Today's Deals at Walgreens

Ok so I had to do a ton of transactions but I got a bunch of great deals. I made 2 trips one when I bought my papers and the second when I went out with my mother.

The first trip I did 4 transactions and paid $24.96, I saved 75.17 and got a total of $100.13 worth of items so I saved 75%. I bought 4 newspapers (1.50ea), 4 boxes of special K, crest mouthwash, 2 9.9oz pgs of m & m's, 2 pantene shampoo/conditioners, 2 oral-b toothbrushes, celarin joint ease, crayola washable marker 8pk, goodie hair clips 6pk, & revlon tweezers.

The second trip I did with my mom we did 7 transactions and paid $12.95, saved 95.44 and got a total of 108.39 worth of items, saving 88%. We bought 2 crayola markers, goodie hair clips, 2 20pks of stick pens, 4 boxes of special K, 1 set of 5 binder tabs, wire 1 subject notebook, 15 2 pocket prong folders, 2 crest tooth paste, crest mouthwash, 2 pantene, revlon nail clipper, celarin joint ease & 2 m & m's.

So total for both trips was $37.91 out of pocket, saved 170.61 for $208.52 worth of items.

Ok I'm back. 7/29/11 Shopping Trip

So today I did pretty good. I stocked up on gogurt, jello, juice, canned veggies and apple jacks. Did pretty good. I paid $129.92 for a total of $262.39 worth of groceries. I saved $132.47, 13.00 in store coupons, 25.64 in vendor coupons and 93.83 in the publix deals. That is right on 50%. So not too bad ; )

I went to Winn Dixie the next day for meat. I spent 55.30 and saved 51.88 for a total of 107.18 worth of meat or a savings of 48%. I got the buy-one get one meats (chicken qtrs, london broil, and assorted pork chops) plus a package of bacon that was on sale.

Apple Juice Coupons

www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots

This says it will mail a coupon so we will see. Char does like her apple juice.

Target Deals 5/31

I bought $120 worth of stuff for $90 so I saved $30 or 30%. $10 of that was gift cards for buying the deals and it was stuff I needed so I guess not too bad.

I got 2 bounty giant 12pks (on sale for $14.99 and had $1 manf & $1 target coupons), 2 tide free & clear 100oz bottles (on sale for $11.99 and had $1 manf & $.75 target coupons), 1 tide stain pack 62 count (this is on clearance for $12.58 and I had a $3 coupon), the target brand liquid soap refill, Suave Kids 22.5 oz bottles of Shampoo and Conditioner combo ($3.50 on clearance), 3 Dove bar soap 6pks (on clearance for $5.08 and I had 3 $1 off coupons), Haynes underwear 6 pack + 2 free (so 8 total on sale for $6.50), and two items for Charlotte out of the dollar bin. And I have the 2 $5 gift cards I got for buying the Tide and Bounty.

(I am counting this toward June b/c the hubby already got his monthly paycheck.)

Savings for May 2011

So not so good this week (May 26-June 1) Saved 31%. Spent $68.49 on $99.65 worth of groceries so saved $31.16. Most of that was on Special Pricing ($22.66). But we needed some fresh fruit and such.

For the Month of May:
Bought $586.72 worth of groceries and spent $337.42 and saved $276.20. So that is about 47% for the month. And I was $62.58 under my monthly budget for groceries.

This week's Publix Savings

Today I did really good. I spent $76.96 and saved $96.43. So I bought $146.39 worth of groceries for $76.96 so about 66%. I had $20.41 in vendor coupons, $22.00 in store coupons and $54.02 in special promotions (mostly the cokes I think). And I still have about $100 in my allotted $400 grocery budget for the month.

How I Save

A lot of my friends have asked me how I collect my coupons and save on groceries.
My friend Regina turned me on to the websites below and gave me pointers on how she collects her coupons. I used her tips and read the many posts already out there and put together the best plan for myself.

I mostly use the websites: Southern Savers and The Krazy Coupon Lady

I found the step by step directions on The Krazy Coupon Lady the easiest to follow, but I also checked out books from the library about it.

I am also linked to The Krazy Coupon Lady, She Saved, Good Deal Divas and Frugal Coupon Living on Facebook. They list the latest deals and coupons for all kinds of things not just groceries.

The basic things to do are build up your stock pile and learn to stack your coupons and buy when there is a sale on. The stock pile took me about a month or two to build up and now I usually only buy things I use when they are on sale and I can get a great deal with my coupons.

Stacking coupons is where you use one store coupon and one manufacture coupon on the same item. If you have a store that does buy one, get one(BOGO) then it is even better.
Here is an example of the deal I did recently:

• Publix had Vlasic Pickles buy one, get one free.
• They are regularly $2.89 a jar so at BOGO they are about $1.45 a jar.
• I had 4 manufacturer's coupons for $.55 off one jar and 4 Publix store coupons for $.75 off one jar.
• I bought 4 jars of pickles, paid $5.78 for all 4, used 4 $.55 coupons ($2.20) and 4 $.75 coupons ($3) .
• So $5.78 minus $5.20 in coupons equals $.58 for 4 jars of pickles or $.15 a jar.

This was an extreme deal, but the do come along; and if you don't have to buy them when they are at full price because you have a stock pile, you can get these great deals.

You have to check your stores policy but most will allow you one manufacturer's coupon and one store coupon for each item even if they are BOGO. Also if your store doubles, that is even better. Florida stores usually do not, especially Publix in Florida.

Some coupons do have limits on the amount of items you can buy of the same like item and some stores will limit you as well. I found this beginners tip to be the most helpful in explaining the coupon fine print.

I know stock pile sounds scary but I found buy rearranging my cabinets and buying one free standing pantry (I don't have a walk in one anymore and I needed something with doors to keep Charlotte out) I had enough room to keep the bulk of the food items I stock pile. I probably have enough food at any given point to feed us for a month or two without really needing to go to the store. I also keep my stock pile of toilet paper, paper towels and laundry stuff in the laundry room (as I have always done) and my stock pile of personal care items is stored in my bathroom under my cabinets, because that make the most sense for me. There are also a lot of tips on the websites on how to organize and store your stockpile.

Ok, back to the coupons.
Every Sunday I check the Sunday Coupon Review website (Southern Savers lists it also) to see what coupon books will be in the paper.
I then buy 4 local papers and make sure they have all the inserts I'm looking for.
I found out that the St. Augustine paper doesn't always have all the inserts but the Daytona and Jacksonville papers do. The Daytona paper is less so I buy those.
I do find that it is best (at least here) to go early to get the papers as they do go quick.
Also if you live somewhere you can get a Sunday only or Weekend only subscription this will usually be less than buying them at the stand.
You can get multiple papers delivered to the same address and then you save yourself time and money. Just make sure that the paper you pick is one that regularly puts in all the inserts.

I like to be super organized with so I found using the binder system was the best for me. (other people file the entire insert into accordion type files, both systems are described on The Krazy Coupon Lady site).

I also found that I didn't want or need to keep coupons for things I don't buy or use (like dog food stuff and brands I don't use) I did in the beginning but I found that I never used the coupons and then I just had to pull them when they expired. If I think I want to try something, I will clip the coupon but the rest I just give away. (FYI: The expired ones can be sent to military bases overseas as they can use them up to 6 months after the expiration date.)

I made a coupon sorter from a piece of newspaper I divided into sections to match my binder using a sharpie and a ruler (that is an idea I found in a book from the library).

So during nap time or while I'm watching TV at night I clip my coupons:

• First, I match up the individual pages of each coupon insert into the matching groups of 4 and tear apart any that are double pages.
• I do this because I find it is quicker if I cut like coupons together, rather than each page individually.
• As I cut them I put them on the correct place on the sorter.
• Then when I am done I file them into my binder.
• As I am filing and organizing each section I try and pull the expired ones as well.
• I also group coupons for the same item together with the ones expiring sooner to the front. This includes store coupons that match manufactures coupons so I know when I have double coupons.

This how I organized my binder:

• I have a 2 or 3 inch Mead binder folder that has a zipper and a handle.
• It also has a flap on the outside with a zipper pocket, two regular pockets and a pen loop. I use this to keep my calculator, scissors, pens and pads in. I also use it to put my shopping list and coupon folder for that shopping trip so it.
• It also has pockets and pen loops in the inside front and back flaps. I use these for extra pads or other things that I don't have room for in my binder.
• I have my coupons divided into sections that mirror the aisles at Publix b/c that is where I shop most.
• At the front of each section I have a page protector with the name of the section and what can be found in that section, i.e. Dairy: Milk, Cheese, Beer, Pizza Crusts, Yogurt. This reminds me what is on that aisle Beer and Pizza Crusts are not Dairy but they are on that Aisle at my store so it works for me.
• I also bought some stick on tabs and I have a tab with the section name stuck to this page.
• Behind each section divider I have 1 to 4 baseball card holder sheets (like page protectors but with 9 baseball card slots).
• I have my binder divided into these sections:

1. Dairy
2. Juice
3. Canned
4. Grains
5. Ethnic
6. Fruit (canned/dry)
7. Candy
8. Condiments
9. Baking
10. Snacks
11. Breakfast
12. Drinks
13. Salty Snacks
14. Cleaners
15. Air Fresheners
16. Laundry
17. Dishwashing
18. Paper Goods
19. Baby & Pet
20. Personal Care
21. Body & Hair Care
22. Feminine Care
23. Oral Care
24. Medicine
25. Frozen
26. Fresh
27. Deli
28. Miscellaneous
    
29. Policies
    

• The order may seem strange but it matches my store's floor plan.
• I found that some area's could be combined because there are not coupons for those things (like all of canned which includes veggies and soups and covers two aisles)
• Where others like the health care products needed several sections even though most of it is on one aisle. (hence all the "care" sections). I may be splitting cleaners into sub section too as well because there are a lot of coupons for cleaning products.
• Inside the binder I also have some 3 ring pockets so I can keep sales papers, coupons I need to refile and my coupon sorter.
• The last section is the Policies section where I have printed out the coupon policies of the stores I shop at so that I can refer to them in case of issues

Going Shopping:
Publix starts a new sales on Thursdays here. I don't always go that day but I do usually head over to Southern Savers and make my list. I like their list because it is interactive and allows me to check off the deals I want and create a printable list. It lists out the coupons, which insert (including date) the coupon was in, any printable coupons (with links) and then tells you which ones will get you the best deal.
When I am ready to go to the store, I get my list and then check the other sites (like The Krazy Coupon Lady) because I have found that sometimes they have other deals listed.
Then I get out my coupon book and match up the coupons for the deals I want.
I circle the ones I need to print and go back and print them (you can usually only print 2 of each one before you reach the limit).
Then I write out my list.
Next to it I put how many of each item I can buy and I also list the final each price and total I am going to pay price.
At the end I total up the amount so I can see about how much I should be paying.

I know this seems like a lot and in the beginning (getting set up and finding out the best system for me) it did take some time. But now that I have it streamlined it really doesn't take up that much of the week and the money I save is well worth it.

Other Savings this month

On 5/8 I need to get some benefiber and a bought another gas card. So I spent $62.35 and saved $24.00 which is only a 28% savings but the gas card was $40 for a $50 card.
So on the benefiber (and oranges) I spent $22.35 and saved $14 so I saved 39%.

Publix Savings this Week

Today I spent $141.92 and saved $81.28 ($9.20 in store coupons, $23.85 in vendor coupons and $48.23 in special pricing).

So I bought $223.20 worth of groceries for $141.92 a savings of 36%. Not my greatest shopping trip but I had to get some stuff I needed that wasn't on sale.

Coupon Savings at Publix

So this trip to Publix I spent $90.05 and saved $77.33 and part of that was the save $10 on a $50 gas card. (So I spent $50.05 on groceries and saved $67.33) The people in line behind me weren't even mad at me after that ; ) So I saved 46% over all and 57% on groceries.

Off the deep end . . .

All the Charlie Sheen stuff in the news lately makes me both sad and angry. I have witnessed first had what drugs and alcohol can do to a person and while a part of me is sad for him most of me is just pissed off. I know it is an addiction and it is hard but man up. You know what you are doing is wrong and you need to find it in you to change for your family and especially your kids. It is very hard on children to have to grow up with an addicted parent. And I realize we live in a more "open" society now and I'm good with that but really is the best option for your kids, your career and yourself to blab your personal feelings on every show that will have you? Celebrities and most people in general need to learn some self editing and when to shut the hell up. Everyone slips up every now and then but really I don't have to know exactly what you are thinking each and every moment that you think it.

I'm back

It has been a while (and nobody read it anyway) but I guess I will get back to my rantings if only for myself. So check out my next one. . .

I hate house cleaning.

Well it is finally Friday. I am so ready for a break. Of course we have tons of company coming next week so I have to spend some time getting the house in order.
I will admit, I'm just not a good housekeeper. I hate cleaning. If I had extra money, I'd hire a maid. I hate to vacuum, mop, dust, etc. My husband is bad about it too so between the two of us nothing really gets done on a regular basis.

But with all of our parents and family and friends coming in for his graduation. I have no choice. And he is not usually any help. Somehow he always has something that just has to be done during that time. And even when he does help, he doesn't do it right (sometimes I think it is a ploy so I will tell him not to do it.) If he is feeling really nice, he does help, esp. when it is his parents coming, but still we both hate it and we wait until the last minute to do it too.

I've tried several times to get into a routine of cleaning but it never seems to work. So then I just have to do twice the work when I finally get around to it.

Loving Troubled People

Someone sent this to me as a power point. It was particularly meaningful today.


One day, a small opening appeared in a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then, it seems to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly: he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a withered body, it was tiny and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly’s body, and become firm.
What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

I asked for Strength...
and I was given difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom...
and I was given problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity...
and I was given a brain and brawn to work.

I asked for Courage…..
and I was given obstacles to overcome.

I asked for Love...
and I was given troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors...
And I was given Opportunities.

"I received nothing I wanted...
But I received everything I needed."

Live life without fear, confront all obstacles and know that you can overcome them.

Sad Day in Pandaland

Things are getting worse here in Pandaland. I found out that my new sister-in-law has SADS/SCD. Not good. basically her heart doesn't beat right and they are going to have to put in a defibrillator to help it out. She is not that old and too young to have to deal with that for the rest of her life. But I guess it is better than dying in your sleep.

Also my best friends Aunt who was already having health problems, no has breast cancer. She is having a large mass removed and they are worried that it does not have clear margins so it may have spread. Plus is making her dad very upset (it is his sister) and he does not need the stress either.

I need a drink this week or a massage or something.

Dealing with Crazy

I have a dilemma. I have someone who I have been friends with for over ten years. This person at one time was very near and dear to me; I am very close to her children; we used to talk and share everything. But over the last few years, this has been going down hill. We met when we lived in the same city, then she married and moved away. We visited and talked often. Then a couple of years ago I moved to the same city as her. Since moving here, we rarely see each other, she does not ask me to watch her kids, she doesn't call me in emergencies, if we do see each other it has been because I make the effort.

We have another mutual friend and the three of us have always been close. The two of them knew each other in high school and I met them soon after. Our other friend and I lived in the same city for much longer and became very close, probably closer than the two of them. But we all shared everything and there never seemed to by any issues with that. Since moving, I have spent more time with the friend that now lives in a different city than the one I live in the same city as. We make time for each other, we talk almost every day. When this friend does come into town, she now stays with me (we both used to stay with the other friend). Our other friend usually doesn't even make the time to come see her and if we do, we have to go to her house. I realize that she has children, a busy career and a husband in the navy, but still you should make the effort to see visiting friends at least.

All of this probably wouldn't bother me so much if it was not for the fact that she makes time to visit with other local friends. Not that she tells me. It used to be that I was her go to friend. If she had a problem or needed advice, she came to me. But no more. Now I only hear about things from our mutual friend if at all. When we do talk, she doesn't really ask about my life, but complains about hers.

I recently went to Vegas to attend my brother's wedding (to whom I am very close). When I spoke to her afterward, she didn't ask about the wedding, my trip or my family (all of which were there). I had to tell her it was nice and then she launched into stuff going on in her life. I also found out (from my other friend), that she recently had a girls night with a couple of her local friends. I wasn't in town and couldn't have gone, but she didn't call to even see if I wanted to attend and she never makes plans like that with me.

If these were the only issues, I probably would have had it out with her months ago and been done with the friendship. But there are her underlying health issues. She has some medical problems and we are becoming convinced that she also maybe having mental issues. I am not the only one noticing this, our other friend is concerned as well. She has become very self-absorbed, she tells my other friend many things she doesn't tell me and seems to possibly be hearing voices, having delusions and other odd behavior. This friend has always had some quirks but now the have worked themselves into a strange manifestation.

Several years ago, this friend became more religious. As the years go by, her religiousness has become fanatical. She tells her friends and family they aren't going to heaven and she worries that she won't be with them in the afterlife. Everything in her life is equated to how she is or isn't being a good Christian or how others aren't being good Christians. This too has put more and more of a strain on our relationship because while I respect her choices, she doesn't really respect mine (sending my religious emails and such).

In the beginning I tried to speak with her honestly about all of this, but that just made it worse. And I sometimes think this maybe why our friendship is falling apart. But then there are the "messages" she is getting and her stories of how demons are stopping her from eating or waking her children up in the middle of the night and making them go to the bathroom. It makes me terribly upset and I worry for her and her children.

Even though part of me is very angry at her for not working harder on our friendship; part of me is scared as hell that something is really wrong with her. Most of these odd behaviors she, of course, doesn't confide to me, she tells my other friend and we discuss the vast difference in her behavior around me and her behavior with our friend. What if no one else but the kids notice this. Her husband works odd hours and is now away from home for a while for work.

This is what keeps me talking to her, guilt. I feel guilty that if I just cut her out of my life like I usually would, and then something did go horribly wrong what would happen. She has no family up here. I'm the one who knows her family, her kids call me aunt. Who would take care of everything until her family arrived. I just don't know what to do. I know that most people would say that if something happens it's not my fault and I know I have an issue with taking other people's problems as my own, but for a long time she was a very important part of my life and I don't know how to abandon that when she might be in trouble.

SSDD

I think I'm a little bored. I don't really have anything to do at work right now and my stomach always hurts so who wants to do anything.

There was a little excitement here today. One of my co-workers had one of our other co-workers that she doesn't even know, just plop down in her office and start talking to her as if they were old friends.
My office is comprised of the plant employees and then a small office staff. Due to the difference in work hours and that the offices are seperated from the warehouse a little, we do not always get to know the plant staff all that well. There is alot of turn over as well. This particular employee only works part time and keeps to herself most of the time b/c she is busy doing her job. So this guy just comes in her office on his break, pulls up a chair and starts talking to her. Without asking, are you busy right now or mind if I come in.
So she asked me how to handle it without being mean. I told her to just make an excuse to leave her office to do something else, then he would have no reason to wait. If not I told her to have a manager or supervisor come in to assist her with something, then the guy would leave as to not get in trouble. Especially if it was making her uncomfortable.

So that is all that is happening right now. I am can't wait to get home and finish working on my knitting. I will post photos soon.

Who needs to leave the house

I still don't want to be here, but maybe soon it will be over. The hubby is graduating soon, guess it depends on where he gets a job. I'm just tired of people. Sometimes I wish I could just stay in my house all the time and have things like food and such just delivered. I could work from home and shop from home and talk to the few people I like on the phone. Who needs to leave the house anyway? This weekend like the weekend before. I stayed inside the entire time. I didn't go anywhere, I didn't do anything but watch Lifetime and knit. I just can't deal with people anymore. I'm too tired. Sometimes I don't even want to deal with those I like. So I just go to sleep. I know it sounds like I'm depressed, but it's not that I just don't have any energy. I don't feel sad, I just feel tired.

My Brother's Big Day

My younger brother, though not the youngest, got married this week!!!! I love his new wife, she is great. They live in Las Vegas so we all went out there (Mom, Husband, Aunts, youngest brother, etc.) for the wedding. My best friend came for a few days before the wedding and my husband came out for the wedding and the weekend. It was crazy but we had fun. Lots of running around and last minute stuff to do.

I had never been to Vegas and don't know if I'd go again other than to visit my brother. Everything is brown. I'm not much of a gambler and everything is so damn expensive. I'd rather go somewhere where there are musems and gallerys and history.

The wedding went off fine and now they are on their honeymoon!

Homesick Blues

Today I don't want to care. I want a new job where I'm not involved the petty office politics. I want a house that is mine. I want to be near the friends I can trust. I want my husband to be done with school.
Basically I want to go home. I don't want to live in this city anymore, I want my city back. I want my friends and family back. I want everything to be familiar like it used to be. I want the restaurants I love and the shops I know. I want to be able to get where I'm going in ten different ways. I want my doctors and my hairdresser, I even want my news stations back.
I used to believe that living one place was pretty much like living anywhere else, places to shop, places to go, roads and house. But it's not, not after you've lived in the same place for 31 years and then all of a sudden you move. I'm lost all the time and nothing is as good as the way we did it at home. I didn't even leave the state but still, it is not the same. When I was young I dreamed of the day I'd move away, and now all I think about is going back.
Today I just want to go home.