it's getting to be that time of year again...
when getting something "nasty" can be impossible to avoid...
 |
| the aforementioned, "something nasty"... |
there are "colds"...
and then there's the flu...
when you are doomed to about 2 weeks of misery...
no matter how busy you are or how much you tried to avoid it...
of course, doing the "right things" can help...
but if you are around certain people...
[we all know who they are, though they don't see it...
they get sick, then spread it around...
because they won't just stay home...
unintentionally spreading illnesses to many...
who otherwise, might have avoided getting sick altogether...]
I started getting flu shots[and pneumonia shots...]
after I began my teaching career and got really sick a few times...
so every year, about this time, I go searching...
for a flu shot clinic, usually at a grocery store...
'cause then I only have to pay for the flu shot...
not the deductible for the Dr's office visit...
this year, money is very tight...
so as I contemplated trying to find the flu shot money...
in my change jar or by pawning something...
I received a birthday card from some friends at church...
it also contained a grocery store cash card...
which I'm sure that they intended for groceries...
but I quickly saw other possibilities for...
since it was the almost the amount I needed for the flu shot...
the shot had been $20-25 the last few years at Raley's...
and their flu shot clinic was to be today/tomorrow...
but their advertised cost was now $28[for both strains of flu in one shot...]
Wallyworld was advertising "walk-in" shots for $29.99...
so I decided to check-out SMart since I now had a $25 gift card for them...
there are a number SMart stores around Mudville...
since they bought out both Luckys & Albertsons several years ago...
so I went to the biggest one I could think of...
looking for an "in-house" pharmacy...
[they only give the flu shots in their pharmacies...]
there they told me that they didn't have a pharmacy...
and the customer service person suggested I go to Rite Aid...
as I was turning to leave, a customer, several aisles away at a register...
told me which SMart in town had a pharmacy & where they were...
so I went over there, got lost, finally found it...
went to the pharmacy and asked how much their flu shots were...
and could I use the gift card to pay for it ?
after being told that the shot was $28.95 and yes...
I filled-out paperwork...
the manager of the pharmacy was actually a Dr...
and I didn't feel the shot at all...
[most clinicians I've been inoculated by have been pretty heavy handed...
he was very gentle...]
they swiped my gift card...
then asked for $1.09...
it turns out that the price was really only $26.09...
they lowest price I've seen...
and I didn't have to wait at all...
though by the time I was done, there was a long line at the counter...
I swung by the meat counter as they had cross rib roast advertised at $1.99 lb...
they had 2 smaller roasts[2.5 lb each] which I bought...
then I picked-up almost 4 lbs of ground chuck at $2.49 lb...
which was also reduced another $.50 for a quick sale...
it should be noted that most of the other packages of grnd chk...
were $2.99 for the "Max-Paks" and $3.49 for smaller sizes...
it had been $2.49 last week and the package I got was from then...
the current prices are $2.99/$3.49...
[it's not unusual for them to have "last weeks sale prices" on things...
so I always check for it when I'm there...]
so for about $19, I got a good supply of meat for the freezer...
as well as a low cost flu shot...
all in all, a pretty good day !
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