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Archive for April, 2009

Great week for deals!

April 29th, 2009 at 12:18 am

If there's a week worth to drive around deal hunting, this is one of these weeks.

Bayer glucose meters are on sale at Walgreen's and there's manufacture coupons that covers entire cost. When you buy one, you get $5 catalina back!! I paid $1.31 for sales tax, and received $5 back. $3.69 profit!!

Nivea body wash is free after Register Reward item and I printed a bunch of $1/1 internet coupons. I make few cents after buying it.

There are some other free after register reward products I'm not even paying attention to. My goal now is to use up my glucose monitor coupons. (I bought 10 of them on eBay paying $3.99.)

Target is another good place to shop. My DD eats Special K cereal and they are $2.39 per box, and you get $5 gift card when you buy 5 of them. That makes $1.39 per box which is pretty darn good for Special K cereal. I couldn't find any decent deal for this product for last two months, so we were completely out!! It's time to stock up again.

Kraft dressing was $1.56 after price cut and there's manufacture coupons $1.5/1 for them. 9 cents for a bottle of dressing. Great deal!



New paycheck and an idea about saving for a car

April 21st, 2009 at 08:30 pm

I viewed this Friday's paycheck. This is the first paycheck my raise is 100% incorporated. My take-home increase by $137 per pay-check. Nice : ) I'm still contributing 20% to my 401K. 401K contribution limit in 2009 is $16,500. I thought about maxing this out, then, I decided not to do it.

Reason: I need to save for a car.

I drive 2004 Toyota Rav4 that has about 105K miles. Well, I am planning to drive it until it totally dies on me. However, I commute over 60 miles a day and not having a reliable car is out of question. So far, my lovely Rav4 has been super dependable, but you just never know with high mileaged car.

So, I decided to start saving for a new car, in case something happened to my Rav4. I was thinking about investing in two or three stocks (like GE or Citi) for next 2 years in Sharebuilder account (say, $100 per stock per month) and see how much it grows by the time I need to buy a car. I guess my return will determine what kind of car I can buy.

Or, should I resort in regular savings account??? I think this car should last at least two more years. (I drive about 20K miles a year.)

What do you think?

Busy busy busy day

April 16th, 2009 at 06:06 am

Today was a super busy day.

My daughter was involved in the DUI prevention program called "Every 15 minutes". They mock an accident and have HS students experience what it's like to have DUI accident involving death.

Since she is one of "victims" in the scene, I had to drop her off at school at 6:30 a.m. for preparation.

Like I said, it is all fake, but they use real fire truck, helicopter, sending DUI driver to jail, and the kid who's "dead" at the scene is sent to morgue.

Anyhow, my DD played a role, victim who was transported to the hospital by helicopter.

She was actually pretty excited about getting a ride in a helicopter. LOL

Being her parent, I was asked to go to the hospital and played a parent of DUI victim. Yuck...

I know it was all fake, but it felt so real that I started crying in the counseling room when doctor told me my DD is injured and her brain is dead. (Again, it is all fake, but the doctor did a really good job making it sound so real.)

What hit me hard was, right after the doc, this lady came in and started asking me about organ donation.

OMG!! If this is real, I just lost my child unexpectedly, and have to decide if I'm willing to donate her organ now???

I cannot imagine people actually going through this for real. I really truly feel sorry for them.

DD is at "undisclosed location" and spending a night away as part of the program.

Well, I was doing all this between my work hour!! Leaving for the hospital about 10 a.m. and came back to work at around 2 p.m., then, parents retreat at school at 7 p.m.

I'm so glad today's almost over.