Rant 4 for the day

This is just my personal bitch-blog today...

Our washer quit cycling into the spin a few months ago... so when I think it is done, I go out there and jiggle the knob and after a while I get the spin cycle going... it never spins out completely. Last night I threw a more-wet-than-normal load in the dryer and 5 minutes later the thing was making a ton of noise and acting like it was either going to walk off or burst into flames. I hung the heavier clothes and packed up the lighter ones. My running buddy let me use her dryer.. but we were headed to bed and I didnt want to leave them there so less than an hour later when I got them.. still moist and threw them around the living room. Some are still drying out there after 2PM.

THANKFULLY, the only good thing to come from losing 2 cats in 4 months (to the day), the guy who cremated them told me about an auction that takes place EVERY Friday night. He bought a piano in pristine condition for $300, his buddy got a washer/dryer set for $160. We are headed there tonight.

Oh and we are supposed to get snow. Not that that matters and I think the flurries will rock my socks back ON, but the thought that just flitted through my head was "when it rains it pours"... and well it might not "rain" tonight as forecasted.. we may get pathetic (but pretty) flurries... here in hot/humid/sunny Orlando. :-)

I know there was another rant here somewhere... headed out to jog and I will be back hopefully remembering it.

Publix and Couponers - Rant 3

Ahhhh you thought you were getting off scott-free too huh?

Wrong.

I spent $55 on $200 worth of groceries just fine (break down coming later), I am sad they no longer accept their own coupons after the date nor are they taking competitor $/$$ coupons or catalinas... and yet I hold onto the old ones in hopes... I know I know, I will part with them soon enough.

I was talking with Ruthann last night for a long time and apparently the coupon decision is company wide. I asked if it was our (the couponers) fault... she never gave me a definitive YES, but she did tell me some interesting things. Only about 7% of her customers use coupons. There are people that see one for something they use and they carry it with them... and then there are people like US who are failures if we spend more than 25% on our bill - we make up 5% of that 7%.

What makes me soooo mad is that coupon FRAUD is a big reason for cracking down. Until probably 4 months ago (before I quit clipping) I would go through my coupons and pass on the ones I wasn't using. I know for fact that the lady  I passed them to was not copying them, but I HAD passed on many that I had printed from my computer. I have also printed coupons for other people. BOTH put ME at RISK of coupon fraud. If anyone copies those coupons... it goes back to YOUR IP ADDRESS. And apparently it is a federal offense punishable by reimbursement, fines and jail time. All for a dollar. Dude, go hit up a bank... if you are going to jail, make it worth the story you will end up with.

So I guess this rant was more towards couponers who abuse the privilege than it was against Publix... but I still hate facing the wrath that was deserved by someone else.

Winn Dixie - Rant 2

In hopes that it was just the location not printing out $10/$50 catalinas, I decided to try the Winn Dixie nearer my home.

I got:
1 head of Lettuce
2 Yellow Onions
4 packs of Kraft Cheese (2/$4)
4 boxes of Finish dish stuff (flier says B1G1 4.99, shelf said 5.79)

Transaction #1. First they tell me they no longer take IP coupons so I told him I did not want the Kraft Cheese then. The onions and lettuce rang up $3.00. No $/$$ printed

Transaction #2. Different card. The Finish did not ring B1G1 so a manager was called over. No one knew why they were not ringing up the right price and apparently they do not keep the ad in the store b/c they told me I should have brought the ad with me, but THIS TIME they would do it. The manager rang up 4 Nabisco Tray Packs (5.99... NOT 5.79) I didnt bother complaining... whatever... I have 4 coupons for $2.50 off 1 Finish. The manager had darted off by the tim eI handed the cashier my coupons. He told me, well we can't use these as that was not what was rung up... "that was what I BOUGHT. I can't help what was rang up" (for a different price mind you.) Manager came back and told me he should only take 2 as I was getting 2 for free and not BUYING them. I told him each coupon was good towards one item I was purchasing and I was purchasing 4. He tried to argue, but there was a line. The old lady behind me told me "well he already gave you the discount, just take it." The manager told me THIS time he would take my 4 coupons. Final price was .78 cents. Oh, and no $/$$.

So now I have to carry the AD and the COUPON POLICY?! Really? Pathetic.

Winn Dixie, it has been a long long journey, but I fear we must part ways.

Dont worry...

... it's coming.

I have a lot to update you guys on: deals, rants, new rules, old rules and a few other things. But first I want to get a few posts under my belt so that I can take the time I need to to really let it out. If you missed the rant last night, read it here and share your own rants about the NAMED culprit.

RANT and VENT - part 1

I will elaborate more tomorrow.

1. Winn-Dixie no longer takes IP (Internet Printed) coupons
2. Winn-Dixie doesn't always honor their own ads... even told me I should have brought it with me
3. Winn-Dixie will only take 1 coupon for B1G1 items.. even though you are purchasing 2 items
4. Winn-Dixie catalinas ($10/$50) quit printing for me the moment they switched to the Fuel-Perks Card

Lessons learned:
1. Winn-Dixie (at least this one in particular.. ok 2 of them) sucks
2. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS carry the coupon policy with you
3. Just to be safe, carry the damn ads
4. When you find a store (Ruthann's Cheap Publix) that you like LOVE... just suck it up and stick with it even if you pay a few dollars more on those apples or that cheese you wanted to catch on sale at Winn-Dixie... the aggravation is simply NOT worth it.

Car Issues - Ranting (warning long)

I always thought Kia's were cheap. They are... surprised they have radios in them. I hear they have gotten safer and wont crumple into a pile of scrap when hit. I pray I never find out.

I was to the wire in early 2007 when I started car shopping. Generally my grandfather would help me search. I LOVE used cars from old old people! Pay 3000 cash, they last 5-6+ years, little maintenance, ideal! So early 2007 I started looking thinking I had some time to shop. In May it died.

Picture this: On my way to work, in Orlando, skinny little 28 year old white girl stuck in the middle of a road, in a bad area of town, hood up, at 11:15PM. I worked overnights. Luckily a sheriff's deputy stopped and we got my car to a empty lot and he drove me to work. My fiance at the time worked opposite from me at the same radio station and when he got off work, he drove me home.

We went to the Kia dealership that night or the next, test drove a few, mentioned we would come back the next day. They high pressured us into staying and byt he third threat of walking out or getting something done, they agreed to $1500 less than sticker price (which was still tooooo much... its.a.Kia.dude.) They accepted my car, as is, not there.. not sure we could GET it there, for $500. Suckers.

Yesterday I drove out to Camp Wilderness in Disney to pick up a crib mattress from a girlfriend from high school that I have not seen in 13 years! In the rain, it didn't bother laughing, it just would not start. Someone drove by with a battery pack and jumped it. Made it home. Tried to turn it on immediately and it clicked, but nothing. I took the keys out and put them back in... not even a click. Damn it.

Our Kia dealership was bought out with the whole "save our cars bailout bs" and I guess with that went their complimentary car borrow program. BUT being at only 29K miles I still have bumper to bumper warranty in case it is the alternator, I still have warrenty on the battery (under 3 years) and I still have roadside assistance and towing... dunno why, but GREAT as we can't get it to jump or turn over at ALL this morning.

However the service center closes at 2pm (Saturday) and doesn't re-open until Monday. I work Sunday 2:30-11:30PM... THANKFULLY I work for the best company in the world (amazing benefits too!!! 18$ sonograms? yeah nice!) and my boss is going to let me drive a company car home tomorrow night!

So while Kia's may still be cheap pieces of crap, I have been generally pleased with their levels of service. ... now if only Orlando towing company was a little quicker I might have a chance of getting my car fixed and home by the time they close... oh well, counting the small Blessings.