If it's free...

then it is for me right? That is a motto that most couponers have.

I was very excited when I got my mail today. Nothing makes me more giddy then a good mail day. OK, I am sure there are some, but it does make me giddy.

Moving on, I had a FANTABULOUS mail day.

7 free item coupons (one is actually missing from the pic. sorry) and a Womans Day magazine that I got for free. Nice right?

Well, as I kept looking through my stack of mail, there was one that caught my eye. Just because it's free...I think I am going to have to say no to this one...

coupons 101

PT 2.

Have you been collecting your coupons? Getting them from the paper, magazines, printing them off....

Good. Now that you have a nice collection going on, where are you putting them? Are they tossed in a basket? In a plastic bag?

Unfortunatley, that is not the best place to keep them. I previously posted how I organize my coupons, and I do the binder system. Personally, I love it. I really, really do.

So I am going to take the lazy easier way out and...just leave you with a link to that post. If you have any questions though, feel free to shoot 'em my way!

Original post can be found here

dinner & stockpiles

Last week our family had something going on EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. By the time Friday rolled around, I practically glued my bum to my couch. Seriously. I was exaughsted. Not moving was the only thing that sounded good!

However, I got a nice reminder phone call that I had volunteered to drop dinner off to the missionaries from my church. But can I tell you the wonderful thing about having a stockpile of food in your house? It is a lot easier to throw a meal together.

Here is what they got for dinner, and I didn't go to the store for ANY of it.

A Safeway frozen entree that I got on sale for $6.99 (Sometimes I cringe at paying that much for a family sized entree, but that is a lot cheaper then taking my whole brood out to dinner!)

a pint of strawberries cut up and put in a ziploc container. The strawberries were on sale 2 for $3 (gotta love livin' in CA!) The container was pennies after sale and coupon. So I don't mind if I never get it back!

a bag of steamed brocoli (that also went into a ziploc container)

We made sugar cookies and than frosted them

I also put a 2 liter of soda in for them

Not too bad right? They sure looked excited when I dropped it off! (:

So when a friend is sick, or has just had a baby, a woman with 5 kids whose husband is deployed...I mean uhm, you know someone who could just use a break. Look into your stockpiles and see what you can find. I am sure it will be much appreciated!

Vons

I have been having some pretty annoying computer problems lately. That is why I have had a complete lack of posts. I have a total love/hate relationship with technology.

So I haven't been doing a whole lot of shopping lately. There is only one reason...I had baskets full of clipped coupons. Not filed, just clipped and thrown in a basket. Not the best way to find what you need to match with a sale, know what I mean?!

I finally sat down and got to work. It took me hours. I don't want to scare you off of couponing, but seriously it took me hours, to get everything sorted and filed. But now that I am done, I feel soooo much better. Do yourself a favor, don't get behind!!

Once my binder was all purty again, I very quickly headed out to Vons for a quick trip.

Since it had been a while since I actually grocery shopped, I was out of a few things and so that upped my total oop. Total spent :$97

(This picture is missing 4 twelve packs of pop and 10 powerades. They go in the garage and I didn't feel like hauling them all into the house, take a picture, and then bring them back out. Call me lazy!)

kids

Ahhh my babies  big kids know me so well. They know that Mom isn't going to buy anything unless it meets at least one of these criteria:

*sale
*clearance
*coupon
*discount

of course I prefer more than one of those at a time.

Ethan came up to me the other day, and asked, "Mom are you going to buy us a yearbook this year?"

Now, I did not buy one last year. My kids, being military brats, didn't even attend a full year at their last school. I also feel that a yearbook for elementary school? Seriously? But since Ethan has been staying after school every Wed. for an hour and a half to work on said yearbook, I said ok.

Then he hits me with, "MOM, you are going to want to preorder in February because than you get $10 off of the purchase price."

(He also enjoys .10 Banquet pies!)

They can be taught!!

AAAGH!

 I have had many people request for help with learning to coupon and saving money. I started a new blog to do just that. But it was starting to get a little complicated going back and forth. As if my life wasn't complicated enough right.

So...because I am sure no one is confused yet (lol) I am hoping that the 3rd time is a charm. So this is now my ONE AND ONLY BLOG...ok besides my family one that is seriously behind. Most of my friends and followers know me from here so this is where I stay.

Seriously, thanks for staying with me. I hope that someday, I won't be such a flake. But until then...

the cost of disorganization

(the face of Autism, isn't it cute?)

(Me with my Ivan)

(falling asleep in the recliner is not the best way to stay on a schedule!)

One week has passed. Can I tell you that I really haven't accomplished much over my bloggy break? I keep wondering why I don't have any motivation...to do anything at all!

My dishes are stacked in the sink, I have loads of clothes waiting to be put away, floors that need mopping...and yet, I watch tv, mess around on the computer or nap. I do have kids to take care of but...they are at the age when it isn't a 24/7 hands on job.

We have been back to school for almost 2 weeks now. It has been rough on all of us getting back into the swing of things. But...

my 5 (6 in a couple of weeks) yr old has struggled the most. This kid is adorable. He has beautiful brown eyes, a great sense of humor, gives the best kisses, wears his hat everywhere (even to bed!) loves anything that is red. He also has Autism.

This means that he thrives on routine and schedule. This is something he hasn't had basically since Thanksgiving. Days off from school, traveling, staying up later, waking up later, no rush to go anywhere...it is taking its toll.

When I checked my email this morning, I had an email from his teacher listing all of the things he has done this week...so far. I asked her to do this, so I can help work with him at home, but it really is not easy getting those emails.

To make this not so short story, shorter, it all comes down to one thing. The cost of disorganization. My disorganization, is costing me in many ways.

1) Actual $$- I have had to replace items that have been lost, pay for the repair of items at the last minute, paying for organizational products...
2) Mentally: my SANITY. Seriously. When things don't work out the way I want (controlling much?) I get frustrated. I get irritable. I lose my patience...and unfortunatley my temper.
3)Emotionally (although similar to mentlly): all of the above causes a lot of tears. And is draining.
4)physically: I am always tired. I am an emotional eater and so emotionally drained + physically tired = pizza & oreos

I need to get myself together. Not just for me. But for him. He needs his world to be in order...and I am going to do it. For both of us...