Seven Mondays and Counting

Now is a good time to be thinking about Christmas lights, especially if you decorate with lights outside like we do.

I didn't use many lights outside in years past because of the way that Christmas lights really hit the electric bill. But today, ahhh today we are blessed with LED lights and these babies are energy efficient!!!

Last year I did a post on the efficiency of these lights and how wonderful they were. Click here to read that post.

LED's can be expensive, but thanks to Home Depot and the promotion they are running between now through November 15th, LED's are very affordable.

If you bring in a string of your old Christmas lights, Home Depot will give you a coupon worth $3 off the purchase of LED's!! To make this an even better deal, through the promotional period, they have their LED's for $5.97 each, minus the $3 coupon means you can get these lights for $2.97!!! AND if that isn't enough, you can do this 5 times!!!!

(As with any promotional, check your area's Home Depot to make sure they are participating in this!)

I believe the light they give off is much prettier than the traditional lights and they don't get hot to the touch!!!

So, grab 5 sets of your old lights and $15 (or so) and head over to Home Depot! Your wallet will be glad you did!

Eleven Mondays and Counting

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....eeevvvverywhere you go!..." Well, maybe not everywhere you go, but there is no denying that the stores have the decorations out and the enticing begins.

The commercials begin telling our children of all the things they just can't live without. The magazines tell us that this is the best way to decorate our homes so we and everyone who enters can be in the Christmas spirit. Everywhere you turn, you begin to feel more and more like you're not a good parent/spouse/neighbor/friend...if you don't buy this and do that.

Well, let me dispel that myth!!!

We all realize that, sadly, Christmas has become so commercialized you can hardly tell why we celebrate in the first place. Except for a manger scene here and there, Jesus is consistently left out of the picture.

No one loves the Christmas season more than I do. It is truly the one time a year, when the total child comes out in me and I walk around with huge eyes trying to drink everything in.

Ahh...but.....

I can also find myself falling into the commercial pit that has been dug for us.

So, for the next Mondays leading up to Christmas, 11 to be exact, I'll be sharing some things that I do to help kill the pressure and the busyness that seems to take over at this time of year.
I'll share ideas for gift giving that won't break your budget, how to decorate on the cheap, and steps to take to make sure that you're not running around on Christmas Eve all wild-eyed and foaming at the mouth trying to get every last minute thing done.

~~There are a couple of things I do throughout the year to help our Christmas budget. Now, if you haven't sat down with Jesus and your hubby and set a budget for Christmas yet, then that is the number one thing on your to-do list.

It is so easy to buy this and that for so and so and before you know it, you've spent hundreds if not thousands that you had no intention of spending.

Our bank offers a Christmas Club. This is just a savings account in which they transfer so much from our checking account each pay period into this account. You can put as little as $5 a week into this account or as much as you choose. The first week in November, the bank sends us a check for the amount and we can finish up our Christmas shopping. This really works for our family because we don't miss what we don't have and it truly is a great comfort to know that check is coming in November!!

~~I say we use this and finish our Christmas shopping because I also shop all year for those Christmas gifts.

We give gifts to each other of course...me, DH, DD and DS. We also give gifts to:
My Mom and Dad
DH's Mom and Stepdad
My Sister
DH's Sister
3 Married siblings
7 nieces and nephews
SS teachers, piano teacher...
and like everyone else, we have those last minute gifts that always seem to pop up.

Right after Christmas, I make a list, broke down into families, of who we buy for, then I begin the hunt. All year I'm looking at clearance racks and shelves, yard sales, thrift stores you name it. I try very hard to give gifts that match the personalities of the ones we are giving to.

For the 3 couples, we give couples gifts. I've thought about doing family gifts, but for now, all of my nieces and nephew are quite young and they still love the thrill of opening a gift of their very own...and honestly....who doesn't??!

I also look at thrift stores and yard sales for canning jars in good condition. These can often be found for 30¢ or less. I use these to do Gifts in a Jar. These are great couples, teacher, or last minute gifts. In the weeks to come, I'll be sharing some of our favorite ways to make this gift.

~~It's also time to begin Christmas cards. I still love to give and receive Christmas cards....the old fashioned way....through the postal service.

I love to open the mailbox and see the stacks of card in there from friends we've made over the years and family that lives too far away to spend Christmas with. It gives me a wonderful warm fuzzy to sit in front of the fire with my hot cocoa and open each card and read the verse inside and more importantly the personal note that was added.

You can usually buy Christmas cards for 50-75¢ a box after Christmas but even now, the Dollar Tree has a great selection.

Decide who you want to send cards to, buy your cards and stamps and start now addressing those cards. Just doing two or three a day will have you ready to mail those by the day after Thanksgiving!! The hardest part about this is deciding who not to send a card to. After all, you are trying to stay in budget so ask yourself if it's necessary to send a card to the nurse who was in the delivery room 23 years ago when you delivered your first baby. If you've stayed somewhat in touch over the years, maybe the answer is yes, but if you find yourself wondering if you even have the right address............

Hopefully this encourages you to get started on your way to having a calm, peaceful, true to the Reason, Christmas season!!

Beginnning The Day

Today is going to be a busy day.

It's my bi-monthly shopping day.

Got my list ready. Stores to visit with the best deals.

Got my coupons ready. 50¢ here, $1.00 there. Save money, save money, save money.

Mmmmm. Just me and DD today, maybe we'll go out to eat....check coupons. Yep. Got several. Now to choose.

Grab my reusable bags. Can't stand the thought of bringing home more of those plastic bags than I need to. (Of course, I need a few for trash bags in the bathrooms).

Make the bed, straighten the bathroom. Fill the cat food bowl.

Comfy jeans, favorite t-shirt...stick my head out the door to check the temp....oh yeah....flip flops today!!

Yikes!!! Look at those toe nails!!! Quick swipe of some polish...not great, but no one's going to be close enough to my feet to notice..

Gather everything up...got my phone??? Yep. (Whatever did we do before cell phones????) Ooops, about forgot my Skillet cd..

Out the door. Let's go shopping!! Woo Hoo!!

I love a bargain, the thrill of the hunt, the trophy of a dollar saved.

Headin' down the highway...."Watch out!! Are you blind!!??" People really need to pay more attention.

Stopped at the red light that turned green at least three minutes ago. "Hellloooo...waitin' on a different shade of green up there??"

Tummy's rumbling..how about that lunch that we've planned for???

"Are you kidding me??? Out of white meat unless I want to wait 10 minutes??? No, never mind, just give me a thigh." People really ought to be able to do their job correctly if they're going to work with the public.

Hours later....oh my feet hurt and if one more 8 year old rams into me.......Stand in line, hurry up and wait, I'm so ready to go home.

"I'll have to check if I can take internet coupons."

"For real?? Seeing as I have a letter from your corporate office in my wallet stating what's acceptable, is that really necessary?"

Wait, wait, wait.....can't people see I have a lot to do????

Finally, back in the car, look at the gas gauge. Probably should fill up since gas appears to be a little cheaper today. Save money, save money, save money.

"Look at those lines at the pump!!!! Is this the only station in town???"

Wait, wait wait. Put on that plastic smile, make everybody think I've got it all together.

But there's Someone I'm not foolin'.

There is Someone Who I've yet to even say good morning to.

He's tried plenty of times to get my attention today, but I've been about my duties to be a good steward of the monies we've been blessed with.

After all, isn't gathering my coupons and mapping my route so I can save money a wise thing to do??

Isn't gathering those reusable bags to help save the earth a wise thing to do??

Splurging to go out to eat??? Not godly perhaps, but I did use a coupon..so wiser.

Clean house = happy hubby.......Full bowl = happy cat.

Nice toenails?? Well, okay..maybe not so important in the Heavenly realm...

Skillet? Hey!! They're singing about my Jesus!! Can't fuss there!

Folks cutting me off in traffic---shouldn't I have prayed and asked God to keep them safe and to help them through whatever is weighing them down and causing them to be distracted?

Waiting on white meat--shouldn't I have lifted the new employee up in prayer?? What I didn't know is that she had to come to work today and leave a very sick baby at home because hubby got laid off.....they need the money, she's carrying a heavy load.

Why get angry at that cashier about those internet coupons...she was told in a meeting this morning that no matter who let one more counterfeit coupon go through they would be fired.

Griping at the lines at the pump?? Aren't I in line at those same pumps???...for the same reason as everyone else???

Oh my.....why have I been so out of sorts today? "God, where have you been??"

"......waiting on you. All day I've tried to get your attention and you've ran about doing your own thing. Oh.. the blessings you've missed out on today, because you didn't begin your day with Me and see what I had planned. The lives you weren't able to change because you had your own agenda. You've been so blind, so deaf to those around you..thinking you were doing My work, even though you hadn't even given Me any time to share with you what this day held in store for you."

"I'm so sorry...what can I do??"

".....Don't worry about those you missed today. I had other vessels that were ready to be used. What can you do??? Don't rush into your day without checking in with Me. I know the plans I have for you and you will be filled with joy unspeakable as long as your treasures are stored in Heaven. I love you and the greatest thing you can do for me, is love me in return."

Let me ask, is Jesus waiting on you??

Try It Tuesday!!

This Try It Tuesday!! is a place that I know I'm actually going to be regrouping and starting over in...and I'm willing to bet that most of you are the same way.

This Try It Tuesday!! is going to find us revisiting our shopping habits.

How well to we bargain shop?

Are we clipping coupons and using them to their full potential on things we actually use?

Are we making menus and planning in advance for the unexpected so that we aren't grabbing take out?

As with many things in my life, I usually get off to a good start, then find myself..for whatever reason...just...not. I'm not sure if I lose interest~although I wonder why someone would lose interest when it comes to saving money and being a better steward of what God has blessed you with~

You know those lists of good starts:

Keeping my house clean and welcoming at all times.

Saving money.

Staying calm.

Being committed to a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

Keeping an unwavering quiet time with my Father.

We could go on and on, but the point is...I have to train myself to be committed to these things.

In the months past, I've been able to save several dollars ($25-$45) with coupons. I also do a lot of price matching. Wal Mart Supercenters price match local competitors ads. I do this because it keeps me from running all over town to get the best deal. (Wal Mart does have a certain criteria they follow in order to do a price match. Check with your local Wal Mart to see what it is in your area)

Anyway, in the last couple of months, I've allowed so much "stuff" to get in my way that I haven't done any coupon clipping and very little price matching.

Now, this makes no sense seeing how DH's hours have been reduced and we need those savings more than ever.

So..with today's Try It!! challenge, here I go again. Friday is my day to buy groceries and I'm going to start today reorganizing my coupons and as those ads in the paper comes out, writing down those deals on my grocery list and get busy price matching.

Let me encourage you to take the time this week to do some financial searching and see where you can improve your family's financial situation. Once you see where the improvements need to be, make a plan and stick to it!!

I'm very anxious to hear from you about the changes that you are going to be making in your budgets and spending!

25¢ Pizza!!

We love pizza in our house, but we seldom go out for pizza. It's just a lot cheaper to make pizza from scratch.

BUT....if you could get a large, one-topping pizza for 25¢...THAT would be a deal for anybody's wallet!!!

So click here and register with Papa John's. If the opening kick off of the BIG GAME is returned for a touchdown, everyone who pre-registered will get a large, one-topping pizza for 25¢!!!

Yummm!!!!

Blessings.....

My Shopping Trip Results

I just wanted to share how I did on my shopping this week.

We weren't out of everything, but we were almost out of meats. So, of course, a good portion of that spending was on meats.

I started with $240.

My first stop, as usual, was at our Bent-n-dent. This actually wasn't a good week there to rack up on some bargains. I picked up 10 more cans of tomatoes at 39¢ a can, peanut butter at $1.39, milk at $2.98 a gallon (I bought 3 gallons) and a few other odds and ends. I spent $27.94 and saved $4.80.

I spent $1.59 at Dollar General for some liquid potpourri (remember that's my weakness......), $18.36 at the Dollar Tree. I bought mainly cleaners, anniversary cards (I still send cards snail mail and noticed I was out of anniversary cards..), toiletries, a few items for an upcoming baby shower and chocolate frosting.

From there I went to Winn Dixie where I spent $10.80 on pop. Yes, we drink pop. Yes, we like pop. Yes, we could save money if we didn't buy pop, but I haven't made it to that place yet. I did buy our pop on sale and saved $4.45 though!! :o)

A trip to Wal Mart for those things we just can't live without...really... I picked up some of the much needed meats as well and spent $94.45. I didn't use many coupons this week (remember, if you don't need what you have a coupon for, then you're not really saving) so I only saved $1.25 with coupons. I priced matched leg quarters, saving $2 a bag (I bought 3 bags). Fresh tomatoes were on sale, 50¢ saved there. Total savings at Wal Mart, $7.75.

A trip to Sav A Lot where I spent $48.03 and finally a quick stop at Food World for potatoes. They were on sale for $1.49 a 5# bag. I bought 2 bags and a few other items on sale. Spent $7.52, saved $7.00.

Total spending: $208.69!! Total saving: $24.00!!

I was so thrilled at not having spent the whole $240. That means if meats are on sale this week I can purchase them. If not, I can apply that to the next grocery shopping day or put it in savings!

I seem to be doing better at staying under budget, but I'd love to see my 2 week spending be under $200. Once I achieve that, I'd like to try to get to $175. Of course, that's going to take a lot of planning and no lying back down in the mornings (see earlier post) so that I can cook more from scratch and redeem the time God has given me in a way that will please Him.

How about you? Do you have a grocery budget? How are you doing on your spending? I'd love to hear what you do to make those hard earned dollars go farther.

Blessings......

Do You Thrift Store??

I just wanted to give a plug for checking out your local thrift stores.

Now..I know that everyone already knows this. I know that everyone already shops thrift stores and yard sales and everyone loves hand-me-downs!!...I'm serious here....

Let me give you an example of savings just by looking at the thrift store first...

Earlier this week, DS started a new job at Zaxby's. They provided him with a Zaxby's shirt and hat. He had the shoes, he had the socks, he had the pants...or so we thought. Turns out that every restaurant in our area uses black pants except....you guessed it....Zaxby's.

The day he turns in his work permit, they told him to be back at 10:15 ready to go to work. It's a little after 9 at this point and so driving home only to turn around and come back was a total waste of gas. I decided to take DS out for some breakfast..kind of a celebration of sorts (and we were really hungry!!). As we were headed to eat, DS told me, "Mom, I've got to have khaki pants. Not black." What!!....So, nothing to do but head to Wal Mart for some new khaki pants.

Why not the thrift store?? Because there was no way to get them washed and dried and him back to work in less than an hour and my policy is to wash everything (sometimes even brand new) before wearing..

At Wal Mart we find khaki's at the wonderful price of $16.95. Hmph.....I'm not too happy, but what do you do?? So I spend the little over $17 and take DS to work.

Today finds DS and DD at work and DH at the church with the men just taking care of those things that need taken care of. I decide to do some Mom time which consisted of a trip to the bank, filling up the car with gas (at this point DS and I are sharing a car until he can save up his half for one...very frustrating for this mom who likes to have her car available..but that's for another day....), a stop at Sonic cause I LOVE their $1 chicken sandwiches and a trip to the thrift store.

At the thrift store I pick up a couple of kids Bible storybooks to give away and then I head over to check out the bedspreads, curtains and finally men's pants.

Yes, I'm specifically looking for khaki pants for DS, because they are going to give him another Zaxby's shirt which thrills me because I don't like trying to make up a load of laundry every day. Seems like a waste of water and electricity to me....

I find at least 7 or 8 pair of pants, each for under $4!!! I settle on 2 pair (because I'm not sure how they'll fit) and each pair was only $1.98!!! For less than $5 I got 2 pair of pants. 2 pair of khaki's at Wal Mart....$33.90 before tax. 2 pair of khaki's at the thrift store...$3.96 before tax. A savings of....$29.94!!!!

A no brainer for this gal!!

So...check out that thrift store, or Salvation Army, or Goodwill, or whatever it's called in your area. You may have to try a few times to find what you need, but the hunt is fun and the savings is worth it!!

Blessings......

My Shopping Trip Update.....finally....

My shopping trip went well Friday, although I'm sure as I write this and review, it could have went better. This is good for keeping me accountable and hopefully reaching my own goals of being a better shopper and saver.

I had $250 for two weeks. When I shop, I shop for everything. Birthday presents, household items, cleaners, paper products, groceries, etc..so my list is quite lengthy. I also shop every two weeks, only buying bread or meat sales in between.

As always, my first stop was the Trade Market (Bent-n-Dent). I bought 3 gallons of milk, saving $1.71 on those 3 gallons. I stocked back up on cans of diced tomatoes at 39¢ a can. I bought 10 cans and saved $2.60. Several other items gave me a savings of $2.45 for a total savings of $6.76. Even if I only save a few cents, I will go ahead and buy what I need there. There is truth in, 'A penny saved is a penny earned.' I spent $24.12

I made my way to the Dollar Tree where I purchased our body wash, shave cream, glass cleaner and some black socks for DS's new job (?)--(see earlier post) among other things spending $7.56

From there, Wal Mart. This is usually where I spend the bulk of our monies. I had quite a list which also included out of the ordinaries like: 2, $5 gift cards, socks for me and undies for DH. I also had to download my pics on a cd and I printed off a few as well. DD needed contact solution and she has to use a certain brand which isn't the cheapest! These items alone came to $28.90 before tax. Then I made other needed items that are of a normal sort. I'm not going to bore you with my entire shopping list, but it was quite lengthy. My subtotal before coupons was $128.92. I had coupons for many of the items and the total on the coupons was $12.47. My complete total after taxes was $115.16.

On to Dollar General where I spent $6.48 on trash bags, fabric softener and the store brand of Lysol.

My next stop was Save A Lot. I needed cans of veggies and cream soups. I also bought 4 pounds of ground turkey. A few other items gave me a grand total of $33.82.

My last stop was a local grocery store. I threw my receipt away, so I can't remember every item I bought. I do remember I bought some ice cream, green beans and some other items spending $18.28.

We went out on Saturday and I picked up some things on sale at Target and spent $9.35. I had $1 in coupons.

Add in the 52¢ I spent at CVS. Here, I saved in coupons and ECB's.

My spending total so far was $215.29.

My savings total was $27.73.

I still have a little more than $34 for the bread or the meat sales that may happen over the next 2 weeks.

I'm pleased with how this turned out, but I believe I can make better use of my coupons.

We'll continue this journey and I hope you'll share how your shopping and saving is coming along.

Blessings.....

CVS, Part 3 and My Last CVS Trip

For part 3 of learning how to shop at CVS, head on over to Centsible Savings.

I truly hope you have found this to be helpful and I'd love to hear if you gave it a try and how well you did.

To be honest, I had whittled my bucks down to only $3 and I didn't earn any this week with my purchases, so in some eyes, I may have failed, but like I shared before, I'm not going to buy something, simply to earn an ECB. I've got to need it in order for it to be profitable to me.

My CVS experience last week was as follows:

1, 6.5 oz Aquafresh toothpaste, $2.50
1, Palmolive 10 oz dish soap, 97¢
1, Waterproof Mascara, $2.99
2, Rolls CVS paper towels, 99¢ & 49¢

I used a $2 coupon on the toothpaste, 50¢ coupon on the dish soap. These were manufacturer coupons.
I used a $2 CVS coupon on the mascara and the paper towels were buy one get one half off.
I had $3 in ECB's.

Grand total, plus tax: 52¢!!

No, except for the paper towels, I didn't need these things at the moment of purchase.

Yes, they will most definitely get used and they will not spoil.

Too good of a deal to turn away.

Later today I will try to get the post out on the rest of my shopping trip.

Together we can help each other become more aware of what we're spending and how to get the most with that money.

Blessings..........

She Can't Possibly Still Be Talking About Christmas!!

I promise...someday I will get on a subject other than Christmas...I really will...well, I'll do the best I can anyway.

See, I have been "there" so many times. "There" being stressed, over-budget, clueless. I don't like being "there" and I don't want you to be "there" either.

Anyway...today DH and I made a quick trip into town for last minute items needed for a birthday party tomorrow. Remember DS turned 16 about 2 weeks ago? Well, DD will turn 18 in 2 weeks and they decided that for the first time in years, they wanted a birthday party...and..for the first time ever..they want to have it together!! This is great!! I think....It's a combined birthday party complete with folks from many generations. Teen friends to grandparents. I'll let you know how it goes!

Anyway..I promise I'm getting to the point of this post...while DH and I were in Wal Mart, we were busy checking out the clearance isles. I got bows, 40 in a pack for 25¢. Loved it! BUT the best deal was.....I can't tell you. Well, I can't tell you exactly what I bought..BUT..I can tell you that I bought couples gifts for our brothers and sisters..5 gifts in all..and spent.......$10.80..tax included!!!! I fairly shouted in the middle of the store!

Please, please, please, now is a great time to check out clearance items and you may need to do it soon. I noticed today while we were in the Dollar Tree, that they still had items at 50% off, but were taking inventory of them and boxing them up for next Christmas.

It really does pay to look in those clearance aisles.

Got to go bake a cake!!

Blessings........

Begin Next Year's Christmas Shopping Now

I realize it is New Year's Eve and here I am still talking about Christmas. This time though, the topic is going to cover gifts for the family that you can make or where a little can go a long way.

I'm choosing to talk about this early because let's face it, Christmas gift buying can really put a strain on our finances. We did well this year, staying within budget and looking for those bargains, but I believe we can do better. Especially since this year we'd love to see at least one of our credit cards paid off and the next one paid way down.

Since we've already exchanged gifts with both sides of our family, I can share what I chose to do for our brothers and sisters and their spouses this year.

I spent the year putting together a family cookbook!

I anticipated that it would take me several months to get recipes collected, so I started early. I contacted all of the female..and some of the male..family members and asked each of them for their favorite family recipes. I asked that I get at least 4 or 5 recipes from each person and that they would be a mixture of main meals, side dishes and desserts.

As I would get them, I would type them up and print them out on some colored paper. I would then put the recipes in page protectors and into a 3 ring binder. I also printed up a cover page for the front of the binder.

As the year went along, it was great for me to read over these recipes and think about our families and how they fix these very same meals for their own families.
Looking at the ones my mother and mother-in-law gave me, it brought back a lot of memories of meals and laughter shared at their homes. It was definitely a warm-fuzzy time.

I watched as everyone opened their cookbooks and I caught the same look in their eyes as I'd had in my own. Just remembering those dishes we've all shared together over the years.

You could personalize it even more with pictures of the cooks and their recipes, or maybe jotting down some memory that a certain dish brought back to you.

All in all I printed out 10 cookbooks. I bought my printer paper at the dollar store as well as my page protectors. The 3 ring binders came from Wal Mart and whenever I needed ink, I waited for a sale at Walgreens and filled my cartridges for half price or free. Total cost for 10 cookbooks: $30. 7 cookbooks were given to extended family and I kept 3. 1 for me and 1 for each of my kids.

Other ideas that you can work on throughout the year:

1) Look at the thrift stores and yard sales for interesting jars. Clean them up and fill them with the recipient's favorite candy. Cost shouldn't be more than $3 depending on the candy.

2) Again looking for interesting jars...fill them with the ingredients for "Cookies in a Jar" These gifts are a big hit and sure to be used. Cost shouldn't be more than $2.

3) Have a gardener in the family? Look at the dollar stores at the end of summer and you can find those tiny hand rakes and trowels for $1 each...I've even seen them at 50¢. Add a few packs of seeds and a pot and you've spent around $3-$4.

4) A movie buff? Again...the dollar stores are notorious for having old movies for $1-$3. Add a pack of microwave popcorn and for $3 or less..your set!

My biggest piece of advice is to start now. Plan early. Shop ahead. When we wait till the last minute, we tend to overspend because we're just grabbing whatever is on the shelf in order to get someone something. Who needs the added stress on themselves and their budgets??

Every time you go shopping, take a little notebook with you and look for those gifts. When you find one, write in your notebook who it's for and what it is. You'll be amazed at how freeing it is to not be scrambling at the last minute!

As a side note....Wal Mart has their Christmas ornaments at 50-75% off right now. These are great gifts for a teacher, mail person or a last minute gift that comes up...and at my house...that is a very normal occurrence!!

I bought 4 yesterday and will check again when I go back to the store. The Dollar Tree has all of their Christmas merchandise at 50% off..which means you are only spending 50¢ per item. I bought stuffed animals for Operation Christmas Child boxes for next year and also got some pillar candles (because that is one of my true weaknesses).

Leave no stone unturned. Remember this is your budget. Make it work for you.

Blessings.....

Wait!!

I hope all of you are having a very Merry Christmas and truly enjoying the holiday with those you love.

I have some funny stories to share with you about our Christmas in the coming days!

I know I said I probably wouldn't post today, but something just "hit" me that I want to share with you before tomorrow.

If you are one of those people who hit the day after Christmas sales then I'm asking you to reconsider. Here's why...

Yes, there will be a huge variety of things marked down tomorrow. Yes, you will save a lot of money. You will have a lot to choose from at a very reduced price. BUT....if you will wait about a week, items will be marked down even more. I usually get things like wrapping paper, bows and Christmas cards at literally 90% off!!!! It's true you may not have as much to choose from, but the savings are so much greater that it is truly worth the wait!!

Have a wonderfully, blessed Christmas day!!!!!

Blessings.....

Shopping Savings

A few weeks back, I wrote a post on saving by going to the Bent-n-Dent. (Look at post "here") Since I did my shopping trip yesterday, I decided to show how that works to make for great savings.

I'm going to list what I bought. These are items that had to be bought regardless. The first column will show what I would have had to pay at the cheapest price I could find, (Wal Mart, Sav A Lot, etc.). The second column will show what I paid at the Bent-n-Dent.

Milk (3 gallon--------------$3.19 x's 3-------$1.98 x's 3
Honey Nut O's (2 bags)--$2.78 x's 2-------$1.00 x's 2
1½ dz eggs----------------$2.28--------------$1.59
Tomatoes, 14.5 oz (8)------.59 x's 8-----------.39 x's 8
Green Beans, 14.5 oz (3)---.49 x's 3-----------.39 x's 3
*Ranch Dressing, 16 oz--$1.19------------------.99
Potatoes, 10 pounds-----$4.79----------------$1.99
_____________________________________________
-----------------------------$29.58---------------$16.80

* Normally I buy store brand dressing which is $1.19 for 16 oz. This was actually Kraft brand which would run $2.24 at Wal Mart.

The savings: $12.78!

I also saved $16.25 in coupons.

$17.11 at Walgreens and got a $5 coupon off my next purchase

$ 2.99 at CVS. I had $3 in ECB's that were about to expire so I bought a tube of toothpaste for $2.99 and a caramel candy (because CVS can't owe you money) and got $2 in ECB's back**

Total savings $49.13 with $5 in Walgreens RR and $2 in ECB's

DH and I sat down and found that we really needed to revamp our budget. I have to admit I wasn't entirely happy about that, but given the current situation with the economy, we want to be on the side of caution.

My entire spending for 2 weeks for basically 4 adults was $214.14. That included household items, dog food and meat (we had almost emptied the freezer!!) and those extras for Christmas dinner. It was a bit of a challenge for me, but I honestly prayed before we left and God opened doors of savings that I didn't even expect!!

Hope this helps you to understand why I value having a Bent-n-Dent so close.

Check out your area and see if you have access to one of these awesome places!!

** To learn how to make CVS work for you, check out Money Saving Mom. Look in the right column and click on the CVS 101 and Walgreens 101 labels.

Blessings.....

Christmas Planning

I've spent this week wrapping gifts for my extended family--nieces, nephews, in-laws--and I have had most of this bought since early this year.

Since some of my family members actually read my blog, I can't post what these gifts are...but I can share the amount of savings.

I start buying gifts for Christmas next as soon as Christmas now is over. Yes, this does mean that I have to have a place to store them for a year, but the savings is well worth the small amount of space that I have to give up.

I've shared before that I buy for 7 nieces and nephews as well as parents and brothers and sisters (we do couples gifts for our brothers and sisters and their spouses) in our extended family.

I still need to purchase something for my dad...he's the man that has everything and needs nothing, has no hobbies, can't think of a thing he needs or would like to have..you get the picture..

Anyway, to date, like I said I have all gifts bought except my dad's and I've spent $63 on18 people. Not too bad. Now, I've been buying all year, hitting sales and clearance shelves. If I had paid full price, I would have spent $111.90--a savings of $48.90! I'm pretty tickled with that!

I have a notebook, complete with Christmas scene on the cover, that I keep especially for Christmas purposes. I take this with me when I go shopping throughout the year. When I buy a gift for someone, I write the person's name in the notebook and what the gift is. That way I don't end up with 3 gifts for the same person. (Anyone who knows me, knows that this would happen!) When it is time to wrap, I just bring out the gifts and the notebook to remind me who gets what, and I'm in business!

I would also encourage anyone who can to begin a Christmas club at their bank. DH gets paid every 2 weeks and we have $15 taken out of our checking account and put into this Christmas club. We never miss the money (you don't miss what you've never had). The first week in November the bank sends me a check for around $400! Usually we use this to purchase for the kids and ourselves and maybe anyone that we just couldn't find something for throughout the year...Dad....

If you're fortunate enough to have everything bought before that check arrives--that never happens here--then just deposit it in your savings account or pay it toward some debt you may have. It's a win-win situation.

I'm all about trying to eliminate stress and especially around Christmas. A little pre-planning and time throughout the year really helps with that.

Blessings....

One Single Minute

Wow! I've been out of the loop for the most part over the Thanksgiving holidays and I'm glad to be back!

When dear hubby is at home, I try to devote my time to him.

So...I try not to stand on too many soap boxes. I've found that for some reason, not many people agree with my way of thinking and that's okay. But....

The title of my blog, "One Single Minute". Things can forever change in one single minute.

In Saturday morning's paper, I read an article about a 30 year old man in the Manhattan area, that was trampled to death.

He was an employee of Wal Mart and was the person designated to open the doors for the Black Friday shoppers. According to the article, there were 2000 people waiting, some since the day before, to get in Wal Mart and get those deals!

Apparently he opens the doors, the crowd pushes through, he is knocked to the ground, along with an 8 month pregnant lady, and is literally trampled to death..

I've got to tell you, when I read that, my heart broke. Even now, it is absolutely unbelievable to me how saving 5, 10, 50, 100 bucks is worth someone's life.

How can you be so focused on something that you don't realize that someone is literally being trampled under your feet??! Not to mention that one of those someone's is an 8 month pregnant woman!! Who by the way, was reported Sunday to be okay (baby too!).

How do you explain to this man's family that you're sorry this happened, but hey I saved $50? I don't understand it.

The article reported that when co-workers went into the crowd to try to help him, they too were injured in the stampede. It also reported that when it was announced the store needed to close for several hours because of the incident (murder...in my opinion) many shoppers got irate saying they'd been in line since the day before and intended to finish there shopping!! Hellllooooo.....you just contributed to the death of someone and you need to save a buck??????

I'm all about frugal. I'm all about saving. Part of the reason I write this blog is to share what I've learned over the years and pass it on so others can save too. I fully believe that God wants us to be good stewards of the monies He blesses us with. I love a deal. But at what cost? When have we crossed the line?

How important is it that we get a newer, bigger, better __________? What is wrong with what we already have if it's working?

The main reason I stopped going out on Black Friday was a fight. Years ago I went to our local Wal Mart in the city we lived in at the time. I was there for certain toys and the toy department was across from electronics. I watched 2 women...full grown, older than me women, actually fist fight over a computer!! A computer!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The savings?? $75. A computer.

If your financial situation won't cover the cost of an item, if you have to be so aggressive and so mean to save a couple of bucks...then maybe you shouldn't even be out shopping at all. The police was called and these 2 women went to jail over $75. I haven't shopped a Black Friday since.

I ask you to pray for this young man's family and I ask you to pray for the people who trampled a man to death for a few dollars.

Blessings....

God and Cars

We don't owe for any of our vehicles. Each one is completely paid for and in good shape. Each one was a direct presentation from God about how faithful He truly is. Let me share...

I drive a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. Prior to that, I was driving a 1992 Plymouth Grand Voyager, and let me tell you, that thing was on it's last wheels. It had made many trips cross country simply because we bought it in Colorado and when you begin driving from Colorado to Alabama several times a year, those miles can really rack up. Anyway, Philip decided last year that he wanted to get me a car for Christmas. Gas prices were just beginning their uphill climb and it was already taking so much to fill the van up. We decided that we weren't going to go in debt for a vehicle and we only wanted to spend $3000. Now, I urge you to spend an afternoon trying to find a dependable, nice looking vehicle for $3000. Not as easy as it sounds.

It was a cold blustery day, even for Alabama, but we got ready and headed out. Car lot after car lot. As the day went on, we grew more and more frustrated. I can't tell you the strange looks we got from dealers when we told them that we only intended on spending $3000! You'd thought we'd asked them to give up their first born!

After getting in and out of the van at least 20 times, we'd about given up when I remembered a small little place just outside of town. We drove out there and this dealer only had a few cars and all looked way out of our price range. I was so disappointed-then Philip spotted "Ella" (that's what I named her after we bought her!). She looked perfect on the outside, not a scratch. I told Philip that after the day we'd had, I was sure that car was way over $3000. He insisted we ask anyway. I wouldn't get out of the van. I was so tired of getting excited over a car only to find out the dealer was hard of hearing. We'd ask for what they had at $3000 or less and they'd take us to every $6000 and above car they had~seriously..

In just a moment, Philip came back and told me to get out and look at the car. The dealer had just got it in and hadn't even had time to clean it up. He only wanted $3000 for it!! I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

I almost leaped out of that van and ran to Ella. She was dirty, but she was perfect! We took her on a test drive and she ran perfectly! I was thrilled!! Back at the dealer, we decided to see if he'd take the van as any part of a trade in. He told us the van was in pretty bad shape, and it was, but he would give us $500 for it. Again, we were thrilled!! Our out of pocket expense for Ella: $2500!! God had truly answered a prayer.

A year later, she still looks great and runs like a dream!

Philip drives a 1994 Suzuki Sidekick and it shares just as sweet a story. He was driving a 1984 Toyota 4 wheel drive pickup and this truck, while faithful to run, ran rough. It coughed and sputtered and wheezed like someone who'd been smoking 4 packs a day for 30 years!! Because he also has a motorcycle, he didn't really drive the truck that much anyway, so he just hadn't concerned himself with looking for something else.

About 6 months ago, unbeknownst to me, he began praying about a different vehicle for himself..only he didn't want to spend a dime. He wanted to trade "Rusty" even up. Now, believe me, in order for that to happen, it would truly take a miracle. Philip made a few phone calls on different vehicles but nothing ever came to pass. Then about 2 months ago, he noticed an ad in the paper for a Sidekick (just what he was looking for) for $1500. He called about it and began talking with the owner. By the end of the conversation, the owner decided that he wanted to look at Rusty..he might be willing to trade.

The next evening Philip drove to the guy's house in Rusty. I thought to myself as he left, "He's going to come back so disappointed." Oh me of little faith! When Philip got home, he was on top of the world, The guy loved Rusty (?!) and was willing to trade even!! Today~an even trade and a new set of tires later~Philip is driving Suzie. Another answered prayer.

Beth's car "Lurch", is, yet again, a product of the faithfulness of God. Philip and I decided way back that when the kids got old enough to get their first car, we would pay half of the purchase price. They had to pay the other half and have no debt.

About 2 months before she turned 16, our neighbors across the street put their 1994 Ford Taurus up for sale. Day after day it sat there with no one stopping by to look at it. The car was in great condition and our neighbors take very good care of their vehicles so we couldn't understand why it wasn't even being looked at. One day as we were turning in our driveway, Beth made the statement that the reason they hadn't sold that car was because it was her car. She was claiming it, God was saving it for her. I smiled inwardly because there was no way that car was still going to be sitting there when she finally got the money for her half.

A few days of persistent begging found Beth and her dad walking across the street to look at the car and ask the price. Great car, sounds good.. $2500...Beth was disappointed, but still determined that somehow, God would give her that car. She turned 16 and went to work. By April she was ready to buy a car. She had saved up $600, which meant that she could afford a $1200 car. Believe it or not, 6 months later that Ford Taurus was still sitting in our neighbor's yard!!

She and her daddy walked back across the street to talk to them again. Our neighbors were discouraged because that car had sat there for 6 months and only 3 people had stopped to look at it. Beth told them no one had bought it because it was her car! She asked what was the rock bottom price they would take for the car~hoping it would be $1200. They looked at her and told her that $1200 was as low as they could go! She fairly floated home in her Ford Taurus! God showed up and showed out again. Almost 2 years later, she's still driving Lurch. She's had to invest a little in him, but it's been minimal which is great for a teenager on a very limited budget!

Please realize that whatever is big to you, is big to God. He wants His children to be happy and He's eager to answer their prayers. His timing may be different than ours and His answer may be no or not now. Philip waited for months before God decided to bring him Suzie, but He was faithful. All we have to do is trust Him and be faithful to Him.

Blessings....

Glade Coupons!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that one of my biggest weaknesses is making my house smell good. I love air fresheners, those little oil thingys that plug in, candles.....love it! love it! love it! Whew!!

Anyway, go to www.rightathome.com This is Glade's website

Sign up to become a member and begin receiving their newsletters. I got my newsletter this week and got some great coupons!!

I got:

$1 off any Glade 4oz jar candle or 2in1 candle--these are normally $2 at Wal Mart and they last quite a while. A bargain at a buck!

Buy 2 get 1 free Glade scented oil candle refill packs--Right now these are also $2 for a pack of 3 candles at Wal Mart. While these candles only burn in their holder for about 3-4 hours, the smell is wonderful and the scent lasts quite a while. So, you are getting 9 candles for $4!

Buy 1 get 1 free Glade Plugins scented oil refill. These typically last about a month. They are $3 at Wal Mart, so you're getting 2 months of a good smelling house for $3!

(Remember that prices at your Wal Mart can vary from where I shop)

Blessings.....

Coupon Policies

About coupons...

As I've shared, in the last month I've saved around $75 just in coupons. Now, I'm not one to use a coupon just because I have it. I'm not brand loyal, store loyal or just plain loyal because that's the way "it's always been done".

Over the years (almost 25 now) I've tried the coupon thing many times and always came up a flop--giving up quickly because it wasn't worth the time and effort. Then last year, when God convicted me of my messy spending, I quite literally stumbled upon the website Money Saving Mom (http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ )--maybe some day I'll learn how to do that little linky thing and not have to type out the address--anyone willing to teach me???---This brilliant lady's name is Crystal and she showed me a whole new world and way of using my coupons. I'm still a student, but I think I've at least made it to a high school level now! You must, you must check out her site and learn how to use CVS and Walgreens. These stores have amazing programs that save you literally hundreds of dollars a year and she can teach you how. I'll share my CVS and Walgreens stories in later posts.

When you are using coupons, it is very important in this day and time to know each store's policy....and believe me they vary across the board. For example...in our area... Foodworld and Winn Dixie double coupons everyday. However, Foodworld doesn't accept internet coupons unless they are from Foodworld's website. Winn Dixie will accept them with a barcode(I don't think I've seen a coupon without barcodes!?). Fred's doubles their coupons on Saturday only and do not accept internet coupons. Dollar General accepts manufacturer and internet coupons.

Wal Mart....well, let me share a story...when I first started being serious about this coupon thing, I would cut out my coupons from the Sunday paper and print off the ones from the internet that were useful to me. The first time I did this, no problem. The second time I did this, I half expected the police to pull up at any minute and haul me to the pokey...seriously. The cashier and CSM got so ugly and hateful with me that it was quite embarrassing. Well, I hate confrontation so I let them have their way, took my internet coupons back home with me, spent way too much, tucked tail and slinked off. After 2 weeks, it was shopping day again and I gathered up all the courage I could muster and headed back to Wal Mart. This time it was the same scenario, only on steroids! This time the CSM went so far as to accuse me of photocopying my coupons even though I plainly showed her the numbers above the barcodes were different. I mean come on! I'm no techno-genius here, but even I know that if you photocopy something, it looks exactly the same as the original!! See, most sites will allow you to print at least 2 of each coupon. The main reason for that being that maybe something malfunctioned when you tried the first time, so I always print my allotment especially if it's something I use regularly or is on sale. By the time I left Wal Mart on this particular day though, I was irate!! I am not a thief or a liar and I....ummm...kind-of,sort-of let them know that. I didn't use potty mouth, but I'm pretty sure that my Jesus wasn't too proud of His daughter at that moment (yes, He and I have since cleared that mess up..).

Anyway, when I got back to my house, I sat right down at this old computer and got on Wal Marts website, clicked contact us and slammed out (no pecking here!) an e-mail to them letting them know what store, what location, how I was treated and by the way send me your coupon policy so I don't have to worry about going to jail when I try to save 50¢!! Within 48 hours I had received a phone call from the manager of our local Wal Mart, but we were at church so I missed it. On our answering machine though, he was apologizing profusely and wanting to talk with me. Nope. Not going to happen. Tried that, almost got kicked out of the store. Within 24 hours of that, I got an e-mail from corporate apologizing and listing in detail their coupon policy. I saved that on my computer and printed one out that now stays in my wallet. I'd like to tell you that I can now go to Wal Mart and no one questions my internet coupons..I can't..but, when they mention something about not being sure if they can take my internet coupons, I casually mention that inside my wallet is a letter from corporate telling me..."yes they can"!! Ahhh, sweet, sweet victory.....sorry....

Back to using coupons....most coupons in the Sunday paper have a life of 3 months, save Proctor and Gamble which issue new ones each month. So don't feel you have to use those coupons the week they come out. Watch your sales flyers and match those coupons up with the sales for the biggest savings. Ask friends, family and neighbors to save their coupons for you. You would be amazed at the people who just throw that money out...and for me..now...throwing out coupons is like setting fire to your paycheck.

There are so many ways to organize your coupons and I believe I've tried them all. I've tried the little wallet coupon organizers, I've tried cutting out my coupons and putting them in baseball card sleeves in a binder. I've tried separating them in envelopes but here is what I've decided works for me: I write the date on the outside of the coupon flyers so I know what week they came out and as I make out my grocery list I flip through these flyers, cutting out the coupons I am going to be using. I also get on the internet and print out the coupons I need and then I paper clip them to the sales flyer of the store I'm going to be using them in. For me, this works best. I can pretty well remember what coupons I've seen in the flyers so it's not a problem to find them. The only downside of this is that when I have to make a run to town for something and I see something on clearance or sale, I usually don't have my coupons with me to take advantage of the moment....still thinking how to make that work for me.

Some coupon sites you can use to print coupons are:
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.coolsavings.com/
http://www.coupons.com/

There are so many more out there and as I remember and come across them I'll share them with you. Until then..

Blessings.....

How I Shop--Part Two

This week my savings wasn't as good as last.

Remember I shop every two weeks, because that's how dear hubby gets paid. I shop for 2 adults and 2 kids/adults...my kids are almost 16 and 18 with the 16 year old being a boy that we can't fill up!!!

One month ago, in coupons alone I saved $46.88. This number doesn't reflect what I saved in price matching and buying items on sale.

Last Friday was shopping day again and in coupons I saved $36.21. Again, that doesn't reflect my price matching and sale items. As we go through this journey, I will also try to include my price matching savings and the things I just simply won't buy unless they are on sale.

My first and biggest piece of advice is buy a deep freezer if you don't have one. We have just a small one that stays fairly well stocked with items that I find on sale, but need to freeze in order to extend their life.

We have lived in many different places in our 25 years of marriage and when it comes to shopping wisely, one common type of store that's usually always been in those areas are what I refer to as "Bent-N-Dents". They've had different names, depending on where we have lived: "The Pantry", "The Trade Market", "Grocery Salvage" (?!), and "Bent-N-Dent". The common theme of these stores have been the ability to buy groceries at a literal fraction of the price you would have to pay at a supermarket, Wal Mart or even Sav A Lot. These stores usually go to various warehouses and purchase can foods, pastas, rice, spices, staples, etc, at a fraction of the cost...therefore passing that savings down to you... because the packaging is slightly damaged or maybe the product didn't move that well in the area or it's close to it's expiration date. When dealing with the expiration date issue, always stay on the side of caution, but I've found that especially with what these stores mainly offer, most products are good way past the expiration date. The one item I'm incredibly particular about is anything tomato based. I won't buy dinged cans of tomato based products and I won't buy tomato based products that are close to expiration. Same for veggies.

Our store here is called The Trade Market and it is always my first stop on grocery day. There is usually always some type of out of this world bargain to be found. The thing is, when you find the bargain you do have to stock up because it quite literally won't be there when you go back again in even a few days. In a few days, there will be a whole new set of bargains and I have had to discipline myself to only go once every two weeks or I would truly be spending way to much in order to save!

For example, about a month ago they had 2 pound bags of self rising flour for 39¢ a bag. That means if I buy 3 bags, I've gotten 6 pounds of flour for $1.17. At any store in my area including Sav A Lot, the cheapest I can find 5 pounds of flour is $1.99. By buying at the Trade Market, I'm getting an extra pound of flour for 82¢ cheaper!! That's a no brainer in my mind. I ended up buying 8 bags and putting them in the freezer. Flour will last a very long time in the freezer and with the holiday season upon us, this is definitely not a waste!! They also had 5 pound bags of all purpose flour for 99¢.

I mentioned above that I'm very particular about buying tomato based products at these stores, but again, at the Trade Market, they had 15oz cans of diced tomatoes for 39¢ a can. We love chili and veggie soup at this time of year especially, and after checking the cans for dings (not one can had a ding!) and reading the expiration dates, I loaded up! I bought 12 cans my first trip.
Fortunately for me, these were available for many weeks and I've been buying 8-12 cans each time I go. We have a nice supply of tomatoes for making soup and chili, both very economical meals, at an incredibly low price. At our Sav A Lot, that same size can of tomatoes costs 59¢. A savings of 20¢ a can!

I've purchased bags of cereal for $1 a bag, cabbage for 39¢ a head, rice for 25¢ for a 2 pound bag. Green beans and corn for 25¢-39¢ a can, 48 oz bottles of canola oil for $1.99 (in our area now running well over $3 a bottle)...

Hopefully you can understand why I would make this my first stop. At this particular store, they are also able to offer milk and eggs, cheese and lunchmeats that are well within their expiration dates at these same great deals. I've been able to buy milk for $2.79 a gallon for quite some time now (which freezes very well by the way) a dozen and a half of eggs for $1.79, and 8 oz of shredded cheese for $1.99.

I would strongly encourage you to check around in your area for one of these types of stores. They are wonderful at enabling the frugal minded shopper to stick to her budget and yet make wonderful meals for her family at a fraction of the price.

Blessings......

I Haven't Forgotten....

Just a note to say that I haven't skipped out on our chat about shopping wisely. Our sales flyers will be in today's paper, so I should have a few, more detailed posts to share very soon!!

Blessings.....