bpcyclist, I'm glad to read that your mood is a bit more level today. That sucks that Abilify affects your cycling. I used to bike, but on certain medications I feel a bit off balance. Not that I couldn't bike, but it makes me anxious. That, and I sometimes get so distracted that I end up in a ditch.

Today was OK. When I went to the grocery store my friend (who also has bp1) was working. I asked him how he was and he said he was really tired. He looked tired. I, on the other hand, could honestly say "OK" unlike several days before today. I was happy that I planned my shopping trip very carefully to include lots of sale items, though only ones that I actually wanted/needed. Between "on sale savings" and "PPC & Str Coupons" I saved $45! That represented almost 30% savings total than if I had bought the same items without sales/coupons. I was proud of myself! I bought an on sale bottom round roast and cut it up into beef stew cubes and vacuum sealed it all for the freezer. Then I compared the price at a discount grocery store, per pound, and my efforts saved me about 50% compared to if I had purchased pre-cubed beef. I done such things with chicken, but never with beef for stewing.

I wanted to go to this gourmet shop and buy one of their big oatmeal raisin cookies. I have REALLY craved an oatmeal cookie. But instead of paying $2 for their big cookie, I came home and made a 1/3 batch of my own homemade. That gives me 9 medium-sized cookies for a fraction of the price. They look just as yummy.

I am bound and determined to cut our grocery spending this year!

I went to the pharmacy. As predicted, she tried to give me my Latuda without applying the coupon savings card I gave them about four months back. They tried to get away with that last month. With the coupon savings, my co-pay is $15 per month for Latuda. Without, it is $85. Last month I was fresh home from Florida with bronchitis. I went to the pharmacy with my husband, but he was paying. Luckily my husband noticed the astronomical price before we left. We demanded the coupon be applied. The pharmacist didn't know what he was doing so made me come back the next day to get the refund. I just HATE having to run back and forth to the pharmacy numerous times per month!

What if I had paid that extra $45 at the grocery store and $70 extra copay at the pharmacy? Who here can easily spare an extra $115 in a given day, for no good reason? $115 is more than I paid (after coupons/sales savings) at the grocery store today, and I got a whole lot!

You have to be vigilant!