Coupon Binder....Done!!!!!

I finally finished my coupon binder!!!!!!!!!

I had been stuffing coupons into my tiny accordion folder and quickly ran out of room.

Here it is!

It's a dark denim 12 x 12 scrapbook binder I found for $7.48 (50% off!!) at Target.

The clear pocket pages were $2 per pack(60% off!!) at the craft store.

I used the same size card stock(I already had this) to place in each page.

I gave each category a different color.

The first page of pockets has my savings cards, notes, and restaurant coupons.

Next is the Expire section. All of these will expire within the next week.

Then we start the food coupons. They are all categorized.

Then I have the non food coupons categorized.

Then I have the misc. section of items like candy and vitamins

And the last page is for rebate forms and grocery fliers.

I still have to cut and put these in the binder!

For The Love of Band-Aids!!!!

I went to purchase some Band-Aids today with my stack of coupons thinking I would save 55 cents per box if that. WRONG!! I came across a special 'Rewards Card' 1/2 off price on NexCare Band-Aids. I have a rewards card and thought it was a great deal. Then I looked in my stash of coupons and found 4 $1 off ones! So, I got 4 boxes that are regularly $3.49 each for 75 cents each! Plus.......they each had 55 cent coupons attached (for future use), and I got a register receipt for $10 off my next $75 purchase! I was so shocked to get all of this for spending $3 on Band-Aids!!!

Home Schooling...The Saga Begins

I contacted the school board to find out the best time to send the Notice of Intent to Home School form. I was told to wait until the school year ends. Then she told me it would be a great time to choose a curriculum. She gave me the web address to the school boards book depository to choose books that the public school students use. I thought it would be a great idea for him to learn what his peers were learning. But, when I opened the 22o page catalog, I was soooooo overwhelmed! There are like 3 or 4 different authors for the same subject. So then I was thinking, who do I choose?????? Is author A better then author B? And why are there so many for one grade level???? UGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

So, I gave myself a headache and stopped looking!! I have 4 months to figure it out, and I refuse to stress over this. I am also looking into some Christian curriculum's as well. So, I know there are lots of choices, I just don't know which choice to pick!!!

Good Morning All!

This is the last week of March! I am hoping to get all my ironing done this week.

Here is today's TO DO list....

1. Call in husbands prescription refills
2. Unload dishwasher & wash another load
3. Vacuum house
4. Clean ceiling fans
5. Iron for at least half an hour
6. Clip coupons from Sundays paper
7. Make after school snack for son
8.Vacuum Car
9. Wash bed linens
10. Defrost whole chicken
11. Gather grocery bags to recycle at grocery store
12. If I have time after 1 -11, bathe all 3 dogs!!!

Spring Break Ending

As my sons spring break comes to an end, I am kind of sad. I genuinely enjoy spending time with him. We laugh, wrestle, and make fun of each other. He has always been a happy well balanced child. Don't get me wrong, he has those 'brain fart' moments, but 95% of the time he is great kid!

I am actually looking forward to home schooling him in the fall. We have purchased workbooks together for the summer. I am so glad he enjoys learning!

A child is a GIFT from God!!

Minister to others

Today I had the chance to minister to a woman who's husband just had heart surgery. She is one of my husbands clients. I do not know her well, but felt the need to help her. I have experienced my husband having 2 heart surgeries in the last 4 years and felt the need to share my knowledge with her.

It started yesterday when we went to the hospital to sit with her through the surgery. When we couldn't find her we asked a nurse if she had been there. The nurse said she was too nervous to wait through the 7 hour surgery. We called her at home, and basically invited ourselves to her house to help comfort her. After about an hour I offered to drive her to the hospital Thursday morning and stay with her as long as she needed me.

So this morning she called and said she definitely wanted me to go with her. I picked her up and told her it was completely normal to be nervous, and scared. I also tried to prepare her for how her husband might look right after surgery with all the tubes.

We got to the hospital and I could tell she was getting more nervous. I just kept telling her it was ok, and that he will be fine. I went over some post surgical info with her while the nurses were taking his breathing tube out, and tried to reassure her he will be ok. She went in to see him and spent about 45 minutes in his room. I got caught up on phone calls in the waiting area, and didn't even notice how much time had gone by.

After we left the hospital, she thanked me for going with her and for helping to prepare her to see her husband after surgery. It was such a good feeling and a huge relief knowing that I could share what I had gone through to help her.

I have often wondered why God had me endure 2 heart surgeries with my husband. It's an emotional roller coaster, and not something I want to do again. I have also wondered what I would do with the knowledge I had. Today I found out! And I am happy for it! I have been waiting for God to use me, and today he did! What a great feeling!!

Lesson learned: That God will use you in all areas of life. It doesn't have to be about quoting scripture, or bringing someone to know Jesus. It can just be about being there when someone needs you. God put me there today, and I thank him for it!

Giving Food To Those In Need

My sister in law gave me a book around Valentines Day called 'Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom'. I have chosen this as my March book. There are a lot of great ideas about how to use coupons to save the most money. But, there is also a chapter on giving food to the needy. The author shows ways to use coupons to purchase food for pennies or free to give to the needy.

Last August, when my husband had his 2nd heart surgery, money was very tight. We lived on what we had in our savings account and tried to live by the bare minimum. By November my husband was in the hospital again having a pacemaker implanted to keep his heart pumping, and we were broke. Thanks to our church, we had food for Thanksgiving and beyond.

I think it is important to help those in need. There are people that are hard working, but have something tragic happen that changes everything. There are single parents working to keep a roof over their children's heads, and there just isn't enough money for food at the end of the week. There are elderly people who just aren't getting enough social security to help pay all their bills.

So, I have chosen to place the items I purchase at ridiculously low prices or free in a box for the needy. There is a food mission about 10 minutes from my house that it will go to when I fill it with much needed items.

Our church helped us in our time of need, and now I can help someone in their time of need. It's a good feeling passing on the favor!

I encourage everyone who reads this to do the same!!

Friday Pictures!!

This yellow daisy has been on my mind for a whole year!

My husband planted it 2 years ago for our anniversary.

Last spring I thought for sure it would bloom. NOT!

It has finally bloomed and is absolutely beautiful!

Good things come to those who wait!
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We purchased a new fryer from a coworker for $25!!

They are expensive, so we couldn't pass it up at that price.

I however should have passed up offering to cook the chicken!!

This is my feeble attempt at frying chicken! It was way over done.
I never said I could cook! I just said I do cook! There is a difference!!
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My little 4 x 6 coupon binder just can't hold any more!

I just purchased these scrapbook pocket pages.

I am making a 12 x 12 scrapbook type holder.

I will post pictures when I have it all together!
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More Coupon Savings!!

I went to my favorite store today(Target) looking for bargains, and I scored again!! With my coupon binder in the cart, I looked up and down the aisles for bargains. I found deodorant on clearance! Not the brand I usually use, but not the cheapest brand either. I checked my binder for a coupon, and found 4 of them for $1.00 off! So, here are the totals:

Regular price each: $2.24
Clearance price each: $1.12
Less $1.00 Coupon each: $0.12 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got 4 deodorants for a total of $0.48 plus tax!

Dollars Saved: $8.48
Percentage Saved: 94% !

What a thrill it is to save money on these every day things!

Get $3 at Office Depot

I found out that Office Depot will give you a $3 coupon for every empty printer ink cartridge you turn in to them. You don't have to fill anything out either! You just walk up the the register and give them the cartridges. They scan a little UPC code and the register pops out a $3 coupon for each one!!! You can us 1 coupon per purchase per day. And they don't expire!

I turned in 5 yesterday and used one of the coupons today. I purchased a box of envelope and a box of paperclips. Price before coupon was $3.51. After coupon I paid $0.30!!! What a deal! I knew I was holding on to the cartridges for a reason!! I have 2 more to turn in this weekend!!

The Coupon Strategy

The art of couponing is being taught all over the web. Of course grocery store checkout clerks are stunned when someone purchases hundreds of dollars worth of food and only pays fifty bucks!! I have been fortunate enough to find a great group of online women that use coupon strategies to save 40% to 90% off their regular grocery bills.

I tried their strategy and this is how it went:

I gathered my grocery store fliers for the 3 local competing stores and found items I usually purchase. I looked in my coupon folder for coupons to use with the items on sale. I actually found all at 1 store and saved big time!

I purchased 6 items totaling $16.49 before coupons. With my rewards card savings and coupons I saved a total of $15.75! So, my purchase price for the 6 items... $0.56!!!! Yes, you read that right, 56 cents!! And they are all items I will use. Some are brands I usually don't buy, but at about 9 cents per item, I am willing to try them! So, percent saved on this trip to store....96%!!!!!!! I can live with that!!

I was kind of a skeptic when I was reading how these moms were saving lots of money on groceries. So, I have proven to myself that with some research it can be done! I will gather the new fliers this week and try it again on Friday! I will post my results this weekend!

Good Morning!

It has been a rough couple of weeks and I know I have been behind on posting. I have been busy with the newest member of our family! She needed a home and my heart just couldn't say no!


She is an almost 2 year old Chihuahua with lots of energy! We have had her for 2 weeks now, and have had to 'potty' train her and get out the little quirks that made her undesirable to her 2 previous families.

I am back to my regular schedule, so I will post again tomorrow. I am know going to tackle that pile of never ending shirts that need to be ironed!!

Good Morning!!

Good morning all! We have been working on the house the last few days, and I haven't had the time to post. We put a new bathroom counter and sink in the master bath, a new faucet in the kitchen, and cleaned up our porch for the new patio set we purchased. I think we are done for a while. It is very exhausting lifting these heavy things! Who new a bathroom sink weighed so much!!!

I am back to my daily chores! I am behind again, as usual!! My biggest pile is the Iron pile! I think I'm about 3 weeks behind! I have been frantically ironing the pieces needed on a daily basis. I hope to cut the stack in half by the end of the day. The key word being hope!!!

I will post pictures later in the week.

Friday Pictures on Saturday...again!!

While I was at my parents house last week, I stumbled upon these two beautiful creatures in the backyard!
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This lizard watched us finish the fence on Sunday. He watched for several hours!!
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I have been looking for a chalkboard for homeschooling in the fall.

I have been shocked by the prices. So, I decided to make my own!

I purchased the board and paint at Home Depot for about $9.

(The paint cost more than the board!!)

It only took 10 minutes to do 2 coats of paint.

The cheapest large chalkboard I could find in a store was $25!!!

$16 dollars saved!!! Oh....and my son loves it!!

It's March!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy March!! I can't believe 2 months of the year have past.

I am sorry I have been away for a few days. There was an emergency with one of my family members and I had to devote my time to my family. I also got behind on my chores...big time!

Today I am going to attempt to get caught up, I am fairly certain there will still be lots to accomplish tomorrow!

Today's To Do:
Wash Dishes
Wash Linens
Dust Appliances
Mop Kitchen & Bathroom Floor
Vacuum House
Clean Bathrooms
Iron Clothes