Day 17 - I see the light!!!!

As the month goes by - I feel as though I am turning this no spend month into a lotta lessons learned month. I am getting more coupon savvy and figuring things out - I think :/ So - maybe I should just think of this month as a re-wiring of my brain in the money department. I am super excited about what I accomplished today. I spent the better part of yesterday's evening going through all my coupons, going through this weeks ads and organizing  for today's shopping trip. I went to Walmart at 9:00 thinking there would be no one there that early on a Monday. I get there and I look around at all the people and suddenly it comes to me - Martin Luther King Day!!! I had my Mom with me armed with her shopping cart and encouragement so we forged forward anyway. I shopped deals and had BOGO's and brought my ads of things on sale much lower than Walmart had them and then had coupons for those items. I purchased (after the coupon specialist at Walmart was done with me :) over $200 for $84... I was so proud of myself and then it comes to me - I would have been given money back if I had had my doublers. I was so geeked that I figured it out. All that I purchased would have been FREE!!!!!! This is how they do it! I missed the doublers last week - so I am still trying to figure out how to score those puppies - major! So MY Friends... with time and effort- it can be done. My next challenge will be to score all of my purchase for free or very very little. I did have a few expensive items in there to - but needed em... (I had a coupon for them though) Happy Day! Oh and CJ, finally got Taylor's car fixed today - YAY... went to the Jalopy Jungle and got all the parts he needed for both his and Taylor's vehicle for $23 bucks! I think he is getting on board - nah... but I'll take what I can get!

FYI... Free appetizer from the Chilis website and Del Taco has a free Taco Deluxe on the website. Edible Arrangements has a $25 edible arrangement for $10 this week... 

At the end of my long day today - Life Is Still Sweet! -

Day 15 - 15 to go...

It has been a few days since I have blogged. I have been trying to pull myself out of of the self pity stage of "why us"... I am facing the cold hard facts that most of America lives within their means and sometimes over their means. I am finding that I am definitely making wiser choices and changing my spending habits. I have not bought anything out of  personal  wants but like I said life just has a way of happening and taking your money if you have it. I have my coupons ready to go and think I will wait until Monday morning after the Sunday paper comes out to see if there are anymore great deals. I am kind of bummed because evidently Albertsons just puts out the doublers at random. I missed them this week because by the time I realized they were out - every store was sold out of that paper. I guess I will have to subscribe to the daily paper so I  do not miss those again... I found out my cousin lives near a recycling plant so we are going to check into that and see if we can come and get the inserts from the papers... Yay - free coupons! Hopefully that works the way I want it to! Dumpster diving...it's only paper in the dumpster but that is definitely a new thing for me ... Way out of my comfort zone...but well worth it if it works out!
Happy Weekend - Life Is sweet :)

Day 11... Treading Water...

Well Well Well... Life truly is no respecter of persons. I did not blog yesterday just for the shear fact I ran around all day. It started Sunday with both CJ and Taylor's vehicles coming down with illnesses. So, to no avail they are still not fixed and I spent the entire day running my peeps to and fro and trying to figure out the car situation. Just when I thought I had it all figured out - my little Chi dog Rico has an overwhelming need to be expressed, don't ask,  but a Vet is involved! Since I can't exactly loop the cars and the dog under grocery, I will have to now put a life's little emergencies category with bills, food, and gas under the exceptions of the "no spend month." I have not made it to Walmart to scope out the deals. Hoping to get back on track very soon. I am still excited about learning the coupon thing. I know this would be a sweet life style change if I can make the connection and put the time and effort to make the change. So, here's to life - I do believe at the end of my day through all of its ins and outs - Life Is Still Sweet... I am so grateful for the country I live in and the simple freedoms I enjoy everyday...

Day 9 - and barely hanging on

I am back after a day off yesterday. It was my honey's b-day and so I decided to leave the blogging behind for the day. Well... I have to say that he is not into my "no spend month" at all. We had a movie card so I thought I was safe when he suggested we go to the movies! We did not take my younger son so I really thought I would be safe just getting in the movie without all the junk that usually accompanies the movies. NOT... Taylor (my 15 yr. old) insisted on a pretzel and CJ a large coke and then I said to heck with this and got coffee for me and my mom-in-law. It was CJ's b-day and so I guess I can loop it in to his B-day present. Did not even think about birthdays when figuring out the no spend month. My mom got tickled when I told her about the  movies and we both got a good laugh today when I told her I am finding myself  "looping" stuff under groceries! Life is what it is and I am doing very well at not spending like I normally do. It is teaching me patience and really weighing if I need something or if I just want it. Oh to live in a simpler time and age...
I spent the afternoon going through the ads and coupons - trying to figure out what we need and what is on sale. I have decided to go to Walmart tomorrow armed with my notepad and look up and down the aisles at what is on sale and what good prices are on what items and them come home and compare them to my coupons. Then I think I will list everything out with the coupons and go from there. I need to at least look like I know what I am doing when I actually go to purchase my items! That's is my compulsive need for organization kicking in as well. We will see what this week has in store - literally!

Life IS Sweet!!!!!

Day 7 TGIF

Today was a good day after I worked through my anxiety.... I was really discouraged as I walked the aisle of Walmart armed with my coupons looking for the good deals. I was in line paying for my items and struck up a conversation with the cashier. She was so nice. She totally filled me in on Walmart couponing. I never have to shop another store. That makes me happy because I am familiar with Walmart prices and their stock. I found out they take Albertsons doublers and you can stack coupons there to. Yay!!! I was way encouraged to continue on and figure this out. Happy Friday (night).

Life Is Still Sweet... TGIF

Day 6

Today was eventful - the central vac guy came and unclogged us fo freee!!!! That's the best deal of all - something for free... This is such a new concept to me as I usually think it is my duty to give our money away to anyone and everything - like I am the personal supplier of business for everyone. BUT - inevitably life happens and Taylor's car is on the fritz... We did find out the part will cost $30 instead of $300 as it would have been if it were an automatic. So I could look at it as we saved $270... somehow it makes it better - at least it sounds better! Found out today that we got $1300 of dental work for $195 and all because we referred some peeps to this wonderful dentist (and insurance of course)! I am gearing up for this weekends ads and coupon extravaganza. The boys are hatin life because I have recruited them to sort after I clip. I have never seen my kitchen cleared out faster than when I pull out the 6 papers on Sunday! Hmmm... Maybe I am on to something there. LOL... Oh... I almost forgot. It is so important to get on every rewards system for every store you think you may shop. I missed a great opportunity today because I am not a Babies R US (who'd a thought) rewards member. But now I will be since my brother and sister in law are having a baby in April and I could have cashed in on a super diaper deal today. We are talking like $3.50  for huge packs of Organic diapers with the manufacturer coupon and special. Missed opportunity but I am learning! Next time!!!!!!! Thank God it is not my house hold in need of diapers! I am biting my own tongue! LOL

Life Is Still Sweet!

Day 5 and still on the wagon...

This "no spending month" seems to get a little easier as the days go by. I say that now until the weekend gets here and the boys are asking to go somewhere or to do something we traditionally do on the weekends that usually involves spending money - Ugh... I looked at the ads again today to gear up for the weekend and it can really be overwhelming trying to save money at the grocery store. I wish there was a magical formula that just works for this couponing thing. I am beginning to believe it is just hard work plus a lot of luck on finding the sale items to use your coupons. If anyone has any suggestions - by all means do share! I am trying very hard to re-wire my brain into knowing that it is okay to find a deal, use a coupon, wait for a sale... 

I have started to train to run a 5K with my cousin this May. I hoping to gain an entire new perspective on life this year. This is gonna be painful...probably more painful than changing my spending habits... However, re-evaluating my spending habits and my health is a great place to gain this new perspective! 

Life Is STILL Sweet!

Day 4 :)

I am on the ball today! Went through my coupons yesterday and found that Albertson's had published their "doublers"- WooHoo... I have been debating all morning about what to do. I have found all of these great deals and tons of savings to be saved but my grocery money is not available until tomorrow. For anyone who knows me - finding it within in me to not just take money from where it is not suppose to be taken from is HUGE! I had $30 in my purse and thought I would go to Albertson's and see what kind of damage I could do with $30 bucks. All but one of my purchases was a great deal with my doublers. I am not real familiar with Albertson's prices and have learned to NOT buy the Toaster Strudels again from there unless they are having a screaming deal. Even with my Toaster Strudel hiccup I spent $20.32 and came out with some great deals. I spent $5.29 at Walgreen's and got a buy one get one free laundry detergent. So I spent $25.60 and would have spent close to $60 without my coupons. I will be more knowledgeable in my prices for items before I go in again! I am going to try and put a pic on of my first ever all coupons shopping trip. Hoping to do even better next time. Trial and error...Divide and conquer... Maybe by this time next year I will have great hauls to share!

Life Is Sweet!

Day 3

Monday... What to do...Just kidding. I spent the afternoon going through my mountain of newspapers ads and coupons for the week to see what I could get for free or really cheap at the grocery store. I am a little overwhelmed at the entire couponing process but I have high hopes that I will catch on. C'mon...if the Krazy Coupon gals can get $648 worth of groceries for $2.38 - I can do it to. I love a challenge. One couponers haul included 1000 boxes of cereal and he paid nothing - $0 - for them. I believe He donated them to his church food bank. How nice to be able to do that. Maybe one day!
 I called Central Vac to see what we needed to do for "the clog" and we are still under warranty...Yay. I guess you don't know these things if you don't check it out. So no money spent and it is a technicians headache now - not ours :) This vac clog is giving me a great excuse to put off cleaning until Friday! Cleaning and vacuuming go hand in hand. Well - the day is over and I look forward to what tomorrow brings. Hopefully the deals I found will work out tomorrow and I can earn my first bragging rights. Wish me luck :)

Life Is Sweet!

Day 2 of My No Spending Month

Well...Happy Sunday! It started off with my daily ritual. Get up. Get my cup of coffee. Go to the computer. Check email. Check FB. However - now I have added a new morning check-in ... The Krazy Coupon Lady! I love love love these gals. And my how they can work it. To never have to pay money (or very little) again for the things we use daily and things that take a big chunk out of the grocery budget is like the pot of gold at the end of any woman's budget. I found myself clicking on the add it to my cart for the book they wrote, and then stopped myself as I went to check out. I am so programmed to just do these things. Wow... just when I was proud of myself for re-grouping, I then realized that my printer is totally out of ink and remembered that CJ told me last night the Central Vac is clogged and locked up tight. Life - it happens :/ So - I've decided to wait until next month to purchase ink. I am going to check the Library for the book I want (thanks Carla for the idea) and CJ will have to find some kind of plumbers snake to try and unclog the vac system.  Other than my morning urge to purchase the book and printer ink, the rest of the day was filled with church, lunch at Mom's, and a visit to my cousins with good conversation over coffee. I did not even think about a Starbucks on the way to her house - that is a milestone in itself. I guess I will just have to tackle each day one day at a time and remember that at the end of the day Life is still Sweet!

January - No Spending Month

I have to dedicate this entire months blog to my cousin and one of my major Besties  - Carla.  She has inspired me to sign on for this No Spending Month (you can only spend money on food, gas and bills...) and then I inspired myself to blog about it openly. I am currently a student of Learning How to be Frugal and to really appreciate the things in life that are free. LOL! We spent most of today recovering from staying up until 2am with family and the kids. Had a great New Years. I did not have time to think about spending any money today. While I am sitting here writing - the hubby comes in and says "Lets go to a movie"... Hmmm...Not sure he is signed on to this philosophy yet...  Well - I am committed and will fore-go my Starbucks indulgences and frivolous spending for the month and hope it is catchy for the remaining 11 months! Oh and we are NOT going to the movies :) I am looking forward to this challenge as well as all the challenges I am sure to embrace in this new year. Happy New Year Everyone!

At the end of the day - Life is still sweet