Coffee Party

18 days until the Grand National Green Mountain Coffe and Keurig Party. The coffee is ordered, the cups ar clean, the napkins are in waiting... and I can't wait, I'm going to brew myself a cup of fresh, hot esppresso blend right now. (mental note: order more coffee :-)... again :-) It's delicious!

humm not very motivated lately...

It's ALL Ways a learning curve...

EVERYDAY in couponing is a learning experience! I used to use a little accordian coupon holder, now I use a full size Foray binder/attache/portfolio kind of thing. HOWEVER... If I could have learned *this* lesson first I would have sure appreciated it!! Keep your receipts organized from the begining! As you can see by the picture, I have a big pile of 3 months worth of receipts that I now what to itemize and add up... *sigh* I think I'll make that number 1 for now.

1. When you are ready and start saving, Organize your coupons from the start. Envelopes with the dates and even better the store they are from and the date. So I would have 4 envelopes for each month. One for Homeland (DOUBLE COUPONS!), one for Walgreens (You can stack 2 coupons here for XX savings), one for the other grocery stores I got to and... uhm I guess one for everywhere else. Khol's, Gas, Eating out... Is there anything else?

	UPDATED today 03/26/2009 at 3:51 pm... I've calculated 2 months, one store... and here are the totals... this store doubles coupons to $1.00. March 2009 $142.32 Manufacturer Coupons (inserts & internet printed) $76.80 Bonus Coupons (the coupons my store doubles) $205.75 One Card Saving (sales/savings you get w/ the store card) $424.86 TOTAL Saved (Coupons, store coups, 1 card sav) $404.78 Total Spent (excluding taxes that equaled $109.90) 50.60% TOTAL % SAVED $829.64 Would have paid no coupons, no bonus card and no sales.
	Febuary 2009 $335.28 Total $ Saved $380.08 Total Spent 45.33% Total % Saved $715.36 Would have paid January 2009 coming soon...

Adding up my savings...

OK so adding up the coupons & savings has turned out to be more than a one day job for this OCD personality. I was just going to add the the savings, figure the percent saved and leave it at that. No, I found out quickly yesterday that I needed to seperate them according to stores, then into months. I'm taking the tax out of the final equation (since I can't really control that!!) but I will keep a tax tally.

I have noticed that the last 2 pay checks there is more $$ left in the bank the day before payday... used to it may have been hit or miss. After groceries for a family of 5+ sometimes there may not have been a lot of black left on the bottom line. Now thanks to coupons, stockpiling and a bit of dedicated time our bottom line is growing!

I'm going now to add up my savings to date for Jan, Feb, & March.


So while you're waiting for my savings post, I thought I'd give you a peek into my pantry... It may look like over kill to some, but I support a family of 5+ on a budget and couponing and stockpiling has enabled me to meet my family's needs, exceed their wants and something new to us... put money in the bank AFTER groceries. Here's a couple of things to think about while you are looking at my stockpile. I didn't pay over a dollar for any of the vitamins, Excederin or other pain aid in the picture and about half were FREE! The laundry soap, about $1.25 a bottle! Toothpaste anywhere from .50 to FREE a tube. I don't know how much shampoo or conditioner is in the picture but I have many bottles FREE and a few .50 or less... When this picture was taken I was still in my first 12 weeks of stockpiling. This is 2 days, 2 trips to Walgreens each day for a combined total of about $80 out of pocket... The vitamins up front would cost that alone.

My New Single Cup Coffee Maker... it's a Keurig and I love it!!!
The Coffee is all so a great find, if you like full bodied, rich coffees, Green Mountain Coffee is for you! The have a very extensive line of Extra Bolds (my favorite is the espresso blend, tied for 2nd is the Kenya AA you see here and all so the Samatran.

UPDATED on 3/26/09 I forgot to mention yesterday that this coffee pot, the Keurig Elite, is the one that I recieved FREE. Deena, How did you do that, you ask? I signed up at a website called houseparty.com

. I got choosen to host a Coffe Party at my home, April 18, and because of that, I got the Keurig & some coffee FREE! I will also recieve a FREE party package closer to the Latte Day (That's what I'm calling my open house coffee party day). Not only did I recieve this awesome single cup brewer FREE, but it's the second coffee pot this year that I've recieved FREE. The other machine is a very nice coffee pot. I recieved it FREE from Gevalia This one you can get FREE too with the price of about $9.99+s&h that came out to be about $14, you get a $100 coffee pot, some awesomely rich coffee (think Starbucks not Folgers). Then after you recieve your coffee machine and coffee you are welcome to either keep your membership which is a direct delivery option for the coffee. Or you can cancel the membership no questions asked... It really is worth it. If you are an avid coffee drinker like hubby and me or you just like an occassional sip of joe, shouldn't it be the best possible drink?

Went to Mardel's today...

I bought 8 various curriculum books for the girls, 3 of which were on sale 1/2 price. Can't beat bargin shopping even when you're not planning on it. I paid for the books with my rebate card from T-mobile so no out of pocket money there... Fun Fun Fun! Then it was off to lunch T-mobile bought that, too. After I ate... went to WalM to get puppy pads, I couldn't get out of there fast enough, it's a weird place wally world. Oh yea, T-moblie bought them too. Stopped by Walg reens, even though I said I wasn't going to, but I had to spend my register coupon for my FREE bottle of Irish Spring bath wash... T-moblie paid my tax on that .32 and the card was done, it's served it's time, it treated me well, now I slide it through the shredder in remeberance of a nice FREE day, thanks to my phone provider :-).

Don't forget to send those rebates in, they are money in the bank. When we switched to T-mobile, we got two phones (Blackberry Curve for D & a Samsung Behold for me) FREE plus we got a $100 rebate card for EACH phone $$$. My new favorite word is *rebate*. The reason why I've never sent in rebates before totally escapes me! But I'm getting my March Walg reen's rebate form ready now, I think it will be around $30-$40.

Sales, Coupons, Rebates, Oh my! I *heart* a good deal!!!

Hummm...

I got the vacuum containers yesterday, ripped into them just like I said... Christmas every time I see the mail lady getting out of her mail-mobile or I hear UPS hurling down the street... opened the box, started unwrapping, they are just as neat as I thought they would be. I can hardly wait to get them washed and start storing *stuff* in them. My hopes are that I love them so much that I have to order more... would love to have a organized storage area with everything possible in airtight containers... well I'm on my way.

I went shopping yesterday, again. Bought some really good things, got even more really cheap or even better FREE!! At the grocery last night I saved $82.84 for a savings of 61%! I all ways get a huge jolt of excitement when my saved $$ is larger then my out of pocket$$ . At the drugstore yesterday, got 6 bottles of Garnier Shampoo & Conditioner FREE! A few more things that either came out free after coupons or will be FREE after the mail in rebate. I roughly figured up the rebates that 'm going to be mailing in, will get approximately $30 back, plus they give an extra 10% when you choose to get your rebate back on their store card... HECK yea, $3 is $3.

Yesterday while I was at the grocery checking out, the cashier started talking coupons with me and the cashier behind me... they were talking about what a good deal they were. They both said that they need to start *doing coupons*. Ask where I get the majority of mine, a few more seconds of small talk... and I became on the inside *lol* they started talking (nicely) about how some couponers come in with a bit of a mean attitude and get snooty with them if the register doesn't ring up the coupons like the customer thinks they should... They both said, a couple of regulars that come are so into the coupon deals that the coupon ladies confuse them trying to convince them the register should be doing something else... *LOL* They were both talking about it in a pretty light hearted manner... My cashier said that he understands the frustration that people trying to save money have, but he can only do so much between the register and his manager... You may be wondering, How the heck long was I in line? How much product did I have or how slow was the cashier? Well I had a cart all most full, the cashier wasn't slow at all, he was pretty efficient and talked to me a little. (Which is nice, sometimes I'm not sure if the cashier can talk or not.) The reason I was there so long, or what seemed long anyway, he's ringing up items, I'm sacking (I all ways do, better than just standing there), he starts ringing in coupons. This is what *started* the coupon discussion. He gets about half way through with the coups and the register freezes up and shuts down... *LOL* He calls a manager and we take ALL of my things over to another register and re-ring everything back up... Luckily I was his first coups of the day so he didn't have to sort through any... He apologized a few times, I told him NO problem, I didn't have anything to do (I didn't need to tell him I was going to two Wag reens and back here that evening LOL), I was also sure to tell him that the fact He didn't get upset and took it lightly made much less stressful. Speaking of customers... While all of this was going on... there was 2 assistant mgrs talking on the phone w/ the register peeps, unplugging things ect... 2 customers walk up and start yelping at the mgr (that is down on the floor under the register) that there is a case expired back there, what was the mgr going to do about it?! The mgr asked, "What is it? The man barked back "IT'S EXPIRED!"... I thought I was going to loose it, when I saw the mgr poke his head out from under the counter, upside down and look at that grouchy old man... it had to be one of the funniest expressions I have ever seen... they continued their conversation for a few seconds, the man walked off. The manager looked up at me and the cashier, with an exhausted look said "That guy is all ways getting up in my face, and I just can't take him right now. It's a big store, I can't take something off the shelf if I don't know what the product is that is expired!" he paused for a few, kept tinkering under the register, looked back out and said " and I still don't know."... I finally got finished, walked off thinking, boy I love my husband for giving me the opportunity to stay home with our children, home school, clip coupons, hang out at home, do laundry, heck even dishes... and I sure don't miss customer service!

Peace

<--- this is what I'm waiting for, I love to see UPS drive up... or the postal lady either one... It's like Christmas in March.

It's another subject but I can't believe it's been a year ago last month that I cut my toe. I dropped a chef's knife on my big toe, saw two doctors *err* that's another day. Took some messed up medicine, didn't wear a shoe or drive a car for a little over 6 months. Still can't bend the toe on it's own, but at least it's not numb or worse still hurting... well it does ache sometimes, not to much though. Considering that it throbbed for 7+ months, I'll take a few days of aching. Wow that's not that interesting, oh well, now you know. :-) Peace!

Monday is clip day, oh yea and I think I dreamed coupons...

So when I woke up this morning I had this weird feeling, like I had had an experience, or accomplished something (no not a full nights sleep), more like I have when I get a good buy or when I get home and start unloading the sacks of loot. Loot is what it feels like. I sometimes feel like I'm pulling one over on the store. THEN I remember that they are the ones that put the coupons out there and they are the ones that take them in Lu of the good ole $$. Then I feel all better and continue to shop and save. Anyway back to when I woke up and my euphoric start to the day. As I sat there for a couple of minutes, I remembered parts of my dream/s... I think that I dreamed COUPONS. That's kind of funny, if I don't think about it too long.

So yesterday I went to Wags (W algree ns) and got a really good deal, this week they have Blink Tears eye drops for FREE after the 8.00 register reward. The Blink is priced at 7.99, when you go to buy it, the register or rather the catalina (Catalina Category Marketing (CCM) rewards purchases of promoted products with “catalinas”, also known as “check-out coupons”. These offer incentives good on your next shopping trip to that retailer. There is usually a 4-week window on any given program/incentive promotion.), I just learned that term a couple of weeks ago... the catalina prints out a $8.00 coupon for your next visit! How cool is that?!

Then it was off to my local grocery store to use some $1 coupons, they all ways double them to a dollar... I Love them for that! There I saved 61% off my total! That's great but I want to get it up more... but I'll have to manage what I buy better, all ready I try to only buy things that are on sale & I have a coupon for. There a few things that you have to get but not many after you have been hard core couponing for a while and not a long while it only takes a few weeks to start building a stockpile and about 12 to have your stock nice an plump so then you just start cherry picking, another few terms that I've learned recently, *stockpile, cherry picking* stockpiling is obvilously building a stock of things you will use over the next 12+ weeks, cherry picking is once you have your stockpile where you want it, you only buy things weekly that you can't stock up on like produce, milk... all though I have also learned that you Can indeed stock up on dairy if you have a freezer milk, cheese and full fat yogurt all freeze well. The fat free yogurt freezes ok but after thaws it have a different texture to it. You may be able to fix it by giving it a good stir, but that I don't know. I'll have to try it next time I stock up on yogurt. It never stays around long enough to have a stock. Another thing that freezes well and I would have never guesses it is eggs... there's two ways you can freeze them, crack them, put them in ice trays, freeze, pop out and put in freezer bags (seal a meals are amazing gifts from above). This last week I read an article of a ladt that freezes them whole in the shell, she just makes sure to let them thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before you cook them up. This is all wonderful news to me, because my store have egglands best on sale this week & I have coupons... YEAHHH! They hardly ever have organic milk, produce or eggs on sale, I'm taking advantage of this one for sure.

I need to get busy doing some homeschooling with the kids... I was talking to my mom this morning and she asked me (in the middle of my *guess what good deals I got this weekend spill*) "Soooo what else have you been doing?" SO I suppose I really need to put the sissors down, step away from the coupons and get a little work accomplished :-). Right after I tell you one more thing... I so excited for the mail to run today. Last week I ordered my first coupons, I know, I know... but I couldn't help it, I needed to try it so I could tell you about it... right? LOL
The website is very easy to manuver around, you only pay a small handling fee, shipping costs (.50 I think it was) and then another small cost I think it was .50 also... So I paid a total of $18 (I think) for a face value of $115 and doubled at my store it'll be more like $230+... the way I figure it, if I take off the $18 it cost to get the coupons, and say I end up not using $22 dollars worth of the coupons they will still save me around $190 take or give a little... That's good cash to me.