HAHAHA! Free time.

Remember that free time I was talking about. Do you remember? Well. Yeah. So I did it to myself. Which I always do. But this time it was for the good of the family. Yes. I started couponing. Call me a couponer. Coupon Queen. I read a few how-to's and thought to myself, self, this is something you can do! And best part--- saving money! Who doesn't want to save money? Really! Well maybe Trump. But I bet even he likes a good bargain.

So for the first time in YEARS, I buy a paper. Now I had read the cons-- time consuming, a bunch of processed crap, not worth it, more expensive than non name brands etc. So skepticism was already on the table. I clipped a few.  Then I found some blog links to coupons.com and WOW! Printed all the coupons that were something I might buy. Cut them all out. Filled my sunroom with coupons spread all out in different categories. Well disorder is not your friend when dealing with coupons! Coupons get lost, coupons expire, and if you have kids, coupons get mixed up. Again. And again. So I needed to find something to put them in. Cause really, this was getting out of hand. So I got a binder, and after driving around to several stores, decided to order my coupon sleeves online.  Well would you believe it? You can buy coupons on ebay! You aren't buying the coupon per say cause that's against the law, you are buying the time and effort of the person clipping the coupon, like you would a babysitter. This adds a whole NEW area to explore in the world of couponing!

Skip ahead a few weeks. I discover more clipping services, and a few more coupon sites with different coupons. I buy 2 papers every week. Learned that I can't use all the coupons I print before they expire, so dont print them all as soon as you see them. Then learned that they do run out of prints, so if its something you want, PRINT IT. The cost of the ink and paper won't compare to the savings in the long run. And the heartache that is caused by knowing you could have saved $1 off but now cant. OYE! Who would have thought it was an emotional hobby right? I have a pantry. Now almost full of all sorts of stuff. I have a chest freezer!

I have learned to use sites like krazycouponlady to help with the deals you can find at CVS, and putting together the best coupons to get the most savings. Now for all the negative Nancys out there. YES. It is time consuming. Hence my gap in blog posts. You have to look at the stores, look at the sales, all beginning and ending on different days of the week, all with different policies regarding coupons, and going through your coupons constantly to see which are expiring, and if they match any sales. I get overwhelmed sometimes after trying to plot several stores trips in one evening. I step back and go do something else for a few and come back later. I write in my notebook all the details of my list, pull out the right coupons, fold my list in half and stuff the coupons inside.

Can store brand stuff cost less? Sure. But with the right coupons, paying .50 for a big box of cheerios can't be beat!

Is it processed junk you don't buy?  I dont know, do you shower? do you brush your teeth? Diaper your baby? Drink juice? Eat ice cream? Use toilet paper? I guess if you don't do any of that stuff, maybe couponing is not for you. HA! Also the larger your family, the easier it is to try different brands if you know the cost difference.

For me and my family. I have lost some free time, but have gotten to the point where there is always food in the house, there is always a last minute dinner to be found, a treat, even toiletries.  I dont walk into a store and start at one end and go up and down the aisle like before. I print out my grocery list from the stores website, very handy, gather my coupons, and buy just whats on the list. If I have to go out again. I go out again. I now clip every coupon for something I might buy, even if its not my brand, because it may be the expensive brand, but if there is a sale and I get it free, WHY NOT??!! Couponing is not for everyone.  I just found out it is for me! :)

Snacking!

Is it just me or do kids like to snack? No matter what they eat for breakfast, or lunch or dinner, they snack. Nothing unhealthy, we buy pretzels, apples, and half the time they eat cereal. I find bags of cereal in the living room. One would think I am starving them to death. Not true! Trust me! So a little light bulb went off in my head. Coupons. Now I know people use coupons here and there, and half the time I have one I forget to use it. Even dollar off ones! I just forget! But I manage to remember my reusable bags. So why can't I remember coupons? Its not a way of life. My green bags have become a way of life, so when I go to the store, I grab them. Easy. Plus I LOVE Scan It so I can bag my own groceries saving me time! It should be the same for coupons.


They have this new show, I know you have heard of it, Extreme Couponing. Well. I finally got to see the show and lucky for me, it was 1 normal person, and 1 crazy person. The normal person had a small pantry, bigger than one I can have right now, but not a stock pile thats a full room! The normal person would buy 10 bags of something, 15 bottles of something... the crazy lady bought 114 bottles of pain killer. I guess if you get paid to buy it its not so crazy. But that also means she had 114 coupons for them! How does she get that? She had crates and crates and crates of flyers. 35 hours a week. Clipping coupons. That is so daunting it would turn anyone away! Her basement was her own store. WOW.

As I started printing out my coupons I found, I realized for some things, it wasnt so hard to match up sales with coupons! I have paper towels that have a register coupon when you buy 3, and a coupon for 50 cents off, which is then doubled, so thats 1.00 off, plus you get the 2.00 for a future trip coupon at th register. Now imagine if those same paper towels were on sale! You could get them for free almost, plus the 2.00 coupon! Why wouldnt you want to try for that??! It will just take some organization on my part, a Sunday afternoon, and planning meals rather than flying by the seat of my pants week to week. Its worth a shot. The worst that happens is I save some money right? HA!

Anyone else starting to find out coupons are the way to go? Or you have been doing it for years, and I am just slow? lol. Maybe then I wont bawk at the kids going through 4 boxes of cereal a WEEK! :P

Busy Weekend!

Well. Knowing I had drill this past weekend, my last week was extra busy because I had to make sure all the laundry was done, and shopping, and cleaning. So let me apologize first for it taking so long to write again. Alright. And I was lazy. Okay? Just a cloudy rainy blah week for me. Very uninspiring week. The sun is shining today though! I feel the inspiration flowing back in veins. If you could actually see it, it would be purple. Im feeling it! My thoughts for today are this.  Is it better to be blissfully ignorant about the political crap going on and just live life as if things are the way they are and thats that? Or is better to watch the news, find out whats going on, and frankly get so irritated that it just makes your blood boil sometimes?!!   I dont think there is a happy medium.  You are either following whats going on, or your not. I want to be informed. However. Its exhausting, Its all consuming. Im not talking about the regular news. I stopped watching that LONG ago. I don't need to hear about the 500th kid abducted, the 2000th murder.  Now that is depressing stuff. I mean the government news. Whats going on in Washington. What they are doing to "help" us citizens.  That can drive you looney. And it does. WHY is there so much corruption and back room deals with business and lobbyists. I think the main issue I have is that average people I want to believe do not behave like that! Your average neighbor would help you if they had the opportunity and you needed it. People generally look out for one another. I dont understand how there is such a concentration of self centered ruthless individuals squashed into one building.   Power corrupts absolutely? I guess so. Its disturbing. Im glad the big spot light is now on Washington. Im glad for Fox News exposing the things they try to slip by. No one is perfect. By any stretch. But for the majority of the corruption it was Fox that answers the tough questions and exposes the lies. No other station digs as deep. So for that I am glad. But.  Is all that doom and gloom good for your mental state? Is it better to just stick your head in the sand, pay higher grocery costs, pay higher gas costs and not question WHY? You wont like the answer! But atleast you can go on in Peace if you dont know the answer. If you dont care about the answer. I guess if everyone did that, things wouldnt have changed in Washington. Things wouldnt be under the microscope they are now. It is a good thing people are involved and have the ability to atleast try to change the political machine that has been allowed to run so corruptly for so long. I just wish it were better circumstances. I wish things were not the way they are. I miss the happy days. The few ruined it for the many. That still doesnt answer my question. I dont know what the solution is. I really dont. I can tell you, I would be much happier NOT knowing, but by NOT knowing, it can't get better with change.  What a pickle.

The MMW!

Why is it, no matter the size of the house, no matter the size of the bedroom, kids will ALWAYS leave their toys all over the house. I get the "oops I forgot".  I really thought that moving to a bigger house and being able to fit all their toys into their rooms would curb their need to spill out into every corner of my house. I know silly me right? I finally came home today and put the kibosh on that! I kicked them out of my living room. Yes I said. MY living room. I got a broom and scooped all their stuff to a pile, said pick out what is yours, the rest is getting trashed. Go outside and play or clean your rooms cause the living room will be empty tonight! Now ofcourse they didn't bawk yet.  Its light outside. Its not freezing out. There is much fun to be had outdoors right now. However. This evening, when they are wanting to put a movie in, or turn on their favorite Friday night show Americas Funniest Home Videos they may, just may, realize that yes I am the meanest mom in the world, or as we like to say the MMW!

Oh yeah!

So. Yes. This is attempt #540 thousand to create a blog. I have some newly found time in the morning that I can use to blog away while I drink my much needed morning coffee. How is this different from all the other times I said I would blog? Because I found time. Got it? You have to drink your coffee anyway, might as well type while your at it. I am giving myself another chance. So you should too. If your not sure where I will get anything interesting to write about how is this for starters. Married. Add 4 kids under 8. Add a soap business. Add a very opinionated individual. Add some life. Mix it all up in a big bowl. And VOILA! Now if I can keep laundry, dishes, baths, homework, projects, cooking, vacuuming, crafts, etsy store, yardwork, grocery shopping, workouts, soap making, candle making, paper crafting, and showering from getting in the way of this blog. I WILL BE ALL SET!  Did I forget to mention Air Force in there? DARNIT!