Jonnie and Boz's 99 Cent Blog

Only the Tomatos are On-Topic

2007-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

To the right are six jars of sun-dried tomatos which were purchased at our local Dollar Tree for $1/jar. They really add some flair to spaghetti sauces and soups. We went back twice to buy more. I think Dollar Tree is out of them now.

To the left is the box from Trader Joe's Gone Bananas frozen chocolate covered bananas. While not strictly a 99 cent item, a box of four only costs $1.99 at Trader Joes and that is quite a bargain. They're a perfect summer snack.

While I am off the 99 cent topic and on the Trader Joes topic, I'd like to promote an amazing cheese that they sell. It is called Beer Cheddar and it tastes exactly like beer. It is absolutely amazing.

Beer Cheddar.

Sharpee Test

2007-02-13T05:35:00.000-08:00

Sandra and I received a shipment of freight from Boz last week which included an ample supply of the siver metallic Sharpees.

These silver Sharpees write like a dream and are great for making grafitti on newsprint.
I tested them out on this week's annual sex issue of the OC Weekly -

I couldn't be more pleased with the silver Sharpees.
I'm going to keep one in my car's glove compartment.

Danke Boz!

Love Machines

2007-01-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is early over at the 99 Cent Store this year.
They have a whole aisle of Valentine-related materials; mostly candy, but lots of more interesting items as well, two of which I will describe in this post.

The Love Projector and the Love Machine.
We decided to field test these gadgets more or less immediately -

Sandra with the Love Projector.

Jonnie with the Love Machine.
1. The Love Gun
Technically called the Love Machine, we call this the Love Gun because it actually is a gun. We use the term Love Machines as a more general term to be applied collectively.

The subtitle on the Love Gun's packaging reads, "Shoot Them with Love". Yeah!

What most caught our eye about the Love Gun was the ammo that came with it. Instead of shooting red bullets or hearts, it shoots remarkably detailed little cupids who are each armed with bows and arrows:

Love Ammo.

Love Ammo Detail.
The barrel of the love gun is just for show. Nothing actually travels through the barrel. Instead, the cupid is placed in the top of the gun -

Loading the Love Gun.
When the lover pulls the trigger, cupid is launched from the top of the gun in a wide arc, hopefully hitting the object of the trigger person's affection.

Firing the Love Gun.
Side note: The Sounds of Love - What does a man or woman in love sound like? I recorded Sandra's and my responses to being shot by the love gun. Assuming we are typical representatives of our respective genders, I am reproducing them here.

Male [after being shot by love]: ::giggles::
Female [after being shot by love]: AAAAAA!!!!

When asked why the female reaction was so strong, Sandra reported, "I thought it was going to put my eye out".

Conclusion - Awesome! The Love Gun has pretty good range, it is attractive, it is portable, it will inspire shock and awe if we bring it out in public...we love it. The only possible drawback might be that the ammo is too cool for frivilous use. I would hate to lose one of those cupids. Sure, you could use an olive or something, but then it wouldn't really be a Love Gun. Do not use the Love Gun promiscuously. Do not shoot anybody with the Love Gun unless they would be worth losing one of the cupids.

2. The Love Projector

The Love Projector is like a portable slide show in a pink phallic highly fragile cheap plastic package.

It comes with a View Master style disc which, when rotated in front of the lamp, will allow a different image to be projected.

Each image is a heart containing one of eight slogans:
- Kiss Me
- Cutie Pie
- Love Bug
- Hot Stuff
- I Love You
- You're Hot
- Sweet Stuff
- Be My Valentine

This is a much less violent way to shoot somebody with your love than what was possible with the Love Gun. The object of the lover's affection does not even need to be the target with this machine. You can project your love on the wall or a plate, or your lover's dress as well.

The only drawback is that the Love Projector is not effective when the lights are on. So it is best used when the lights are off and the mood is right.

If the lights are off, the effect of the Love Projector is quite remarkable:

Sandra Under the Influence of the Love Projector.
The Love Projector included batteries, but they were worthless. One had visible acid buildup on it and the other, when combined with a new Duracell, gave unreliable results. Once I put in two new AA batteries, the Love Projector purred like a kitten.

Conclusion: The Love Projector is sure to make any man or woman horny. The only drawback being the image is difficult to notice when the lights are on. It is best to have both a Love Projector and a Love Gun in your love arsenal. That way, proper lighting will never be an issue. You can get both for a total of $1.98 and that's just a fraction of the cost you would spend on a typical posture bar.

Let the Love Play Begin!

The Sharpie Challenge

2006-12-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

I went to the Dollar General in Au Gres today, and hey, Au Gres today rhymes!!!
Anyway, I went to the Dollar General today and found this four pack of Sharpies in the 50% off Xmas aisle.
Of course, I was positive that this was a mistake, I mean, who would sell Sharpies for a quarter a piece.
However, I took them to the check out counter just in case, and much to my AMAZEMENT the Sharpies rang up at a dollar.
So of course I took them, I don't mean I took them as in I stole them, I mean I took them as in I agreed to buy them, geeeeeeeez.

Comparing Sharpie Markers To Other Writing Implements Test

As you can see all the Sharpies write much bolder than any of the other tested writing implements. The metallic Sharpies are nice, but impractical for anything other than artistic or craft purposes, and of course, you would never use a Sharpie for any normal everyday writing task, but damn, they sure are fun.

One other thing.
Have you ever sniffed a Sharpie?
In my learned opinion they rate right up there with the fluid used in mimeograph machines in their ability to induce a short term buzz, and do they still use mimeos, because I don't think I would have made it through high school without them.

Pinconning and points south

2006-12-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

In my quest for the elusive perfect bargain I decided to drive down towards Bay City today. (See previous post)

My first stop was the Pinny Food Center in Pinconning, get it ... Pinny is short for Pinconning. Check out the price for a 32 oz fountain POP, yeah, we call it POP in Michigan. The 59 cent Pepsi bummed me out a bit, because before I left Tawas I stopped at the BK and got a 44 oz Diet Coke for $1.80. I could have got 96 ozs of Diet Pepsi for the same price if I had waited!
Anyway, the Pinny Food Center is a normal supermarket, and actually their prices are a little higher than normal, but they also stock a lot of overstocked and slightly past due items at ridiculous prices.

The first item in my cart was Brachs mixed candy at 99 cents a pound. I had plenty of hard candy and chocolate candy at home, so I went for the holiday theme and bought about 2 pounds of the peppermint nougut. The regular price for Brachs mixed candy was $3.69 a pound, at least according to the Pinny Food Center, but it was a good buy, and it is very tasty too.

The next items in my cart were two 12 packs of Diet Code Red Mountain Dew for $1.50 a twelve pack. I didn't even know they made DIET Code Red, and seriously, that is some cheap ass price. The lowest price that I've seen on any Pepsi product 12 pack is $2.50, and it's very rare that you see it that low.

The third item in my cart was the Sobe Energy Drink called No Fear Gold. I had never heard of it, but at four cans for a buck I didn't think I could go wrong getting two 4 packs. I mean, do you know how much a can of Red Bull goes for?

The last items from the Pinny Food Center were two 4 packs of Starbucks Iced Coffee Italian Roast, described as a premium coffee drink with a hint of low fat milk and sugar. I don't drink coffee, but my niece, who is coming up for Xmas does, and I thought I'd give this to her as a stocking stuffer. Oh yeah, a four pack cost a buck, yeah, that's twenty five cents a can ... 25 cents a can for Starbucks Coffee, what are they crazy or something?

I then headed south towards Bay City and the wholesale supermarket I told you about that had the 4 packs of Orangina for 49 cents. Well, they were all out of the Orangina, but they did have Chocolate Fudge flavor Jones Soda for 4 bottles for a dollar. Jones Soda is the company that makes all the weird flavors of soda like Chicken and Gravy, I'm serious, but anyway, Chocolate Fudge is supposed to be very good if you believe the reviews on the internet.

With that I turned around and headed home, but I was stopped almost in my tracks when I saw a fruit and vegetable market with a sign advertising tomatoes for 49 cents a pound. I couldn't believe it, I thought it must have been $1.49 a pound but the one had blown off the sign. I went inside to check it out anyway, and BAM, there it was big as life a whole display of Florida tomatoes for 49 cents a pound. Damn, the cheapest you can get any kind of tomatoes up here at any time of the year is about 89 cents a pound, and that is in the middle of summer. I haven't seen tomatoes for 49 cents a pound since I had hair like spun gold, and I don't even want to remember how long ago that was. Hell, I bet you can't even get Florida tomatoes in Florida for 49 cents a pound.

Whew, is that it?
I feel like I've been typing for hours.
Oh yeah, it's a 130 mile round trip down to Bay City, which is I don't know how many kilometers, but I bet it's a lot.

The scenic route

2006-12-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

I plan on taking the scenic route down to Bay City today for my last bit of shopping before Xmas. By the scenic route I mean I am taking M-13 out of Standish instead of hopping on I-75. I took this route once before and there are a lot of interesting stores along the way.
One store I want to stop at for sure is a discount supermarket that sells stuff like past due products, dented cans, products with the labels torn off, day old bread, and stuff that didn't sell in other parts of the country so they bought them and sell them at drastically reduced prices.
I stopped at that supermarket once before, but it was the last place I stopped, and I was pretty tired, so I didn't buy anything.
They did have one product that I could kick myself for not getting.
They had four packs of Orangina, a fruit citrus drink that AmyJo had raved about, for 49 cents. I would have liked to try it just for curiosities sake.
So, if they still have it today I am going to get a couple of four packs and if I don't like it I'll give it to my niece who is coming up on Saturday.

More than 90% off

2006-12-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

Went to Kmart today to try to spend some of the gift card that my sister sent me for xmas.
I found Joe Boxer sleep shorts ... lounging shorts ... whatever shorts ... marked down from $10.99 to $1.00. This was the only style and color they had, but I still bought all three of the large waist size they had on the rack.

They are very comfortable. I bet Jonnie would wear something like this to go to his favorite drive-thru, or he might even wear them to work.
C'mon Jonnie, tells us where you would wear these ... better yet, tell us where you wouldn't wear these.
Mabye Sandra will do the math to find out just what percentage of a savings I actually received.

A Dollar Store Human Interest Story

2006-12-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

When the local McDonalds downsized about 8 years ago one of the assistant managers lost her job. It kind of bummed me out because she was kind of hot even though she wore unflattering eyeglasses, now don't get me wrong, I like chicks who wear eyeglasses, it is just that her's were very unflattering.
Anyway, when she lost her job, she opened a Dollar Store with another assistant manager who lost her job at McDonalds, and yeah, it sure seems that McDonalds has a lot of assistant managers ... AND NO FUCKING COUNTER HELP, I mean they have five registers but they never have more than one of them open, and that is one of the main reasons that I go to Burger King, but yeah, they opened a Dollar Store.
So, they opened up a Dollar Store, and the chick with glasses started wearing contacts, and she started getting even hotter, and she wasn't young, she had to be in her early 40's, and no, she wasn't MILFy hot, she was just hot, but as time went on I guess the strain of ownership kind of got to her, she got skinnier and skinnier, and her face started turning sallow, if indeed faces can turn sallow, and, well, she just started looking worn out.
Then during the summer the Dollar Store closed down, and I don't know if it was because they lost the lease on the building they had, or if the business just went down the tubes, and that was that, or at least I thought that was that.
I went into the Dollar General last week, and their was a new cashier who looked vaguely familiar ... it was the woman from the Dollar Store, and wow, what a change for the better! She has put on a little weight, and has some color in her cheeks, and I've got to say that she looks better than she ever has.
So, I guess that just goes to show you that running a Dollar Store isn't all fun and games, or something equally as profound.

Mas 4 Less

2006-12-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

While we were waiting to pick up a pizza last weekend, Sandra and I dropped by a Mexican-owned establishment called Mas 4 Less:

Mas 4 Less.
Aside from having a ton of pinatas hanging from the ceiling, Mas 4 Less is also notable for displaying photos of sexy women in their front window:

Ice cream.

Shakira.
Que Bueno!

Not just yoga ... hardcore yoga, and at only a buck a tape

2006-12-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

I went to the Dollar General today to see if they still had any 90% off Halloween stuff, and they did, and I was going to buy some, but then I saw these two tapes in the discount videos bins.

Yoga Fusion - Power
Yoga Fusion - Strength & Sculpt

Both are described as a blend of yoga, pilates, sculpting, and more.
I wonder what the more is?

They both received favorable reviews at Amazon dot com.
Power
Strength & Sculpt

Ok, so maybe it won't keep bullies from kicking sand in my face, but at least I'll be agile enough where they will have to catch me first.

The instructors look pretty hot too.
I wonder if it's topless yoga fusion?

90% off at the Dollar General

2006-12-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

The past few days I've been hitting three different Dollar General stores and taking advantage of their 90% off Halloween items.

The $2.00 bag of hard candy was 20 cents, and the coolest thing about the candy is some of the hard candies have bubble gum centers, and another cool thing about the candy is you can put it in a xmas bowl, and put it under the tree, and no one will be the wiser.

The bobble head skulls, which are filled with bubble gum, and did I mention they are bobble heads ... well, anyway they were marked down from a buck each to ten cents each.

The stickers, of which there are two pages, were marked down from fifty cents to a nickel.

The Dracula bendables, and I'm not sure if you can see that there are two, were marked down from a buck to a dime, but I think by now you realize that 90% off a buck is a dime, so I won't say it anymore.

Finally ...
The Suction Cup Mummy of Doom, not to be confused with the Velcro Monkey of Doom, was a hmmhmm marked down to a hmm.

I mean, how could you go wrong with bargains like this???

Dollar Fiesta

2006-11-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

I've found an alternate route home after work which is actually faster than taking the freeways during rush hour. I always know I'm almost home when I see this establishment:

The Dollar Fiesta.

I will stop there one of these days and write a full report.

Under $10

2006-11-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sandra and I found no Thanksgiving decorations at the 99 Cent Store tonight, but look at all this loot we picked up for a mere $9.39 -

Cherry fruit roll-ups, a quart of orange juice (which I drank on the drive home), 4 energy drinks (2 mexican and 2 ginseng), flavored vinegar, a Chop-Chop brand potato peeler, salad seasoning, buttered popcorn flavored Mike & Ike's, a box of Bavarian Dutch (??) style pretzels, and two new fruit drinks (one sour apple and one grape).

The fruit drinks are called Tropical Twisters and the bottle design incorporates a twisty screw theme. The sour apple one is called Green Ghost and it is delicious:

Green Ghost.

So fuck it, who cares if they didn't have Thanksgiving decorations?

A Disposable, Yet Still Very Festive, Thanksgiving Feast

2006-11-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

In an effort to make this Thanksgiving as easy-peasy as possible I purchased Thanksgiving themed paper plates from the Dollar Store on which to serve the Turkey Dinner that I purchased from the deli counter of our local supermarket. By the way, our turkey dinner also serves between 6-8.

These are not ordinary paper plates. They are poly coated paper plates. In addition, they are not ordinary poly coated paper plates. They are 10.5 inch poly coated paper plates, which is a full inch and a half larger than an ordinary nine inch paper plate.

An ordinary nine inch paper plate compared to a 10.5 inch poly coated paper plate.

The two Hershey w/Almond candy bars, which, by the way, were purchased for twenty five cents each at the local Family Dollar store, are not included in the purchase price of either the ordinary nine inch paper plates or the 10.5 poly coated paper plates, they are only pictured to give perspective.

There are eight 10.5 inch poly coated paper plates for a dollar, which means there will be plenty of plates left over for a week of leftover dinners, and, or, snacks.

Also

2006-11-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

Rebelde merchandise is prevalent all over Santa Ana, but this is the sluttiest Rebelde image I've seen yet (it is also my favorite):

[ Click to view larger image. ]

It is a 50 cent sticker available from a local vending machine.

Viva la Rebelde!!

On the way back from CBS studios

2006-11-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

I've had this taking up space on my hard drive for long enough:

It's a 99 Cent Store on Beverly Blvd that Sandra and I passed about 3 or 4 months ago when we went to that taping of Rock Star: Supernova.

We didn't stop though because we weren't in the correct lane and didn't feel like turning around.

Plus you can only visit so many 99 Cent stores before it isn't such a bargain anymore.

2 New Video Synopses

2006-10-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

There are two new video synopses posts at Rebel Leady Boy's Video Synopsis Pages.

Samurai: Reincarnation.

The Doors: The Soft Parade, A Retrospective.

Tarps R Us

2006-10-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

I bought a 4 ft by 6 ft tarp at the Dollar Store yesterday.
It's a very pretty shimmery green color, sort of like the lightest shade of green in the camouflage tarp pictured below.

Too bad they didn't have any camouflage tarps, or I would have bought one of them.
Oh yeah, I used the tarp to cover up the air conditioner for winter. I already had the bungee cords.

Laser Stickers

2006-10-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

What is Rebelde? Because I found this sheet of "Laser Stickers" which contain the term Rebelde all over them.

[ Click to view larger image. ]
Detail:

[ Click to view larger image. ]

I think it is a Spanish TV show or something.

It looks like a skanky version of Saved By the Bell.

Variation on a Theme

2006-10-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

When we were driving around last Sunday, we passed a 99 Dollar eyeglass store:

With this blog in mind, I told Sandra, "Get the camera! Get the camera!" as I did a huge U-turn.

59 Cent Sale at the Little Dollar Store

2006-10-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

I think the Little Dollar Store on the Main Drag in ET is trying to get rid of stuff, either that or they are slowly going out of business, but I don't think they are because they keep putting new stock on the shelves.
Anyway, about six weeks ago they had a RED TAG ITEM SALE FOR 89 CENTS, not everything was on sale for 89 cents, but quite a bit of stuff was, then about three weeks ago they had a RED TAG ITEM SALE FOR 79 CENTS, it was basically the same merchandise as the 89 cent stuff, but with a few more items thrown in, then this week as I was driving by I noticed that they had a RED TAG ITEM SALE FOR 59 CENTS, same sale with a few more items added in, I couldn't wait any longer, I had to act!!!

I bought two sets of screwdrivers, one slotted, and the other phillips, a colander for draining spaghetti, and a three outlet grounded plug adapter!!!
I am practically breathless.

New Location

2006-10-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

As Sandra and I were exploring our new neighborhood this weekend, we were pleased to learn there are TWO 99 Cent stores in the immediate vicinity of our apartment. And I don't mean the 99 Cent Store Knock-offs (though there are plenty of those too):

Rafael's 99 Cent Shampoo.

I mean the 99 Cent Only stores! The real deal!

One of our two local 99 Cent Only Stores.

A nearby 99 Cent store is a blessing when you're furnishing a new apartment. We picked up quite a few items: a loofa back scrubber, a water pitcher, and oven mitts among other things.

Our most disappointing purchase was this ice cube tray which forms ice into the shape of various fruits -

Fruit-shaped ice cube tray pictured with "USA Clean" scrubbing pads.

We loved the idea of pineapple shaped ice cubes, but the idea was better than the reality because once the water is frozen, it's nearly impossible to get the fruit shaped ice cubes out of the tray. We ended up having to run hot water over the back of the tray which made more of a mess than we were willing to deal with. Maybe we will sell this on eBay.

I also picked up this cassette of Nelson Eddy Favorites:

Nelson Eddy Favorites.

Judging from the cover art, I thought this would be hysterical, but it is actually pretty solemn. I was a little disappointed, but I will play it from time to time when I'm feeling morose.

Latest Dollar Store Purchase

2006-09-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

A scented sink strainer/stopper.

I think Jonnie and Sandra should get one of the Ocean Breeze scented ones to remind them of their wedding day.

Little Debbie Snack Cakes

2006-08-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

I bought some Little Debbie Zebra Cakes at the Dollar Store yesterday, and unlike Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls which taste best right out of the freezer, Little Debbie Zebra Cakes taste best when served at room temperature.

Little Debbie Zebra Cakes

Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls

This has been a Public Service Announcement brought to you by the Association on How to Derive the Most Satisfaction From Your Snack Cake Purchase.

Super Drencher

2006-08-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Within Boz's wedding gift package to Sandra & me were two of these Super Drenchers:

Copyrighted in 1996, the Super Drencher is either a little ahead of its time or a little behind; I'm not too current on squirt gun evolution or specific dates. But the plastic is the same clear tinted brittle plastic that was used to manufacture the classic squirt gun while the water tank design is something which I think came about, or at least was widely popularized, by the Super Soaker.

Of course, the name Super Drencher seems to suggest the company was trying to cash in on the Super Soaker craze.

At any rate, this is a perfectly adequate squirt gun. It holds quite a bit of water and is a bargain at 99 cents. The gun's main draw, however, is it's double barrel action. Shoots 2 streams of water instead of 1.

It is pretty badass and so far has not shattered when dropped on concrete.

Danke Boz!

I have sadly neglected the Jonnie and Boz 99 Cent Blog

2006-08-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

These are some of the things I've bought in the last month or so from various Buck Stores.

With the way my neck has been feeling since surgery I thought an inflatable travel pillow would be a perfect purchase, and considering the pillow came with a toothbrush, a toothbrush head protector(the little green thing), and a free sample of Colgate toothpaste, it WAS the perfect purchase!!!

When I was at the Dollar Tree in Alpena I bought the Sherlock Holmes DVD. It contains three full length features from the 1930's and each one stars a different actor as Sherlock Holmes. The movies were so good I watched them all in one night.
Also while in Alpena I stopped in at the Big Lot and purchased three cans of Barbasol Shave Gel for sensitive skin that normally sold for a buck forty nine a can but was in the reduced bin for 75 cents a can. I haven't used any of it yet, but Barbasol is my regular brand so I don't see any problems.

I've bought a lot of other stuff too, but I don't really remember what it was except that I've had a craving for Macaroon cookies lately so I've bought about three packages of them in the past couple of weeks, oh, and I've bought some generic Zantac75 for heartburn, not mine but for MB.

Battery-Powered Nosehair Clipper

2006-08-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

This is definitely my longest-used 99-cent item. I've had it for well over a year and it's still going strong - a battery-powered nosehair clipper. While it is extremely fragile and very cheaply made (I think it would shatter if I dropped it on the floor), it is powered by a single AA battery and it effectively trims nose spiders just as well as a pricier model.

Here it is (right) next to my older, more expensive, clipper (left) -

While the older clipper resembled a medieval torture device which opperated by gripping and then painfully yanking out the nosehairs -

$6.50 manual clipper.

The battery operated model is a sleeker, more modern, and more humane gadget -

99 cent battery operated clipper.

What a bargain!

'Ol Glory Energy Drink

2006-07-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Sandra & I stumbled across a novelty energy drink called Ol' Glory ("America's Best Energy Drink") in Orange County's Produce World.

Aside from the 99 cent pricetag permanently painted on the can itself, Ol' Glory is notable mainly for the excessive patriotism of its product packaging.

Each can is wrapped in the U.S. flag & includes a depiction of the American eagle as well as the entire pledge of allegiance printed in large font (with the phrase "Under God" printed in an even larger font than the rest of the pledge) -

"Keeping Americans Strong".
It's a good thing for Ol' Glory that their packaging is so remarkable (and, in fact, I bought my can solely due to the "one-two-punch" of its over the top packaging and the 99 cent price tag) because the product's taste leaves something to be desired.

Ol' Glory includes the standard energy drink components (taurine etc.), but it's initial taste reminded me of drinking Alka Seltzer. The aftertaste was a little more pleasant though, something like lemon-lime Pez.

Ol' Glory Energy Drink ("America's Best Energy Drink") is a triumph of style over substance and I would recommend trying a can based on presentation alone. However, I seriously doubt many consumers return to purchase a second can.

Dollar Tree, West Coast

2006-05-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

I was in an unfamiliar part of Anaheim today and stumbled across a Dollar Tree, so of course I had to check it out.

Generally, this particular store wasn't maintained real well. I think they were short of staff. There was lots of disorderliness and general mess in there, but I found a few unique items.

Like Ribbons:

Dollar Tree Ribbons.
The above image is a scan of the two ribbons I purchased, Potty Training Award and Good Eater Award.

They had a whole rack of ribbons and I think they should've been 2 for $1. One dollar per ribbon is a little steep. I would've bought a lot more to use as novelty gifts if they were cheaper.

Sgt. Preston Vol. 2

2006-05-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight's 99 Cent DVD bargain -

Sgt. Preston of the Yukon.
From the back of the DVD sleeve:

In the rough and tumble era of turn-of-the-century Alaska it falls to one man to protect and serve. Along with his talented horse Rex and faithful dog Yukon King, Sergeant Preston of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police keeps the peace.

Three Episodes!
Fuck yeah!

99 Cent(aur)

2006-05-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I didn't post this treasure earlier -

Head-On.

Profile.
It's a plastic centaur I got at a Los Angeles 99 Cent Store a couple years ago.

I think I mailed it to my new niece last year.

Glitter lamp Night Light from the Dollar Store

2006-05-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, it cost $2.00, but still!!!

Hello, I'm Hervé Villechaize for Fantasy Brand Condoms

2006-04-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

99 Cent Fantasy

2006-04-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

While I was looking for off-brand NyQuil at the 99 Cent Store today, I found this box of 12 condoms. The packaging is exactly the same shade of green as NyQuil's packaging -

They are Fantasy brand condoms and the 99 Cent Only store keeps them in stock more or less permanently. There were about four different varieties and four different corresponding colored boxes, but I had to go with the sickly NyQuil Green box because that is the one which contained "assorted colors" and I thought assorted colors was the way to go.

Even better, the condoms' individual packaging does not tell what color each individual condom is, so it's always a total surprise.

I'm trying hard not to open them all up and see what colors they are.

99 Cent Van (text only version)

2006-04-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't made it to the 99 Cent Store once all month, but I dropped by this morning to pick up a few items for JohnnyC.

I almost brought my camera but decided not too, then I had to kick myself because in the parking lot they had what looked like a 99 Cent Store delivery van! It had the 99 Cent Only logo painted all over it and stenciled on the back was the phrase, "Driver Carries 99 Cents Only".

I think I got some good loot for JohnnyC. I also got more Daddy Ray's Blueberry Bars as well as a pack of Daddy Ray's Apple Bars, a 3-pack of cinnamon gum, some sauerkraut, 6 Snickers bars, and two bottles of juice (one grape and one cranberry).

But, man, I wish I had a camera to get a photo of that delivery van.

It's been a little dead in here

2006-04-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't stopped going to the Dollar Store. I just haven't bought anything interesting. I've mostly just bought staples, well, not staple staples, but staples.
Anyway, I found these neon diskettes the other day.

Plastic storage case included!
You can never have too many neon diskettes.

Cookies From the Dollar Store

2006-04-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

I had planned on buying some Daddy Ray cookies today until I noticed that they now come in a smaller 13 ounce package. It looks like Daddy Ray turned out to be the man, so screw him!
So instead I bought a 32 ounce package of Bob Esponja Orange-Pineapple sandwich cookies.

They are very tasty too.

The Hole-in-the-Wall Dollar Store

2006-03-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

Located on Newman Street in Downtown East Tawas.

They've been running this 89 cent special for a couple of weeks now.

They even have their own business card, and no it isn't 70's pop music icon Leo Sayer, it's just plain Lee Sayer, but wouldn't that be HARDCORE!!!

Daddy Ray's Blueberry Bars

2006-03-25T22:31:00.000-08:00

I love these things beyond what words can express. They're like blueberry newtons, but the blueberry flavor is remarkably strong in Daddy Ray's brand.

I'm not sure about the Daddy Ray icon though -

I would like to get a package where they ran out of the red ink that prints his beard.
He would just be a suit and hat with a disembodied face floating in between.

Hot Rod Girl

2006-03-22T05:13:00.000-08:00

Hot Rod Girl (1956) is one of two films on a $1 double feature DVD that Boz sent to me -

Hot Rod Girl / T-Bird Gang.
While the other film, T-Bird Gang, had its moments; it was a lot less entertaining than Hot Rod Girl. In fact, I fell asleep during T-Bird Gang, so I won't be reviewing that film.

Hot Rod Girl opens with footage of a dragstrip. While the opening credits are still rolling, we see Miss Lisa Vernon cross the finish line in her T-Bird. The announcer says she has won yet another race.

"Hot Rod Girl" - Miss Lisa Vernon.
[ Note RE "Nacirema Productiona": "Nacirema" is "American" spelled backwards (Sandra pointed this out to me some time ago). ]

Far from being a wild street-racer, Lisa Vernon is a very proper and wholesome All-American girl. And it soon becomes apparent all the good kids race at the dragstrip rather than hot-rodding in the streets.

The public doesn't realize this, however, and is pressuring the city council to close down the strip.

After the race, we meet Lisa's circle of friends, Steve, Flat-Top, and Lisa's responsible boyfriend Jeff -

The Hot Rod Gang.
In the background for just a few second, a car rolls by with 666 painted on the door:

Screen-shot detail.
They're all discussing dropping by their local teen hangout, Yo-Yo's; but Steve, the youngest, is unable to attend.

Jeff: "How about you, Steve?"

Steve: "Gee, I'd love to....but every time I come to the strip, Aunt Sarah puts a stopwatch on me...I'll be glad when I'm old enough to move in with you. She's strictly horse & buggy. She doesn't dig hot rods at all!"

The older hot rodders all chuckle affectionately. Then Jeff agrees to ride with Steve to diagnose a troublesome engine noise.

The scene shifts to the hot-rodders' friend, Ben. Ben is a little older, wears a suit and a hat, and is in a position of some authority with the local police force. Ben is out at his city councilman's office discussing the drag-strip. Teen hot-rodding is apparently a huge concern in the small town, because the city councilman has a huge poster of a horrible car accident on his office wall -

Councilman: "I've seen too much!"

Ben: "If you come out to the strip & get to know the kids..."

Councilman: "No thanks! That's your headache!!"

The Councilman continues, "All the calls I get...'Close the [drag] strip!', 'Confiscate all Hot Rods!'...Like a broken record!"

Ben is somehow involved with the drag strip (I think he might own it) and argues more kids on the strip means fewer racing in the streets. He finally persuades the Councilman to give it a chance.

Scene shifts to Jeff & Steve driving around. Jeff doesn't hear the engine sound Steve was complaining about.

Steve: "If I could really open it up..."

Then Jeff gets VERY serious and interjects, "At the racetrack!" Throughout the movie, Jeff is discussed as a good influence on the local youth. This is an example of his level-headedness and another example is right around the corner.

Steve starts in about his Aunt Sarah again - "Living with her is like driving with your breaks on!...Slow down!...Stop!...That's the story of my life!"

Jeff advises Steve to just cool it until he's old enough to move out, then a blond crew-cutted Eddie Haskel look-alike pulls up next to them at a stop sign and starts reving his engine.

Steve asks, "Who's this squirrel?"

The stranger is a real jackass. He's gawking at them, revving his engine and laughing. It's a pretty funny scene.

As they continue to drive, the squirrely driver is weaving in and out in front of them and laughing at them.

Who's this squirrel?
Jeff stays cool, but Steve begins to lose his.

Steve: "What's this guy trying to prove??"
Jeff: "Ignore him, Steve...Play it smart! He's looking for trouble - disappoint him."

The clincher comes at the next stop sign. They are behind the squirrely driver, who then BACKS INTO their car! TWICE! And laughs at them while he's doing so!

This is the last straw and Steve goes into a serious road rage -

Well, to make a long story short, they crash and Steve is dead. Jeff is crying like a baby -

Ben, Jeff, & Lisa - Distraught over Steve's death.
Jeff briefly gathers his wits until he looks at the overturned car, then he starts crying again.

The City Councilman is there too and opines, "That's a real hopped-up death trap".

Jeff, thinking he is responsible for Steve's death, withdraws into work. He has no more interest in drag strip activities and without his responsible guidance, the local youth are starting to all get squirly.

Scene shifts to Yo-Yo's some time later. Everyone is there except Jeff -

This opening segment of this scene is pretty hilareous and can not be captured in still screen captures. I may have to post a short video.
It's showing close-ups of the kids' ecstatic faces as they listen to crappy jazz records. It's the funniest part of the movie, in my opinion.

Lisa is the only one still talking about the drag strip since Jim has withdrawn into work.

Lisa: "You know, if they close the strip, the next step will be to outlaw all hot rods."

Flat-Top: "Aww...so let 'em, if it'll make the squares happy."

Now we meet LP, which is short for Long-Playing Record. Because she talks a lot -

LP and her man.

LP: "They wouldn't dare! My whole wardrobe is designed around the drag strip!"

Nobody takes LP seriously at all. Whenever she talks too much, they're all like, "Oh, LP! Flip the record!"

They discuss Jeff's absence. LP, who is apparently pretty promiscuous, suggests she could probably get him back.

LP: "People respond to me in a different way thatn they do to normal girls"

The discussion turns to illegal non-strip racing and Lisa walks out on them.

As further evidence the kids are getting out of control without Jeff's sober presence, Flat-Top pays Yo-Yo with a Canadian dime!

Yo-Yo: "Hey! This is a Canadian dime!"

Flat-Top: "So? Take a trip!"

Scene shifts to the garage where Jeff is working 12 to 18 hour days as a mechanic.

Jeff's boss: "You're looking tired, Jeff."

Jeff: "I like being tired."

Jeff's boss: "Yeah, I know."

Thankfully, this lame dialogue is interrupted by the appearance of Lisa who is trying to figure out why Jeff is shutting everyone out.

She asks Jeff, "Don't you think I have my pride? Do you think it's easy for me to come here?"

"Do you think it's easy for me to come here?"
Jeff finally explains he feels responsible for Steve's death because he's the one who souped up Steve's car for him.

Jeff: "Everytime I open the hood of a car and see the engine, I think of the engine I built for him!"

Lisa: "Trying to kill yourself with work isn't going to bring him back!"

Lisa warns Jeff that Flat-Top and the other kids "are starting to act up" without his guidance, but Jeff just can't deal with it right now.

Next we meet Talbot who pulls into Yo-Yo's parking lot revving his loud-ass engine -

Talbot.
Talbot is a little older than the other kids and is new to town. He is all over Lisa, who ignores him.

Talbot: "They told me this was a friendly town."
Lisa: "I'm the exception."

As Talbot leaves Yo-Yo's, he announces to anyone within earshot - "When I get my coffee pot perkin', maybe I can teach some of you cats a lesson!"

Talbot fancies himself a great driver, but he doesn't take good care of his car at all. When he talks to Jeff at the garage, he affirms, "I'm here for service, not a sermon! It's my heap and I'll do with it as I please!"

Back to Yo-Yo's -

Lisa, Judy, and Flat-Top talking shit.
Talbot unplugs the jukebox, losing everyone's credits, just so everybody can here what he has to say!

Then Jeff shows up! And reassures Yo-Yo, "I don't want trouble Yo-Yo, just music."

"I don't want trouble, just music".
So feeling a little pressured, Talbot just flat-out challenges everybody to a game of chicken.

Seeing the Jeff isn't taking the bait, Flat-Top stands up to the challenge.

Then Yo-Yo asks the gods, "Why do I have to run a hangout for lunatics?"

The "Chicken" scene is excellent! All the onlookers are tense as hell as Talbot and Flat-Top take their positions -

They barrel straight at each other down the road's center line and the first to swerve away is a "Chicken".

Flat-Top chickens out and Talbot mocks them all, telling them they are ALL "Chickens"!

Everyone is a chicken except for Talbot.

After Talbot leaves, Flat-Top's girlfriend makes him promise to never play chicken again.

Then LP adds - "Exciting! To exciting for me!! IMAGINE!! TOO EXCITING FOR ME??!!!"

Ben finds out about it a chews them all out - "One more hot rod accident and you ALL lose your licenses!"

Make-Up Scene -

Lisa is visiting Jeff in his apartment where they start some coffee and start to talk.

Lisa & Jeff's make-up scene.
As they start kissing on each other; Jeff, again the model of moral responsibility, smiles and states, "I think you'd better go."

They both smile, suggesting that if Lisa stays one more minute, Jeff is going to screw her.

Lisa: "Can I get my coffee first?"
Jeff: "I'll buy you a cup tomorrow."

He is going to lose control if she doesn't leave right now, so he makes her leave.

Jeff & Lisa embody the ideal of American 1950s virtue.

Now that Jeff is no longer working himself to death, he is able to get all the kids back out to the drag strip where they belong.

Ben finds Talbot sitting around in Yo-Yo's by himself trying to figure out where Lisa is. Upon learning she is at the racetrack with everyone else, Talbot flies off like a bat out of hell.

Ben follows him and arrests him for speeding -

Ben gives Talbot an ultimatum - "Folow me out to the drag strip and see how real hot rodders handle their cars, or I'll take you in on reckless driving charges...When we get there, we'll see how good this car of yours really is".

Once at the track, however, Jeff can't pass Talbot's car as safe. It has a list of things wrong with it and Jeff says it's unsafe to drive on the track.

Talbot loses it - "You dragged me out here so this chicken could make me look like a jerk!! I'd hate to see a REAL driver on this kiddie strip!!"

He ends with a direct threat to Jeff - "I'll get you yet!!"

Later, as Jeff and Lisa are driving around, Talbot approaches from the rear and keeps veering in front of them, trying to piss them off -

During this nonsense, a bicycle rider is hit and killed. Jeff and Lisa aren't sure who hit him, but Talbot is sure it was Jeff. The City Coucilman is so pissed, he fires Ben and closes the drag strip. Soon all hot rods will be outlawed.

Not one to wallow in self pity (unlike Jeff after Steve's death), Ben is hard at work collecting a paint sample from Talbot's car.

He then approaches Talbot, who is sitting alone drinking a soda at Yo-Yo's -

Ben informs Talbot his inspection of the accident site reveals Jeff's skid marks ending 50 feet before the kid while Talbot's go right through the impact point. He also thinks Talbot's car finish matches marks found on the boy.

Talbot responds by standing up and smashing Ben over the head with a bottle!

The Jeff runs in and beats the shit out of Talbot -

Brawlin' at Yo-Yo's.

Everyone agrees Talbot's actions suggest he is guilty. Then Ben says, "I have to go see a man about a badge", implying he will get his job back since he was able to determine the accident was Talbot's fault.

Then Jeff & Lisa make-out and everything is fine -

Commentary - The title is a little mis-leading, as the "hot rod girl" is really just a supporting character. It's not terrible, but could use a little more action. The "chicken" scene is badass as is the scene leading up to Steve's death, but highlights like that are few and far between. As part of a 2-for-$1 DVD though, especially one that was given to me for free, I can't complain at all about Hot Rod Girl.

St Patrick's Day Bargains

2006-03-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

I got a lot of deals today at two different stores, but I really don't feel like writing too much tonight, so let's see how it goes.

Since we've been doing Shoe Week on RW ... BS I thought I would get out the polish and take care of my shoes, but ... I couldn't find any of my shoe shining stuff, I mean I even had a real shoe shine box and everything, and it's gone, all gone, so I had to start from scratch. Shoe polish lasts forever and I hadn't bought any for at least ten years and probably more, so I didn't realize how much the price had gone up.
The cheapest that I could find Kiwi, which is the name brand, was two bucks a can at the Family Dollar and Dollar General, but I was able to get these off brands at fifty cents a can at the Dollar Daze in Tawas City, I also snagged a shoe brush, which cost over 4 bucks at Kmart, for a buck.

Murphy's Oil Soap is a great product to clean your shoes before you polish them. I saw a 16 ounce bottle at the Dollar General for two buck, I snagged a 20 ounce generic brand at the Dollar Daze for a buck. I also found some neat roller ball pens, which are my favorite, at the Dollar Daze, and what's this ... you get four and get another one free!!! How can they do that???
However, the deal of the day had to be the Full Throttle Energy Drink made by Coca-Cola that I got in the Dollar Section of the Pinny Food Center in Pinconning at a price of 3 for a Buck, that's right ... 3 for a Buck.

Finally, also at the Pinny Food Center, I was able to pick up two huge cans of Plums in Heavy Syrup for a buck a can, and some kind of M&M Xmas Candy for 99 cents a bag.

All in all, I made a pretty good haul today.
Rock on!!!

Jubilee Square

2006-03-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

There's another fake 99 Cent Store on Tustin & Palm, in a lot called Jubilee Square -

Thae actual establishment is called the 98 Cents + Mart

Plus is accurate because they just had a bunch or dusty smoke-stained junk which was all priced well beyond 98 cents.

Like this $10.00 (!) bike seat -

And this $1.99 ancient "beauty cloth", which is probably something like a cum rag -

[ Click to view larger image. ]

(You can see my reflecion in the $5.00 bicycle mirror on the left).

In Name Only

2006-03-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

One of many local "dollar store" frauds is located just down the road from El Taco -

[ Click to view larger image. ]

USA Dollar had all the signs of a rip-off establishment and indeed it was a dollar store in name only.

Inside it was like a dusty gas station snack-bar with a few crappy shelves full of crappy items (dish scrubbers, door mats etc.), all of which were of lousy quality and priced at more than a dollar.

After my quick walk through, I left immediately without buying a single thing.

USA Dollar sucks.

Crystal Ball

2006-03-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

I overheard co-workers saying the low-carb craze has pretty well run its course and a lot of places are re-packaging all their low-carb products to make way for the next diet craze.

So I predict the 99 cent and dollar stores are going to be chock-full of low-carb items for quite some time to come.

I miss the low-carb craze. It was over before it began.

Non-Dollar Store Bargains

2006-03-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

The Family Dollar is having a huge clearance sale on HBA* items. Three bars of Dial Green Tea and Vitamin E soap, which includes antioxidants at no extra cost I might add, marked down from three bars for $2.00 to 3 bars for a buck!!!

I was walking through Wal-Mart today and I saw the CD visors on clearance for 50 cents each, It was just what I was looking for, but not for my CDs, it's perfect for stashing my parking permit, proof of insurance, and auto registration in a convenient and easy to reach place.
Please note: This isn't the actual CD visor that I purchased, it is an artist's rendering taken from the tag that was attached to the CD visor that I purchased.

*HBA = Health and Beauty Aides

Dollar Tree purchase

2006-03-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

This whole St. Nicks Holiday Beverage/99 Cent Store fiasco made me forget the purchases I made at the Dollar Tree in Alpena yesterday.

Two MAGNIview Designer carrying cases ... glasses sold separately.
Also, a pair of sunglasses, which aren't technically a Dollar Store purchase, but it's Saturday night so I'll let it slide.

Sunglasses marked down from $9.99 to 99 cents at the Kmart in Alpena. I have a number of pairs of sunglasses, but none in my new car, and I knew on the drive home I would be going into the sun so I'd need a pair of sunglasses. You can't tell from the pictures but the lenses are the same color blue as my car.

I look like a real blues singer in this pic, don't I.
Blind Lemon Boz

The 99 Cent Store Rip-Off

2006-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Poor Jonnie.
Sometimes in his exuberance for all things 99 Cent Store he gets ripped off, and this is one time he got ripped off royally.
Jonnie purchased two cans of St. Nicks fist sized Holiday Beverage at two cans for 99 cents.
Today, I went to my local supermarket and purchased a four pack for 75 cents.
Also, while the 99 Cent Store only had two varieties my local supermarket had four varieties. In addition to the two flavors that Jonnie purchased my local supermarket also had Cola and Ginger Ale.

For the naysayers out there. Proof of my purchase. Yes, there is a ten cent Michigan deposit law, but you get that back when you return the empty can, and it's really a lot of fun to use the can crusher bottle return, it's so 21st Century ... hey, it is the 21st Century.
FAR OUT!!!

Did you notice that the St. Nicks Holiday Beverages that I purchased are not made by Shasta but by Faygo?
Hmmmmm!!!

I don't know about Blogger. I did a spell check and Faygo came back as fags. This from a program that doesn't even recognize the word blog! How homophobic can you get?

St. Nick's

2006-03-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

The holidays may be over, but Xmas cheer is still readilly available at the 99 Cents Only store in the form of St. Nick's fist-sized holiday beverages -

2 for 99 cents.

These little juices aren't bad at all, though the 8 oz. half-cans are empty after a few gulps.

St. Nick's comes in two varieties -

2 Varieties.

1. Holiday Punch - St. Nick's holiday beverages are actually Shasta products, which explains why St. Nick's Holiday Punch tastes EXACTLY like Shasta's Tiki Punch. Same delicious flavor, but in a much smaller (though more festive) container.

2. Snowflake Orange Cream - Very creamy orange flavor, like a dream-sicle. At first I thought this may be the best cream soda I've ever tasted. Then on second thought, it also tasted a lot like baby aspirin.

I think I'll save a can of each, maybe to hang from next year's Christmas tree.

99 Cent Anecdote

2006-02-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

I just remembered an anecdote from when Sandralein was visiting and I introduced her to Brandy, the owner of the house I rent from.

Brandy: Nice to meet you! Did he take you out and show you the area?
Sandralein: Yes!
Brandy: Did he take you to Disney World?
Sandralein: No, but he took me to the 99 Cent Store.

Brandy looked at me as if to say, "What a cheap-ass!".
She didn't understand though that neither of us were the slightest bit interested in visiting Disney World. We are much more interested in value.

Don't be a hater

2006-02-25T04:36:00.000-08:00

Why do these people hate Dollar Stores?

Comments on the article.

Buck Store Friday

2006-02-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

Click click for full size

Since I am getting rid of the premium channels on my cable service I thought I'd stock up on Dollar DVDs.
From the Dollar Aisle at Sav-a-Lot
ONE
Classic Comedy Laugh Pack
1. Africa Screams - Abbott and Costello
2. Flying Deuces - Laurel and Hardy
3. My Man Godfrey - William Powell and Carole Lombard
4. The Fatal Glass of Beer, The Golf Specialist, The Dentist - W.C. Fields

TWO
Suddenly - Frank Sinatra
The Man With the Golden Arm - Frank Sinatra

From the Family Dollar
10 Episodes of Dragnet - Jack Webb, Ben Alexander

Also from the Family Dollar:
Four Pumpkin Scented Candles marked down from $1.00 each to .50 each

99 Cent Phone Card

2006-02-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is amazing and I had my eye on it for quite awhile -

The 99 Cent Phonecard.
Upon purchase, you are referred to a 1-800 number, or to this activation webpage where you can set up an account and are provided with a local access number in California or Nevada. Then when calling from this local access number, all domestic calls (except Alaska and Hawaii) are only 1 cent per minute! ONE RED CENT!! And it comes with a 99 cent credit already on the card!

But I did not buy this card for it's 1 cent/minute domestic calling feature.
I bought it because international rates to Germany are only 3 CENTS per mintute!!
Well, 3.9. But the cheapest deal I'd found previously was 6 cents/minute.

Das Leben ist Ponyhof.

Cruisin' with a 40

2006-02-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I acquired a classic 40 oz. bottle of IBC rootbeer from the 99 Cent Only store -

A frosty 40.

When I was walking around the store with it, there was a hip-hop kid with his girlfriend and he goes, "Yo! They got beer here???"

This might be the coolest Dollar Store purchase ever

2006-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

A photo mouse pad. All you do is supply the photo. How much would you pay if you had this made?
Well, how much???
Yeah, I thought so.

Future DVD Review #5

2006-02-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

I picked this up at the 99 Store recently -

I normally wouldn't be too interested in a Roy Rogers DVD, but "Under California Stars" seemed like a nice title, then I read the synopsis on the back and it says "Trigger is kidnapped!"!!! I had to buy it after reading that! Who would kidnap a horse??

The synopsis goes on to explain, "Desperate to find his beloved horse, Roy enlists the aid of pretty trainer Caroline and her young friend Ted".

Sounds like a masterpiece.

Friday Update

2006-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

Took a ride up to Alpena today and decided to stop into the Dollar Tree.
Check out this bargain!
A 6 in 1 remote control.
But does it work???
Let's take a look.

Right click on image and open in new window to view the video.

A Beacon of Value

2006-01-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

If you've never seen the Anaheim 99 Cent Only store at night, you are missing one of the city's most appealing feature$ -

[ Click to view larger image. ]

This week's bargains

2006-01-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

I didn't do a lot of dollar store shopping this week, but I did purchase three things.

1. Ten 6 x 9 inch clasped manilla envelopes on sale at the little dollar store in town during their Everything Is 89 Cents This Week Only sale.
2. A bottle of Ajax dishwashing detergent, citrus extracts/w BAKING SODA. The baking soda is what sold me on this purchase.
3. The world's smallest fully automatic Umbrella!
According to the label the umbrella features:
- Revolutionary pushbutton automatic self-open and close
- Poly-pongee fabric treated with TEFLON for superior water and stain resistance
- Folds so small, yet opens to a BIG 40 degree diameter, and 44 inch arc
- Wind-resistant frame
- Self-fabric storage case
- Unsurpassed quality and and craftsmanship
- Lifetime limited warranty
It really is an amazing umbrella for only a dollar. It stores like a miniature umbrella, yet opens to the size of a full size umbrella.

BONUS!!!
Operating instructions for the world's smallest fully automatic Umbrella.

Illustrative Clip Art

2006-01-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

The proof is in the pudding

2006-01-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

As you can see with one simple picture I disproved Jonnie's theory that there is nothing that costs a dollar at the Dollar General.

In addition to the small garbage bags I also bought a broom, 2 cans of vegetable beef soup, two cans of cream of celery soup, a box of cheese flavored snack crackers, and I was very tempted to buy a whoopie cushion, and all these items cost a dollar.

Granted, it isn't a dollar only store, and the name of the store is misleading, not only because not everything cost a dollar, but there was also no General to be found, I mean, I thought at least the manager would be a General, but nope, no General, and if there had been you can bet I would have gotten my picture taken with him or her.

In my strictly unscientific study I found that approximately 20% of the items at the Dollar General sell for a dollar.

The Ready Leady Challenge

2006-01-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have decided to take Jonnie up on his challenge and see if I can find anything for a dollar at the Dollar General.
I will post my findings later today!

Comments that deserve to be a post

2006-01-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

Comments taken from this post.

JohnnyC. said...
Does it mean by shopping at the Dollar Tree that you're selling out on the 99 cent blog?? CONFESS!!!

5:36 PM

Rebel Leady Boy said...
The 99 Cent Blog celebrates all $1.00 and all 99 cent stores of all stripes.

Cali has a fair sprinkling of fake 99 cent and 98 cent stores too, but they are scams. They use that title; but when you go in, everything is regular price. They're usually independent establishments and I've learned to avoid them.

Like "Dollar General" in Indiana was not a true dollar store. I don't think they had anything in there that cost a dollar.

But Dollar Tree is a whole different story! I remember going to Dollar Tree in Indiana and they are fully endorsed by the 99 Cent Blog since everything in there costs a dollar or less.

5:08 AM

Boz said...
We should link The Dollar Tree. There is also a stigma attatched to shopping at the faux dollar stores like the Dollar General or the Family Dollar. If you shop at the 99 cent store or the dollar store it's ok because it is kind of kooky, but the Dollar General and Family Dollar are considered white trashy.

5:33 AM

I Don't Mean to Brag

2006-01-20T05:11:00.000-08:00

But -

My nearby Anaheim 99 Cent store shares a plaza with IHOP:

You can really spend the whole day there.

There's also a post office, so you can mail items from the 99 cent store immediately.

Also present in the same plaza - K-Mart, Hometown Buffet, and a bunch of other shit I forget about.

But yeah, IHOP! I think there should be a RW reunion in Orange County and we should all meet at the Anaheim IHOP, then walk over to the 99 Cent Only Store, then walk next door and mail each other postcards.

Black Cherry Shasta

2006-01-17T05:10:00.000-08:00

With the Orange city lights in the background.

I got a 6-pack for 99 cents to celebrate the release of Black Cherry Vanilla Coke.

The Dollar Tree in West Branch

2006-01-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

MB hadn't been out of the house for a few days so we went for a ride over to West Branch.
The Dollar Tree isn't my favorite dollar store, it is too antiseptic and too ordered for my taste, I like rooting around looking for bargains, but they had some pretty good deals today.

They had the perfect drink coasters!!!
Gleem is my favorite toothpaste. It doesn't have any of those extras, like peroxide, and whiteners, and baking soda, and mouth wash, that all the name brands have, it just gets your teeth clean and leaves you with fresh breath, and what more do you need?
Oh man, 75% off of xmas candy!!!
I got four bags of chocolate bells and four bags of peanut butter cups.

MB picked up some stuff too, but this isn't the MB, Jonnie, and Boz's 99 Cent Blog, is it?

Well worth the 80 mile round trip, and a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Travel Essential

2006-01-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Can you guess what this is?

It's a motherfucking switchblade toothbrush -

The proper name for this PreciDENT brand "travel essential" is the "Premium Folding Travel Toothbrush Advanced" and it is apparently no toy.

The packaging states Premium Folding Travel Toothbrushes are "ideal" for "the traveler or individual who wishes to brush after each meal".

The handle is described as "elegant" and the rubber grips are said to be "stylish" and "strategically placed to provide a sure grip while brushing".

The packaging also includes this helpful diagram -

Just to let you know it opens the full 180 degrees that would be required for a person to use it.

Finally, the packaging suggests some specific scenarios that would be ideally suited for Premium Folding Travel Toothbrushes -

Great For:
- Traveling
- College Dorm Living
- Desk Storage at Work
- Carrying in a Handbag
- Carrying in a Briefcase
- Gym Bag Essentials

Unfortunately, the 99 Cent Store only carries the Premium Folding Travel Toothbrush Advanced, so I was unable to compare it with the other models. I would guess the "advanced" model stands out from the others due to its stylish & strategically placed rubber grips and the fact that it opens a full 180 degrees, but I would have to do further research which I am not willing to do.

This brush does have one fairly serious drawback - When the brush is retracted, there is no mechanism to keep it in place. So when you hold it upside down, the brush falls out of the handle, allowing the bristles to attract travel debris. If I knew this ahead of time, I never would have purchased it.

As is stands, the Premium Folding Travel Toothbrush Advanced will require a rubberband or something to keep it retracted.

But then again, it was only 99 Cents.

Friday Purchase

2006-01-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

A nice selection of Paper Mate pens in a real glass!!!
Note Cards for MB, because she is crazy for writing letters.
Blue mouth wash, and two toothbrushes, because I am all about dental hygiene.

The Dollar Only Phenomenon is Spreading

2006-01-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Up here everyone is getting into the Dollar Store business.
Both local supermarkets and one of the local drugstores now have extensive Dollar Only sections.

Check out the cool 5 inch by 5 inch shadow box picture frame I bought in the Dollar Only section of the Save-A-Lot.

Pet Cactus

2006-01-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

I got a pet baby cactus at the 99 Cent Store last Friday -

Pretty low maintenance.

Did Pepsi make Holiday Spice for more than one season??

They didn't even give it a chance to become a holiday tradition. I'm sure egg nog wasn't a huge hit the first year it came out.

Short-sited bastards. They aborted a promising new flavor before it had a chance to come into its own.

Well thank god the 99 Cent Store was there to take the remaining stock off their hands and sell it off at a discount.

Triple Edge Razor Update

2006-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

The Triple Edge Razors that I bought from the Dollar Store are crap.
A razor is supposed to glide over your skin like sliding down a freshly wax papered slide at the park. Shaving with these for shit razors felt more like trying to go down the slide standing up wearing your brand new for school only rubber soled PF Flyers.
Ouch!!!

Rubber Soled PF Flyers

Coming Soon:

2006-01-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

A review of my latest 99 Cent DVD - Get Christie Love.

Get Christie Love.
The clerk kind of smirked when she rang this DVD up, I don't know if it was because of the fact I was buying it or because she had seen it before and it sucks.

Kiwis and Aspirin

2006-01-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

Here's my trunk full of 99 Cent loot when I got home tonight -

[ Click to view larger image. ]

I love going to the 99 Cent Store on payday. I walk out with at least half of my groceries and most of my needed odds and ends for virtually no cost.

I got a lot of stuff tonight, but I'll start with two of life's basic essentials -

Kiwis and Aspirin!

8 kiwis and 250 aspirin for a total cost of $1.98!!

The kiwis aren't quite ripe, but I got some last week and they ripen up just fine in a couple of days. I'll sit them on my windowsill in the sunshine to facilitate the process.

Coming up empty handed

2006-01-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

I went to the Dollar Store today with a certain item in mind and is so often the case when I go looking for a certain item I came up empty.
I was looking for drink coasters.
You know, the thing you put under a glass, or a bottle, or a cup to keep from leaving a wet ring on the table.
Anyway, I did find some. I think there were eight in a package, which would have been a heck of a bargain, but the workmanship was shoddy even by Dollar Store standards.
The coasters were just slick pieces of paper glued over a very thin piece of cork, but that wasn't the worst of it. The glue job was so bad that the coasters were already falling apart.
Still ...
I was very tempted to purchase the item, but didn't.

My latest Buck Store purchase

2006-01-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

10 smooth triple edged razors.
Suggested price of $2.99.

They were made in China so you know they have to be good because we all know what tough beards the Chinese have.
There is also a warning on the back of the package to keep out of reach of children, which I wholeheartedly agree with, because I think most children start shaving way to young.

Do you remember the SNL parody about triple edged razors that they did back in the 70's?
Talk about life imitating art.

Easter at the 99 Cent Store

2006-01-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

I took these pics last Easter at the Anaheim 99 Cent Store -

Note -
We should put the "99 Cent Only" Store's URL in the sidebar:
http://www.99only.com/about.htm

My latest purchase

2006-01-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

Two 10 ounce bottles of cherry flavored Compare to NyQuil night time cold and flu medication, and a pack of triple AAA batteries that were originally made for Kodak.

I prefer the original flavor but at 10 Ounces for a Buck I can live with it.
I do prefer the originally made for Kodak batteries over the originally made for Polaroid batteries, but that is just me.

L.A.'s Totally Awesome Plumber

2006-01-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

My first review will be - "L.A.'s Totally Awesome Plumber".

It is one of many cleaning product brandname knock-off's available at California's 99 Cent Only Store.

[ Note bag of glue in background. Also note 2-for-99cent avocado's on windowsill ]
My shower drain has been developing a clog over the past month or so. The water drains out extremely slowly. Drain cleaners are quite expensive, so I thought I would try "L.A.'s Totally Awesome Plumber" for 99 cents.

The label promises that it is "professional strength" and in all ways compatible with the leading name brands, but my drain clog still remains.

I applied the product to it's maximum impact. I poured in the whole bottle instead of half and I let it sit overnight before flushing with water (as directed "for stubborn blockages" on the label).

The water still takes forever to drain.

Though, to be fair, I have also tried a more expensive mainstream brand which achieved the same results (failure).

So, "L.A.'s Totally Awesome Plummer" may well be just as potent as higher-priced brands. Though, for this blockage, that is simply not potent enough.

Mission Statement

2006-01-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Awesome!
Whenever I go to the 99 Cent Store, I'm going to post what I got here.

I went on Friday and walked out with:
6 avocados
2 bell peppers
1 quart of strawberry banana juice
1 package of envelopes
3 liter bottles of orange Gatorade
1 6-pack of Shasta grape soda
1 loaf of bread
2 cans of spaghetti-Os
1 package of 15 cone-shaped coffee filters
1 bag of Tootsie Rolls
3 Snickers bars
and a few other things I forget

Total cost - $18.00

Fuck yeah!

The 99 cent blog

2006-01-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

Finally, a blog I can relate to.