My Target Score!

Finally something to write about! Not that there haven't been decent grocery deals going on like the Kroger Mega Sale but this is REALLY something great!

Leapfrog Tag Reading system $39.99 - $10 Target - $10 MFG = $19.99!!!

Link for $10 off Target coupon here
http://offers.e-centives.com/mcp/pd.cfm?encp=nfqJp995Rp9XGde%2B2JZ%2FCpuXUy%2BphBUHiQ7q2Vs4DhRP24Cz9w9E1C9rjkkmmcBZjTY6p7gCgBVP%0D%0AxNcQrT5XTDg6MGwh2AzUXgC9MtDP0vSTCDU8XpuP%2FMmxxD5UMu453jOJFO6GtcPzR5v%2FO9NHpG98%0D%0A5OJcGb0SFqPzAZ4cU3cZNueSC5cNTA%3D%3D

Link for $10 MFG coupon here

http://www.leapfrog.com/etc/medialib/leapfrog/coupons/additional_coupons.Par.63631.File.tmp/10%20off%20Print%20Coupon%20For%20Tag.pdf

Target has the best deal going if your family owns a Wii! All of my coupon friends are all over this deal and they should be! Target came out with an abundance of printable toy and game coupons! Ones for Wii, Xbox 360 and the PS3. They all expire before Black Friday but who needs Black Friday with deals like this!

I purchased 6 Wii games @ $19.99 each. They are Buy 2 Get 1 Free on sale this week through Saturday! I used 3 x $10/2Wii game coupons (Link to this coupon is same as above Target link) . Total before discount $119.94, after store sale $79.96 then I handed over my coupons $49.96..hmmm but that wasn't all for me....see I have a Target Redcard that I use to pay for essentials and pay it off every month. A portion of the proceeds goes to Freedom Elementary and I accumulate points for an extra 10% off shopping day! So why not today....SO after the extra 10% off, it is $41.98 + tax $3.46...yes I paid $45.44 for 6 Wii games! OH YEAH!

But it doesn't stop there! What else is a good deal in Target this week?

How about some dog food?

Chef Michael's dry dog food $4.49 - $1/1 Target coupon (8/30 SS) - $3/1 MFG coupon (10/11 SS) = $0.49 each!
I'll take 4 of those...

Chef Michael's canned dog food $0.87 - BOGO Target (8/30 SS) - BOGO MFG (10/11 SS) = FREE
I'll take 8 of those....

Cesar Bistro dog food $1.02 - BOGO Target (10/18 RP) - BOGO MFG (8/30 RP) = FREE
I'll take 10 of those....

The biggest item consumed in our household...

Skippy Peanut Butter 15 oz $1.89 - $1/1 Target (printable available at hotcouponworld.com in Target Generator) - $0.75/1 MFG (10/4 RP) = $0.14

Gotta think about the babies...

Luvs Boxed diapers Size 4 (96 ct) $16.99 - $1.50 Target Home mailer - $5 Home mailer = $10.49 or 10.9 cents per diaper...great deal...

Pampers Size 3 (36 ct) $8.99 - $2 Target Home mailer - $1.50 MFG (11/1 P&G)= $5.49 or 15.25 cents per diaper OK deal

BUT I also had a $5/$25 Baby purchase---apply to above pkgs...even GREATER deal...

Then there are some miscellaneous items I picked up...not great but OK deals since I had the extra 10% off for the day...

Arm & Hammer Clumping Litter 20lb $7.99 - $3/1 Printable = $4.99 (-.80)

http://www.armandhammer.com/?ITEMID=19

Kelly Clarkson CD on sale for $11.99 (splurge for me!) (-1.20)

Metal Water Canisters x 3 (these are awesome!) $2 (reg price $8.00) (-.20)

Blue Ice packs x 2 $0.48 each (reg price $1.98) (-0.05)

Honey $3.19 (-0.32)

Total OOP for ALL = $98.66
Total SAVED = $165.78!!!

Yeah that was worth leaving work early for! WOOHOO!

e-Couponing Etiquette

...I never knew this information before but am very happy to share! I always thought it was weird how I could use both paper and e-coupons but now I know better!

http://happycouponing.blogspot.com/2009/10/e-coupons-etiquette.html#comment-form

Please see this person's write up on e-coupons. It is very insightful and helpful. I think I will do just as she does and have one Tom Thumb/Kroger card with e-coupons and one without.

I do not want to use coupons fraudulently otherwise they could take them away! Let's keep the coupons rolling!

Samantha

Another Tom Thumb score...

Some great deals to be had at Tom Thumb this week! I luckily still had my $2/2 Kellogg's coupons so I scored on this deal! Hope you can see everything in the pic! My only FREE that is not in this pic is the Wonderbread!

Here is the breakdown:

Huggies diapers x 2 = $17.98

- $4.50 in ecoupons (cellfire $3 and shortcuts $1.50)

- $5 in MFG coupons

= $8.48 or $4.24 per Jumbo package!

I also get to submit this receipt for the Caregiver's rebate and money went into my uPromise account for this purchase!

Mini-Wheats Little Bites x 4 = $11.96
Rice Krispies x1 = $2.49
- TT discount $5
- MFG coupons $5
= $4.45 or $0.89 per box!

Kraft Cheese slices 24ozs x 2 = $2.98 (Three day sale!!!)

- $1.00 ecoupon

- $0.75/2 MFG coupon

= $1.23 or $0.62 each!!

Betty Crocker Potatoes $1.69

- $0.80 ecoupons

- $0.80 IP

= $0.09!

Capri Sun 100% Juice x 3 = $8.97
- $8.97 in FREE coupons from Nature Valley deal a couple of weeks ago!
= FREE!!!

Welch's Juice 640z $1.99

- $1.00 TT clearance sticker

- $1.00 IP

= - $0.01 Better than FREE

Wonderbread $0.99

- $1.10 ecoupons

=-$0.11 Better than FREE

Going back tomorrow for the Kleenex sale and possibly Windex sale! So I will most likely have another post! Kroger and Albertson's are just not as enticing with all of my ecoupon and MFG coupon combos!

Small Target Run

Now, my Target only takes one Target coupon at a time so I have not been doing as good as my friends with this because they also frown upon separate transactions. One time this manager flat out said I was not allowed to do multiple transactions! So frustrating! So I am playing by their rules and I just do not get anything extra besides the great deals!

Here is the breakdown of this pic:

Purina One Cat Food $5.99 - Target coupon $2/1 - MFG coupon $3/1 = $0.99
Purina Cat Litter $1.77 - MFG coupon $1/1 = $0.77
Bounce Dryer Bar $3.74 - Target coupon $1.50/1 - MFG coupon $1.50/ 1 = $0.74
Tide Stain Release 10 ct $3.74 - Target coupon $1.50/1 - MFG coupon $1.50/1 = $0.74
Cesar Bistro $0.89 x 2 - Target coupon BOGO - MFG coupon BOGO = FREE

Total OOP: $3.13
Total Saved: $15.52

September is over (UPDATED WITH SAVINGS!!!)

..the month of September is over and I am sure you are all wondering what my savings were for the month...little behind on the calculation but I hope to post tomorrow. I spent more than I wanted to this month but I have a trend it seems that one month will be way under and the next way over. This is something I need to work on and even out. I am not as "frugal" as I would like to be though my savings are grand! :-)



..just to let you know, this is what I spent at the grocery stores this month: $413.56
This almost makes me ill but I know I bought alot of diapers and pet food for cheap and will not have to buy for a while now! I even started stocking up on Size 2 diapers because I think Coltan will be out of size 1s before I know it and I still have about 10 packages left!!!

My breakdown on OOP (# of transactions in brackets):
Coupons Savings =CS
Store Savings = SS
Total Savings = TS
Savings Percentage = SP
Coupons Used = CU

Kroger (3): $76.56 CS: $88.70 SS: $62.82 TS: $151.52 SP: 66% CU: 70

Tom Thumb (7) :$96.32 CS: $97.91 SS: $136.88 TS: $234.79 SP: 71% CU: 96

Albertsons (7): $63.29 CS: $51.95 SS: $90.26 TS: $142.21 SP: 69% CU:43

TOTAL OOP: $236.17 CS: $238.56 SS: $289.96 TS: $528.52 SP: 69% CU: 209



Other stores to keep an eye on as well:

CVS (3) $11.71 CS: $40.86 SS: $72.73 TS: $113.59 SP: 90% CU: 13

You can see I have really fallen off of the CVS bandwagon as their sales have gone downhill for the past year!!!

Walgreens (20) : $42.80

Fuel: $245.81

Take-out: $60...WOW! That is a HUGE accomplishment for us! This is all since I have been back to work. Now mind you, I blew my grocery budget completely out of the water...but I will post the savings soon.

These are my categories that I want to keep an eye on! Husband is starting nursing school in December so I really need to learn to be frugal! This will be interesting!

P.S. Another budget buster...cell phone just crapped out on me so I had to get a new one. Went on eBay and found a nice Blackberry Pearl with all the accessories for $80! Plus I did it through uPromise so I get money back in an account for future use and earned $1.50 in eBay bucks! Better than nothing! Plus I am getting a new toy...hubby thinks I threw my phone in the toilet just so I could get a new one....hrmph...men!

Another Tom Thumb score!

..so like I said, I was happy that I didn't bring my Cocoa Puffs coupons because I did even better today than yesterday!

Retail price of pictured items: $32.70

OOP: $0.45!!!!!!!!!!

I had to throw the Tree Top juice in to the transaction to get my total above $0.00 otherwise it would have been a -$1.55 and they do not give cash back.

Breakdown:

Nature Valley Granola Clusters $2.50 x 6 = $15

TT Discount for buying 4 = <$6>

MFG coupons = <$6>

ecoupons = <3.60>

OOP: <.60> Money maker!

Cocoa Puffs $2.50

TT Discount = <$1.00>

MFG coupon = <$1.00)

ecoupon = <$2.25>

OOP: <1.75> Money Maker

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $2.50

TT Discount = <$1.00>

MFG coupon = <0.80>

ecoupon = <.40>

OOP: $0.30

Birdseye Steamfresh $1.50

MFG coupon = <$1.00>

OOP: $0.50

Tree Top Juice $2.00

Like I said, juice was not planned, I did not know I was going to go into the negative and we needed it in the house anyway! PLUS: I got two coupons for FREE CAPRI SUN 10 pks for buying 4 General Mills products! That is what is missing from my transaction yesterday so I will have to take my receipt to them tomorrow to get it!! :-)

I LOVE COUPONS!!!!!

Tom Thumb run this evening...

...and I took my four boys in tow with me and still saved money! My 8 year old, Ethan, is now at the point where he can push a stroller, so we pop Coltan into the Snap'n'Go, get Tristan and Ronan in the kids grocery cart that has the car on it, pop my binder in the front and we are good to go!

First stop was Tom Thumb since they had a Buy 4 Save $4 sale on General Mills items. There were a few loadables we could use plus manufacturer's coupons so this made the deal pretty sweet.

My four were:

Cinnamon Toast Crunch $0.55/1 IP
Trix x 2 $0.55/1 IP + $0.55/1 loadable
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $0.40/1 IP + $1.20 loadables came off in one transaction!

Total started at 4/$6 and ended after coupons at $1.80 for 4 items! Now it should have been less but my nice cashier forgot to scan the Cinnamon Toast Crunch so my automatic $4 did not come off and neither did my loadable coupon. Which is OK, because I left my $1/1 Cocoa Puffs coupons at home so I can go do this deal again for CHEAPER tomorrow! :-)

Another decent deal I took advantage of: Yoplait Yogurt. A staple in our house, we have been out for a while!!! Bought 12 @ $0.50 each. Used $0.50/6 and $0.40/6 plus $1.50 of loadables came off. So started at $6 and ended at $2.70 for 12 yogurts or $0.23 each.

Huggies diapers are my deal of the day!
Thanks to katycouponers.blogspot.com for the heads up on this!

Huggies diapers are $8.99 each WYB 2. So I bought 2 and used 2-$3/1 coupons (wish I had more of these!!!) that I got in the mail and then $5.50 in loadables came off!!!!
So started at $17.98 and ended at $6.48 for 2 jumbo packs of diapers! Or $3.24 per pack!!!

Gatorade 8 packs were on their 72 hour sale $3.99 and some had $1/1 peelies on them! $2.99 for 8 bottles of Gatorade! We just started Bantam football so my son is so happy we have these now!

I have been having troubles finding the Chef Michael's dog food at Target to get them for free with the BOGO and $3/1 coupons so we were dawdling down the pet food isle and I see Tom Thumb has it on sale for $3.99...well since these coupons expire tomorrow, I will take my dog food for $0.99! Thanks!!!

Going to search for my last of these coupons and see what stores have them in stock before work tomorrow!! Would post about Kroger but it is getting late and dishes are calling before bed!!

Goodnight everyone!

Have you ever....

...thought...WOW! Look at where I am in life..is this where I thought I would be when I was a little girl? Or even at 16? 21? Did I really think I would end up here?

...And where is here? Am I growing? Happy? Is my family happy?

It seems to be a constant worry on my mind is whether or not my boys are happy. Do I do enough for them? Am I raising them right? Are they content? Learning? What do I need to do to make life better for them?

Sometimes I feel as if I am failing. You look at other parents and compare yourself to them.

I look at my house and want to cry. But Mommy can't lose it. If Mommy loses it, we will all lose it and then what?

I look over my sleeping baby boys and just wish I could be more to them. I wish I was a better parent, a better wife, a better friend..yet for all this wishing...I never step up. I don't change my ways. I stay the same. Make the same mistakes over and over again.

And then I say, Yes, I can change. And I don't. It is a never ending cycle that I put my family through and for that I am sorry. I wish they all knew how sorry I was for who I am. They deserve better.

Too long...I know

...so interesting fact as I sit here and enjoy my Mocha Frappuccino ice cream, I wonder, how many calories am I ingesting?

For 1/2 cup (or a 1/4 of the container) is 220 calories and 13 grams of fat. (And yes, I really did only eat half a cup! It is back in the freezer as I type this!) Now how does that compare to the actual drink?

For a Grande it is 380 calories and 15 grams of fat when made with 2% milk and whip cream! No whip and skim milk changes it to 260 calories and 3.5 grams of fat (but not as delicious!).

Now I don't know about anyone else but I would rather eat than drink my calories and trust me when I say that this ice cream is worth it!

I was sad when my $2/1 coupons expired! I thought I used all of mine but then found out after they expired I still had some in my stash! So sad since Kroger has these on for $2.50 each so I was buying them for $0.50 each! So worth it!!!!

I know I was supposed to be posting my savings and coupons but with work, school and football, life has been busy! I am keeping all my receipts and I will have a tally at the end of the month, for sure!

So I have been back at work for a month now and it really is like I never left. Work is ever changing and I have am now on a different team since being back and my dept is different now. So many changes and I am not sure how this is going to effect me career wise. There just does not seem like there is room for growth anymore and I am scared of being stagnant. I am 33 years old and do not want to be doing this job into my 40s. When I started there, I expected to be much farther along in my five year plan than I am now. My three year anniversary is November 6th and all I have done is become a Master Rep and my manager is 9 years younger than me....then again so is my closest friend right now...:-)

I love the company I work for but even as one of the top companies in our industry we are struggling. I shouldn't complain, my husband has it far worse. We don't even know how long his company is going to last. We are preparing to become a one income family if we have to. We are also preparing for him to go back to school. I think he has found something that he really wants to do and I am so happy for him. I had my time, now it is his turn.

To help the cause I will really be honing my couponing skills. Getting organized and buying the loss leaders at the stores. I will also be trying to cook more. Since I have been back at work we have had takeout only twice! Once was Little Cesaer's and once was TGIFriday's that I only paid $3.24 because I had an $8 off coupon! That is huge for our family because Monday's were always $1 Hamburger meal nights at McD's and Friday was pizza night! Those combined were $15-20/week depending on if we got one or two pizzas. Grocery shopping has been significantly less and Ethan has been eating more so I am seeing my pantry start to dwindle...

...well baby is getting up for his middle of the night feeding...hope everyone has a great weekend!

Healthcare by the numbers...

..I am Canadian and grew up in their healthcare system. I have no complaints about it, really. It never failed me when I needed it but I am not a sickly person either so I am not sure I have the best insight on it...but there are some vast differences when you are looking at providing Healthcare for the population of Canada versus the population of the USA. And I am strictly looking at numbers, that's all. I am not here to piss anyone off, just look at the numbers and consider the cost. *Rounded for easier math*

Population of Canada: 30 million

Population of USA: 300 million

Based on someone making less than 100k:

Average % of income taxes in Canada: Between 22-29% for Federal and at least 10% provincial for a total of 39%From http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html

Average % of income taxes in USA: Between 15-25%, and state taxes if applicable

Cost of healthcare per person in Canada for 2008 = $5,170 or $171.9 million

If we took this SAME number and applied it to the USA population, total cost would be:
$1.551 TRILLION dollars for one year based on Canada's 2008 numbers.

Canada's current debt: $483,005,600,000.00

USA current debt: $11,802,680,210,364.41

For the Canadian number: This is from: http://www.debtclock.ca/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=1
In fiscal 2008-09 the debt clock climbed by $123.67 per second, taking our federal debt up to $461,537,000,000. After April 1, 2009, the clock, and our federal debt began growing by $1,591.83 per second. That’s $95,510 per minute, $5.7-million per hour, or $138-million every day! By March 31, 2010, Canada’s federal debt will hit $511,737,000,000.

For the US number: This is from: http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK The Outstanding Public Debt as of 04 Sep 2009 at 05:09:06 AM GMT is:$11,802,680,210,364.41The estimated population of the United States is 306,856,619so each citizen's share of this debt is $38,463.18.
The National Debt has continued to increase an average of$3.96 billion per day since September 28, 2007!Concerned? Then tell Congress and the White House!

From Wikipedia on Canada's Healthcare link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Canada:
Health care spending in Canada is projected to reach $160 billion, or 10.6% of GDP, in 2007. This is slightly above the average for OECD countries, and substantially below the 15.2% of GDP taken up by healthcare in the United States as of 2005.[4]
In Canada, the various levels of government pay for about 71% of Canadians' health care costs, which is slightly below the OECD average. Under the terms of the Canada Health Act, the publicly funded insurance plans are required to pay for medically necessary care, but only if it is delivered in hospitals or by physicians. There is considerable variation across the provinces/territories as to the extent to which such costs as outpatient prescription drugs, physical therapy, long-term care, home care, dental care and even ambulance services are covered.[5]
Considerable attention[who?] has been focused on two issues: wait times and health human resources. There is also a debate about the appropriate 'public-private mix' for both financing and delivering services.
Canada's healthcare spending is expected to reach $171.9 billion, or $5,170 per person, in 2008. Health expenditures are expected to be 10.7% of the gross domestic product. Hospitals account for the largest segment in spending at $48.1 billion, however, this amount is declining. According to the OECD, spending was second amongst other countries, less than United States and more than Norway, Switzerland and Luxembourg.[6]
Canada has a federally sponsored, publicly funded Medicare system, with most services provided by the private sector. Each province may opt out, though none currently do. Canada's system is known as a single payer system, where basic services are provided by private doctors (since 2002 they have been allowed to incorporate), with the entire fee paid for by the government at the same rate. Most family doctors receive a fee per visit. These rates are negotiated between the provincial governments and the province's medical associations, usually on an annual basis. A physician cannot charge a fee for a service that is higher than the negotiated rate — even to patients who are not covered by the publicly funded system — unless the physician opts out of billing the publicly funded system altogether. Pharmaceutical costs are set at a global median by government price controls. Other areas of health care, such as dentistry and optometry, are wholly private.

My point is CANADA CAN AFFORD HEALTHCARE...that is why they have it and it works for the country!

US Representatives, whether FOR or AGAINST the plan, should not be using Canada as a comparison tool for the PROS and CONS of a government run healthcare system. Population and cost wise, it is like comparing Apples to Oranges. Canada's system would not work here so quit using it as an example!

I am not against people having AFFORDABLE and DECENT healthcare, I am against having my grandchildren having to pay for it. Competition should be allowed in the healthcare industry across the country. It should not be that every state has different rules as to who can provide health insurance. We can get auto insurance from anyone, why not health insurance?

Chris and I experienced this first hand by moving from Washington State to Texas. We had an HMO, Kaiser Permanente in Washington. We paid $10/visit. And only $10 to have Ethan and Tristan. Then we move to Texas and find out that Kaiser is not offered here and we had to change to an 80/20 system from the same employer, different part of the country. We paid almost $3,000 to have Ronan (on Chris' employer provided insurance) and after healthcare premiums were added up maybe $1500 to have Coltan (on my insurance that I pay for weekly through my paycheck) BUT, it was a choice! I had a choice to sign up for my company's insurance plan. I WORK FOR MY BENEFITS. I am not asking for a hand out.

This was not written to offend anyone. This was written strictly to show a comparison in the numbers. If there was a way for the USA to afford this, there would not be so much opposition. But, unfortunately, in today's economy, there is not a way to do this.

Sorry for the rant but it is an important issue that seems to be skimmed over in the media with pictures of angry mobs against healthcare or others saying how great it will be not knowing what it will cost us in the end.

No one has been able to answer the question of cost. Defendants of the bill think opposers are just against the administration. Opposers think defenders just want to push their Socialist agenda.

My opinion? Tell me the actual cost and what the bill actually entails, in PLAIN ENGLISH and then I will form my opinion. Until that happens, the bill is of no use to any American.

As of September 1st...

..this will be a new chapter for the Cook Family. I am going to lay it all out there for everyone to see and you can decide whether or not I deserve the title of Coupon Queen! I really want to be "Ultimate Savings Queen". Many of my friends think what I do is amazing and I appreciate that but in the coupon world, I am still an amateur. I believe that I am hard core because I can't imagine life before coupons but I see the deals other people get on www.Hotcouponworld.com and other blogs and still think I have alot to learn.

...so come September 1st, 2009, I am going to blog about EVERY purchase we make. Whether it be food, gas, DVDs, take out..what have you. It will be logged for EVERYONE to see! Keep me accountable to my savings!!! It will be logged on www.mint.com A GREAT FREE site to help anyone keep a budget!

...but here I will list line by line what we spent. Then we will have a running total of the amount spent for the month of September. If I am really good, I will keep it as a spreadsheet and see how much I really saved. I am only going to track what I saved with coupons. I will not include the store savings. I want to see how many coupons I use in a month.

Do you have a guess? I really do not have a guess...LOL If you want to venture one, I will mail out an envelope full of coupons in whatever category you choose to the person who guesses closest to what I used!!

Should be interesting. Won't you join me in the GREAT COUPON RACE?

It's been a while...

...I am back at work..my first full week and I stayed the entire 40 hours! That in itself is an accomplishment. I thought for sure I would be applying for VTO (voluntary time off) whenever the opportunity presented itself. I felt that I would be doing my family a disservice by going home early. Chris and I have many financial goals that we would like to accomplish by December so I should not be taking time unpaid "just because"

...the kids have also started school. Kids. PLURAL. I have two in school now. WOW! Tristan seems to be adjusting well. Scared me a little bit since his teacher called me around 11 am this morning but it was just cause he was missing his Alphabet Book. When I saw her name on my phone, I thought something happened and my heart jumped up in my throat...He did have his binder signed because he was throwing wood chips at recess but other than that, I am told he is adjusting well. I have to give him a little leeway since this really is his first structured environment. He never had the chance to go to Pre-School like Ethan nor did we ever have daycare. My Tristan is a very smart boy and I know he will do well. Today, he picked a flower for his teacher...yes, this would be my little charmer...

...I must say that I am very proud of Ethan. He is being such a GREAT older brother and I really do not tell him that enough. He looks out for Tristan and he really is happy to have him at school with him. It is still hard for the boys in the morning and you can hear Ethan telling Tristan that they both have to get ready for school. It really is so cute.

...for Chris and I...I think this adjustment is going to take some getting used to. I am not sure what to do to make this easier for him on Thursdays and Fridays. I can't imagine what it will be like if he goes back to having weekends off instead of Monday and Tuesday nights! Currently, he is the one dealing with football practices and dinner...almost makes me want to switch my shift back to days. But, I really do like nights..or I guess I should say evenings. This shift is MUCH less stressful than when I worked days and I really do like the people down here. I remember being so scared to come to this team. Scared of the new manager, the people...and now, I can't imagine why...

...and I really need to get back to better couponing. I have been getting some decent deals lately at Walgreens with their $5/$25 deals and so many Register Rewards. They needed to do something when they took away their rebate program and I appreciate their efforts to keep us couponers happy...I think with being at work during this shift, I should be able to do more research and really search the deals. I am working on a better organization system as well as a teaching method for both beginners and intermediate couponers. I do not consider myself an expert yet, though I know many of my friends turn to me for help, they should see how some others do it! WOW! I have not made it on TV nor radio so I guess I am not an expert..YET! Please notice the emphasis...LOL

...well thanks for listening to my rant...I know I haven't been keeping up like I wanted. I will try to be better about it...

Happy Friday EVERYONE!

Things to do today....

...upload your ecoupons to your Kroger card at www.upromise.com, www.shortcuts.com, www.cellfire.com, www.pgesaver.com

...make a list of things that you need, we'll see if we can match them up to Saturday's awesome sale at Kroger...

...check your email for a $5/$25 from CVS. This is valid TODAY only!!!

Getting back into couponing...

...well I was never really out of it but I have been sad because I have been missing out on deals because I have been so busy with the family. Now that we are starting to get a handle on things, I am getting back into it! I just need to be more organized! Got some great savings today though!

...so there was a great coupon to use at Walgreens the past four days and I took advantage of it!

Three transactions, not many, but lots of goodies in return.

First transaction:

8 Skippy Peanut Butter 16.3 ozs
2 Pop Tarts 8 ct
2 Keebler Fudge Cookies 15 ozs
2 Cheez Its 4.5 ozs
2 Drano (Walgreens brand) 32 ozs
4 Chicken of the Sea Tuna 5 ozs
1 Nail Polish Remover 10 ozs
2 Penway Pencils 10 pk
2 Vinyl Binders 1"
1 Gum Toothbrush 2 pk

Total OOP: $27.60 Saved: $34.38
Average of $1.06 per item!
Received back: $10 RR for peanut butter, $5 RR for Kellogg's, $3.50 RR for toothbrush
Total of $18.50 to spend in the next two weeks!
If you want to include these RR savings: $27.60-$18.50 = $9.10
Average of $0.35 per item!

Second transaction:

4 Photostamp kits which includes Gift Code for 20 stamps.
These were clearanced at 75% off! Check your Walgreens for more!!!

Total OOP: $25.72 after taxes
This averaged out to $0.30 stamp before taxes!!! Who ever gets stamps on sale??? Love it!!!

Third transaction:

1 Photostamp kit
4 Dove Body Mists
4 Dove Ultimate Clear Deodorant
1 Huggies Newborn Jumbo Pack
1 Walgreens Jumbo pack Size 4s (clearanced 50% off!)

OOP: $23.96 Savings $50.32
Average $2.18 per item (Very high dollar items at that)
Received back $10RR for Dove products
Thus: $23.96-$10RR = $13.96
OR $1.27 per item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND, I will get to submit this for the Caregivers Rebate for the Huggies diapers as well for more cash back!

Basically, for next week's sales I have $28.50 to spend! WOOHOO!

Then it was on to Tom Thumb in Southlake (don't ask me to explain why I had to go there, someone out there knows why!!!)

I went to there to get my cheap cat food with coupons that were to expire today in combo with their great super coupons this week!

Spent $26.14 Saved $38 or 60% Not great but I did buy a couple of cartons of Almond Milk and a $3 brush for my shower. Without those, my OOP would have been under $20.

Not bad for getting back on the horse. I will try to do better next week and report in on it!

Happy Shopping!

SUPER DOUBLE COUPONS August 15th, 2009 @ Kroger!

This was too good not to post right away! I am going to go through my coupons and add a list as I go for items that will be cheap or free! WOOHOO!

Start clipping those coupons!!!

Are there enough hours in the day?

...as a parent, does it always seem like you are running on empty? I know that is probably a stupid question but seriously, what is the deal? I have been doing this for 8 years but it seems as if I will never catch up! I go back to work in two weeks, look at my house and want to cry. There was so much I wanted to accomplish before I go back to work and none of it is going to get done. I can barely get the dishwasher loaded let alone get the laundry folded and put away. And this is with me NOT WORKING. What is going to happen when I go back?

...and don't get me wrong, I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to have my fourth child. I knew it would be chaotic, messy, and how many other adjectives I could use to describe my house. But right now, at this moment, I am seriously OVERWHELMED. There is so much to do and I do not even know where to start.

...today I opted to take all four boys with me to the dr's office for Coltan's appointment. A real outing with my four boys, all alone! I had the option to leave two with Chris but I wanted him to get some sleep since his job sucks and he needs all the sleep he can get before I start work again! So we go to the office and Tristan of course wants to interrupt while the dr is talking. I am trying to listen while Ronan is acting cranky because I am having to pinch his nose for five minutes to stop his second nosebleed of the day! Then the nurse says to me "I know this can be overwhelming..." and tries to give me advice on how to handle my kids...UGH! I wanted to cry right there and then...

...so the appointment is over..thank goodness...and we head out the door. We start driving home and in my head I am weighing out the pros and cons of taking them all to Sprouts, my favorite produce store. It is on the way home from the dr's office and not convenient for me to take the kids home and come back. So, it is about a 10 minute drive before I hit it and I say to myself, "OK, you can do this." So I stop at Sprouts. Baby is sleeping, check! Ronan is not cranky, check! Ethan and Tristan can walk beside the cart, check!

...so here we walk into Sprouts and it was a complete 180 from the dr's office! Only one time did I have to ask Tristan to get off Ethan's back and only one time did I have to tell them to stay beside me! In retrospect, calling them back was my mistake as they were chasing after the ball that Ronan threw on the ground. I was able to shop for 15 minutes and buy more than 10 items! Ronan did not try to get out of the cart, baby did not wake up until we were leaving the store (and even then, he did not cry) and the two older boys stayed by me the entire time! Yes, they received a treat, sour neon gummi worms, but hey! Small price to pay for good behavior!

..I talked to two different women in Sprouts and they couldn't get over how cute the boys were! I said "Thank you, it is because they are behaving now!" One woman with her two daughters said her friend has five sons! Yikes! Good luck with that! I am finally getting used to having four. It is more work but not that much different from three. Coltan is an easy baby. I am extremely lucky. Our biggest hurdle is dealing with the terrible 2's. WOW! Can't wait until this phase is over.

...But, one obstacle seems to be out of the way, it is 2 am right now and he is sleeping in his brothers' room for the fifth night in a row! Last night, he did come back to my room later in the night but tonight, he is in there and went there ON HIS OWN!!! :-) Keep in mind that both of his brothers did not sleep in their own room until after he was born!!! So this is early for me and I am so happy! Chris and I almost did not know what to do with ourselves when there was no child in between us in the bed on Tuesday night. (Coltan sleeps in the bassinet beside our bed) Neither one of us is used to being in bed at the same time due to our schedules and if we are in bed together there is a child between us. 10 years we have been together, you'd think we would have been more excited about it, but both of us just thought it was kind of weird. LOL

...Anyway, back to the original question at hand, are there enough hours in the day? No. Every time I go to start a project, it fails because one child is always needing your attention and you know you are going to give that attention to them. What kind of parent are you if you don't? Sometimes, you wonder if it should be mandatory for everyone, no matter what age, to have nap time just so you can get things done. Then again, when they take a nap, it turns into rest time for yourself and then before you know it, they are up again and you have to put away whatever you were working on so it does not get ruined, Sound familiar?

Welcome to my world!

More new firsts...

Pictures are up! Here is the link to my beautiful boys:


http://sixfourteenphotography.blogspot.com/2009/08/cook-brothers.html



Funny thing is, this group picture should have never happened! These are not the outfits that I had picked out for the group shot, but I guess I will take what I can get. I am excited for Colton (out photographer) to finish the touch-ups on all of the other pics he took!

Last night was an interesting evening on our block. It was the return of our long lost neighbors Rebecca and Gabriel. They left us for small town living near Amarillo and came back for a visit last night. This gave us the opportunity to partake in a few adult beverages...of which I only had two. My husband had a bit more. Though pics of me reveal otherwise, it is just my Asian genes kicking in that make me all red-faced after one drink!

Now, being 33 makes you really think about how much you can actually drink. Looking back on how I was at 21 compared to now is a huge difference. Maybe I will find a pic of me at 21 and compare it to the one we took last night for tomorrow's blog...should be an interesting comparison. It is amazing what 12 years can do to someone's stamina. Two drinks wasn't even an appetizer back in the day...now, that is most likely my evening. Not that, that is a bad thing. Hell, it is alot cheaper for me now than back then...LOL

I think what holds me back is the boys. I have to be responsible now. A grown-up. Although Ethan says that 35 is when you are an adult. I'm not 35 so do I have to be one?;-) I sometimes think about the glory days of being 20, single with no responsibilities. Would I ever want to go back to that? My baby sis is 28, single, living at a resort in her first year apprenticeship as a chef. She posts pics of her backpacking in the mountains, kayaking and playing softball. Sometimes I look at those pics and am jealous. Looks so freeing. There are so many pros and cons to being single versus being married with kids.

What would I choose now?

Married with kids. This is hard, no doubt about it. Leaves many restrictions on what I can do. There is no real ME time. My ME time is spent here, clipping coupons, reading emails, looking at Facebook, while the kids watch Noggin and I make sure they do not kill eachother. One of the biggest positives is that I have a partner in all of this. Someone to tag out so I can take a shower by myself or go to the store with no kids in tow. And I am never alone. There will always be someone to hug, someone to cuddle with, someone to say I love you. That is the best part.

So even though, I can't party like I used to, I am happy that I do not really want to. I would rather pick up my baby, cuddle on the couch and have them say "I love you Mommy"

It doesn't get better than that.

My boys are growing up...

Today was a day of firsts! Took all four boys to Bear Creek Park and had a professional photos done of them individually and as a group. No parents, just the kids...I am in no shape for pictures...maybe at Christmas...MAYBE....

Ethan, Tristan and Coltan were just fine for their pics..but Ronan was a WILDMAN! Trying to get a group shot was like trying to herd cattle! Seriously!

I think we got it right at the end, but we'll see when the pics are posted. Our photographer posts them to his own blog and I will let you know when they are up. Overall, everything went well. I wish Ronan was more cooperative but he's 2..what did I expect really? The photographer (who was named Colton...kind of funny) and his wife chased Ronan around for about 15 minutes trying to get some decent photos of him...we'll see how that turns out! They definitely earned their $75 session fee!! I know they got some awesome shots of Ethan and Tristan together though...those two can really pose it up. Ethan made me laugh because he wanted to wear this black wristband for his individual pics. Gave him a bit of an edgier look...my Ethan...edgy...not something anyone would think. He is starting to have an opinion on his look...am I ready for that?

He will be entering his second season of football, which scares me since he is just tipping the scales at 51.2 lbs and the weight limit for Bantam is 90lbs!!! Many guys are ALOT bigger than my boy, but he wants to play so who am I to say no?

Then, there is my Tristan. Now 5 and currently at his first sleepover! I think it is a great venue for his first sleepover as there are four boys there including his brother and he is right down the street from me. The picture above is of the boys and our friend Curtis who will be watching over the boys. My house is so eerily quiet...both young ones are sleeping and I really should be as well, but of course, I can't...

I just keep counting down the days before I have to go back to work and it makes me so sad. I am really enjoying being here for the boys and my husband. I hope they enjoy me being here though I know they get bored sometimes. Hopefully I can get some fun activities in before school starts.

School Supply Shopping...

3:46 pm



...it is that time of year again, school starts in 4 weeks! Here in Texas there is always one weekend in August dedicated to TAX-FREE shopping! Unfortunately, the state is waiting until the weekend before school starts to have it! I am not waiting until three days before school begins to make sure my kids have everything just to save 8.25%...



...so today, while Ronan napped with Daddy, I brought the other three boys to Walgreens. Today only at http://www.walgreens.com/ you can print off a 15% off your total purchase coupon. That is saving almost DOUBLE the tax! Also, there are $3/1 backpack coupons in this weeks flier. Luckily, we found a backpack for both Ethan and Tristan on our first try! Regularly $15.99, ended up being around $11 each. Not awesome, but I will take it! This is the first year that I have ever brought the boys with me for their school supplies. So, we bring it home and go through what we have leftover from years past. Let's just say, they were all thrown in a box and going through all of it was not easy! I sweated trying to find it all! One thing I discovered was that I am out of pencils! Have four packages of mechanical pencils but Ethan is still not allowed to have those in third grade! Dang it!



...I did find Washable Crayola Markers for Tristan which I thought I would have to go out and buy so I was happy about that since those are not cheap! I just need more Manila paper for Ethan, dividers with pockets because I only have the ones without pockets and a 1" hardcover binder as I only have the vinyl 1" binders. So, not too bad.



...I just got an email from http://www.cvs.com/ for a $5/$30 purchase so I may check through their flier as well and see if there are any GREAT Extra Bucks deals to be had! Or at least check the preview for Sunday's ad on http://www.hotcouponworld.com/ since the coupon runs through Sunday.



...oh and I did my mile this morning! And I brought one child with me, Coltan, in the Baby Trend stroller and it took me 35 minutes. So far, I am doing better on food but it is Pizza Friday! LOL Well, Coltan is crying, better get at it!!

Day 2 has begun...

12:45 pm

I completed my mile today but not without struggle. I brought the boys with me, Coltan and Ronan and tested out the Zooper stroller. Easy to push but it is heavy with a car seat and Ronan in it. It is three laps around my neighborhood that adds up to a mile. By the first lap, yep I wanted to quit. This is just hard but I know it has to be done. Took me 36 minutes with the stroller to do the three laps.

Breakfast was leftover spaghetti from last night. Figured the heavy carbs in the morning may help my hunger later. Right now, I have a massive headache though and we know it is not from dehydration. I don't think I have ever drank so much water. I know my husband would have liked it if I drank this much water when I was pregnant. I am not sure how I am going to go back to work in a few weeks. I can barely get through the day sometimes. Only chores I have done so far, is take laundry out of the dryer and load and run the dishwasher.

Positive note today: I got my wedding rings back on today! WOOHOO! Not that I have lost weight, I think the swelling has finally started to subside and I was able to squeeze my rings on my finger. I always felt naked without them on and hated being in public with an empty ring finger. So happy that I could get them back on today!

Well I better get the boys some lunch. Be back later.

July 31st, 2009 @ 7:20 am

Well, the headache finally went away but I had to ask Chris to stay home because I could not handle the boys and the headache. Now I am up so early, I will definitely need a nap later. And instead of eating too much, I ate too little. I only had two meals and one of them didn't stay down.

It was very nice to actually get some sleep last night. Chris did an awesome job of getting the kids to bed and taking care of Coltan. So, I am about to get dressed to go walk my mile. No rest for the wicked.

No walk yet. Watched the show "Hung" with the hubby. We DVR'd it to see what it was about...has anyone seen this? It is pretty funny. Not sure it will last though. Trying to see where the plot would actually go but not sure what would happen.

Anyway, making coffee, going to get dressed and then go for my walk. Hubby thinks I should sit today out considering yesterday but I think I should make a go of it. At least try, not going to bring the kids today though and my shins are hurting. Good times...It is Friday though...YAY! That is always a good day...

Day #1....

This was written around 5 pm today:...

...yes, I walked my first mile today. I went as soon as I woke up at 9 am. Though, I did not lay down until 3 am and you know the baby got up at least twice..but I said yesterday: NO EXCUSES!!! I ate a decent breakfast, plain oatmeal with Splenda and non-fat milk and a 1/2 grapefruit. So far, I have downed 3 bottles of water. My goal is to drink a minimum of 64 ozs a day. And yes, I mean water! The only other liquid I have had today is 3/4 c of non-fat milk.

...unfortunately, I am extremely tired so I am VERY happy that my 30 minutes of cardio was completed as soon as I woke up. I know that for myself, if I procrastinate, it will not get done. I did take a nice two-hour nap with the baby this afternoon so I feel a little bit better.


...the eating better is going to take some getting used to. Ever since I had the baby, I have been having a sort of free for all. In my head, I have been trying to calculate all the calories I have eaten...yeah, that's not a pretty number! Currently, I am using sparkpeople.com to track my eating and cardio. It is a nice little website and it is FREE! My favorite word! Right now, as of 4:45pm, I am at 1585 calories consumed (this includes dinner that I have not eaten yet, but have already portioned out for myself) Supposedly I can have up to 2,000 since I am exclusively breastfeeding. I am going to do a little more research to make sure that I am eating enough, because I definitely do not want my milk supply to go down.

*******************************************************************************

And now it is midnight...how did the rest of my evening go? Food wise, not so good. Went to Sprouts with Tanya, Ronan and Coltan and got some fresh fruits and veggies. But, when we got home around 7:30pm, I started to get hungry. I cut up some watermelon for the kids and had maybe 1/2 cup for myself, not much. Then, we start watching Top Chef: Masters. Probably not the best show to be watching when all you want to do is eat!

So around 8:45pm I make myself 6 Triscuits with cheddar cheese on them. But am I satisfied yet? No....So at 9:30 pm, I almost grabbed my Old Dutch Ketchup Potato Chips that my sister sent me, but I put them back on the shelf and grabbed the cauliflower out of the fridge, cut it up and served it with Kraft Fat Free Ranch. Ethan ate it with me, love that he loves veggies!!!

But one last thing...just before Chris leaves for work at 11pm, the boys would like some of the Honey Roasted Peanuts that have not yet been opened. Man those look good...and yes, they are good! So, needless to say, food wise, not too happy with myself. Goal was to eat between 1,500-2,000 calories. I ate 2,300. Those last 300 calories came from the peanuts! Ah well...

Some positives to take away from today: I drank my goal of 64ozs of water! I completed 30 minutes of cardio and I recorded everything I ate, no matter what!!! I really should not expect my eating habits to change overnight. I know that I need a little leeway. Also, what I can take away from today is that I need to figure out why I get so hungry after 8 pm. I know I do not get much sleep, so it could be that I am just awake so many hours, three meals is not cutting it. Also, guaranteed I was consuming well over 3,000 calories a day for the past six weeks. My body is probably not used to me eating so well after all this time.

Also, yes, I read everyone's comments and we will stretch my weight loss goal through to Christmas. I should be losing 1-2 lbs per week while breastfeeding. That puts me out 20 weeks to reach my goal. I am hoping to at least be a size 8-10 when the Christmas party comes around and back to a size 6 for my next birthday! (Well, maybe that goal will be by Easter! ;-)

These next two weeks are really going to be the test for me. If I can just stick to a schedule for two weeks, then I know I can until I reach my goal. The first two weeks are always the hardest!

Had my six week check up...

...how many women hate going to the OB? There is always a wait time, it is uncomfortable and annoying..and many more unpleasant words...


...today was my six week check up since having Coltan. The appointment was at 9:40am, I wasn't given a room until 11:15 am, was weighed and then I sat in a room waiting until 11:35 am to see the OB for 8 minutes. Good times...

...well that is my vent about the office. Before I left my house though, I stated to my husband that I would be making an appointment to "finalize" that our fourth child was our last child. He says to me, "Are you sure about that?"





...am I sure about that? Let's see, we have been married for 9 years and have four boys. Obviously, he is not able to produce girls (yes I blame him and scientifically I can!) and we only have a four bedroom house and six person vehicle. So, unless he plans on getting a bigger house, which would require us selling the current one (not in this market!!!), getting a new vehicle which would also require getting rid of a current one (I hate car shopping) and can GUARANTEE that we would have girl...this is not happening.





...and it is not like the thought has not crossed my mind. When I graduated from high school 15 years ago (YIKES) I stated in the yearbook that I wanted 5 kids. (I also stated that this would happen before I was 30!) Keep in mind, it was 1994, I was 18 years old and it was pretty easy to make those statements when being a parent was such a foreign concept at the time.





...For the most part, having all boys has made having four kids a bit simpler. The clothes last a long time because they are handed down from kid to kid and they can share a room with no problems. The toys stay the same (cars, balls and legos) and they all like to rough house together. If we had a girl in the mix, I may have a different opinion about having four.





...Also, being pregnant is pretty easy for me. With the exception of the annoyingingly high blood pressure and the gestational diabetes, I have to admit, I like being pregnant. I don't get morning sickness, no weird cravings and the clothes are kind of cute. You get to look good while being curvy. But for financial reasons, plus the fact that I am already 33 years old, I will be doing a permanent procedure so I do not have to think about the possibility of making my yearbook predicition come true.





...and now reality sets in. No more babies. This is it. This will be the smallest one your boys will ever be. They only get bigger from here. Kind of sad, don't you think? I looked at about 10-12 pregnant women in the office today and was jealous of every one of them. Crazy huh?





...After you have the baby, everything just kind of hangs there. I kept comparing myself to these women in the waiting room. All of them looked so cute. Then there was me. I'm wearing a Nike workout shirt and matching shorts because nothing normal fits. I have rolls in so many places that I lose count and my glow is gone. My official weight according to my dr's scale: 179lbs.... YUCK!





...so here we are, July 28th, 2009 @ 179lbs. One of the main reasons to write about this is so I can actually stick to the goal. I have no excuses. Yes, I have four kids. Yes, I have a full-time job. Yes, I am tired. None of these excuses are reasons not to lose the weight. Do I really want to look like I just had Coltan for the next 10 years? No.





..so hold me to it. Here we go. What will I do? How will I start? Eating better, exercising...YES! YES!





...My goal: 140lbs by Thanksgiving. Completely attainable. Basically 10 lbs a month or 2.5 lbs a week. Anyone joining me?

Baby Boy #4 is 6 weeks old...how did I get here?

...on June 12th, 2009 I gave birth to my fourth beautiful baby boy Coltan. Who knew that I would be a married mother of four boys? For anyone who knew me before I got married, they never would have thought this. Even my parents thought I would probably just have a career, no kids.


....and now, after 9 years of marriage, I have four boys. Ethan turned 8 on July 19th, Tristan turned 5 on June 23rd and Ronan turned 2 on July 9th.


...but let's back up a bit..




...maybe I should start at the beginning...


My life change on May 10th, 1999. That is the day that I found Christopher Charles Cook in the Hotmail Personal Ads. Yes, I will say it. I found him while looking through the personals!


And why was I in there? On the outside, I seemed like an extremely personable, social and happy person. Inside, I was extremely disappointed with where I was in life. I was 23, living at home for the summer to go back to school in the fall, working with a maintenance crew on our local golf course and working as a waitress.


Yet, just two years prior I was working for the newspaper covering the golf course as a recent journalism graduate from SAIT.


Literally, I felt like I was going no where. I had no relationship prospects, most of my friends were married, had kids or were in steady relationships at least. Even my sisters were. How sad is it when you are the oldest and you can't have a decent relationship?


So I started browsing online. It was a joke really. The ads were funny. Even my mom thought so. There were guys looking for short term relationships, long term relationships...just some real weirdos. It was good for a laugh. Then I came across this "hang-out" ad. A guy in Arizona, saying he was new to the area and was looking for someone to hang out with. I was intrigued by his smile and his ad so I sent him an email, even though I was no where near Arizona.


I gave him the cheezy line of "..so I have never done this before but thought I would drop you a line..." Obviously it was true (not that he knew that) and he ended being the first and ONLY ad that I ever responded to!


Within one week, we were emailing eachother five times a day. I would come home for lunch from the golf course just to check my email. At first, it was nothing romantic. It was just intriguing to get to know each other. So different from other people I knew. I felt a connection just emailing him and getting to know him through this non-conventional way.


11 days after the first email was the first phone call and less than a week after the first phone call, he booked a plane ticket to Canada to meet me. For him, this was risky. Me, not so much. Why do I say that considering I am the girl? Well, he was flying to another country to meet a girl he still had not seen a picture of! A little crazy on his part. Luckily, I am not too hard on the eyes, so people tell me.


But, I will never forget why he said he did this. "I have missed out on too many opportunities in my life and I was not about to miss another."


How could I not fall in love with him?


He arrived at the Edmonton International Airport on June 16th, 1999 at 3:15 pm. I had never been more nervous in my life than waiting in that terminal for him to walk through those doors. And don't worry, by then, he had seen a pic of me! I was wearing a light and airy spaghetti strapped sundress with small purple flowers (courtesy of my friend Nicole) and nervously pacing, heart racing as the doors kept opening and still no Chris.


Then, out walks this clean shaven, blond haired, blue-eyed All American guy, wearing jean shorts and a light green polo shirt. We locked eyes and I knew from that moment he was the guy I was going to marry.


One year and one day later on June 17th, 2000 we were married in my hometown of Whitecourt, Alberta.


But that was the past...that was how we started...how are we doing now? That is what this blog is all about. How do we handle four boys? How do we handle two jobs? How do we handle each other's opposing personalities? Let me tell you, it is not easy, but we do it.


Currently, it is July 27th, 2009..nine years later...four kids later...four moves later.... what does our future hold?