More Coupon Fun

Made a quick run out to BiLo and CVS by my house. They are literally right next door to eachother in a strip mall. At CVS, I bought three things...I would have bought a few more, but they were out of what I needed. I got Secret Platinum for $1, feminine products for free, and downy fabric softener for $2.49 (liquid concentrate). And the register printed out an additional $15 in Extra Care Bucks! So, I now have $25 in Extra Care Bucks.

I then went to BiLo to get one of my WIC lists: Milk, Eggs, Beans, 5 Juices, and 3 Cereals for free. Then I followed my list to get the rest of the deals. I even bought some weird stuff that actually ended up being free to add to my freebie/donation pile to others in need. (Hey, It's free!) The list of scanned coupons that follows the list of items is equally long! That's hilarious! I even bought 2 big packs of hamburger meat cause we were really low! At 1.99/lb I spent nearly $11. My subtotal before savings was $67.29, my savings on coupons alone (not including sale priced items) was 35.02, and my sub-total after savings was 32.27! I bought a Gillette Venus Razor which normally runs at least $9 and after the close-out price and the coupon, it literally cost me .34 cents! Love It!

I guess Walgreens, Publix, and Ingles are tomorrow...Maybe.

Celebrate Small

In the midst of one of the busiest weeks I've had in 2 years, I did manage to get some cleaning done! I wish I had taken a before picture of my closet! But alas, I did not. We have a very old house, which we love! That said, we only have three closets in the entire house! One in the Master bedroom, one in the kids bedroom, and one in the hall in between. The one the Master Bed is 1/3 taken over by the hot water heater, so I use it for my closet and the hall type closet. Jason uses the hall closet as his own, and we store linens for the bath in a lingerie chest that fits just so in the hall, next to the bathroom. The sheets are stored in the basket turned make shift side table next to the bed. You do what you have to do. The only entrance to the attic that hasn't been used in 70 years according to the landlord is through the top of the closet. I took the entire Master bed closet apart! I wanted to scope out the attic and see if some of our storing type stuff could go there.

Maybe it could, maybe it could not. I was unsure, so I simply reorganized the closet, weeded some things to the garage sale pile. It is so cleaning. I did the laundry and folded it and put it up (this is never ending though!) I nearly finished the Master Bedroom itself. I took everything out from under bed and cleaned and organized it all. Hopefully Monday I will get to finish it up and take an "after pic."

I also managed to sort through, clean, and organize the "catch all" dining buffet. I do have a before and after of that, though not of the inside. So, here's to small victories!

Another Success

My sister was in town and wanted to watch the kids (M and her cousin), so I got to run all my grocery errands so as not to miss out on any freebies from the list (or really good deals). I didn't get to do as much preparation as usual and so my route for shopping hopping was not pre-arranged. This cost me in a little of time and extra gas. Not too much hopefully. Needless to say, that is my only complaint!

One of my bloggiest friends asked me if I ever got anything that could make an entire meal or was it mostly just toiletry items that I got the best deals on. When you see my pics, you do see a lot of toiletries. I think that is because I typically get meal type things and meat and such in my Angel Food Box each month.

That ministry is so helpful to us. Some months are better than others, but so far we are still getting far more than the $25 we pay for it. In fact, I'll post this month's list below.

1) 26 oz. Chicken & Stuffing Bake Dinner
(4) 8 oz. Hamburger Steaks
(1) 2 lb. Lasagna Dinner
(1) 5 lb. Breaded Frying Chicken
(1) 12 oz. Philly Steak Portions
(1) 3 lb. Popcorn Chicken
(1) 1 lb. Hot Dogs
(1) 16 oz. Gourmet Bean Soup
(1) 7.5 oz. Mac & Cheese
(1) 7.5 oz. Southern Style Biscuit Mix
(1) 24 oz. Steak Cut Fries
(1) 16 oz. Peas & Carrots
(1) 16 oz. Turnip Greens
(1) 15 oz. Sliced Pears
(1) 8 oz. Pineapple Chunks
(1) 10 oz. Peanut Butter
(1) 13.75 oz. 10 ct. Waffles
(1) Dessert Item

AND, for another 4 months we qualify for WIC in our area, so that usually takes care of eggs, milk, cheese, cereal, and juice. (Free)

That is one reason why you may see less foodie type stuff in my shopping collections for now. It won't always be this way, AND "the list" does give you heads up on good meat prices, produce, etc. Ingles is typically the cheapest of all "the lists," but I haven't compared them to Aldi, Quality Foods, or Sav More (sp?)

As for the picture, there are 46 items seen. Each item individually was less than $1.19. In fact, the toilet papers are the only things over $1. 9 items were free (after coupons and rebates), some were even less than the rebate amount which means that I'll be making a few cents here and there to put towards other things. The only other things I bought today were a $2 pair of cute socks with stars, 2 special flosses at regular price (long overdue in needing these), and a box of Nice n Easy hair color that ended up costing $2 after coupons and rebates. I had Extra Care bucks to put toward my sock purchase, so I ended up getting 5 pair of socks for $2.18 Pretty amazing. Want the grand total?

Total value: $160.12

Total spent: $49.85

Savings: 69%

Spring Cleaning

This spring cleaning thing is not something I have ever much aspired to before. And this year I'm not just anxious to get it done because it's spring. It's just long overdue. Some of the clutter is the result of never having fully moved in and gotten things where we want them. Some clutter has to do with the smallness of our space and the fact that we have not yet simplified and found enough places for certain things to go. AND of course we have the natural clutter that comes from having a very rambunctious toddler in the house. Some things are not worth straightening up until she has gone to sleep.

I am starting a series on Spring cleaning. Yesterday I focused on our Master Bedroom. I actually did not get it completed though I did get rather far. I would love to finish that today and get to work on the kitchen, but my presence has been requested to help another family member get ready for their big move tomorrow. I will clean that kitchen though. It's filthy...at least I'll get the dishes taken care of.

The next several posts will hopefully be of before and after photos or my progress. That way, if you don't see any for awhile, you can hold me accountable for what I'm supposed to be doing...aka cleaning.

Off to tackle the dishes if nothing esle.

Inexpensive Fun!

Superfrugality led me to these vinyl stickems on sale the week after valentine's day! They were .75 cents! I chose the ones with other pics besides typical v-day things. This one has funny little bugs on them. We have a clear glass door behind our regular door (or in front of depending on what direction you're looking from I suppose). We like to keep it open to let in the natural light, and so I brought out the stickems which was so much fun. Mercy was so tickled over my .75 find! So much fun to be had on three little quarters...AND they aren't stickers, so you can reuse them over and over! Even better!

Color Catastrophe

I heard the noise, but thought it was something else. Sure enough when I went to check on dinner, with M* on my heels I spotted it. I stopped in my tracks and said, "Who could have done this?" She didn't do or say anything, so I asked again. Then she started crying. Amazing that children know what they should and shouldn't do. Even at 20 months. I picked her up and told her she knows that this is not acceptable and that I would have to "scold" her. Mr. Sad Spoon took care of it. I think she was sad just knowing that she had disappointed me. I told her I was going to have to clean up the crayon mess. To which was said, "Cleamup?" And so I asked, "Can you help mommy do it?" And so we did it "together". Wipes didn't work, but Mr. Clean is a Crayon Catastrophe Lifesaver!

Filling in the Gaps

I'm no longer the worst blogger ever. There is still alot for me to learn, and I realize some of my pics displaced stuff, but I just wanted ya'll to know that I filled in the last 3 months worth of pics. It sounds overwhelming, but it really isn't. Just check out December and January in my archives, and be sure to scroll around in February to make sure you didn't miss anything. Enjoy!

The !Sucker! Incident

Been meaning to post this for a while now. After a fall with a half eaten !sucker! M* needed a bath in the middle of the day. She was so ill about it that she waved it around and around trying to bat it out of her hair. Needless to say that only made things worse!

*M's* first Pics

M* took the camera hostage for a bit today. Luckily, it did not ensue much damage and we were able to reclaim it with enough distraction to cause a minimal meltdown. Here are the results of her first "shoot".

Bloons and Co-Cakes

You must re-read the above title and pronounce it with a thick southern drawl and a slight lisp. Here is the first of several pic posts with *Miss* M* in them. Enjoy. And thank you Aunt Shebby for the "blue" co-cakes. They were a hit. sorta dreading tomorrow when *M* asks for them and they aren't there.

A Good Laugh

It finally happened. I got an out and out condescended laugh/snort from the teller in the check out line today at the home goods store. I had chosen to purchase a very eclectic something for someone who reads my blog so I can not say too much. It was on clearance more than 75% off. There was a matching one of these eclectic items only made slightly bigger and because of their large discount I was tempted to buy them both and give them as separate gifts. The larger one was more expensive (of course use that word in its context noting that it too was at more than 75% off). After milling around the remainder of the store with two other gals, I decided I would only get the one (less expensive one), save the money, save the space (mine for storing till gift giving time, and the receivers since the item is of a decent size as it is). The gift by itself is great! Being more than 75% off means it came with a scratch and a dent here and there, but nothing a little paint can't make seemingly unnoticeable.

I get up to the counter and hassle the clerk about another clearance item that is broken and would involve a major gluing task, but was cuter than the non-broken clearance one. I wanted to see if they would mark it down any further since the one that was broken was marked the same as the one that wasn't broken. They turned me down, so I didn't get that item. So, she only had this gift to ring up. She looked at me inquisitively and asked, "wasn't there another one just like this over there?" Too which I replied, "Yes, but it cost more ($3 more mind you)." That's when I heard it...the laugh/snort. I finally heard what I fear from most cashier clerks! It was sort of a relief because my suspicions have been verified and now they can be laid to rest! Apparently, some people do think I'm crazy, cheap, or an over-the-top bargain hunter!

VICTORY!

First Day of Shopping and Saving

Those of you who know me, know that I am and have always been a bargain shopper, but this new "Coupon Coop" (hehe) takes it to a whole new level! I took a pic of my purchases today so that I can post it tomorrow so look for that. But, I have never been on such a delightful shopping extravaganza. I'll explain. I went to Walgreens and Ingles today because their weeks run from Sunday to Saturday. At Walgreens I shopped the list (grocery game) and of course had to check out the after valentine's day sale, as well as a ream of paper that I needed desperately, and a few little $2 gifts to stash away for Mercy and Stone on their birthdays! I had trouble at first finding everything that I wanted. They weren't where they should have been, but a very kind employee who spotted me wandering and looking slightly confused offered her assistance. She didn 't even seem slightly perturbed when I sought her out two more times.

I had noticed that the store manager and another manager that came across as being even higher up than the store manager were talking about sales, promotion, and such as they were redoing an isle for Easter. On my way to the check out counter I let them both know what a terrific employee she was. They seemed thrilled, and she (the employee) told me bye with a big smile, so the word must have made it to her quickly! That just made the shopping experience ten times better. I felt light and carefree almost.

As if that alone didn't make for a great first day of shopping and saving, I also went to Ingles. I followed the list nearly exclusively with the exception of fabric softner which I was totally out of. I actually found one that was only $1 and didn't smell like a moth ball had been dropped into the mix!

When I got home, I took a pic of all I got and then sat down and figured up how much I spent, saved, and the percentage. Here are the results:
The total cost was right at $40.00 (give or take a few cents). It's original total value was right at $123.50. My savings percentage was 67.5%!!! Can't wait to go for Bi-Lo and Publix! And I can't wait to post a pic!

Happy Heart Day!

Onions, Onions, Good for your heart

The more you eat them, the more...

So for the first time in a VERY long time my husband, who is allergic to onions, splurged and had onion rings with lunch. Not only was it easily noticeable on his breath when he kissed me for Valentine's Day, but the gas is so fiercely loud and atrosciously smelly! All I can say is ... good thing we are really celebrating Love Day on Sunday evening. Maybe his allergy will have worn off by now!

Coupon Coop

Today I started gathering the hens for the newly imagined and hopefully soon established Coupon Co-op. I passed around a sign up sheet that said Coupon Coop, and in all actuality I did realize it came out that way, I just thought it was kind of cute and amusing...and sort of "me".

This should be a really exciting new venture for a lot of us. Hopefully, it will prove to be a money saving venture as well. In the next few weeks, we mothers will be getting together for coupon clipping and money saving advice (and lunch of course with all the kids in tow). I plan on putting together a packet of info and maybe (if I'm nice) I'll pick up some of those organizers in the dollar bins at target for everyone. Then I think I'll open the floor for suggestions on how often to meet and those who may want to lead a session on a certain money saving topic.

The asset that sent this "Coop" into full blown frenzy was the two websites that my mom and I recently found. The first is called the Grocery Game. This lovely lady does all of the really hard work for you...matching coupons with your local grocery sales and telling you what is at its rock bottom prices and what is priced well for stock piling. The second site is a site called Coupon clippers. This is a pastors family WAHM business. They do the clipping and where you can not legally sell coupons for money, you can charge a handling fee for the clipping and mailing and such. It is minimal and you can get multiples of certain coupons that you use frequently. This is especially good for stockpiling. Plus, you are giving business and money to this well deserving family.

My mom and I are extremely excited and I'm sure we will periodically report back our savings!

Clearance and Coupons

I'm a bargain hunter at heart; out of necessity and out of pleasure. Someone recently described it as my "high" or my "crack". Well, I certainly don't condone that, and like any other "habit" it can be a bad one if not kept in check. Need vs. Want...Need vs. Want. That's my Dave Ramsey mantra. Still, like dieting there are going to be times when that Chocolate Molten Lava with Ice Cream for only $1 more gets the better of you. At least at those times, you've got your bargaining principles in line to make the backsliding less harmful.

Today some of my wants overtook my needs at Goody's. Of course, though I cannot blame my lack of self discipline on my mother, our favorite hobby does tend to be shopping. Here was the loot we came away with. I got my Easter dress for 9.88 (originally $70), a very trendy, sassy, U.S. Polo blue jean jacket for 11.98 (originally $44), a black and a brown pair of my favorite wedge shoes 9.98 each (originally $35), a beautiful black velvet Duck Head jacket for 6.38 (originally $60), and 4 other tops, a pair of earrings (these I needed cause my others broke(and they were 1/2 off)), and a pair of black leggings with tiny white polka dots. All in all, I spent almost $72, BUT it was all worth three bucks shy of $400!!!

Using a 20% off coupon for the entire purchase and only shopping the clearance items, I was able to purchase my clothes at an average of about 83% off! Brand new! On the rack! Tags on!

Moral of the story..."Even still...never go shopping with your mother when you're hungry."

Worst Blogger Ever!

Hah! OK. Here in South Carolina, blogging is no new thing for these Mommys! I am soooo far behind it's not even funny! I've been told that for starters the name of my blog is totally uncreative. Then, the fact that I rarely post pics is because I barely have a clue how to do it and have to elicit help from my computer geek hubby. Then!!!! Some of my new found friends put video clips on theirs! I want to do that! I have been taking pics all week to put on the blog. Last Wednesday it snowed and I took pics to post, but haven't sat Jason down to help me do it. I had a productive thrift shop-a-thon, the results of which I photographed to post, but still haven't sat Jason down to help me do it. I took a video clip of Mercy and her daddy engrossed in her new computer favorite, the dancing banana singing Peanut Butter Jelly Time...just for the blog and yet I have no clue how to put it on. Ladies...I think I need a private tutorial! I'll trade, singing lessons or tightwad tips for blogging aide!

And We Get It

No, this post is not about SunCom or Harry Connick Jr. We got the job! Jason had his 2nd interview with a local family owned company. They are a very good company apparently, so word of mouth around here tells us. The interview was superb! And we waited for the call. And it snowed...And no one went to work or school. And his last day doing contract work for his previous company came. And we had our taxes done. And finally, he called them and they filled him in that he got the job, it pays the same as his previous one (which is great!), and they went through all the nitty grittys...the perks, the responsibilities, etc. AND we are thrilled! He starts Feb. 15th.

Thank you all for your fervent prayers. There was never a doubt that God had this. He has always been faithful.

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

and he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord

Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord!

Tightwaddery is back!

Yippee! I discovered the Tightwad Gazette late in life. Too late to actually get the newsletter. But I read all the books and in true tightwad fashion, I didn't pay a penny for them. I got the first one that hooked and roped me in from my dear friend Adele. She was playing cleansweep at her old abode and I was the beneficiary of the book #1. Then I went in search for 2 and 3. And checked them out of my local library and read and made notes almost immediately. I longed for more, but Ms. Amy D had retired.

Well, my mom just recently found the family who picked up the torch. The Economides family! You guys would really be missing out if you didn't check there website out. www.homeeconomiser.com This family really works hard to be dubbed The Cheapest Family in America. Apparently, I'm way behind cause they've been feature on television several times even recently, but we rarely watch it during the day. I'm very tempted to buy the book used and/or split a subscription to the newsletter. Might make a really great valentine's day present!

Anywho...that's just a heads up to all you who check in on this periodically. Gotta go get ready for dinner with the SS class!

Working on Thriving

So, I was scolded for not having blogged in a while. I've learned my lesson and now I'm back. Do you need an explanation or an excuse? OK well here's the short version. I haven't really had anything interesting to say. AND there was the whole getting a new computer thing that set us back. AND my husband seems to have taken up permanent residence at the computer. He's asleep now, so I have my chance.

I have been working on thriving, and I must say it seems I might be good at it (with help of course). I have a friend! And I have the possibility of many more friends, real opportunity. In fact, we've already begun the relationship building process. Jason and I are going over to a couples house in our SS class next week for dinner. I am involved in a Mom to Mom group which I feared might be slightly cheesy and super baptisty, but I have found it to be essential to my spiritual, emotional, and parental health. I have only been two or three times, and already I have learned and been challenged so much! I'm singing in the choir and loving every minute of it! And we are starting dinner groups in our enormous SS class next month! This church and what God is doing here is amazing! And I'm so glad we're in the middle of it. I'm even studying God's word on a regular basis, which is a challenge for someone with a toddler and sleeping problems, but it really hasn't been difficult at all. And I miss it when I have forgotten or don't wake up in time. Now we just need to pray for Jason...

He needs a job. He has a lot of possibilities, but no job. This is new to him and it seems he is easily discouraged. I know what it feels like to be in a new city and have no real friends or a job where he could make friends. Then there's the man thing where they find a lot of their self worth in being able to provide. And so far, we have wanted for NOTHING. Don't ask me how, cause my only answer would be God. Not just a job though, I pray for him and uplifted spirit. One that is not hesitant to reach out to new people in order to build the relationship. One that shows determination and perseverance in putting himself out there to find a job. I hear cynicism and/or bitterness, maybe even resentment in his voice sometimes when he talks about "friends" or a "job". So, I just ask that ya'll pray for him with me. I don't want him to be where I was just a few months ago!

Mercy is tremendous! We marvel over her daily! She is super smart! She speaks in sentences very clearly for the most part! Of course not everything she says is a sentence, but she uses them fairly often. She says "watch a movie", yesterday she said "make you feel better", and she sings more than before. She knows more songs than I thought she did! I'm going to post some pics soon cause Jason uploaded them.

Well, just the last few things. I gave my resume to a church just for clerical work a few hours a week. Don't know how that should go, but I'm hoping God will open and close those doors for me. I've been invited to a women's bible study in the homes of some of the younger minister's wives in the church. I'm not usually a workbook bible study kind of gal, but Jason encouraged me to try it and see. I am trying out for the Soprano part in a classical easter performance of the 7 Last words of Christ. Haven't much done the classical thing in a while, so we'll see. And last but not least, I am exploring taking community Spanish communication classes. I really hope the latter works out.

OK. I will try not to be gone so long next time. Gotta get Mercy and Jason up so we can go to Janet's for BOGO breakfast today.