My frugal week wrap-up!

Well it's the end of the week. So that means today was my Walgreens wrap up. I was disappointed today. They were out of most things at all 4 Walgreens I visited. So I didn't get much. But that's okay. I think I have enough for now. Looking back on the week I wish I'd gotten more shampoo/conditioner and toothbrushes and I wish I'd had more razor coupons. But overall I think for my first week at trying this I did very well.

Before I tell you what I ended up with and how much it cost me....here's some pics of my loot!








Now for the boring details!

~11 Glade Candle Tins
~2 Herbal Essence Shampoos
~ 2 Herbal Essence Conditioners
~ 5 Pkgs Dental Floss
~ 4 pkgs Halls Refresh
~ 3 Vaseline Infusion Lotions
~ 9 Oral B Toothbrushes
~ 2 Chapstick Fresh Effects
~ 2 Venus Embrace Razors
~ 2 Gillette Fusion Razors
~ 24 Theraflu Cold Meds
~ 14 Bottles Dawn Dish Soap
~ 8 Candy Bars
~ 2 20oz Drinks
~ 32 Halloween Pencils

Now had I bought all of these items this week at their SALE price (not their true price) I would have spent $ 260.26

What I spent: $35. 18

And I have $6.00 left in register rewards
And I will be getting a rebate for the Glade candles for $15

Not a bad week!!

So what did you end up with??

And an even BETTER deal!!

So Monday I went to Target and got the glade candle tins for $.16 each. They were $1.66 and they have $1.50 off coupons. I was soooo excited with this deal as I hadn't bought anything "new" for my new home. This was my first. And I saved the receipt because at the end of the week I intend to compare what I got this week, how much it is worth and how much it cost me out of pocket.

Well last night I stumbled across a new offer. SC Johnson is offering a rebate. Purchase any 3 SC Johnson products (GLADE COUNTS) and get back $5 rebate. You can do it up to 3 times!!!

So I bought 11 tins for $2.86

I will submit my 3 rebates

I will get back $15

MY KINDA SHOPPING!!

Walgreens made simple...

I've had family and friends asking me how I am doing my walgreens shopping. Today was a small day and I got $37.00 worth of stuff for 4.00. Not bad, but not as good as the other day. Anyways I am going to *try* to explain it in simple terms.

Register Rewards-- You can get these from Walgreens on certain items each week. They are coupon that prints out that is like cash. You can use it on your next trip to Walgreens ....or in my case, your next transaction at the same trip. LOL.

Some items this week with register rewards:

Herbal Essence Shampoo and Conditioner-- Cost 2.99 but you get back 2.00 in register rewards
Chapstick Fresh Effects-- Cost $2.99 but you get back $2.99 in register rewards
Oral B Toothbrushes-- Cost $3 but you get back $3 in Register Rewards
Vaseline Infusion Lotion-- Cost $6.99 but you get back $6.99 in register rewards
Theraflu Cold Meds-- Cost $4 each and if you buy 2 you get back $4 in Register Rewards, if you
buy 3 you get back $8.
Gillette Fusion Razor-- Cost $8.99 but you get back $6 in register rewards
Venus Embrace Razor-- Cost $7.99 but you get back $4 in register rewards
Dentek Dental Floss-- Cost $2 and you get back $2 in register rewards
Halls Refresh-- Cost $1 and you get back $1 in register rewards

There are more but those are the main ones I've bought. I also had coupons I used.

For the toothbrushes I got a coupon out of the paper (i bought 2 papers) for $1 off one. So that made them $2 and I got $3 in register rewards back.
For the lotion I had printable coupons for $1.50 off making them $5.49 and I got back $6.99
The Healthy Savers book at Walgreens has a coupon for $2 off Theraflu, it WILL multiply the number of bottles you bought.
The Gillette I had a coupon for $4 off one. The Venus I had $2 off one.
The dental floss I had $1 off one and the refresh I had $.75 off one.

Soooo....to sum it up as simply as I can.....In a pretend scenario you could possibly use...

Purchase the Gillette Razor for 8.99, a shampoo for 2.99, and a toothbrush for 3.00.
Use the $4 off coupon, the $1 off coupon
Total cost for you is $9.99 + tax
You will get back $11 in register rewards

Then you purchase 3 Theraflu cold meds at $4.00 each
A chapstick at 2.99 and a Halls at $1.00 You need some more items because you must have equal number of items/coupons so grab some Halloween pencils at 4/$1 .
Throw in a dawn dish soap while they are $.99
Use the Healthy Savers coupon for $6 off
Use the Halls $.75 off coupon
Then use the $11 register rewards
Total cost for you is $.23 + tax
You will get back $12 in register rewards

Then you purchase a Venus razor for 7.99
A toothbrush for 3.00
a conditioner for 2.99
A dental floss for $2.00
Throw in some more pencils at 4/$1
Use the Venus coupon for $2.00
Use the toothbrush coupon for $1
Use the floss coupon for $1
Then use the $12 in register rewards
Your total cost is $.98 + tax
You get $9 in register rewards back

And you just keep going back and forth with items. You can't use a register reward to purchase something from the same company, so you have to alternate. Especially this week when so much is proctor and gamble.

Coupons make this an even better deal because you actually profit.

I ended up with a lot of "space" i needed to fill because your total has to be over the amount of the register reward you are using. So I have a lot of dawn dish soap!! And I have almost enough Halloween pencils for Madison's entire grade LOL

It is very complicated to begin with, but it is super easy once you get going. And I have plenty of cold meds and dish soap. Tomorrow the goal is to increase my stock of shampoo/conditioner and toothbrushes!!

It may be too late to start this week, unless you spend Saturday at Walgreens. But you can start next week. Some deals like the lotion and the gillette are MONTH LONG!!!

If I can do it, anyone can do it. And its WORTH IT.

Thanks to Loryne, Jenna, Fancy and the rest of SHFB for teaching me how to do this!!

It is REAL

It's hard to believe that the day has come....that all this waiting and worrying is real. But it is. I am officially a homeowner. Do you know how strange that feels??

We did a walkthrough without all of the previous owners stuff in there. And without a doubt it needs some TLC. And I will be learning in a big way how to do things I never thought I'd attempt. Like repairing floors, fixing a board on the deck, replacing a toilet.

But its MINE!! Which means at no time can anyone take it. Or tell me I have to move from it. I am there until the day I choose to leave it. So all the repairs, will be to upgrade MY HOME.

It has tons of potential. Now I just have to find the time/money to do it all.

So mark October 1, 2009 as a magical day in history. The day when I was handed the keys to my very own, paid for, I own it home.

Who needs drugs....

When you can get high off of shopping??? LOL. Seriously!

I took advantage of the target glade candle tins for 16 cents a piece.

Then I decided to try my hand at the walgreens register rewards deals. All I can say is W.O.W.
I'm addicted.

I've actually done really well. But for the rest of the week I must step back a bit and not do quite so much.

But so far

Todays walgreens-- $137.75 worth of stuff...cost $10.82....total so far between walgreens and target-- $187.26 worth of stuff...cost $24.40

And on top of that....I wont have to buy dish soap for a long while. And if we get sick....we are set on medicine. Which is GOOD for me. I stay sick in the winter.

Tomorrow I will just hit one walgreens. They seem to be the only ones restocking. Plus I have to take it easier the next few days. Money is TIGHT. So I will the Register Rewards to get more toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, dish soap and probably cold meds. I'm out of razor coupons :(

At the end of the week I will post my grand total of items, out of pocket expenses and a pic of all my loot.

Now to learn how to do this aat the grocery store.

Say What???

We've always had what amounted to a phrase of the moment or word of the moment. With Madison, it is to be expected. She picks up a phrase and that is ALL she says.

We've been through:

Whatever!!
Oh No You Didn't!
Oh Snap!
That's right, I went there!
I know, right?
(insert name) say what?
Sweet Niblets

and the list goes on. And yes I realize the child watches too much Disney.

I never know what might pop out of her mouth and become the new thing to say. So I just go with the flow, giggle a lot and wait until it changes again.

But one day that all changed. It was a day not too long ago. One of the very few days of summer we actually had this year. We were enjoying a nice afternoon at the beach. Playing in the water. When out of the blue popped the question i'd been avoiding.....

Mom what is sex?

So as I stand there waist deep in Lake Michigan contemplating what I was going to say....and deciding if I wanted to postpone it for another time or answer....she got impatient.

Mom you promised you would tell me.

SNAP. That's right, she went there.

So I decide honesty is the best policy.

Sex is when a man inserts his penis into a woman's vagina.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW gross.

(whew!)

So we carry on with our day after a brief conversation on how she may just adopt babies, which I fully supported LOL.

But that was not the end, my friends.

It seems that Madison has adopted a new word.

Penis.

I swear she can work penis or sex into ANY conversation. Mostly penis though. Sex still grosses her out.

We are talking about a game for her birthday party.

Oh that reminds me of people using their penis.

We are talking about pulling her pants up

You know what else would be bad? A boy showing me his penis

I mean I don't want the child to believe it's a bad word. But do we really have to talk about it two or three times a day?? At what point does it become too much?? And what happens when we are at walmart and I say Do you want to get bananas? and my cell phone wielding 11 year old drama queen announces to the whole store that bananas look a lot like a penis.

Sadly we've talked so much about penises that tonight she asked me to clarify what a vagina was. Hello. It's the part you actually have. Focus on that for a while.

Come on Hannah Montana, come out with a new saying! We need a new phrase around here.

On a side, silly and pathetic note....I have recently adopted "check it out". Anyone who has seen Sonny With A Chance will get that reference.

Well I am off. Hopefully I won't soon be doing installments of "Conversations from the produce aisle"

It's been a while....

Well if you are a reader, thank you for your patience. It's been a long time since I've written. Not for lack of wanting to write. Simply because sometimes, life gets in the way. So here I am. And wow I have a lot to update you on.

To pick up where I left off, I did make my trip to see my friend. I finally got the privilege of meeting April. We had a nice day out and about in Madison including the mall, State Street, a tour of McFarland and of course Cherry Limeades from Sonic. I had a blast and it was GREAT to finally meet her. She is as wonderful in person as she is online!!

Then to move forward a bit, I started my gig at the Mission. I absolutely love working there. The people I work with are great. And the job is rewarding. For a temporary time, I am the person who gives out stuff to people in need like furniture, diapers, etc. I'm loving that, but it's only while Ms. Phyllis is out on leave.

ChaCha-- Well ChaCha is going to kill me. Nuff said.

A sad update. In June, my wonderful dear grandmother passed away. It was an extremely sad time for all of us. I am still having a hard time with it. I miss her soooo much. Needless to say as much as I loved seeing my family, my summer trip to NC was not under good circumstances.

Summer sucked in Michigan. Most days it was too cold to do anything fun.

Madison is back at school and responsibility is the motto of the year.

Speaking of Madison, she is now 11. Her birthday has come and gone....and For her birthday I got a $50 a month bill!! And in exchange, my little girl is now carrying a cell phone.

And the positive.....we are moving. I am getting my very own I own it home. I am soooo excited yet stressed beyond belief. But stay tuned for all my cool decorating projects as I make this place a real live home.

If I disappear, packing the basement swallowed me!!

Now a couple of notes.

Since January, it has been a struggle. Financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I have hit my lowest, pulled up a bit, fell back down and repeat. So many people have been there for me. In many different ways.

To my special family....you have helped me with bills, listen to me complain and just been there. I can't possibly list all you have done. But I wanted to say thank you!!

To SHFB-- for being my sounding board-- Thank you soooo much. For all the prayers-- Thank you even more. And for the laughs-- thank you the most. Trust me that more than a keyboard is between us!!

To my dear special friend...you know who you are. You have given so much of yourself. You have helped me with things as trivial as advice and as serious as affording to get to NC for the funeral. I know you have been struggling the past little bit. And I am praying for you. But please know how very special you are and what a tremendous blessing you have been in my life. Even if I argue with you.....I appreciate every single thing you have done!

To the two ladies who helped out with back to school-- one sent a straightening iron for Madison and one sent a huge box of back to school supplies. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To my friend who probably won't read this because she don't do the online thing much. Thanks for it all. Hanging out, talking, texting, cigs, nails...all of it. I enjoy it more than you know. And someday we will go free bowling followed by smores and rum and pepsi!! LOL

And finally to my everyday chat with me friends --- okay that means you Lynn-- thanks for being my friend for like ever.....and not getting sick of my griping about my life and laughing with me over ChaCha questions.... and just being the bestest of best friends.....The cabana boys are waiting!!

It's been a struggle....but my motto now is If I survive September I will be good. It's almost over, so I am almost there!!!

Love you all!!