I spent 45 minutes in Albertsons today, though I (mostly) followed the list I had prepared. Here's some of what I got...
2 containers Dreyer's ice cream. Regularly $6.99. Bonus Buy for $1.99 each. =D
10 Smart Ones lunches. Regularly $3.89 each. I paid $1.30 each after a sale, quantity discount, and coupon.
4 Packs Hormel Turkey Pepperoni. Regularly $4.69 each. I paid $1.60 each after a sale and quantity discount.
2 packs of free gum thanks to B1G1F coupons.
Halloween candy. I bought 6 bags, regularly 3.59-3.99 each. They were on sale for $2.50 each, and I had coupons. Ended up paying $10 total after sale and coupons. That's way better than the$20-$24 it would have been.
To get one of those Halloween Candy coupons, I had to buy 2 Tombstone pizzas. They were on sale, but were still $5.79 each. It will be nice to have them in the freezer, though, when we need dinner in a pinch.
Total spent... $49.90. That's down from $104.50 when I originally rang up. Saved 56%!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Couponing and ADHD
I don't think couponing is a very wise thing for someone with ADHD to do. And yet, here I find myself doing it again. What is the draw? What makes me want to clip coupons and plan out shopping trips? I'm not looking to be an extreme couponer, but I seem to tend towards extremes in my shopping. Where is the balance??
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Systematizing my Home
I am in the process of systematizing my home. I have a long way to go for sure, but what I've done so far is working well! It all started back in April when I organized the pantry... again. Only this time I put bins and labels in the pantry. And you know what? I haven't had to reorganize it since. I also haven't put any effort into keeping it organized. What changed is that I found a system intuitive enough to my subconscious that I don't have to think to keep it that way. Better yet, my family is able to maintain it as well. The same is true for our hall closet that houses games, extra paper products, Eliana's craft item, etc. It was chaotic, but then I went crazy with the clear shoe bins and my labeler and... it has been organized and tidy since! And we use that closet a lot! So... with these two places disproving my self-inflicted theory that I can never keep things organized, I am working on finding systems for my entire home that work for me and my family!
I want my home to have a (labeled) place for everything so that everything can go in its place!
I started out writing this post with a specific goal in mind, but now I can't remember what I was going to say. This is pretty common for me... Which is why I'm so excited that I'm finding systems that work... even with my ADD!!
My biggest challenge by far is PAPER CLUTTER. I love paper. Not just craft paper, it turns out, but anything paper. I love printables. I'm afraid I won't be able to find them on my computer (because I have NO organization for my virtual files!), so I print out the ones I love. And then I have a stack of paper to deal with, but I don't want to deal with it right then, because I just exhausted myself going through all the printables to find the ones I liked. So I leave the pile for later. Only later never really comes and my pile gets bigger until I can't figure out what to do with all the papers. It's an overwhelming, exhausting process. So... I'd like to get my paper clutter under control. In fact, there are lots of areas of my life and home I'd like to get under control, so here's the list I want to work through...
Home paper clutter
MK office paper clutter
Craft room paper clutter
Craft room clutter in general
Overflowing bento supplies
Color coded file system
Dinner planning
MK office systems to keep my desk clear
Laundry system
Keeping volunteer projects separate and organized
Maintaining a clean and organized bedroom
Systems for keeping Eliana's room organized and clean
Master closet organization
Guest room systems
Shopping systems to regulate spending
Custom planner systems
I want my home to have a (labeled) place for everything so that everything can go in its place!
I started out writing this post with a specific goal in mind, but now I can't remember what I was going to say. This is pretty common for me... Which is why I'm so excited that I'm finding systems that work... even with my ADD!!
My biggest challenge by far is PAPER CLUTTER. I love paper. Not just craft paper, it turns out, but anything paper. I love printables. I'm afraid I won't be able to find them on my computer (because I have NO organization for my virtual files!), so I print out the ones I love. And then I have a stack of paper to deal with, but I don't want to deal with it right then, because I just exhausted myself going through all the printables to find the ones I liked. So I leave the pile for later. Only later never really comes and my pile gets bigger until I can't figure out what to do with all the papers. It's an overwhelming, exhausting process. So... I'd like to get my paper clutter under control. In fact, there are lots of areas of my life and home I'd like to get under control, so here's the list I want to work through...
Home paper clutter
MK office paper clutter
Craft room paper clutter
Craft room clutter in general
Overflowing bento supplies
Color coded file system
Dinner planning
MK office systems to keep my desk clear
Laundry system
Keeping volunteer projects separate and organized
Maintaining a clean and organized bedroom
Systems for keeping Eliana's room organized and clean
Master closet organization
Guest room systems
Shopping systems to regulate spending
Custom planner systems
Friday, August 10, 2012
Trying Something New...
I am trying something new to help keep Eliana on track in the morning before school. School hasn't started yet, but once it does I will need to get myself ready and have her get ready in order to be out the door on time. If this works, I'm thinking of making one for myself! Here's what I'm trying...
I bought a $3.97 clock from Walmart and colored each of the sections in with a sharpie, then labeled what she should be doing during that time. It should keep her on task and out the door in an hour. It probably won't take her 15 minutes to get dressed in the morning, but I want to allow for distractions, as she has MANY! Hopefully she will have plenty of time using this clock to stay on track in the mornings and we will be out the door by 8!
 |
| From on the FLY |
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Closet Love
Yesterday I set about doing something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I made hanging clothing dividers for my closet and for Eliana's closet. I have organized my clothes this way for a long time, but it is difficult for others to put things away, or it's too easy for me to be too lazy to put them away correctly. Now, though, there is order! Hooray! Here's what I made...
This is my closet. I like to hang my shirts based on sleeve length first, color second. So my dividers are as follows... *strapless *strappy tank tops *tank tops *sleeveless *short sleeve *3/4 sleeve *long sleeve *vests *cardigans *jackets Then in each section I hang clothes in the following color order... *white *natural *brown *yellow *orange *pink *red *purple *blue *green *gray *black It sounds complicated, but it makes it super easy to find what you're looking for! And it's really not that complicated once you get the hang of it. Especially now that I have dividers!! The other side of my closet is considerably simpler, since I just have skirts, pants, and capris over there.
In Eliana's room, we did the same thing, only it's much less complicated. She told me what categories of clothes she needed dividers for, and she just puts them in there willy-nilly. Her categories are...
*Short Sleeve Shirts
*Long Sleeve Shirts
*Pants
*Skirts
*Play Dresses
*Church Dresses
I color coordinated the dividers based on the rooms, of course. And I also created dividers for Eliana's school uniforms. We already had M-S dividers that we've been using for a couple years. Those are sort of what inspired these! They were a free download a couple years ago, and now can be purchased on Etsy. Of course, now I can't find the link, but I'll keep looking for it. I looked at all sorts of clothing dividers on Etsy, thinking I would just buy some, but for the number of dividers we needed, I didn't want to spend $60!
 |
| From on the FLY |
This is my closet. I like to hang my shirts based on sleeve length first, color second. So my dividers are as follows... *strapless *strappy tank tops *tank tops *sleeveless *short sleeve *3/4 sleeve *long sleeve *vests *cardigans *jackets Then in each section I hang clothes in the following color order... *white *natural *brown *yellow *orange *pink *red *purple *blue *green *gray *black It sounds complicated, but it makes it super easy to find what you're looking for! And it's really not that complicated once you get the hang of it. Especially now that I have dividers!! The other side of my closet is considerably simpler, since I just have skirts, pants, and capris over there.
 |
| From on the FLY |
 |
| From on the FLY |
 |
| From on the FLY |
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Traveling Light...
This summer I am taking a trip to Texas for our Mary Kay Seminar. I am checking one piece of luggage (which is shared with my daughter), but I wanted to pack as much as I could into my carry-on to avoid having to check a second bag, and to make sure that I had all my essentials, in case my baggage got lost. What I found is that I could fit much more than I expected into my little carry-on bag!!
Here is my bag, in the seat of a small recliner, with a remote added for scale. Not a large carry-on at all!
Here's what it looks like when you open it up...
Under the folded jacket, you see what REALLY makes up the inside of the suitcase...
Under the jeans I have several pairs of shoes packed tightly, with the spaces between them stuffed with underwear.
For the first time ever, I utilized the Travel Space Bags I have. I used two in this suitcase. They are nice because you don't need a vacuum to remove the air; you just roll them up to press out all the air and when you unroll them they are vacuum packed. It's pretty amazing!
Even more amazing is how much I was able to fit in each Space Bag. I rolled my clothes first, then put them into the Space Bag to maximize space and minimize wrinkles. It worked surprisingly well!
The first bag included a sweater and long skirt...
Knee length dress and two slips...
Skinny jeans and black yoga pants...
And 6 tops...
Here's what the bag looked like after I removed the first Space Bag:
The second Space Bag included several more items of clothing...
An after 5 dress...
A beaded after 5 dress along with a velvet bolero jacket...
A long formal gown...
Two business skirts...
3 tops...
A cardigan sweater and a swimsuit...
There was also a pair of shorts stuffed along the side of the Space Bags, that I tucked in as an afterthought. Here is what the carry-on looked like without the clothing items:
After going through security, I also tucked my ziplock of liquids into the top of the bag, so I had shampoo and conditioner, lipstick, mascara, mascara primer, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, and a couple finger nail polishes with me as well.
As for my shoes, I managed to pack 4 pairs of shoes in my carry-on as well. If my luggage got lost, I could survive with these 4 pair (plus the pair I was wearing) without too many problems. There's a pair of black walking flats, black business wedges, navy sandals, and gold dress wedges. Remember, I'm headed to a business conference with 3 semi-formal events and lots of walking, so I had to be judicious about what were in my "essentials" list!
I also had some accessories tucked away in my carry-on. I had 2 belts (one narrow, one wide), a flat iron, and a bag that could double as a clutch if needed.
Then there was my jewelry... Some people just have a couple accessories that will do for them, but I love my bling!! Here's my jewelry case and headband...
Now, I'm sure I could have packed my jewelry in a smaller space if I'd been willing to, but I like my jewelry organizer, even if it is a bit on the bulky side. It has clear zippered "pages" that flip so I can see everything and organize it however I want for the trip. No worries of jewelry getting tangled!
So... It turns out I can fit a LOT into my little suitcase!! I have enough clothing for 2 weeks, and even when my checked bag didn't come out with the rest of our flight's luggage, I wasn't worried. Thankfully, the reason it didn't come out with the rest is because it arrived on an earlier flight, but still... it felt great to be prepared!
Here is my bag, in the seat of a small recliner, with a remote added for scale. Not a large carry-on at all!
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
 |
| From Travel Tips |
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday Routine
Events to schedule around....
Eliana has school from 8:30 to 3:30
I have Mary Kay from 6-9
Areas of Focus...
Bedrooms
Appointments
SCHEDULE
(6:15) Wake up (5 min)
(6:20) Read Bible (15 min)
(6:25) Check Email (5 min)
(6:30) Shoes on, ready to exercise (5 min)
(6:45) Exercise (45 min)
(7am) Wake Eliana up (5 min)
(7:05) Take a Shower (15 min)
(7:20) Get Dressed (5 min)
(7:25) Do Eliana's Hair (10 min)
(7:35) Get Eliana Breakfast (5 min)
(7:40) Do My Hair and Makeup (15 min)
(7:55) Help Eliana get out the door - Lunch, Shoes, etc. (5 min)
(8am) Take Eliana to School (15 min)
(8:15) Strip Beds and Wash Sheets (5 min)
(8:20) Drink Breakfast and Write notes to customers (10 min)
(8:30) Submit WAS (5 min)
(8:35) Enter Profile Cards and Sales Slips (20 min)
(8:55) Prepare for Appointments / Calls (5 min)
(9am) Appointments / Calls (2 Hours)
(11am) Lunch (30 minutes)
(11:30) Move Sheets to Dryer (5 min)
(11:35) Household Time - Pick Up Bedrooms (25 min)
(12pm) Office / Prep Time (1 hour)
(1pm) Appoinments / Calls (2 Hours)
(3pm) Make Beds (15 min)
(3:15) Prepare Eliana's Snack (10 min)
(3:25) Pick Eliana up from school (20 min)
(3:45) Unload Eliana's backpack (5 min)
(3:50) Review Eliana's spelling words with her (10 min)
(4pm) Empty / Load the dishwasher with Eliana (15 min)
(4:15) Quiet Time / Reading / Watching TV (45 min)
(5pm) Make Dinner (15 min)
(5:15) Dinner (30 min)
(5:45) Drive to Mary Kay
(6pm) Mary Kay (3 Hours)
(9pm) Drive Home (15 min)
(9:15) Unload MK Stuff and put away (15 min)
(9:30) Wash face and brush teeth (10 min)
(9:40) Lay out clothes for tomorrow (5 min)
(9:45) Change clothes and put in hamper (5 min)
(9:50) Read / Journal (10 min)
(10pm) Bedtime
Friday, February 10, 2012
Dinner Tonight...
We're having friends over for dinner tonight and I had a hard time figuring out what we were going to eat. Thankfully, I had a few options to choose from out of my freezer, so with a little prep and some finesse, here's what's for dinner...
Eggrolls (already made and frozen, just need to be heated through!)
Jasmine Rice (already made and frozen, just needs to be defrosted)
Coconut Lime Chicken (frozen chicken breast cooked in coconut milk and lime juice)
Green Curry (already made and frozen, just needs to be heated through!)
Asian Plum Sauce (already made and frozen, just needs to be heated through!)
Edamame (we keep this in the freezer, just needs to be steamed right before the meal!)
The best part is that ALL OF IT is homemade. That makes me so happy!
Eggrolls (already made and frozen, just need to be heated through!)
Jasmine Rice (already made and frozen, just needs to be defrosted)
Coconut Lime Chicken (frozen chicken breast cooked in coconut milk and lime juice)
Green Curry (already made and frozen, just needs to be heated through!)
Asian Plum Sauce (already made and frozen, just needs to be heated through!)
Edamame (we keep this in the freezer, just needs to be steamed right before the meal!)
The best part is that ALL OF IT is homemade. That makes me so happy!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Once again, I got sucked into the computer...
... while clipping coupons on a Sunday night. It really wasn't my aim to get sucked into the computer, but here I am. Sigh.
The couponing is still going. I have been learning things that have been making it go better...
1. The Billings paper has better coupons. The Bozeman paper is hit and miss.
2. I can get both papers at Albertsons, and check to see if they have coupons before I buy them.
3. Some places have good sales - like Albertsons. I just have to be willing to watch the sales and match my coupons to them.
4. Kmart frequently has double coupon days. You just have to be willing to read the fine print and follow the (sometimes insane) rules for it to be worth it.
5. Albertsons occasionally does coupon sales where all coupons up to $1 are worth $1. That is an awesome day to shop!
I am making my lists. I am matching my coupons. I am not dreading the process, and it is not eating up all of my time. I feel like I am finding a happy balance in coupon land. Woot!
The couponing is still going. I have been learning things that have been making it go better...
1. The Billings paper has better coupons. The Bozeman paper is hit and miss.
2. I can get both papers at Albertsons, and check to see if they have coupons before I buy them.
3. Some places have good sales - like Albertsons. I just have to be willing to watch the sales and match my coupons to them.
4. Kmart frequently has double coupon days. You just have to be willing to read the fine print and follow the (sometimes insane) rules for it to be worth it.
5. Albertsons occasionally does coupon sales where all coupons up to $1 are worth $1. That is an awesome day to shop!
I am making my lists. I am matching my coupons. I am not dreading the process, and it is not eating up all of my time. I feel like I am finding a happy balance in coupon land. Woot!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Feeling Gypped
Today I got a newspaper, knowing that there should be a smartsource insert with coupons in it. It didn't. I don't know if the Bozeman paper just doesn't carry smartsource or if I just got a fluke, but I feel gypped!
Another Week of Couponing
Another week of couponing is about to begin, and I have done a few things to prepare for it...
1. I have started making my "Price Book" - the place where I track what prices are and what the best sale prices I've had are for the items that we use most. I'm using a spreadsheet so it's easy for me to alphabetize as it grows.
2. I have started organizing my manufacturers coupons in my household binder alphabetically by brand. That way I can easily find them when I want to use them for a specific store.
3. I have entered all of my manufacturers coupons into a Google task list by expiration date so I can easily see which coupons are expiring soon.
4. I have made plans with Kristiina to go through the ads tomorrow and make my shopping lists.
5. I have been utilizing couponmom.com to see what free or nearly free deals I might be missing simply because I've overlooked them or they are things I wouldn't normally think of. These free items are great for collecting toward my guest supply, future gifts, or Operation Christmas Child boxes!
We will see how this week improves over last week! I am amazed at how much quicker and cheaper I can shop when I have a list to follow... I don't wander up and down every aisle, trying to remember what I need, and therefore I don't have the impulse buys that I am so often prey to! I'm excited to start streamlining my process so I can be efficient with my time and money each week.
1. I have started making my "Price Book" - the place where I track what prices are and what the best sale prices I've had are for the items that we use most. I'm using a spreadsheet so it's easy for me to alphabetize as it grows.
2. I have started organizing my manufacturers coupons in my household binder alphabetically by brand. That way I can easily find them when I want to use them for a specific store.
3. I have entered all of my manufacturers coupons into a Google task list by expiration date so I can easily see which coupons are expiring soon.
4. I have made plans with Kristiina to go through the ads tomorrow and make my shopping lists.
5. I have been utilizing couponmom.com to see what free or nearly free deals I might be missing simply because I've overlooked them or they are things I wouldn't normally think of. These free items are great for collecting toward my guest supply, future gifts, or Operation Christmas Child boxes!
We will see how this week improves over last week! I am amazed at how much quicker and cheaper I can shop when I have a list to follow... I don't wander up and down every aisle, trying to remember what I need, and therefore I don't have the impulse buys that I am so often prey to! I'm excited to start streamlining my process so I can be efficient with my time and money each week.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Weekly Review
Well, my first week of couponing is just about over, and I'm pretty pleased with how it went. Here's a general overview...
Kmart = $27.89 - $7.98 in savings because of coupons. Would have been more if I'd been more assiduous and gotten my $5 off for the Slimfast. Doh!
Slimfast - bought 5 @ $5 ea, used $3.60 in coupons = $4.28 per 4pack I was supposed to get a coupon for $5 off my order for this, but I don't think it printed out, or if it did, distracto girl who was checking me out didn't give it to me. I should pay more attention at Kmart, I think.
Nice 'n Easy - bought 1 @ $4.99, used $1 in coupons = $3.99
Oreos - bought 1 @ 2.50 I used a super coupon for this, so it should have been $2.38, but I don't think she counted it. She was distracted and I should have paid more attention when she entered it. Note to self for the future.
Cupcake Mix - $1 - not on sale, just needed.
Distracto girl I think scanned one of my coupons twice so I got an extra dollar off. It's the only way the math makes sense, and there are two coupons on my receipt with exactly the same number.
Walmart = $34.38
Bush's Beans (various) - bought 18 @ $0.92 ea. These are normally around $1 ea, and are something we use. I got the varieties I can't get at Costco.
Rotel Tomatoes - bought 4 @ $0.88 ea. These are normally closer to $1, and something we use.
Lysol Motion Sensor Soap - bought 2 @ $3.47. Not on sale, something we needed for the guest bathroom. We were completely out of these.
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni - bought 1 @ $3.28. Not on sale, just needed for dinner tonight!
Hormel Canadian Bacon - bought 1 @ $2.12. Not on sale, just needed for dinner tonight!
Staples = $20.16 Would have been $50.59 if I'd paid full price for everything. Mind you, I wouldn't have paid $6+ for scissors, so that's not a realistic number, but I was pleased with how this purchase went! I read the ad, chose what we needed, and calculated as I went so that I could make the most of the trip! I did need the pens, driving log, and scissors, so that would have made the trip anyway!
Goals Notepad - bought 1 @ $4, reg. $7
Scissors - bought 3 @ $1 ea, reg. $6.29 ea
Driving Log - bought 1 @ $3
BIC Mark It Pens - bought 3 @ $1.29 ea.
Glue Stick 4 Pack - bought 1 @ $1, reg. $1.99
Rainbow Pens - bought 1 pack @ $4.79
Tamper Resistant Envelopes - bought 2 @ $1, reg. $3.29 ea.
Zipper envelope - bought 2 @ $1
Business card holder - bought 1 @ $1, reg. $1.99
Lollipop - bought 1 @ $0.50 - for Eliana, to get over $25 and use coupon
$5 off $25 order coupon
Rosauers = $12.31
Provalone slices - bought 2 @ 2.50 ea This is the one thing that wasn't on my list, but is something I wanted and it was a good price!
Cucumbers - bought 3 @ 3/$1
Green Lettuce - bought 1 @ $0.89
Green Bell Peppers - bought 3 @ 3/$1
Grapefruit - bought 1 bag @ $2.50 (7 grapefruit @ $0.36 ea)
Grape Tomatoes - bought 1 container @ $1.99
Costco = $101.80
Fage Yogurt - $12.49 ($1.05 ea.)
Canned Chicken - $9.99
Craisins - $7.49
Chicken Chimichangas - $13.49
Bananas - 2 @ $1.39
Dried Coconut - $8.99
Shredded Mozzarella - $11.99
Feta - $7.45
Tillamook Cheddar Slices - $8.49
Walnuts - $14.99
Eggs - $3.65
Target = $87.84 My total was well over $100 before they started entering all the coupons, so it was really fun to see the number go down, down, and down! I scored some really good deals on this trip to Target, including the Lean Cuisine deal, and the Fiber One deal! Woot!! Those will make lunch time and snack time easier when I want a quick fix and am tempted to eat something that won't help me lose weight!
Pantene Detangler - bought 1 for $3.99, used $1 coupon
Nice 'n Easy - bought 1 for $6.99, used $1 coupon
Nice 'n Easy Foam - bought 1 for $7.99, used $3 coupon
Pantene 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner - bought 1 for $5.84, used $2 coupon, and $3 coupon
Ziplock snack bags - bought 2 @ $2.50 ea.
Wet Ones Travel - bought 2 @ $1.29 ea, used 2 $0.75 coupons ($0.54 ea.)
Expanding File / Notepad - $5.99
Dollar Spot Notecards - bought 5 @ $1 ea.
Always Wipes - bought 1 @ $3.29, used $1 coupon
Always Pantiliners - bought 1 @ $2.99, used $0.50 coupon, plus $1 coupon for both
Fiber One Bars - bought 4 @ $2.75 ea, used 2 $0.40 coupons, plus got one box free Woohooo!
Lean Cuisine - bought 10 @ $2, used $5 coupon, received $5 gift card for future Woohoo!
Venus Razor - bought 1 @ $8, reg. $9.49
Venus Blades - bought 1 @ $20.99, used $5 coupon, received $5 gift card for future
Colgate Toothpaste - bought 1 for $2.99, received coupons for future, plus free travel size
I got stuff at CVS as well, but I don't remember where my receipt is. But anyway... that at least gives an idea of how my couponing went this week! I hope to get better and better at it as the weeks go by!
Kmart = $27.89 - $7.98 in savings because of coupons. Would have been more if I'd been more assiduous and gotten my $5 off for the Slimfast. Doh!
Slimfast - bought 5 @ $5 ea, used $3.60 in coupons = $4.28 per 4pack I was supposed to get a coupon for $5 off my order for this, but I don't think it printed out, or if it did, distracto girl who was checking me out didn't give it to me. I should pay more attention at Kmart, I think.
Nice 'n Easy - bought 1 @ $4.99, used $1 in coupons = $3.99
Oreos - bought 1 @ 2.50 I used a super coupon for this, so it should have been $2.38, but I don't think she counted it. She was distracted and I should have paid more attention when she entered it. Note to self for the future.
Cupcake Mix - $1 - not on sale, just needed.
Distracto girl I think scanned one of my coupons twice so I got an extra dollar off. It's the only way the math makes sense, and there are two coupons on my receipt with exactly the same number.
Walmart = $34.38
Bush's Beans (various) - bought 18 @ $0.92 ea. These are normally around $1 ea, and are something we use. I got the varieties I can't get at Costco.
Rotel Tomatoes - bought 4 @ $0.88 ea. These are normally closer to $1, and something we use.
Lysol Motion Sensor Soap - bought 2 @ $3.47. Not on sale, something we needed for the guest bathroom. We were completely out of these.
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni - bought 1 @ $3.28. Not on sale, just needed for dinner tonight!
Hormel Canadian Bacon - bought 1 @ $2.12. Not on sale, just needed for dinner tonight!
Staples = $20.16 Would have been $50.59 if I'd paid full price for everything. Mind you, I wouldn't have paid $6+ for scissors, so that's not a realistic number, but I was pleased with how this purchase went! I read the ad, chose what we needed, and calculated as I went so that I could make the most of the trip! I did need the pens, driving log, and scissors, so that would have made the trip anyway!
Goals Notepad - bought 1 @ $4, reg. $7
Scissors - bought 3 @ $1 ea, reg. $6.29 ea
Driving Log - bought 1 @ $3
BIC Mark It Pens - bought 3 @ $1.29 ea.
Glue Stick 4 Pack - bought 1 @ $1, reg. $1.99
Rainbow Pens - bought 1 pack @ $4.79
Tamper Resistant Envelopes - bought 2 @ $1, reg. $3.29 ea.
Zipper envelope - bought 2 @ $1
Business card holder - bought 1 @ $1, reg. $1.99
Lollipop - bought 1 @ $0.50 - for Eliana, to get over $25 and use coupon
$5 off $25 order coupon
Rosauers = $12.31
Provalone slices - bought 2 @ 2.50 ea This is the one thing that wasn't on my list, but is something I wanted and it was a good price!
Cucumbers - bought 3 @ 3/$1
Green Lettuce - bought 1 @ $0.89
Green Bell Peppers - bought 3 @ 3/$1
Grapefruit - bought 1 bag @ $2.50 (7 grapefruit @ $0.36 ea)
Grape Tomatoes - bought 1 container @ $1.99
Costco = $101.80
Fage Yogurt - $12.49 ($1.05 ea.)
Canned Chicken - $9.99
Craisins - $7.49
Chicken Chimichangas - $13.49
Bananas - 2 @ $1.39
Dried Coconut - $8.99
Shredded Mozzarella - $11.99
Feta - $7.45
Tillamook Cheddar Slices - $8.49
Walnuts - $14.99
Eggs - $3.65
Target = $87.84 My total was well over $100 before they started entering all the coupons, so it was really fun to see the number go down, down, and down! I scored some really good deals on this trip to Target, including the Lean Cuisine deal, and the Fiber One deal! Woot!! Those will make lunch time and snack time easier when I want a quick fix and am tempted to eat something that won't help me lose weight!
Pantene Detangler - bought 1 for $3.99, used $1 coupon
Nice 'n Easy - bought 1 for $6.99, used $1 coupon
Nice 'n Easy Foam - bought 1 for $7.99, used $3 coupon
Pantene 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner - bought 1 for $5.84, used $2 coupon, and $3 coupon
Ziplock snack bags - bought 2 @ $2.50 ea.
Wet Ones Travel - bought 2 @ $1.29 ea, used 2 $0.75 coupons ($0.54 ea.)
Expanding File / Notepad - $5.99
Dollar Spot Notecards - bought 5 @ $1 ea.
Always Wipes - bought 1 @ $3.29, used $1 coupon
Always Pantiliners - bought 1 @ $2.99, used $0.50 coupon, plus $1 coupon for both
Fiber One Bars - bought 4 @ $2.75 ea, used 2 $0.40 coupons, plus got one box free Woohooo!
Lean Cuisine - bought 10 @ $2, used $5 coupon, received $5 gift card for future Woohoo!
Venus Razor - bought 1 @ $8, reg. $9.49
Venus Blades - bought 1 @ $20.99, used $5 coupon, received $5 gift card for future
Colgate Toothpaste - bought 1 for $2.99, received coupons for future, plus free travel size
I got stuff at CVS as well, but I don't remember where my receipt is. But anyway... that at least gives an idea of how my couponing went this week! I hope to get better and better at it as the weeks go by!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Couponing....
Coupons confuse me. I hear about people that save oooooodles of money by using coupons, and I know it is possible. But I seem to be struggling with how to keep everything straight. I thought I was doing pretty well, but somehow my piles of coupons have confused me again and I can't even make a decent list of what we need and where we should get it. There are obviously TONS of coupons for things we don't need, so I suppose I could start by weeding those things out....
Here's one of the confusing things, for example... Slim Fast Shakes. Turns out, if you heat them up they taste like hot chocolate, only are high protein, low carb. According to Safeway, a 4 pack is $5, and they are "Buy One Get One Free with Manufacturer Coupon from Sunday Paper". The only problem is that I couldn't find any manufacturer coupon in the Sunday paper that made them B1G1. Did I miss it? I do have a couple other Slim Fast coupons, so I should use those. Kmart has Slim Fast at 2 for $10, plus you get $5 off when you spend $25 on Slim Fast. Since my existing coupons are for $1.60 off 2, and $2 off 3, that would be $25 of Slim Fast, minus the $5, minus the $2, minus the $1.60, for a total savings of $8.60, according to my calculations. So, really it's only $16.40 for 20 bottles of Slim Fast, making them 82 cents each. Now, CVS has them for 2 for $9, so for 5 it would be $22.50, minus my coupons, making them $18.90 for 20 bottles. Turns out, Kmart has the best deal. Huh. Is it just me, or is that a lot of thinking for Slim Fast? BUT, it is something I have on my list, and I will be going to Kmart for hair dye anyway.
Okay... Here's another one. Target has Lean Cuisine meals on sale for $2, plus you get a $5 gift card when you purchase 10 of them. That's $20, but you get a $5 gift card back. I also have a random $5 off Frozen Food Puchase of $20 or more Target coupon, so that would technically be $15 for 10, plus $5 to spend later.
Couponmom.com makes it somewhat easier to get good deals, but only for national chains like Walmart, Target, etc. My local grocery stores like Town&Country and Rosauers aren't in that list, so it takes just a bit of extra work for that, too. Sometimes it is definitely worth looking at the local grocery ads, too. Just last night I sent Leif to Town&Country for a few items. They have the best price on the special yogurt our daughter eats, and they also had onions on sale. They also had a GREAT deal on Yoplait yogurt, which is normally around 60 cents a container. They had Yoplait for 5/$1, PLUS I had coupons for 50 cents off 8 and 40 cents off 6. Leif ended up getting 20 containers of yummy flavored Yoplait yogurt for less than $3!! Not bad at all! I'm glad I looked at their ad this week or I'd never have known!
Here's one of the confusing things, for example... Slim Fast Shakes. Turns out, if you heat them up they taste like hot chocolate, only are high protein, low carb. According to Safeway, a 4 pack is $5, and they are "Buy One Get One Free with Manufacturer Coupon from Sunday Paper". The only problem is that I couldn't find any manufacturer coupon in the Sunday paper that made them B1G1. Did I miss it? I do have a couple other Slim Fast coupons, so I should use those. Kmart has Slim Fast at 2 for $10, plus you get $5 off when you spend $25 on Slim Fast. Since my existing coupons are for $1.60 off 2, and $2 off 3, that would be $25 of Slim Fast, minus the $5, minus the $2, minus the $1.60, for a total savings of $8.60, according to my calculations. So, really it's only $16.40 for 20 bottles of Slim Fast, making them 82 cents each. Now, CVS has them for 2 for $9, so for 5 it would be $22.50, minus my coupons, making them $18.90 for 20 bottles. Turns out, Kmart has the best deal. Huh. Is it just me, or is that a lot of thinking for Slim Fast? BUT, it is something I have on my list, and I will be going to Kmart for hair dye anyway.
Okay... Here's another one. Target has Lean Cuisine meals on sale for $2, plus you get a $5 gift card when you purchase 10 of them. That's $20, but you get a $5 gift card back. I also have a random $5 off Frozen Food Puchase of $20 or more Target coupon, so that would technically be $15 for 10, plus $5 to spend later.
Couponmom.com makes it somewhat easier to get good deals, but only for national chains like Walmart, Target, etc. My local grocery stores like Town&Country and Rosauers aren't in that list, so it takes just a bit of extra work for that, too. Sometimes it is definitely worth looking at the local grocery ads, too. Just last night I sent Leif to Town&Country for a few items. They have the best price on the special yogurt our daughter eats, and they also had onions on sale. They also had a GREAT deal on Yoplait yogurt, which is normally around 60 cents a container. They had Yoplait for 5/$1, PLUS I had coupons for 50 cents off 8 and 40 cents off 6. Leif ended up getting 20 containers of yummy flavored Yoplait yogurt for less than $3!! Not bad at all! I'm glad I looked at their ad this week or I'd never have known!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Possible Dinner Menu...
Monday... Fend For Yourself?
Tuesday... Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Wednesday... Date Night
Thursday...
Friday... Chicken/Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic-Plum Reduction, Pear Salad
Saturday... Curried Cashew Pear Salad
Sunday...
Tuesday... Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Wednesday... Date Night
Thursday...
Friday... Chicken/Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic-Plum Reduction, Pear Salad
Saturday... Curried Cashew Pear Salad
Sunday...
Bountiful Baskets
Recently I heard about http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/, which is operated out of Utah. Basically, it is a food coop. It kind of reminds me of a CSA and Azure combination.
Today was my first time picking up a "basket." The baskets are available for purchase every other week and contain both fruits and vegetables. I also volunteered this morning, since it is a completely volunteer run organization, which was kind of fun! Here's what I brought home from my basket...
It includes...
 |
| From Instant Upload |
5 apples
2 bags celery
2 avocados
5 heads garlic
6 bananas
4 tomatoes
8 oz. mushrooms
1 head romaine
2 bags grapes
11 plums
6 pears
9 sweet potatoes
Not bad for $15! I'm getting excited about planning meals for this week and figuring out what I'm going to do with the produce!
I very rarely buy plums, so I was kind of at a loss for what to do with them. Then I went searching around online for some recipes and came up with a couple that I am excited about! One is for pork tenderloin with a balsamic-plum reduction. Yummy! That's on the menu for this week. The other is for an Asian plum sauce that I will make and (hopefully) can for the future. The plum sauce calls for applesauce, which we don't have right now, so I'm making some with a few of the apples from the basket.
The pears are also something I'm trying to figure out what to do with, since I'm not much of a pear person. I'm confident, though, that I will find an amazing recipe, or that Leif will eat them before I get the chance to find a suitable way to serve them. =D If all else fails, I think they will be good with some cheese, smoked salt, nuts, and wine. A good, easy picnic for movie night?? We'll see.
I am unsure of what to do with the avocado so far, but will be searching for recipes on that next. If nothing comes to mind, I will either make guacamole (yum!) or puree it for future use.
The sweet potatoes will probably get cooked and pureed for Thanksgiving yambake (that's what Leif wants me to do with them), though I would like to use them for a sweet potato curry, so we'll see who wins out this week. ;)
I have some other ingredients I'd like to use this week, too, including potatoes, onions, 2 limes, cilantro, basil, and dill. So... seems like we'll have some good flavor to dinner this week!! Woohoo!
Friday, October 14, 2011
THE PERSONAL PLANNER
The personal planner is coming together. In fact, I am really liking it. Here's how it started....
3 Ring Binder with half size sheets in it and my own dividers...
Notepad in the back for extra notes...
Monthly Tabs including birthday calendars. This is how it easily becomes a 90 day planner.
30 Day Focus sheet for each month...
Tabs for each of the major areas in my life... Time Management, Money Management, God, Family, Career, and Personal Development including Health and Nutrition.
Special things for Eliana, like her schedule for the week and important phone numbers.
A place for notes for the teacher, should I need them.
Daily schedule sheet...
Cute fitness and nutrition tracking sheets...
90 Day reading list... What I'm currently reading.
Book recommendation sheets for when others recommend books to me.
And added pockets for the miscellaneous!
That's how it STARTED. I used it for a month or so and then the system I was waiting for came out with their punch so I could customize my own pages to fit into a disk system. I LOVE IT!!
The thing I probably love the best is that my personal planner now fits in this:
Here's what the cover of the actual notebook looks like:
A lot of the printable pages I found that I like and use came from these guys:
In this version of the planner, I have time management focused pages in the front, and then the tabs start.
God, Family, Career, followed by a pocket, and then my personal and financial tabs. It's kind of nice to separate the sections that way.
I start with my daily list of things to do... 5 most important things, routines, meals, exercise, water, shopping list, appointments... all on one sheet. I found this sheet from simpleorganizedliving.com and I love it. I fill it out at night before bed and it allows me to think out and plan my next day. This is my work-from sheet. If I didn't look at the rest of the planner, but just worked off of this sheet each day, I'd be doing pretty good. I also have some sticky tabs so that I can use if I need to remember where I left off, what didn't get done, or just want to mark something. Then I have my Weekly Plan Sheet that I put together on Sunday night for the week. It's an ideal, but gives me something to work from each day as I plan the next day. Notice, too, that my monthly tabs are here in this section, too, before the God, Family, Career tabs.
Then I have my Daily To-Do List. This is where I track what I want to do and what I'm actually doing, and how I'm balancing my personal/family and business time.
LOOK!!! I can punch coupons and put them in my planner to use that day!
This is my weekly meal planner with tear-off grocery list. Leif does the grocery shopping, but this lets me think through next week's meals while I'm out and about and make notes for ingredients we will need.
GOD tab:
This lets me make notes, read scripture and journal it, and journal prayers while I'm out and about, too. I find this much better than using a dedicated journal, since I often don't have the journal with me.
FAMILY tab:
Ellie's "I-didn't-get-any-checkmarks-at-kindergarten-today" punchcard and perforated "Let's have a playdate" sheets that make planning playdates easier.
CAREER tab:
Current promotion and place to jot down notes as I make phone calls while I'm out and about...
Blank note pages.
PERSONAL tab:
Current reading list for the 90 days...
Book recommendation sheets:
IOU Coupons:
FINANCES tab:
A place to make notes about who paid what and what I paid, etc. Not an actual ledger, but a place for me to make notes.
And, of course, my receipt pocket:
My shopping list...
Tiny notes...
And my important pocket!
(and, of course, the notepad)
It's a ton of pictures, but I really love my new personal planner and disk binding system! All of the pages are easily rearrangable, without having to open up the rings and risk losing all of the sheets. I have done that on more than one occasion! Also, the disk spacing makes it easier to include smaller pieces of paper, like coupons! I'm pretty pleased.
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
|
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
That's how it STARTED. I used it for a month or so and then the system I was waiting for came out with their punch so I could customize my own pages to fit into a disk system. I LOVE IT!!
The thing I probably love the best is that my personal planner now fits in this:
 |
| From Instant Upload |
Here's what the cover of the actual notebook looks like:
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
 |
| From Instant Upload |
It's a ton of pictures, but I really love my new personal planner and disk binding system! All of the pages are easily rearrangable, without having to open up the rings and risk losing all of the sheets. I have done that on more than one occasion! Also, the disk spacing makes it easier to include smaller pieces of paper, like coupons! I'm pretty pleased.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)