If you have not read the previous post, you might want to scroll down and read that first.
This is a very important part in the events of the last week. I want to tell you a bit about the particulars of my heart attack. After my stint was inserted the cardiologist met with husband and sons. He showed the video of my heart pumping and showed before and after shots of where the stint was inserted. The video showed the front left portion of my heart not working and clearly showing damage. The left ventricle showed an ejection fraction (the amount of blood pumped out of the heart) of only 40%. Normal is 50 or above. The doctor told husband that this number of 40% would never get better, but because of the stint, it should not get worse.
The next day the Echo Cardiogram was preformed on my heart and showed quite a different story. The left front portion was clearly working, and the ejection fraction was now at 56 % ! The cardiologist asked, "How can this be?" I know how, and the next day when he repeated to me that he did not have an answer for that, I told him, "I have a good God." GOD IS GOOD. I do not know why I had a heart attack, but through this event in my life, He is being glorified. I want everyone to know that God still works in our lives today performing miracles and doing what we cannot imagine. All last month at church our minister has reminded us of Ephesians 3:20, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." That verse has always been a favorite "life verse" of mine, now I know another reason it is so precious.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Heart Attack !?!?
The extra pronunciation marks are for disbelief. It is still surreal. I had a heart attack. It occurred on Tuesday morning, May 27th shortly after school began. Now, I can look back and see the signs that led up to this moment, but first I will tell you the events of that day.
My day started out normally, I was almost glad to get up and go to school because we only had 2 ½ days left till summer break. I was sitting at my table in the class while the teacher I work with was explaining the day to everyone. Suddenly, I began to have some slight indigestion; I had experienced that the day before so I really thought nothing of it. I left the room to go to the copy machine down the hall and while there the chest pain began. It was located in one very definite spot just to the left center of my chest. It made me want to hold my hand there, but it still was not severe. I walked back to the class room and told the teacher right away that I was not feeling right. By this time my lower left arm felt achy, much like if you had been doing lots of yard work or painting. She asked me if I wanted her to call the nurse, but I declined. She then asked if I wanted to go see the nurse, I said I better and started walking down the hall. We have a huge building. I estimate the walk to the nurse’s office at over a city block. I made it about half way and began to get just a little short of breath. I knew by this time that this could possibly be “the real thing” although I don’t think I fully accepted that fact. I saw an open classroom with the teacher sitting inside, but her class was at one of their special periods. I walked in, took a seat and asked her to call the nurse. (All of our classrooms have telephones, which was a huge blessing.) Without even waiting on the nurse, I asked her to call my husband, and then an ambulance. Before the ambulance came I developed one more symptom, that of a dull pain in the upper middle of my back. Five symptoms all-together, one building on the previous: indigestion, chest pain, pain in my arm, slight shortness of breath, and upper back pain. Shortly the ambulance came and I was on the ride for my life. My heart attack was quickly diagnosed in the ambulance due to the EKG, so I knew in minutes that this was the real thing. When we arrived at the hospital my husband was already there, the doctor and ER staff knew of my true condition because of the ambulance report so they were ready and waiting. My husband did not know as of yet. I could not tell him, so it was a few minutes until the nurse told him that this was a true heart attack. Our boys arrived shortly and I was the one that told them. I was very impressed by the speed and quality of care from my local hospital. My own doctor was consulted by phone and instructed them to air lift me to a larger hospital to our west. Talk about adventure. By that time my pain was under control and I actually enjoyed the ride. The next hospital was completely prepared for me, as they were ready and waiting in the cath lab to do the angiogram and to insert a stint. Shortly I was wheeled into my room which was a “step down’ unit from ICU. I did not come home until yesterday (Friday) due to some set backs. Having your heart rate drop to 30 is not a good thing. One other time it dropped to 40. Both times can be attributed to drugs that I was placed on at the time. I am on restrictions, mostly common sense after a heart attack type stuff. My cardiologist does not seem to be a dictator, and when I asked him what type of diet I should be on, he said, “ If it is good for you, eat lots, if it is not good for you, not so much.” However, I was visited by a nutritionist and was instructed in a little more detail about what to avoid.
I have to take it easy for a few weeks, then I return to the doctor and follow that up with a few weeks of cardio rehab. So, most of my summer has been planned out for me. There is more I want to share about all of this, but this has taken too long so I will hold the rest till later.
Bottom line- I am alive !!!!
My day started out normally, I was almost glad to get up and go to school because we only had 2 ½ days left till summer break. I was sitting at my table in the class while the teacher I work with was explaining the day to everyone. Suddenly, I began to have some slight indigestion; I had experienced that the day before so I really thought nothing of it. I left the room to go to the copy machine down the hall and while there the chest pain began. It was located in one very definite spot just to the left center of my chest. It made me want to hold my hand there, but it still was not severe. I walked back to the class room and told the teacher right away that I was not feeling right. By this time my lower left arm felt achy, much like if you had been doing lots of yard work or painting. She asked me if I wanted her to call the nurse, but I declined. She then asked if I wanted to go see the nurse, I said I better and started walking down the hall. We have a huge building. I estimate the walk to the nurse’s office at over a city block. I made it about half way and began to get just a little short of breath. I knew by this time that this could possibly be “the real thing” although I don’t think I fully accepted that fact. I saw an open classroom with the teacher sitting inside, but her class was at one of their special periods. I walked in, took a seat and asked her to call the nurse. (All of our classrooms have telephones, which was a huge blessing.) Without even waiting on the nurse, I asked her to call my husband, and then an ambulance. Before the ambulance came I developed one more symptom, that of a dull pain in the upper middle of my back. Five symptoms all-together, one building on the previous: indigestion, chest pain, pain in my arm, slight shortness of breath, and upper back pain. Shortly the ambulance came and I was on the ride for my life. My heart attack was quickly diagnosed in the ambulance due to the EKG, so I knew in minutes that this was the real thing. When we arrived at the hospital my husband was already there, the doctor and ER staff knew of my true condition because of the ambulance report so they were ready and waiting. My husband did not know as of yet. I could not tell him, so it was a few minutes until the nurse told him that this was a true heart attack. Our boys arrived shortly and I was the one that told them. I was very impressed by the speed and quality of care from my local hospital. My own doctor was consulted by phone and instructed them to air lift me to a larger hospital to our west. Talk about adventure. By that time my pain was under control and I actually enjoyed the ride. The next hospital was completely prepared for me, as they were ready and waiting in the cath lab to do the angiogram and to insert a stint. Shortly I was wheeled into my room which was a “step down’ unit from ICU. I did not come home until yesterday (Friday) due to some set backs. Having your heart rate drop to 30 is not a good thing. One other time it dropped to 40. Both times can be attributed to drugs that I was placed on at the time. I am on restrictions, mostly common sense after a heart attack type stuff. My cardiologist does not seem to be a dictator, and when I asked him what type of diet I should be on, he said, “ If it is good for you, eat lots, if it is not good for you, not so much.” However, I was visited by a nutritionist and was instructed in a little more detail about what to avoid.
I have to take it easy for a few weeks, then I return to the doctor and follow that up with a few weeks of cardio rehab. So, most of my summer has been planned out for me. There is more I want to share about all of this, but this has taken too long so I will hold the rest till later.
Bottom line- I am alive !!!!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Bathroom ~ Before / After
The first two pictures show the 11 year old sponge painting, and a color scheme that could promote nightmares. I must say I am much happier with the calm, homey look we have now. Remember, I have a very small bathroom, with a window in the middle of the main wall. I think we did the best with what we had to work with. I love it.
Some of the pictures are a bit washed out due to the flash, so the color does not show up. You will have to scroll down and see the color and imagine it on all the walls.
I am waiting on a few "pretties" for the finishing touches, and I am going tomorrow to look for towels. I have NEVER had a complete set of matching towels for a bathroom, so I will check into that.
I am tired, but happy.
Some of the pictures are a bit washed out due to the flash, so the color does not show up. You will have to scroll down and see the color and imagine it on all the walls.
I am waiting on a few "pretties" for the finishing touches, and I am going tomorrow to look for towels. I have NEVER had a complete set of matching towels for a bathroom, so I will check into that.
I am tired, but happy.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
I am so blessed
The first picture is of the group of high school girls from church that I am fortunate enough to spend time with. They meet at my home every other week and we sit together during youth hour on Sunday mornings. I love these girls. They bring laughter into my life and at the same time keep me accountable in my Christian walk.
The second group is of another silly group of girls. (Sadly, one could not make it at our monthly girls night out, but in this picture the rest of us are enjoying our new rain bonnets, courtesy of one of the girls.) This group also brings laughter into my life and keeps me accountable.
I boast a lot on this blog about my bargains and my good deals, but this is what my life is really all about. While I might be establishing a reputation for bargain hunting and deal catching, the things that will matter most are relationships. My relationship to Christ and to people are what I really want my reputation to be based on.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
It's official, I have become my mother!
If you had known my mother, then you would know that I am proud to become her in any way I can. However, I used to get so mad and not understand her logic when it came to grocery shopping. My mother would go to the grocery and come home with what I thought was the most ridiculous assortment of items. I mean, who needs 19 pounds of chicken all at once, but no hamburger, and why would anyone purchase 6 packages of napkins, and no potato chips to use them with?
Guess what I did this week? Yep. I bought 6 packages of napkins so I could use coupons and get them for 47 cents each, and today I bought 19 pounds of chicken for 79 cents a pound. I finally get it. Buy what is on sale, or what you have the coupons for, buy lots of it, and round out the stockpile one way at a time. A few weeks ago it was pork ribs and Grillin’ Beans. Next week maybe I will get that hamburger. Eventually our freezer and pantry will have a vast assortment of sale items and we will be sitting pretty. Actually, I already am sitting pretty and this is finally paying off. Because there is little we "need" at any given time, I can focus on the sale items and keep my cost low. My weekly shopping came in under my lofty goal of $50.00 this week, including a few trips to Walgreens.
As a side note to my Walgreens’ trip, I finally had one of those golden moments while shopping. Walgreens actually paid me money! I bought 4 bags of Dove Chocolate, and two packs of Trident. I had multiple coupons, plus a $3.00 register reward. When all was said and done, the clerk said, “Looks like we owe you on that one.” She handed me back $1.61 ! That was a first for me, and I am still giddy inside.
So, Mother, I hope I have made you proud. You taught me how to spend wisely. It just took me a while to put it into practice.
Guess what I did this week? Yep. I bought 6 packages of napkins so I could use coupons and get them for 47 cents each, and today I bought 19 pounds of chicken for 79 cents a pound. I finally get it. Buy what is on sale, or what you have the coupons for, buy lots of it, and round out the stockpile one way at a time. A few weeks ago it was pork ribs and Grillin’ Beans. Next week maybe I will get that hamburger. Eventually our freezer and pantry will have a vast assortment of sale items and we will be sitting pretty. Actually, I already am sitting pretty and this is finally paying off. Because there is little we "need" at any given time, I can focus on the sale items and keep my cost low. My weekly shopping came in under my lofty goal of $50.00 this week, including a few trips to Walgreens.
As a side note to my Walgreens’ trip, I finally had one of those golden moments while shopping. Walgreens actually paid me money! I bought 4 bags of Dove Chocolate, and two packs of Trident. I had multiple coupons, plus a $3.00 register reward. When all was said and done, the clerk said, “Looks like we owe you on that one.” She handed me back $1.61 ! That was a first for me, and I am still giddy inside.
So, Mother, I hope I have made you proud. You taught me how to spend wisely. It just took me a while to put it into practice.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Update!!
Quick post tonight. My brother the traveling carpenter has returned! By the end of this weekend our bathroom should be completed other than paint! I am turning summersaults inside as I type this! Soon I should have pictures to post.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
For Tyler
I had a request to post again, and to include this picture. I have not updated for a while because I have been too busy shopping. The above items (sorry about the poor angle, the other end of the table was full of scattered coupons) cost a total of $35.51. They would have cost $111.16 before tax. I took advantage of coupons, store rebates, Walgreens' Register Rewards and sales. I went to 5 stores in one big outing to save gas by planning my route and doing it all at once. I will not go into detail on what coupon I used and how each deal played out, but I will tell you what that $35.51 actually bought. Of the items on this list, 10 were totally free after good coupons.
4 boxes Liv Active Cereal
4 boxes Nilla Wafers (husband's one addiction)
2 pks. spaghetti
2 one pound pks of bacon
2 one pound pack of sausage links
2 pks Dove Chocolate
2 Act II Popcorn
1 Large J&J cotton swabs
5 Brownie mix
1 Tyson Fajita Kit
1 clear rinse for dishwasher
1 Rubbermaid container
1 Zantac
1 feminine product
1 qt strawberries
1 3 pk Trident
2 jars seedless jam
2 toaster pastries
2 3 1/2 pound peanut butter
1 vegetable oil
1 Bertoli Pasta Sauce pouch
1 Bertoli Pasta Sauce jar
1 6 pk root-beer
1 frozen hash browns
1 bby carrots
2 frozen peas
2 Ortega Taco Seasoning mixes
This does however take a LOT of work. I am finding that to do this well and consistently, I need about 2 hours a night for coupon clipping, organizing, research on the internet to see where the deals are, planning my shopping trips, pulling together necessary coupons, and actually shopping. I am not complaining. This is basically a second job. Many, many people who work in education moonlight on the side. I am moonlighting in my own home and making money by saving money. I can look at the above list and pick out about 10 (or less depending on what I pick out) of the 47 items and my $35.00 would have normally only gone that far. Now I have stretched our money further than i thought possible. I averaged about .74 cents per item, which would basically be a good deal on any one of them.
Today however, my mind must focus on the household . I must catch up on cleaning and organizing. I am behind in my coupon filing, and tomorrow is another day of coupons. The cycle continues.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Springtime!
This is our FREE Redbud tree.
You know I love free things.
Isn't it pretty?
Each year at this time, this tree makes me smile. It was given to me by the teacher that I work with. I think it was about seven years ago. It is actually two trees, the original plus its smaller offshoot. Husband and I went into my friend's woods and dug this up, and then re-planted it.
Just a shot of my front flower bed with the spring blooms in all their splendor. I love spring.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Still shopping after all these deals...
You knew I could not be done for the week, didn't you? I even enlisted husband to go along for the thrill of the deal. Our first stop was Menards where we returned a bunch of stuff left over from our remodeling blitz. That netted us about $21.00 to work with if necessary. While there we used an $8.00 store rebate and picked up some grocery items. Who would think that Menards has a pretty decent grocery stock? I bought crackers, spaghetti sauce, a 10 pack of the mini bags of popcorn, and 2 things of cheese sauce . We only spent 90 cents over our $8.00 rebate. After that we went to Walgreens to do the Aveeno deal once more. Not bad. I "borrowed" some of the money we got aback at Menards and purchased 4 Aveeno moisturizers. After coupons I spent just over $7.00, but received a $10.00 register reward. I will use that for next week's milk. It is fun to "make" money while shopping. On to CVS for 4 toothbrushes and 4 boxes of Kleenex. After coupons and Extra Bucks, I had a negative balance so we had to grab a candy bar. We paid .35 cents there and made 4 more Extra Bucks.
Tomorrow, I must sit down and work on my coupon stash. It is a mess. My house needs some attention as well. This newfound part-time job of coupon-ing, CVS-ing, and rebating, takes away from some of my regular duties.
Oldest is visiting youngest this weekend and I will take advantage of the house to myself.
Tomorrow, I must sit down and work on my coupon stash. It is a mess. My house needs some attention as well. This newfound part-time job of coupon-ing, CVS-ing, and rebating, takes away from some of my regular duties.
Oldest is visiting youngest this weekend and I will take advantage of the house to myself.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
1492 was good year, but bad for the budget
I am $14.92 OVER budget. Okay, I might adjust the $50.00 a bit. Maybe I will keep that as a goal though and try really hard to attain it. I am still a newbie, so I know I made some mistakes this week. (Didn't really need to buy the two Renuzits just to get the free spray) That could have saved me some. I will learn. I took advantage of a grocery store grand opening though today and bought 11 pounds of country style ribs (already vacuum packed for the freezer in small batches) and a few other great deals. This is where it really gets tricky though, because it is only Thursday and I might have to refrain from all shopping in order to not go over anymore. Yikes. CVS will surely be calling me come Sunday. Good thing I have those Extra Bucks.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Good News
I am happy to report, that in today's mail, husband and I received a two night's-stay voucher for our choice of rooms at the hotel we just visited for our anniversary. The trouble we had with "elephants" overhead netted us an additional stay. We have up to one year to use it.
$7.83 to go...
Not sure I can do it. I know, it was a lofty goal anyway.
After church tonight, husband and I went to the grocery. Armed in coupons, although not many, I purchased the following:
10 bottles of Powerade,
24 pack of Dasani water
3 cans of Bush's Grillin' Beans
18 eggs
8 pack of Scott towels
4 pound bag of oranges
A coupon gave us the water for free after the purchase of the 10 Powerade bottles. (these were on sale .99 for the 32 ounce)
I had $1 coupons for each of the cans of beans, and a $1 coupon for the paper towels.
I still spent $19.94
I might not make it...I have one more store to hit tomorrow and hoped to purchase some meat and bagged salad on sale there. I might up my budget by $5.00 to take advantage of a $3.00 off of $15.00 coupon. I will let you know...
After church tonight, husband and I went to the grocery. Armed in coupons, although not many, I purchased the following:
10 bottles of Powerade,
24 pack of Dasani water
3 cans of Bush's Grillin' Beans
18 eggs
8 pack of Scott towels
4 pound bag of oranges
A coupon gave us the water for free after the purchase of the 10 Powerade bottles. (these were on sale .99 for the 32 ounce)
I had $1 coupons for each of the cans of beans, and a $1 coupon for the paper towels.
I still spent $19.94
I might not make it...I have one more store to hit tomorrow and hoped to purchase some meat and bagged salad on sale there. I might up my budget by $5.00 to take advantage of a $3.00 off of $15.00 coupon. I will let you know...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hey-Hey-Hey- I'm a Believer !
(click to enlarge if you wish)
Not pictured:
1 case of 24 bottles of water
1 17 pound bag of Fit and Trim dog food
(too heavy to hoist up on the table)
How much for all of this? A grand total of $27.86
I went to three stores. At CVS I actually made three transactions. One just to buy the magazine for 99 cents because it has a $2.00 coupon I wanted. Then I bought the rest of my CVS items. I walked in with $27.00 in Extra Care Bucks, spent some of them, used a lot of coupons, and spent $5.63 out of my pocket for 3 Alavert, 5 Body Washes, 1 facial scrub, 2 shampoos, 2 conditioners, and the water. I left CVS with $39.00 in Extra Care Bucks. Very profitable trip. I then went on to Wal-Mart where I bought the dog food, beans, hot dogs, Renuzits , Renuzit Sprays, and Rubbermaid containers. I spent $21.94 there and once again, I used some very nice coupons. Then my last stop was Walgreens. I used a $10.00 register reward and a few coupons there and bought the 2 milks, 2 cheeses, and 2 mascaras. I only spent 29 cents!
My new goal for the week is to start with $50.00 on Tuesday when husband gets paid and make it last for an entire week. All of my CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and grocery shopping must come out of this. I am not counting the $5.63 spent tonight at CVS only because that was with left over money in my purse. My total that I am counting is $22.23 from Wal-Mart and Walgreens. I have $27.77 left for the week. I will report in to let you know how I do. I have a planned trip to another grocery later this week, but I do not need much. Actually, I do not NEED anything. But I will take advantage of some sales and coupons to maintain the stockpile.
My goal with all of this is to actually see tangible benefits. We want to reduce our debt and if I maintain a $50.00 weekly budget I should be able to put even more against our debts. This all still blows me away. By learning the tricks of CVS alone I am able to go in with $5.00 and instead of getting one thing my family needs, I can walk out with 12 things that my family will need eventually. By maintaining a stockpile I am reducing my chances of ever going in to get that "one thing" we need, which would probably be at regular price.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Saturday savings and frustrations
Today proved to be bit frustrating, and a bit exciting.
Early this morning, we drove 40 miles to take our car to the dealer because it needed an under-warranty repair. We were assured on Tuesday when husband set up the appointment that they did indeed have the necessary part in stock and that it should be a relatively quick fix. Well, guess what…no part in stock. They knew we were coming, they knew what the problem was, and they knew we lived 40 miles away. Like I said, it was a bit frustrating. So, another trip must be made this week to return the car to the dealer. It just would have been nice if they had called to say they no longer had that part and that we might want to reschedule.
I was able to put an old saying into practice though; I turned a “lemon day” into a “lemonade day”. A trip to Target after leaving the dealership was the kicker; I purchased $77.00 worth of things for $16.00 out of pocket. I had a pouch full of coupons and stopped at the service desk first to make sure that they would not limit me before I got to the register with that many coupons. On most every item I purchased I was able to use two coupons, one manufacturer and one printable Target coupon. Oh how fun it is to double up that way, making quite a few of my items free. The checkout girl and the checkout manager that came to help her (I said I had a LOT of coupons) were both impressed. I purchased a wide variety of items, dog food, sponges, granola bars, cinnamon bread (yum), and more.
I have now stocked our shelves to the point that I can sit back now and wait for the sweetest deals to come to me. I do not have to settle for a just good deal on something because the need is no longer there. I will wait, and if an item is free or nearly free I will pick it up.
Since returning home today I have been quite busy, playing catch up in my house, fixing tonight’s supper and preparing lasagna to put in the oven after church tomorrow. We usually seem to eat out on Sundays but with all of the good deals I am getting it makes sense to be frugal in this area as well and plan our meals to avoid eating out.
I am already looking forward to church tomorrow. I love our involvement with the high school youth and look forward each week to seeing “my girls”. I have the same girl group every Sunday in our youth hour and they are the ones that meet with me in my home every other Wednesday night. Husband meets with the same group of guys each Sunday as well. I know that husband and I are supposed to be the “leaders” and are supposed to help impart some bit of wisdom upon these students, but it is amazing how much we are gaining in the process.
Hope you enjoy your Sunday!
Early this morning, we drove 40 miles to take our car to the dealer because it needed an under-warranty repair. We were assured on Tuesday when husband set up the appointment that they did indeed have the necessary part in stock and that it should be a relatively quick fix. Well, guess what…no part in stock. They knew we were coming, they knew what the problem was, and they knew we lived 40 miles away. Like I said, it was a bit frustrating. So, another trip must be made this week to return the car to the dealer. It just would have been nice if they had called to say they no longer had that part and that we might want to reschedule.
I was able to put an old saying into practice though; I turned a “lemon day” into a “lemonade day”. A trip to Target after leaving the dealership was the kicker; I purchased $77.00 worth of things for $16.00 out of pocket. I had a pouch full of coupons and stopped at the service desk first to make sure that they would not limit me before I got to the register with that many coupons. On most every item I purchased I was able to use two coupons, one manufacturer and one printable Target coupon. Oh how fun it is to double up that way, making quite a few of my items free. The checkout girl and the checkout manager that came to help her (I said I had a LOT of coupons) were both impressed. I purchased a wide variety of items, dog food, sponges, granola bars, cinnamon bread (yum), and more.
I have now stocked our shelves to the point that I can sit back now and wait for the sweetest deals to come to me. I do not have to settle for a just good deal on something because the need is no longer there. I will wait, and if an item is free or nearly free I will pick it up.
Since returning home today I have been quite busy, playing catch up in my house, fixing tonight’s supper and preparing lasagna to put in the oven after church tomorrow. We usually seem to eat out on Sundays but with all of the good deals I am getting it makes sense to be frugal in this area as well and plan our meals to avoid eating out.
I am already looking forward to church tomorrow. I love our involvement with the high school youth and look forward each week to seeing “my girls”. I have the same girl group every Sunday in our youth hour and they are the ones that meet with me in my home every other Wednesday night. Husband meets with the same group of guys each Sunday as well. I know that husband and I are supposed to be the “leaders” and are supposed to help impart some bit of wisdom upon these students, but it is amazing how much we are gaining in the process.
Hope you enjoy your Sunday!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
27 CENTS OOP !
( That would be "out of pocket" for you non bargainese speaking readers)
Okay, I know I said I would take a break this week, but this was a deal of deals. I just happened to be at my CVS at the perfect time. The basket sets were on clearance 90 % off which made them 99 cents each! The M&Ms are buy one get one free at $3.29. After my $5.00 Extra Care Buck I was able to only spend 27 cents! Not sure how they did the math on that one, because I thought I would need to pay more in tax, but that is how it played out. After CVS I went to Walgreens and bought a few items to put back for Christmas because I had amazing coupons for them and a $10.00 register reward . Great trip there as well, $38.29 in merchandise for only $ 4.21 out of my pocket. I cannot post that picture though because other than 2 packs of gum, the rest are for Christmas gifts.
I am now in semi retirement mode though, because there really isn't anything I can justify buying and I will just hold on to my remaining $18.00 in Extra Care Bucks until the new monthly deals come out in May. Lucky for me my bucks do not expire until May 9th.
In other news, my house needs my attention. I will be working each evening this week to try to make my home a haven and get a better grip on some much needed organizing. My girl group from church comes over Wednesday night and I need to be ready for them.
So the rest of you have my blessing to spend your heart out at CVS this week, you will not be affecting my bargain hunting in any way. Clean their shelves off if you want, my own shelves are full! Once May hits though , back off!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
FREE FREE FREE
I love getting stuff for free.
Let me re-phrase that.
I LOVE getting stuff for free!
This has been a very good week. So good in fact, that I cannot name all my free stuff. Just for your sake though, I will try:
17 trial size bottles of Old Spice Body Wash -I had awesome coupons and they will be used for college goodie bags
4 bags of Malt O' Meal dry bagged cereal - once again, awesome coupons
2 big tubes of Aqua Fresh Advanced toothpaste - coupons plus great sale = free
Scotch Brite Toilet Scruber Kit (okay, I got more than one) - you guessed it, due to awesome coupons
Plus I was able to get a great Bath and Body Works item for free with a purchase ( I bought a small gift bag for a buck)
Very profitable week for me in the Freebie department.
Today I went to visit my sister and we bargain hunted all day. After hitting Wal-Mart, Bath and Body Works, and a few other stops we spent a great deal of time and really not too much money on a stock up sale at Kroger. Now personally, I think that Kroger is generally a tad expensive, but it seems they pulled out all the stops for the current sale. When I combined their sales with my coupons I did very well.
I will say though that even a bargain hunting pro must rest every now and then. My freezer, pantry, and cupboards are full and overflowing. My concentration for a while will be on very specific items and not on each and every grand deal. Although I may have to go through a 12 step program if I do not nab at least a few bargains this next week .
I actually had planned on painting a room in my house today, but those dang bargains were calling...
Let me re-phrase that.
I LOVE getting stuff for free!
This has been a very good week. So good in fact, that I cannot name all my free stuff. Just for your sake though, I will try:
17 trial size bottles of Old Spice Body Wash -I had awesome coupons and they will be used for college goodie bags
4 bags of Malt O' Meal dry bagged cereal - once again, awesome coupons
2 big tubes of Aqua Fresh Advanced toothpaste - coupons plus great sale = free
Scotch Brite Toilet Scruber Kit (okay, I got more than one) - you guessed it, due to awesome coupons
Plus I was able to get a great Bath and Body Works item for free with a purchase ( I bought a small gift bag for a buck)
Very profitable week for me in the Freebie department.
Today I went to visit my sister and we bargain hunted all day. After hitting Wal-Mart, Bath and Body Works, and a few other stops we spent a great deal of time and really not too much money on a stock up sale at Kroger. Now personally, I think that Kroger is generally a tad expensive, but it seems they pulled out all the stops for the current sale. When I combined their sales with my coupons I did very well.
I will say though that even a bargain hunting pro must rest every now and then. My freezer, pantry, and cupboards are full and overflowing. My concentration for a while will be on very specific items and not on each and every grand deal. Although I may have to go through a 12 step program if I do not nab at least a few bargains this next week .
I actually had planned on painting a room in my house today, but those dang bargains were calling...
Monday, April 7, 2008
MAJOR UPDATES !
I have just completed updating since Easter. So that you won't miss any of my updating , be sure and check the older posts when you finish this page. I have "reported" on our anniversary, our home improvements, and my latest adventure in bargain shopping. Enjoy catching up on my life!
30 Years and Counting!
This past weekend I had the great pleasure of running away with my husband to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary a bit early! We went to St. Louis for the weekend, had an incredible room for two nights ( thanks partially to a special gift), did lots of shopping, lots of eating, and took in a Cardinals' baseball game!
They won!
Just for us, I am sure.
My husband and I do not "get out" much, so to have a hotel suite this big and incredible was a real treat. We have a tiny bedroom at home, no master suite here, and I don't think my brother can help us much with that.
I must say I feel so blessed to have had the good fortune of being married to this amazing man for 30 years (tomorrow). God has blessed my life beyond what I could imagine and life has been sweet. We have two incredible sons and have carved out a simple, yet amazing life here on earth. My husband means more to me with each year, and I cannot wait to see what the next 30 will bring!
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