I have always been a careful shopper. I try to buy things on sale and to plan my menu around the sale ads in the paper each week. And if I remember, then I will use that coupon that is sitting in a pile on my desk. But more often than not, I have completely forgotten to bring the coupon and it's still sitting in that pile on my desk.

However, this summer, I've decided to take it to a whole new level. How much money could I save if I had a really good coupon system. What if I only bought things when they are at their lowest possible price? Could I drastically reduce what I'm spending on groceries if I stocked up when it's a loss leader for the store?

I decided to keep track of how much money I saved on Manufacturer's coupons only. I lost track of my coupon savings the last two weeks of June. In the first two weeks of June I saved $44 and change just in manufacturer's coupons. That does not include any "value card" type savings.

I also decided to try a website called The Grocery Game. It keeps track store sales, corresponding coupons, and when things are at their lowest possible price.

By doing this I became aware of the deals to be had at the drugstore chains. I had no idea! I never shopped at them. Now I am shopping there once a week to get all their great deals.

My only complaint with this system is how much of a pain it is at the checkstand. Clerks really look at you like you are trying to pull a fast one on them(thus the title). I've even had a clerk tell me they don't take internet coupons. Then I found out that I could print out the same coupons from their website!? I assure you that I have done nothing illegal. The stores receive the face value of the coupon plus some for their time and effort in processing them.

Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures and explanations on what I got for $9 at Walgreen's.

Labels: thrifty mom

Yoo hoo? Is anybody out there?

It's not that I don't love you anymore. It's not that I don't care. It's just that I've been so busy trying to be a good mother and housewife.

And failing miserably.

I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I stopped spending so much time in Blogland, and a little more time on my house, that it would magically transform into perfection. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I am about the most unmotivated perfectionist on the planet. So I'm back to bore y'all with how I want to be perfect, but can't seem to obtain it.

Anyone interested?

The saga begins with a birthday party. And the crazy notion that I was ready to host a party in my house. I mean, seriously, we've lived here nearly a year. Shouldn't there be some sort of unveiling?

I took the whole week off to get ready for the party. By Wednesday I was nearing a mental health crisis.

After calling up my husband bawling, I decided that I was just going to have to clean at the last minute. While the children were locked in their room.

Saturday morning we awoke bright and early, ready to tackle the house and party preparations. Everything was going well. It was t minus 2 hours and counting until the first guests would arrive. The only thing left to do was vacuum and mop. It has been an unusually muddy February, and our floors are in a constant state of muddy foot and paw prints. I got out the vacuum, plugged it in and started to work.

The first thing I noticed was that the vacuum wasn't sucking up anything. A split second later, the acrid smell of burning rubber. Our vacuum is old, but I figured it was just a broken belt. Nothing we hadn't dealt with before.

Ruggless and I bent over the vacuum like a couple of surgeons prepping for a heart surgery. As we lifted off the lid, pieces of vacuum fell out everywhere. Nuts, bolts, bits of plastic. All on the floor in a nice little pile.

A quick trip to Wal-mart and a new vacuum means my guests never saw the piles of dog hair behind the China closet.

Labels: house cleaning

I know I've been a bad little blogger girl and haven't been writing for, oh, 3 MONTHS.

Are you ready for a little update?

As most of you know, I worked the month of December. When I started that job I figured it would be a great way to buy Christmas presents, and then I would go back to my neurotic housewife ways.

Funny thing is, I liked working. Sure the job was hard and I was tired, frustrated and irritated most days. Then again, it was really fulfilling to deposit that paycheck at the end of the week. I also noticed that I wasn't being as neurotic about the house. If I felt like doing laundry, I did. If I was too tired, I went to bed. And guess what? The world didn't stop moving.

After that gig was up, I almost immediately started thinking of applying for jobs. There was one problem. I have a child that doesn't go to school on Wednesday's. What kind of job could I get where I could have Wednesday's off? OH! And then what about school holidays? How would I work around those?

I started to get discouraged.

Then it came to me. The job someone had suggested to me a year earlier. One that I had scoffed at.

A lunch lady.

I cannot get into details today. I have to take my kids to school. Let me just say that I went through training and then everyone in my house got sick. Including me. The god-awful virus that has swept the nation and closed down schools affected us as well. I promise to fill you in.

Labels: working mommy

It all started with a simple question, "Do you want to take the Dummy Quiz?"

Since the question came from my 10 year old, I was immediately suspicious.

"No." I said.

"Oh, come on! It's just a couple of questions."

"No."

"Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssseeeeeeeee?"

"Oh, alright."

By now I know that these are going to be trick questions and I would need to be on guard for any chicanery. Square shoulders, take a deep breath.

"What is the color of the sun?"

"Orange." Clearly not the color he was expecting me to say, but he couldn't argue.

"What color is the grass?"

"Green."

"What color is the sky?"

"Blue."

"What was the first question I asked you?"

"Do you want to take the dummy quiz?"

"Oh man!"

Then he proceeded to go tell all his cousins how smart his mom was.

I reveled in his declarations. Because I know in a few short years I will be as dumb as a fence post and will not understand anything.

Labels: parenting

Since I worked so hard last month, I felt entitled. Oh yes ENTITLED to splurge a little. My splurge of choice was some really, really, really expensive coffee.

In my quest to be the Frugal Queen, I usually buy the $2.98 Walmart brand. Sure it tastes like crap.... but the hot caffeine shooting straight to my brain is really my only requirement in coffee.

(An Aside--Lest you think I'm a Drink Coffee All Day Long sort of gal, I really only drink it until I'm awake. Then it's all over. So does it really matter how it tastes?)

That was then. This is now:

It was a Friday night. I had just put in a 12 hour day. I was tired and Ruggless and I were at the grocery store, sans kids. I thought, "It sure would be nice to have some GOOD coffee to wake up to tomorrow."

Back in the late 90's when we were rich and only had two kids and three jobs, and Lance Armstrong was winning the Tour de France consistently, he touted Peet's. Said he drank the Major Dickason's blend. My hubby has been into "the Tour", as we call it in our house, since before it was cool to watch it. So anything that is promoted by a tour winner.... well, we had to try it. And darn it was good. But expensive. And--shall we say--full-bodied. It was strong enough to make you want to move mountains. And with another kid and more bills, it went the way of the life of luxury.

So as I'm standing in the coffee aisle, I grabbed Peet.

With the first sip I realized what I had been missing all these years.

Now the ongoing joke in our house is about "Peet." I call out to Peet in the morning. I talk about my new love, Peet. Anyone eavesdropping on this little inside joke would be appalled at my blatant flaunting of infidelity.

Alas, just like the Pool Boy, Peet has been set aside. Yesterday when I went to the store, it had gone off sale. Instead of a mere $7.99 for a pound, it was $9.89. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't buy Peet. I felt guilty enough about the really expensive box of hair color I bought the day before. So it seemed too extravagant to continue on with Peet.

I'm thinking I will have to go out and get a job so that I can continue my love affair with expensive hair color and Peet.

More on that later.


*Thanks to Kelly for the Title

Today I would like to talk a little bit about uniforms.

It is pretty cool to don the uniform and say, "Hey, look what I do."

That is until you pick up your kids at school and everyone is looking at you. And they all say, "Hey, look what you do." Somehow you are out of place amongst all the Gap Jeans and Old Navy Sweatshirts.

Another drawback seems to be the way they fit. One size certainly does not fit all.

I have the body type of an orange on a toothpick. I have a nice huge upper body and no butt.

Sort of like this:

Then I put on a sports bra, because let's face it, I'm jumping in and out of a truck and running around all day. But that flattens everything out on the top area. So, after I get all this on, I'm basically a guy. No butt, no boobs. If only my spare tire would rearrange itself on the backside.

So, Friday I'm getting ready for work. The cats all sit on the bed and watch this process. I'm not sure whether they are just waiting for me to leave, or if they can't figure out why I'm leaving after all these years.

Anyway, I've got the uni on and I'm making sure everything is in order in front of the mirror. And I hear a voice. It's a little voice. Shy and timid. It was our cat Peach. She said, "Lady, you need to put on some lipstick and earrings for Goodness sakes." So I did.