Couponing 101 - a tutorial - part 2

Ok, I told ya I was gonna get to it. Now I'm gettin to it. I sure hope that you have been learning the lingo.
Now on with Couponing 101 - a tutorial - part 2...

Since you are now savvy and can talk the talk, let's see if you can walk the walk.

I visit a couple of websites that I get info from. I visit them from time to time almost every day to get helpful hints. I'll be sharing the links to them here with you.

On Sunday our local newspaper has what is called "inserts" in them. These "inserts" can be anything from sale papers to advertisement to COUPONS. Yeah - you read it right - COUPONS.

You need to buy at least 4 newspapers on Sunday that have COUPONS in them. It's gonna cost you less than $10 but you will save so much more than that.

This is going to allow you to stock pile your coupons. I love to use coupons at Publix because you can stack the coupons. Here is an example...now you gotta remember this...

Every week Publix has BOGO
Use 2 coupons on both items

If you have a competitor coupon for the same item then you can also use 2 competitor coupons. That would give you 2 coupons per item.

Before you run off, let me see if I can break it down a little better.

Publix BOGO
Smithfield Bacon, 16oz @ $3.99
let's say that you have this...
-$2 off Smithfield Bacon printable

You would print 2 of those coupons (or more if you could), because you can use 2 coupons on them. You use a coupon for the one you buy and a coupon for the one you get free. You 2 coupons together is for $4 and the bacon cost $3.99 for 2 packs. Now you just got 2 packs of bacon free with 1 cent overage. Did you see FREE for 2 packs of bacon?!


It really is so much better explained over at this website...

Now...when was it

I get so darn busy sometimes that I just can't think straight. It seems like sometime back, I said I was going to get all of my coupon stuff put on here. I need it all here so I don't have to run all over the internet looking for it. Now I'm studying from my Teachers Guide, no, not coupons but Vacation Bible School. Yes, I'm teaching! I am so excited. Today I found my helper in church. This lady loves to laugh and so do I. Oh it's gonna be a blast.

Now...when was it. Oh yeah, almost a week ago I ask you all to stay tuned because links were coming to help you save some money. Well, maybe not really save but spend less and get more. Yeah! I like that.

Ok - check out the side bar for links that will help you get more and spend less. I'm updating them as I go to them and remember them. Eventually they will all be there.

I know, I know

I still have to post pictures. I haven't forgot! Today I had some errands to run. Yes, again! Last week I had to go here and go there and blah, blah, blah. This week is turning out the same way. Tomorrow...I'm taking it easy! Bible study in the am and a picnic with the boys at the springs and then swimming! Yeah!!!

I know, I know! I will get to it. I have a few extra pictures to share because today I stopped by Wal-Mart and I used over $40 worth of coupons. Thank you Lisa!

CVS for Newbies

We all know that I am really new to this whole shopping and getting things for almost free. Well I found out a little info about CVS that may help you. I was just browsing around and found it. Over at "i heart cvs" you can read more about it. Here is the link
i heart cvs
I think you will find some pretty neat info there if you are new to all this stuff like me.

I did it

I'm not joking! I did it! I am so excited. Oh, the boys - they are so ready to save, save, save...

Yesterday I had a few little things to do. I had to get the boys to the library because they have read everything in the house. No joke. My boys, yes, the same ones that HATE to read. Sssshhhh...don't tell anyone but I actually caught them all reading in the car yesterday.

After our little meeting on Saturday about saving and coupons and such, I have been thinking and discussing it with the boys and Superman. So...I thought that I would try it out while I was in the city. Here is what I did...

Campbell's soup regular price $1.39 a can.
I had a Walgreen's coupon for Campbell's soup $.59 a can.
I had a $1 off of 2 cans.

I paid 9 cents a can. Yes, $.09 a can.

Isn't that just AWESOME!

That is what the Coupon Queens call stacking. Stacking because I used 2 coupons on the same product.
Now get this. Some stores take their competitors coupons. Check with your local stores and see if they take other stores coupons.

I know it isn't like you have seen where some Coupon Queen goes in and buys $500 worth of stuff and pays only $.19 - but I'm getting there. Just one little step at a time!

Tigger Still Not Well

After a long weekend for us, I called the vet this morning to see how Tigger was feeling. Tigger is on a long road to recovery, if he actually recovers. The facts are hard and I am crying as I tell you this. Tigger did make it through the weekend. Tigger could go any time now. We all pray that he get better and stays with us for many more years.

Our vet has tried and tried to figure out what went wrong. In all reality, we really don't know.

On Wednesday we took him, Biscuit and Captain in to be fixed and declawed. Surgery went well with all of them. We brought all of them home on Thursday and they all just laid around sleeping and resting. Friday morning I noticed that Tigger was very lethargic and dehydrated. There was also some greenish liquid throw up on one of the carpet runners. I immediately called the vet and he suggested that we bring Tigger in for some fluids. Tigger stay all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We brought Tigger home today with all kinds of instructions and what to look out for.

The vet started asking me questions about house plants. I told him about a few that I have and he believes that Tigger may have eaten some of my Peace Lily. This may be what is causing his problem.
Possible liver damage.
We are just not sure. We know that he is still lethargic and dehydrated. Tigger is home with us now and I am giving him fluids all the time. He shows no interest in food or water. I am giving him Gatorade with a syringe.

Please keep Tigger in your thoughts and prayers.

No Place Like Home

There's no place like home. No matter how near or how far, there's no place like home.
Once again we take things for granted and just don't realize that our boys haven't experienced some of the most common things in life. Security is one of them. Having a place to call home and being able to actually go home. Missing someone or something and then finally seeing and being with them again.

All the way from the airport the boys kept saying they couldn't wait to get home and they were glad to be back in Florida. When we pulled up to our gate the boys jumped out of the car and were just full of excitement. We all grabbed bags from the car so that we could get it unpacked and get inside. MJ and JD kept asking if they could go over and get Mindy, Molly and Rocko. Once inside we sent them on their way to Granny Karen's to get Mindy, Molly and Rocko. Later, Granny Karen called me and told me all about the hugs that the boys gave the dogs. They missed the dogs and were really glad to see them. Our boys have never had a home to come home to or pets who missed them or anyone to miss them. Oh the love that they are feeling now.
MJ and JD ran into the house with Mindy and Molly in tow. It was loud and the boys and the dogs were jumping everywhere. So silly! Then they were all off to fine all the cats. Once everyone was found and hugs were given out things began to settle down.

WW, JD and MJ walked around the house checking things out. Maybe to see if everything was just like we left it. They were really worried about all the animals on Thursday when we were getting ready to leave. They were worried that the horses would starve to death and no one would pet the cats and on and on...When we got back home they saw that everything was just fine and they were ok after that.

I am glad that we have these boys and I am glad that we are able to show them love and give them security. We are not rich in monetary value, however, we are extremely rich in love and value. Families need that more than money!

The Story of Rocco

About a month ago we had to have our big German Shepard put down. We hated it so bad and we still miss him a lot. So I have been thinking the last couple of days about getting another outside dog. I was thinking on the lines of getting one from an animal shelter that would otherwise be euthanized. I had even began to look online at some of the shelters in our area. I must have been sending some really heavy thoughts because Superman said night before last that he missed having an outside dog. ESP? I don't know - maybe we just know each other. And get this, I had even called and ask about a dog but she had already been adopted - that's when the shelter told me about Rocco. Last night we talked about it and I showed him a picture of Rocco. I told him the adoption fee was $30 and he told me just to go over and get him. I did! Me and the boys picked Rocco up today at about 11am. The boys fell in love with him when they first saw him and were ready to load him in the car right then.

The paperwork was completed and Rocco loaded right up in the car, laid down and every once in a while I could see his face in my rear view mirror and I swear he was smiling. Once we got home the boys opened the back of the car (actually an SUV) and out jumped Rocco and off they all ran to play. Now Rocco isn't too fond of the horses. But having herd dog in him - well, he's supposed to herd. I'm sure with a few little lessons about getting along with others that Rocco will work out just fine. He gets along wonderful with our little dogs.

Rocco was found at the animal shelter by a lady that loved dogs. She adopted him and took him home to play with her Peekapoo. They played together and had a great time. The lady and her husband started the process of a divorce and he would not let her have the 2 dogs when she moved. One day she went to the house where they lived and she took Rocco and the Peekapoo. Why? Because they were chained, thirsty and starving. She knew that she could not care for the dogs so she took them to the shelter in hopes that someone would adopt them. The Peekapoo was adopted within a few days but Rocco's time was running out. His status was urgent! He was to be euthanized this morning. Not any more - not him!

I can't save them all but I can do my fair share. Do your share and help an animal in a shelter. Make a donation, adopt a cat, dog, ferret, rabbit or whatever there is to adopt. But once you adopt them, take care of them.

Bloggers Against Abuse

On September 27th, join thousands of bloggers around the world in BlogCatalog’s Blogging for a Great Cause Challenge.
This Month’s Blogging Challenge:
Bloggers Against Abuse September 27th, 2007
The Outcome we are after is to be part of the largest group of bloggers to ever blog about an important cause, all on the same day.
So how do you participate?
On Sept. 27th, blog about putting an end to some sort of Abuse (you decide what kind of abuse to blog about). In the meantime though,
Spread the word among all the bloggers you know. Perhaps even give them a link to this Discussion.
If you are a graphic designer, perhaps you can come up with some small badges announcing the event, that we can then place on our blogs. To share the badge, place it on this thread.
Let other members know of any organizations who are involved in putting an end to abuse.
What do you get?
You will receive a link to your Blog Post from the Blogcatalog blog when we list everyone who participated.
You get to use your blog for an important cause.
You get to create blogging history.

Free Child Safe Kit

Over 800,000 children are reported missing each year, that’s over 2,000 children a day. The statistics are alarming, but you can give your child an extra measure of security today.
Request a free Child Safe Kit (it's free) today and store your child’s most important information in one safe place.

Think About This

Americans consume more than 2.5 million bottles of water every hour, and only around 10% are recycled.
On average, tap water costs $0.0015 per gallon; just a 16-oz bottle can cost $2 at the convenience store.
Tap into the cheaper way to stay hydrated. Use a home water filter to nix contaminants, and get a clean-as-bottled (if not cleaner) drinking supply without pouring money down the drain.

Hopefully, you have read a couple of my post about helping our planet. I recently subscribed to a newsletter of daily tips that we can do at home to help protect and preserve our planet. All of them make really good sense to me, so I thought that I would share them with you. If you like the tips, you can sign up for the newsletter and get the tips sent right to your inbox.

Professional vs Mom and Dad

One night last week our middle son came to us and said that everything under the bathroom sink was wet. Of course it's bedtime when this happens. Just one more thing to keep us all from getting a good nights sleep. LOL

And yes, I am (as usual) the first one to arrive on scene. Sure enough, everything under the bathroom sink was wet. It wasn't wet enough that anything was damaged, just some swollen rolls of toilet paper and a few towels that were damp. The damage could have been bad but the toilet paper and the towels saved the day.
I start examining the situation under the sink. In the doorway of the bathroom were 3 boys that wanted to know just what was going on. It kinda reminded me of our "Pulling Teeth" experience. There wasn't a drip that I could see, so I felt around on all of the pipes until I found the culprit. It was the drain pipe, better known as a Pee Trap. I know silly word and that is exactly what the boys thought.

I checked all of the fittings, found one a little loose and gave it a good turn. This fixed the problem. Over time things just kinda work loose or they just get used more often. All of the boys had to ask questions and add in their suggestions and comments on everything that went on. Our oldest boy said that he had read about a Pee Trap once in a Home Improvement book, but it was a trained professional that did the work, not a mom and dad. I loved that little comment. Our boys are starting to see that mom's and dad's are pretty darn smart.

Once again we saved money instead of calling out a plumber. Check things out before you call a professional. But then again you might just be able to call a mom or dad.

The Day Has Come

After finding our little Blue Jay and nuturing him along, the day has come to set him free. Some people have ask if we would be able to set him free and return him to the wild. Our answer...Of course we will. When we rescue any critter from harms way, our long term goal is to return them to the wild. Our short term goal is to nuture them to the strength that they will be able to survive on their own, the way Mother Nature intended.

This picture is just a few days after we found the baby bird. There are just a hint of tail feathers.

This is the day that I opened the bird cage with the intention of releasing him back to Mother Nature. There certainly are a lot more tail feathers now.

Once I took him out of his bird cage, he wanted to fly around the room. It wasn't easy holding onto him to get these pictures. All of us were so happy that the baby Blue Jay had survived and was able to be released.

Little Baby Blue Jay, how beautiful you have become.

These pictures were taken during the time that we had the Blue Jay. He loved to sit on our shoulders while we walked around the house. For about the first week that he rode on someone's shoulder his grip was almost non-existant. After the first week you could really feel the strength in his feet has he gripped our shoulder or our finger. We didn't let him ride very much on our shoulders because we have cats and dogs in the house. One little leap could have been fatal.

It was a beautiful day when we released him. We released him at the spot where we found him. I held him on my finger and when he was ready to go, he just took off. He flew into a section of woods that fronts our property. He perched on a tree limb and we watched him for about 10 minutes. After all of the kids walked away, I walked over close to the fence and I told the beautiful little bird that if he thought he was not ready that he could come back to me and I would keep him safe. He leaped from branch to branch and seemed very happy. I was sad when I walked away, because I would miss him. I was also happy that I had saved his life and I could return him to the wild where he belongs. Saving and raising the Blue Jay was a very wonderful experience for our family.

9 Firefighters and Their Families

As I opened our local paper today, I held my breath when I saw this article S.C. warehouse fire kills 9 firefighters.

It always saddens me when anyone that helps keep others safe loose their lives. My family will keep the families of these Firefighters in our thoughts and prayers.

Baby Blue Jay Alive and Well

We have had our little Baby Blue Jay for 5 days now. He certainly is growing and doing really well. I was concerned the first day that I found him because I really didn't think that he would

make it. His little feathers are growing so fast it seems that I can almost watch them grow. It won't be long now and off he will be flying.

Here are some pictures that I took of him today. While I wait for the pictures to upload, I just went in to feed him. He was on the bottom of the cage and when I opened the door he jumped up to the opening in door. How awesome! I put him on my shoulder and took him in to my husband. The bird tried to leap/fly onto my husbands desk. He is really making progress!

How We Saved Over $200 Yesterday

Yesterday was our 5th wedding anniversary. Can you believe that I forgot it? But my dear husband remembered it. LOL Well that's just another reason I call him Superman.

What did we do? We stayed home and didn't spend any money. I like the not spending part. Actually, we saved over $200. For over a year now our refrigerator has been leaking water inside the top of the refrigerator section. The water was coming from the freezer area. You know - the bottom of the freezer and the top of the refrigerator. We have been keeping a tall cup under it and trying to remember to dump it out every day. Some days we remember and some days we forget. Yesterday we were just hanging around the house and chatting about what we wanted to do. Neither of us wanted to go anywhere or really get too involved in anything.

A couple of days back, Superman had given me a link to a website that has some really wonderful information about doing a little home repair on appliances. I ask him to pull up a chair beside my desk and look up the info on our refrigerator to see if maybe, just maybe we could fix it. So that is what he did. We looked online and read a few things and wa la, we discovered the problem. The defrost drain tube is/was clogged. So off to the refrigerator we headed and started taking everything out of the freezer and pulling the refrigerator out from the wall. Then we started taking the refrigerator apart to find the drain tube. Ah ha - we found it. He worked inside the freezer area and I worked behind the unit. We started pouring hot water into the freezer area and I was poking a small wire up from the bottom of the drain tube. Before we knew it the drain pipe was unclogged.

We reassembled the refrigerator, plugged it up and waited for the dripping water inside. And today we are still waiting for the dripping water. I think we can stop waiting now because we have no water dripping. The refrigerator is worked without soaking everything under where the dripping was.

That is how we spent time together on our anniversary and saved over $200. It wasn't difficult either.

***Update***

I have several request for a link to the website that Superman gave me. Here is the link that I used. Free Repair Help

Here is another great place for help with appliances Appliance Aid

Five Day Weekend

The kids are off to school and as usual, I turn on the radio with my favorite station and begin my daily routine. I start the laundry, let the dogs out, straighten up the house a little, wash a few dishes, make the homemade fabric softener, hang some clothes out, start another load of laundry, feed the dogs, turn out the horses, read a few emails, all while listening to the radio. Dang it - now I'm tired. LOL

On the radio I hear something about a 5 day weekend and a website that someone has created to support the idea. In my mind I am thinking, now how in the world will this ever work? There is no way that I can imagine it working. Well, maybe in a perfect world it could work. Then I think...hmmm...in a perfect world we wouldn't need the 5 day weekend movement. I am really starting to think that this is something that someone just dreamed up to get donations, sell a few shirts and basically earn a living promoting this idea.

Problems I see with the 5 day weekend are...
1. What about Law Enforcement?
2. What about shopping if there is a 5 day weekend? I mean, if the stores are closed during those 5 days, how does one shop. Even buy gas for their vehicles.
3. 911 - my goodness, this really scares me.
4. Child services such as the Department of Children and Families. If there is a child abuse case during the 5 day weekend and no one is working, do we (society) leave the child in the home until they are beat to death?
5. What about doctors, hospitals, Fire Fighters, Emergency Services and others?
6. What about teachers?
7. Public transportation?
8. Public services?

The group for the 5 day weekend mention that with our technology that this can work. With technology come electircity and the internet. Who would repair any power outages? Who would work to repair any internet errors? Maybe I am missing something. But I still don't know how this can work. The only thing I can figure out is that it has to be rotated, work in shifts maybe.

The more I look at their website and the more I think about it, I really only see that this really is someones idea to earn a living. To do exactly what they are protesting against and that is to work more and make more money. Remember that is just my opinion and of course you are intitled to yours.

I won't put a link to the website here because I do not support their ideas. You can go to any search engine and type in 5 day weekend and you will be able to pull up the website. One pointer - it is a .org not a .com.

Rain

One quarter of an inch! We finally got a little rain! We bless every drop! We even bless the clouds because they help what moisture that we have not evaporate. I have not read (maybe I need to) about why some areas don't get much rain, while other areas get lots of rain. I know that water evaporates and is stored in the clouds and that rain comes from rain clouds. But if there is no water to evaporate then how could it rain. In other words - if one square mile is dry and has no moisture to evaporate - then how could that area get rain again? If all of the lakes, rivers and creeks are dry there is nothing to evaporate and nothing for the clouds to store to use later.
When I was a child we had rain. We didn't irrigate or put sprinklers on our gardens, yards, fields or crops because it rained. The population had not exploded and the water table stayed at a normal level. As I got older we had to water our garden about once a week. The farmers started irrigating their crops. A sprinkler became a common sight in most yards. What happened? Is is part of the global warming? Is it because the population exploded and more people used more water? Is it because companies started to bottle water to be used elsewhere? Why? Something has happened to the rain. Something has happened to Mother Nature. What is happening to our planet?

Living Frugal

I have always considered myself a thrifty person and yes I could even be called frugal. I enjoy saving money. I look at it as a challenge and one that I enjoy. I look at saving money as being able to treat myself or my family. If figure by living frugal that not only am I saving money but I am doing a small part to help save out planet. Of course I buy name brand items but I am very careful and I refuse to pay the prices that businesses are asking for some of the name brands.

There is a lot of information online about Frugal Living. I recently found several wonderful places online that you may be interested in.

Living On A Dime

Ditch your Debt is a 72 page e-book designed to help you say goodbye to debt! Packed with lots of stories and advice, this e-book is an essential tool for your Debt Elimination Kit.

Grocery Savings is a 34 page e-book that includes lots of useful tips to help you reduce your grocery bill. Many people see dramatic savings after using the tips from this e-book.

At 32 pages, the Cleaning Cents e-book is a handy guide to inspire you to get your house in order and stop throwing your money away in the chaos and clutter.

Kids Cents is a 39 page collection of articles that includes recipes and activities specifically designed for kids. In addition to keeping kids busy and helping their creativity, Kids Cents also includes articles to help parents with insights on raising kids while keeping spending low.

Debt Free Holidays is a 52 page collection of articles focused on having fun during the holidays without spending a lot of money. The articles focus on Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

"Gifts In A Jar" shows you how to make all sorts of cool, yummy gifts that will save you money while endearing you to your friends for life! ;-) Gifts In A Jar features ideas to make delightful Gift Baskets like those in the expensive stores -- everything from the Honeymoon Basket to the Get Well Basket.

Menus On A Dime Too Tired To Cook? Eating out is one of the top causes of debt, but what do you do when you're too tired to figure out what to make for dinner? In response to many requests from readers asking for menu plans, we are pleased to present Menus On A Dime.

Plan Ahead Leftovers is the second in the series of "Menus On A Dime" booklets. It includes 15 pre-planned menus and 38 recipes to make your life easier! This ebook explains how you can cook once and eat three to five different meals. Plan Ahead Leftovers includes beef, chicken and ham recipes for the main dishes and includes 10 dessert recipes. The Menus at a Glance page lets you see all of the menu descriptions in one place to make substituting elements from different menus easier. Plan Ahead Leftovers also includes tips to making your own menu plans.

The Quick Dinners eBook is designed to help you with meals you can prepare in 20 minutes or less. Quick Dinners includes 24 recipes, 34 tips, 10 menu plans, dessert ideas and a weekly menu worksheet. Using these easy dinner plans, you can be in and out of the kitchen faster and at a much lower cost than eating out!

Pretty for Pennies eBook is the same book as the Pretty for Pennies booklet. The e-book includes a few recipes not found in the printed version.

Halloween On A Dime shows you practical and creative ways to make your own decorations, costumes, party games and more! The Halloween On A Dime e-book contains the same information as the print book.

The Best of Living On A Dime e-Book Package.

I love these e-Books and all the information that is contained in them. Living Frugal is fun, exciting and an adventure for our family.

Jigsaw Puzzle

This morning I finished a Jigsaw Puzzle. I started it about a month ago. I have protected it from the cats for this long and I succeeded in keeping all the pieces. I just knew once I got close that a piece was gonna be missing. But it wasn't! I'm excited that somehow, someway I managed to keep the cats from playing hockey with the puzzle pieces. We resue plactic bottles and I guess that with the lids from the bottles that has managed to keep the cats busy with bottle top hockey instead of puzzle piece hockey. Oh yeah - they also play dog food hockey. Gotta love these cats!

Everytime I would work on my puzzle, I would think of my grandmother. I remember as a child her putting Jigsaw Puzzle's together. Since I have completed it now, I am going to use it as a wall hanging. Everytime I see it hanging on the wall, I will remember her. And I can tell my family how their Great Grandmother would sit and work on puzzles and let me help her.
What a wonderful memory and a wonderful topic this will be for a long time.