Stones from the Path

Power tools and women

2010-02-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled across this great blog. Ana takes furniture you can order from places like Pottery Barn and Land of Nod and provides plans for them. She gives you a list of the supplies you will need and the cuts you will need to make. She gives great instruction for completing your projects. She seems to be very interested in empowing women to do their own construction projects.

My family made this bookcase for the new little baby we are expecting. My stepdad and brother in law made it and I painted it. It's a lovely shade of smurf blue that looks cute in the nursery. I really wanted to help since I don't know how to use a circular saw, but they did it while I was at work. I'm thinking of looking into classes at the trade school here, because there is a lack of patient teachers in my family. Honestly, I'm a little afraid of the saw and would like a safe environment to learn.

The whole project cost $83, but the wood cost about $50. Instead of the cheap pressed wood bookcase I was going to buy, I know have a sturdy real wood one that can be used for years to come. Of course Smurf blue might have to go, but that's not big deal! The Land of Nod version cost $350 plus shipping. See why I want to learn how to do it myself?!?

Does anything catch your eye? Anything you'd like to make?

Year of Savings

2010-02-16T09:50:00.001-08:00

One of the best coupon resources from last year was the Proctor and Gamble Year of Saving book. P&G is doing it again this year. Just purchase $50 (before coupons) of any P&G products, mail in your receipts, along with a form, and they will send your coupon booklet with $100 of savings. You can find more information here. It's very easy to spend $50 on Proctor and Gamble items. Cover Girl, Head and Shoulders, Aussie, Ivory, Pantene, Secret, Crest, Oral-B, Venus, Pringles, Tampax, Bounce, Bounty, Dawn, Pampers are all Proctor and Gamble products. There is a complete list on the above website. Plus there are always tons of coupons for those brands. It will be super easy to come up with $50. If you shop at Target, they are starting to mark down the bonus size packages they have with the seasonal aisles. Pair those with some coupons and you'll have tons of stuff for your $50. I'm watching Pampers. 2 big boxes should do it. Your $50 doesn't have to be on one receipt, so pick up a few things here and there. Just be sure to save your receipts!

How I Organize my Coupons, or "Let me Show You How Cool I am"

2009-11-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

My system for organizing my coupons is based on two things. I don't want to spend tons of time on it, but I want to have the coupons I might use available if I happen to stop at Target on the way home. I also don't want to be the person with the whole top of the shopping cart filled with boxes of coupons/flyers/binders. It's important to me to have a system that is quick and easy to access and use. I've adapted it since I started, but this is that's working for me now.

This is all of my couponing stuff. The purple thing is just a plastic envelope. I put coupons I get in mail, my coupons from the paper, receipts I need to save, anything like that, in there. It keeps everything together and not scattered around my house.

I like to spend an hour or so every week (sometimes every other week) getting my coupons organized. I use the paper cutter to cut the coupons out in strips, like they are on the pages. Then I use the scissors to cut the individual coupons apart. The paper cutter is so much faster than the scissors. Some people only cut the coupons they are going to use, but I cut them all. After all of them are cut out, I sort out the ones I will never use and pass them along to friends. The coupons I think I might use, I put into my book.

This is my coupon book. It's really a photo album from Target. It has 25 pages with 4 pockets on each page. It's my second one. The first on I used had more pages, which I liked better. This one has a elastic closure that keeps it closed when I put it into my purse.

I used Avery Tabs to label the pages for the coupons. My old book had enough pages that I could have had 50 categories, but I've had to combine in this book. Since I use most of my coupons at the grocery store, the grocery categories are a little more specific than the other stuff.

I have Drinks, Breakfast, Fruits/Vegetables, Meat, Frozen, Dairy, Paper products, Baby, Pet, Cleaning, Hair Care, Make-up, Soap, etc. I tried to put them in the book in the order they are in the grocery store.

When I'm ready to sort, I have index cards that have the same labels as my tabs. I spread then out on the floor in the same order (they are numbered) and sort the coupons out on them. I've seen this made as a big mat that you can fold up, but I had index cards already. I keep the cards in the purple folder.

After the coupons are sorted, I put them into the pages. The one in the picture is Drinks. I like to divide them up a little further into the pockets. I put water in one, juice in one, coffee/tea in one, and whatever is left into the fourth one. I also pull them out and check for expired or close to expiring coupons then.

Like I said, I don't like to be sorting through coupons in the store. I try to get my trip planned out ahead of time, but sometime I'll see something on sale that I need or something that will be a great deal that I have a coupon for. I like to bring my book to the stores with me, just in case something jumps out at me. My book is organized so that I can quickly flip to the page where the coupon is and it's small enough to fit into my purse (I carry big purses, but it's about the size of a day planner). I also put pockets on the front and back cover. These are just the sticky CD holders that you can get with the office supplies. In my old book I did the same thing, but with envelopes and double sided tape. It's very convenient for holding the coupons you are going to use or any that you might grab in the store.

This is the blue book from the first picture. It's just a $1 notebook I got at Target. I used card stock to rig up the envelopes in the front. I tried using this at my main thing in the store, but it didn't work for me. It is very handy for making shopping lists and holding receipts, coupons, etc. I mainly use it to make my lists now.

Like I said, I like to be very organized when I go to the store. I hate to be sorting through coupons while my kid runs wild, or be blocking the aisle while other people are trying to shop too. Before I go to the store, I use southernsavers.com or hotcouponworld.com to print off the list of sales and the coupon matches. I also like to have the Publix ad. I make a list of the things I'm going to buy and how many according to what coupons I have. I also add anything I might need.

After I've made my list and pulled out the coupons I am going to use, I put them into my green accordian file. It's very small, a little larger than my check book. I put the coupons that I know I'm going to use in the second slot. I put the ones I might use in the next slot. These are usually coupons that are about to expire or are things I might buy, depending on how much they will be when I get to the store. There are a couple of extra slots I use to put coupons I pick up in the store or coupons that I haven't sorted out yet. I also put my list in there and drop the whole thing into my purse, or even better, my shopping bags so I don't forget them!

When I get to the store and start putting things in my cart, I move the coupons I'm using to the very front. By the time I get to the check out, all of the coupons I need are right in the front, and I can just pull them out and hand them to the cashier. This works very well for me as I never seem to have enough hands to hold the coupons I'm using and to look for one I need. I used to just use the envelopes in my book to do the same thing, but I like having a little more room and division.

This system works very well for me. The only problem I have is that sometime I just don't feel like sorting out the coupons. That would be a problem with any system I use, though. I did try to do the binder thing with baseball card pages, but that was just too big for me to carry around. I have the same issue with using a box and divinders. It's just too much. What do you use? If you have any questions or suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Friday Favorite

2009-08-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Vocal Point is a community for moms. They have a message board, surveys, articles, etc. The reason they are a favorite of mine is because they send samples and coupons. The coupons are usually for a free product. I've gotten Frosted Mini-Wheats before. It came with a sample box of cereal, a buy one, get one coupon, plus about 6 $1.50 coupons to share with friends and family. Yesterday in the mail I had a pack that was coupons for Rice Krispies: one coupon for a free box and 5 for $1 off, I think. I also received a coupon for Bounce's new dryer bar for free and several coupons to pass along. I can't remember what else I've gotten from them except for Kashi Waffle coupons. They also don't send out a lot of emails. Maybe once a week, I'll get one that serves as a remind to check the site and see if they have anything I'm interested in. If you have a minute, check it out.

Favorite Friday

2009-07-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Every since I was a little girl, I have loved to read. I used to spend weeks at a time with my grandma, and the first day I was there, she would take me to the store. I got to pick out 4 or 5 books to read while I was stay with her. I had a collection of Box Car Children, R.L. Stein, Baby Sitters' Club, Anne of Green Gables, you name it. Grandma always read romance novels and I read my pre-teen fiction. We had snacks and spent the days reading. I loved it. I still do. (And I've been know to pick up a romance novel of my own from time to time. Don't judge.)

Adult books are more expensive than children's books. I'm weird about going to the library. I don't like the time constraint hanging over me. I just like to have books lying around when I want to pick one up and read it. We go to the trade book store in our town every once in a while, but I like to have a bunch of books to take in to her. The solution: Paperbackswap.com.

Basically I list the books that I have to trade. When you first sign up and list 10 books, you get 2 credits, meaning you can order 2 books. Those 2 are sent to you. When someone requests one of your books, you pay to send the book to them (usually around $2.50). For every book you mail, you get another credit. When someone requests one of your books, all you have to do is print two pieces of regular paper from your printer which includes the mailing address and the recommended postage. For $0.25 you can buy the postage and save the trip to the post office!

I'm sure that you have some books on your shelves that you are never going to read again. List them on paperbackswap and get something new to read. I recommend:

anything by Jodi Picoult
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (really anything by her)
Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Marek Halter's series on Sarah, Ezra's sister and Zipporah, wife of Moses

Coupons...Where are you?

2009-07-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

There are coupons hiding all over the internet. Today you can request a booklet from Home Made Simple. I've gotten this one before and it usually has lots of good coupons in it. There is usually a coupon for something free in it as well. Last time my booklet was missing the pages. I think the mailman must have taken them!

Favorite Friday

2009-07-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling quite crafty lately. I think it has to partly do with the half finished desk that's currently living in my kitchen. I'm refinishing and painting it. Hopefully this weekend. I'm on the hunt for the perfect knobs for it, but I'm not having much luck. Maybe I'll just make my own.

There are two great sites for getting ideas for your own crafty inspirations. The first one is Craftster. You can see all of the different stuff people have made and posted. Lots of them have tutorials to show you how do to it yourself. If you have a question about a project you're already working on, you can find the answer on here as well. The best thing I've seen was a little kid's play kitchen made out of an old entertainment center.

The other site I like to look at is etsy. Not only can you look at things people have made, but you can just buy them and save your time! I've ordered several things from different sellers. You can also find vintage items on the site. It's great for handmade gifts you didn't make yourself. I always get inspired to make things when I shop here.

Go to one of the sites and find something to express your creativity this weekend. I'd love to see something you were inspired to make!

Harvesting

2009-07-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

When we got back from our mini-vacation, this was what was waiting for us. We had fajitas that night using the Mexibell pepper and the green Bell Pepper. Delicious!

Favorite Friday

2009-06-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

This Friday I would like to tell you about 2 sites that are both postcard related. The first one I've been reading for about a year, I think. PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where peoplemail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. New secrets are posted every Sunday. I love to read them first thing Monday morning. It's amazing to see that so many people are afraid of or worried about the same things. There are several PostSecret books. My hubby bought me one for Christmas this year and I really liked it.

The second site I want to share is Postcrossing. Basically you send postcards to people and people send postcards to you. I think it will be neat to get them from people around the world. I made a photo collage using Picasa and ordered the postcards from Vistaprint. I'm going on a trip this weekend so I'm pretty excited about picking up fun postcards along the way to send around the world.

It's always exciting to get real mail. Maybe you should pick up some postcards and share something with the world, whether it be a secret or just a view from your window.

Tomatoes!

2009-06-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

We've gotten a few things from our garden...a couple of tomatoes, a handful of peas, 2 or 2 radishes. We're going out of town so last night I picked most everything that would be too ripe when we got home. I have some beans that were ready, but they are the first so there were about 5 green beans. I'm going to have to work on the amount of things I plant next year (more peas and beans, probably less tomatoes and zucchini). Here are all of the tomatoes:

There are 3 Roma's and 2 Bonnie's Best, I think.

I imagine that the plants are going to be full when we get home!

I'm working on a post about what I like and don't like about what I've done so far. Look for it soon!

Favorite Friday

2009-06-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Every since I started blogging, I've read other people's blogs as well. There are some that I just read every once in a while, but there are a few that I absolutely love and check everyday. Back at the beginning of the year, I came across Nei nei. Nei nie is a Morman woman named Stephanie who has blogged for years. Her blog gained in popularity this past year because she was almost killed in a plane crash. It was a big story because the blog community rallied to support her.

She is a wife and mother of four. I love reading her blog because she is in love with her husband and writes about it all of the time. It reminds me to be grateful for the wonderful husband that I have and to remember to take time for just the two of us. She was badly burned (over 80%) in the plane crash and is just getting used to her new self. It's beautiful to read about how she is learning to embrace the beauty in her new face and body. This is one of my favorite posts, but they are all good.

The other blog I like to share with you is Nei Nei's sister, CJane. She's also blogged for years. She updated Nei Nei's blog for the six or so months she was in the hospital. Not only that, but she took care of 3 of Stephanie's children during that time. She has the same strong love of family that her sister has, but she's more "spicy". She also have a great sense of style. Everytime she post a picture, I think, "I want that dress, those earrings, that clock, etc." She inspires me to be bolder in my choices about that kind of thing.

These are two of my favorite blogs ever. Go check them out. And come back next week for another favorite!

Free Stuff

2009-05-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Coupon for free Oscar Mayer hot dogs....http://kraft.promotions.com/ombeeffranks/front.do

Free Rachael Ray Nourish dog food...http://www.rachaelray.com/pets/nutrish.php

Great site!

2009-05-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

I found a great new Publix site. Not only does it have the sales and the coupon matches, but you can print a shopping list with your items and the coupons on it! Check out Publix4Pennies.

Kraft coupons!

2009-05-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

Kraft has recently released some great coupons. You can print them at coupons.com, smartsource.com, and at Kraft. That's 6 sets (2 each) that you can print. This week there are several of the things on sale on Publix...Ritz crackers, cheese, etc. The coupons at coupons.com expire in June, but the ones at smart source don't expire until August. That's 3 months to save!

Almost free cereal and a good recipe

2009-03-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

This week at Publix you can get Post Trail Mix Crunch for $.10. There is a printable coupon for $2 off. The cereal is usually $4.19, but it's buy one, get one free this week so that make is 2.10 a box. With the coupon it's only $.10. Even if you only eat a bowl or two of it, it's a cheap breakfast. You can use the calories you save to try out this great, easy recipe for Lazy Lasagna. The raviolis are on sale at Publix for the whole month, plus there is a coupon. This is one of my husband's favorite things. It's makes an easy dinner if you serve it with bread and a salad, plus it makes more than enough for leftover lunches. Try it out and let me know if your family likes it!

Green thumb

2009-03-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking since the fall that I wanted to grow a small garden. All of my grandparents used to garden and it was always fun to help them. I wanted my child to have the same experience of eating something she had helped grow. Plus we have a hard time getting her to have variety in her diet (she mostly only eats yogurt) so I thought this might help.

We have a rather large back yard for a house in a neighborhood, but it's all sloped. I started reading on the internet and decided to do raised bed gardening. Think a box filled with dirt. The soil warms up faster, making your plants grow faster. With that narrowed down, I started trying to figure out exactly how I wanted to do it. All of the forums kept mentioning this book called Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. I found it at our library and am now going to buy it. Following his method you can grow enough vegetables for 1 person in a square that's 4 feet by 4 feet. The only tools you need are a bucket, a trowel, and a small shovel. It's not about making long rows in a garden that will overwhelm you; it's about tending a small space efficiently to make the amount you could realistically eat. You can read more here.

While I was researching I also found this tool at Gardener's Supply Company. The garden here is set up to be 3 feet by 6 feet. You can either look at and edit a premade template or you can make your own. You can print it out and it includes information about each vegetable its particular needs. It is very helpful if you don't know exactly how much room a pepper plant will take up (about 1 foot). They have plans for making a salad garden, one with all salsa ingredients, etc.

So far I've spent $16 dollars on the lumber to make 2 4x4x8 beds. At Lowe's they'll cut the wood for you and each piece was 16 feet long. I also bought some linseed oil to seal the wood. Lots on internet sites said you could use landscape timbers which are a little cheaper, but there was some conflicting information about whether the chemicals were safe for growing food. I'm trying to do it all organically (we'll see how that goes), so I thought it would be better to stay away from that. I've also bought some peat moss that was $10 for a huge bag of it. I bought 12 cubic feet of Jungle Grow organic gardening soil for about $40. I'm not sure if that's going to be enough to fill the boxes or not (I kind of doubt it) but it will certainly get me started.

As for what we are going to grow, I think we've decided on tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, carrots, marigolds (they keep pests away), and a couple of other things yet to be determined. It's too early to plant about half of those things, so I'm not in a big hurry to get it planted. I oiled to lumber yesterday so it should be ready to nail together today. I'm pretty excited.

I would like to encourage you to give it a try. If you start with just one 4x4 box and you hate it, then you're out just a little time and money. If you like it, it's very easy to add to. It's not too late to get started; in fact, it's just the right time. If you're not sure about growing your own food, you should check out Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It's one of the best books I've ever read.

Embrace the spring fever and plant a garden!

Diapers

2009-03-11T07:32:00.001-07:00

Walgreen's has a great diaper deal this week. Even if you don't have babies, maybe you know someone who does (or is about to!), or you can donate them. There is a $5 printable coupon at coupons.com for Huggies Gentle Care Diaper Product. If your Walgreen's takes printable coupons you can get 2 Jumbo packs and a large thing of wipes for $1. Here's how it works:

2 Huggies Gentle Care Jumbo Pack Diapers @ $10
1 Huggies Gentle Care Wipes $6
3 $5.00 printable coupons

$20+$6=$26-$15=$11

When you buy $25 worth of Huggies products you get a $10 Register Reward. This is good on your next purchase. If you need it the same day, just do 2 transactions. Do the math. That's $1 for all of the diapers and wipes! Let me know if you get the deal to work for you!

It's arrived!

2009-03-11T06:34:00.001-07:00

Spring is here (I hope)! To celebrate, it's time to bring out the flip flops! The Gap stores (Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap) is having a special give and get event. For every puchase you make, they'll give 5% to Teach for America. The get part is a 30% discount for you on your total purchase! You just print out the bar code here and take it to as many of the stores as you would like. Just think how cute your toes will look in those new Old Navy flip flops. It may be time for a pedicure....

Expired!

2009-02-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

What do I do with all of these expired coupons? I mean, I spent time cutting them out and I hate to throw them away. Well, I say use them to help someone else. At military bases overseas, they can be used at the commisary. You can spend a couple of bucks a month to feel good about saving a soldier's family money. If you're interested, you can read all about it here.

Grocery budget

2009-02-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Just to keep myself motivated, I thought I'd give a grocery budget update. I had hoped to spend $100 per week. For January I only spent $300, so that was very good. I've been a little lax here in February, and spent probably closer to $500, but I haven't really been keeping track very well. I guess that's the problem! We'll hope for better in March.

I think that I would like to start a coupon train. By that I mean, I put the coupons that I'm not going to use in an envelop and mail it to you. You take out the ones you might need and add those you're not going to use. Then you mail it to the next person. We could also include a list of those that you would really like to have (a specific item you have to buy or always need coupons for). I know I have a lot of diaper coupons that I don't use, but several of my friends probably could use them. Is anyone interested in this? Leave me a comment and I'll organize it if there's interest.

Free lunch

2009-02-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

If you stop by Kashi, they'll send you a coupon for a free frozen entree. I have no idea how these taste, but even if it's just alright, that's a free lunch or dinner. Stop by and request yours.

Cosmetics

2009-01-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

If you're out and about, you should stop by your local Dillards. Apparently there was a class action suit against several of the big make-up companies and they were ordered to give away free cosmetics. Google it if you want to know the specifics. Otherwise, stop by, sign your name and select your free product. At my Dillard's there was a small list as a good bit of things were already gone. I ended up with some Ralph Lauren Romance shower gel. Not bad for my lunch break! Let me know what you get!

Suds up!

2009-01-14T10:20:00.000-08:00

Head over to http://www.suave.com/nomics/index.html today only to get a coupon in the mail for a free bottle of shampoo or other suave styling product. We use the little kid 2 in 1 at my house. It's smells so good, I use it sometimes!

You got a package

2009-01-09T08:27:00.001-08:00

Back in my college days, if you got something in the mail bigger than your tiny mail box, your name was posted on a list so you would know to go pick up your package. This was a very exciting event in my little college community. It could be a care package from your grandmother or it could be an aol cd. Either way, it made you giddy with excitement to see your name on the list. Some of my friend and I used to order samples on the internet just to get stuff in the mail. This was how I ended up with a mypoints account, I think. I used to play around on there occasionally. Fast forward. I read on some blog that you can get points on MyPoints for printing and using coupons. These are the exact same coupons that I've been using and printing without getting points. So I signed up again. I think you should too. Everyone I know can join, we can save money using the coupons, and then spend them on gift certificates we can use to do fun things together. Nothing could be better. Check it out. Let me know and I'll refer you.

Forget resolutions!

2009-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ben and Jerry's wants you to get some ice cream. If you sign up here, they'll send you a coupon for $3 off a pint of ice cream. That makes it either free or close to it, depending on where you shop!

This ice cream is on sale at Walgreen's this week for $3, so you can get it for free!

Chicken!

2008-12-31T07:16:00.001-08:00

If you visit Chick-fil-a on New Year's day, you can get a coupon for a free chicken biscuit. Details here.

A new year and a sample

2008-12-31T06:58:00.001-08:00

First the sample. Visit Total for a sample of their new Cranberry crunch cereal.

I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I've been busy with the holidays, as I imagine you have been! For the new year, my family has decided to do a couple of things. First, we are going to start back with the monthly budget written down. I try to keep up with it in my head, but there is alot more extra spending that way. I'd like to reduce our credit card debt by 25% this year at least. That's kind of a big goal since we have a good bit, but hopefully we'll aim high and hit, but if we miss, that will still be a good bit of it gone!

Another thing we are going to do is switch to a monthly amount for groceries. If we do $100 for example, if there aren't good sales one week, I'll spend $40, but then the next week I have $160. I think it will work out a lot better with the new couponing.

I think that's all for now. I hope that your new year is fabulous!

Around the world in...25 days?

2008-12-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Allrecipes.com is posting a new Christmas cookie recipe everyday until Christmas. These are cookies from around the world. Why not look for one of your favorite countries, gather up your children, and spend an afternoon baking?

Where's the Elf?

2008-12-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Our family has started this tradition. My little one loves to find the elf every morning. This is something you should do with your children. It's a fun idea for Christmas.

Giveaway

2008-12-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Simplemom.net is giving away family jewelry. Go over, leave her a comment, and cross your fingers! This stuff would make really good Christmas gifts if you are having a hard time finding just the right thing.

If Betty Crocker and Johnny Appleseed had a baby...

2008-12-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

If you go here you can print out $1 off any Kellogg's cereal. You can print it twice, so be sure to do that. Publix has Frosted Flakes for $1.99. That means you can get them for $.99 a box. You can also use them on any other Kellogg's cereal. We're partial to Froot Loops at our house.

Starting tomorrow Publix has Juicy Juice BOGO. If you visit Juicy Juice, you can print out two $1 off coupons as well.

Also as an experiment I'm trying this. I figure if I can't grow things in the house, I certainly am not going to be able to do it outside. All of my recent blog reading has me thinking that I may grow a small garden in the spring. Since I have almost no gardening experience, I figured I better start small. You can laugh at me if you want, but just remember if you do, I won't be sharing any of my wonderful fresh produce with you.

Absurd.

2008-11-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Nothing says "Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus!" like killing someone to save a buck.

Where do you shop?

2008-11-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

Since Publix came to my town, that's where I shop. I know that not everyone has a Publix, so you have to use the deals for your store. You can start finding them by looking here. Hot Coupon World is a forum where people post the best deals they can find using coupons and sales. You can look at your store's ad early to help you plan better. They also have the drug stores and the major retailers. If there is a particular item that you always buy, they have a coupon index where you can see all of the places you could get a coupon.

This week I had to buy more than just the sale items when I got groceries. I bought steaks, hamburger, chicken, and a few other things on top of my sales. I spent $112 and I saved $88. More than $25 of the saving was from coupons. The rest was from buying stuff that was on sale. If you need some coffee cake or macaroni and cheese, come to my house. I also have about 8 jars of frosting, so if you'll be seeing me over the holidays, expect cupcakes. I'm going to start stocking up on candy making ingredients, so if you have any good recipies for Christmas candy, let me know. We should have a party.

Super Saver!

2008-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

The whole reason I started couponing is because I have a friend who does it and she was always talking about how much she saved. Here's my brag from yesterday. I went to Publix yesterday and saved 55.71. I only spent $44. A few of the things I got were macaroni and cheese, frosting and cake mix, some ravioli to try, spaghettios, salad, sour cream, and cheese. The cheese was only a penny. Publix has a penny item every week on Sunday and Monday. I saved $17 in coupons, I think, and most of the other savings was buy one, get one free promotions. I was very proud of my $55.71 in savings.

Just call me Betty.

2008-11-17T10:49:00.001-08:00

Today I think you should go visit Betty Crocker. While you're there you can sign up to receive their newsletter and print out more coupons. They are also giving away a free calendar while supplies last. I got it last year and every month I get to look at something delicious that I won't ever get around to cooking. You could also look at all of the fun Thanksgiving recipies (like these fun cookies). If you live close to one, Publix has Betty Crocker cake mix, frosting, and brownie mix buy one, get one free this week. You could stock up so you can make silly turkey cookies next week...

Since I've started couponing, I've been reading about a million blogs about planning and organizing and saving money. I decided that I have to start making a menu. I will know what I'm cooking when I get home, what my husband can do to help, what I need to get out of the freezer, what we need at the store each week. I think this will cut down on buying stuff we don't need, on making trips to the store for things we forgot, and eating out because we don't feel like cooking or don't have anything to cook. I was looking for a blank menu page to help me keep up with the menu when I can across this site. She will email you menues for 2 weeks at a time and give you the shopping list. There are also a few different types of menues you can order, but I like free. She recommends cooking one day and freezing meals for the rest of the week. I think it's one of those things where you take what you need and ignore the rest. Now I have nice menu sheets for my weekly menu planning. If you want to come over, call ahead and I'll let you know what we're having!

A free sample

2008-11-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today, I think you're life will be better if you order this free sample of Goody's ouchless hair bands.

Freebies

2008-11-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

A new location for giving away my opinions, my advice, and other fun things I find as I walk over my own stones and teach my child to walk over hers.

I'm going to try to remain mostly anonymous here.

I've recently started getting into using coupons. There's a whole cult that does it, and they are quickly sucking me in. If I have any great deals, I may post those here as well.

You'll also see the ads on the side. I've joined that bandwagon too. You know what to do.

Stones from the Path

Power tools and women

Year of Savings

How I Organize my Coupons, or "Let me Show You How Cool I am"

Friday Favorite

Favorite Friday

Coupons...Where are you?

Favorite Friday

Harvesting

Favorite Friday

Tomatoes!

Favorite Friday

Free Stuff

Great site!

Kraft coupons!

Almost free cereal and a good recipe

Green thumb

Diapers

It's arrived!

Expired!

Grocery budget

Free lunch

Cosmetics

Suds up!

You got a package

Forget resolutions!

Chicken!

A new year and a sample

Around the world in...25 days?

Where's the Elf?

Giveaway

If Betty Crocker and Johnny Appleseed had a baby...

Absurd.

Where do you shop?

Super Saver!

Just call me Betty.

Menu

A free sample

Freebies