It's just one of those nights...

It's another one of those nights when I lay in bed and can't seem to get to sleep.

There's not even much going on through me mind at this point.  Not even much in terms of ramblings.

Last weekend was our G.I. Joe Search and Rescue benefit concert though.  It was held at Access Group Media in Fountain Valley, CA.  I had a blast hanging out with the crew and meeting new people.  The highlight of the performances were Hinobi and the boys from JustKiddingFilms.  Props to all the performers, though.  I truly appreciate them donating their time for our cause.  During the night, I happened to walk in, bottle of San Pellegrino in hand, when the slideshow played, at which point I couldn't keep the tears from falling.  Joe Le, I miss you dearly.  I hope we've done you proud.  There's more to come and you'll forever stay in our hearts. 

Hey Joe.  :)  Hope you liked the lounge area.

Staples Deal Scenarios for 14 August 2011 - 20 August 2011

My friends have been wondering how it is that I make the most out of my shopping adventures.  The easiest one for me to "teach" them is with Staples since there are no coupons involved.  Rebates are involved, but Staples's Easy Rebates are well, easy!

So here are my scenarios for the week:  (Note that since the Extreme Deals only run from Sunday - Wednesday, that all of my trips will be made between those days.) 

Extreme Deal: (limit per transaction) ENDS WEDNESDAY

• Composition notebooks - $0.10 each, limit 3 w/ minimum $5.00 purchase

Rebates: (limited per household)

• Hammermill Copy Paper : $0.50 

($6.79 regular price - $1.80 instant savings - $4.49 easy rebate = $0.50 each) limit 2

• Epson heavyweight 8.5” x 11” photo paper (matte), 50/pk : $0.50

($12.99 regular price - $2.00 instant savings - $10.49 easy rebate = $0.50 each) limit 1

• Zebra Cadoozles 0.7mm mechanical pencils : FREE

($5.00 regular price - $5.00 easy rebate = FREE) limit 1 

Sale Items: (limited per transaction)

• Wescott Preferred 7” scissors : $0.50

($6.29 regular price, on sale for $0.50 each) limit 2
_________________________________________________________________________________
Trip 1:

• Zebra Cadoozles : $5.00
• Composition Notebooks: $0.10 x 3 = $0.30
• Wescott scissors: $0.50 x 2 = $1.00

TOTAL:  $6.30 - $0.95 (15% discount w/ back to school card) - $5.00 rebate = $0.35
_________________________________________________________________________________
Trip 2 + 3:

• Hammermill Copy Paper : $4.99 ($6.79 regular price - $1.80 instant savings)
• Composition Notebooks : $0.10 x 3 = $0.30

TOTAL:  $5.29 - $0.79 (15% student discount w/ back to school card) - $4.49 rebate = FREEEEEEEEE!  :)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Trip 4:

• Epson Photo Paper : $10.99 ($12.99 - $2.00 instant savings)
• Composition Notebooks : $0.10 x 3 = $0.30

TOTAL:  $11.29 - 1.69 (15% discount w/ back to school card) - $10.49 rebate = FREEEEEEEE!  :)
_________________________________________________________________________________

** Keep in mind that these are prices AFTER rebates.  Therefore, you’ll be making a small “investment” out of pocket at each transaction.  Rebate checks take 4-6 weeks to arrive in the mail.  For the Extreme Deals, make sure to hit the $5.00 minimum.  I usually use the rebate items, but you can use the sale items too.  The scissors weren’t necessary during these trips, but I just wanted them.

** Also keep in mind that items that I do not end up using (or even needing) are donated to local schools and friends who need them throughout the school year.  If I find I good deal, I will take advantage of it but at the same time, share the love.  There's no point in hoarding these items if you're not gonna use 'em.

Happy shopping and hope y'all stock up a good amount of supplies for the school year.  :)

UPDATE: (24 August 2011)

Not the most up-to-date picture of my stock, but this is what you can get if you know how to stack up your deals.  :)  Some of the local schools will be very happy people once items are donated... I hope.  :)

Back-to-School Savings

It's August, which means that school is starting up soon for K-12 students as well as college students.

School is probably the one thing that I hate shopping for most, considering professors are so adamant about what supplies they will allow in their  classrooms, and half of the time, those supplies cannot be reused for other courses.

However, it's easy to stock up for school basics without breaking the bank.

Firstly, Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max are your best friends during this season.  My personal favorite is Staples.  Take advantage of all of their Free-after-Rabate (FAR) and nearly FAR deals.  It may be quite some money initially for your purchase, but in 4-6 weeks, you'll get a check in the mail or deposited into your PayPal account. It's like a present in the mail.  :)

By doing so, I've already been able to stock up on printer paper for my essays.  In 3 trips to Staples, I'd already gotten:

• (2) reams of Hammermill Printer Paper : $0.50 each
• (6) 2-packs of White-Out : $0.50 each
• (30) 2-pocket folders : $0.01 each
• (6) 2-packs of Sharpie markers : $0.25 each
• (1) 7-pack of Zebra pens : FREE
• (6) 12-packs of cap erasers : $0.10 each

 A little tip:  Some of these items have limits, which is why I break up my purchases into separate transactions or visits.  There are a lot of items that require a minimum of $5.00 purchase to get the special prices (like the $0.01 folders).  But I fix that by purchasing  a ream of paper that's on sale ($5.00 - $4.50 rebate = $0.50 per ream); the initial cost of $5.00 for the ream of paper qualifies me to get the other items at sale price.  Staples almost ALWAYS has the paper on rebate alongside their "extreme deal" items.  This year, I was lucky enough to also receive a Back-to-School card in the mail from Staples that allows me to receive an extra 15% off my entire purchase of school supplies up through September 17th for being a "valued customer."  Otherwise, the card costs $10.00, I believe.

That's just going to Staples.  I've a few more items from Office Depot, but like I said, Staples is my first choice - their rebates are so easy to do (online!) and I've never had a problem with it coming in the mail. Now, I'm no hoarder.  I do stock up on things for myself, but the rest of it gets donated to the local elementary school if I don't have a use for them or to fellow classmates who may need those supplies.

I also save money by packing my lunch to school.  Face it, cafeteria food isn't all that great and to be honest, isn't all that healthy either.  I cave now and again and will get a slice of pizza, but for the most part, I'm bringing a packed lunch with me.  I can easily change it up to fit my mood. Feel artsy?  Try bento lunches.

I probably have 3 main sets of lunch gear.  My main lunch pack is from Lock-and-Lock which features a carry bag, water bottle, and 2 containers; one with 3 sections to keep my food apart.  Another is a Mrs. Bento from Zojirushi that I use whenever I'm carrying something that needs to be kept warm.  And the other one is just a simple square container from IKEA.  Why so many?  Each of these serves their purpose.  I always make sure that my containers have gaskets on them ensure "leakproofness" in the case that I pack something liquidy.  I also pack with me a bottle of hand sanitizer in case I'm not by anywhere where I can wash my hands, utensils (chopsticks + case, hobo tool), a bandana used as a cloth napkin, a small bottle of Maggi seasoning (they come in 12-packs for about $2.00 and change), and a small Nalgene squirt bottle filled with Sriracha sauce (yum!).

Water. At school you'll be needing plenty of water.  I don't carry the "disposable" waterbottles with me.  I think they're too flimsy now and the idea of paying so much for water is intimidating.  Instead, I bring my 16 ounce Camelbak "Better Bottle" with me.  It initially cost me $12 dollars or so at REI, but it's lasted me well over 3 years.  I think it's my best investment yet.

And a tip for the college students: if you really HAVE to buy your textbooks, try to get the older editions.  It'll save you quite some money.  Don't sell the textbooks back to the school's bookstore - you'll get more selling to students or textbook stores off campus.  On the other hand, you don't really need to buy school books at all.  If you have the time, use the school's library reserves. I personally try to set my schedule up in a way that I will have some study time in the library. Another option is to photocopy the needed pages ahead of time if your teacher gives you a "reading list" or the like. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was plastered all over the library that according to CA state law, photocopies of textbook pages are allowed and does not violate copyright rules if those pages are only being used for personal studies - in other words, DO NOT photocopy the entire book just to sell to your friends.

Then there's the online route.  You can usually find great deals on sites like Chegg.com for your textbooks.  Plenty of schools and websites also offer textbook rentals now - you'll save AT LEAST 50%, I've seen.  My friends have rented books for "as little as" $40.00 for a $100+ textbook.  That beats trying to sell it at the end of the semester, I'm sure.

Manuscript Italic Fountain Pen

It's Sunday.  That means that Michaels has released another 40% off [one regular priced item] coupon.

I can't stand sitting at home without [new] things to do, so I hopped on over to the Michaels craft store down the street to see what my coupon can get me.

Now, I have a fascination for fountain pens - been using them for years and have acquired a small collection over this time period.  My previous experience with the Manuscript brand of pens have not been great, but seeing as how they have redone their pens' appearance while I was browsing through Michaels, I figured I'd give them another try.  The other reason being that they'd actually distinguished the difference between the Italic nib and the Calligraphy nibs that they had on display.

With the 40% off coupon, the total came out to be $6.99 - $2.80 = $4.19 + CA tax.  Not bad for a "starter" type fountain pen.  It's by no means rugged, but that's fine.

The pen itself is black and made of cheap plastic.  The grip section is textured plastic.  There's a plastic "silver" coated ring where the pen's grip meets the barrel - I'm guessing it's a "washer" of some sort.  There's silver writing at the bottom of the barrel that says "Manuscript" in script as well.  I don't think there's an option for nib sizes, but the one I got was a medium.  MAYBE they didn't really distinguish anything and the Calligraphy set was actually the same nib, but with 3 different sizes.  I'll have to take a closer look next time I go to Michaels.

When I came home, I gave it a good flushing, as I do with all of my pens, to get rid of any manufacturing gunk that may have otherwise clogged up my feed and nib.  After doing so, I cleaned out the ink cartridge it came with (I don't like their ink; I don't find that Manuscript ink has good flow) and used a syringe to fill it up with Noodler's Bad Blue Heron.  I then gave the pen a good themometer shake and  put it to the test - it was SMOOTH, surprisingly!  Particularly for an italic nib.

It glided over my cheap composition notebook paper.  There wasn't any roughness felt at all.  Maybe it's the lubricative Noodler's ink that I had in there, but regardless, there was no scratchiness from the nib that I would sometimes find on some other inexpensive pens; neither felt or heard.  I'm going to have to say it's on par with my Pilot 78G B (italic) nib, albeit the materials used for the Manuscript pen itself is of lesser quality.

 

Update:  (09 August 2011)
After having this pen for a few days now, I've noticed that it can be a bit of a hard starter.  But a quick dab on the nib is all it needs and it's all good to go.  The nib still writes smoothly on this end.  :) 

Let's get started!

Aww... No Bueno is finally up and running.  :)  I've been wanting to set up a blog for some time now, jumping between ideas and names, but I think this is something that truly will reflect me.

For the most part, I will just be sharing the better (or sometimes downside) of my days, some reviews of random things I find, and just overall thoughts on what the world around me (and abroad) has to offer.

I'm most interested in the little things in life that make me happy at a particular moment; sometimes things that just make me ponder - just the random moments in life that make you stop for a second and think.  Life already happens in a blink of an eye and I believe in taking a short moment for yourself and just pause what's going on around you and take in what its got to offer.

Here's to the start of Aww... No Bueno!  Happy reading. :)