Who would've thrown a jewel like this out??
As a Christian, wife, mother of a little girl and two fur-babies, Mississippi State Bulldog, and PhD, I lead a very busy life. If you add on top of that my obsession for organization and loves for couponing, sewing, knitting, cooking, reading, gardening, and a host of other random hobbies, you've got the recipe for...well...variety. And variety is the spice of life!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Mr2Poe: Sweet Tie
So Mrs. Poe spotted this tie for me at the Salvation Army for 99 cents:
Who would've thrown a jewel like this out??
Who would've thrown a jewel like this out??
Friday, June 24, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Campus Snapshots
Happy Foto Friday, all! At the beginning of this week, I journeyed to Starkville, MS, home of the MSU Bulldogs (and former home of the Poes). I truly miss seeing *MSU* bulldogs all over the place, like the one outside the union:
And I miss the beauty of the campus at sunset. The tower in the background is part of the Chapel of Memories, where Mr. Poe proposed to me oh so many years ago:
I also miss my cubical office, which I never thought I would; although, it's probably more the processing speed I miss than the actual cube. Of course you can't mention Starkville without mentioning the wonderful people who reside there...people Mr. Poe and I love and miss very much.
And I miss the beauty of the campus at sunset. The tower in the background is part of the Chapel of Memories, where Mr. Poe proposed to me oh so many years ago:
I also miss my cubical office, which I never thought I would; although, it's probably more the processing speed I miss than the actual cube. Of course you can't mention Starkville without mentioning the wonderful people who reside there...people Mr. Poe and I love and miss very much.
Going back to Starkville is like going home.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
MrsDrPoe: "Vengeance is Mine"
Happy Theology Thursday to all! The inspiration for today's post is a bit different than usual, but I hope you'll find these thoughts interesting/useful...
Last Saturday night we watched the 2010 remake of True Grit. While there was some language and violence in the film, we found it to be pretty interesting. We thought it was especially neat that scripture was quoted throughout the movie and instrumental versions hymns were used for the background music - not things you typically see in movies these days. (I also liked how very few contractions were employed by the characters, but that's off subject.)
The general plot of the movie is that a 14 year old girl hires a US Marshal to help her find and prosecute the man who shot and killed her father; she is prepared to kill this man herself if he does not receive a death sentence in a court of law. So as the search for the criminal continues throughout the movie, the scripture that is quoted is related to the wicked receiving their punishment. Mr. Poe found it very ironic that this very learned girl neglected Deut 32:35, Rom 12:19, and Heb 10:30, which all tell us that God has said "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." That made me think of how often people look forward to others "getting what's coming to them."
In the old testament, we frequently see God employing surrounding nations to punish the children of Israel for their unfaithfulness. Later, these nations are judged and punished by God for their own actions and attitudes. In Chapters 25-32 of Ezekiel, the prophet pronounces God's judgement on seven nations neighboring Israel:
In 25:1-7, we are told that Ammon will be judged because "[they] said, 'Aha!' against [God's] sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity." Furthermore, Ezekiel tells us, "Thus says the Lord God: 'Because you clapped your hands , stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations..."
And in 25:15-17, Ezekiel pronounces God's judgement on Philistia, saying, "Thus says the Lord God: 'Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,' therefore thus says the Lord God: 'I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.'"
From these two passages, we see that the nations of Ammon and Philistia will be punished by God for their desire for revenge against and their enjoyment of the punishment of Israel. It's one thing to execute justice; it's another thing to enjoy it or to seek revenge.
If we again examine God's declaration of His name in Exodus 34:6-7, we see that He is "merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth," but He is also just in that He is "by no means clearing the guilty..." It's sometimes hard for us to understand how love and justice can coexist, but just because we don't understand doesn't mean they can't. Ezekiel 33:11 says, "'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!'" We can see the truth in this statement from the way that judgements throughout scripture are declared with woe and lament.
Applying this to our own lives, we should hate sin (in ourselves and in others) and try our best to rid ourselves of it. We should teach against it and, when necessary, discipline those among our number who turn away from God's law (Matt 18:15-17, I Cor 5:9-13). But through this discipline and teaching, we should never find enjoyment in punishment of the wicked. We must keep in mind that all men have souls and are precious to God. We should aid and pray for our enemies (Luke 6:27-36).
Our friend, Mr. Holley, makes the point that often when we watch movies, we get so sucked in to the story that we rejoice when the "bad guy" is killed. But this is a worldly view. We can take comfort in the fact that, ultimately, good has and will triumph over evil (our faith in God is not in vain); however, we should never rejoice when a soul is eternally lost to sin...even in fictional stories.
Last Saturday night we watched the 2010 remake of True Grit. While there was some language and violence in the film, we found it to be pretty interesting. We thought it was especially neat that scripture was quoted throughout the movie and instrumental versions hymns were used for the background music - not things you typically see in movies these days. (I also liked how very few contractions were employed by the characters, but that's off subject.)
The general plot of the movie is that a 14 year old girl hires a US Marshal to help her find and prosecute the man who shot and killed her father; she is prepared to kill this man herself if he does not receive a death sentence in a court of law. So as the search for the criminal continues throughout the movie, the scripture that is quoted is related to the wicked receiving their punishment. Mr. Poe found it very ironic that this very learned girl neglected Deut 32:35, Rom 12:19, and Heb 10:30, which all tell us that God has said "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." That made me think of how often people look forward to others "getting what's coming to them."
In the old testament, we frequently see God employing surrounding nations to punish the children of Israel for their unfaithfulness. Later, these nations are judged and punished by God for their own actions and attitudes. In Chapters 25-32 of Ezekiel, the prophet pronounces God's judgement on seven nations neighboring Israel:
In 25:1-7, we are told that Ammon will be judged because "[they] said, 'Aha!' against [God's] sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity." Furthermore, Ezekiel tells us, "Thus says the Lord God: 'Because you clapped your hands , stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations..."
And in 25:15-17, Ezekiel pronounces God's judgement on Philistia, saying, "Thus says the Lord God: 'Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,' therefore thus says the Lord God: 'I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.'"
From these two passages, we see that the nations of Ammon and Philistia will be punished by God for their desire for revenge against and their enjoyment of the punishment of Israel. It's one thing to execute justice; it's another thing to enjoy it or to seek revenge.
If we again examine God's declaration of His name in Exodus 34:6-7, we see that He is "merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth," but He is also just in that He is "by no means clearing the guilty..." It's sometimes hard for us to understand how love and justice can coexist, but just because we don't understand doesn't mean they can't. Ezekiel 33:11 says, "'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!'" We can see the truth in this statement from the way that judgements throughout scripture are declared with woe and lament.
Applying this to our own lives, we should hate sin (in ourselves and in others) and try our best to rid ourselves of it. We should teach against it and, when necessary, discipline those among our number who turn away from God's law (Matt 18:15-17, I Cor 5:9-13). But through this discipline and teaching, we should never find enjoyment in punishment of the wicked. We must keep in mind that all men have souls and are precious to God. We should aid and pray for our enemies (Luke 6:27-36).
Our friend, Mr. Holley, makes the point that often when we watch movies, we get so sucked in to the story that we rejoice when the "bad guy" is killed. But this is a worldly view. We can take comfort in the fact that, ultimately, good has and will triumph over evil (our faith in God is not in vain); however, we should never rejoice when a soul is eternally lost to sin...even in fictional stories.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Pulled Pork BBQ
Happy What's for dinner Wednesday on the blog! Today we'll be discussing a quick and easy recipe that's great for crowds (Mr. Hinds especially likes it) or finals week- pulled pork BarBQ.
Ingredients: 1 pork shoulder (aka pork "butt") or other piece of pork, boneless or otherwise (estimate 4-5 sandwiches per pound of pork), 1/2 cup water, 1 Tbs salt, 1Tbs pepper
Place all these ingredients in a slow cooker (you may need to cut the pork to make it all fit), and cook on low for 10-12 hours:
After the pork has finished cooking, it should be fall off the bone tender. Carefully use tongs to pull the pork out of the pot. Place the meat in a large bowl and shred it using either the tongs or a pair of forks. Add BBQ sauce and toss:
Serve with buns, dill pickle slices, additional sauce, and anything else you like on your BBQ!
Ingredients: 1 pork shoulder (aka pork "butt") or other piece of pork, boneless or otherwise (estimate 4-5 sandwiches per pound of pork), 1/2 cup water, 1 Tbs salt, 1Tbs pepper
Place all these ingredients in a slow cooker (you may need to cut the pork to make it all fit), and cook on low for 10-12 hours:
After the pork has finished cooking, it should be fall off the bone tender. Carefully use tongs to pull the pork out of the pot. Place the meat in a large bowl and shred it using either the tongs or a pair of forks. Add BBQ sauce and toss:
Serve with buns, dill pickle slices, additional sauce, and anything else you like on your BBQ!
MrsDrPoe: Mr. Hinds
Good morning all! Today we'll be continue our Poes' Pals series with a very special friend of ours...Mr. Hinds:
We have known Mr. Hinds for many, many years. Our terms at MSU overlapped for a time, so we were school mates, as well as friends, and family-in-Christ. He was also my neighbor the year before I became Mrs. Poe- Sascha loved to visit him and clean up his crumbs.
Mr. Hinds has been a great encouragement and example to us. He is always concerned with helping others and would never dream of inconveniencing anyone. For instance, in the summer of 2007, I went out to San Diego for the annual ASME fluids conference. I had no car, so Mr. Hinds (who was in north Cali at the time) drove down to take me to Bible study the Sunday that I was there. He then proceeded to chauffeur two of my colleagues and me around the city for the day. Please keep in mind that this is just one example- he has put countless miles on his car over the years to preach, teach and edify others.
We fondly remember his goofiness as well. He loves to sleep in odd places, like on the washing machine and in the beds (oil-filled or otherwise) of pick-ups. And he occasionally has the taste for exotic vegetation. Of course, Mr. Hinds also knew when to be serious. It is largely because of his efforts that this weekly college study first started in a home several years ago. He has laughed with us, cried with us, and rejoiced with us, and we are very thankful to know him!
We fondly remember his goofiness as well. He loves to sleep in odd places, like on the washing machine and in the beds (oil-filled or otherwise) of pick-ups. And he occasionally has the taste for exotic vegetation. Of course, Mr. Hinds also knew when to be serious. It is largely because of his efforts that this weekly college study first started in a home several years ago. He has laughed with us, cried with us, and rejoiced with us, and we are very thankful to know him!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Taking a Different View on Physics
Welcome to Thesis Tuesday on the blog! Today, as we continue our discussion of basic fluid mechanics, we will examine specifically how fluid mechanics differs from classical physics.
In a typical physics class, we examine moving objects from a Lagrangian viewpoint, meaning that we tag and track information for an object. For a solid mechanics application, like an accelerating car, this viewpoint makes sense- we tag the car and we can track its velocity, acceleration, etc. For fluid mechanics, however, this method entails the tagging and tracking of individual fluid particles, which allows us to know how properties of each particle change with time, but not how properties change with time in relation to position in the fluid. Thus, we employ the Eulerian viewpoint, which provides us with a functional relationship for a fluid property as a function of space and time (i.e. a field).
From these differences stem the terms control system and control volume. A control system is also known as a closed system, meaning that the object we are examining is completely enclosed in the system- nothing flows in or out. This pairs with a Lagrangian "particle-tracking" viewpoint. The control system can move with the particle (ex: a car), but the particle is always contained. A control volume is also known as an open system, where the object we are examining is free to exit, enter, or remain inside the system. This pairs with an Eulerian "field" or "flow" viewpoint. A control surface is the boundary of a control volume.
From basic calculus, we know that, given the functional form of a velocity, we can determine the acceleration by taking the derivative of velocity function. When dealing with a velocity field (V), however, we must take the material derivative in order to find the acceleration field. The material derivative has both a local part and a convective part. The local term (dV/dt) tells us how the velocity at a certain point in the field changes with time, while the convective term (u[dV/dx] + v[dV/dy] + w[dV/dz]) tells us how the velocity changes with respect to position in the flow. For example, if we sit at a restaurant and watch traffic directly in front of us, we can see how the velocity or the "flow" of cars changes with time at that specific location. If we drive down the road examining the speed of our car (or another) as we go from point A to point B, we can see how the velocity of the "flow" of cars changes with position.
Introduction of the material derivative allows for a brief discussion of the Reynolds Transport Theorem. This is a mathematical formulation that allows us to convert the physical laws from a Lagrangian viewpoint to an Eulerian viewpoint. The material derivative of an extensive property (B, property dependent on the amount of mass present) is representative of a Lagrangian viewpoint. This is set equal to two integral terms involving the corresponding intensive property (b, property independent on the amount of mass present; B = mb). The first integral term represents how the amount of b in the control volume changes with time; the second represents the net amount of b that crosses the control surface.
I hope you'll forgive me for looking more at the math behind the scenes today, but this will (hopefully) help those of you with a basic physics background see how fluid mechanics takes a different view of the subject.
In a typical physics class, we examine moving objects from a Lagrangian viewpoint, meaning that we tag and track information for an object. For a solid mechanics application, like an accelerating car, this viewpoint makes sense- we tag the car and we can track its velocity, acceleration, etc. For fluid mechanics, however, this method entails the tagging and tracking of individual fluid particles, which allows us to know how properties of each particle change with time, but not how properties change with time in relation to position in the fluid. Thus, we employ the Eulerian viewpoint, which provides us with a functional relationship for a fluid property as a function of space and time (i.e. a field).
From these differences stem the terms control system and control volume. A control system is also known as a closed system, meaning that the object we are examining is completely enclosed in the system- nothing flows in or out. This pairs with a Lagrangian "particle-tracking" viewpoint. The control system can move with the particle (ex: a car), but the particle is always contained. A control volume is also known as an open system, where the object we are examining is free to exit, enter, or remain inside the system. This pairs with an Eulerian "field" or "flow" viewpoint. A control surface is the boundary of a control volume.
From basic calculus, we know that, given the functional form of a velocity, we can determine the acceleration by taking the derivative of velocity function. When dealing with a velocity field (V), however, we must take the material derivative in order to find the acceleration field. The material derivative has both a local part and a convective part. The local term (dV/dt) tells us how the velocity at a certain point in the field changes with time, while the convective term (u[dV/dx] + v[dV/dy] + w[dV/dz]) tells us how the velocity changes with respect to position in the flow. For example, if we sit at a restaurant and watch traffic directly in front of us, we can see how the velocity or the "flow" of cars changes with time at that specific location. If we drive down the road examining the speed of our car (or another) as we go from point A to point B, we can see how the velocity of the "flow" of cars changes with position.
Introduction of the material derivative allows for a brief discussion of the Reynolds Transport Theorem. This is a mathematical formulation that allows us to convert the physical laws from a Lagrangian viewpoint to an Eulerian viewpoint. The material derivative of an extensive property (B, property dependent on the amount of mass present) is representative of a Lagrangian viewpoint. This is set equal to two integral terms involving the corresponding intensive property (b, property independent on the amount of mass present; B = mb). The first integral term represents how the amount of b in the control volume changes with time; the second represents the net amount of b that crosses the control surface.
I hope you'll forgive me for looking more at the math behind the scenes today, but this will (hopefully) help those of you with a basic physics background see how fluid mechanics takes a different view of the subject.
Monday, June 20, 2011
MrsDrPoe: CVS and Wags Deal, 6/19
There's a great deal at Wags this week on Gatorade G Series products:
If you purchase one of each of the three steps in a single transaction ($5 OOP), a mail-in rebate will print out for $5 back. I also got an unexpected code for a $5 Foot Locker E-gift card!! Here's what I did:
Bought: G Series 01, 02 and 03
Total Regular Price (with tax): $8.31
Total Sale Price (without tax): $5.15
Used: $4.00 in RR from last week (1 coupon < 3 items)
Total OOP: $1.15
Back from Mail-in Rebate: $5 (plus $5 at Foot Locker)
At CVS this week there are a TON of fantastic deals:
Fuze is 5 for $3 again, my favorite shampoo ever (Renpur Organics) is $1.99, Pantene is 2/$1.97, Gain dish soap is $0.97 (or free with a coupon), and PowerBar Energy Bites are free.
I paid $1.27 OOP for all of the above and got back $9.47 in ECBs!
Would you like to share your drug store coupon successes?
If you purchase one of each of the three steps in a single transaction ($5 OOP), a mail-in rebate will print out for $5 back. I also got an unexpected code for a $5 Foot Locker E-gift card!! Here's what I did:
Bought: G Series 01, 02 and 03
Total Regular Price (with tax): $8.31
Total Sale Price (without tax): $5.15
Used: $4.00 in RR from last week (1 coupon < 3 items)
Total OOP: $1.15
Back from Mail-in Rebate: $5 (plus $5 at Foot Locker)
At CVS this week there are a TON of fantastic deals:
Fuze is 5 for $3 again, my favorite shampoo ever (Renpur Organics) is $1.99, Pantene is 2/$1.97, Gain dish soap is $0.97 (or free with a coupon), and PowerBar Energy Bites are free.
I paid $1.27 OOP for all of the above and got back $9.47 in ECBs!
Would you like to share your drug store coupon successes?
MrsDrPoe: A Beginners Guide to Couponing, Part 5
In this week's installment of "A Beginners Guide to Couponing," we will continue to discuss the drugstore game. Today we will be examining the inner workings of...
Walgreens
Initiation
One of the benefits to couponing at Wags is that there are no initial steps to be taken other than your typical collection of coupons. There is no membership card program here, nor is there any method for collecting extra RR (like with the green bag tags at CVS).
Preparation
As with CVS, I carefully examine the sale and coupon matchups before I visit my local store. Jenny again does most of the grunt work for me. Her site details the items that are on sale, the RR offers, all the coupons that could be applied to the product, where to find these coupons, which coupons to use to get the best deal, and how much you'll end up paying if you do what she tells you to. There's even a function to print out a nice list of the deals that YOU want and the possible coupons you can use. Wags sales run from Sunday through Saturday.
Since Wags does not require you to have a membership card to take advantage of their sales, they limit the number of items you purchase in another manner. Suppose there is a deal on Shampoo X where, if you purchase a bottle for $3.00, you will get $2.00 back in RR. If you buy TWO bottles of Shampoo X in a single transaction ($6.00 OOP), you will ONLY receive $2.00 back in RR. If you purchase ONE bottle of Shampoo X in your first transaction ($3.00 OOP, $2.00 back in RR), and then you purchase a SECOND bottle of Shampoo X in your second transaction, using the RR you got from buying the first bottle (termed "rolling your RR"), you WILL NOT get $2.00 back in RR for your second purchase, even if there are other items in your second transaction. If you purchase two bottles in two transactions and don't roll your RR, you could end up with 2 bottles of Shampoo X and $4.00 in RR in you wallet. (Thus, technically even though there are limits, there are no limits- please don't abuse the system!)
Another method Wags uses to get you to spend more money in the store involves the number of coupons you are allowed to use in a single transaction. You may use one manufacturer coupon AND one store coupon on the same product; however, the number of coupons used in your transaction must be less than or equal to the number of items purchased in that transaction. Suppose Deodorant Y is on sale for $2.00 per stick. You have a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off 1 stick and a Wags coupon for $0.50 off 1 stick. In order to use both your coupons on a single stick of deodorant, you must purchase at least one additional item (cost doesn't matter). Often times you will be able to find $0.10-$0.50 items (candy, clearance, etc.) that make a nice "happy" for a friend, spouse, kid, or whoever. Note that RR count as "coupons" as well! If you are paying for an item with RR but you also have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon, you must pick up two "filler item" to use all three.
When I get the Wags add in the Sunday paper, I make sure the deals I like are available at my store, then I clip the coupons I need, and I'm ready to go to shopping.
Coupon Matching Notes: B1G1 coupons are typically best paired with B1G1 sales at drugstores because of the way they price these items - the first item rings up full price, and the second rings up at no charge. When you pair the B1G1 coupon with the B1G1 sale, you're truly getting both for free. Consequently, when you are purchasing an item that a drugstore advertises as B1G1, you must purchase both to actually see the savings!
Furthermore, if you have two $x off 1 item manufacturer coupons, you may use both when taking advantage of a store B1G1 sale, since you are purchasing two items. If the product costs $y, you are getting two items for $y-$2x...if you're not great at algebra, this usually means it's a great deal.
Implementation
The first time I walk into the store each month, I pick up a monthly Wags Coupon Book. These books are pamphlet size, contain store coupons valid for the current month, and are located in front of or below the sales circulars. Occasionally, store coupons will also print out at the register from the machine that prints out the RR.
When I've grabbed all the items that I want, I pull out all the coupons for the items I have in my cart, double check that I picked up the correct items and number of items (including fillers), think about how many transactions I wish to make, and head to the register.
If I am planning to make multiple transactions, I try to limit myself to two, and I make sure that the cashiers aren't swamped so that I'm not a nuisance to them or other customers. The potential benefit to multiple transactions is based on the idea of rolling RRs, i.e. when I purchase items that give me $x back in RRs, I immediately use that $x on my second transaction. Rolling RRs helps to keep the amount of money you pay out of pocket (OOP) as low as possible. (Recall that rolling RRs on the same product will cause you to lose money!)
When I get to the register, I place the items for my (first) transaction on the counter. After the items have been scanned, I hand the cashier my coupons. Next, I hand him/her any RRs I have from previous transactions. RRs will not cover the tax on an item- if you owe $1.75 and $0.75 is tax, you may only use an RR worth $1. If you attempt to use an RR worth more than $1, the register will beep angrily at you. When I've gotten the total down as low as possible, I pay for my purchases and obtain my receipt.
As with all receipts, Wags receipts detail the items you purchase, the coupons you used, the tax, and the total you paid for the transaction. They also show you how much you saved on an item (the difference in the price you paid for an item and its regular price at the store). Since you do not have a rewards card, your previous savings at the store is not tracked.
Your RRs will print out separately from the receipt on long thin strips of paper that look like this:
(the above is actually a rebate that printed out for me- check back this evening for the skinny on this deal.) To redeem the RR, just present it to the cashier at the time of purchase. Anyone can use these RR (since there is no card number attached to it). Typically, you have two weeks from the date of purchase to use them.
Walgreens
Initiation
One of the benefits to couponing at Wags is that there are no initial steps to be taken other than your typical collection of coupons. There is no membership card program here, nor is there any method for collecting extra RR (like with the green bag tags at CVS).
Preparation
As with CVS, I carefully examine the sale and coupon matchups before I visit my local store. Jenny again does most of the grunt work for me. Her site details the items that are on sale, the RR offers, all the coupons that could be applied to the product, where to find these coupons, which coupons to use to get the best deal, and how much you'll end up paying if you do what she tells you to. There's even a function to print out a nice list of the deals that YOU want and the possible coupons you can use. Wags sales run from Sunday through Saturday.
Since Wags does not require you to have a membership card to take advantage of their sales, they limit the number of items you purchase in another manner. Suppose there is a deal on Shampoo X where, if you purchase a bottle for $3.00, you will get $2.00 back in RR. If you buy TWO bottles of Shampoo X in a single transaction ($6.00 OOP), you will ONLY receive $2.00 back in RR. If you purchase ONE bottle of Shampoo X in your first transaction ($3.00 OOP, $2.00 back in RR), and then you purchase a SECOND bottle of Shampoo X in your second transaction, using the RR you got from buying the first bottle (termed "rolling your RR"), you WILL NOT get $2.00 back in RR for your second purchase, even if there are other items in your second transaction. If you purchase two bottles in two transactions and don't roll your RR, you could end up with 2 bottles of Shampoo X and $4.00 in RR in you wallet. (Thus, technically even though there are limits, there are no limits- please don't abuse the system!)
Another method Wags uses to get you to spend more money in the store involves the number of coupons you are allowed to use in a single transaction. You may use one manufacturer coupon AND one store coupon on the same product; however, the number of coupons used in your transaction must be less than or equal to the number of items purchased in that transaction. Suppose Deodorant Y is on sale for $2.00 per stick. You have a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off 1 stick and a Wags coupon for $0.50 off 1 stick. In order to use both your coupons on a single stick of deodorant, you must purchase at least one additional item (cost doesn't matter). Often times you will be able to find $0.10-$0.50 items (candy, clearance, etc.) that make a nice "happy" for a friend, spouse, kid, or whoever. Note that RR count as "coupons" as well! If you are paying for an item with RR but you also have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon, you must pick up two "filler item" to use all three.
When I get the Wags add in the Sunday paper, I make sure the deals I like are available at my store, then I clip the coupons I need, and I'm ready to go to shopping.
Coupon Matching Notes: B1G1 coupons are typically best paired with B1G1 sales at drugstores because of the way they price these items - the first item rings up full price, and the second rings up at no charge. When you pair the B1G1 coupon with the B1G1 sale, you're truly getting both for free. Consequently, when you are purchasing an item that a drugstore advertises as B1G1, you must purchase both to actually see the savings!
Furthermore, if you have two $x off 1 item manufacturer coupons, you may use both when taking advantage of a store B1G1 sale, since you are purchasing two items. If the product costs $y, you are getting two items for $y-$2x...if you're not great at algebra, this usually means it's a great deal.
Implementation
The first time I walk into the store each month, I pick up a monthly Wags Coupon Book. These books are pamphlet size, contain store coupons valid for the current month, and are located in front of or below the sales circulars. Occasionally, store coupons will also print out at the register from the machine that prints out the RR.
When I've grabbed all the items that I want, I pull out all the coupons for the items I have in my cart, double check that I picked up the correct items and number of items (including fillers), think about how many transactions I wish to make, and head to the register.
If I am planning to make multiple transactions, I try to limit myself to two, and I make sure that the cashiers aren't swamped so that I'm not a nuisance to them or other customers. The potential benefit to multiple transactions is based on the idea of rolling RRs, i.e. when I purchase items that give me $x back in RRs, I immediately use that $x on my second transaction. Rolling RRs helps to keep the amount of money you pay out of pocket (OOP) as low as possible. (Recall that rolling RRs on the same product will cause you to lose money!)
When I get to the register, I place the items for my (first) transaction on the counter. After the items have been scanned, I hand the cashier my coupons. Next, I hand him/her any RRs I have from previous transactions. RRs will not cover the tax on an item- if you owe $1.75 and $0.75 is tax, you may only use an RR worth $1. If you attempt to use an RR worth more than $1, the register will beep angrily at you. When I've gotten the total down as low as possible, I pay for my purchases and obtain my receipt.
As with all receipts, Wags receipts detail the items you purchase, the coupons you used, the tax, and the total you paid for the transaction. They also show you how much you saved on an item (the difference in the price you paid for an item and its regular price at the store). Since you do not have a rewards card, your previous savings at the store is not tracked.
Your RRs will print out separately from the receipt on long thin strips of paper that look like this:
(the above is actually a rebate that printed out for me- check back this evening for the skinny on this deal.) To redeem the RR, just present it to the cashier at the time of purchase. Anyone can use these RR (since there is no card number attached to it). Typically, you have two weeks from the date of purchase to use them.
MrsDrPoe: Suprise Deal at Anna's Linens
It's the start of a new week, and you know what that means! It's Money Monday! Friday I ducked into Anna's Linens for a few minutes because I had never visited one before. Look what I found:
Maroon macrame place mats- originally $3.99, but I got them for $0.10 each (so I bought the last 3). Watch this...
Ordinary place mat? No says I! A door mat:
(By the way, if above wording is not funny to you, so you should probably check this out...pay extra close attention at 1:30.)
Maroon macrame place mats- originally $3.99, but I got them for $0.10 each (so I bought the last 3). Watch this...
Ordinary place mat? No says I! A door mat:
(By the way, if above wording is not funny to you, so you should probably check this out...pay extra close attention at 1:30.)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
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