Walgreens 3/1-3/7 plan

I plan on getting a couple of the free after RR toothpastes and some of the diapers. This is how I plan to work it.

First transaction: 1 toothpaste/1 pack of diapers
$4.50 for diapers
$3.29 for toothpaste
-1.50 coupon for toothpaste ( I will have to find my coupon though :( )
________
$6.29
-3.29 for RR I will receive
______
$3 + tax

2nd transaction
$9 for diapers
-3.29 for RR
________

$5.71 + tax for 2 packs of diapers



I have heard reports that there is a diaper coupon out when you ask at the pharmacy about the prescription savings club plan. I have not verified this yet and some people have said their pharmacy does not have it. If there is a coupon available then it will take $2 off each pack. Holy smokes! Super cheap diapers that way. I am going to try to get one next week.

I might also do the pepsi deals this week. I am getting low and am not seeing great sales and don't expect any until closer to Memorial day.

Diaper coupon is not valid on "promotional pricing" so using that is a no go.

After much thinking and planning for the following week, here is my revised plan for the week of 3/1:

$8-2 diet pepsi 12 packs get $3 RR
3.29 colgate toothpaste get $3.29 RR
$9-2 packs Walgreens diapers
_____
20.29 each transaction
$6.29 back in RR each time

not sure how many times I will get the toothpaste but free after RR is pretty good especially since I can use the RR next week to save some OOP. I want to get 6 packs of diapers, 4 for us and 2 for my brother's baby shower. The week of 3/8 is a big week for me at Walgreens. I will probably do the toothpaste once or twice and do a third transaction sometime in the week like this:

2 dt pepsi $8
2 diapers $9
______
$17
$-3.29 RR from toothpaste
______
$13.71 get back $3 RR on dt pepsi

This would leave me with $9 RR to use the week of 3/8

and that is the way I shop!

I told R that when we left Walgreens this morning.

I got 2 20ft rolls of aluminum foil normally $1.69 each. They were on sale for .89 cents each and I had 2 $1 off coupons. So -.11 for each.
Also got the kids a clearanced Valentine's candy thing as a filler for .37
20 free prints from the other day $0.00.

My total OOP was 27 cents. Yep 27 cents. We got in the car. I showed R the receipt with how much I saved ($4.92) and I said and that is the way that I shop. He laughed and said...free is good.

what a day!

Coupon preview is here

We moved O upstairs and moved the master bedroom downstairs...Geez. What a Pain! I still have things to move but the necessary items are moved.

I made a great Hamburger Gravy to go over mashed potatoes for dinner. It was wonderful. I browned 1 lb of hamburger and dumped a 16 oz can of cream of mushroom soup over it and added a dash of milk. I seasoned it with pepper. It was delicious and filling. Even K (aka miss finicky as of late) enjoyed it and had seconds and thirds. WOW! it was good if she was asking for more.

We are in the process of decluttering, yet, again, still, always. It is difficult to declutter when you want to garage sale the stuff but can't store it in the garage yet. It is too cold out. So we have a corner of O's new room designated as the "garage sale corner". I hope to get that cleaned out as soon as it is warm enough out to move it to the garage. I need a day without anyone home so I can just crank the stereo and get stuff done. Probably won't happen but oh well. I can work around everyone here. I do a bit at a time and eventually it will get done.

Check it out

The "vent and dent" has a website

quick trip to the "vent and dent"

K calls my favorite store the "vent and dent". LOL it is so cute. Anyway, I got a few things. I was pretty pleased once again. I got everything I went for and a few more things. I spent $22 but came home with a bag and a box of food.

narrowed the search

we are down to 2 companies for our homeowners insurance. I have just a couple questions to ask the agent and I will decide tommorrow. Either way we are sticking with our current vehicle insurance as the agent could not get us a cheaper rate with any company. I did get one cheaper rate with esurance but after reading reviews for many hours, I decided against switching to them. It seems everyone who had a claim had an issue getting a representative, finding a body shop that would deal with esurance, etc. So we will stick with what we know. I know our current company has been good to us. I had a hail damage claim in 2006 and they were here the very day I called to assess my car. They even came to my job and did the assessment there. I was very pleased. The same company we have for auto is one that I am considering for homeowners but their rate is slightly higher than what we currently have but the insurance seems better. I am going to talk the the agent about it tommorrow.

called our agent

and I got her butt in gear about our insurance. she is emailing me the quotes today. Hooray! plenty of time to make a decision

FREE PRINTS at Walgreens TODAY

20 free 4X6 prints. use code ONEDAY. you have to order 20 or more. I tried to just do 17 but it wouldn't take the code. Funny. you would think if I only wanted 17 they would allow that but guess not...oh well.

shopping around for insurance sucks!

It does. I hate every minute of it. The first quotes, which looked sooo good, turned out to not be accurate. The agent had "forgotten" to include a couple details and when she ran the final quotes to send to me to sign and return with a check, they were higher than what we currently pay...Did she think I would not notice?!? So I cancelled our dealings with her. I called our current agent and told her what we wanted and she is in the process of shopping around for us. I am running into a short window of time here to make a decision. Our auto policy is due for renewal on 2/28 so I have to get it sent on Wednesday of next week at the latest. The good news is that we can still get much better homeowners insurance for less than $100 more per year. I was talking about switching insurance with my parents tonight and Dad asked mom what their coverage is. She didn't know. They haven't changed it since 1995, when they got the new house after our house fire. Wow! that is a long time. Dad said they are going to look into it now too.

I was disenheartened yesterday to see the work schedule and only have 20 hours. I told my boss that I did not need the days off that I was given so if she needed me, call. I went to work this afternoon and TA DA....I am scheduled another day...a full 8 hour day...instead of the 5 hour shifts I have been given recently. YAY!

Sent another payment off the my car today. I am really working on it. I am another month ahead. It is getting sooo close to being paid off.

I bought something very unthrifty today...but it was necessary. Huggies goodnites for O. She has been waking up every night between midnight and 2 am, soaking wet. The Walgreens diapers just aren't cutting it for the nighttime flood. They were $10.99 for 27...talk about sticker shock, but if they keep her from waking up and waking us up...it is worth every cent!

been having thoughts again

IDK why but I get these "thoughts" in my head. It happened with the stockpiling, among other things. The most recent thought is not a good one however. The thought is that we need to up our homeowners insurance. We have not upgraded our policy since we bought the house and we have done some improvements to it since. We are insured for a bit more than what we need to pay off the mortgage but it is not enough to rebuild our house should something happen. I have recently become quite concerned about this and I am not sure why...could be the economy, or the fact the R is laid off and no bank in their right mind would give us another mortgage should we need one with our piddly current income. IDK but whatever it is, it has forced me to start shopping around and getting quotes for better insurance on our home.

The week ahead

My stores are not having much for sales so I am taking this week to send the extra I would have spent on groceries and sending it to my car. The just over $2000 I owe is really getting knocked down fast. Hooray! I need to get an oil change and I need to pick up the last of the cat litter and then I need nothing else for the week.

Yesterday I went to the Walgreens in my in-laws town and they were out of the drain cleaner I intended to buy so we ended up perusing the clearance candy. We got some suckers and a couple other things. They also had these heart shaped photo holding keychains. I ended up getting 5 of them for 75 cents a piece. I put pics in mine last night. It is great. I am giving one each to my brother, his GF, MIL and my mom. For my mom I am going to put in a pic of my girls and leave the other side blank for her to insert a pic of her newest grandchild, when she is born in May. For MIL I am putting in a pic of our neice and nephew and our daughters and for my brother and his GF, I am leaving them as is and giving them as part of their baby shower gift.

We also went by Kmart. They had an awesome clothes clearance going on. I ended up getting K a shirt and pants set for $3.50 and a shirt for the new baby for $2.40. K is odd for pants. She is so tall and skinny, that I need to get her a 5T or larger for lenght but her waist is more of a 3T, which is what O is in the waist but only 24months/2T in length. The adjustable waist pants are nice but sometimes for K they fit funny. AYE!

I find myself always on the lookout for gifts. Even moreso this year than other years. I think I find myself doing that because I know by the time fall comes around, we are not going to be in a position to be buying anything extra. It gets kind of annoying at times. I just should stop right? Easier said than done. LOL. If I find something that I think would make a nice gift, I dig out my list or go over it mentally to see if I already have enough for that person. Most times I do so I pass unless it is a super great deal. My brothers Birthday is in a little over a week. I need to decide which gift to give him.....a shaving set, a money clip, pj pants or the gift basket with shampoo, conditioner, a razor, shaving gel, bodywash and body spray in it. Those are the gifts I currently have for him. I am leaning toward the gift basket.

Walgreens 2/15

Here's what I got:

$8.99 pack of pullups for K for nighttime
$6.99 pack of pullups for K
$6.99 1 pack of wipes
$0.75 1 small box of Valentine Candy (clearanced)
$1.99 drain opener
$0.00 drain opener B1G1F sale
_____
$25.71
-$6.00 RR
-$6.00 RR
-$9.00 coupon from Weekly ad for pullups and wipes
______
$4.71
+ .92 tx
_____
$5.63 OOP

I decided to wait to get diapers because it is cheaper the week of 3/1 but I needed to use the RR and K needed pullups so I decided to get them instead.
Hopefully I can come up with some RR or something before diapers go on sale again. My rebates should be back by them so I might be able to get 2 free packs!

My Valentines' night

R and I aren't into holidays. We don't do the gift giving very often so instead of getting me a gift that I don't need, I took some alone time tonight. I went to Walmart to use up a few coupons and just be alone for awhile. I got a free + overage bar of soap for the kids, free can of dog food, b1g1f can of cat food, 2 palmolive dish soap for $1.24 (for both) after coupons, a new pair of pjs for me on clearance for $3.50, 2 boxes of fruit snacks for the kids (with a coupon), and some toothpicks and a few other small things that I can't remember offhand. I spent $14 OOP for all that.

On the way back home I stopped at our local grocery store and got 8 bags of cat litter. With the juice I got with WIC tonight the grand total on our fuel rewards card is 58 cents off 15 gallons and I still have 6 more bags of cat litter to get. The rewards expire in 1 month so I will have plenty more days to get that balance up. I would like to see me paying very little OOP for gas but I am still going to try to get the best deals to get those fuel rewards. I am starting to figure them in when I figure out deals because it is making shopping there rather than Walmart much more attractive.

WOW a great idea

I like to compare our local grocery store to Walmart to see if the deals and my coupons can make shopping there less expensive and sometimes it does...For example:

My local store
Tidy cat 10 lb bags of cat litter $2.12
(I have 22 coupons for this)
2.12 X 22 = $46.64
22 $1/1 Q -22.00
= $24.64
But they also have fuel perks on this item so 4 cents per bag at 22 bags is 88 cents per gallon off gas up to 15 gallons so 15X.88 = $13.20 off my gas or $11.44 for 22 bags of cat litter if I count the discount off the price of the cat litter.

Walmart
$1.97 X 22= 43.34
22 $1/1 Q -22.00
= 21.34 no fuel perks...and I also don't have to drive to Walmart to get the cat litter either....hmmmm sounds like a good deal to me. Definitely a better deal at my local store. Tonight I checked on the price of dog food and they were cheaper as well. Not by much just a few cents but still it saves me the walmart trip. Guess I will be stopping every night after work next week to pick up a few bags of cat litter. The fuel perks on the cat litter are only for the next week so I will have to get all 22 bags in the next week but no biggie. I store them on the side porch stacked up. But there is no way I am getting 22 bags all at once. LOL. I don't think I can fit them all in my car.

Weekend plans...

hitting up Walgreens for the diapers and drain cleaner that is on sale.
going to Walmart for a few things
cleaning the house
visiting the inlaws

I start working 5 days a week again on Monday so I need to get everything in order again for that.

LOVE/hate

There is an issue with my job that I both LOVE and hate. It is the flexibility, while I love being able to say "hey I need this day off, please don't schedule me", I hate that they can pretty much call at any time and want me to come in. Case in point today 11:30 AM, my boss calls, can you come in today? I went in because I had nothing else going on so I might as well right? Plus we need the money. Once I got there I found out why I was needed. A bunch of other people decided to use some personal hours as of this morning for this afternoon. So anyway I love and hate that benefit of my job.

I also love/hate bedtime. I love when the kids go to bed and I can enjoy a few solitary moments but I also hate bedtime because that is when I am able to do the majority of the housework and I don't get to bed near early enough.

No coupons this weekend

according to taylortown preview no coupons are scheduled for this weekend. Just a heads up so you don't go buy a paper if you don't want to.

today

Well UPS found my house. HOORAY! I do exist. LOL

The kids and I went to the bent and dent. Didn't get much, 2 boxes of bagelfuls $1/box, 2 giant cans of cream of mushroom soup $1.25 each, 1 box of 5 corn dogs $1, and 1 package of 12 mini double chocolate chip muffins.

Later we went to Pamida to scope out the double coupon deals and I only used 2 coupons. I got 2 cute snowman decoration things for $2.59 each. They are really neat wooden snowmen that hang on the wall. They were 80% off and I got 2 free bottles of Heinz Ketchup. I got coupons from the manufacturer. I love free ketchup, especially the good stuff.

I love pay day!

my check was small but I paid a bunch to my car. Hooray!

Don't touch my stuff!!

Let me just preface this rant by saying...I love my mom...I do BUT sometimes she irritates me.

I have a cigarette making machine. I have it set up perfectly. It fills the tubes precisely how I want them and makes a darn good cigarette. My parents also have the same machine. Well yesterday when mom and dad were here, I had the machine on the counter. They wanted to try one of R's menthol cigarettes that I have been making for him. So I made them each one. After I got done I set down the machine and stepped outside with them so they could smoke them. We came back in when they were done and Mom started playing with my machine. Oh this is not set up right..this screw needs to be tighter and this one looser and she proceeds to adjust the screws on my machine, which screwed it all up. I have spent about 15 minutes now readjusting it to get it back to perfect as I had it. I get upset when people mess up my stuff. It irritates me to no end. Don't touch my stuff! PLEASE!

Please no comments on how smoking is bad for me and the kids. I do NOT smoke around my kids, neither does my family. We step outside to light up and I feel as an adult that I know the risks and choose to have an occasional cigarette that is MY choice. I will not debate this. But I will say that we smoke cautiously and are careful about smoking in front of, near, or in the vicinity of our children. Thank you for refraining from comments. I appreciate that. I have tried to quit in the past and I know I should. I have quit during both of my pregnancies as well.

our day...I never left the house

The kids woke up just after 11 am as did I. O was up for quite awhile last night. I woke her up before I went to bed to change her because she has been waking us up at 6 am soaking wet, so by the time we get her pjs and diaper changed she is wide awake and whichever of us got up with her is not. I changed her hoping she would sleep in. Well she wanted to stay awake so I ended up putting her to sleep in the playpen in my room and she slept good in there. She watched TV until she fell asleep. I was already out when she finally crashed. We managed to get most of what I wanted to accomplish done today. Carpets shampooed, cookies baked, jerky dehydrating...well part of the jerky anyway, laundry done, and the house partially deep cleaned.

I am shopping around for new insurance for our house and vehicles. I am happy with our current company but felt we could probably get a better rate elsewhere so I shopped around and I am glad we did. We can get better homeowner's coverage for $70 more a year. The new policy would almost double our current coverage. The vehicle insurance was only $2 less per 6 months but the coverage is a little better. I am still debating on switching but I need to make a decision soon, our auto policy expires at the end of the month.

Walgreens deals 2/22-2/28

Would you/could you/can you believe that the ONLY thing I think I will be getting this week is.....reynolds wrap foil? Free after coupons...I have 2. That is it...that is all I need. Wow!

my house does not exist

according to UPS. UPS was just here YESTERDAY! and now today...incorrect house number...unable to deliver. WTF?!? I ordered something for FIL and it was supposed to be delivered here today and ummm yeah evidently the driver today is not very bright. IDK...UPS just called wanted to know my address so they can deliver the package. Ummm it's not on the box? yeah it is the guy says but the driver put down that there was no such address...ummm yeah there is! I live here! So the guy reads me the address off the box, it is my address. IDK so I gave the guy that called directions and he said...oh wait..I can just pull it up on mapquest! DUH! ya think? Anyway, it wasn't like I needed it right now or anything we will take it to FIL on Sunday but still they were JUST here! and my house is not hard to find...unless you are fed ex Twice a company has sent stuff by fed ex and twice fed ex could not find my house. Not good odds. But Seriously, I am only 3 blocks from one state highway and 2 blocks from another. I can see the 2nd one from my living room window...It is just across the yard and the neighbors yard. I can't be that hard to find....can I?

more about the Walgreens ESC program

This is an email that some people have received. Looks like the rumor is true.

Thank you for contacting us regarding our recent decision to evaluate the EasySaver program
in its current form. Walgreens is always looking into the future. For this reason, we are looking
at ways to revamp the rebate program to assist us in proceeding in an exciting direction. Although
change is always intimidating we feel that it is time to develop a new loyalty program so we can offer our
consumers new and improved services. You will continue to find the EasySaver Catalog in our stores
through April. Please look for future advertisement regarding our new programs to come.

We appreciate your patience during this transition and hope you will allow us the opportunity
to continue servicing your drug store needs.

Thank you,

(removed)
Supervisor
Rebate and Vendor Programs

Wow!

I have to share this post. It is truly inspirational. I do not consider myself religious by any means, spiritual yes, religious no, but this post is inspirational. Please take a minute or two to read this post.

Free mini magic eraser

details here

Got my uber cheap Victoria's Secret slippers today

wooooo! they are awesome! I am glad I decided to keep a pair for myself this time. With this purchase we have nearly completed the birthday/Christmas/Mothers' & Fathers' day gifts for the entire year! How is that for awesome?!? We have to buy a couple things yet:
Christmas for our nephew
Christmas for FIL
Father's Day for FIL
This is the first year I am done so early. I do enjoy being done with shopping for the entire year already but I know as the year goes on I will see something someone will just love. Oh well, if I don't, I don't have to worry as the gifts are already bought.
*********************************
As I contemplate our finances and how the rest of the year might play out, I tend to worry but today I had no worries. The sun was shining, we went for a drive to Walmart, we enjoyed each others company...all 4 of us....and I realized, even though I already know this it was realized once again today, as long as my two little girls are happy, healthy and have a place to call home, I have no worries. R and I will always make sure the girls have a place to call home, even if it is not an ideal situation. We will do our best to keep the kids happy and healthy and that is all we can really hope for. Economists are predicting the recession will get worse before it gets better. I think, how much worse can it get? I know it is not as bad as it could be but what will worse look like? Widespread hunger? homelessness? unemployment? Thankfully the kids are oblivious (or are they?) to the current situation. R tries to not read the news all that much and me? well, I don't share it with R much. We don't talk much about it. He says...."things always work out for us" and they do BUT that is because I really work at it. I try to find a way to make things work out for us. I don't know if he really realizes that.
**************************************************
Rumor has it that the Walgreens ESC and rebate program will be ending after April. I don't know any more than that. Some say they will have a loyalty card. So I don't know what will happen with all of that but I hoping something because not having the easy saver program and the deals I am currently getting will make me not shop at Walgreens. I rarely if ever went to Walgreens before I discovered coupons and the ESC and rebates and I probably won't go again if there is no incentive to shop there. I bet there are a lot of people like me that will take their business elsewhere. I will update as I learn more.

BIG Plans for tommorrow

yep..we have big plans. A TOTAL house cleaning, cabinets, floors, toy boxes, drawers, dressers, EVERYTHING! It was R's idea. It started tonight when I decided to mop the floor in the toyroom and it progressed into a full blown spring cleaning. So R decided he has a couple things he wants to tackle and we will somehow try to keep the kids occupied while we clean.

Photo Giveaway

My friend Jenera is giving away one of her fabulous prints on her blog. check it out here

It's jerky time

at this house. Deer hunting brings a special time for the menfolk (LOL) but for the womenfolk of this family, the time proceeding deer season brings work, lots of work. Mainly for this woman. Every year after the holidays are over, FIL hands over 50ish lbs of vension to me for processing. He gets the venison ground and it is my job to turn the mound of ground bambi into a mound of beef/venison jerky. We use a 1/2 to 1 mix of ground beef to venison. Even the tiny womenfolk in this house love jerky. K loves to eat it and "help" me form it into strips for drying. This will be O's first year helping with the jerky tradition.

The jerky making starts tonight, with the marinating of the meat and continues for the next 2 days with dehydrators running around the clock dehydrating the gigantic mound of prepared meat. Fun, right?

**********************************************************
BOOO!
no Walgreens gift card for transferring a Rx for O. Our insurance does not require a co-pay for O's Rx so Walgreens would not give me a gift card. Boo! oh well, I can't be too mad at them because I did not have to pay for the Rx so I have nothing to complain about. I had a really great idea though. I was going to see how long I could make that gift card last and see how much I could get with it.
********************************************************
Walmart
R, the kids and I went to Walmart to try to find some cure for the above mentioned jerky but the store didn't carry it so we bought the other stuff we needed.
I got
1 bag cat litter $1.97-$1/1 coupon
1 bag puppy chow $4.72-$1/1 coupon
2 cans of friskies cat food $0.76 each-B1G1F coupon
1 can Alpo $1.46 -Free to try coupon
1 bottle of vinegar $0.68-no coupon

I paid $6.50 not bad...not bad at all
****************************************************

SALES!!

AYE! the sales this week at my local stores. WOW! Hamburger helper $1/box, Betty crocker potatoes $1/box, Pizza Rolls $1/box, sirloin steaks $2.99/lb. K and I took a trip to the store this evening. We got 4 boxes of pizza rolls 57 cents/box after coupons, 4 hamburger helper-no coupons :( but with me working until 5 it is really easy for R to make one of these for dinner, and 1 package of 3 sirloin steaks for $4.60. We skipped the betty crocker potatoes because we have sooo many of them.

Tommorrow I need to hit our local Pamida for double coupon week and check on the price of tidy cat litter. I bought (yeah but I am still saving $17 bucks (maybe more if I can get them doubled)by buying 20 coupons so it is worth it on cat litter) some coupons for the cat litter and if I can get them doubled that would be sweet, but I need to check the price there because it might be cheaper just to get it at Walmart, not doubled. We'll see.

Also tommorrow I need to go transfer a prescription to Walgreens and get my $25 gift card. I have heard reports that they are now giving checks instead of a giftcard. Damn. I really wanted a gift card so I HOPE they are still doing the gift card at my store. I don't think I can possibly spend $25 in one trip to Walgreens and spend it wisely. Well, next week I could stock up on diapers but we are to the point where I don't want to buy many more (we have 13 packs now plus I am using the cloth again) because O is starting to show interest in the potty. At least if I do buy more, my niece that is on the way can use them eventually.

I really really really need to buckle down again and start pouring out the money to my car. My next full payment is due in July, only 4 1/2 months from now. I really need to get that paid further ahead so I need to buckle down and get cracking on that. Our hours got cut once again at work and IDK when it will pick back up so I am going to budget my unemployment better and get cracking. I am fully prepared to cut out almost all spending and work diligently on my car.

We are sick!

all of us are not feeling well. I think I am the worst. I went to Walgreens to get another Razor and some Powerade (I had coupons for the powerade too...LOL). I spent $8.63 and saved $5 and got another $6 in RR. So I was telling R this is how it works..

I spent $14.11 OOP but I got back $12 in RR. So really if he looks at it his way, I spent $2.11 and got 2 bottles of powerade and 2 $10 razors.

The cashier said whoa! on my trip tonight. She stopped talking a minute, looked like she was thinking it through, and said we just PAID you to take that razor. I laughed. She said was that coupon in todays paper? I said yes. She said Awesome! LOL I love when a cashier is as excited about the deals as I am.

Getting paid to shop

It is not much but...I got paid today to "buy" a razor from Walgreens.

The math:
$8.99 gillette fusion gamer razor
-4.00 coupon in today's paper
-------
$4.99
0.49 tax
_____
$5.48 OOP
got $6 back in RR
So I got paid 52 cents to buy this razor. Sweet, huh!?!?! Especially since it is a nice razor that R can use or give as a gift.

I love when it works out that way...
As of today I have spent $210.94 at Walgreens and saved $423.06
If I add those 2 numbers together (what I would have spent for all this stuff), and divide by what I saved my savings percent is almost 67%. Not bad. It will be higher once I get back my rebates and use the RR.

Since we have so much stuff in our HBA stockpile, I am limiting myself to only getting free stuff lately. Like FAR or Free after RR/coupons stuff.

Coupon Preview

check them out here

DUH! not thinking

So I am not sure if I posted about the FAR contact solution or not but they are actually PAYING me to take it. Yep, it's true. Here is how it works:

$1.99 Contact solution
$0.11 tax
--------
$2.10 OOP
-1.99 rebate
-0.20 extra 10% for putting rebate on a walgreens gift card
(.09)...they are paying me 9 cents to take this off their shelves. It is something I need anyway so HOORAY!

Quality time ...... with my bro!

My brother and I took a little trip to the bent and dent today. R stayed home, the kids went to Grandma's. I got another $5 package of roast beef, thin sliced. Perfect for sandwiches. I also got the kids each a cute stuffed weiner dog for 25 cents each for Valentines' day and I got 2 boxes of tampons. Then Josh and I went to Walmart where I got 3 ring bolognas clearanced out for $1.60 each, 2 Disney Princess play cameras for $3 each (I have been waiting for them to mark them down from $5, which is what they were when I got one for our niece. They were originally $10 each), cat litter, cat food, dog food, 2 sponges that I have a coupon for and a battery pack thing for the Xbox for R. The Xbox thing was almost half of what I spent at Walmart...UGH! but they way the controller eats through batteries it was worth it. We are having steaks and cheddarwurst on the grill for dinner. My parents are coming over to eat with us.

No flaming allowed and random thoughts

Just wanted to preface this post by saying this is in no way, shape, or form derogatory toward anyone. This is based solely on my views from what I see in my neck of the woods and is probably not applicable to everyone else.

In this area recently, there have been numerous layoffs, plant closing, hours being cut, etc. So I was thinking about that today and I got to thinking....who is more prepared for an economic downturn? The poor because they already live poor? The rich because they have reserves? The middle class? The upper middle class? The lower middle class? Where do you think you fall on that ladder?

I think of my family (R, myself and the kids) as lower middle class, although by our current income level we are poor. I think we are more prepared for an economic downturn because we are in a really good position financially. We have been preparing for "the bad" for a long time. Something in my head told me to prepare and I did and I am ever so grateful that I listened to that. Do I consider myself poor? No. We have what we need and we can buy what we want. True, our wants have changed to come more inline with what our needs are. It wasn't always like this. Our wants were extravagant, our needs are basic. Now our wants and our needs are both basic. We still have a few luxuries but I wait to get those luxuries until we can afford them (or I have a good coupon...LOL).
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There was a recent poll on a forum I frequently asking why do you stockpile... I have touched on this in the past so I will not go back over it again here. But it was interesting to see why others stockpile. Many do it for the same reasons I do, others do it because they live so far from a city, others do it differently than I do, some do it the same. I do have to say I get a special kind of feeling when I go to my stockpile and get something out. A feeling of pride, accomplishment, happiness, etc. The same feeling that I used to get from a job well done at my old job. Now I get that feeling from saving money and getting a really good discount on something that I know we will use or someone in my family will use and love.
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It is so wierd to hear some of the women I work with talk about how much they spend on groceries each week. A WEEK?!? wow! I haven't gone shopping for groceries in months...I go all the time but my idea of grocery shopping is different....you have a list, you get your meals for the week that one day, that is my old way of shopping and I think that is how most of the U.S. does their grocery shopping. ME? well you all know how I shop. And it is odd to hear others talk about spending whatever they spent that week. When I think...hmmmm I only spent $20 this week on groceries, but then other weeks I spent a bunch more refilling the holes. IDK...it is just wierd to me. I know not everyone has the luxury I do of stockpiling and I usually don't talk much at work about my shopping habits because many just don't understand it and I don't want to get into it and be known as " that crazy girl at work that buys so much food". I have brought it up to a select few though and they were pretty intrigued by my grocery shopping habits.
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My MIL told me about a new Bent and Dent in her town that I want to check out. I told Mom and Dad too and as soon as I get a Saturday off, we are going to go. I am pretty unimpressed with working 6 days a week right now. I cannot complain because we need the money and it is only 5 hour shifts but it just doesn't feel right to work 6 days a week and not get anything extra out of it, like overtime. What really sucks is that working 6 5-hour shifts only gives me 30 hours of pay a week. That bites! It is nice to only work 5 hours but seriously 6 days a week is not fun. I just get up with the kids in the morning, do a little housework, make lunch and then off to work. I come home, make dinner, give the kids a bath, and then it is bedtime for them. Then I do what I need to on the computer, finish up whatever housework R didn't get done and then bedtime for me. I like having a day off to do my shopping, run to the bent and dent, etc. Of course it is not open on Sunday, my 1 day off. But all in all, I can't complain too much because I do need the money!
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Everytime I make payment to my car, I breath a little sigh of relief...just that much closer to debt free...then what will I blog about? I will come up with something for sure :)

$21

That is what I have spent this week. Two days to go in my spending freeze. I am doing pretty good.

My walgreens plan for 2/15-2/21

Diapers could be a good deal! $3 off coupon...

Also the B1G1F drain cleaner at $1.99 for 2 would be a pretty good deal if you need it.

I am going to get the grape jelly. I wrote to the company and got some coupons from them so I will be able to get them super cheap.

The bent and dent owners should give me a referral discount

HA! I wonder if that would work. But seriously, Today at work a couple ladies and I were talking about groceries and how even Aldi's is getting pricey on some things and I told them about the bent and dent...my favorite one. They were unfamiliar with the area it is in so I promised to do up a nice map and email it to them so they could go.

I was telling R about it tonight and saying they should give me a bunch of premade maps with a referral number on it and I should get a couple bucks off for every person I refer that stops in and buys something. Wouldn't that be great? Great for me, because I get a discount and great for them because they get more business. WIN WIN! hmmmm maybe I should approach them about that when I take MIL there later this week?!?

WWYD?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/GM-Chrysler-offer-workers-rb-14230220.html

Read the article first.


My first thoughts are WHOA! $75K to leave the company and $25K voucher for a new vehicle. hmmmm that would be something to consider. $75K would more than pay off our mortgage. Then our bills would only be about $300/month. Nice huh? and we would have a new vehicle to boot. That would be a pretty dang good offer. But then I got to thinking and to not have the health care benefit when it is most needed would be terrible but also what would you do for a job?

Living on foodstamps blog

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/30/am.callebs.foodstamps.blog/index.html

seems interesting but I bet I could do something like that even better. LOL $176 for a single person. I could do $200 for a family of 4. Maybe that should be my next project. LOL

unclog a stopped up drain

pour some baking soda down the drain and then add vinegar. We tried it just today on our terribly clogged bathroom sink drain and it worked great!

I posted a couple articles yesterday

The one about more Americans saving money is great. I hope they are. I know R and I are really working on keeping our debt in check. We are not able to actually physically SAVE more money but we are spending less and paying down debt, which according to the article, is like saving. IDK but I do know that we are being very vigilant in watching what do buy, making do with what we have vs. buying because we want it. There have been a couple exceptions to that but for the most part we are taking great care to time our spending so we do not have to use our credit cards for anything. When we each had better jobs, we were lazy with our money. We had so much more of it that we spent more but we also spend foolishly, using our credit cards whenever. At one point I had almost $4000 on my card and R had $2000. OUCH! I know many Americans have/had much more than that but still that was a lot for us. We worked and budgeted to get that paid off. Currently, I have $40 on my credit card and R has about $200. That is new balance stuff...not left over from the previous high balances. I use my card once a month to make sure the account stays open as I have had problems in the past with a different card company. R has one thing that is a monthly charge that goes to his card and it is less than $10 but we pay that monthly. His current balance comes from a little splurge, he made less than 1 month ago. We filed our taxes yesterday and that will get paid off as soon as we get our refund. Mine will be paid off as soon as I get paid from work. Then we will be credit card debt free once again.

Welcome to Monday

I woke up to a very crabby K, I had her go back to bed, wait 15 minutes and then we "started the day over". I told her to think about why she was so crabby and then forget about it and we would restart our day. So far so good! She is in a much better mood. I hate when she wakes up whiny. O starts every day happy. She is just a happy girl.

I sent more money to my car today. I am getting very close to having it paid off. A little breakdown:

9 more months at the regular monthly payment-but I have been sending more so
just over 7 more months at what I am currently sending or if I can send just a little more, just under 6 months. At any rate 2009 is the year my car will be paid off! I could potentially have my car paid off by the end of summer. How exciting. I cannot wait until my car is paid off. The money I currently send to my car is going to a seperate savings account to save for a down payment on a new (to us) vehicle when the time comes or for emergencies. R's jeep has just under 60,000 miles and my car has just under 49,000, my thoughts are that by the time either of us needs a different vehicle, we will have enough saved to pay for it in full or only have to finance a small portion. I would like to not have to finance at all but we'll see how that plays out. Even if we do have to finance, we will be in a much better position because we have never been able to put more than $1000 down on a vehicle, not including a trade-in and we have always owed on our trade ins anyway. This time we will not owe on a trade in but because we plan to keep our current vehicles until they cost more to fix than they are worth we probably would not get much if anything for a trade in. I don't foresee us buying a different vehicle for at least 3 years, hopefully longer, so chances are good we will have quite a bit in savings when that time comes.

I did restart my spending freeze on Saturday. So far I have spent $2. I did not restart the ticker. It is Monday. Saturday I worked, Sunday I did not even leave the house and today I have a dentist appointment and some errands to run. I will probably send a little money today but I am going to try to keep it under $20. I have to work the rest of the week including Saturday so I doubt much money will get spent this week.

something to ponder...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_bi_ge/savings_frugal_society

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123319605956027285.html

do you ever.....

put your headphones on and hit shuffle on your music library? I haven't in a long time so I decided to tonight...gosh every song has a memory... I am going to type some as I am listening....feel free to completely skip the rest of this meaningless, not thrifty blog entry if you so desire. I won't be offended. I just feel like rambling and this is a good way to do it. LOL

Hillbilly Shoes Montgomery Gentry, this song brings me back to 19. (3 years ago...HA! ) I had a BF in the army and this was his favorite song. I loved his truck. I loved going to KY to see him but alas I did not love HIM.

Podunk Keith Anderson This is my area, where I grew up, where I live now. Basically this song is soo much like my life...it's like he wrote it about this area and the people in it.

Gunpowder & Lead Miranda Lambert you should really hear my K sing this song...she knows EVERY word but I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. LOL Fortunately she does not understand the meaning of the song....yet!

Whiskey Drinkin' Woman Nazareth this song reminds me of my dad. I can still hear my dad singing this song in the car. I was probably 5-8..IDK...wierd...whenever I hear this song I hear my dad singing it.

Rock Your Body Justin Timberlake to this very day, this song makes me laugh. I had this friend...probably 6'5" 230 ish lbs. Big guy and sooo funny. One night we were all out and he decided he wanted to dance. His roommate was macking on this girl and my friend walked up to his roommate when this song started and started touching him and sang "don't be so quick to call me gay"....I laughed so hard beer came out my nose. It was hilarious and the rest of us had to leave the dance floor but my friend was out there dancing and serenading his roommate who was 25 shades of red by the end of the song. Imagine a 6'5" bald guy with no coordination dancing like JT.....hilarious right?

Don't Blink Kenny Chesney This song reminds me of everyone that I have loved and lost...Kenny.....my BIL who died too young at age 30, My grandmother, My grandfather, Josh...my boyfriend who was killed in a traffic accident at the young young age of 21, Nicole...another traffic fatality that left behind a young son, Joel...motorcycle accident, R's grandpa, R's grandma,

Hero of the Day Metallica Reminds me of my first BF and IDK why because he hated Metallica but I think because he looked like the guy in the video...hmmmmm....IDK he was such a loser but I was 16 and exercising my independence...but I came around. LOL

If You Ever Stop Loving Me Montgomery Gentry wow...parts of this song speak to me. I LOVED seeing them in concert and if they EVER come this away again I am soooo going! It was AMAZING!!!
Hard times... Bad luck... Sometimes life sucks -ain't that the truth?!?!
That’s alright... I’m ok It ain’t nothing but another day I love that line
I been waylaid... freight trained... short changed by bigger and badder men and all I got to say is bring it on I LOVE that line...that is so me and it gives me the strength to stand up when all I want to do is lay down and let the world take over
Hard rain rough roads... so my life goes YEP

Live Like You Were Dying Tim McGraw I just love the message in this song!

Hot Mama Trace Adkins Love it! I just love the song

Me So Horny 2 Live Crew the quintessential redneck rap song...it is all just about ever bar in this area's jukebox and dj's playlist....because we are just cool like that. You should have seen me dance to this in my younger years. LOL...I had some mad dancing skills. LOL

Good Time Alan Jackson because no country girls playlist is complete without some AJ. LOL

Wicked Game H.I.M. an awesome rock remake of the original slow song!

Not Ready to Make Nice Dixie Chicks a good angry song

You oughta know Alanis Morrisette my all time favorite belt out the anger song!

Pink Aerosmith In my very first apartment, we had A LOT of parties. One night a male friend got drunk and was passing out on my pink bean bag chair. We asked him what his favorite color was trying to keep him awake and he said "pink" in the most feminine voice his deep voice could muster and we were all laughing so hard. This song reminds me of him. LOL

Poison Bell Biv DeVoe This song reminds me of the episode of Scrubs when Turk tries out for the Air band...my favorite episode ever...because Turk reminds me of R's best friend.

Nothing Else Matters Metallica one of R and I's wedding songs
It fits us so well. Examples:
So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters
Trust I seek and I find in you

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know

Our long overdue date

We planned to eat at the newly opened Sonic, but they were having computer issues and the line was a mile long and the employee that came to the car said it could be 1/2 hour or more before the computer system was even up again. So we opted to go to Olive Garden. Good choice. We were seated immediately, the food was excellent and we were out of there and at the mall in 1/2 hour. How great! At the mall, we wandered, it was DEAD! We went to Bath & Body works so I could get mom some of her favorite scent. $3 a bottle for the full size bottles with the clearance sale going on. Then we went to Children's place and got our due in May neice, a hoodie for $5. It is adorable. Pink and says Princess in gold lettering. We then left the mall and went to Old Navy where I got K 2 shirts for 75 cents each and our other neice a shirt for next Christmas for $1.49 and my brother a t-shirt for watching the kids for $2.25.

It was a great date. We enjoyed each other's company very much and discussed a plan for the future and R's thoughts on something that I am not planning to disclose yet as it is in the very early stages. When/if this happens, you will receive full disclosure...I promise!! R's thoughts were very positive and I was happy to hear that as we have not had a private moment to discuss it since I first found out....no I am not pregnant. LOL

Notes from our day

We went to the Bent and Dent. They had just got in restaurant grade roast beef, presliced for sandwiches. $5 for 2.5 lbs. We got one. I can make at least 2 meals out of it. We also got 4 boxes of Strawberry Toaster Strudel $1/box, Ring bologna for 80 cents a lb, Grilling ham steaks $1.50 for 3, 3 16 oz cans of Campbells Tomato soup $1/can and a case of Campbells chicken noodle soup 16 oz cans for FIL.

Then we went to Walmart for cat food and cat litter. They had t shirts clearanced out for $1 so I got one for me and 1 to put away for mom as a gift. R got some juice, and we got mac n cheese because IMO the walmart brand is great! Better than Kraft although R would disagree.

My mom gave each of the kids $1 to buy a treat. O picked a sucker and K picked a candy bar. I let K pay for her own candy bar and she got the change back to feed her piggy. We get out to the jeep and she says I gave that lady my dollar and all I got was this measly candy bar. I said welcome to the real world K. When you have kids and bills you will get very little for a lot more money. She said well then I am just not going to have kids. Then I can feed my money to my piggy and keep it! I am glad she is learning about money and the cost of things earlier. But that kid is a trip!

We will be heading out for our date shortly. I am so excited to get some time alone with my hubby!

I want to share a very informative link

regarding stockpiling. This site is wonderful and has some very useful information.

Stockpiling guide

I forgot to mention

When I was at the store today picking up our WIC stuff, they had free chex mix seasoning if you bought a box of chex cereal. I picked one up and am going to make chex mix soon!

2/1 coupon preview

Remember these can vary by region: I know mine will be different because some of these things I have never heard of. LOL. Put the majority of the coupons are accurate.


02/01/09 SMARTSOURCE
Air Wick I-Motion Starter Kit - $4.00 off any 1 (x3/15)
Air Wick Scented oil refills - $1.00 off any 2 (x3/15)
Air Wick Scented Oil Warmer FREE wyb any Air Wick Scented Oil Refill fragrance – up to $3.19 (x3/15)
Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups Fruit Stickerz Fruit Flavored Snacks – 50 cents off 1 (x3/28)
Chex Cereals any chocolate, honey nut, strawberry, or cinnamon $0.75/1 (ex. 3-14-09)
Citre’ Shine product, any 2 full size - $2.00 off 2 (x5/01)
Citre’ Shine product, any full size - $1.00 off 1 (x5/01)
Colgate 360 Sonic Power Toothbrush – $1.00 off any 1 (x2/21)
Colgate Kids or Adult’s Manual Toothbrush – 40 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Colgate Toothpaste, any Adult or Children’s (4oz+) – 75 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Colgate Total Advanced Whitening, Advanced Clean, or Advanced Fresh Toothpaste only 4oz+ $1.00 (x2/21)
Cottonelle Fresh or Cottonelle for Kids Flushable Moist Wipes – 50 cents off 1 (x3/15)
Cottonelle Toilet Paper – (2) 4-pks or (1) 12-pk+ - 50 cents off (x3/15)
Cottonelle Ultra or Cottonelle Aloe & E Toilet Paper (4-pk+) – 50 cents off 1(x3/15)
Cuties – 55 cents off 3lb bag (x2/28)
Cuties Clementines - $1.00 off 5lb box (x2/28)
Dannon 6oz Single Serve Yogurt Cups – 60 cents off 6 (x3/15)
DiGiorno*any unltimate pizzeria style pizza $1/1 (ex. 4-5-09)
Dole Canned Fruits - $1.00 off any 3 (x4/25)
Duncan Hines Brownies – 35 cents off 1 (x5/31)
Egg-Land’s Best Cage Free Dozen or Organic Dozen Eggs – 50 cents off 1 (x6/30)
Egg-land’s Best Eggs – 35 cents off any (x6/30)
Egg-Lands Best Hard-Cooked & Peeled Eggs – 35 cents off 1 (x6/30)
Glade 4oz Jar Candles or 2 in 1 Candles - $1.50 off 2 (x3/14)
Glade Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator – BOGO up to $4.29 (x3/14)
Glade Scented Oil Candles Holder – BOGO up to $7.99 (x3/14)
Glade Scented Oil Candles refill pack - $1.00 off 1 (x3/14)
Healthy Ones packaged lunchmeat, deli presliced, or 1lb deli meat – 75 cents off 1 (x4/30)
Irish Spring Body Wash, any 1 (excludes 2.5oz size) or any 2 Irish Spring Multi-Bar pack (3-pk+), 50¢ (x2/21)
Kozy Shack Ready Grains product - $1.00 off 1 (x4/30) DND-5
Lime-A-Way cleaner - $1.00 off 1 (x3/29)
Lindor Truffles item 5.1oz+ - $1.00 off 1 (good from 2/1 until 5/31)
Lindor Trufles Trio 1.27oz FREE wyb Lindor Truffles Trio 1.27oz – BOGO up to $1.50 (from 2/1 until 5/31)
Lysol Disinfectant Spray 12oz+ - $2.00 off 1 (x3/30)
Lysol Disinfecting Wipes - $1.00 off 2 (x3/30)
Lysol To Go – 50 cents off 1 (x3/30)
Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blends - $1.00 off 2 (x3/15)
Palmolive dish liquid, any – 25 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Palmolive Pure + Clear liquid dish soap 20oz – 75 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Rachael Ray Isaboo Treats - $1.00 off any 1 bag (x5/31)
Rachael Ray Ntruish dog food 6lb+ - $2.00 off 1 bag (x5/31)
Rid-X Septic System Treatment product – 50 cents off 1 (x 3/29)
Rid-X Septic System Treatment product – 50 cents off 1 (x 4/26)
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites Dinner Kit - $1.00 off 1 (x3/28)
Sargento Salad Finishers or Potato Finishers – 75 cents off 1 (x3/31)
Softsoap brand Body Wash (excludes 2oz) – 75 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap – 35 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Speed Stick 24/7 or Lady Speed Stick 24/7 (excludes 0.5oz product) – 75 cents off 1 (x2/21)
Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick Antiperspirants/Deodorants – 75 cents off 2 (x2/21)
Sucrets product - $1.50 off any 1 (x6/01)
Sugardale 1lb Bacon or Ready Bacon – 55 cents off 1 (x3/15) DND-5
Zucol Coldcare - $2.00 off 1 box (x8/31) DND-5

RedPlum 2/1/09
Bayer Aspirin 24ct + - $1.00 off 1 (x3/31)
Breeze2 10-test discs or Contour Test Strips - $20.00 off (valid only towards patient’s health plan co-pay) (x11/30)
Breeze2 or Contour Meter by Bayer - $30.00 off (x11/30)
Gatorade or G2 Powder Packs - $1.00 off 1 box (x4/30)
Kellogg’s Fruit Flavored Snacks - $1.00 off 2 (x3/29)
K-Y brand product (E-T-S) - $2.00 off 1 (x6/30)
K-Y brand Yours+Mine or Intrigue product (E-T-S) - $5.00 off 1 (x6/30)
L’Oreal Colour Riche or Any L’Oreal Lip Product - $1.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’Oreal EverPure Shampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment - $2.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’Oreal HIP Eye or Lip product - $2.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’Oreal Infalliable Face Product, or any L’Oreal Makeup, Powder, Blush or Concealer - $2.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’Oreal Moisturizer or Treatment - $1.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’Oreal Preference or Dream Blonde - $3.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’Oreal RevitaLift product - $1.00 off 1 (x4/26)
L’oreal Skincare Products - $3.00 off 2 (x4/26)
M&M’s Premiums Chocolate Candies - $1.00 off 1 (x3/31)
Marzetti Dressings - $1.00 off 2 (x4/30)
Milk-Bone Dog Snacks – BOGO up to $4.99 (x4/01)
Nature’s Bounty Product - $1.00 off 1 (x3/15)
Neo-Synephrine*any product $1/1 (ex. 4-30-09)
Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough - $1.00 off 1 (x3/01)
Quaker Simple Harvest All Natural Multigrain Chewy Granola Bars - $1.00 off 1 box (x3/31)
Robitussin product - $1.00 off 1 (x5/31)
Scotch-Brite Ultra NailSaver Absorbant Scrub Sponge, Scrub Sponge, or Scour Pad products, $1 off 2 (x3/31)
Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend - $1.00 off 1 (x4/30)
Smart Balance Buttery Spreads - $1.00 off 2 (x4/30)
Smart Balance Cooking Oil or Pan Spray - $1.00 off 1 (x4/30)
Smart Balance Peanut Butter - $1.00 off 1 (x4/30)
Smart Balance Popcorn - $1.00 off 2 (x4/30)
Smucker’s Jams, Jellies, Preserves, or Fruit Spread products - $1.00 off 3 (x5/01)
Sparkle Paper Towels, 2-Giant Roll pack+ - $1.00 off 1 (x3/02)
Suave Body Wash - $1.50 off 3 (x2/28)
Suave Body Wash – 75 cents off 2 (x2/28)

copied from afullcup.com

My newly reorganized freezer

I *just* thought of something

Our stand up freezer is organized yet unorganized. We have veggies on one shelf, pork on another, beef on another, ground beef in the bottom. I read somewhere that a lady bought some milk crates to organizer her freezer but I got to thinking and I could do it even cheaper than that by using boxes. Then I can write on the outside of the box what is in there and it would make it soooo much easier to defrost. I could just remove the boxes and ta-da...instant defrosting and all I have to do is put the boxes back in. It would also be so much easier to find stuff and less stuff falling out to break my toe. Brilliant! I am going to start tonight!

FAR items for February that I plan to buy

the multipurpose solution. I am out so this is great timing.

Possibly the Garnier fructis shampoo.

walgreens deals for 2/8-2/14

nothing to exciting. I might be interested in getting a swiffer wet jet, if I have a good coupon.

I am also thinking that this might be a good time to get R an Axe shampoo. I love the way Axe smells and would like him to try it and it is a FAR item this month so it would be a good time to try it.

walgreens deals for 2/1-2/7

nothing interests me except for the Razors that are $2.99 after RR. That depends on the coupons that come out however!

Old Navy clearance sale again

Take an EXTRA 50% off Old Navy Clearance!*5 DAYS ONLY--exclusively onlineDon't miss your chance to save even more on already low prices,now through February 2.Enter promo code HALFOFF at checkout.

*Offer valid on Old Navy Clearance merchandise only from 1/29/2009at 12:01 am ET through 2/2/2009 at 11:59 pm ET in the U.S.(including Puerto Rico) at gap.com, bananarepublic.com, oldnavy.com,piperlime.com while supplies last. Not valid at Old Navy Stores.Select styles and colors only. Discount applies to Clearancemerchandise only, not value of gift cards purchased, packaging,applicable taxes or shipping & handling charges. Online code limitedto one-time use only. No adjustments on previous purchases. Notvalid for cash or cash equivalent. Cannot be combined with otheroffers or discounts, including Gap Inc. employee discount. Gap Inc.is not responsible for lost or stolen coupons.Select styles only. For a limited time, while supplies last.

I failed...and more.....

ok so through today...here is what I bought:
$3.78 at grocery store
$2.11 for boone's wine ( I needed it BADLY Saturday night!!)
$0.88 diapers at Walgreens
$1.35 bottle of soda at work
$3.71 at gas station for bananas, bread and these awesome breadsticks with cheese inside
$2.38 for grapes
$1.20 for 2 donuts.
$3.58 for 2 packs of cheddarwursts
$17.12 for 5 t-bone steaks
$1.77 for 3 cans of mandarin oranges

Some things (in purple) I could have skipped. The steaks were a must buy. $3.99/lb for T-bones is awesome and we are low on steaks in the freezer so that was a must. The bread and bananas were need. The diapers, although I have quite a few packs, I needed to use my RR so that was the best way to use them.

The things I could have gone without...the grocery store stuff...shortening and margarine for a recipe. I could have just not made the cake but oh well. The wine...as much as I needed it Saturday night, I could have gone without. The bottle of soda at work I definitely could have done without but I had to work last minute and needed a pick me up after a rough night with a sick kiddo. The grapes we could have done without but the kids were dying for grapes and we haven't had any in a long time and they were on sale. The donuts...not even going to go there....moment of weakness. The cheddarwursts....we already have a bunch but they only had 2 packs left at the sale price and I never see them that cheap so I grabbed them...ate some for lunch today too. The cans of mandarin oranges....the kids really don't eat regular oranges but they love the mandarin so because they are sick and could use the vitamin C boost, I got some.

Overall, I feel crappy for not meeting my goal but I did not spend too frivolously, which was my objective. I still have one day left but since I went over...it is over. I didn't even make it to the bent and dent today. 2 sick kids, a crabby sick husband and a big mess with scheduling at work lead to me not even wanting to go. I am going to try again next week. Starting Saturday and going through Friday.

cheap dog shampoo

LOL Sheena decided to jump in the bath with K tonight. Since she was already in there I decided it was a good time for the dog to have a bath. So I wetted her down and realized I had no doggie shampoo. Crap! So I used some of the Suave that I have so much of. It worked like a charm. Sheena is soft, fluffy and smells great.

long talks and strategizing....

R and I had a long heart to heart today. He is understandably worried that his employer will be shutting the doors for good. He received a call on Monday from his boss and even though his boss is not laid off, they cut his hours down and they are operating on bare bones staff. The machine my hubby runs has not even ran in two weeks. We sat down and strategized. Because he knows I am a planner and a worrier, he figured I already had a plan in place. To his utmost shock...I do not. I am flying by the seat of my pants and hoping for a miracle. I know how much we have in savings and I know how long we could live off that money with keeping the house. What I did not know until I sat down to write out the bills tonight for this month, is that we have an additional month in our household bills account. Hallelujah!

R has been looking at other employment, really looking, but in this area there is no employment. There are retail jobs, a couple banking jobs, housekeeping at the hospital and a few other similar jobs but not jobs that R can do and support the family and for us to pay for daycare so we keep looking and hoping. At this point that is all we can do. I have been looking at a job change for myself as well. Not that I do not love my job, I do, it is just that the hours I need are not there. But I need to stay on with my employer through April in order to receive my bonus. The bonus should be between $300 and $500. That is a lot of money to throw out the window by quitting and working elsewhere now. Besides the project is starting soon and that should give me enough hours to make it worthwhile to stay. They are planning on working weekends and nights to get this project done so I know I will get the hours I want and need. The project will last "several weeks". How long is several weeks? IDK I am guessing 4-6 which would put me into March-ish for going back to only working one day a week. The bonus is estimated to be paid out around the 15th of April so if I can just stick it out that last month or so we will be sitting good. That month could be rough. IDK. I hope it turns out ok. I hate to wait for that bonus and cause financial issues, that is why I am glad we have the extra money put away.

my current plan is to continue to make my "car payment" to the savings account when it is all paid off to give us even more of a cushion. I hope I can keep on that plan because it sure would be nice to be able to put a couple hundred away each month.

the spending freeze is

going pretty well but I think I might end up going over the $30...actually I know I will because FIL has asked me to pick up some things for him. I will get that money back so IDK if I should count it or not...probably won't. But the kicker is...he asked me to go to the bent and dent...my favorite one...to get him a case of soup and some other things. SIGH...whenever I go there I end up spending money and I have yet to put gas in my car this week. Luckily I am still at just over 1/2 tank but I still have 2 days left of the spending freeze. SIGH...probably going to end up over the $30 limit...but not my much. oh well...I guess.

Next week I start on a major project at work, I will most likely be working 6 days a week again. Therefore I cannot make any bent and dent trips, nor can I make any trips to the grocery store to wander. It is going to be a busy few weeks but the money will be nice. I am sooo close to getting my car paid off. I currently owe...$2360! wow! so close yet so far away....I wish I could just have it done with now. Alas..I keep plugging away at it and it will be paid off in no time.

I am a coupon puller...and so is K

Last week when K and I were at a store, we saw $1.50/2 coupons for miracle whip. R loves miracle whip. I use a lot in the summer to make salads, etc. We grabbed a couple of the coupons since they don't expire until the end of May and guess what! this week it is on sale at a different store for $2/jar. LOL my coupons make it $1.25/jar! Awesome!


now if wonder bread would go on sale with the coupons I got the other day. LOL

Geez...

it is so hard to write about anything thrifty when I am on a spending freeze. The good thing though is that nothing I want or need is on sale at the grocery stores this week. Overall the sales ads are kind of lacking.

One nice thing about planning the spending freeze for this week is that the charity radio auction is going on. Being on a spending freeze means I can not/will not buy any overpriced baked goods. LOL

the dangers of a too full freezer

Having a too full freezer can be hazardous to your health and pocketbook:

• Items can get shoved to the back (or bottom) and forgotten about and then you have freezer burnt food...which is sometimes salvageable but most often not
• You see a great deal on something but have no room so you have to pass
• you open the freezer to get out a popsicle for your sick child and a container of frozen juice falls out from the top shelf and breaks your toe. Yeah that happened. I am serious!

What is your vice?

you know the one thing that you love that you won't/can't give up? For me...it is soda...diet coke or diet pepsi or even store brand diet cola. I don't care really I just need my diet soda.

To keep the price of my vice in check, I buy on sale or buy generic.

R's vice is beer. He likes beer. He has switched to drinking cheaper beer when we don't have the money for budwieser or the microbrews that he loves, which is quite often. Natural Ice or Natural light...both made by Anheuser Busch, are his new go to beers. $12.65 for a 30 pack with tax. Not bad at all and it lasts him quite a while.

R has another vice too...Mountain Dew. No generics will ever take the place of that so I stock up when it is on sale. Recently he has cut back his dew consumption and started drinking my diet soda! :sigh: of course he only drinks the name brand diet because in his opinoin the generic tastes funny.

Diaper STEAL

oh it's not just a deal...it was a STEAL!

Walgreens brand diapers are on sale for $5.99/pack

I got 4 packs for a total of $25.28
I used 2 $10 RR from the pepsi deal for $20 off
Then I used my rebate gift card for another $4.40 off
My OOP total...............88 cents for 4 packs of diapers

added a new ticker on the side

Last time I did a spending freeze I did a post each time I spent. This time I am just going to add it to the ticker and post at the end of the week (next Friday) how much is left and what I bought.

I want to do the spending freeze for 2 weeks so I will reset it next Saturday with $30 again.

It is almost 5 PM on Saturday, Day 1, and I have yet to spend even a dime.

Found something!

LOL during my decluttering mission today I found a $20 gift card to Pedro's. Since R and I are not going out to eat any time soon, I think I am going to add it to the gift stockpile. It would be a really nice gift for Josh or Heather or my parents. I think Josh and Heather would enjoy it most so I will probably put it in the money clip and give it to Josh for his birthday.

I got my bedroom decluttered and added more priced stuff to the garage sale pile...HOORAY! Only 4 more months to my garage sale. LOL

One of the nice things

With a spending freeze is that I find myself bored...and productive. I don't go anywhere just to get out of the house so I don't spend money AND I find ways to keep myself busy. For Example: Today with R's help, I decluttered the livingroom. That stereo that was sitting on top of the entertainment center, unused for quite some time, into the garage sale pile. The top shelf of the desk is now junk free. I also dusted. Now if only the kids would stop fighting long enough to allow me to work in another room, I would have the kitchen done. That requires standing on a chair to reach the upper cabinets and I cannot trust the kids not knocking me down. O tries to climb on the chair I am standing on and then K tries to get her down which would probably result in me falling so I will do that another time.

K cleaned up the toyroom, without much of a fuss, today. I think my making her clean is finally starting to pay off. I learned though that if I have O help, K is better about it and I am hoping that it pays off in the future with O not as bad about helping as K can be.

Next step in the decluttering day is my bedroom. Not too much left to do in there because I went through clothes a month or so ago.

I am a worrier

I know I am. Always have been. Even in Highschool. I worried about stuff. Stuff I couldn't change, stuff I could, things that were not affecting me in any real way. UGH!

Now that it has been 2 months since R worked, I find myself worrying. I am quite happy that we have some money in savings to cover the mortgage for 6 months. R's unemployment will run out about June. With what we have saved we could make it to December staying in our house. Surely, some thing would change by then right?

We are not even close to losing our house. We have not been late on payments and our mortgage is very affordable. So why the worry? IDK I guess just because I don't know what would happen to us. Properties are more in rent here than our mortgage payment is and if we couldn't afford that payment, how could we afford to rent? I guess I am just worried because it does not seem to be getting better, only worse.

I saw last night that Old Navy is hiring. The drive would kind of suck on bad weather days but it is day shift hours and some weekends. I am considering applying. I want to call and talk to my boss at Lands end first and find out about this project I am supposed to start. My Employer pays better, when I am working, and is right here in town, which I prefer. But not getting paid, even if my wage is better there, does not pay the bills. At times, I wish the kids were older, so I could work my regular job and a weekend job. Bring in more money.

I wish I could shut off the worry. I worry and worry and it always seems to work out so IDK what I worry for...I just worry. UGH!

Everywhere I read, everything I hear

layoffs, layoffs, layoffs, lost my job, foreclosure, job in jeopardy. UGH! I feel so bad for these people. What is this world coming to? I know for us, we worked all of our lives until recently. Now here we are. We are fortunate enough to not be close to losing our house like other families. Where would we go? what would we do? It pains me to even have to think about that! I feel terrible for those people. Something needs to change.

priceless

carmel puff corn $2.19
Tinkerbell movie from Redbox $1.06
box of brownies $1.59
pack of juice boxes 99 cents....on sale!
Cuddling up on the couch with your oldest daughter and having her say she loves you.........PRICELESS!

yep that is how we are spending our Friday night...R in bed, O in bed, K and I are going to cuddle up on the couch, snack and watch Tinkerbell.

Yet another trip to the bent and dent

Since we were in the area with Sheena's appointment and my mom wanted to go, we went to the bent and dent. I got:

5 packs of Johnsonville Brats $2 each
3 boxes of Organic Mini Waffles 75 cents each (The owner marked them down from $1 for me if I took the last 3 he had)
1 box of bagelfuls $1
2 boxes of Purina Cat foods 75 cents each
3 cans of Dora corn 25 cents each
Soda for me 50 cents
Juice box for K 10 cents

for a total of $16.10

The freezer is full once again.

Mom and Dad took K and I out for lunch. We had Chinese. It was sooo good. It had been so long since I had been to a sit down restaurant to eat and even longer since I ate chinese. R doesn't like it so we don't ever eat it.

After we ate, we stopped at a thrift store and I got O a new pair of shoes for 25 cents. They are like new they were 50 cents put all kids clothing and accesories was 1/2 off.

The Spending freeze starts

Tommorrow.

I am changing my rules a bit. I will allow myself $30 each week to spend instead of $20 because we will need cat litter, cat food, a prescription for O, and diapers are on sale at Walgreens starting Sunday. I hope to transfer O's prescription and get the $25 gift card they are offering with a transferred prescription, depends on if Walgreens takes our insurance or not...cross your fingers! I will save that $25 gift card for lean times but I may buy a couple packs of diapers with part of it. I also need to put gas in my car (which counts toward the $30) and the jeep but I do not count that toward my spending freeze. My spending freeze is on...clothing (new or used), household stuff (again new or used), groceries (I count sale items I do buy toward that $30), stockpile items, and any unneccessary things.

The coupon list is up at taylortownpreview.com. There is nothing I cannot live without so I am skipping buying a paper this weekend. I know I might pay for it in the future but oh well.

Why am I starting the spending freeze now? Because the project we were supposed to work on next week at my job has been postponed, and because they had me down to do the project I got NO yep ZERO scheduled hours next week at work. Ouch! That hurts! So I will only get my unemployment payment and I need just about every dime of that to pay off my car. So I will send almost all, except the $30 I am keeping in cash) to my car. Wish me luck. I didn't work at all this week either so these next two week are going to be rough. May be rough even longer IF the project gets delayed any more.

Rodney and I each have a bit of spending money out of our checks. Gas for my car...my responsibility. gas for his jeep....his responsibility. Normally I do not count gas as a part of a spending freeze as it is needed and not something we can stockpile before hand but at this point I need to watch every dime so I am counting gas toward the $30.

I got the money clips today

They are so cool! The guys are going to love them. R already does. He took his already although I planned to add it to the gift stockpile. I showed my brother his tonight since he was admiring R's and I told him he could pick his birthday gift, money clip, new boxers, new flannel pjs pants, or a gillette shaving set. He said holy crap you bought that all for me already. I laughed and said yeah but it is one gift for your birthday and the rest for Christmas. You are done for Christmas now and he thought I spent a ton of money. You would think he would know me better than that by now! I told him all totaled I spent less than $20 on him (actually it was less than $15 because he bought his own shaving set with the gift card he gave me for Christmas, LOL). So he was cool with that.

unexpected trip to the bent and dent today

The kids and I left the house for a bit to give R some alone time, which he REALLY appreciated. He cleaned the house!!!!!

When we were headed back home the kids fell asleep and I don't know about your kids, but if mine take a "car nap" even a short one, they are a pain to wake up and are so crabby. A longer one is ok but a short one is like HELL!!! So I saw they were falling asleep...so I thought to myself what is the best thing to do. KEEP DRIVING!!! So I decided that a trip to the bent and dent was in order. It is about a 20 minute drive. Long enough for them to get a pretty good nap in and once I got onto the back roads, I drove slow...turing the 20 minute drive into a 35 minute drive..LOL. I needed to go anyway as I promised the sitter I would get her a case of soup and she wouldn't accept payment for babysitting the kids so I decided to pay her in soup. So we got there and we got the soup 12 16 OZ cans for $13.60, we also got 2 packages of Johnsonville Brats for $2 each...very cheap!, and 6 more boxes of toaster strudel and 5 boxes of "toucans" AKA Kraft Strawberry Bagelfuls. All that for $28.60. Regular price would have been $53 at a grocery store! I saved almost $25. Wow! I know in a previous post I said we have enough but sometimes I just can't pass up deals especially on things like Brats and Bagelfuls. I have to take Sheena to the vet tommorrow and when I told my mom about the brats, she said she wanted to go tommorrow so we are going after the vet appointment since the vet is only 10 minutes from the bent and dent. YEAH! I am going to finish stocking the little bit of freezer room we have left with brats...lots and lots of brats!

Update on Sheena

she has been her almost 2 months now. She is spayed, has her shots and is the best friend to O. O and Sheena play together all the time. Sheena is soo gentle with O and K too but K is a little rougher than O. It is so cute. O will sit on the floor and Sheena will instantly go and lay beside her and O will pet her head and Sheena will start licking her and O will laugh and laugh. O calls her NEEEEEEE NA and throws the ball for her. 2 of the 3 cats have adjusted well. The 3rd cat is finally starting to come around. K was so upset the night Sheena got spayed and stay with the vet. She told me to bring Sheena back and take sissy to the animal shelter . We took Sheena back to the shelter for a visit and to give them proof she had been spayed so we could get the deposit back. She has been the best addition to our family. The shelter has called about once a week just to see how things are going, and they gave us a gift of 30 days of pet insurance which was sooo nice. If you are ever in the market for a pet, I highly recommend checking out an animal shelter. We found our new best friend at ours and I couldn't be happier. Sheena is such a great addition to our family...even if DH didn't think so at the time. Here she is stealing DH's spot on the couch when he got up.

do you ever just sit back and think ENOUGH?

I do. I am to that point in my stockpiling. IDK how much more I can do. I have a year (and more) supply of pretty much everything not food related. I have gifts bought for Christmas, I have enough food in this house to feed 10 families for a couple months. IDK I just sometimes get this whole ENOUGH thing in my head and I will go for a long time with only buying basics. I think I am to the point that I need to do that again. I need to be accountable though. So starting with my spending freeze and moving on from that I am going to try harder to keep myself in check, only buying rock bottom low prices on stuff we need and not buying anything we don't. Of course I need to go check out double coupons on Friday LOL but after that I am DONE for a short time anyway. Time to get motivated at getting my car paid in full!

WIC appt today and more

we are back on WIC. I hated to do it because we are doing ok but I need to think of the kids and when we get down to the last part of a gallon of milk and it is a couple days til payday and I am sitting with $5 to my name...well, the kids come first so we signed up for WIC again. K and O both got iron levels checked and those were really good. K did not have to get a lead level check but O did and they just said it was low. They didn't give me a number. They had some really good information for me. I really do like WIC. It is a great program and helps alot. The girls don't really like any of the cereals we get from WIC so we usually skip them. Anything we don't need we don't get. I was so thankful for WIC when O was born. They helped out a lot. I would really like to get a job someday with WIC. Those people that work there (at least in our county) are wonderful!

Also...my spending freeze will start on 2/1 and go until 2/7 as I forsee it now. I will keep track here.

added 2 more things

to the gift stockpile. Tonight, because my ear was hurting and I just got done at urgent care but did not want to go home and deal with bedtime and 2 crying kids, I went to Kohls and walked around. It is very quiet in that store. No annoying loud music, no screaming kids. I ended up finding another pair of Xbox boxers this time for my brother since Hubby claimed the first pair. They came in this cool controller shaped tin and were on clearance for $2.80 and I got Hubby a pair of AC/DC ones for the same price also with a cool tin. So I added them to the gift stockpile. I did not go intending on buying anything, just to walk around and enjoy the solitude but for just over $5 for 2 pairs of nice boxers I can't refuse and I got a coupon for $5 off my next purchase. I plan to use that when they mark down the kids clothes a little bit more.

Our sitter had the kids for a few hours last week when I worked because R needed a break. I stopped by to pay her tonight and pick up K (who had begged to go over there tonight because she was watching her granddaughters). I had dropped K off on my way to the Urgent care because we had planned to go over there anyway but my ear was hurting too bad to want to sit over there. Anyway our sitter refused and told me to get her a case of soup from the bent and dent instead of paying her LOL. Goofy but it works. It saves me about $20!!

Sweet score today!

I went to the grocery store to get milk and I scored some reduced price lean ground beef, 6 lbs, and a bottle of ketchup for 50 cents.

Lots of good in store sales but I was unable to take much time checking it out because the girls where ready for naps. I hope to go back later and scope it out...and take my coupons!

mindless babble again

I was sitting here trying to think of something profound to say...and I came up with nothing. My knee is throbbing from hitting it on the pantry last night. I didn't get alot of sleep even though I took some PM pain relief. Everytime I moved, it hurt. Tommorrow is our WIC appointment. I need to go to my employer and get my schedule for next week and while I am out I want to stop at the grocery store and pick up more Hillshire farms cheddarwursts. Of course I have no coupons for them and even if I could find some online, this particular store will not take IPs anyway. But $1.79 a package is a very good price. They are usually $2.88 at Walmart and $3.00 at our other local store. The cheapest I have seen them is $2. so this is a good price. I also would like to go to Kohls and get R and my brother more of the boxers I got on clearance the other night with Heather. I just can't get motivated to get out of the house. I am still in my pjs. R is napping and I am bored. I cleaned the house, did dishes, and started laundry. R got up with the kids this morning because I was sleeping in. I need to clip my coupons, I need to plan for double coupons at the grocery store this weekend. I said I was going to skip it but after looking over the ad more and checking out the instore unadvertised sales last night, I think I can get a few free things so I need to plan on that. UGH! Why can't I get motivated?

tentative spending freeze

from 2/2-2/8 I am planning on a spending Freeze. I am going to take out $20 in cash and that will be what I have to spend for that week. I know I can do it. I need a little bit of money for milk but I will not buy anything that week. The plan is to only buy what is necessary, which is milk, bread and bananas. I was thinking that I could just buy that for the week on 2/1 but I will take the $20 out anyway just in case. I will still be paying bills but I will not buy any other items that week. The plan is to:

use up stuff we have here
plan meals around what we have in the house
send as much as I can to get my car paid off
try to do this weekly but with more money obviously.

I am going to rethink a lot of things we are doing currently because I really need to buckle down and get some money in savings and get my car paid off. The job prospects in this area are not looking good at all and I want to set us up better in case R's layoff goes from temporary to permanent.

More info to come.

this kinda sucks

I got my shift cancelled for today. No working for me. The boss said she didn't even have enough work for the full-time people to work more than 4 hours. Yikes! Thank god for the project coming up! But I guess I can do some more garage sale pricing and decluttering!

Have I ever mentioned

how whining about a financial situation annoys me? To ask for advice is one thing but to say "gosh I just don't know how you and R are affording to live with him not working. We are struggling and we are both working. You must be working a ton to make ends meet or using your credit card alot." We do fine, thank you. Sorry to hear that. NOPE and NOPE! I get a lot of crap and poor pathetic me stories from someone that we are related too. He works, his wife works, they have kids. R and I are in a better place financially because I made us that way. It takes a lot of work to do what I do. I would very gladly help but they don't want my help. They want me to feel sorry for them and I do not. When I get told that I am cheap for buying my kids clothes at rummage sales and thrift stores, making things from scratch, using coupons, "buying more than we need at that moment....how can that save money?" and my favorite....GASP! going without new clothes or shoes for myself or R because we want to get our debt gone. :Shaking my head:, I refuse to help these people. In fact, last year I was "not good enough" to do their taxes even though I had done them the year before and got them more back than the tax guy said they would get, now this year lo and behold, they want me to do their taxes...for free. F*&% that!

DUH!

I am such an idiot sometimes. I did a couple rebates this month at Walgreens. One was the glade candles (1 rebate on my card and 1 on my mom's for $4.40 each) and I just now realized that all this time I have been stocking up on R's PM pain relief that the 50 ct packages are also on rebate this month. DOH! buy 5 get $10 back(extra $1 ...10% if you put the rebate on a walgreens gift card). I have been buying because they are buy one @ $3.99 get one free. So stupid me. I still had to get 4 more (getting the 6th one since it is free). Had I remembered this I would have just gotten 4 of these instead of 4 of the regular acetaminophen that I bought last week. Oh well. I am not going to return them because we will use them. Anyway I went tonight and got the other 4 so I can submit that rebate and use it on the diapers that are on sale next week. I will have $19.80 in rebates and $20 in RR to use for diapers. Sweet, huh? At 5.99 a pack, I will be able to get 6 packs and have 3.86 left for the bread that is on sale and tax. If my figuring is right on the tax for the diapers my OOP next week will be......nothing...I should still have 38 cents left over on the gift cards for 6 packs of diapers and 1 loaf of bread. Sweet deal...more than makes up for the pepsi OOP this coming week and last. LOL

the rebate math:
3 bottles of PM pain relief $11.97
3 bottles of PM pain relief $ 0.00 (b1g1f)
___
6 bottles for $11.97
rebate for buying 5 $10.00 +$1 ($1 is for 10% extra for putting the rebate on a Walgreens gift card)
so .97 for 300 PM pain relief pills. My kind of deal!!!

Mindless babble

I was once asked if I tend to be more "liberal" with the use of stuff since I have so much. Do I not empty the shampoo bottle before I toss it, Do I use every drop of laundry detergent or just use what I can and not worry about the last little bit? I am happy to say I still use the last drop of everything. that little bit of laundry detergent left....I just add a bit of water to the jug, shake it and let it sit upside down until I do the next load. Conditioner, Shampoo, body wash...I squeeze out every last drop and will even get the lid off and pound out the rest on my palm. Deodorant, I use it until the end. Yep. That 1 or 2 extra uses I can get out of stuff is saving money so I do it.

I tried something new to shampoo carpets today. I don't have any of the expensive cleaner here so I added a dash of vinegar and some suave shampoo. The carpets and clean and soft and smell good. LOL whatever works I guess

I currently have 2 FREE candles burning and I went to the stockpile and got out a new bottle of toilet bowl cleaner, shampoo, febreeze (well the glade version), and shampoo for the kids and for me. Yep I use my stockpile. LOL

The kids are being terrible today. They are driving me insane. Constant fighting and screaming. UGH! It is a timeout right now for ME. I can't wait to go to work tommorrow. I need to decide what to have for dinner yet.

coupon Sunday

I went and got my paper. I always get the ones that have the P&G insert but I don't always but the rest of the month because I get them from FIL. I used the $1 off quilted northern and I got a 12 pack of double rolls for $4 at Pamida with the double coupons. That is all I used. I didn't really take the time to look at them...just glanced and found the quilted northern one quick so I could go get that. I got the ultra plush.

R fixed the dryer. The vent came off the back and while it made the house warmer...the dust was unbelievable. We weren't aware it came off for a couple loads. I went into the laundry room when the dryer was running and it was so dusty and hot in there, I knew right away. I am now finishing laundry. UGH! I have to work tommorrow. Wednesday we have an appointment, and I will find out tommorrow if I have to work the rest of the week. I know I will have Tuesday and Wednesday off however.

So the plan for today is finish laundry, vacuum, shampoo the carpets, get a roast ready for R to cook tommorrow and clean the house. FUN FUN!

oh yeah!

I forgot to mention on my Gift stockpile post that the bath sets were all bought with a gift card from my brother for Christmas and cash from my parents for Christmas so my actual OOP on those items was very low....like nothing...LOL. I completely forgot that until now when I was looking back over that post. crazy!

Double coupons at Pamida and other babble

our craptastic local store. An overpriced, understocked poor excuse for a store. I went anyway. LOL. I got Kotex tampons for $1.38 and pads for $.88 yep...that's what I got. I compared coupons but nothing good was on sale and the prices...even with my coupons doubled....were more than I was willing to pay. Gosh I love having a stockpile, no need to buy things for us because we NEED them. LOL I can just wait until they go on sale and I have a good coupon making stuff nearly free.


Speaking of nearly free....I am anxiously awaiting a GOOD coupon from Victoria's Secret. There are a couple things I want to get as gifts but after the deal I got last year (slippers for 53 cents a pair..shipping and tax included) I REFUSE to get them without getting a good deal. Nothing will be as good as that deal I am sure but I won't pay what they currently want for them. R says I am getting spoiled by all my deals but is that a bad thing?...to not buy something that I don't need unless I can get it for almost free? I don't think so. I think it is a very good thing.

Another good thing....Although I have recently used my credit card, I will be able to pay that amount back off very quickly. Sweet! R has used his as well and his will take a bit more time to pay off but his sanity is more important than a credit card balance as long as his sanity is not costing us more than a couple hundred bucks. He also knows that he doesn't get any more "sanity saver presents" for a long time so he is good.

I am still feeling a bit mad at myself for buying the gifts I did. I know I saved money but I also spent alot at Walgreens this past week getting our soda stockpile up. UGH! In the next week or two however...and even longer....I shouldn't have to spend much money at all. So that kind of makes up for it. I talked to R's Aunt today when we were at the inlaws and was telling her about my latest deals (she is a couponer/bargain shopper as well) and I told her the full retail price and how much I spent and she said wow you did good. I told her I know and I was very proud that I only used the CC online and once at JCP to get K's coat and the other things that day so the balance is low but I didn't want to use the CC anymore. She said well look at it this way...you would probably not have gotten K that coat next fall but probably spent $20ish at Walmart so you got a much better deal on a better coat for a better price and the online stuff is "safer" in her mind by using CC. IDK I have never had a problem but if it were to be a problem, like getting overcharged by alot or whatever and having that come out of the checking via debit card, I would be screwed with overdraft charges etc. So yeah I did good but why do I feel like crap about it? Maybe because we don't HAVE the money to spend....oh we have the money but my car is supposed to be priority and every extra dime was supposed to go to getting that paid off. It also doesn't help that I bought stuff at Walmart (groceries), the bent and dents. I guess the MAIN reason why I feel bad (but happy...does that make sense?) is that I have been only working 1 day a week so I have very little $$ coming in right now. At least I know after next week I will be working a lot again and everything is going to the car.

My local overpriced grocery is doing double coupons again this weekend and I think I am going to skip it. It is a once a month thing and we don't need anymore food in this house. I know there is nothing I can get for FREE so I think skipping it is a good thing this month. No stressing over getting coupons ready for it either. LOL.