i am thankful

I've been reading blogs from other frugal folks, watching the news, and going through the information sent to us from our bank. They all say the same things.

• Have a budget
• Use cash
• Save while paying down debt

We've been doing all of the above for four years and I'm just now realizing what a blessing it is. I believe we were pointed in this direction intentionally. I can't remember exactly how or why we started using cash only but I know it had something to do with ATM fees. The cash-only system needed a budget to give me an idea of how much cash we needed. After hearing a few different places that even with debt we should be paying ourselves (aka saving) first, I started a college fund for the big kid and IRAs for the Baron and me.

I've never been as pleased with the Baron's job (USN) as I am now. I know things will work out and we will be provided for but I do hope the economy will be on the rebound by 2013, when he's up for retirement.

Even my bland social life with my blah schedule paid off. I had all the time in the world last year to clip coupons, chase deals, and stock up. Now, with the Baron deployed and the competition for deals on the rise, I can stay home and live off what we have.

I want to put out there how thankful I am and how blessed I feel to have been given the opportunity to learn about budgets and frugal living. I think the crunch is still a part of our lives, but we've been living differently for so long, we haven't needed to make drastic changes.

excuse me, ma'am

"Is everything alright?"

These were the words spoken to me by a nice police officer yesterday morning. She had pulled up next to me and motioned for me to roll down my window. Turning seven shades of red, I obliged. Thoughts were racing around my head as I contemplated an answer to the question. I decided honesty is the best policy, no matter how weird it made me sound. Besides, I am a terrible liar.

"I'm looking for coupons...coupons people drop...you know, from Winn Dixie? The people in the apartments over there...they sometimes drop their coupons....?" nervous laugh. blush. stammer. smile.

I'm not sure what she was expecting; probably a lost cat or wallet. She nodded in an understanding way (what with the economy and all, I suppose) and left.

Funny thing is, I wasn't picking them up for me this time. All my frugal penny pinching last year has us set for a while. Not that I would pass up a $10 off $50 to fill the freezer with meat, but I was doing reconnaissance. I am supposed to teach a couponing class to a group of homeschooling parents sometime this month.

doubles, yo

Got a Kmart? Get thee there! They are doubling coupons up to and including 2.00. It's an amazing savings that can even make for FREE items. For example I found Kotex pantiliners for $1.29. I had a .75/1 coupon.

1.29
-.75 coupon
-.54 coupon doubled up to the price of the item
= Free pantiliners

Betty Crocker cookie mix is 10/$10. I had .40/1 coupons. Frosting is 2/$3. I had .50/1 coupons. You automatically get $1.00 off when you buy (WYB) 5 or more items.

1.00 cookie mix
1.00 cookie mix
1.00 cookie mix
1.00 cookie mix
1.50 frosting
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon
-.40 coupon doubled
-.40 coupon doubled
-.40 coupon doubled
-.40 coupon doubled
-.50 coupon
-.50 coupon doubled
-1.00 WYB 5 Betty Crocker
= .30 for all of the above

The cookie mix will come in handy for making cookies for school or when the big kid is bored and I'm to lazy to dig out Granny's recipe.

rethinking my shopping addiction

With the new year just around the corner, I am doing a self evaluation of my coupon and stockpiling habits. My standard was to buy 4-6 papers. Always an even numbers in case of a buy one get one (BOGO) sale. I mainly focused on drug stores for the health and beauty aids. I would guess my current HBA supply will last me 2 years. At this point, I really could lay off on the CVS and Walgreens deals.

Since my yard sale didn't go as I'd hoped, I think my buy-extra-to-sell strategy is moot. I made approximately $100. It really should go towards the purchase of a chest freezer. That way, I can focus on food stock. I do worry about hurricanes and random power outages, though.

I'll try to get rid of the rest of my excess HBA at the spring yard sale. Until then, I'm going to limit my drug store shopping to money makers only. Frees will be fine if it's something I need.

Last thought on this, I may switch to only purchasing the coupons I need from clipping sites and HCW. There are so few coupons for foods that aren't crap, no point in having 90% of them go unused. Without the drug store coupons, the paper isn't worth the purchase price

good deed

In my pursuit of cats last week*, I acquired two 10/75 and one 10/50. I went to Winn Dixie today to use the 10/50 on my purchases. I gave the cashier and the lady ahead of me each a 10/75. The lady in front of me had a giant stroller full of twin baby boys and used the cat on her $100+ total. We both left with a smile.

Vlasic stackers for $1.00 a jar, clearance Pampers (60ct) for $8.00, and free Crest toothpaste for troop boxes. Yay!

*Link added for explanation of "cats". :P

today's haul

18 boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea - check
18 packages of Schick Quattro disposable razors - check
14 packs of gum in a variety of flavors - check
money spent - 0.00 plus tax (damn that sales tax!)

I'll have silky smooth legs, minty fresh breath, and a steamy hot cup of tea to keep me relaxed this winter.

I also picked up some essentials for next years haunted house and yard decor.

severed leg - check
giant skull head with gauze body - check
skull light stakes - check
"floating" ghost and 25 foot wire - check
bag o' eyeball bouncy balls - check

We haven't heard anything about the yard contest we were hoping to win. We received a lot of praise in passing from children and their parents on Halloween. I didn't get pictures. I'm terrible, I know.

shopping with coupons

I like to check out a couple of helpful sites and browse store sales ads a few weeks in advance of their circulation dates. For example, I already know what's going to be on sale at Walgreen's the weeks of 11-2, 11-9, and 11-16. I know 11-2 is a hot week for Celestial Seasonings tea, Schick razors, and Wrigley's gum. I will pull those coupons and put them in my pink accordion organizer I use for drug store items. If there are any grocery sales, I pull them and put them in my purple accordion folder I use for grocery store items.

how to clip coupons

I buy a minimum of 4 papers/inserts. I have two papers available in my area. I will thumb through both occasionally but most often buy the more expensive, imported (from 50 miles away) paper. They get better coupons, meaning more coupon variety and higher coupon values.

Here is how I cut down on the work load.

Gather all like inserts.


Peel off the top page (which is the front/back cover) and stack them neatly. I am showing them stacked not-so-neatly.

Cut the stack of inserts leaving a good size margin around the dotted line. You don't want to chop off the expiration or bar code. Be careful you aren't infringing on another coupon on the flip side.

Flip insert page(s) over and check for more coupons.
You're done(with that page)! Repeat until all coupons are clipped. File away for future redemption. I sometimes pull aside the coupons I know are going to be hot that week so I don't have to search later. See the following post.

organize your coupons, organize your life

Not really. I've had organized coupons for months and my life still gets crazy. It's a nice title though, no?

I have a photo storage box from Michaels that I think cost me $10 for three. As you can see, my box is looking a little worn and it's probably time to grab one of those other two boxes I picked up. I like this box because it fits coupons that run the width of an insert page without buckling. The dividers are made from cardstock and packing tape. The photo boxes come with index cards but not enough for the number of categories I created. Also, the colors help me find what I'm looking for quicker. I tried to put the categories in aisle order.



Categories:

Paper/Soap (toilet paper, paper towel, paper dishes, kleenex, hand soap and dish soap)
Air Freshner (plug ins, candles, and sprays)
Soda/Candy (bottled water, candy, chocolates, soda, energy drinks, and "health" bars)
Make Up (cosmetics and beauty tools)
Lotion
Face (cleansers, creams, and treatments)
Shampoo
Hair product (hair dye, treatments, etc.)
Kids/Diaper (wipes, diapers, baby food, nutritional supplements, soaps, shampoos, etc.)
Eye Drops
Band Aids (adhesive bandages, first aid, and ointments)
Deodorant
Body Wash (bar soaps and liquid body soap)
Dental (toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, etc.)
Feminine (lubricants, hygiene, OTC medication)
Vitamins (preventative supplements)
Razors (shaving cream and razors)
Cold Remedy
Allergy
Pain Reliever
Sunscreen/Bug Spray
Stomach (gas, indigestion, heartburn, etc.)
Cleaning (this could stand to be broken up more, in hindsight)
Laundry
Baking (flour, sugar, yeast, baking mixes, artificial sweeteners, etc.)
BBQ Sauce/Marinade
Condiments
Jelly/PB
Dips/Spreads/Dressings
Soups
Rice/Pasta
Canned Veg/Fruit
Cereal (breakfast foods)
Juice
Coffee/Cocoa Mix/Tea/Drink Mix
Snacks
Canned Food
Ziploc/Trash
Frozen Meal
Frozen Fruit/Veg
Desserts
Refrigerated Meats
Bread/Produce
Yogurt
Cheese
Milk/Eggs/Margarine
Diet
Odds and Ends
Animal

coming soon

to a post near you: How I Coupon. By popular demand (okay, one person asked) I will bring you my method for clippling, sorting, and storing coupons. I know, I'm such a tease to post this without the photos (YES! There will be photos) and information. Sorry, you'll just have to wait.

why i pick up stray cats

Yesterday was Tuesday also known as the last day of the grocery store sales ad. That means any $10 off $50 or $10 off $75 coupons that printed out at the Winn Dixie catalina machines yesterday will be good starting today. Every Winn Dixie loyalty card holder gets ONE $X off $XX per week, regardless of how many times you shop there during the Wednesday to Tuesday sale week.

People get these little gems and then litter them all over the parking lot. There is an apartment complex adjacent to my neighborhood Winn Dixie. The residents of this complex walk over to the WD for a gallon of milk or pack of smokes and promptly drop their "cats" on the ground.

Last night we went to the All-You-Can-Eat pizza buffet in the WD strip mall. After eating my fill of mediocre pizza, I left the family to walk around the parking lot. I scooped up a string of cats that included the coveted $10 off $50. This will go nicely with the $10 off $75 I received during my shopping trip earlier in the week.

I ventured over to the field between the parking lot and the apartment complex thinking I'd surely strike it rich. A fire ant hill is all I found. Ouch.

UPDATE:

I went today and worked my pathetic magic. The cashier (my new best friend, of course!) was impressed. She was sure I was, "one of those ladies who is going to only pay $1.00." I had to disappoint her.