4/18/11 - McDonald's, Office Max, Wal-Mart

I had to get up early for a doctor's appointment today.  I wasn't ready to get up when the alarm went off.  I was still really, really tired.  I went to a dermatologist to have a spot on my arm checked.  There was a brown spot on my right forearm that I thought looked bigger than it had before.  I was concerned because my dad had skin cancer several times over the years.  Since dad just passed away from bladder cancer I kind of got freaked out and decided that I needed to get myself checked out.  I went to the doctor that my dad went to for his skin cancer.  She told me that the spot on my arm was a Solar Letigio.  She said that it was nothing to worry about unless it changed shape or a sore that wouldn't heal developed.  It made me feel a lot better.

This is what I found out about solar letigio's on one of the web sites I visited (http://www.skinsight.com/adult/solarLentigo.htm)

A solar lentigo (plural, solar lentigines), also known as a sun-induced freckle or senile lentigo, is a dark (hyperpigmented) lesion caused by natural or artificial ultraviolet (UV) light. Solar lentigines may be single or multiple. This type of lentigo is different from a simple lentigo (lentigo simplex) because it is caused by exposure to UV light. Solar lentigines are benign, but they do indicate excessive sun exposure, a risk factor for the development of skin cancer.
On the way home I stopped and picked up a couple of breakfast sandwiches at McDonalds for Chris and me.

McDonalds

Item	Regular Price	Sale Price
Steak Egg & Cheese Bagel	3.59	3.59
Southern Style Chicken Biscuit	2.99	2.99
B1G1Free Coupon		-2.99
Tax		0.22
Total	6.58	3.81
Savings =	42.10	%
Manufacturer Coupon	2.99
Total Coupon and Sale Savings	2.99

OFFICE MAX

After I ate my sandwich I went back to bed.  Later after I woke up Chris and I went to Office Max and Wal-Mart.  Kristen wanted some colored paper for school and Office Max is the only place I can find any.  I had a $10 Max Rewards certificate that I could use to get it.  (It's much more expensive than regular loose leaf paper)

Item	Regular Price	Sale Price
Pastel Loose Leaf Paper	4.29	4.29
Pastel Loose Leaf Paper	4.29	4.29
Mentos Mint	1.39	1.39
Tax		0.60
Max Rewards Certificate		-10.00
Total	9.97	0.57
Savings =	94.28	%
Manufacturer Coupon	10.00
Total Coupon and Sale Savings	10.00

Wal-Mart

Chris wanted to try a Freschetta Pizza that he had seen advertised on television so we went to Wal-Mart to see if we could find it.  They did have it so we got it and a couple of other items.  I was trying out the new Wal-Mart coupon policy.  One item says that you can use a coupon that is for more than an item costs and you can use that credit to either get change back or you can have the credit go toward something else in your order.  This worked (see the Frigo String Cheese).  The other item I tried to purchase didn't work so I had them give me the coupon back and void the item from my order.  The other item was DiGiorono Pizza & Wyngz.  I had what is referred to as a "catalina" coupon.  This part of their coupon policy has been copied and pasted below.

(From http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx you can see the entire coupon policy by clicking on the link)

Checkout coupons ("Catalinas")

• Printed at our competitors' registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item
• Must have "Manufacturer Coupon" with specific item requirements printed on them
• Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
• Must have a valid expiration date
• Must have a scannable bar code
• Are acceptable in black and white
• May not be duplicated

The register beeped when the coupon was scanned and the clerk informed me I couldn't use this because it said Kroger on it.  I calmly showed her a copy of the Wal-Mart Coupon policy that I had pulled up on my iPhone before I even got in line.  The clerk then asked the clerk at the next register and she said that she had never heard of this and that I couldn't use the coupon.  I then asked for a manager.  The manager said well, the coupon policy is on Walmart.com that doesn't apply to the store.  I then informed her that this was Wal-Mart corporate policy for their stores.  She wouldn't let me use the coupon but she did say that she would check with the head manager the next day and have him check with corporate so they would know if this was policy or not.  I said "Whatever" and had them remove the item from my order.

Item	Regular Price	Sale Price
Freschetta Pizza	5.86	5.86
Manufacturer Coupon		-1.00
Freschetta Pizza	5.86	5.86
Manufacturer Coupon		-1.00
Frigo String Cheese	0.33	0.33
Manufacturer Coupon		-0.50
Frigo String Cheese	0.33	0.33
Manufacturer Coupon		-0.50
Incense	1.83	1.83
Incense Burner	1.83	1.83
Tax		0.22
Total	16.04	13.26
Savings =	17.33	%
Manufacturer Coupon	3.00
Total Coupon and Sale Savings	3.00