Rite Aid Deal Scenario for this week

Before last week, it had been a while since I've been to Rite Aid. I had seen some descent deals, but I've pretty much gotten into my routine of stores that I frequent, and Rite Aid just hasn't fit into my schedule. This may change if these deals keep up!!!! Here's what I'm doing this week:

(I am doing this transaction twice)

Stayfree Pads $3.99 BOGO (x8)

-BOGO stayfree pads coupon from 06/28/09 insert (x4)

Huggies Pull-ups $10.00 (estimate, may be slightly higher)

-$2.00 coupon

-$5/25 purchase Rite Aid coupon

Total OOP after coupons: $6

I will submit the transactions for the following rebates:

$1.50 Caregivers Marketplace

$25 Rite Aid rebate (gift card)

TOTAL will be FREE plus a profit of $20.50!!!! I am pumped!!!!!!

CVS deals 06/28/09-07/04/09

Here are some of the best deals at CVS this week:

Coppertone Suncare products psa $7.49

-$8 ECB wyb 2

-$5.00 printable coupon

=possibly FREE sunscreen

Colgate Toothpaste or Toothbrushes $2.50 each

-$2 ECB wyb 2

-$1/1 coupon from 06/07/09 insert

=$.50 each wyb 2

Adult Sunglasses psa $5.99

-$10 ECB wyb 2

=as low as $.99 each

Palmolive Dish Soap $.88

-$1/2 coupon from 06/07/09 insert

=$.38 each wyb 2

Bayer Breeze 2 or Contour meters $19.99 (starts in July)

-$5 ECB

-up to $30/1 coupon from 03/22/09 insert (if you still have any left)

=FREE plus $5 profit

Free prints from Walgreens

Walgreens is offering 25 free prints when you use the code SUMMER25 at checkout. Pick them up at your store for absolutely free prints. These are only good through June 27th, so hurry!!!

CVS Trips

UPDATE: I made my final trip to CVS and bought the following:











Soy Joy Bars $1.00 x20
-BOGO free coupon x10
-$20 ECB
=FREE plus $10 profit!!!

Which brings my total for the week at CVS to a cost of $7.05 profit for a total of $76.89 worth of stuff!

So far, I've made two CVS trips, with one more to go hopefully. Here are my stats:




TRIP #1

Aveeno Simply Ageless Sunscreen reg. $10.00, sale for $9.00 x3
-$10/3 coupon
-$10 ECB
Thermacare Heatwrap trial size $2.49 x2
-$1/1 coupon x2
-$2.49 ECB x2
-$3/$15 purchase

Total before sales and coupons=$34.98
Total after sales and coupons=$2.00 or 94%

TRIP #2

J & J First Aid Kit $.99 x4

-$3/2 coupon x2

Blistex 3 pack reg. $3.99, clearanced for $1.00 x3

Softlips Bronzer reg. $3.99, clearanced for $1.00

Vickery and Clark Natural Sponge, reg. $1.99, clearanced at $.99

-$1/1 CVS coupon

Total before sales and coupons=$21.91

Total after sales and coupons=$1.95 or 91%

Rite Aid Trip

Ok, thanks to a tip from Moneysavingmom, I made a quick trip to Rite Aid this evening. Here are my totals:

Hulu 6 ft umbrella regularly $39.99, on sale for $29.99
-$25 Rite Aid coupon
Huggies Little Swimmers Sunscreen Spray regularly $8.99, clearanced at $2.24
-$2.00 Huggies LS coupon
-$5/25 purchase

Total before coupons and sales= $48.98
Total after sales and coupons= $.23 or 99.5%

Doing my coupon dance!

Weekly Menu

Ok, here's this week's dinner menu:

Monday: leftovers/cereal (it's been a long weekend; my husband injured himself on Thursday night, and I've been struggling to keep everything up and take care of him, so I bowed out for the night!)

Tuesday: Grilled hamburgers, brown rice, and zucchini (potluck)
COST (hamburger patties $1.00, rice $.50, zucchini $1.50) =$3.00

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs
COST (pasta $.09, meatballs $.65, sauce $.30)=$1.04

Thursday: Chicken Cesar Salad
COST (lettuce $2.50, croutons $.35, chicken $1.50, dressing $.15, cheese $.20)=$4.70

Friday: Soup
COST (leftover rice, leftover chicken, tomatoes $.50, leftover frozen veggies)= $.50

Saturday: Chicken Teriyaki w/rice and veggies
COST (chicken $1.50, rice $.50, veggies FREE) $2.00

Sunday: Red Beans and Rice
COST (sausage $.90, beans $.50, rice $.50, veggies, spices and etc $1.00)=$2.90

TOTAL COST FOR DINNER THIS WEEK: $14.14

My Publix and Kroger trips for the week

PUBLIX

Bic razors x6
Johnson & Johnson gauze and pads x10 (my husband injured himself this weekend)
Tums
Pam spray
Jennie O Sausage Patty x2
Banquet Chicken Nuggets x3
Grapes
Salad
Blueberries
Yoplait Yo-Plus x6
Matchlite Charcoal
Digorno pizza
100% wheat bread
Pork Loin (cut into chops)
Old El Paso dinner x4
KC Masterpiece bbq sauce
Publix Grape Jelly
Hamburger patties
Publix Vanilla Wafers - penny item (x2 from 2 trips)
Pert Plus
Johnson & Johnson Cool Relief pads x2

Total before sales and coupons=$192.85
Total after sales, coupons, and rebates=$47.21, savings of 75%


KROGER

BC Fruit snacks x6
OR Popcorn
Kraft BBQ sauce x2
Scott toilet paper (clearance!) x2
Milk x2

Total before sales and coupons=$35.41
Total after sales, coupons, and catalinas=$5.46, savings of 85%

Total money saved in both trips=$175.59

Walgreens 06/21/09-06/27/09 deals

Here are some of the best deals at Walgreens this week:

Dial AntiOxidant Body Wash trial size $.99

-$1.00/1 printable coupon here

=FREE

Organix Shampoo or Conditioner BOGO

-Try Me Free rebate on select bottles

=FREE

Skintimate or Edge Shave gel or cream $1.99

-$1.00/1 printable coupon here

-$1.00/1 printable coupon here

=$0.99

Aquafresh toothpaste $3

-$3.00 RR

-$1.00/1 printable coupon here

-$0.75/1 coupon from 06/21/09 insert

=FREE plus overage

Lysol Disinfectant Spray 2/$7.00

-$2.00 RR

-$2.00/1 coupon from 06/07/09 insert

=$0.50 each

Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick deodorant $2.99

-$2.00 RR

=$0.99

Kotex Products $2.99

-$3 RR wyb 3

-$1/1 printable coupons here

-$1/1 and $0.75/1 coupon from 06/14/09 insert

-$1.50 coupon from CVS Reinventing Beauty booklet (manufacturer's coupon, not CVS)

= $.49 each

Johnson’s and Johnson’s Baby Powder 1.5 oz $1

-$1 RR

-$1/1 coupon from 03/08/09 or 04/26/09

=FREE plus overage

Oreo Cakesters $2.50

-$3 RR wyb 2

-$1/1 coupon from 06/14/09 insert

=FREE

John Frieda Root Awakening Hair Care Products $5

-$5 RR wyb 3

-$3/1 coupon from 06/14/09 insert

=$0.33 each

Carmex $2.99

-$2 RR

=$0.99

Purex 3-in-1 $5.99

-$2 RR

-$2/1 coupon from 06/14/09 insert

-$1/1 printable coupon here

=$1.99

Coca-Cola or Dr Pepper 12 packs 4/$13

-$3 RR

-coupons from mycokerewards.com if you have enough points to print them

=$2.50 each or better with coupons

CVS 06/21/09-06/27/09

Here are some of the best deals at CVS this week:

SoyJoy Bars $4/4

-$4 ECB wyb 4

-BOGO coupon from 05/31/09 insert

-$1/5 printable coupon here

Thermacare Neck and Arm Wrap 1 ct $2.49

-$2.49 ECBs (limit 2)

-$1/1 coupon from the 03/29/09 or 04/19/09 insert

-$1/1 printable coupon here

=FREE plus overage

Mitchum Deodorant $1.99

-$1 ECB

-$0.75/1 coupon from 06/21/09 insert

=$0.24

Tylenol 20-24 ct $4.99

-$2 ECB

-$2/1 from 05/17/09 insert

=$0.99

Crest Multipack $4.99

-$3 ECB

-$0.50/1 coupon from 06/07/09 insert

=$1.49

Franks Red Hot Sauce $1

-$1/1 from 05/17/09 insert

=FREE

Kraft BBQ Sauce $1

-$0.50/1 coupon from 06/14/09 insert

=$0.50

Sobe LifeWater BOGO

-BOGO printable here

=FREE

FreeStyle Glucose Monitor $9.99

-$9.99 coupon from 05/17/09 insert

=FREE

French's Mustard $1

-$0.75/1 coupon from 05/10/09 insert

-$0.50/1 printable coupon here

=$0.25 or $0.50

Kashi Cereal or Bars $3

-$1.50/1 printable coupon here and here

=$1.50

My Publix Trip this week

Here's what I got at Publix this week:

Bananas (2.24 lbs)

Chicken Drumsticks

Sara Lee bread

Pompeian Olive Oil

Oscar Meyer Bologna

a bag of salad

Barber Stuffed Chicken Breasts (we love these!) x6

Reynolds 100% recycled aluminum foil x3

Pace Salsa x4

Knor Rice x2

Yogurt Cheerios x4

Lender's Bagels x4

Cherries 1.24 lb

Sweet Potatoes 6.33 lbs (my kids and I love these)

Beach Nut baby food jars 4 (to hide extra veggies in some of our dinners (SHHHH!!!!)

Vitamin D Gallon of Milk

Peter Pan Peanut Butter

Mott's Apple Juice x2

Publix Greenwise TP (penny item)

Total before coupons and sales was: $129.41

After coupons, sales, and submitted rebate: $39.60, almost 70% savings

Not too bad considering I splurged on a few things like the cherries and sweet potatoes.

CVS and Walgreens trips this week

Ok, here are the deals that I got this week:

CVS

Raisin Bran regular $4.49, sale for $1.88 (x3)
-$1.00 coupons (x3)
Rice Krispies regular $4.49, sale for $1.88 (x2)
-$1.00 coupon (x2)
Kotex regular $3.69, sale for $3.50 (x2)
-$1.00 manufacturer coupons (x2)
-$1.50 CVS coupons (x2)
-$2 ECB
Shick Quatro razor regular $9.99, sale for $7.99 (x2)
-$4.00 coupon (x2)
-$3 ECB (x2)
Crest Pro Health Toothpaste regular $3.89, sale for $2.99
-$2.99 coupon
-$2 ECB
Hershey's Bliss candy regular $4.79, sale for $3.50 (x4) MY FAVORITE!
-$1.00 coupon (x4)
Hershey's Kisses regular $3.99, sale for $3.00
-$1.00 coupon
-$5.00 ECB
SunSilk Hair Treatment regular $4.29, clearanced at $1.07 (x2)
-$2/2 coupon

Total before coupons: $75.44
Total after coupons: $11.53 (which was paid for with a gift card for filling my husband's rx)

Walgreens

St Ives Body Wash (x2) $2.99
-$1.50 coupon (x2)
-$3 RR (x2)
Walgreens Preg test (not needed, but come in handy!) regular $5.99, clearanced at $1.10 (x2)
Johnson and Johnson baby powder $1.99
-$1 coupon
-$1 RR
Thomas & Friends vitamins regular $6.99, clearanced at $1.74 (My boys love Thomas!) (x2)

Total before coupons and sales=$33.93
Total after coupons and sales=$2.65

Total for both trips were 87% savings!

FREE Redbox movie code w/ quick survey

Redbox, my favorite place to get free movies, is offering a free movie code for taking a quick survey. I took it, and it really is quick and painless. The code is good on 06/22 and 06/23. Go here to get your free movie code!

Thanks Freebie Blogger!

Publix match-ups 06/17/09-06/23/09

.
Here are the deals at Publix for this week:


Perdue Breaded Chicken Nuggets BOGO $4.39
-$1/1 from 05/03/09 insert
=$1.20


Hebrew National Franks BOGO $4.99
-$1/1 or $.75/1 from 06/14/09 insert
-$1/1 printable here
-$1/1 printable here
=$1.50

Hershey's Nuggets BOGO $3.68
-B2G1 tearpad
-$.25/1 and $.75/1 peelies



Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams BOGO $3.00
-$1.00 wyb Honey maid Grahams, Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, and Hershey's 6 pack chocolate



Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream or Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream BOGO $3.79
-$1/2 Ben & Jerry’s Yellow Ad Buy Flyer Publix All American Savings
-$1/1 Ben & Jerry’s Flipped Out Ice Cream- Food Lion Sweet Dreams Booklet
-$1/1 Tearpad
-$1/1 Starbucks Ice Cream printable here
=$.90

Edward's Pie or Cheesecake Slices BOGO $2.75
-$.75/1 from 05/10/09 insert
=$.63

Dannon Danimals Crush Cup Yogurt or Dan-o-nino snack BOGO $2.00
$.55/1 Crush Cup blinkie
=$.45

Yoplait Yo-Plus or Fiber One Yogurt BOGO $2.50
-$.50/1, $1/1 from 06/07/09 insert
-$1/1 printable here
-$1/1 printable here

Right Guard Xtreme anti-perspirant BOGO $3.99
-$1/2 from 05/17/09 insert
-$1/1 from 04/19/09 insert
=$1.00

Bic Disposable Razors (Comfort 3 advance, Bic 3 Sensitive for Men, Soleil, Bella, or Triple Blade Sensitive for Women) BOGO $5.49
-$2/1 from 06/07/09 insert
=$.75

Fisher Fusions Snack Mix BOGO $1.79
-$1/1 from 06/07/09 insert
=FREE plus possible overage

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix BOGO $1.65

Duncan Hines Brownie Mix BOGO $2.59

GM Cereal (Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Kix, Reeses Puffs, Golden Grahams, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch) BOGO $3.99
-$1/2 printable here
-$.50/1 Lucky Charms printable here
-$1/3 printable here
-$3/3 and $1/2 Peelie
-$1/3 from 05/31/09 insert

Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats and Unfrosted Mini-Wheats BOGO $3.89
-$1.50/2 printable here
-$1/1 from 06/07/09 insert
=$.95

Kraft Easy Mac dinner BOGO $3.39

Juicy Juice 100% Juice boxes BOGO $2.99
-$1/2 June All You magazine

Ocean Spray Craisins BOGO $2.29

Old El Paso Dinner Kit GO $2.95
-$1 wyb Old El Paso Dinner Kit and ground beef from 06/14/09 insert
-$1 wyb Old El Paso Dinner Kit and 3 Old El Paso refried beans tearpad

Old El Paso Salsa BOGO $2.39

Celestial Seasonings Tea BOGO $3.59

Keebler Club or Town House Crackers BOGO $3.99
-$1/2 blinkie

Doritos Tortilla Chips BOGO $3.99

Sara Lee Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns BOGO $2.85

Stouffer's French Bread Pizza BOGO $2.99

Hungry Man Dinners BOGO $3.59
-$1/1 peelie

Morningstar Farms Entrees BOGO
-$1/1 printable here

Fresh Expressions candle BOGO $4.99

Ritz Crackerfulls Cracker Sandwiches BOGO $3.49

Weekly Menu

In accordance with my new personal goals (see previous post), I am publishing our dinner plans for this week.

Sunday: James' birthday party=hotdogs on the grill, and sides from friends and family members
COST (6 packages of hotdogs-$3.00, 6 packages of buns-$5.50)=$8.50 (plus lots leftover to stick in the freezer for a quick lunch of grilled hotdogs, YUM)

Monday: homemade pizza
COST (homemade pre-frozen crust-about $.50, sauce-$.09, cheese-$.15, cut-up leftover hotdogs as topping-free)=$.74

Tuesday: dinner at my mother-in-law's
COST=FREE

Wednesday: Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick (drumsticks) and macaroni and cheese
COST (chicken-free from my awesome publix trip this week, marinade-$.50, mac and cheese-$1.25)=$1.75

Thursday: Spinach salad w/bacon, homemade croutons, and honey mustard dressing
COST (salad mix-$1.00, bacon-$1.00, croutons were made from leftover hotdog buns, dressing-$.25) $2.25

Friday: Soup in the crock-pot
COST (made from leftovers (chicken, bean salad, etc) of the past week, except for some rotini-$.05, and some chicken broth-$.70)= $.75

Saturday: Chicken Divan (I made extra last time I made it, and froze it, so I can serve a yummy homemade meal on a fast-paced, full day)
COST=FREE (the cost for this portion was included in the cost for last time that I made it)

TOTAL Dinner cost for the week= $13.99

Setting Personal Family Goals

I am all about goals. If I don't have a specific, set-in-stone goal, nothing will happen. Period. I know my weaknesses, and good intentions is one of them.

That being said, I have been somewhat lax in the self-discipline area of my life for the past few months. I have various excuses, most good one, but mostly, it's just because I haven't been overly motivated/organized. I vow (once again) to change that this summer.

I am setting goals, one at a time for each child, myself, and the family as a whole. I am posting them on sticky notes, in strategic places, and once that goal has become habit (and therefore, will more than likely continue), I start a new one. I am also layering the sticky notes as I add new goals. I am one of those people who needs the visual gratification of crossed off to-do lists, checkmarks in boxes, etc. I need to see what I've accomplished to continue to be motivated.

I think that this blog is also a good forum for me to be accountable. If I publish my goals here, there is no going back. I can't 'lose' the list or erase the post (I know that I can, but people would have already read it.) I am asking anyone reading this blog to hold me accountable. I also ask you not to judge me as I try to correct some of the bad habits that I've allowed to take root. I am only human.

Ok, I first started with the children first.

James' first goal was to drink 2 cups of milk a day. This kid would live on bread and juice boxes if he could, and I've let him rule. He had to have two cups of milk each day. We accomplished that after about a week! YAY!

Mark's first goal was only one bottle at night and nap. Here's where I ask you to not judge me, because due to extreme sleep deprivation, my husband and I had fallen into the trap of just giving him a bottle to get him to go back to sleep (Mark has been somewhat difficult to train in terms of sleeping, and all the normal tricks to get babies to go back to sleep haven't worked on him.) We accomplished this goal in a matter of a few (very difficult) days. I then quickly stepped up to a NO bottles at all, and no drinks at bed rule. I figured, we're on a roll, might as well keep going. This was a little more difficult, and sometimes it still is. I try to just change the subject and hand him a sippy cup with milk instead and it works 90% of the time. Goal # 2 was accomplished!!!

I am writing out new lists now.

James' new goal is only 2 juice drinks a day (boxes or cups), and 1 movie/show in the morning, and one after nap. This is more for me to get into the habit than him, because I forget and do without thinking. If I have a set schedule for these things, they will become second-nature to me and it won't be a problem.

Mark's new goal is brushing teeth every morning. I'm pretty good about bedtime, but morning routine's are harder for me to establish.

My personal goal for now is to plan my weekly meals on the weekend before, and to consume our current snack foods (and not buy more until then.) I've been planning dinners in my head, which doesn't always work because my head is quite full sometimes, and some things fall out. I have a goal for various days (salad day, soup day, simple meal day, etc.) I have loosely designated each day with a theme, and will allow the days to mix as needed. I think that by having a theme for each day, I will be able to plan better and incorporate better food into our diet.

As a family, our goal is to drink at least one glass of milk a day (this is obviously for the adults, not the children), and to eat at least two servings of fruits and veggies a day. Again, it's all about habit for us. We've gotten out of these habits, and I'm getting us back in them!!!!!!!

Subsequent goals will be posted as the current goals become habits. Thank you for not judging me, and feel free to let me know what kind of goals you are making for the summer.

Firetruck cake continued

Ok, the big party was on Sunday, and there was a firetruck cake! I finished it after a day and a half and a LOT of work. It's not as pretty as I wanted, but for my first big cake, I thought it turned out pretty well.

I used two sheet cakes (made from scratch). The wheels were store-brand oreos, the hose was made out of icing in a tube, and molded to look like hoses, the ladder was from a firetruck toy that was about to be thrown out because it was broken. I also added star candies for decoration, and red sour ball candies for the lights. I also used candles that my friend Rebecca had found which were shaped like a fire hydrant, a fireman hat, fireman boots, and a dalmation.

All in all, after much anticipation, when my baby boy saw it on Sunday morning, he was very excited and could even tell me that it was a firetruck, so I was satisfied. Happy Birthday my 3 year old boy!

Redbox Code

Here's a Redbox code good for a free rental tonight, June 15, 2009: 6SN67S7. Be sure to return the rental by 9:00 pm tomorrow to avoid a late charge. Enjoy!

My CVS trip 06/14/09

Ok, here's what I got at CVS this week:

Crest Pro Health Toothpaste $2.99

-$2.99 coupon (a coupon for a free Crest toothpaste from a former rebate submission)

-$2 ECBs

Kotex 2/$7

-$1.50/2 coupon

-$1.50/1 CVS coupon (x2) from their Beauty Essentials thing

-$2 ECB

Shick Quattro Titanium razor $7.99

-$4 coupon

-$3 ECB

Total before coupons= $17.98

Total after coupons and ECB promotions= $.51 profit!

CVS free 8x10 photo + 50 free prints

CVS photo is offering a free 8x10 photo just in time for Father's Day. Go to their online photo center and use the code FREE8X10 when you check out for your free 8x10. Make sure to pick it up in-store to avoid a shipping charge.

Also, sign up today for a new online photo account and get 50 free prints!

Get your free photos at http://www.cvsphoto.com/home.aspx?PhotoPS_Brand_iCrossing.

Walgreens match-ups 06/14/09-06/20/09

Here are some of the best deals at Walgreens this week:

Right Guard or Dry Idea Deodorant $.99 with in ad coupon
-$2/1 printable coupon here
=Free plus possible overage (if they allow you to use the coupon)

St. Ives Bodywash $2.99
-$3 RR
-$1.50/1 coupon from 05/10/09 SS insert
=Free plus $1.50 profit

Schick Quattro Razor For Men BOGO $9.49
-$4/1 coupon from 06/14/09 SS insert or June issue of All You
=$.75 each

Hefty One Zip Storage BOGO $3.29 with in-ad coupon
-$1/1 coupon from 05/17/09 RP insert
=$.64 each

Maxwell House Coffee $2.50
-$2/2 printable coupon here
=$1.50 each

John Frieda Hair Root Awakening $5.00
-$5 RR WYB 3
-$3/1 coupon from 06/14/09 SS insert
=$.33 each

Walgreens Reusable Shopping Bags 3/$1 with in-ad coupon

Rolaids or Mylanta 18 ct $2.99
-$2 RR
-$1/1 coupon from 06/07/09 RP insert
=Free

J&J Baby Powder 2/$2
-$1 RR WYB 2
-$1/1 coupon from 04/26/09 RP insert
=Free plus possible overage

Oreo Cakesters $2.50
-$3 RR WYB 2
-$1/1 coupon from 06/14/09 SS insert
=Free

Purex 3-in-1 $5.99
-$2 RR
-$2/1 coupon from 06/14/09 SS insert
=$1.99

Carmex $2.99
-$2 RR
=$.99

CVS deals 06/14/09-06/20/09

Here are some of the best deals for this week:

Dry Idea Deodorant BOGO $4.49

-$2/1 printable coupons here

=$.25 each

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, Rinse and Oral B Floss $2.99

-$2 ECBs

-$.50/1 coupon from 06/07/09 P&G insert

-FREE Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste coupon by rebate wyb one

=$.49 or profit if you did the rebate from a few months ago (I DID!)

Excedrin $4.49

-$2 ECBs

-$2/1 printable coupon here

=$.49

Kellogg's Cereals $1.88

-$1/1 coupon from 06/07/09 RP insert

=$.88

Schick Quattro Titanium Razor and Trimmer $7.99

-$3 ECBs

-$4/1 coupon from 06/14/09 SS insert (I've read about this coupon, but can't confirm it because my insert didn't have it) or in the June All You issue (I do have this!)

=$.99

Skippy Peanut Butter $1.67

-$.40/1 coupon from 04/05/09 insert

=$1.26

Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets $6.99

-$2 ECBs

-$2/1 coupon from 06/14/09 SS insert

=$2.99

7-UP 12 packs 3/$11

-$3 ECB WYB 3

-$1/1 printable coupons here

=1.67 per pack

CVS Brand toothbrushes starting at $1.99

-$2 ECBs

=as low as $.99

Financial Goals for 2009

"You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men." 1 Corinthians 7:23

Debt is bondage, pure and simple. My name is Sarah, and I am in bondage (everyone say 'Hi Sarah!'.) Just a few weeks ago, my husband and I finished a 10 week financial study by Crown Financial. It was awesome!

We have never been good at keeping a budget, it's probably our biggest collective financial weakness. It's something that we will probably always struggle with, and it may take a while before we are able to develop a good working budget. The Crown course has shown us some very important goals, used biblical fact to back them up, and given us some very good tools to use to accomplish those goals.

After completing this course, I sat down and came up with a very specific list of financial goals. I thought that it might be beneficial to publish those here because I found in our study that I was most encouraged by others' struggles and their continued hard work.

Our first goal was to save $1,000 for an emergency fund. We were able to complete this while taking the course.

Our goal for this season is to get out of all debt except the mortgage. We have a loan from the last of our credit card debt (it's been a long struggle to get to this point) and we also have a loan on our van. Our goal is to be done with both by next April.

We are focusing all of our resources on the credit card loan first, and then towards the van. We are putting every 'windfall' (ie tax return, bonus, etc) towards it. I started babysitting this spring for some extra income, which is all going towards the debt. We are trying to stick to a meagar amount for non-essential expenses. We have also stopped paying extra on our mortgage and our car, and instead focusing that little extra onto the first debt. When that is paid off, we can then take all the money we were paying towards that, and focus it on the next debt.

The best part about thinking about all of this is how much money will be freed when we are able to stop making those payments every month. So much could be done with all of that money! It will take a lot of work and sacrifice (believe me, writing those extra checks hurts, a lot), but it will be worth it when we are able to cross the finish line. I will write about our subsequent goals at a later date.

Free sample Sundiwear sunscreen alert stickers

Sundiwear is giving away free samples of their product. Basically, it's a sticker that you wear after applying sunscreen. They will turn red to alert you as to when you need to apply more sunscreen. I am so excited about these!!! If you can't tell from my kids' picture, we're pretty pale as a clan. Click here to get yours.

Firetruck Birthday Party

My oldest baby turned 3 this week, and we are having a birthday party for him on Sunday.

If you have seen my child at all in the past year or two, you know that he LOVES firetrucks. So, we are having a firetruck birthday party, complete with a firetruck cake made by yours truly.

I will let you know how it went, complete with pictures, but in the meantime, please pray for me! I always make my babies' birthday cakes from scratch, but I've never tried to make one look like a firetruck before. I have found various websites filled with inspiration, but I still need prayer! Update to come.

Broken Freezer

photo courtesy of Lowe's

I have wanted a chest freezer forever (it seems like.) Finally, my husband agreed that this was something that would really be beneficial to us, and we bought a GIGANTIC used one from our friends a few weeks ago. Honestly, it's huge, much bigger than we need, but the price was in our budget, and I've been looking on craig's list and ebay for quite some time, and this would have been a great deal even for a smaller freezer.

So we bought it! I LOVED IT! I immediately took my bargain hunting to the next level. With extra space, I could buy 15 bags of Kraft shredded cheese when I found it on sale (with coupons) for $.67, instead of paying upwards of $3.00 per bag in a couple of weeks. I could buy a couple of those family size packages of fresh ground beef on sale, divide them up, and stick them in my new beautiful freezer for future use at a bargain price! I even bought 10 packages of all beef hot dogs when I was able to get them on sale for $.50 each, instead of $4.00 (because you know that with kids around, they will be eaten.) I felt like I had finally arrived in the place where I could start saving us some real money in our grocery budget.

At 8:45 Wednesday night, my husband came inside and said that something was wrong with the freezer. The gallons of water that we used to fill up the bulk of the freezer with (so that it would be more full, and thus run more efficiently) were no longer frozen, but were just water again. I ran to the shed, and saw that, yes, the water was not frozen, and neither were all my newly acquired deals. Thankfully, nothing had gone bad... yet.

My husband quickly took the still frozen 17 lb turkey that I had gotten for free from my Unilever rebate to a friend's huge freezer, and I got to work.

I made 2 meat loafs, 4 lbs of plain ground beef (for sloppy joes and soups), 2 lbs of seasoned taco ground beef, and fried up 2 lbs of bacon that night. Our menu has changed drastically for the next few days to help eat all of this food (ie, I will be making homemade mac and cheese a few times, and our guests will now be eating hot dogs at James' 3rd birthday party on Sunday), but thank God, our only casualties were two cartons of ice cream (probably God's way of saying to lay off the sweet stuff.)

My mother told me a story of when they had a freezer, and, together with another couple, had purchased half of a cow to freeze and eat as a means of saving money. She had the freezer in the house, but didn't get in it very often. Apparently, it had broken, and after a few weeks, she noticed a horrible smell. After she opened the freezer, she immediately slammed the lid, took the entire freezer to the side of the road, cow and all, and vowed never to own a separate freezer again. She would just make do with whatever freezer space came with her fridge. I probably would have too.

I love my freezer, and through God's provision, and the generosity of friends, we are getting another used one this weekend. I am so very thankful that my husband had gone outside to check it, and therefor save us from losing all of that food. I will be checking the freezer EVERY DAY from now on, just in case. I don't want to deal with a rotting cow, but I also don't want to give up the benefits of having extra freezer space.

Free Samples!

Wal-Mart offers various samples at all times. These are a list of the ones that they are currently offering:

Aveeno Nourish shampoo + conditioner

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid69402.aspx

Sun Crystals all natural sweetener

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid70920.aspx

Playtex Gentle Glide tampons

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid71600.aspx

Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield toothpaste

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid69214.aspx

NicoDerm CQ

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid73400.aspx

Prilosec OTC

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid70648.aspx

Tampax Pearl tampons

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid71900.aspx

Kotex Overnight with wings

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid72266.aspx

Publix match-ups for 06/10/09-06/16/09

Here are the deals at Publix for this week courtesy of i heart publix:

Ragu Pasta Sauce BOGO $3.35
-$.60/2, $1.25/3, $.30/1, $1.75/2 from 05/17/09 insert

-$1/2 printable here

=$.80 with best coupon

Pillsbury Brownie Mix BOGO $1.99

-$.35/1 from 04/19/09, 03/29/09, and 05/17/09 inserts

-$1/2 from 03/29/09 and 05/17/09

=$.30 each with best coupon

Ronzini Pasta BOGO $1.29

-$1/1 or $1/2 from 04/05/09 insert (if Smart Taste is included)

=FREE with best coupon

Knorr Sides BOGO $1.49

-$.50/1, $1/3, $.75/2, $.60/2 from 05/17/09 insert

-$.45/1 from 05/03/09 insert

=FREE with best coupon

Pompeian Olive Oil BOGO $5.99

-$1/1 printable here

-$2/1 hangtag

=$1 with best coupon

Kraft Velveeta dinner BOGO $1.49

-$1/1 printable here

-$1.25 off ground beef wyb Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese from Publix Simply Delicious Booklet

=FREE w/best coupon

Playtex Gentle Gilde or Sport tampons BOGO $4.17

-$1/1 from 06/07/09 insert

-$1/1 printable here

-$1/1 All You magazine May issue

-$1/1 from 03/22/09 insert

=$1.09

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter BOGO $2.49

-$1.25/2, $.50/1 from 03/29/09 insert

-$.75/2, $1/2 from 03/29/09 insert

=$.25 each with best coupon

Popcicle Ice Pops, Fudgesicle or Creamsicle BOGO $3.99

General Mills Chex Mix, Cheerios, Gardetto's or Bugles BOGO $2.55

-$.50/2, $1/2 from 06/07/09 insert

-$.50 printable here

-$.50 printable here

=$.28 each with best coupon

Wish Bone Dressing BOGO $2.69

-$1 off any chicken, beef, or produce wyb Wishbone tearpad coupon

-$2 off meat wyb 2 Wishbone tearpad coupon

-Free bagged salad wyb 2 Wishbone tearpad coupon

-$1/2, $1.25/2, $.75/1 from 05/17/09 insert

-$.75/1 printable here

=$.60 each with best coupon (plus additional savings if you can find the tearpads)

Publix Baby carrots BOGO

Northland 100% juice BOGO $3.95

-$1/2 printable here

=$1.48 each

Mt Olive Sweet Relish or Pickles BOGO $2.19

Stubb's BBQ Sauce BOGO $3.99

Lay's Potato Chips BOGO $3.99

Keebler Chips Deluxe or Sandies cookies BOGO $3.99

Dial body wash BOGO $4.49
-$1/1 printable here
=$1.24 each

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes 80 ct BOGO $3.99

Win a free trip to Jamaica

Chiquita Frozen Fruit Smoothies is giving away a 4 day trip for 4 people to Jamaica! I don't spend a lot of time doing sweepstakes, but I got this email in my inbox and I figured, why not? It takes a 30 seconds to sign up, and I'm thinking that I could really use a free trip to Jamaica! But then again, who couldn't?

http://oldorchard.createsend2.com/t/r/l/ilkrih/fjkudtdl/i

Walgreens $5/$25 purchase coupon!!!!

Walgreens just published a coupon on their website good for $5 off of any $25 purchase. However, it is only good for June 10th and 11th.

It's not very often that they publish this kind of a coupon, so run in and use it while you can!

JCPenney $10 off of a $10 purchase

I got a coupon in the mail a few days ago from JCPenney for $10 off of any $10 purchse online or in store. If you use it online, it's a generic coupon code, so anyone can get the $10 off. I used it to buy my husband a tie for Father's Day, which was on clearance, so this works for clearance items also.

Head to JCPenney, and, once you've added your purchse to your shopping bag, click pay with a promo code and enter GR8DAD. You still have to pay shipping, but $10 is $10 right?

SwagBucks! Start earning today!

I already posted about swagbucks a few weeks ago (see here: http://www.providentandresourceful.com/2009/05/swag-bucks-awesome-program.html ) but I wanted to do it again, now that I'm getting more hits, and also because I am so excited to see how many gift cards I've earned to go towards Christmas presents.

That's what I've decided to do; save up my points for gift cards to use for Christmas presents. By doing this, I don't feel so guilty about not sticking to our budget (with planned money to set aside for Christmas) until so late in the year.

Swagbucks is SUPER easy, and most of the time I earn something when I do a search. It's so simple, and a quick and easy way to supplement our income.

Check it out by clicking the banner above and sign up yourself to start now!

My CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger trips

OH WOW! Today was a good day, especially for diapers! Here are my trips:

Wags

My Walgreens trip was nothing to brag about really, although I did get a bunch of packages of toilet seat covers (about to start potty training hopefully!!!!!) that were clearanced down to $.25 for 18 covers. I am so excited to have these for when we travel!

CVS transaction

CVS was AWESOME this week! Here are my stats.
Dawn dish liquid $1.00 (x2)
-$.50 coupon
-$.25 coupon
-$1.00 ECB
Pampers jumbo pack $8.99 (x3)
-$5 ECB (x3)
-$1 coupon (x3)
Gilette Fusion razor $7.99
-$4 coupon
-$3.99 ECB
Bayer Breeze meter $19.99 (btw it is supposed to ring up 14.99, but since the coupon made it free anyway, I didn't care)
-$19.99 coupon
-$5 ECB
Paper $1.50
Big League Chew bubble gum $.33 (my husband LOVES this stuff and always makes me buy it when we're at Cracker Barrel where it is like $3, so I'm happy with this!) (x6)
Johnson and Johnson First Aid travel kit $.99
-$.99 coupon
-$4/$20 purchase CVS coupon

Total before coupons: $61.42
Total after coupons: $3.70!!!!!

Kroger transaction

Kraft Shredded Cheese 8 oz $1.67 (x9)
-$.50 tearpad coupon (doubled) (x9)
Georgia Peaches $.88/lb =$2.27
Huggies jumbo pack clearanced to $4.89 (x2)
-$1.50 coupon (x2)

Total before coupons=$27.08
Total after coupons= $15.08

Not bad considering I had two packages of Huggies diapers and 9 packages of Kraft cheese!
This trip is exactly why I always take my box of coupons with me! I went to Kroger just to get the cheese and the peaches, but saw the diapers, the exact diapers that my child uses, in the clearance cart. If I didn't have my box of coupons with me, I wouldn't have gotten nearly as good of a deal!

I'm going to Publix tomorrow, so I'll post that trip then.

Walgreens deals 06/07/09-06/13/09

Here are the best deals at Walgreens, although it doesn't look like too much this week. Thanks to iheartwags for the match-ups.

Mars candy bars 2/$1

-B1G1 coupon 05/17/09 RedPlum insert or blinkies

=$0.25

Purex 3-in-1 $5.99

-$2 Register Rewards

-$1/1 printable coupon

=$2.99

Gillette Fusion Razor $9.49

-$2.50 RR

-$4/1 coupon06/07/09 P&G insert
=$2.99

Johnson’s and Johnson’s Baby Powder 1.5 oz 2/$2

-$1 RR

-$1/1 coupon 03/08/09 or 04/26/09 RedPlum inserts

=FREE or $1 overage with two coupons

Ban Deodorant $1.50

-$1 RR wyb 2

-$0.40/1 coupon 06/07/09 SmartSource insert

=$0.60 w/two coupons

Carmex at $2.99

-$2 RR

=$0.99

CVS weekly deals 06/07/09-06/13/09

Here are the best deals at CVS this week. Thanks to iheartcvs for the match-ups.

Bayer Contour Meter $14.99

-$5 ECBs (Limit 1)

-up to $30/1 coupon 03/22/09 SS insert

=FREE plus $5 overage

Gillette Fusion Razor $7.99

-$4 ECBs (Limit 1)

-$4/1 coupon 06/07/09 P&G insert

=FREE

Dawn Dish Soaps 2/$2

-$1 ECBs (Limit 1)

-$0.25/1 coupon 06/07/09 P&G insert

AND -$.50/1 coupon from the Home Made Simple booklet

=$0.13 each

Pampers Jumbo packages $8.99

-$5 ECBs (not advertised in ad, print out from website here and take with you!)

-$1/1 coupon 06/07/09 insert

=$2.99!!!

Also, check your email for $4/$20 purchase coupons. I got mine and it worked really well this week!

Christian Audio Free Download of the Month

Christian Audio, one of the best sites for Christian audio books, offers a free downloadable audio book each month. This month's free download is Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene M. Petereson. Click below to get your free download:

https://christianaudio.com/

FREE download of Larry Burkett's Money Matters

Larry Burkett is one of the best authors around for biblical use of money. All the latest money guys cite his books in their programs.

Logos.com, a seller of biblical software, has decided to offer a free download of Larry Burkett's book Money Matters to anyone who wants it, no strings attached. I'm not sure how long they will offer it for, so click below for your free download:

http://blog.logos.com/archives/2009/05/we_just_felt_we_had_to_give_it_away_with_no_strings_attached.html

Yard Sale Saturday

At about 8:00 pm last night, we decided to have a yard sale with some friends of ours. I went to bed at about 2:00 am, and woke up at 6:30 am, and I am EXHAUSTED!

Yard sales are a LOT of work. My mother always said that she wouldn't do them because it was too much work. I've found that they're also a lot of fun too, or at least they can be. The few times that we've done yard sales, we have done them with friends, which is one of the best parts about having them. It's forced time together, no excuses, few interruptions, and some good quality time.

I was really blessed by our yard sale, because I got to not only spend a lot of time with my friends, but with their children, which I love! My kids also got to spend time with them, which they love! And, to top it all off, we made a few bucks. Hard to beat making money while wasting time with friends.

National Donut Day!

Today is National Donut Day (what, you didn't know that already!?) and that means free donuts!

Krispy Kreme is offering a free donut, no purchase necessary. Find a location here.

Dunkin Donuts is offering a free donut with a drink purchase. Find a location nearest you here. By the way, the donut pictured is my own creation at Dunkin Donuts' website!

More summer programs!!!!

I already posted about a bunch of summer programs available (see post here: http://www.providentandresourceful.com/2009/05/summer-activities.html), and I keep finding more!!! I started doing some of these programs, especially the reading ones, when my kids were just babies. It's a great way to get into the habit of learning from a young age. Here are the other ones that need to be added to that list:

REI's Passport to Adventure

This program is for children ages 5-12, and it's an outdoor activity program. Kids can earn a prize for logging their outdoor activity this summer. Check it out here.


National Park Service

The National Park Service is offering free admission to over 100 national parks at various times this summer. Check it out here.


Bass Pro Shops Family Summer camps

Bass Pro Shops are offering various activities every weekend this summer in their Family Summer Camp program. It looks like they have some pretty neat activities! Check it out here.


Chuck E Cheese Reading Rewards program

Chuck E Cheese is offering their own summer reading program. Each child who completes the program gets 10 free game tokens.

Chuck E Cheese also has some really cool other programs year-round that I am TOTALLY going to do! These programs offer free tokens for goals like losing a tooth, potty training (SOON I HOPE!), going to the doctor, etc. Check it here.

New Kroger e-coupon company

Kroger already has a few online coupon sites that they are affiliated with. These sitesallow you to load coupons directly to your Kroger card, and they are instantly redeemed when you scan your card and the item in the coupon. It's super easy, and a great way to get coupons at no cost and very little work!

Kroger now has a new company that they are affiliated with. It's called Bringing Hope to the Table. Register your Kroger card, click which coupons you want, and load them to your Kroger card. The first time takes 24 hours, but after that, it takes only an hour for your coupons to show up on your card.

Check them out here!

Redbox code for 06/01/09

Today's redbox code is FM63H7. Take this to your nearest redbox location for a free night's rental, just make sure to return it by 9:00 pm tomorrow! Date night tonight!!

Luvs Diapers newsletter and special offers

Luvs has a new program that includes a monthly newsletter, and special offers. I have heard that they will be sending regular coupons to those who sign up, so if you use Luvs, sign up here .

Free sample of Kotex

Kotex is offering a free sample of their overnight pads. These samples usually come with a coupon as well. Head on over to http://www.movefreely.com/ for your free sample.

My Walgreens trips this week

Ok, normally I only do one trip to Walgreens/CVS, but this week Walgreens is giving $10 register rewards when you buy one of the Bayer Meters, which have a coupon that would already make them free. So, for each meter I buy, I will make an instant $10.

I couldn't pass that up. I had used up my coupons already in past weeks when they had $5 register rewards for the meters (which meant $5 profit,) so I bought some on Ebay. I don't normally like to buy off of Ebay because of the inflated cost, but the coupon clippers were out of them. Here's my plan and stats:

I bought 5 coupons from Ebay (that will mean 5 transactions, which is a LOT for me to do in one week!) for $9.00.

I bought one already on Sunday, and plan to buy three more tonight as I make my Publix trip (on the way there and back, so no extra gas used.) I will then make one more trip later this week to my Walgreens down the street to get the 5th one. Not to mention that at each of these trips to buy the meters, I am also buying bottles of the Ecotrin, which is a $2.00 money maker this week. I already had the coupons for those, so those didn't cost me anything.

After 3 trips and $9.00 in Ebay costs, I will have 5 glucose meters (which are being donated) at no cost, 5 bottles of Ecotrin pain reliever at no cost, and $51 with which to buy diapers. Not too shabby...

Walgreens 05/31/09-06/06/09

Here are some of the best deals at Walgreens this week:

Bayer Contour or Breeze 2 $10.00

-$10 RR

- up to $30/1 coupon 02-01-09 RP or 03-22-09 SS inserts

=FREE plus $10 PROFIT

Ecotrin $2.00

-$2 RR

-$2/1 coupon 05-17-09 SS insert

or -$2.25/1 PRINTABLE coupon

=FREE plus $2.00 profit (last time they had this deal, I was told that you couldn't use the $2.25 coupon because the item was only $2.00, so I had to buy 2/$4, -$2.25 Q, -$2 RR means it's still free with a $.25 profit)

Dentek Floss Picks BOGO $2.99

-$2/1 PRINTABLE coupon

=FREE plus $1.00 profit

Aquafresh Toothpaste $.99 with in-ad coupon

-$.75/1 PRINTABLE coupon

=$.24

Bic Soleil or Comfort 3 razors $4.99
-$1 RR

-$3/1 coupon 05-17-09 SS insert

=$.99

Crystal Light $1.99

-$1/1 PRINTABLE coupon

=$.99

Kerasal One Step Therapy $7.99

-$5 RR

-$2/1 coupon 05-17-09 SS insert

=$.99

deals courtesy of iheartwags

CVS 05/31/09-06/06/09

Here are some of the best deals at CVS this week:

Campbells Soup 2/$1

-$1/2 PRINTABLE coupon

=FREE

Act Rinse $4.29

-$1 ECB

-$1/1 coupon 04-19-09 SS insert

=$2.29

Maxwell House Coffee BOGO $4.89

-$2/2 PRINTABLE coupon

=$1.45

Hawaiian Topic starting at $7.89

-$10 ECB wyb 2

-$2/1 PRINTABLE coupons

=starting at $0.89 each

Mennen Deodorant $2.49

-$1 ECB
=$1.49

One Gallon Milk $2.79

-$1 ECB

=$1.79

deals courtesy of iheartcvs

Degree body spray free sample

Degree is offering free body spray samples from their Fine Fragrance Collection while supplies last. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Click HERE to get your free samples!

Thanks swaggrabber!

New Blog

I had an awesome experience last night/this morning that I felt like God wanted me to share, but I felt that He didn't want it here; He wanted a new blog, totally devoted to my walk with Him. So, as of 3:00 am this morning, I started a new blog. I felt that the name should reflect Proverbs 31:10-31, so it's called A Worthy Wife. Join me there to share in my walk, and bless me with yours.

http://aworthywife.blogspot.com/

Balancing Time in Coupon World

I know of many people out there in cyber world who are what I call hardcore couponers. I am not one of them. I try to balance the benefit to me and my family with the time away from my family and my responsibilities. I don't spend hours clipping coupons. I don't pour over every local grocery store's ads. I don't make a dozen trips to the same store, even if the deal is good. I'm also not the best of the best in the coupon world.

Old Navy has a site called Old Navy Weekly where you can 'find' hidden coupons and take them into the store to use. Some of them are 15% or even 30% off your purchase, but they also have a limited number of the BIG, HUGE, MONSTER $75 off of a $100 purchase coupon, but you have to work for it!

Usually on Thursday night, anytime after 8:00 pm, they update the site with new hidden coupons. Some weeks, they post as late as 3:30 am. I've NEVER stayed up that late for a coupon, but I was able to get one of these awesome coupons once, and, I have to admit, it was pretty awesome. I was able to get a LOT of clothes that we needed for around $30, instead of over $100.

This week, they didn't post it on Thursday. They advertised that they were going to post on Sunday. So, Saturday night, starting at around 7:00, hundreds (probably much more, but those are the ones that I know about) gathered in chat rooms from all parts of the country to wait for news of these prized coupons.

At midnight, they were starting to get tired, but their spirits were up, and laughs were plentiful. By 3:00 am, I was out. It was very much no longer worth it to me to stay up, but there were many who did find it worth it.

I checked periodically, and they were not laughing nearly as much as the night before, but they kept going. These poor souls had waited all night Saturday, all morning Sunday, all afternoon Sunday, all evening Sunday, and the coupons were finally posted at 12:00 am Sunday evening/Monday morning. That's 29 hours of staring at a computer screen for those of you who were trying to calculate it in your head. Unfortunately, only a few of them were rewarded with a big coupon for their efforts.

This brings up one big issue that I've thought a lot about in the couponing world. Is it worth all the time? I think that this is different for every person, and a balance must be found. A working mother with small children probably may not be able to start couponing and stick to a $40/week food budget, but she may be able to invest a little bit of time, learn the grocery game, and cut her grocery bills by 30%.

Bragging rights in the coupon world are usually reserved for the hardcore couponers. Those who boast 90% plus savings on each receipt, feed their family for $40 a week, have whole rooms devoted to massive stockpiles, etc. I am not one of those.

Kudos to them, but that's just not where I am in my life. I'm a stay-at-home mom with small children and I can't rationalize dragging them to stores every day searching for deals. I have time commitments that are big priorities to me. I also have a fairly small house for four people, and it is just not peaceful for me or my husband to stuff cereal under our beds, no matter how good of a deal it is.

I really think those people who are able to accomplish those massive savings are amazing. I am just not in that season of my life. I do the best with the resources that I have, and that's all any of us can hope to do.

I wasn't able to get that awesome coupon. I did, however, get to spend the day with my beautiful babies, go to church with my family, rock my kids to sleep, go to graduation parties, have dinner with my in-laws, watch my boys play in the pool, and spend some time with my husband.