The shopping game

I recently read a blog comment where a woman shared that throughout the year she would buy clothing items at garage sales, thrift stores, and clearance racks when she found a good deal. Then when it was time to do "Back to School" clothes shopping for her kids she'd give them each fake money and they could shop through her bargain finds. They got 'new' clothes and she didn't break the bank. I liked this idea but wanted to tweek it for my purposes.

A little over a year ago I spent some time weeding through my children's clothes. And then, I kid you not, that very same week we received 3 garbage bags full of hand-me-downs. Don't get me wrong. I'm always SO thankful for the provisions God makes, but my house was becoming overwhelmed. The laundry situation was out of control, my children didn't take pride in what they own, and this blessing of abundance was becoming a burden. As we get ready to add another person to the house I am even more motivated to get rid of the stuff. My mom, sisters, & I are having a garage sale this weekend so now was as good a time as any.

I spent the last two or three days washing, hanging, and folding every article of clothes my children own. I've gone through countless boxes from the garage. Everything is clean and easily accessible. So now the game. Using a slightly updated version of my clothing list, I made vouchers for the girls. Each one has a specific article of clothing needed. For example, 'One nice dress', or 'a pair of black church shoes'. They will then take the vouchers and 'shop' through their clothes. Anything that's left will either go to the garage sale or Goodwill, or a few choice items may be saved for a younger sibling. And if they are in need of an item (let's say a pair of jeans) then they'll have a voucher for that item left over at the end of the game and I know exactly what to keep my eye out for. I'll do this for Izzie (with a little of her input, maybe) and then later on for the boys. Now, there are some additional guidelines. The items they choose have to pass mom's inspection. They must fit well, be modest, & have no stains or holes.

To avoid the previous dilemma of 'gifts' adding to the closets, we'll institute an "Exchange Program". Say Chelsea gets a new dress for Christmas, she'll need to pick one of her older dresses to exchange for it.

Does this make any sense? The girls are very excited to 'shop' and I'm thrilled to be getting rid of some stuff. I'm tired of looking at this mountain of clothes constantly needing my attention.

What is a Good Price?

This was a big question for me when I started couponing. How do you know when the price is worthy of purchasing more than one of an item. I started making a list of things we typically buy (a list much longer than I originally expected) and started to write down the regular prices for these items. I listed the prices for these items at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, and if they were grocery items I listed prices for Kroger and Albertson's as well. This was SO tedious!
The idea was I could refer to the list, see who generally had it cheapest, and determine what I would consider a good sale price. If it was 75% off or more I'd consider it a 'stock-up price'. I searched the internet for some pre-made price lists but just couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I stumbled upon this good summary article by Clippin' with Carie . My comments are in BOLD.

"Now when it comes to stock up pricing…
That is always a tough question to answer as not everyone has the same store sales or coupons that I may have or you may have a greater “tolerance” for what you will pay for an item, but I am going to do my best to throw some numbers that I use at you:

Obviously when you can get something FREE…STOCK UP!!

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS:
Bar Soap $.25 or less
Toilet Paper (dbl roll) $.30 per roll or less
Body Wash, Deodorant, Kotex, Razors (disposable), Shave Cream, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes $.50 or less (I don't think I've paid more than a quarter for toothbrushes & toothpaste)
Shampoo, Conditioner, Mouthwash, Razors (like Venus or Fusion) $1 or less

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS:
Paper Plates, Liquid Hand Soap, Paper Towels (per roll), Fabric Softener, Liquid Dish Detergent $.50 or less
Dishwasher Detergent or Laundry Detergent $1.50 or less *

FOOD ITEMS:
(I haven't stockpiled any food items except for maybe some pasta and a few frozen meals. I do have some good cereal coupons I'm hoping to use soon since this is a quick and easy thing the big girls can get themselves which will be EXTREMELY helpful when #5 arrives and the littles need A LOT of my attention. I'm thinking of stocking up on some easy snack things as well, like granola bars)
Canned Veggies, Canned Beans, Cake Mix, Canned Soup, Salad Dressing $.50 or less
Pasta, Tub Frosting, Rice, Ketchup, Mustard $.75 or less
Cereal, Shredded Cheese (can be frozen) $1 or less
Peanut Butter, Jelly, Mayo, Fruit Snacks $1.25 or less (I don't think this is a good price for fruit snacks since Kroger usually has their store brand on sale for $1.39 and I can always find a national brand for $2.00 regular price at Wal-mart.)

Now when it comes to finding storage racks and shelving at good prices I personally have been able to get mine for as low as FREE to $25 by watching for businesses or retailers that are going out of business and they need to get rid of everything. (You can also try Craigslist or Freecycle)"
- http://www.savingmoneyinmissouri.com (Clippin' with Carie)

If you read my couponing posts you know that I love the Krazy Coupon Lady website. It's very well organized and easy to navigate. She has these handy little symbols she posts next to items to let you know that this is a good price. Yesterday she posted her own extensive stock-pile price list. Go here to print out a copy to keep in your binder. Now I have noticed a few discrepancies in what she's marked on her posts and then what she has listed in the list, but it's still a GREAT resource.

Another helpful link:
This is a price list from SouthernSavers that compares stock-up prices to the regular bulk prices at Costco : http://tinyurl.com/5tr87uv

* Kroger is currently having a sale on Wisk laundry detergent with the 32 load bottles marked down to $3.99, but they are also part of a "buy 10 participating items get $5.00 off" (or .50 an item) making these $3.49 each. I also had 2 $2.00 off one bottle which would make these $1.50.... BUT they were all out. So I went to the service desk to get a rain check and the kind sales man marked the rain check price as $3.49 WITHOUT the stipulation that I'd have to buy 10. So, for the first time ever I used a coupon clipping service (BlissCoupons) to order 8 more coupons. So in a week or so when they've restocked I can go back to the store and get 10 bottles of Wisk using my coupons AND the rain check to get them for $1.50 each. 320 loads for $15 bucks! This is very exciting to me :) I've never used Wisk before so I'm hoping it doesn't suck. ;) But we go through so much laundry soap I figure the price is good enough that it's worth a try.

Stockpiling with a Purpose

After two months of avidly couponing I feel like I've got a healthy stockpile of personal care items: Shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash, etc. At least enough to get us through the summer. I snagged all of these at extremely low prices and I know I don't have to worry about purchasing them for awhile so I can just replenish my stash when these items are free or almost free. There are a few things I'd like to add: Diapers, Wipes, kids shampoo, & paper products. We can NEVER seem to have enough of these around. I had happened upon a good deal at Walgreens awhile back on some kids shampoo and wouldn't you know the Littles got a hold of a bottle and used almost the entire thing to make bubbles in the tub. :( And a week later did it again. But I'm still keeping my eye out.

So, What do you do when you don't need anymore toothpaste or razors but that deal is just too good to pass up? I like to call it 'Stockpiling with a Purpose'. A purpose beyond just our personal everyday use. Here are some examples of other 'purposes':

* Stockings
My kids (& hubby) always get toothbrushes in their stockings. I've gotten most of them already. CVS & Walgreens constantly have candy deals like the TIC TAC one a few weeks ago. I got some of those. Gum is constantly a good deal too. I've thought about chocolate but I'm afraid if I know it's there I may hit up the stash, defeating the purpose. Now my girls aren't old enough for make-up and razors but those would be great ideas too. Chap stick, cartoon bandaids, fun school supplies all are great. Razor cartridges & shave cream work well in 'The Man's' stocking. I've already started a stash of these so at Christmas time they are ready to go and my gift budget can be focused elsewhere.

* Gift Baskets
A few years ago I got this really cool book on gift baskets. It has basket ideas for EVERY occasion and lists of what to put in them. Each list starts at a very basic price point of $25. Then it gives items you can add to bump it up to a $50 value and then some even go up to $100. I usually do a couple of these at Christmas time but they would be great for baby showers, birthdays, and a get well gift for a friend. Almost anything could work for these. If you have a nice healthy stash then it's easy to bless some one even though your funds may be low. A book I read recently suggested finding baskets at yard sales for pennies and then having them available for those gifts.

* Charity
I've seen a lot of 'extreme couponers' donate a large amount of their stockpile to a local charity like the food bank. Our church has a clothing closet as well as a food pantry and some of those food items that we don't normally eat but are always on good sale would be PERFECT for this. Think Ramen, cereal, & canned goods. Also, some of those soap, disposable razor, and sample size freebies might work well as donations. Be sure to check with your charity/church first.

*Ministry Opportunity
My dad recently share a story about a man he runs into at a transit center in our city. This man shouts offers of "free burgers" which of course gets a lot of attention. He says the interested parties must answer a question in order to get a free What-A-Burger voucher. (I have no idea where he gets these) He starts out by asking basic bible knowledge questions like "Who built the Ark?" and slowly builds up to the real probing questions. By the end of his encounter he's usually pricked the heart of at least one passerby and is provided an opportunity to share the gospel. Now I know soap/razors/shampoo may not be as enticing as a burger but FREE stuff always gets someone's attention and this would be a great way to giveaway some of those freebie food items and share Christ.

Just some of my thoughts on how to make a good use of some fabulous finds... If the item is free or almost free and it's not inconvenient to snag it, why not? If you've got the space to store it then it could come in pretty handy.

Grocery Shopping with Coupons

I have a hard time with this. "They" say you are doing well if you can save 50% or more. Extremer's save about 75% on a regular basis. I am no where near this. I'm not sure how they do it. I clip my coupons, I check the websites for match-ups and good deals but I just don't feel like I'm able to save lots. There are a few things that I feel hinder me and I'm o.k. with that. Mostly it's because of our eating habits. We almost NEVER eat beef, at least not at home, maybe twice a month and we buy it straight from the farm. And when the budget allows we also get our milk and eggs there too. We almost never have soda in the house unless company is coming over. (Now, in full disclosure I must admit that pregnancy makes me crave some good ol' Dublin Dr. Pepper from Chicken Express, so this is on occasion - or lots of occasions- in our home). I share this because a lot of the food I find on spectacular deals tends to be the stuff we wouldn't eat, or at least not buy normally.

I try to shop at Albertsons or Kroger because they will double and triple coupons. Last week Albertson's had several things on sale Buy One Get One free and an even better sale of Buy One Get Two Free. I stocked up on some lunch items for here at home and beverages to take up to the pool. There was only one item on sale at Kroger this week I wanted so I just price matched it at Wal-mart with the other items I needed to get. If I have a higher value coupon that can't be doubled at the other stores I will use it at Wal-mart. Their non-sale prices and store brand are consistently cheaper than the other stores unless they are on sale. It's not hard for me to find good prices on pasta, which we do eat alot of.

I haven't done much grocery shopping at Target but this week I've got a manufacturer's coupon I'll stack with a Target coupon to get some yogurt for the girls fairly cheap which will make for good snacks. I'm not a big stock-piler on grocery items for three reasons. 1. I don't have much pantry space, 2. I won't stockpile food items in my garage because I live in Texas and it's currently 180 degrees in my garage, 3. I'm concerned about critters... bugs, mice, etc. Now I do have a large chest freezer so freezable things I'll more than gladly stock-up on.

So, I'm at a loss. What do you do to save on groceries? What kinds of items do you find on sale consistently? Do you meal plan and then shop to your plan or do you buy what's on sale and make meals out of that?

A little peace & quiet

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. And I still haven't gotten around to that one promised post... but I will. Just spending a lot of time in my head the past week or so, pondering big, possibly life changing, decisions and being reminded once again that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Tonight I sat on my couch and looked around. Basketball game on the tv, little one watching a movie on the laptop right next to me, husband tweeting away on his phone, and the faint sounds of the big girls watching a movie back in their room. Too Much! While I love all of the conveniences technology affords us sometimes I just want to shut everything down and take a breather. I'm trying to take a break from Facebook just because it sucks up SO much of my time and really, not knowing every little detail about everyone's day isn't going to kill me. I find I tend to over share on Facebook anyway and staying away helps me to keep things to myself that maybe don't need to be shared... And I'm just trying to change the routine a bit before baby comes along.

So that's it. Just checking in.

Extreme Couponing Tips

I know I said I was going to post on my grocery couponing next but I came across this article and wanted to share. It comes from the Living Rich with Coupons series 'Extreme Couponing 101'. The girls and I love to watch the new episodes of TLC's Extreme Couponing but it can be a little crushing when you know you aren't getting anywhere near those kinds of deals on your hauls. I have found that on almost every couponing website, especially the ones where the operator has been featured on the show, they all say that those kinds of shopping trips almost NEVER happen. So that's encouraging and I hope this is too.

"Extreme Couponing Tips

If you have been watching the Extreme Couponing Series on TLC, you know that some of these shoppers walk away with a ton of groceries for next to nothing. Lot’s of questions pop up like, where do they get all their inserts, can you use that coupon on that product, etc.

This week’s tip is:

Don’t Be So Extreme

I understand that the name of the show is Extreme Couponing, however, to me, Extreme Couponing has a different meaning then buying 100 Free bottles of soap in 1 shopping trip. There is no need for that. Really there isn’t. To me Extreme Couponing is the ability to save 75% or more on your grocery bill. And, you can do that if you picked up 4 -8 (depending on your family size) of those same Free bottles of soap. Not 100 bottles.

Stockpiles

I talk a lot about building a stockpile. Having a nice stockpile is one of the key ways to be able to save at the grocery store. The reason for building a stockpile is simply so that you do not have to go out and buy something at full price. If you purchase several of the items when they are at their lowest price, you do not have to purchase them until they go on sale again.

Why will 4-8 bottles be enough? Well, it’s simple. Sales usually run in cycles of about 3 months. So, if you see a great deal on bottles of soap this month, most likely you will see a great deal again in about 3 months. Just in time for the 4-8 bottles in your stockpile to start to be running low. Honestly, it could take us about 3 weeks to go through 1 bottle of soap. For me, 100 bottles of soap would be over 5 years worth. Buy what you need for your family and for donations and nothing more. Please don’t turn your home into one big stockpile.

Don’t overwhelm yourself

Watching some of these couponing shows may have you thinking you are not as good at couponing as you thought. That there must be something wrong because you are not buying $2000 worth of groceries for $50. Don’t second guess yourself. If you are saving a good amount by using coupons and working some deals, then you are doing a great job. And, don’t try to do every single deal. There are way too many and if you do, you’ll burn yourself out. Step back, take a deep breath and say, I’m not doing that deal because I just don’t need to right now. It will make for a much better, long term, couponing experience.

Enjoy Couponing

Couponing should not take over your home or your life. It should be a fun activity that brings you great joy and satisfaction that you are saving your family money. If deals don’t work or you forgot a coupon, brush it off. There is always the next deal or coupon."

Feel better now?

Go check out their website. They have a great Couponing for Beginners section and info on stockpiling.

Coupon Categories

Some of you have asked about my coupon binder categories. I based my list off of the Krazy Coupon Lady’s and made my own personalizations. Her list is not alterable so I had to type up my own and dressed it up.

1. Salty Snacks/Chips
2. Granola/Fruit Snacks
3. Pasta & Sauce
4. Soup
5. Baking
6. Breakfast
7. Prepared Sides/rice
8. Condiments/Salad Dressing
9. Drinks
10. Refrigerated
11. Freezer
12. Candy
13. Diapers
14. Misc. Baby - Wash/Lotion
15. Paper Products/ Ziplock
16. Surface Cleaners
17. Laundry

• Detergent

• Stain Removers

18. Dish washing

• Detergent

• Liquid Soap

19. Air Fresheners
20. Meds/Vitamins
21. First Aid
22. Beauty

• Make-up

• Facial Cleansers

23. Oral Care

• Toothbrushes

• Toothpaste

24. Soap & Body Wash

• His

• Hers

25. Hair Care

• Shampoo

• Styling

• Color

26. Lotion
27. Shaving

• His

• Hers

28. Deodorant

• His

• Hers

29. Feminine Hygiene
30. Misc.

I added the subcategories just because I like to keep things a little more organized. I removed the categories Produce, Vegetables, Fruit, PB &J, Yogurt, Pets and combined some of the other categories.

I've been clipping coupons on Sunday nights (afternoon if nap time allows). Then I put away in the binder all the ones I want to keep and set aside the ones I know I won't use to donate to overseas military families or pass along to friends that have requested them. I like to look at the Sales Ad Previews that come out the Friday or Saturday before so I can get an idea of the super good buys I'll want to snag at CVS and Walgreens as soon as possible. These go really fast, I've learned, so if it's something I really want to get I'll make a shopping trip on Sunday. For example, this week Walgreens had a special on swim diapers and since we joined the pool this summer I knew we'd need lots of these and the price was excellent. We stopped in on our way to church Sunday morning. On Monday I usually go through my binder and pull any coupons that expire that week and see if there are any sales I can use them on.

I'll expound on my grocery routine in my next post. I need some help in this area, so get your thinking caps on.

The Unexpected Guest

I’m a stay at home mom with four kids. We homeschool and I’m generally a laidback (read: lazy) person. This means I usually don’t get out of my pj’s unless we’re going somewhere. I mean, what’s the point if you’re just going to get snot wiped on your shirt or someone else’s lunch covered hands wiped all over your shorts? I’d have to keep changing clothes all day and that just makes more laundry. I typically wait till the kids go to bed and change into a new pair of jammies. On any given day my sink can be full of dishes, the trash overflowing, and the kitchen floor needing to be swept AGAIN. And while I’m tidying constantly I’ve got four forces of nature working against me and there is always something that needs to be picked up or cleaned all over again. Needless to say my house is usually only ‘company ready’ moments before our guest arrive. Several times lately I’ve been met with the unanticipated knock at the door and as I cringe, I’m scrambling to get decent and pray it’s not someone I’ll need to invite in. Today is a perfect example. We had a very busy weekend, Silas didn't sleep well last night, and my back is killing me. I have grand intentions of spending most of the day parked on the couch to recuperate. Not a good day for 'guests'.

How do YOU handle the unexpected ring of the doorbell? Now, I’m not talking about the UPS man dropping off a package but the friend who was in the neighborhood, the neighbor wanting to borrow a cup of sugar, or the landlord stopping by to make some unscheduled repairs. I desire to be a hospitable person, I enjoy the sweet fellowship of a cup of coffee shared with a friend but when it interrupts the flow of my day and catches me off guard, the joy of it quickly becomes anxiety at the need to be flexible (and get dressed :)).

What do you do to be prepared in situations like this?

Consider Rack, Shack, & Benny

My kids have never watched much Veggie Tales for a myriad of reasons but my younger siblings did back in the day and I think of ‘Rack, Shack, & Benny’ whenever I read or hear the story of these three brave lads.

A few weeks ago at our women’s community group my mom read a passage from a book we’d received at our last Ladies retreat*. It’s called “Evidence Not Seen” by Darlene Deibler Rose and is her retelling of her time as a newlywed missionary in the jungles of New Guinea during WWII. She was placed in a Japanese prison camp and ultimately lost her husband. She had been able to hang on to one personal item from her life before the war but she’d just lost that last treasure as well when she says this:

“One by one He pulled scripture passages out of the storehouse of my memory, to remind me that they had been hidden there for just a time as this. ‘ I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction’ (Isaiah 48:10). This verse called to remembrance my Lord in a blazing furnace with three young Hebrew men. There was something so poignant, so intimate about the privilege that was theirs, of “walking around in the fire” with their Lord. Because of the testimony, the faith, and the courage of three young men, the king and a crowd of people caught a glimpse of Jesus. When they emerged from the furnace, there was no acrid, caustic scent of fire upon them - just the fragrance that emanated from three young people who had been walking with their Lord in the furnace of affliction.

That is very important, isn’t it, Lord? I pray that, if I come out of this war alive, I may be ‘sweet-smelling’ - not bitter or cynical, but like a sweet-smelling, fragrant incense unto You. “

I pondered this for awhile and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I desire their bold faith for my own children, Darlene’s view of walking through trials and coming out the other side being sweet-smelling to our Savior, and pray that God would grant it. In attempting to name our unnamed child I am thinking constantly about names and what they mean. These young lads had strong character. An amazing legacy. And for the same reasons I wouldn’t name my daughter Candy or Bambi, I want to name my son something with great meaning, a foretaste of what God might do through him. We go back and forth, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to settle on one. Poor Graham has wanted to name him since the day we knew we were expecting. So in reflecting, and searching for a perfect name I decided to look up the meanings of the names of these three brave Hebrews. This is what I found:

Shadrach means "command of Aku". (Aku was the Babylonian moon god).
Abednego means "servant of Nabu" (Nabu was the Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom and writing)
Meshach means “guest of a king.”

So the men were faithful servants of the one true God, despite their given names. An excellent reminder that God is sovereign and has a purpose for my children, regardless of what I name them… Phewf.

*The past few retreats we’ve received awesome books, usually gifts from our elders. So thankful for ‘good’ books and those who take the time to share them.

A steal of a deal

If you are looking for an easy way to get more bang for your buck check out the Target website. They have their own store coupons which you can pair with manufacturer coupons you might have to get some cheap, even free deals. And unlike other coupon websites there is no limit to how many of each coupon you can print. They also have several gift card promos each week where you receive a gift card when you make a qualifying purchase. And if you’ve got coupons for the items you can really save a bundle. Check the ad for these. Some of my amazing snags from the past week:

2 boxes of hair color - $24.00
After coupons: $4
Got Target gift card for $5
$1.00 moneymaker!!!

2- 4pk Starbucks Frappuccinos - $11.98
After coupons: $9.98
Got Target Gift Card for $5

Pack of Dentyne Gum - $1.04
After coupons: $.04 !

Nivea Lotion - $5.04
After coupons: $1.04

Up & Up Ibuprofen - $.99
After coupons: FREE!!!

Up & Up Hydrogen Peroxide - $.62
After coupons: $.12!

Up & Up Liners - $.89
After coupons: $.14!

Sally Hansen Nail Polish - $1.49
After coupons: $.49
(this one should have been free but my Target had marked down the nail polish so it only accepted one of my coupons but I LOVE the color and didn’t mind paying 50 cents for it.)

Kroger:
This one was for my husband :)
A special one day deal
4 - 6 pk bottles Dr. Pepper - on Sale $6.96
Got a Mavs T-shirt for FREE!
( I don’t think I even bought the right size bottles but I didn’t see the ones listed in the ad. The customer service rep didn’t look too closely at my receipt, just made sure I bought the 4 items)

I plan on making a few stops on Saturday to use some coupons that expire this weekend. Hopefully I’ll come across some GREAT deals! :)

These are some photos of my previous cheap finds that I meant to post last time:

How I Coupon

I did not start couponing at the best time. Sunday papers are where I plan to get the bulk of my coupons and whenever there is a holiday that falls on a Sunday, the local paper won’t have coupon inserts. First week it was Easter, then a good coupon week, then Mother’s Day. So instead of three weeks worth of coupons I only have one. I purchased two papers at Walgreens for $4 and saved WELL over that since. My Wal-Mart also carries two packs of the Sunday paper at a discount but they were out when I stopped by. I’ve also printed off several coupons online from coupons.com and target.com. Most websites that list store/coupon match-ups will have links to the coupon if there is a printable one available online. This is extremely helpful to me. Most sites will only let you print off two of each coupon. I’ve decided two papers is a good number for me as well. Not too overwhelming. Some of the ‘Extreme’ folks get anywhere from 5-10 papers a week. Some even dumpster dive or pick through their neighborhood recycling bins to retrieve discarded coupon inserts.

I took my papers home and spent about 1 ½ hours clipping the ones I wanted or thought we’d use. The remainder I plan on passing to a friend OR you can send unused or expired coupons to military families. There is a link on www.krazycouponlady.com with more info on this. I then place my coupons in my newly organized binder and set aside the sales ads for the stores I knew I wanted to shop at.

Here is a little sample of my savings over the past week & a half:

Walgreens:

Gillette ProGlide Razor - $9.89
used $4.00 off coupon
paid $5.89 then received a $5.00 Register Reward (store Credit)

used the store credit to turn around and buy this:
Cottonelle Toilet Paper- 2 12 pk - $10.00
used 2 50¢ coupons PLUS used the $1.00 off each one coupon in the Walgreens May Book
paid with the $5 credit, and $2.00 then received a $3.00 Register reward

So I still have a $3 credit for my next trip!

CVS:

Ivory Soap 3 bar pk - $.99
used a $1.00 off coupon
so it was FREE!!

Colgate MaxPro Toothpaste- 2 tubes - $5.54
used 2 coupons for 55¢ off each tube
paid $4.44 and recieved $5.54 in ExtraBucks (store Credit)

I used the store credit to buy some Neosporin & gum later in the week without a penny from my pocket.

Wal-mart:

Colgate toothbrush, 2 - $3.94
used 2 coupons for $1.50 off each
paid 94¢

Soft Scrub Cleaner, 2 - $3.98(price match)
used 2 $1.50 off each
paid 98¢

Febreeze Noticeables refill - $3.97(price match)
used $1.00 off cooupon
paid $2.97

Febreeze Noticeables Warmer - $3.99
used coupon for free warmer when you purchase a refill
price: FREE!!

Noxzema Razor 4 pk (plus 2 bonus razors)- $2.67
used a $2 off coupon
paid 67¢

Noxzema Bikini Razor 3 pk - $1.97
used a $2 off coupon
price: FREE!!

Kroger : (I shopped here last week as well but can't find my receipt and can't remember my deals so these are my big deals from my shopping trip this week. They had tons of markdowns so i saved a lot but these were my free/almost free scores.)

Boulder Natural Potato Chips, 2 bags - $2.00
used 2 $1 off coupons
price: FREE!!

Fage yogurt w/ fruit, 4 cups - $5.00
used 4 50¢ coupons which the store then doubled
paid $1.00

All in all that’s almost $60 in product for only $26. That’s a 54% savings! (if I did my math right).

I like the discounts at Kroger because they will double (up to .50 coupon) & triple (up to .39) coupons. You can also load ecoupons on to your Kroger card from the Kroger website and even print out a list of what’s on there to keep with you. The only thing I don’t like about these is they don’t double and you can’t use them with any other coupons (at least if I remember the policy correctly). CVS and Walgreens have clear ads, will often note if certain items have a coupon in the Sunday paper to match, and will offer store credits on certain purchases. CVS has a shopper card you’ll need to get to get the best deals and sale prices. They also have a coupon machine in the store. You scan your card every time you go in and it will spit out some coupons for you. I also have both of these within walking distance to my house so it’s not a hassle to run and pick up some goodies. Walgreens also puts out a monthly coupon book. You can use these in ADDITION to manufacturer’s coupons for extra savings and they just scan the coupon in your book so you can use it all month long. Wal-Mart doesn’t double/triple coupons but they will price match, which is AWESOME when CVS or Walgreens is out of a sale item.

To get the best bang for your buck, hang on to your coupons and wait for the item to go on sale. Just because you clipped it this week doesn’t mean you should use it this week. Discounted price + Coupon = Big Savings! If you find a store with an item on sale, plus you have a manufacture’s coupon AND you have a store coupon then you’ve hit the jackpot. But matching all of this up does take some time. You can match the ads with your coupons yourself OR you can use a handy website that will do it for you. thekrazycouponlady.com and couponmom.com are two good ones but there are tons more. One thing you do have to be careful about is that the grocery store match-ups like Kroger and Albertson’s are regional so your store’s sales might not match up with the website’s posted deals. CVS, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart are all national and should be correct regardless of where you live.

Last week I spent about an hour and a half each evening looking through deals, getting familiar with the websites, and planning out trips. This week has been quite a bit less but I also haven’t needed as much in the way of household stuff. How much time you spend it completely up to you.

Hope this is helpful. It can be really confusing when you are first trying to figure it all out. Different websites have different codes and it took me forever to figure out what ‘Catalina’s’ were. (They are the coupons that the register spits out at the checkout.) Feel free to ask questions. And let me know if you score an awesome deal. It always makes me a little proud of myself when good planning pans out into big savings!

My Coupon Binder

Most couponers will tell you that organization is the key to savings success. You can't use a coupon if you can't find it, right? The Krazy Coupon Lady has a great little video here explaining two different methods of setting up your coupon binder. I like the clipping method just because I can then toss, or pass on, the ones I know I won't use. Less clutter.

Now, I'm a homeschool mom so I had most of these 'supplies' already laying around the house. With the purchase of a package of baseball card holders ($5 at Target), I was good to go.

Target also has some REALLY cute binders that looked all fun and girlie but I already had this plain black one and it worked for my budget :)


This is the first page: A plastic page protector where I keep my designated coupons for a particular shopping trip. I tossed a few paper clips in there to clip them together and some post-it flags to label each group of coupons with the name of the store I plan on using them at. This way I can plan several different trips at once and they are ready to go when it is convenient to go to that particular store.

The second page is a homemade Table of Contents. Krazy Coupon Lady also has a printable one of these that's very cute but I knew I didn't want all of her categories and it's not alterable so I opted to make my own. (Sorry, these pictures are not very good, at all)


Next I have a copy of sales cycles in the left pocket. This is a list that breaks down each month and lists items that typically go on sale during that time. I keep the current month on the front page for easy reference. In the opposite sleeve are all of my store coupon policies. This way I can refer to it if there is ever an issue with a transaction while I'm in the store.


The next sleeve is where I keep my Walgreens Coupon Booklet. (A book of coupons you can find at the front of the store with the regular weekly ad.) I also keep retail store specific coupons in this sleeve. For example, here I have some coupons for Compass Trading Co. because I've got a graduation gift to buy soon.


This next sleeve is usually empty but this week I happened across two really good coupons that I knew my sister Erin might use. It's her sleeve. Sometimes it holds sales ads.


And finally, this is what the rest of the binder looks like. Pages and pages of baseball card holders precisely stuffed with various coupons. Each page has its own category designation. I think this part is pretty. It strangely makes me happy to see all of these useful pieces of paper neatly tucked away. I know. I'm odd.

So there it is. Now, show me yours.

A better way

O.k. I’m obviously in new territory here. Thanks to my precious friend Dathel, I’ve discovered a different couponing website that I like A LOT more. This is probably why the professional bloggers do things like research and write a series of blogs BEFORE posting them.

www.thekrazycouponlady.com

There are several things about this site that I like better than the first site. For one it’s pretty :). It definitely appeals to the girly side of me. It’s brightly colored, well organized , and easy to understand. There is a section for beginners. It contains a 10 day breakdown of how to get started and how to make the process work for you. A LOT simpler and less redundant than the 31 virtual classes.
Day 1: Change the way you shop
Day 2: Find coupons
Day 3: Learn How & When your coupons
Day 4: Learn the Lingo
Day 5: Get Organized
Day 6: Tips for making checkout a breeze
Day 7: Build your stockpile
Day 8: Rain Checks
Day 9: Finding Balance
Day 10: Making KCL a way of life

She also has separate sections for different stores. For instance, if you are wanting to only shop at Albertson’s there is a special section that will show you their weekly specials, where to find coupons that match those specials so you get the best deals, the store’s coupon policy, and a 101 crash course on how that specific store handles coupons so you can get maximum savings.



There are tabs for several popular stores and a drop down list containing quite a few more.

If you are wanting to know if a certain sale item is a good deal the site has neat little graphics to tell you if you should stock up. 3 cans means a price worthy of stocking up a 3 month supply, 6 cans for a six month supply - meaning you won’t see sale prices this good for at least 3/6 more months, so get it while you can.


In addition to the regular grocery/drug store savings, She also shares good deals for retailers so you can potentially save more in ALL areas, not just your grocery budget.

Thanks to all the helpful info I’ve found here I’ve begun to re-think my binder. Similar to what I had decided before with a few modifications. I’ll have pics with my next post.

One other aspect I like about this site is that you don’t have to sign-up to use it. No unwanted emails in your inbox. Check it out. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Friday Freebies!

Now, while I will be observing 'Good Friday' tomorrow, April 22nd, I tend to think a lot of people will focus more on Earth Day. In fact, several businesses are having fun promotions to celebrate... And I'm sharing them with you. (you might already know)...

• Trade in your current skincare to receive a FREE* full-size Origins Cleanser. One day only at Origins – Earth Day 4/22.
  
  Now swap potentially harsh chemical ingredients for the purity of Origins. Bring your current skincare product (full or empty) to any Origins store and we’ll trade it for a FULL-SIZE of one of our gentle, high-performance cleansers.
  
  Choose either Checks and Balances™ Frothy face wash 5 fl. oz./150 ml or A Perfect World™ Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea 5 fl. oz./150 ml.
  
  Just bring in your current skincare – any full or empty tube, bottle or jar regardless of brand – to any U.S. Origins department store counter or Origins Retail Store location on April 22nd to be recycled or responsibly converted to energy.
  
  To find an Origins Store closest to you visit: http://bit.ly/ORStore
  
  Origins products are formulated without Parabens, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, DEA and animal ingredients (except cruelty free honey and beeswax).
  
  *Limit one cleanser to a customer while supplies last. No purhcase necessary. Offer not valid on origins.com.

I worked for Origins briefly a million years ago and LOVED the Checks & Balances face wash. This was before they came out with A Perfect World (which smells AMAZING). If you live in Ft. Worth there is an Origins store in University Village or you can visit the counter in Neimans @ Ridgmar Mall.

• Bring in a reusable mug or tumbler to any Starbucks in the U.S. or Canada and get a free brewed coffee or tea. Your choice of brew, hot or iced – it is spring after all!

  From the Starbucks website: "Why are we doing this? We recognize the impact one can make through careful, conscious choices. So we want to encourage and reward those of you who use tumblers or travel mugs in your daily routines. You’re helping to reduce our environmental impact!

  If you don’t have a tumbler or travel mug, they will be available for 20% off on Earth Day, April 22. Just so you know, anytime you bring in your own tumbler or travel mug to a participating Starbucks, you get 10 cents off your drink every day.

  What if you can’t bring in a mug and don’t want to buy a new one? That’s okay too. Just request your coffee or tea in one of our “for-here” cups and we’ll pick up the tab.

  Last year, when we did a similar promotion on Earth Day, more than 1.2 million of you participated. Let’s see if we can beat that this year!
  

  Although reusable serveware and tumbler use still only accounts for a small percentage of total beverages served, those of you who did bring in reusable mugs still made a significant impact. In 2010, people brought their own tumblers into our stores more than 32 million times, keeping nearly 1.45 million pounds of paper out of landfills."

Note: And every other day of the year go visit my husband at Four Star Cafe in Downtown. It won't be free but you will be served coffee with a smile by a good-looking guy! :)

• This isn't a freebie but a great find my sister, Erin, recently turned me on to. NailPro on Bryant Irvin, two doors down from Starbucks, in the same strip center as Palio's Pizza, does Spa Pedicures for $20. EVERYDAY!! Currently they are running a special where you can get a mani AND a pedi for $30!! I took some of my birthday money and got one last week and was very pleased. All of the employees were nice and the place was very clean. It was a lovely indulgence I didn't feel guilty about later.
  

If you've got any AMAZING freebies or great deals, please feel free to share! :)

Getting Organized

She looks so happy being organized :)

After breezing through the first ten or so virtual classes I deduced that my first step is to get organized. In an effort to save my sanity and ease my way into this process I’m going to keep it simple and shop one store when couponing. And to my delight, it ain’t Wal-mart. I’ll get into the where and why later as not to confuse the issue at hand…. Organization.

I’ve read about several different methods for organizing your coupons and the one I like best is the binder method (vs. shoe box, recipe holder, bins). I need a few things:

• A three ring binder

• Baseball card binder sleeves (I value my life enough to not empty out the ones currently housing my husband’s collection so I plan on checking Hobby Lobby and if I can’t find some there I’ll check a sports/comic book shop) You could also use photo holders

• A zippered binder pouch large enough to hold a pencil/pen or two and a small calculator (or you can use the one on your phone, if it is handy)

• A few plastic page protectors

The page protectors will be used to hold a copy of my chosen store’s coupon policy, possibly a price list of regular items I buy, and an empty one in the front to hold the coupons I will need at checkout.

The card sleeves will hold the coupons. There are several ways to organize these: by product type (Dairy, frozen, household, etc) or by store layout (What’s on aisle 1, aisle 2, etc.) I think I’m going to start with the second one but this may change.

Here is a great link on how to get organized and a little more detail on couponing itself:

http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/articles/4595-lauras-couponing-refunding-hints-tips-plus-coupon-binder-how.html

Her binder is a little overwhelming. She goes to several stores and clips GAZILLIONS of coupons. She suggests a binder with a strap or rigging up your own… I’m not that hardcore. I also didn’t read much into the part at the bottom about rebating…. Baby Steps. I think this is key in not getting overwhelmed and giving up.

So my goal for the next few days is to gather my supplies and get my binder together. I’ll post pics when I’m done. Then I plan on starting a Price Book. She explains what this is and how it works in the article. I will only log prices on the things I buy most often or that I’d like to stockpile.

Hope this helps get you motivated to get organized. If you need a little more of a visual I’m sure there are youtube videos - sorry I didn’t have time to find some good ones to post here.

Coming soon…. Where to find coupons

Happy Organizing!!!

Extreme Couponing

After watching a few episodes of TLC’s Extreme Couponing I decided to start researching it for myself. Seriously, what ‘keeper of the home’ doesn’t want to be a good steward of the resources we’ve been given? If I can figure out how to make my budget go just a little bit further it’ll be worth it right? Right. So my search begins. I have noticed a few things about couponing:

• · It takes lots of time & planning

• · You must be extremely organized

• · You need some storage space to house your buys

• · Most food coupons are for prepackaged (usually unhealthy foods) and RARELY for fresh fruits/veggies

• · It’s harder to meal plan and shop based on the plan. It appears to work better the other way around. Shop the bargains and plan meals around what you get.

• · You can’t shop with all your kids in tow

Several of those do not appeal to me or do not fit the way our family functions at all. So, I’m going to try an experiment. I do like the idea of stockpiling household items: Paper towels, toilet paper, toiletries, etc. Things we buy on a regular basis and that I won’t make for myself.

I’m starting here: http://www.weusecoupons.com/index.php?pageid=virtualclasses

It is a website started by a guy who has been featured on Extreme Couponing. And seems pretty well organized. Best of all, it’s FREE.

There are 31 virtual classes that address all different aspects of couponing, from how to get started/organized, to stockpiling, to where to find coupons. I’ll watch the videos one by one and devise a plan. And, I’ll share what I learn here.

I’m hoping for the best but trying to keep a realistic perspective. Most things that I’ve read have said that those $1,000 shopping trips for $50 almost never happen. A more realistic goal is to save 50-75% per trip.

If you want to trek along with me you can register on the website: www.weusecoupons.com . You can put me down as a referral – jlbrowning. I’ll be posting more helpful links in the future.

Family Tree

So two of my sisters recently shared this song, said it made them think of our family. I finally listened to it and I agree. We don't all spend Christmas Eve at home anymore and there is no choosing of the tree. We adult children have our own and the decorations on each can vary widely. These days the ornaments don't last very long on mine before little hands remove them. Mom has her tree, too. Some years it's beautiful and fancy, some years it's covered with homemade ornaments and memories. This IS the best time of year. Not only because I get to spend time with my family but also because for many of us we share a Savior. And that makes the celebrations that much sweeter.

Family Tree by Dave Barnes (you can listen to it here)

Family car we barely fit
Christmas time had come again
Bundled up to fight the freeze
Picking out the family tree

We decorate with clumsy hands
And hope that Santa
Comes again
And the morning wake to see
Gifts beneath the family tree

And I don't know where I'm going
But I do know who I'll be
'Cause memories and names like these all hang
On us the family tree

We're older now
We all have changed
But we all have at the same old things
We'll spend the night with memories
Gathered round the family tree

And I don't where I'm going
But I do know who I'll be
'Cause memories and names like these all hang
On us

We're so much more than blood
We're more than names
We're bound by bonds that only God sustains

But, this time of year
We gather here
And I always know I'm home

There are voices now
Where silence was
The subtle signs of growing up
Where one is born another leaves
Branches on the family tree

Is it naptime yet?

It's late. I walk down the hall to my room. Bedtime, my favorite part of the day. I crawl into bed and sink way down under the covers because it's about 10 degrees colder in my room than in the rest of the house. Graham turns out the lights, I heave a huge sigh because finally I can sleep. Time to renew after a long day. I close my eyes....

And Silas starts to cry.

I groan, wait a minute to see if he's serious and pull myself out of bed to feed him. Then again two hours later, and two hours after that, and two hours after that (if I'm lucky)... until finally it's morning and everyone is up.

This is every night for the past year. I'm exhausted and don't think my husband gets it. 'Cause he sleeps right through it all. He does have to wake up pretty early but he's getting a minimum of 5 hours uninterrupted sleep.

A while back I started to ween Silas and try to train him to self-soothe back to sleep. Then about a month ago he had a check-up and the Dr. was concerned about his weight. He had dropped from the 50th percentile in weight to the 7th %. I felt like not feeding him when he woke up was not an option. When we took him back for a weight check right before Thanksgiving he had actually lost more weight and this REALLY concerned the doctor. She wanted him on Pedia-Sure for extra calories. I hoped this might make him sleep better but no. She sent him to Cooks for a battery of test. Most of the results came back normal in a day or two and Dr. Shaw expressed interest in referring him to a GI specialist and then an endocrinologist (in case it was something the basic tests missed).

My mommy diagnosis: He's been walking for the past 3 months. He eats constantly. His metabolism has to be good and he's burning LOTS of calories. The kid does NOT sit still. He's almost exclusively nursing again so I know he's getting the 'good stuff' but this is DRAINING what little energy I do have.

He has his one year check up tomorrow and we'll discuss it then. I pray I'll be bold to really tell her I don't think anything is wrong... I just want to figure out how to get him to sleep at night.

or how to work in a nap everyday.

Needing a second cup of coffee

And here we are again. I've fallen way behind on updating my blog. Almost three months since my last post. And the reason why... in a picture...



My handsome Si-burger has become an attention hoarder :) I don't seem to mind too much. His first birthday is just a few weeks away. I can't believe it. Look for a gushy post then.

It's finally starting to get cold (sort of). I've decorated my tree, hung the stockings, and for once I'm just about done with shopping and it's not Christmas Eve ;) I LOVE the Holidays. Yesterday I caught a few minutes of a show featuring the town of North Pole, Alaska. There it is Christmas all year, and for a brief moment I thought "Hey, I could live there". But who am I kidding. Even as I type this I am huddled under my covers, hoodie and fuzzy 'stay-at-home' socks on, sipping my pumpkin spice latte. I'd freeze there. A dear childhood friend leaves soon with her family to be missionaries in Poland. Brrrr.

Maybe this is why I don't post every day. I can think of things all the time to blog about but when I actually make time to do it all cohesive thought flees my body and we get the 'Ramble Post'. Sorry about that. I'll try better next time. But for now I leave you. The boy's awake and I'm needing a second cup of coffee.

Playing Catch-up

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. And I was doing so well. Life just seems so busy lately even though I am home a lot more these days. And it's not for lack of blog ideas. Seriously, I think of stuff all day long to blog about, kind of like when you catch yourself thinking in Facebook status updates :P.

We started school a few weeks earlier than I'd originally anticipated at the girls request... which is fine by me. A two week head start definitely couldn't hurt us. This year we are doing all Rod & Staff except for our Princess Class (more about that later) and I really like it. We are doing EVERYTHING which may be adjusted over Christmas break. I think the hardest part is trying to figure out were the girls are. In several subjects I would like to skip ahead, past the stuff they already know but at the same time I'm afraid I'll pass over some key building block they'll need later. So for now everything is review. Which makes for easily bored girls but this will pass... I hope.

Without going into much detail yet Graham and I recently applied with a national missions organization and in the 'waiting to hear' stage... We both seem really drawn to Chicago and have excitedly been perusing tons of sites looking at housing and such... It really is a fantastic city. We'll see.

In other news: Graham has put together (with TONS of help from one amazing Sarah Cox) a Fall Men's Softball team. I think he spends 80% of his time thinking about and planning for this. It will be fun for the kids and I to cheer them on... Maybe I'll post schedule and score stuff here.

Bullet point recap for this past week:
* Silas and Izzie are under the weather - nothing too serious
* Didn't sell near as much as I'd like at JBF but I registered to consign at the Weatherford one so hopefully I can sell the rest.
* My Dad got promoted to Sgt. and will start in his new position next week. All part of the final plan to retirement and no one deserves it more than him!

That's all for now.