Diapers on sale

During the week of November 2nd, Walgreen's will have their diapers on sale for 2/8.99. There is a pharmacy coupon booklet that has a 2.00/1 coupon in it. If you scan the coupon, it will take off 2.00 for every package of diapers in your order. So - if you buy 1, it takes of 2.00. If you buy 10 packages, it takes off 20.00... etc.

8.99 - diapers
0.00 - free pkg
-4.00 pharm q
4.99 + tax out of pocket for 2 pkgs of diapers

KMart Super Doubles

Okay - so I went and did the deed. I shopped KMart. WOW!

First, I have to say that I'm fairly certain that 1-2 items did not ring up at correct shelf-tag prices. I also had a couple of coupons that didn't double correctly, and a couple of coupons that weren't scanned at all. So by my figuring I am 'owed' around 20.xx. To me, that is a lot of money - but I'm not sure I have the will or patience to try to sort it out and explain it to the customer service manager - it may be more of a headache than it is worth!

I wish I had more time for planning - I would've broken my transactions down into smaller parts and saved another 25.00! OY! As it was, I did it in 2 transactions.

I got:

7 bottles of bleach
3 clean & clear face wash
4 Jane face powder
4 Jane lip gloss
3 scotch packaging tape
1 box Kashi Go lean bars
6 Soy joy bars
8 Gillette Shampoos
4 Met RX bars
8 Glade Candles
6 Ceasar dog foods
2 Pledge Stainless Steel Wipes
5 Friskies cat treats
8 Bags of Nestle Crunch bars
5 Bags of Kit Kat's
1 Bag of Reese's pb cups
2 Bags of Combo's
2 Lindt Dark Chocolate bars
1 Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bar
1 Coffeemate liquid creamer
1 Bag of American Fare pretzels
3 Cat treats
3 Boxes of Kellogg's cereals (Smart Start, Mini-wheats, Rasin Bran)

I spent 52.96 (eek!) I should get back around $20.00 after my refund. (just decided that I will try... *sigh* this will be fun!)

I also have a rebate for the cereal for 2.67 (and rumors of a possible 10.00 rebate that i have to check into)

I have 2x 2.00 catalina's on my next order.

Lots of items to sell... lol.

Before Coupons: 264.45
After Coupons: 52.96
Savings: 211.49
*if I go back for the refund, that will be even more of a savings!

Not bad for 92 items - right? Works out to around .58 per item before refunds!

*sigh* Now I have to update my stockpile list... I'm seeing flea market or garage sale in my near future!

How to guide on effectively giving yourself insomnia.

So... first you have to sort through your coupons and try to imagine that you can:
1. Take hubby to work.
2. Stop at post office and mail stuff out.
3. Stop at Kmart for super doubles and be in and out in 1 hr or less. (ha ha...this is where the plan falls apart)
4. Stop at old apartment to pick up your wedding dress that you forgot in the back closet (Egads!), dishes you forgot in the dishwasher, and daughter's bicycle - hoping it fits (especially with stuff from Kmart trip.)
5. Stop at the other Kmart. (really insane now)
6. Stop at Walmart to use up expiring q's on trial sized products and get a couple deals.
7. Stop at Kroger to pick up some food.
8. Stop at house to drop off enough stuff to be able to fit hubby and 2 kids in the car.
9. Pick up hubby from work by 3:30 pm.

Yeah... impossible. Somehow, I keep trying to figure out how I can make that work! LOL! I don't want to make extra trips, and if I don't do the Kmarts on the way - I'll either have to skip the sale (what??? did I say that??) or go to the West Town Kmart. Hmmm...

Then, get on the internet and start looking up red spiders. We found a red spider-like thing crawling on our countertop this evening, and I promised Bekka that I'd look it up to see what it could be. My first thought on seeing it was that it was some type of mite, but it seemed big. After some research, I think that it is definitely a red velvet mite. It was actually kind of purty.

The problem is that while I was looking for something that matched what we saw, I was subjected to all kinds of spider pictures, bite stories, and poison profiles! UGH!!! Creeps me out! I don't mind spiders - especially when we have an understanding and just never come face-to-face with each other. I do like webs, though - so I've tolerated the one outside in our front garden area. He makes a lovely web.

Good news is (I think it's good news) that there are only 2 poisonous spiders in Tennessee. The brown recluse and the black widow. Sure, if you get bit by some of the others you'll possibly be hurtin' or sickish, but definitely not as much trouble as the first 2 I mentioned!

So... now how do I go to sleep?? I guess this is where I head to bed and pray that God's will be done! (hoping that includes that my family and I never get bit by one of those lovely creatures...)

Wow - moving, sales, egads!

We've been busy! We're finally moved, but not quite unpacked. It is coming along very slowly. I suppose it makes it a bit of a challenge trying to chase a 13 month old around too... lol. (where did that time go??)

David has brewed his first beer. It is called "95 Thesis Bock". He says he brewed it, he can name it! LOL! We bottled it last night, and it should be ready to drink on Thanksgiving! So... who's coming for dinner? I believe we will be brewing the next one - a red ale - within the next week. It was a lot of fun, and hopefully this time we'll actually document the process!

Now - for the sales. I really haven't had a lot of time to shop due to the move. However, there were a few deals that I managed to get.

The past 2 weeks, Kroger has had Celestial Seasonings teas for 10/10.00. I had 1.00 off coupons, and I now own around 25 boxes of tea. LOL! This is a good thing since we drink so much tea - especially with cold & flu season coming up! They are also doing a promotion where you buy a glade plug-in oil warmer and you get a coupon for 4.00 off your next order. I have plenty of coupons to use for these - and apparently someone else does too since these are hard to come by right now! LOL!

Walmart has Gillette shampoo/body wash for 2.00 each in the 8.5 oz. size. I have coupons for 2.00 off of 1, so I plan to pick that up Friday or Saturday.

Kmart is doing super doubles. They double coupons up to 2.00. I am so unorganized and behind on my coupons, but I managed to throw a couple things together to hit up Kmart earlier this week. Here are some deals that I found:

2.89 - Glade 4 oz candles in the holiday scents (I LOVE the gingerbread scent) = Free after 2.00 off coupon
2.67 - Kellogg's mini-wheats - .67 after 1.00 off coupon
1.66 - Nestle crunch, butterfinger, and payday candies - free after 1.00 coupon
3.50 - Gillette shampoo (they only had 1!) - free after 2.00 coupon
1.99 - Scotch mailing tape - free after 1.00 coupon
4.79 - tylenol pm - .79 after 2.00 off coupon
2.29 - Coffeemate french vanilla liquid creamer - .29 after 1.00 coupon
5.00/2 - Scrubbing bubbles foam cleaner - 1.00 for 2 after 2.00 off of 2 coupon
3.99 - Maalox chewables - free after 2.00 coupon

So... those are my decent deals. I know there were a couple more things, but I don't have my receipts in front of me right now.

Hope you enjoy the info!

Spontaneous shopping - or, is couponing really worth it?

Well - I try not to be spontaneous in my shopping, and I guess you can say this wasn't *completely* spontaneous, as I've been planning to shop at some point this weekend. But... I wasn't exactly organized or at stores I was planning to shop at. Anyways - I think I did pretty good.

First, I didn't have any way to lower my out of pocket cost at the Walmart oil change center (well, other than doing it myself - and realistically that's not happening.) *quick note - I was very surprised at how absolutely filthy the restrooms were! UGH!! It was like no one had mopped in weeks!*

So:

Oil change - 26.48 (they wanted to sell me 4 tires at 100.00 each... but I'm shopping around on that one!)

Since I had to wait for a long long long time (any time past 3 minutes with a sleepy 1 year old is long long long... lol, but it was seriously at least 1 1/2 hours!) I went shopping throughout the store. I got:

15.92 - 4x Zantac Cool Mint 150, 8 ct.
.54 - 1.08 lb (3) bananas
3.00 - 3 lb of gala apples
3.44 - WM brand skim milk
6.00 - clearanced nursing, um... thing
2.57 tax

- 22.00 4x 5.50 Zantac coupon

9.47 oop 1.18 per item (it's .95 per item counting each pound of apples individually!) History lesson: 2% milk was 1.59/gallon in 1987, and apples were .39 a pound in the 80's - jumped in the 90's to .99/lb

Then, I was mad cuz I missed the other Walgreens (which probably wasn't stocked anyways, but now I'll never know...lol)

However, I hit another one right before an on-ramp to the highway. So...

I was hoping for the Glade Wisp. UGH - no stock put up (3 ppl called off, the lady said. She gave me a rain check for 2.99 - not sure how that will work with the 5.00 coupon!)

But... eggs were on sale, and cheese too. So I did:

1.50 - 1 pkg of 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1.98 - 2 dozen eggs
3.00 - 2 hair stylers for David (the mud/paste stuff... dunno, I don't use it...)
9.98 - 4 Oxy products - on sale as bogo@4.99
13.96 - 4 Pert Plus shampoos
2.49 tax

- 8.00 4x 2.00 Pert Plus coupons
- 2.00 2x 1.00 loreal studio line coupons
- 4.50 3x 1.50 Oxy coupons
- 4.99 1x buy 2 get 1 free Oxy Coupons
- 10.00 ESQ for Pert -4x 2.50 (easy saver coupon in booklet)

3.69 out of pocket! .28 per item! (eggs were .25 a dozen in 1924! Noxema was .49 in 1935! Cheese was .50/lb in 1950!)

I stopped at one more on the way to pick up Bekka's friend. If we weren't keeping her for the night, I would've hit 2-3 more Wags. :( This one didn't have any Pert left, nor did it have any of the Wisp - though I'm almost wondering if they just didn't want to put certain stock on the floor. I *did* find the pharmacy coloring booklet. I was hoping it would ring up on clearance like a lot of people have reported, but it didn't for me. So - 1.08 and I got the coloring book with a sheet of Wags coupons. It's quite worth the investment!

So... aside from the oil change, I spent $14.24 oop. I got my milk and eggs for the week, cheese for a few days (gonna see if eggs and cheese are still available tomorrow and hopefuly stock up), got some apples and bananas, David's hair stuff, my needed undergarment, and a whole bunch of other stuff we'll eventually use, donate, or do sumpin' with...

Now, some of you will ask if I really had to get all that stuff. The answer is no. In reality, we only *needed* the food and the undergarment. If I had *only* bought the foodstuffs and the undergarment, I would have spent $18.36 out of pocket. So I would have actually spent $4.12 more to get only what we absolutely needed! (in reality, it probably would've been more because I would've been more likely to just buy it all in Walmart instead of shopping at 2 stores.) So I spent less, got what we needed, stuff we can donate, coupons to save more money later, and some extras we will use/donate/sell.

Kohl's and Ebates

Sign up here for email alerts.

You are supposed to receive an email that will give you a link to a 5.00 coupon in-store, or 10% off online purchases. I signed up initially and received a welcome email - then nothing. I had to go back and sign up again a few days later, and seconds after that - I had my email!

If you are going to shop online, please do me a favor and go through Ebates. You earn cash back at most retailers, and they also have various coupons that you can use at these stores for things like discounted/free shipping, etc... If you go through that link, I will get a referral bonus - so thank you!!

Hoarding... some thoughts.

Have you ever been protective of something you have in your stockpile? I've realized recently (today) that I am a food hoarder. I don't really know why I panic if certain things aren't in the house - or in abundance. There's apparently some fear in me that the world will spin out of control if we run out of nuts, berries, peanut butter, and canned soups. I'm always protective of my nuts and berries - shooing away the munchkins, measuring them out carefully for recipes - it's really quite ridiculous.

Now, I am all into stockpiling items, but that has a purpose. Stockpiling is purchasing multiples of items at a very frugal cost now (and in a big enough quantity to last you from one sale to the next) so that you don't have to run out and pay top dollar later. For example, if I can get children's pain reliever now at 1.00 a bottle - then I should get several bottles now so that I am not paying 4.99 (or more) when Eleanore wakes up with a 103.6 fever in the middle of the night and I have to run to the store cuz we're out! That is being frugal and shopping wisely.

Hoarding is stockpiling things - then not using them (or donating them). I have been hoarding the berries and nuts in my freezer for some time now - to the point that if I don't use them - they will be yucky and worthless. Now, while I got them at a great price initially, letting them go bad is *NOT* frugal! So, to start breaking my hoarding tendency with these little lovelies, I've been forcing myself to use them.

On top of having this irrational fear that there will be dire consequences if I use up the berries, there is the realization that my attitude towards this stuff is a sin! By worrying about a potential lack, I am not being thankful for what God has provided right now, nor am I trusting that He will provide later!

Matthew 6:25-34 25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29“yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32“For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Even Christ, our Savior, has reassured us that our Heavenly Father will take care of us! If His attention to detail includes caring for the minor things of this world - how much more will He attend to His children!? Our God is a good and gracious God!

Luk 11:9-13 9“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12“or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”


Remember to trust Him. Ask Him to supply your needs! First for spiritual needs, and secondly for our earthly needs. He is a good and gracious God and has promised to provide in abundance!

God as sustainer

I've been thinking a lot about some recent sermons we've had at church. Today, my thoughts have been on God and his sovereignty.

As a Christian, believing the bible, I affirm that I believe that God is not only creator of all things, but that he is sovereign over them and continues to sustain them at His will.

Sure, I affirm this - but in reality I don't always act like I believe this foundational truth! It is amazing how easy it can be to try to lean on my own self, to forget that God is truly in control of all things! It is easy to be frustrated, depressed, angry, blameful - and it is easy to think or want to be the one in control! However, I know that nothing happens that is outside of His control or His will. My children exist and happen to both be girls because that is how God willed it. I am writing this blog right now, because that is how God willed it. My husband forgot a step in his home brew because that is how God willed it. Why? It is always for His glory!

Anyways, I diverge... What I wanted to reiterate is something the young guest pastor at our church stated - or pointed out. He was speaking about the wonderful saving work of Jesus Christ. He spoke of how Jesus was fully man and fully God. As man, he suffered - as God, he didn't have to but willed it to happen anyways. The pastor pointed out that God as sustainer of all things is why we exist as we do - why we live, breathe, eat, etc... He pointed out that even on the cross Jesus was fully God, and in complete control.

Think about that for a moment. Our wonderful God - creator, all powerful, ruler of all things seen and unseen, majestic, awesome - this very God hung upon a cross. He bore the sins of his people willingly. He became the propitiation of his people's sins! What is more, not only did Jesus willingly hang on the cross, but he sustained the men that hammered nails into his body - giving them strength and ability to finish that work. He sustained the nails and the wood - giving them form and ability to hold his flesh, and what's more - he sustained the very ground that the cross was placed in - giving it substance and form. If it weren't for this divine sustenance, we would have no salvation! As our God hung upon a cross, bearing the most horrific moment of human history and fully taking the wrath of God and bearing the judgement of his people's sins - he sustained the very cross on which he hung!

Praise God! What glory and majesty! What grace and mercy! Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty!

So, Christian, what is it that you believe? What God do you worship? Does your life show it? These are questions I am asking myself every day.

1 Corinthians 10:31

I was reading a blog post by Carl Trueman. Watching Movies to the Glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

In the article, Carl quotes John Piper who said (In "Drinking Orange Juice to the Glory of God): "It is sin to eat or drink or do anything NOT for the glory of God. In other words, sin is not just a list of harmful things (killing, stealing, etc.). Sin is leaving God out of account in the ordinary affairs of your life. Sin is anything you do that you don't do for the glory of God."

How often do we do this? I know that I do not do all things to the glory of God. In fact, most days I do very little to the glory of God. That is very scary! I am a professing Christian, yet in my own daily walk I fall short over and over again.

I am reminded of how I need to be deeply into the Word every day. When I am outside of the Word, my mind begins to become formed by the world around me - by all the mish-mash, deprave, humanistic thinking that abounds! I don't know why it seems so difficult to do, but I have definitely neglected this aspect of my spiritual life lately.

Praise God that he is working in me - sanctifying me and causing me to grow daily. Thankfully, He has reminded me to put Him first in all things - even in the simple act of drinking orange juice.

Crash course in Walgreens

Okay... you may need to read this a couple of times and even ask a question or two! Ask away - it's always better to know than to guess!

Walgreen's 101

I never shopped there before - other than for a few of their items in the weekly ad, I always assumed they were way to expensive. The thing is - I am right. They are very expensive - *if* you purchase items the way most normal folks purchase things. I used to hear a saying that normal = broke... well, I definitely don't want to be normal!

First, you should know that Walgreen's takes coupons - manufacturer's coupons from inserts, tearpads, blinkie machines, and internet printable coupons.

Second, you need to learn this list of abbreviations - for your sake and mine! Some of these will also apply to other stores, and the other stores may even have some of their own.

Wags - Walgreen's (hey - you type it 100 times in a post! lol)

q = coupon

7-day q = coupon from Walgreen's weekly ad

ESR = Easy Saver Rebate - This refers to the rebates listed in the Easy Saver Booklet that comes out once a month and is usually located on a display within the doorway or at the cash registers.

ESQ = coupon in the Easy Saver Booklet

MIR = mail in rebate from a manufacturer

RR - Register Reward - this is a coupon that prints at the register for a set dollar amount off of your next order and is also called a Catalina.

CAT - catalina - a coupon or register reward that prints during or after your transaction.

OYNO - on your next order

Double Dip - an event that occurs when the last 2 days of the ESR booklet for the current month overlaps with the booklet for the following month.

$/$$ - this stands for a money off of a certain amount purchase. Usually 5/20.00 or 10/40.00.

Now, per Walgreen's corporate coupon policy, you can combine the Manufacturer's coupons with the 7-day advertisement coupons AND the Easy Saver Coupon! Yes - that's 3 coupons on one item! On top of that, during double dips you can use any matching coupons from both monthly booklets - and if they have issued a $/$$ coupon, as long as you meet the requirements of that coupon you can use that too!!

Wagreens 10/5-10/11

There are 2 deals that I hope to get in on this week, and *maybe* a 3rd. They are the Glade Wisp Flameless candles and the Oral-B toothbrushes.

Glade candle: 5.99 sale price, 5.00 coupon, 3.00 Register Reward
Oral-B toothbrush: 4.49 sale price, .75 or 1.00 coupon, 4.50 Register Reward
Fusion Razor: 8.99 sale price (I think), 4.00 coupon, 4.00 register reward.

Free shampoo deal this week if you have the 1.50 coupon off of Pert. The smaller bottle is on sale for 3.49. There is a coupon in the Easy Saver booklet for 2.50 off of a bottle. You can combine both the manufacturer's coupon and the ESR coupon - free shampoo! (you actually get .51 overage on this deal if you make sure to use the manufacturer's coupon first, then the ES coupon)

Next week is a sale on the Robitussin. It will be 3.99 each, and when you buy 3 of the Robitussin you will get a 10.00 register reward. If you happen to have the printable coupons (check ebay!), you can get 3 robitussin for 2.97 + tax out of pocket - get back 10.00 register reward! My local grocery store will take the register rewards, so I will be all over this deal. I plan to roll my Glade register rewards into the Robitussin deal to get them basically free.

KMart

KMart has been testing a double coupon promotion in several areas around the country. They have been doubling coupons up to and including $2.00! This is an awesome deal. They have also been telling stores in the non-participating areas that if a customer requests it, then the store is to honor the promotion. TN is not one of the participating areas, but the honored it for me. I just wish I had some extra cash to shop!

There are a couple of rumors out that they will be doing this on a regular monthly basis, and there is also a rumor out that they will be doing this on October 15th. Keep watching, and I will let you know as soon as it is officially confirmed!

Hello!

Here we go - it'l be quite the journey.

I have several friends with excellent blogs. I decided to join in the fun! This blog will focus on a little of everything.

I am a conservative Christian, so you will find my thoughts, ponderings, studies, and views on here.

I am married to a wonderful husband named David, and we currently have 2 daughters named Rhebekka and Eleanore. If God wills, that number will grow!

Finally, I am an addicted and avid couponer and deal seeker. I plan to share some of my great finds and information with you.

I hope you will enjoy this journey.