Seven Day Forecast

Looks like Thursday will be our warmest day, but also looks like it will be a rainy/overcast day…Good day to stay indoors and catch up on my laundry and all caught up on my Project 366 {will post pictures soon of completed pages}

Finally…I can start my Project Life 366

Yeah…I was so EXCITED when the big brown UPS truck showed up today with my Amazon.com package. I had placed an order for the Becky Higgins Project Life Clementine Edition Core kit. I have been documenting each day so far this year so I could get started with my album as soon as my package arrived

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Life-Core-Kit-Clementine/dp/B005JZAH1I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326314688&sr=8-1

I opened it right away and the kit is even more beautiful in person…okay now I’m off to start creating & documenting.

Beauty Closeout Deals

On 1/4/12 I did my normal grocery shopping at Martin’s but also I had got some info on one of my couponing blogs I follow about Closeout Beauty items at Martin’s and it just so happens that the Sunday before that on the 1st the new P&G coupon insert came out in the paper that was loaded with coupons for the items in the closeout.

This is the breakdown:

• {2} Pantene Anti Frizz Straightening cream…reg. price $5.99 each
• {1} Pantene Beautiful Lengths Anti Frizz Shampoo…reg. price $5.29
• {1} Pantene Beautiful Lengths Anti Frizz Conditioner…reg price $5.29
• {2} Pantene Beautiful Lengths Breakage Defense Shampoo…reg. price $5.29 each
• {1} L’oreal Vive Pro smoothing gloss…reg. price $4.55
• {2} L’oreal Vive Pro Glossy Curls Mousse…reg. price $4.49 each
• {1} L’oreal Vive Pro Glossy style volume Mousse…reg. price $4.49
• {2} L’oreal Vive Smooth Gloss Conditioners…reg. price $4.49 each
• {4} L’oreal Studio Line Mousse…reg. price $4.99 each
• {4} L’oreal Color Juice lipgloss…reg. price $7.65 each
• {3} Herbal Essences Shampoo…reg. price $2.99 each

Total price of all items at regular price $115.18

after closeout 50% discount discounted at register $57.80

Total in coupons -$32.00

TOTAL PAID FOR ALL ITEMS BEAUTY CLOSEOUT ITEMS $25.80

NOW THAT’S A BARGAIN…ESPECIALLY WITH A TEENAGE DAUGHTER!!

Mail in Rebate

I am so happy to finally have received my mail in rebate check back from my Brita water Pitcher…I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to arrive. {Mailed rebate on 10/5/11}  I purchased this back in early October 2011 when I started couponing and taking advantage of all the mail in rebate offers that are out there.  At that time there was a deal to purchase a Brita Pitcher that was on sale at Walgreens with a $5.00 off coupon {printed online} and Mail in Rebate offer.

• purchased one of the cheaper ones at Walgreens (5 cups) for under $10.00
• used $5.00 off coupon
• Paid less than $5.00
• Got back $10.00 mail in rebate

 

 

Things you just can’t throw away!!

In cleaning and organizing the “Hall Closet” I went through all of Madison’s Arts & Crafts supplies and came across all of her old coloring books, in wanting to make more room and get rid of clutter that we just really don’t need anymore I was wanting to throw some of them away. But before I could put them in the trash pile I had to flip through each one of them and see if there was any pictures that she had colored that I wanted to rip out and put in the keep it pile.

I came across this one and just started laughing so hard until my side hurt…how cute is this…I can’t possibly throw this away her reflection drawing is PRICELESS!!!

{my only regret is…I wish I had known her age when she did this picture}

I caught the Couponing Bug…but not too extreme!!

I have started a new madness monster…

September 2011 I started couponing!! I have always used coupons here and there over the years but never knew that I could have one more title “a couponer” as it turns out it’s more like a part time job. There is a whole madness to it!! I am no expert but let’s just say since Sept 2011 ’til now I have saved our family quite a bit of money on things that we use on a daily basis and have been able to start a mini stock pile for those things you just don’t want to run out of.
I know LOTS of people have now seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC but I am NO where close to being able to do it to that extreme…which is really impossible to do!

What I have learned about couponing in such a short time…

• The main thing is to KNOW YOUR PRICES at the stores you shop
• you will have to shop the on going deals (which means you may have to go to several stores in a week instead of shopping everything at one store in the same trip)
• KNOW each stores coupon policy and check it regularly they do tend to change from time to time.
• clip only the coupons you would use
• don’t be brand specific (try different brands you never know you might like it although…certain things may not qualify for this.
• use coupon blogs that have already done the homework for you to find the local and latest deals.
• keep up with the online coupon sites such as www.coupons.com {the early bird gets the worm on the new coupons}
• Organize your coupons (3 ring binder method works for me)
• Expired coupons can be sent overseas to military families, they don’t have access to coupons like we do in the states and they are able to use them at the commissary for up to 6 months after they expire. So be kind and recycle your expired and unused coupons
• DO NOT feel like you have to use every coupon before it expires you will spend lots more money if you do that…and the key here is to save money. You will not be able to get EVERY deal!!!
• Only need to have a stock pile for a good month at a time because the same coupons usually come back around in the next 4-6 weeks. No need to do a crazy stock up for 6 months like who really can use 100 bottles of body wash at ONE time!!!
• START SMALL…don’t try to do a major transaction at first no need to stress yourself out!!
• Get at least 3 Sunday papers so you will maximize your savings…ask neighbors or relatives if they use coupons from their papers you can always ask them for the coupon inserts the more coupons you can get without having to pay for them the better.

Now to share some of my first deals that got me hooked right away!!!

CVS Transaction 

#1 soft soap foam pump 2/$6 
used 2 $1/1 coupons
 Total $4.00
 got $4.00 CVS Extra Care Bucks

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#2 Jack Links Jerky 2/$7.00 

bought 3 @$3.50 each =$10.50
Carmex $3.29 (with a $2.99 mail in rebate offer) used .50 coupon
Redeemed my $4.00 CVS bucks from Transaction #1
Total $6.56 after mail in rebate

 

Rite Aid Transaction

 

#1 Irish Spring & Soft Soap body wash sale 2.99 each

 

used 2/$1 coupons

 

Total = $3.98 (plus tax

 

got $4.00 up rewards

 

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#2 Tide HE (48 loads) $8.97

 

used .50 coupon and redeemed $4.00 up rewards

 

Total $4.47

 

 

 

 

 

 

Target Transaction

 

Scrubbing Bubbles

 

reg. price $3.99 each

 

bought 2 = $7.98

 

used B1G1 manuf. coupon -$3.99

 

combined with store coupon for $1.00 off

 

so that brought my total down to $2.99

 

used my target debit (extra 5% off) -.15

 

Total paid $3.23 (plus tax)

 

YEAH!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Please don’t have a heart attack I blogged…it’s really me!!! 

Hello there Blogging world…I have missed you oh so much!! I tried to get caught back up and back to blogging in May 2011, but it just DID NOT happen  

Life just got TOO busy. But it’s a NEW Year and I have a list of resolutions and yep you guessed it Blogging is on my list. I will try to do a short recap of 2011 in an upcoming post, but if I dwell on trying to catch up too much I will not do very good at what is current now and then be more behind than ever. 

My Resolutions for 2012

• Start my daily 365 {366 Leap year}
• Get back to blogging
• Get back to scrapbooking
• Check my Google Reader regularly
• Coupon more efficiently
• Take more pictures
• Stay organized!!!

As you can see by my list I am not asking for too much of myself now am I?