I have started a six month coupon experiment. I don't know how I stumbled on the couponing website I started reading a few weeks ago, but it changed my attitude about couponing quickly. Some friends asked me where I was learning about coupons, so I wrote an email to compile the information I was using to help them explore the world of couponing. I thought I would put that information on my blog, too, in case anyone else might like to check it out.
Here is the Fabulessly Frugal website I have been checking out. It is a little crazy right now, because they are posting a whole lot of deals for Christmas presents and sales that only happen at this time of the year. So, there are more entries per day than normal. Here are some of the articles that got me thinking:
Getting Started - http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/get-started
If you want to understand the acronyms, you need to read this - http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/lingo
FAQ’s - http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2008/11/coupon-tip-tuesday.html
Stock up Prices - http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2009/12/coupon-tip-tuesday-stock-up-prices.html
Sample Store Match-Up - http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/category/walgreens
Example of Multiple-Transaction Shopping Trip - http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2011/11/rite-aid-shopping.html
There are a few other sites that made me want to try this out. Check out the videos on this page: http://www.jillcataldo.com/learn_to_supercoupon.
Extreme couponing TV show vs. Reality - http://www.jillcataldo.com/extremecouponingreality
Both Fabulessly Frugal and Jill Cataldo have DVD "classes" that teach couponing. I bought the Fabulessly Frugal one, and I felt it was good for getting started with organization. I think, just based on the videos above, that the Jill Cataldo one might be more in depth on the couponing transactions themselves. They also both have information on saving money in other areas. So, if you decide not to coupon, you can still see great deals on everything from jeans to camera lenses to household appliances.
So, here is what I have been doing the last two weeks.
1 – Organize my Coupons - I use the organization system described here, with one difference. The coupon lists they put out on their site are not always directly related to the coupons in our paper. We will have the same companies, but the amounts or conditions are different. So, I have tried writing in the corrections, typing up my own list, and next I am going to try downloading their spreadsheet and making changes to that.
2 – Visit Fabulessly Frugal and check out the “Stores” section – This section has the sales at Rite Aid (sign up for the wellness+ card online), Walgreens, Target and WalMart. They also have a “More Stores” section that includes CVS (get the Extra Care Card) and Giant (Same as Stop & Shop). Each page will have the top sales and coupon match ups for that week. These first few weeks, I have not had all the coupons for the deals as they were in the paper before I started saving coupons. I still look at them, though, because it is helping me to get an idea of what prices people are paying for different items. I think this is good because I don’t have pressure to do all the deals. I just do the few I can and see how it goes.
3 – Check out CouponMom.com for other match-ups. – You have to create a login to look at the matchups, but it is free. I like this site because I can see the sales for the local stores more easily. So, even if it doesn’t end up on the “Pink Star” stock up price list for the Fabulessly Frugal website, I know how the sales in the area compare to each other for the things I need. I noticed something new when I signed in now, as opposed to a year ago when I signed up – they have a “Deals over 50% off” link for both national drugstores and national grocery chains so you can see the best deals across stores more easily. They also have a spot to choose your state and see the match ups locally.
4 – Make my Master Shopping List – This is the part I am still working on. I built a database a while back that makes my shopping list for me, but you could make the list on paper. I have a list for each store with the prices advertised and what coupons I will be using and can expect back on my receipt. This helps me to know where I am going while I am out and which things I am getting from each store.
5 – Get my List & Coupons together – I paper clip together the coupons for each store so that I can just grab the pile I need when I go in. I think I am going to bring my coupon binder in the stores with me in the future, though. I missed out on some sales last week because they were unadvertised and I didn’t have my binder with me.
I also just tried some things this week that you may have never done, either. I just did my first “Multiple Transaction” trip to CVS this last week and I was really nervous that the cashier would hate me! However, she was very sweet and seemed to be used to people using the coupons that printed on the first transaction receipt toward their next transaction. In all, I did three transactions and it went fine. Hopefully, it will always go that smoothly! I also just purchased my first coupons on ebay this week, so I will let you know how that goes. (After reading this article tonight, I may not do it again. I will have to look into it more.)
This is still a learning process for me, but last week I saved $50 in coupons alone - not counting that I grouped them together with good sales. I will be keeping track to see how worthwhile it is to spend the time doing this. Right now, I feel like I spend a LOT of time because I am on a learning curve. I will have to update to let you all know how it goes over time. I think it will take much less time as I get used to it. Hopefully, I will be able to say that I saved a ton of money by the end of this six months!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Treehouse News - Up to speed...
Yes, I know. I have definitely failed in updating here over the last few months. I just looked at the last entry I had started in here and it was cut short by a hard drive failure. I never really caught up after that. Although, I have been trying to keep my priorities in line, as I said here a few months ago, so my kitchen has been cleaner. *smile*
I decided not to try getting everything in here, but thought an update on the kids was way overdue. Here are some of my favorite moments of the last few months.
Princess has grown so much. She lost all her front teeth, and as her new ones are growing in she is looking more and more mature to me. Here are some of my favorite moments from her:
Princess was showing off her new toothless spot in her mouth to our neighbor. Then, our neighbor shared that their puppy had just lost some puppy teeth, too. Princess giggled, “Did he leave them for the doggie tooth fairy?"
While watching Pixar shorts, Princess concluded, “That Jack-a-lope is like God.” I wasn't sure how to take that, so I asked her how. She said that the jack-a-lope was like God because he accepted the sheep no matter what, whether he had fleece or was shorn.
Little Man drew me a picture of me driving in an 18 wheeler through the country, with lines in the back to indicate speed. I asked, “How fast am I going?” He answered, “About 150.” Princess said, “I guess the speed limit is fast in the country!”
I added red pepper to a dish, and Princess’ reaction was, “The peppers touch only the nerves that say, ‘I don’t like them!’”
We had been reading a biography on George Mueller who started his life as a swindler, but was a changed man when he became a Christian. One night, after reading only about the start of his life, this was our dinner conversation:
One of the things we have covered in Language Arts recently is Compound Words. Princess’ eyes lit up after talking about them for a few minutes: “Mom! A lot of times we use Compound Words in knock knock jokes!”
One evening, the lights suddenly went out in Princess' room because she tripped the breaker. She said, "Did I have a blackout in just my room? Am I gonna have to sleep somewhere else?"
Princess and Little Man were looking at books in the car. Little Man asked what a "wosset" was. Her response was, "That, apparently, is a wosset."
The kids wanted to play a joke on Daddy. They asked if he ever played tricks on me. I said, "Yeah, but not in a long time." A short while later, they were planning their joke and asked me what I thought we should do. I said, "I can't even tell you the last trick daddy played on me." Princess said, "Well, I can tell you he next one we are going to play on him!"
Princess was not speaking very respectfully in her request one night at the dinner table, and I asked her to reword her request in a more respectful manner. She complied and then said, "Do you want me to do an example of the really rude way of saying it?" I said, "No." She replied, "Okay. Well I'll be right here if you change your mind."
"I think I'm going to name my 105th child Dora." I am not sure what she is planning on naming the other 104!
"Christ died to save us from our skins." Princess immediately caught her error, but it has been repeated over and over ever since!
Little Man is just starting Kindergarten. Some of the things he comes out with are hysterical, but I don't always share them here. Some things are just better to tell about in person...you know…with facial expressions and body language! Here are some of the things I think will be fun even in type.
Ryan: What would mommy do if we came home with a Puppy?
Little Man: Run away.
I think Little Man will definitely be the strong, sensitive type. I was comforting him one day when he was upset and, true to his nature, he said, “What do you do when you cry? Does Daddy pick you up?” I love this boy! He is so sweet!
I can’t remember what question I asked, but I had asked about what someone wore for some reason. Little Man said, “I know! Whitie Tighties!” He had just heard the term, "Tighty Whities" for the first time a few days before and, clearly, he likes the term - even if he doesn't quite have it right!
I went to Starbucks to get my regular and Little Man said, “I think they are almost out of those…You keep on taking them!”
Ryan: Wow. you're doing a great job (on that puzzle).
Little Man: Thanks. It'd be better if I had a giant octopus helping me.
"You don't touch that. Even though it looks like a log...it's not." (In case you hadn't guessed...he is talking about poop!)
Princess was saying she wanted to be an explorer and go all over the world. Little Man's concerns were natural, "You would need to pack a big lunch for that!"
A few years ago, we drove along the local river to explore the different parts of a river up close and personal. Every so often, I will ask the kids if they remember anything about it. Recently, I was checking with them again to see if they knew the name of the river.
One night at dinner, Little Man prayed, "Please help mom to let go of her control and help us to be more obedient." We have been learning about character traits, like "self-control" and "obedience" but I thought his misstatement to "let go of her control" was probably a pretty accurate description of what I actually need. Out of the mouths of babes...
While practicing his memory verses, Little man said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son..." He, unlike Princess, does not generally catch his mistake in this one. hehehe
Pookie is an amazing beam of light everywhere she goes. Sometimes it is like sunshine and rainbows, other days more like lightning! She is always trying to make people smile and laugh. As she learns more, it is fun to watch her try to explain things. She doesn't always get the words right, but she gets her point across. Here are some examples:
We went on a walk during one of the nicer days in May, and it was new for Pookie because we were letting her walk instead of riding in the stroller. We don’t have sidewalks, so we have to be very watchful of the kids and are training them how to take a walk safely through the neighborhood. After Pookie stepped out on the road, I picked her up to carry her. She was trying to convince me that I could let her walk, and she said, “I gonna try not to break my heart.”
Ryan told Pookie one day, “You’re a piece of work!” She replied, “A piece of work?!! I (Pookie)!”
Pookie has been getting better at letter recognition, but she misheard me one day:
Me: Look, it’s a ‘W’
Pookie: “It’s not that a double me!”
I have mentioned before that I like cooking shows, and that Princess has given me critiques on my “presentation,” but there are other ways this has infiltrated our house. Pookie’s new request is that she be permitted to “go to the dessert round”!
We were on our way out one day and Pookie asked, "Can I bring Anna?" (You know...Anna Green Gables). Hehehe
Pookie was frustrated with trying to eat corn on the cob. Her way of telling us was to exclaim, "I can't eat it...the buttons."
Pookie got stung by a bee...because I put her down in the grass and didn't see the bee. She had been playing in the pool, and between the cold of being wet and being upset by the sting, she was chattering. She started to laugh, "I make clicking noise with my teeth! See?"
Pookie still loves footprints. After playing in the pool, she was walking on the driveway. She was showing off to me, "Fooprintz. I made it out of my feet!"
For Pookie's 3rd birthday, I gave out kaleidoscopes for favors. The day after her party, she wanted her "Ida-cope." Even after she slowed it down for me, "Ide-a-cope," I didn't understand what she was looking for. I don't think I figured out until a few hours later what she was so upset about losing! Now, she has started calling it her "Telescope." At least I know what she means!
"I am gonna leave that for people...little people." Pookie said this about the bib at the restaurant on the way to visit Ryan's family. You know, the little people, not like her...she is big now.
Pookie's favorite birthday present, by far, was a little lip gloss purse. "I can't find my lip gloss anywhere. I looked all over...downstairs,upstairs. I can't find my lip gloss anywhere!" I also heard her singing "oh where oh where are you my lip gloss purse!"
Pookie has been having a difficult time in the car, because Little Man and Princess are in the back and she is in the middle. I am always calling to the two in the back to give her a chance to talk, and working with her to make sure that she is asking politely for her turn to talk. One day, I heard her say, "Uh, excuse me, Evan. I am going to talk to myself." Gotta work on her understanding of when to ask them to be quiet...
Pookie also has interesting solutions for things: "Little girls twirl (their hair). See? Like that. Every time they don't get hiccups by doing that." I have heard of a lot of solutions to hiccups, but never that one!
After asking what happened to Little Man, Pookie said, "(Little Man) hurt himself by me." She had been jumping on his belly while he was laying in bed.
When I said that someone turned up the chapstick too much, Pookie said "It wasn't me. It wasn't you. It wasn't a fox..." then proceeded to list everyone else in the family.
Pookie has been enamored with butterflies lately. She did a sponge capsule one day and thought it might be a butterfly. I said, "I think it is a farm animal." She said, "Yeah. It is a farm butterfly." (Thankfully, she was happy with the rabbit it actually became.)
Okay...so this was long, but I am glad I will be able to remember these stories in the years to come. I hope you enjoyed them, as well!
I decided not to try getting everything in here, but thought an update on the kids was way overdue. Here are some of my favorite moments of the last few months.
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| Yep, we started school! |
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| The new school space |
Princess
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| My Second Grader |
Princess was showing off her new toothless spot in her mouth to our neighbor. Then, our neighbor shared that their puppy had just lost some puppy teeth, too. Princess giggled, “Did he leave them for the doggie tooth fairy?"
While watching Pixar shorts, Princess concluded, “That Jack-a-lope is like God.” I wasn't sure how to take that, so I asked her how. She said that the jack-a-lope was like God because he accepted the sheep no matter what, whether he had fleece or was shorn.
Little Man drew me a picture of me driving in an 18 wheeler through the country, with lines in the back to indicate speed. I asked, “How fast am I going?” He answered, “About 150.” Princess said, “I guess the speed limit is fast in the country!”
I added red pepper to a dish, and Princess’ reaction was, “The peppers touch only the nerves that say, ‘I don’t like them!’”
We had been reading a biography on George Mueller who started his life as a swindler, but was a changed man when he became a Christian. One night, after reading only about the start of his life, this was our dinner conversation:
Me to Princess: “Where did your manners go tonight?”
Princess: “I don’t know. Maybe to a big beer party that lasted seven days.”
Ryan: “Good homeschooling, hon. I bet they don’t advertise that on the Sonlight website!”
One of the things we have covered in Language Arts recently is Compound Words. Princess’ eyes lit up after talking about them for a few minutes: “Mom! A lot of times we use Compound Words in knock knock jokes!”
One evening, the lights suddenly went out in Princess' room because she tripped the breaker. She said, "Did I have a blackout in just my room? Am I gonna have to sleep somewhere else?"
Princess and Little Man were looking at books in the car. Little Man asked what a "wosset" was. Her response was, "That, apparently, is a wosset."
The kids wanted to play a joke on Daddy. They asked if he ever played tricks on me. I said, "Yeah, but not in a long time." A short while later, they were planning their joke and asked me what I thought we should do. I said, "I can't even tell you the last trick daddy played on me." Princess said, "Well, I can tell you he next one we are going to play on him!"
Princess was not speaking very respectfully in her request one night at the dinner table, and I asked her to reword her request in a more respectful manner. She complied and then said, "Do you want me to do an example of the really rude way of saying it?" I said, "No." She replied, "Okay. Well I'll be right here if you change your mind."
"I think I'm going to name my 105th child Dora." I am not sure what she is planning on naming the other 104!
"Christ died to save us from our skins." Princess immediately caught her error, but it has been repeated over and over ever since!
Little Man
 | |
| My Kindergartener |
Ryan: What would mommy do if we came home with a Puppy?
Little Man: Run away.
I think Little Man will definitely be the strong, sensitive type. I was comforting him one day when he was upset and, true to his nature, he said, “What do you do when you cry? Does Daddy pick you up?” I love this boy! He is so sweet!
I can’t remember what question I asked, but I had asked about what someone wore for some reason. Little Man said, “I know! Whitie Tighties!” He had just heard the term, "Tighty Whities" for the first time a few days before and, clearly, he likes the term - even if he doesn't quite have it right!
I went to Starbucks to get my regular and Little Man said, “I think they are almost out of those…You keep on taking them!”
Ryan: Wow. you're doing a great job (on that puzzle).
Little Man: Thanks. It'd be better if I had a giant octopus helping me.
"You don't touch that. Even though it looks like a log...it's not." (In case you hadn't guessed...he is talking about poop!)
Princess was saying she wanted to be an explorer and go all over the world. Little Man's concerns were natural, "You would need to pack a big lunch for that!"
A few years ago, we drove along the local river to explore the different parts of a river up close and personal. Every so often, I will ask the kids if they remember anything about it. Recently, I was checking with them again to see if they knew the name of the river.
Me: "Do you know what it is?"
Princess: "The mouth?"
Me: "No, but good guess. The mouth is on the other side. Do you know what it is though?"
Little Man: "It's nose? It has a mouth, it must have a nose!"
One night at dinner, Little Man prayed, "Please help mom to let go of her control and help us to be more obedient." We have been learning about character traits, like "self-control" and "obedience" but I thought his misstatement to "let go of her control" was probably a pretty accurate description of what I actually need. Out of the mouths of babes...
While practicing his memory verses, Little man said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son..." He, unlike Princess, does not generally catch his mistake in this one. hehehe
Pookie
 | |
| My Preschooler |
We went on a walk during one of the nicer days in May, and it was new for Pookie because we were letting her walk instead of riding in the stroller. We don’t have sidewalks, so we have to be very watchful of the kids and are training them how to take a walk safely through the neighborhood. After Pookie stepped out on the road, I picked her up to carry her. She was trying to convince me that I could let her walk, and she said, “I gonna try not to break my heart.”
Ryan told Pookie one day, “You’re a piece of work!” She replied, “A piece of work?!! I (Pookie)!”
Pookie has been getting better at letter recognition, but she misheard me one day:
Me: Look, it’s a ‘W’
Pookie: “It’s not that a double me!”
I have mentioned before that I like cooking shows, and that Princess has given me critiques on my “presentation,” but there are other ways this has infiltrated our house. Pookie’s new request is that she be permitted to “go to the dessert round”!
We were on our way out one day and Pookie asked, "Can I bring Anna?" (You know...Anna Green Gables). Hehehe
Pookie was frustrated with trying to eat corn on the cob. Her way of telling us was to exclaim, "I can't eat it...the buttons."
Pookie got stung by a bee...because I put her down in the grass and didn't see the bee. She had been playing in the pool, and between the cold of being wet and being upset by the sting, she was chattering. She started to laugh, "I make clicking noise with my teeth! See?"
Pookie still loves footprints. After playing in the pool, she was walking on the driveway. She was showing off to me, "Fooprintz. I made it out of my feet!"
For Pookie's 3rd birthday, I gave out kaleidoscopes for favors. The day after her party, she wanted her "Ida-cope." Even after she slowed it down for me, "Ide-a-cope," I didn't understand what she was looking for. I don't think I figured out until a few hours later what she was so upset about losing! Now, she has started calling it her "Telescope." At least I know what she means!
"I am gonna leave that for people...little people." Pookie said this about the bib at the restaurant on the way to visit Ryan's family. You know, the little people, not like her...she is big now.
Pookie's favorite birthday present, by far, was a little lip gloss purse. "I can't find my lip gloss anywhere. I looked all over...downstairs,upstairs. I can't find my lip gloss anywhere!" I also heard her singing "oh where oh where are you my lip gloss purse!"
Pookie has been having a difficult time in the car, because Little Man and Princess are in the back and she is in the middle. I am always calling to the two in the back to give her a chance to talk, and working with her to make sure that she is asking politely for her turn to talk. One day, I heard her say, "Uh, excuse me, Evan. I am going to talk to myself." Gotta work on her understanding of when to ask them to be quiet...
Pookie also has interesting solutions for things: "Little girls twirl (their hair). See? Like that. Every time they don't get hiccups by doing that." I have heard of a lot of solutions to hiccups, but never that one!
After asking what happened to Little Man, Pookie said, "(Little Man) hurt himself by me." She had been jumping on his belly while he was laying in bed.
When I said that someone turned up the chapstick too much, Pookie said "It wasn't me. It wasn't you. It wasn't a fox..." then proceeded to list everyone else in the family.
Pookie has been enamored with butterflies lately. She did a sponge capsule one day and thought it might be a butterfly. I said, "I think it is a farm animal." She said, "Yeah. It is a farm butterfly." (Thankfully, she was happy with the rabbit it actually became.)
Okay...so this was long, but I am glad I will be able to remember these stories in the years to come. I hope you enjoyed them, as well!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Happy Birthday Princess!
Happy Birthday to my Princess, who seven years ago rocked my world by making my dream of being a mommy come true. As a baby, she was content and quiet...until she just didn't like something! She still screams the loudest when she is just. not. happy. But she also tends to walk through life content and joyful. I thank God for that because she weathered my "mommy ignorance" pretty well. We looked at some of her baby pictures today and I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures and memories of her first few years...
- When getting my ultrasound, we decided to find out the sex of the baby. She was turned the wrong way and we had to move on, with the promise we would check one more time before leaving. I said, "Come on, baby, turn around so we can see what you are." A minute later, she moved and we were able to easily see that she was a girl. =0)
- While watching Baby Einstein farm animals for the first time, she LOVED when the kids would start to sing. I have a video of her sitting studying the screen until they would sing, then she would look at me and give me a BIG smile as if to say, "Did you hear that, mom?" They would stop singing and she would go back to studying...as soon as the voices started again she would look at me with that BIG smile again.
- When Little Man was still laying on his blanket at two months, not even rolling yet, Princess was coloring and came over to give him some crayons to play with, too.
- Little Man had an infection that made him cry all the time as a baby. I was frustrated and sad for him as he cried one day, and Princess (around 2 years old) said, "That's okay mommy, that's what babies do." Yeah, she has always been articulate!
- Our neighbors had some work done on their driveway, and she LOVED to watch the backhoe!
- Princess is a natural momma...she wonders aloud how she will juggle being both Mom and a veterinarian.
- Princess was so affectionate toward Little Man that she even wanted to be close to him when they were both buckled in at meal times. Her solution was to "hold feet" with him.
- She has always had her own sense of style. As we looked through pictures, it was all about the layering...
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| Here she is less than two weeks old. Smiling already! |
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| Baby Einstein age |
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| At sharing, she's a natural! |
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| No one believed me that she was loud at home... |
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| "I wanna see the backhoe!" |
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| Little Mom |
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| Meal times are still time to be close... |
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Pajama shirt, Bathing suit, Jean shorts... |
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| Three Months |
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| 18 months...this is a week before Little Man was born. |
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| Bounce house fun! 2 1/2 years old. |
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| Loving Big Sister |
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| Loving Big sister, again! |
If you have any memories of her you would like to share, leave them in the comments here or on Facebook and I will share them with her!
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