpacked after visiting Missouri, plus one that is sitting in a drawer because no one likes it (Arm & Hammer brand).

As a side note, I have every intention of purchasing four more tubes of toothpaste today.  Yes, the same kind.  I figure once I hit 10-12 tubes, I’ll start donating all the additional free ones.

You may also notice the bottles of conditioner.  Again, these are in addition to the opened bottles laying around the house.  I have at least four in my bath tub and three in the guest shower, that I am aware of.

Detergent?  Well, I don’t have a stockpile of that anymore.  We go through quite a bit, especially now that the boys are here.  My brother goes through two sets of work clothes a day (sweats through them while walking through the car lot), plus gym clothes, plus casual after-work clothes.  Hitler doesn’t sweat through his clothes during the day but has multiple wardrobe changes anyway because he’s kind of girly that way.  We use a lot of towels.  I have a blanket-washing obsession.  Plus, I like to stock up for pennies on the dollar and then not buy any for months at a time.  My plans are usually foiled because I never quite get enough stocked to last until the next good sale.

I actually just got done with a couple of transactions at CVS. 

First:
-4 SoyJoy bars (1.00 each)
-1 tube toothpaste (2.99)
-1 (500-count) package CVS brand cotton swabs (with free travel size container) (3.19)
Subtotal: 10.18
Redeemed $10 ECB
Total: $0.18
Earned 4 ECBs for SoyJoy, 2 for the toothpaste, and 2 for the cotton swabs

Second:
-7 SoyJoy Bars (1.00 each)
-Flamin’ Hot Cheetos grab bag (0.99)
Subotal: 7.99
Redeemed 8.00 ECB
Total: 0
Earned 8 ECBs

The reason I earned 8 ECBs when I only bought 7 SoyJoy bars is because a few days ago, I bought nine and the ECBs are only given in quantities of four for that particular product… So I only got 8 ECBs the day I bought 9 bars.  Confused yet?

So now I have 8 ECBs and they are burning a hole in my pocket.  I definitely want to get more toothpaste, especially since I have manufacturers coupons for them.  If I could find it in stock, I would like to get more of the Listerine mouthwash for kids, which is used by everyone in my house because it “doesn’t burn.”  I would like to get more of the store-brand band-aids that are free after ECB this month, but all the stores seem to be sold out.  The same is true of the Oral B Cross Action double-packs of toothbrushes.

I actually need laundry detergent, and the ALL (or ALL Small & Mighty) buy one-get-one-free deal isn’t awful.  It’s still a few pennies more than regular price at Wal-Mart, but it doesn’t involve me paying out real money, which is kind of a plus.  But I am wary of spending all my ECBs because there will be great deals next week and I can’t afford to start all over (again).

Exciting things for next week:
Xtra Laundry Detergent (2.99-3.49) – Buy One, Get One Free
Buy $10 of Swiffer starter kits or refills, get 5 ECBs
Get 5 ECBs when you buy Bic Soleil razor and refill cartridges (coupons in 6/22 newspaper, too)
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mascara (7.99) – Free after 7.99 ECB
Crest toothpaste (1.99) – Earns 1 ECB
Schick Intuition Plus Razors or Refills – Buy One, Get One Free
Get 10 ECBs when you buy two Coppertone suncare products

Plus, free (after ECB) tampons and pantiliners are part of the upcoming July monthly ECB deal.  It’s so good to know that CVS is looking after my feminine hygeine needs.

Note: SoyJoy bars suck.  I get them because they are free, and because some of the male members of my household will eat ANYthing.

It’s Late

At 3:30 am, I think it’s safe to say I should consider laying off the Stackers.  I’m antsy, irate, and feeling a little faint.  A lot faint when I do things like stand up.  Duuuuh.

In other news, I retooled my resume to reflect that I’ve spent the last several years doing clerical work rather than project management.  I’m tired of hearing the word “overqualified.”  It’s a nice ego boost the first time you hear it.  The tenth time, when your life is falling apart and you need money, and you’re more than willing to make coffee and sort mail to get it, the ego boost loses its appeal.  Hopefully something will come along soon.

Also, I had a victory at CVS today.  I’ve been trying off and on for about a week to use one particular $10 ECB, and for some reason the cash register keeps rejecting it.  I don’t know what the malfunction is, but I do know that cashiers are able to override the computer, and I’ve been royally pissed that they have all refused to do so.  Tonight I finally got a cashier who did it, so I walked out with three 12-(double) roll packages of Charmin and one 8-pack of Bounty paper towels from a grand total of $1.58, after using the “problem” ECB and a few others.  I earned another $10 ECB from the deal.  It was exciting.

I’ll probably roll the new ECBs over into free SoyJoy bars and a tube of toothpaste, then spend them on Buy One, Get One Free All laundry detergent and a gallon of milk. 

It seems my parents are coming to visit this Sunday.  I’m glad they are coming (and that my dad will be taking a serious look around here with thoughts of relocating), but upset that they will be taking my sister back with them.  Granted, I’ve had her for three weeks… But it’s not been a good three weeks, and I will miss her when she is gone.

I will definitely have to do a thorough house-cleaning.  My parents have never seen my home and, at the age of 26, I guess I still need validation from my parents that I am “doing a good job” (even when I’m not).

Uglier Than Usual

“Every increased possession loads us with new weariness.”
-John Ruskin

That popped up on my Google homepage today, and I find it quite appropriate during a time in which I have consciously chosen to carry an uglier-than-usual purse.  I don’t suspect my explanation will be coherent, but… In dealing with life as it currently is, I find it helpful to carry the damned thing, which cost under $10 at Wal-Mart about five years ago.  It’s my “poor” purse and for some bizarre reason, it helps to look at this “poor” thing as a permanent situation rather than something that I only have to endure temporarily.  If it’s permanent, my best bet is to find ways to cope.  If it’s temporary, I’ll just sit around and be miserable until it’s over. 

And, based on both history and any realistic judgment of the near future, it isn’t going to be “temporary.” 

So I buckle down.  I carry my “poor” purse.  I dive back into couponing with a vengeance.  I visit the bakery outlet store for bread.  I buy powdered milk to cook with.  I put my blinders on and ignore the existence of the zoo, the aquarium, Reunion Tower, and all the other places I wanted to visit with my family.  I grit my teeth and clean up after the boys rather than raise hell about it, because I don’t want to fight with the people who are paying half the rent right now.

Fried potatoes with sliced sausages for dinner?  I will raise you RED BEANS AND RICE.  Store-brand laundry soap?  Purex is cheaper, especially with a coupon.  I haven’t purchased soda in three weeks.  It’s water, tea, or nothing.

I actually am re-using plastic baggies at this point, which I find quite funny.  The two that are related to me have fallen in line accordingly, but the man and Hitler think I am a nutjob.

 

Nervous Nellie

So… Wanna hear something uber-weird?

I think I might be starting a home daycare business.

It has to do with a severe cash shortage and a pretty short list of skills that are highly marketable. Like, I have some skills, and they are kind of marketable, but I cannot use them to earn cash immediately. Like tomorrow.

I’m actually a little jittery about it, for reasons I can’t exactly explain. I probably don’t have enough toys, but am relatively good at improvising. I read through the state’s requirements and would not be violating any laws. I guess my inner control-freak just can’t handle the idea of variables. Like, what if I get a kid who isn’t potty trained? What if I run out of activities before lunch? I kind of feel like I should have a more solid battle plan intact before I forge ahead. Like I should have forms and waivers and a printed-out lunch menu for three weeks in advance. I should have policies. And probably I should, but those also all seem like attempts at procrastination. And I don’t have time to procrastinate.

So I’m sorta-almost hoping the phone doesn’t ring.

Well, The Mood Has Improved

When my brother came here from Missouri, he brought with him a most fabulous item: a Brita pitcher.

It’s not that the Brita pitcher is a foreign concept to me.  I’ve certainly seen them before.  And I’m well-versed in faucet-mounted filtration systems, for reasons that are too boring to explain.  But I’ve never purchased any sort of filtration system, instead chosing to either drink tap water as fast as possible or indulge in everyone’s favorite environment-ruiner (bottled water).

But the Brita pitcher is truily fantastic.  Today I made my little cat’s fucking DAY by giving her cold water from the pitcher instead of tap water.  I am saving a ton of money by not purchasing bottled water, which isn’t really that expensive but would certainly add up with five people in the house.  And I don’t have to drink shitty Garland water!  Score.

Anyway… In other news, I spent this afternoon cleaning out my garage so that I could make room for the boys’ stuff.  It has never been cleaned in the 1.5 years that I have lived here.  Tons of leaves had made their way in, and I can’t count the number of times that the man “cleaned” his truck by dumping everything onto the garage floor.  This was quite the ambitious undertaking.  I am finished except for bagging up the leaves and giving the floor a final sweep.  Everything is organized and I’ve made room for the boys’ belongings, as well as some extra stuff that we have laying around.

We’ve decided that the boys will stay for 3-4 months and pay rent to help us keep the house.  It’s going to require some sacrifice, particularly on the man’s part, because he is not accustomed to things like getting fully dressed just to get himself a bowl of cereal.  Oh well.  I’m pretty sure the homeless shelter would require even more sacrifices.  Heh.

And, as part of my household purge, I am going to be listing some things on Craigslist and Freecycle.  Mostly Craigslist, heh.  I need every extra dollar I can get.

A New Idea

Hitler offered me $10 to do his laundry.  I am going to accept. Perhaps I should start a laundry business.

In Terms Of Good News… Nothing Yet

So… It would seem like it’s about time for some good news, right?

…

…

…

Not so much.

Job interview was a bust.  I am “overqualified” and also my experience is “information based rather than product based.”

Also my air conditioner broke the night before last, forcing us to call the landlord, who is… not happy.  So unhappy, in fact, that the word “eviction” was brought up again.  I would be unhappy too, if I were him.  Hell, I’m ME, and I’m still unhappy.  The A/C was (thankfully) fixed this afternoon and the house is slowly becoming less hell-like. 

My brother finally got a job.  It turns out that getting a job waiting tables in the summer is not so easy, so he’s now selling cars.  Maybe I should consider selling cars.  I mean, I’m overqualified for all the office jobs I apply for and underqualified to run the cash register at 7-11… Maybe selling cars would be perfect.

The man and I are not getting along much at all.  Generally we are just avoiding each other.  Stress plus heat plus abject poverty does not equal good times.  A quote from the movie In Good Company keeps running through my head: “You just find the person you want to go into the foxhole with, and keep your dick in your pants when you’re out of the foxhole.”  I’m not going to say much more about that.

Probably I am going to sit in Barnes & Noble and finish reading Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich.  Then I will pick up some chicken tenderloin for $1.68 a pound that will round out tonight’s dinner of jasmine rice and vegetable stir fry. 

I’m definitely going to have to do some cleaning tonight, as we are basically having a repeat episode of “my landlord is coming to visit tomorrow.”  Joy.  I’ll be scraping up change so I can buy energy drinks. 

House Work

I’m feeling somewhat better this afternoon than I have felt in a while.  That isn’t really saying much, but it is an improvement.

I have a job interview tomorrow morning for a position I’ve been talking to a staffing agency about.  It is probably the most ideal job I can think of for myself at this time, based on this statement from the recruiter: “And we’re looking for someone who is a really motivated self-starter, because you’d be spending most of your time alone in the office.”  See? No people = A+ opportunity for me.

Here pretty soon, we are going to be having a meeting of sorts in the house.  It’s become more chaotic than the man or I can really deal with.  Last night a girl spent the night with Hitler because “she didn’t have a ride home.”  No one asked or even told me what was going on.  Laundry, clean and otherwise, is scattered through the house.  We’re going through milk like whores go through condoms, my sister and I are each doing a shitload of dishes per day, and the house looks like a tornado has swept through it, despite my continual efforts to keep it picked up.  I definitely want this situation improved before I go back to work.  But the good news is my brother and sister are amenable to a “chore list” and Hitler pretty much does whatever I ask him to… I just have a problem with asking people for help.  In fact, I expect the most resistant person to be the one who does the most complaining about the state of the house (and the least housework).  Funny how that works.

Today I finally did something I’ve been avoiding for a long time — I found a “cash for junk cars” salvage yard to tow my old Grand Am away.  It’s been sitting in the garage, dead, for a year and a half.  We really need that space now so that the boys can store their belongings… the spare bedroom isn’t big enough and I’m tired of looking at boxes and piles of shit everywhere.  I’m actually on a major organizing kick… if only I had the energy to see it through.

There are probably things I should be doing other than blogging, so I’ll get to it.

I Cannot Believe This

So it turns out that I don’t know my own phone number.  In fact, I’ve had the WRONG phone number on my resume for over a month.  And job applications.  Golly Gee, maybe I’m not completely unemployable.  Maybe I’m just a fucktard.

I learned this when a recruiter was nice enough to email me and let me know that the phone number I’d provided wasn’t working.  Interestingly enough, she still wants to see me for a job that requires one to be “detail oriented.”  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.  Except that when I think about sitting around for the last month and wondering why effing BLOCKBUSTER wasn’t interested, it’s possible that I might cry.

Oh well.  Interview at 2.  This is the best news I’ve gotten in a long, long time.