August 1st, 2010- The first day of my beginning! How'd it go? Well, not as well as I had hoped. I didn't get a chance to email any companies, so I will have to email 4 today to make up for it. We ended up eating out at a restaurant, but to be fair to myself and my family, it was for my parents' 30th anniversary and all went out as a family. So I don't really count it towards not eating out. I did a horrible job shopping yesterday, making quite a few sporadic purchases. I will have to be super good for the rest of the week and not buy anything we don't need. I should be okay, especially since I don't plan on going shopping again until Friday or Sunday. And I will only be going with a list of the things I can get for cheap or free. I am hoping as the days go by, I will get the hang of living frugally and find it easier to live on a budget. One thing I need to teach myself is self control. I need to know when we have money and know when we don't, and when we don't, to just stay out of the stores.
On another note, I am debating whether having a garage sale would be a good idea or not. I don't know if I'd have enough for a big garage sale, but I know already have two overflowing totes worth and am thinking if I keep picking away at things, I may have a few more. It be a good way to earn extra money, so I just may.
Until tomorrow!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
My Super Cute Gymbo Finds!
Yup, I know, shopping again! Here's the deal though, these are being put into gift bags for Birthday and Christmas presents. So, really, it's okay that I bought them. Or, at least, that's how I'm justifying these. I am becoming a Gymboree Fanatic, so this would be another reason as to why I need to get out of debt, so I can buy these things without feeling guilty later. I bought these all at Once Upon a Child, and I cannot wait to go back and find more treasures!!
These are all for my little man:
And these were for the girls (the first three are for Elle and the last two are for Kennedy):
I paid $64 total for all 11 pieces, which for Gymboree I think is a good price! The pink skirt is $20 retail value and still has the tags on it!
These are all for my little man:
And these were for the girls (the first three are for Elle and the last two are for Kennedy):
I paid $64 total for all 11 pieces, which for Gymboree I think is a good price! The pink skirt is $20 retail value and still has the tags on it!
August 1st, a New Beginning!
I haven't posted much in the past few weeks, basically because we haven't really had a whole lot of awesome deals or any good debt reduction. We've actually had a bad second half of July, being we were over $200 short on my dh's paycheck :(
Well, as of August 1st, I am putting myself on a mission. I am going to:
-email at least 2 companies everyday for coupons
-spend the least possible out of pocket for groceries and other essentials
-will not eat out or order in
-will try to use coupons on every purchase I make
Why am I doing this? Three reasons:
(1) We have two September Birthdays I need to finish buying gifts for
(2) I want to have another baby and need to find extra money to stockpile for the little one
(3) I have become a fashion snob and want to spend all my extra money on clothes, which means losing the debt so I can do that!
In all seriousness, I really want to be debt free and I want to be able to not constantly worry about every penny I spend. I want to be able to go out and spend $300 on clothes for the kids and not have to wonder if we'll be able to eat for the rest of the month. So, if you want to join me, I would love to hear from you! I'll try to post deals I see, and would love if anyone else has any to share! I will be doing a weekly meal menu, writing down every purchase that is made and why it was made, emailing companies in hopes for coupons, spend more time at home and only try to go out to go shopping, and I'm going to take this at home to really get a feel for who I am. I think I need to do that, take a step back and remember just who I am.
So, join me! Help me! I would love ideas for recipes, fun activities you do with your children, any good deals you see, and companies you know are good and send coupons!
Well, as of August 1st, I am putting myself on a mission. I am going to:
-email at least 2 companies everyday for coupons
-spend the least possible out of pocket for groceries and other essentials
-will not eat out or order in
-will try to use coupons on every purchase I make
Why am I doing this? Three reasons:
(1) We have two September Birthdays I need to finish buying gifts for
(2) I want to have another baby and need to find extra money to stockpile for the little one
(3) I have become a fashion snob and want to spend all my extra money on clothes, which means losing the debt so I can do that!
In all seriousness, I really want to be debt free and I want to be able to not constantly worry about every penny I spend. I want to be able to go out and spend $300 on clothes for the kids and not have to wonder if we'll be able to eat for the rest of the month. So, if you want to join me, I would love to hear from you! I'll try to post deals I see, and would love if anyone else has any to share! I will be doing a weekly meal menu, writing down every purchase that is made and why it was made, emailing companies in hopes for coupons, spend more time at home and only try to go out to go shopping, and I'm going to take this at home to really get a feel for who I am. I think I need to do that, take a step back and remember just who I am.
So, join me! Help me! I would love ideas for recipes, fun activities you do with your children, any good deals you see, and companies you know are good and send coupons!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I'm Now a BzzAgent!
After hearing about BzzAgent from many friends, I finally decided to join! I am now officially a BzzAgent! Okay, what is that exactly, you ask. Well, it's someone who gets to try out products in what they call campaigns and share these products with their friends via word of mouth. You can share your thoughts and opinions with your friends, family, or just some random person on the street! Then, you report back to the people at the BzzAgent offices and tell them what you and the people you buzzed thought about the products. I'm super excited to give this a try! I love trying new products and seeing just how well they work. I especially love trying new things for free!
I took about a hundred little survey things, filled out the Frogponds, and did reviews on the BzzScapes, and I already have a campaign! I have a free code for Redbox and get to try out the movie renting company! I'm excited for that. We love movies, so this will be fun to try out.
If you want to give BzzAgent a try, check it out at http://www.bzzagent.com!
I took about a hundred little survey things, filled out the Frogponds, and did reviews on the BzzScapes, and I already have a campaign! I have a free code for Redbox and get to try out the movie renting company! I'm excited for that. We love movies, so this will be fun to try out.
If you want to give BzzAgent a try, check it out at http://www.bzzagent.com!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Milano Cookie Contest and Coupon!
Pepperidge Farm has a nice contest going on for their new Strawberry Milano cookies. Share your Milano Moment with them and you have a chance to win 24 packages of the new Strawberry Milano cookies!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pepperidgefarmmilano?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts
You can also print a 55 cents off one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pepperidgefarmmilano?v=app_7146470109&ref=ts
I have to say the mint ones are my absolute favorite cookie. In fact, I plan to use my 55 cent coupons to buy me two bags to indulge on for my birthday Saturday!!!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pepperidgefarmmilano?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts
You can also print a 55 cents off one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pepperidgefarmmilano?v=app_7146470109&ref=ts
I have to say the mint ones are my absolute favorite cookie. In fact, I plan to use my 55 cent coupons to buy me two bags to indulge on for my birthday Saturday!!!
Buddig Lunch Meat coupons
Buddig lunch meat has a e-mail list you can sign up for to hear latest news and promotions. Sign up and you can print either a $1.00 off 5 Buddig 2 oz packets or a $1.00 off 1 tub Buddig lunch meat. If you have two different e-mails, you can print both!
http://www.buddiglunchclub.com/
We personally love this lunch meat, and it's definitely a good price. I believe the tubs are normally priced at around $3 at Cashwise. $2 a tub after coupon is decent. Who knows, maybe they'll go on sale!!
http://www.buddiglunchclub.com/
We personally love this lunch meat, and it's definitely a good price. I believe the tubs are normally priced at around $3 at Cashwise. $2 a tub after coupon is decent. Who knows, maybe they'll go on sale!!
$2.00 Tomstone Coupon
Tomstone has a $2.00 printable on their Facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/Tombstone?v=wall#!/Tombstone?v=app_7146470109
Share what you would do with the extra time you get from making a Tomstone pizza and you can print the $2 coupon. If you want one mailed to you instead, you just print on the help link in the lower right corner and have it sent instead.
Good deal to use this on: Cashwise has Tomstone pizzas Buy 2 Get 2 Free. If the original price is $6 per pizza (not sure what the actual price is), these would be 4 for $8 after Buy 2 Get 2 deal plus $4 off in coupons!
http://www.facebook.com/Tombstone?v=wall#!/Tombstone?v=app_7146470109
Share what you would do with the extra time you get from making a Tomstone pizza and you can print the $2 coupon. If you want one mailed to you instead, you just print on the help link in the lower right corner and have it sent instead.
Good deal to use this on: Cashwise has Tomstone pizzas Buy 2 Get 2 Free. If the original price is $6 per pizza (not sure what the actual price is), these would be 4 for $8 after Buy 2 Get 2 deal plus $4 off in coupons!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Goldfish Coupon!
New Goldfish Printable coupon:
50 cents off one 6.6-8 oz bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers- Original, Pretzel, Parmesan, Baby or Pizza
http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductLanding.aspx?catID=722
These things generally go on sale for 1.00-1.25 a bag, so pretty cheap crackers if you like them! I happen to know my children love these little buggers, so I will definitely be using these!
50 cents off one 6.6-8 oz bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers- Original, Pretzel, Parmesan, Baby or Pizza
http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductLanding.aspx?catID=722
These things generally go on sale for 1.00-1.25 a bag, so pretty cheap crackers if you like them! I happen to know my children love these little buggers, so I will definitely be using these!
E-Mailing Companies, A New Mission!
So, I decided to give myself a new mission! I am going to try to email companies to see which ones I can get to send coupons! I'll try to email at least one a day, hopefully more!
The first company I contacted:
Seventh Generation- I asked if they had a mailing list for their coupons. They said they don't, but they do send them if you email them and you can ask every 3 months to have them send them!! Whoo Hoo! That's so awesome. I love their cleaners, so I'm crossing my fingers for coupons for those! I will keep you updated on what I get from each company :)
The first company I contacted:
Seventh Generation- I asked if they had a mailing list for their coupons. They said they don't, but they do send them if you email them and you can ask every 3 months to have them send them!! Whoo Hoo! That's so awesome. I love their cleaners, so I'm crossing my fingers for coupons for those! I will keep you updated on what I get from each company :)
Cashwise Monthly Deals
I love how Cashwise has month long deals going on now since they bought out our local Cub Foodses.
Truckload Buys Until July 31st:
96 cent Food Club Hamburger pickles (32 oz jar)
44 cent Starkist Chunk Light tuna in water (5 oz can)
1.98 Charmin bath tissue (4-large roll)
*there are 25 cent Charmin coupons out there right now
5.66 Era liquid laundry soap (100 oz bottle of original, oxi booster, or crystal spring)
*I think there are 1.00 coupons out
1.77 Food Club apple sauce (50 oz regular or natural)
49 cent Food Club Spaghetti Os (15 oz can)
77 cent Bounty Basic Paper Towels (1 regular roll)
*there are 25 cent coupons out right now
1.75 Dixie plates (20-45 count, 9" or 10" Ultra plates)
7.88 Gatorade (18 pack variety)
1.68 Quaker Oat Squares cereal (16 oz box, regular or cinnamon)
2.68 Langers Apple Juice (3 liter, 100% juice)
1.88 Fun Pops (36 count)
2.48 Little Debbie Big Pack snacks (pre-priced 3.49, 16.8-36 oz packages)
34 cent Food Club macaroni and cheese (7.5 oz box original)
93 cent Pringles (4.9-4.93 oz cans, original or sour cream)
*1.00 off 4 cans coupons out right now
2.66 Eillien's Nuts (10 oz bag California almonds, whole cashews, or delux mixed nuts)
If you are looking for cheap meals or side dishes, the cans of tuna, spaghetti Os, and mac and cheese are awesome. I know we can use 3 cans of spaghetti Os for our family of 5, which would mean the meal would be less than $1.50 for all of us. Now, it may not be the healthiest of meals, but it's still food in your mouth. And besides, have a bowl of apple sauce with it, and you've at least got a fruit in there!!
I know I'll be stocking up on a couple of these in the next few weeks. My stock price for canned food is about 50 cents a can, so tuna and spaghetti Os, here we come!!
Truckload Buys Until July 31st:
96 cent Food Club Hamburger pickles (32 oz jar)
44 cent Starkist Chunk Light tuna in water (5 oz can)
1.98 Charmin bath tissue (4-large roll)
*there are 25 cent Charmin coupons out there right now
5.66 Era liquid laundry soap (100 oz bottle of original, oxi booster, or crystal spring)
*I think there are 1.00 coupons out
1.77 Food Club apple sauce (50 oz regular or natural)
49 cent Food Club Spaghetti Os (15 oz can)
77 cent Bounty Basic Paper Towels (1 regular roll)
*there are 25 cent coupons out right now
1.75 Dixie plates (20-45 count, 9" or 10" Ultra plates)
7.88 Gatorade (18 pack variety)
1.68 Quaker Oat Squares cereal (16 oz box, regular or cinnamon)
2.68 Langers Apple Juice (3 liter, 100% juice)
1.88 Fun Pops (36 count)
2.48 Little Debbie Big Pack snacks (pre-priced 3.49, 16.8-36 oz packages)
34 cent Food Club macaroni and cheese (7.5 oz box original)
93 cent Pringles (4.9-4.93 oz cans, original or sour cream)
*1.00 off 4 cans coupons out right now
2.66 Eillien's Nuts (10 oz bag California almonds, whole cashews, or delux mixed nuts)
If you are looking for cheap meals or side dishes, the cans of tuna, spaghetti Os, and mac and cheese are awesome. I know we can use 3 cans of spaghetti Os for our family of 5, which would mean the meal would be less than $1.50 for all of us. Now, it may not be the healthiest of meals, but it's still food in your mouth. And besides, have a bowl of apple sauce with it, and you've at least got a fruit in there!!
I know I'll be stocking up on a couple of these in the next few weeks. My stock price for canned food is about 50 cents a can, so tuna and spaghetti Os, here we come!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Progress On the Credit Card!
Made a little progress on the credit card this month! The lower balance one anyway.
Our balanace was at a little over $2300 (less than I thought it was!). I sent in a $75 payment from our checking account (wish it could have been more) but then I used our rewards from the card to send in an extra $105!
So, our new balance should be right around $2155, as long as the card wasn't used by my husband recently without me knowing.
Our balanace was at a little over $2300 (less than I thought it was!). I sent in a $75 payment from our checking account (wish it could have been more) but then I used our rewards from the card to send in an extra $105!
So, our new balance should be right around $2155, as long as the card wasn't used by my husband recently without me knowing.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Shopping, June 24th
I had an amazing night last night shopping!! I got a ton of stuff for super cheap, and I feel great about it :)
My almost entire trip! Total Before Coupons: $328.98 Total After Coupons: $184.10 (and 22.60 of that was tax)
(Do you like my little Skittle thief?)
Walgreens Trips (4 trips total)
Renu:7.49
Herbal Essence: 2.99
2 Boxes cards: 3.00 (1.50 each)
Skittles: .89
Nut Roll: .50
Total Before Qs: 49.72
-1.00 Herbal Essence qs (x4)
-4.00 RRs (x7)
-2.00 RR (x1)
Total After Qs: 15.72
Got Back:
(x4) 7.50 RR
(x4) 2.00 RR
Target Trip One:
Car Seat: 48.50
5 Puffs: 8.20 (1.64 each)
6 Nexcare: 8.94 (1.49 each)
12 Old Spice Body Wash 47.88 (3.99 each)
6 Johnson's: 11.82 (1.97 each)
4 Mountain Dew 2 Liters: 4.00 (1.00 each) ~not pictured
1 Aquafina Water: 5.96 ~not pictured
Total Before Qs: 143.21
- BOGO Old Spice (x6)
- 1.00 Nexcare (x6)
- 1.00 Johnson's (x6)
Total After Qs: 107.27
Got Back: 20.00 in Target Gift Cards
Target Trip Two:
12 Old Spice Body Washes: 47.88 (3.99 each)
9 Pampers Wipes: 17.73 (1.97 each)
Remember Me DVD: 19.99
Total Before Qs: 90.60
-BOGO Old Spice (x6)
-2.00 Pampers (x9)
-8.00 DVD
-25.00 Target Gift Cards
Total After Qs: 15.67
Got Back: 20.00 in Target Gift Cards
Cashwise Trip:
Lucky Charms
2 Boxes Mac and Cheese
4 boxes Quaker chewy bars (1 not pictured)
2 boxes Pop Tarts (1 not pictured)
3 Swiss Cake Rolls (1 not pictured)
2 bags marshmallows
2 packs Keebler cookies
1 box Keebler graham crackers
Total before qs: $26.XX (not exactly sure, can't find the receipt)
-1.00 Keebler cookies (x2)
- 1.00 Graham crackers
-.40 marshmallows (x2)
-.60 Swiss cake rolls (x3)
-.50 Mac and Cheese (x2)
Total After Qs: 22.XX
Not my best trip, but the hubby just "had to have" pop tarts and chewy bars for breakfast, and the girls just "had to have" swirly mushroom cereal (the Lucky Charms)
And My Best Score of the Night:
FREE FREE FREE bag of groceries I won on Cashwise's Facebook page!
I'd say this is at least 50.00 worth of groceries being they are all All Natural products!
My almost entire trip! Total Before Coupons: $328.98 Total After Coupons: $184.10 (and 22.60 of that was tax)
(Do you like my little Skittle thief?)Walgreens Trips (4 trips total)
Renu:7.49
Herbal Essence: 2.99
2 Boxes cards: 3.00 (1.50 each)
Skittles: .89
Nut Roll: .50
Total Before Qs: 49.72
-1.00 Herbal Essence qs (x4)
-4.00 RRs (x7)
-2.00 RR (x1)
Total After Qs: 15.72
Got Back:
(x4) 7.50 RR
(x4) 2.00 RR
Target Trip One:Car Seat: 48.50
5 Puffs: 8.20 (1.64 each)
6 Nexcare: 8.94 (1.49 each)
12 Old Spice Body Wash 47.88 (3.99 each)
6 Johnson's: 11.82 (1.97 each)
4 Mountain Dew 2 Liters: 4.00 (1.00 each) ~not pictured
1 Aquafina Water: 5.96 ~not pictured
Total Before Qs: 143.21
- BOGO Old Spice (x6)
- 1.00 Nexcare (x6)
- 1.00 Johnson's (x6)
Total After Qs: 107.27
Got Back: 20.00 in Target Gift Cards
Target Trip Two:12 Old Spice Body Washes: 47.88 (3.99 each)
9 Pampers Wipes: 17.73 (1.97 each)
Remember Me DVD: 19.99
Total Before Qs: 90.60
-BOGO Old Spice (x6)
-2.00 Pampers (x9)
-8.00 DVD
-25.00 Target Gift Cards
Total After Qs: 15.67
Got Back: 20.00 in Target Gift Cards
Cashwise Trip:Lucky Charms
2 Boxes Mac and Cheese
4 boxes Quaker chewy bars (1 not pictured)
2 boxes Pop Tarts (1 not pictured)
3 Swiss Cake Rolls (1 not pictured)
2 bags marshmallows
2 packs Keebler cookies
1 box Keebler graham crackers
Total before qs: $26.XX (not exactly sure, can't find the receipt)
-1.00 Keebler cookies (x2)
- 1.00 Graham crackers
-.40 marshmallows (x2)
-.60 Swiss cake rolls (x3)
-.50 Mac and Cheese (x2)
Total After Qs: 22.XX
Not my best trip, but the hubby just "had to have" pop tarts and chewy bars for breakfast, and the girls just "had to have" swirly mushroom cereal (the Lucky Charms)
And My Best Score of the Night:FREE FREE FREE bag of groceries I won on Cashwise's Facebook page!
I'd say this is at least 50.00 worth of groceries being they are all All Natural products!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
One Debt Down!
Well, I have paid off one debt this month! I sent $115.46 to the one doctor bill, paying it off completely. It's actually pretty exciting to me. I can now use the money I would have normally paid towards this bill to pay higher on the other doctor bill. Which means I will pay that off in half the time now! Yay!!!
And I did send $50.00 to that bill, so that one's new total should be $438.29.
I also sent in a payment to one of the credit cards but I don't know completely how much came off the total. I'll know when I get the next bill. I haven't paid the second card yet since it's not due until the first off the month and I will pay whatever we have left in our checking account to that card.
I think next month I am going to send a bigger amount to the doctor and try to get it paid off in two months. That way I can just focus on these two pain in the butt credit cards and try to get the one gone by New Year's. Keeping my fingers crossed!
And I did send $50.00 to that bill, so that one's new total should be $438.29.
I also sent in a payment to one of the credit cards but I don't know completely how much came off the total. I'll know when I get the next bill. I haven't paid the second card yet since it's not due until the first off the month and I will pay whatever we have left in our checking account to that card.
I think next month I am going to send a bigger amount to the doctor and try to get it paid off in two months. That way I can just focus on these two pain in the butt credit cards and try to get the one gone by New Year's. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
My Carter's Order Arrived Today!!
I got my Carter's Order via UPS today! I was so excited to see all the cute clothes I ordered online. I spent $112.98 on 65 pieces of clothing! So, a little less than $2.75 per piece. I think I got some great deals, especially since it was Carter's!
My Whole Order!
Grandma's Four Piece Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Mommy Three Piece cardigan Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Grandpa's Sidekick Piece Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Monkey Four Piece Gown Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Puppy Four Piece Gown Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Dino Four Piece Gown Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Monkey Three Piece Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Handsome Lion Three Piece Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $10.00
Bananas Monkeys Three Piece Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $10.00
Pink Panda Three Piece
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Heart Butterfly Three Piece Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Daddy Loves Me Three Piece Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Panda Four Piece Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Bear Four Piece Gown Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $5.00
Kitty Four Piece Gown Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
I Love You Four Piece Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Lamb Four Piece Gown Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Little Sister Four Piece Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $0!! (I had a $10.00 off code)
Yes, I ordered some girls' clothes. I figure with those prices, I will just put them away and save them for the next baby (if it's a girl) or if I don't have another little girl (which I really want another girl!!) I will save them for my sisters' babies if they have girls!
My Whole Order!
Grandma's Four Piece Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Mommy Three Piece cardigan Set
Originally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Grandpa's Sidekick Piece Set
Originally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Monkey Four Piece Gown SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Puppy Four Piece Gown SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Dino Four Piece Gown SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Monkey Three Piece SetOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Handsome Lion Three Piece SetOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $10.00
Bananas Monkeys Three Piece SetOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $10.00
Pink Panda Three PieceOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Heart Butterfly Three Piece SetOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Daddy Loves Me Three Piece SetOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $5.00
Panda Four Piece SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Bear Four Piece Gown SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $5.00
Kitty Four Piece Gown SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
I Love You Four Piece SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Lamb Four Piece Gown SetOriginally: $24.00 Paid: $7.00
Little Sister Four Piece SetOriginally: $17.00 Paid: $0!! (I had a $10.00 off code)
Yes, I ordered some girls' clothes. I figure with those prices, I will just put them away and save them for the next baby (if it's a girl) or if I don't have another little girl (which I really want another girl!!) I will save them for my sisters' babies if they have girls!
My Great Shopping Trip Yesterday!
We headed out to our local stores in hopes of picking up some great deals last night, June 15th. I think we found some awesome finds! And in case you're wondering how this will get me out of debt, well, the more I buy for super cheap or even get for free, the less likely we will run out of something important and have to pay (GASP) Full price.
My Loot from Last Night: One bag Science Diet Dog Food, 11 tubs Pampers Wipes, 3 Gillette Razors, 2 Schick Razors, and 8 Hallmark cards (3 for Father's Day) Total Before Coupons (with tax): $95.49 Total OOP: $40.00, plus $24.00 in RRs (Which means all of this was really $16.00!)
Wipes on Sale at Target: $1.97
Used $2.00 off Pampers Wipes q from P&G insert
Total: Free! With .03 overage since they just pushed the qs through
Gillete ProGlide Razors at Walgreens: $9.89
Used $4.00 q from P&G insert
Also got back $5.00 RR
Total: .89 after RR!
Schick Hydro Razors at Walgreens: $7.99
Used $5.00 Schick q from Smartsource insert 6/13
Also got back $5.00 RR
Total: They paid ME $2.01 to buy each of these!
Cards at Walgreens: 3 of them were for Father's Day, totaling $8.17, the other 5 were .99 each, so 4.95 for 5
Got back $2.00 RR for buying the 3 Father's Day cards there.
Got back $4.00 RR for the .99 cards!
The Father's Day cards weren't that great a deal, but since we love our Dads (and I love my husband) I was okay with paying more for their cards :)
Now, the .99 cards were a good deal to me! .95 for 5 cards, or .19 a piece!!
We plan to go back and shop some more on Thursday. I'm hoping they restock wipes, Nivea body wash (which they were out of), Schick razors, and .99 cards by then!!
My Loot from Last Night: One bag Science Diet Dog Food, 11 tubs Pampers Wipes, 3 Gillette Razors, 2 Schick Razors, and 8 Hallmark cards (3 for Father's Day) Total Before Coupons (with tax): $95.49 Total OOP: $40.00, plus $24.00 in RRs (Which means all of this was really $16.00!)
Wipes on Sale at Target: $1.97
Used $2.00 off Pampers Wipes q from P&G insert
Total: Free! With .03 overage since they just pushed the qs through
Gillete ProGlide Razors at Walgreens: $9.89
Used $4.00 q from P&G insert
Also got back $5.00 RR
Total: .89 after RR!
Schick Hydro Razors at Walgreens: $7.99
Used $5.00 Schick q from Smartsource insert 6/13
Also got back $5.00 RR
Total: They paid ME $2.01 to buy each of these!
Cards at Walgreens: 3 of them were for Father's Day, totaling $8.17, the other 5 were .99 each, so 4.95 for 5
Got back $2.00 RR for buying the 3 Father's Day cards there.
Got back $4.00 RR for the .99 cards!
The Father's Day cards weren't that great a deal, but since we love our Dads (and I love my husband) I was okay with paying more for their cards :)
Now, the .99 cards were a good deal to me! .95 for 5 cards, or .19 a piece!!
We plan to go back and shop some more on Thursday. I'm hoping they restock wipes, Nivea body wash (which they were out of), Schick razors, and .99 cards by then!!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Welcome
So, it has come to this. Blogging my way out of debt, hoping that by giving a tell all of my debt and my spending will lead me to a life with no credit card balances. Hey, maybe this will help someone else out as well. Who knows.
I'm Bree*, a 24 year old stay at home mom of three. Yes, I could get a job. But I won't. I am the type of person who believes my rightful place is at home with the children I gave birth to. I want to be here, and I will try anyway I can to be able to stay at home. Besides being with my children, I love to take pictures, scrap book, watch movies, read, and most of all, SHOP. Yup, that's one of the many reasons we are in debt. Sad to say, but so very true.
I am married to Will*, a 26 year old mechanic at the local automotive shop, and a farm boy at heart. He has recently starting milking cows a few nights a week and has big plans to buy said farm sooner or later. He wants sooner, I want later. The farm isn't small, with over 700 acres of land, 40 cows, and a bunch of pigs. I personally hope to get out of debt before we move to the country, but we'll see how that goes! My husband is a spender as well. He's kind of clueless about budgeting. He likes to just buy things and not think of how much it costs and just what that money could have been used for instead.
We have three kids, two girls and a boy. Elle*, the oldest, will be 5 in a few months. She's smart, sassy, and a tomboy all around. She loves being outside and has no problem feeding cows. Kennedy*, my middle baby, is 2 and a half and just starting to get that horrible attitude. She's super adorable, very sensitive, and has been a Momma's Girl since the day she came into the world. She is a little Princess, but loves to get dirty. I'm still crossing my fingers that changes one day. Denny*, my baby boy, is 9 months. He is a busy little man who loves to find out just what things do. He crawls and cruises the furniture, and gets into anything and everything possible. He already loves the out doors as well and will crawl out the door if left open for him. It's hard to believe he's 9 months already. I'm already getting baby fever. Which is bad, since we just don't have the money right now to pay hospital bills for another baby. 9 months, I give myself 9 months to get some money for another one!!
We also have a dog, Zee*, who we love. She's like a member of the family. Well, okay, really, the kids love her more than I do, but I still like her. I think I'd like her better if she wasn't such a hyper creature. She's a good dog though, besides being so full of energy.
We live in a tiny little town not anywhere near the great stores to shop at. It's nice and quiet, an easy place to live. But, it's also small with a lot of older people and not a lot to do. Kids wise, it's kind of dull. Shopping, well, we have to drive to shop. We have our house up for sale (remember that farm Will wants), but I'm sure it will sit on the market for awhile. Is anyone buying houses these days?
As for the debt, well, we owe:
$13,500 on one Credit Card, we'll call it CC1
$2,600 on second Credit Card, we'll call it CC2
$115.46 for Denny's doctor bills, we'll call it Doc1
$488.29 for Bree's doctor bills, we'll call it Doc2
We also have our house loan, but I don't really consider that bad debt. It's just kind of a fact of life and we'll worry about it once we're in a better situation. Our debt may not sound high to some people, but to us, it's too much. We only have a $37,000 income (before taxes), so it really hits us just how much we've put ourselves in debt. It's time to buckle down and get this gone.
Well, I hope you enjoy reading about my journey and can take some information from it as well. I am always up for new suggestions and ideas as well, so feel free to comment!
I'm Bree*, a 24 year old stay at home mom of three. Yes, I could get a job. But I won't. I am the type of person who believes my rightful place is at home with the children I gave birth to. I want to be here, and I will try anyway I can to be able to stay at home. Besides being with my children, I love to take pictures, scrap book, watch movies, read, and most of all, SHOP. Yup, that's one of the many reasons we are in debt. Sad to say, but so very true.
I am married to Will*, a 26 year old mechanic at the local automotive shop, and a farm boy at heart. He has recently starting milking cows a few nights a week and has big plans to buy said farm sooner or later. He wants sooner, I want later. The farm isn't small, with over 700 acres of land, 40 cows, and a bunch of pigs. I personally hope to get out of debt before we move to the country, but we'll see how that goes! My husband is a spender as well. He's kind of clueless about budgeting. He likes to just buy things and not think of how much it costs and just what that money could have been used for instead.
We have three kids, two girls and a boy. Elle*, the oldest, will be 5 in a few months. She's smart, sassy, and a tomboy all around. She loves being outside and has no problem feeding cows. Kennedy*, my middle baby, is 2 and a half and just starting to get that horrible attitude. She's super adorable, very sensitive, and has been a Momma's Girl since the day she came into the world. She is a little Princess, but loves to get dirty. I'm still crossing my fingers that changes one day. Denny*, my baby boy, is 9 months. He is a busy little man who loves to find out just what things do. He crawls and cruises the furniture, and gets into anything and everything possible. He already loves the out doors as well and will crawl out the door if left open for him. It's hard to believe he's 9 months already. I'm already getting baby fever. Which is bad, since we just don't have the money right now to pay hospital bills for another baby. 9 months, I give myself 9 months to get some money for another one!!
We also have a dog, Zee*, who we love. She's like a member of the family. Well, okay, really, the kids love her more than I do, but I still like her. I think I'd like her better if she wasn't such a hyper creature. She's a good dog though, besides being so full of energy.
We live in a tiny little town not anywhere near the great stores to shop at. It's nice and quiet, an easy place to live. But, it's also small with a lot of older people and not a lot to do. Kids wise, it's kind of dull. Shopping, well, we have to drive to shop. We have our house up for sale (remember that farm Will wants), but I'm sure it will sit on the market for awhile. Is anyone buying houses these days?
As for the debt, well, we owe:
$13,500 on one Credit Card, we'll call it CC1
$2,600 on second Credit Card, we'll call it CC2
$115.46 for Denny's doctor bills, we'll call it Doc1
$488.29 for Bree's doctor bills, we'll call it Doc2
We also have our house loan, but I don't really consider that bad debt. It's just kind of a fact of life and we'll worry about it once we're in a better situation. Our debt may not sound high to some people, but to us, it's too much. We only have a $37,000 income (before taxes), so it really hits us just how much we've put ourselves in debt. It's time to buckle down and get this gone.
Well, I hope you enjoy reading about my journey and can take some information from it as well. I am always up for new suggestions and ideas as well, so feel free to comment!
****Names have been changed to protect the ones I love!****
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