Im addicted to saving money

Saving money was not always a hobby of mine. In 2008 I made the decision to quit my job and return to school. This was a big change for my family as it caused our income to be cut by 50%. I knew that despite this change I would still want to shop, enjoy life and do little things here and there without having to always just "say no". So, I began looking into ways to save money on the things that I had to purchase. This included groceries, clothing, utilities, etc. Anything that required me to use my debit card was under review for a cost slash.

One of the first things I had to do was to be more conscious about the money we put into the cost of utilities. I found that a few little things caused our bills to go down a great deal.

UTILITIES
1. Wash dishes a few more times a week vs. running the dishwasher
2. Making sure that the kids turn off lights when they are not in the specific room.
3. Unplugging items which are not in use (stereo, radio, lamps, etc)
4. Knowing what you want out of the refrigerator / freezer before you open it (My kids have a bad habit of just standing there as if the food is going to start talking to them at some point)

Groceries
1. Coupons, Coupons, and more Coupons : I usually just purchase the Sunday newspaper. I also check the local paper that is delivered to our subdivision for free.
2. Sign up for grocery store frequent shopper cards. (They can save you a ton of money, plus some stores will send you coupon books ever few months that are made specifically for you based upon the types of items that you normally purchase. Kroger is good for this)
3. Sing up for online coupon sites. ( I like to use cellfire.com and shortcuts.com. They both add additional coupons automatically to your frequent shopper card. These coupons can be used in conjunction with store sales and also with paper manufacturer coupons.)

Retail Stores
1. Check your local paper for store coupons. (Macy's, Hobby Lobby and Belk have paper savings all the time)
2. Sign up for store mailing list online
3. Be sure to check your paper mail before just throwing advertisements away
* This is a biggie. I almost made the mistake of throwing away a few advertisements that I received from Kohl's. I normally don't shop at this store so when I saw the large postcard I headed towards my trash can to toss it. Well something told me to check it out, it was actually a coupon for $10 off of ANY purchase. So I was able to use it on a baby item that cost $9.99 which ended up being FREE. They sent me 3 of these same postcards over a period of 1 month. I used every single one of them.

Swag Bucks.....its pretty neat!!!!

You basically search using their search engine, earn points, then redeem the points for prizes. Its actually pretty easy. Im all about earning something for nothing. Give it a try!!!

1st thing down...A million to go...

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, hubby and I finally decided on a crib. We went with the 4 in 1 Storkcraft in Espresso. The crib was a great buy (IMO), considering that this bed can last throughout the crib stage, toddler stage and older kid stage, as it converts into a full size bed.

Were now left with the task of going out to locate furniture to match. Hopefully it will be as easy and locating the crib.

We've not made any other purchases, so I definitely have to get on the ball. I'm dedicating this weekend to purchase a few items. I'll be sure to report back as to any bargains or sales that I come across that are worthy of a post.

The 1st of many shopping trips

Hubby and I decided to go crib shopping yesterday. Well of course I haven't done anything like this in over 14 years so I wasn't as prepare as I thought. There are so many different options these days. Convertibles, 4 in 1's, mini cribs, Ebony, Cherry....my goodness! What happened to the days of plain white cribs or oak? Needless to say, no decision was made, were still looking. I have to do some research on the few that I've found and are interested in. I want to ensure that there have been no recalls, complaints of substance, etc.

WOW

Wow....Its been so long since I've taken the time to update my blog.

I am once again going to try and make a conscious effort to do a lot better.



There have been so may major changes in my life since my last post.

My life has had somewhat of a two-fold curve ball thrown right it.

I say two-fold because the situation is so bitter sweet.



The Bitter:

On September 9, 2009, I lost one of the greatest loves I've ever known...My Daddy.

It was very sudden and unexpected. Thats all I can muster up for now.



The Sweet:

In August, my husband and I found out that we are expecting. Yep...this mid 30's diva is having a baby. We now know the sex but have not yet shared that information with many.



Unfortunately my daddy passed away before we found out the sex of the baby. He did get to share in the joy of knowing that he had a grand baby on the way.



I know he's watching over our family, smiling upon us, laughing at my husband and missing my mommy.



For now...ill leave with just the words. R.I.P. Daddy

28 days and counting

YES!!! 28 days and counting.
To what you say????
my annual "Girls Trip" and also to lose about 10 pounds.
Im looking forward to both.

Update to follow soon.

I promise this time : )