My Krazy Coupon Days 7/31/11

I need to tell you about my latest savings with coupons. I got a call from my friend Raquel to tell me there was this great coupon for Head & Shoulders. It was a Buy1Get1Free up to $12.99. She told me she had called several Wal-Marts and because this coupon had a $ amount they would give me money back! I have to tell you that I didn't understand what she was talking about. I went online and read Wal-Marts coupon policy and it stated:


"If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase."


You can imagine my excitement! I went to Coupon Clippers a great website where we can buy extra coupons and ordered 8 more coupons. I went to my local Walmart and bought 2 Head & Shoulders just to see if it was true and when I went to pay I didn't pay a penny and received $2.82 back! I thought there had been a mistake but no this is the way Walmart's policy is written and to my friend's surprise and mine most of the manager's don't know it and don't follow it! After about 3 weeks of getting FREE shampoo and Schick Razors ($13.99 value) my local Walmart changed it's policy and no longer followed the company's written policy. I didn't argue about it because I knew they had made up their minds. I did read the companies policy to the manager (over the phone) she said she didn't know about it, but their decision would stand. 
Long story short Walmart doesn't follow their coupon policy and it's up to us the shopper to decide if we want to shop there or not. But before they made their change I was able to get a total of 10 Head & Shoulders Shampoo and Conditioners completely FREE and 2 Schick Razors for FREE! a $69.60 Value and received $19.51 in cash back! 




The Krazy Coupon Lady has this to say:


"Walmart definitely has its ups and downs when shopping with coupons. In an effort to really help you learn about getting krazy at Walmart, the following information is not sugar coated. Depending on your area, you may love or hate Walmart. I have Walmart stores in my area that I choose not to shop at, and I have Walmart stores I shop at occasionally. Deciding if Walmart is worth your time will be entirely up to you. I hope your local Walmart treats you well!" Follow the Krazy Coupon Lady link for more Walmart coupon information.


My Freebies don't end here...Rite Aid had the Tylenol Heat patch for $4.99 on sale and I had a $5.oo coupon, that meant I just had to pay .38cents for tax. I love this!!!!!


Here is what I was able to buy
I bought a total of $78.48 for .38 cents and made a total of $19.51 in Overage
I say not too bad for my second Krazy Coupon Days. 

Now tell me how have you been saving lately?

Crazy about Pinterest ~ The weirdest things I've found so far... 7/23/11

On the weekends I like to share with you the "Best Blogs I've read this Week", I can't do this today because I've been having some issues with pain and typing. The only websites I've visited the last couple of weeks have been Pinterest and The Krazy Coupon Lady.  Tomorrow I will share with you my Krazy Coupon days!

Today I'm going to share the weirdest things I've found on Pinterest. Not everything you find at this site is inspirational, you will find some interesting things along with the weird ones too.
Enjoy!


Let's put our Babies to work! Yep, this baby outfit was made to clean floors while the Baby crawls around! I call this child abuse! Hahaha!
 This comes from a website that takes "Interesting Human Photos". I call this Plain weird and painful!
 Ok, this is just plain nasty! Yuck, who wants to see him eat?!
 This looks so uncomfortable! I don't think I want to get my nails done anymore!
A girls best friend...NOT!

If you don't know about Pinterest, send me a note and I will invite you. You can only join if you are sent an invitation! They're all that and a bag of chips :0)



Books I've Read and Recommend 7/16/11

As many of you know I LOVE to read and friends always ask me for suggestions about home schooling, organization, discipline etc. I've made a list of just a few books to start with and the links of where to get them let me know what you think, O.K.?
TIP: Before you go and buy these books, why don't you check and see if they have them available on kindle?


A Practical Guide to Spiritual Beauty ~ Three Books in One

 
Walking with the God who Cares by Catherine Martin
Finding hope when you need it most! 
(Also available at Harvest Christian bookstore) for those that live in the Riverside, Ca area.

Two Bestselling Works Complete in One Volume 

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley The Flylady (There are two different book covers, same book)
Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos?

 Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel
Extraordinary Ideas for Everyday Discipline












Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson (Two different Covers. The one on the left is the old edition, just in case you find it used. The one on the right is their newest edition)
How to use real books and real life to make your home a vibrant center of living and learning for you and your child.















 The Friendships of Women by Dee Brestin
Overcoming the pain and releasing the power!
(Also available at Harvest Christian bookstore) for those that live in the Riverside, Ca area.

The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
A detailed portrait of a godly woman.
(Also available at Harvest Christian bookstore) for those that live in the Riverside, Ca area.


I always ask my friends for suggestions....Now tell me, what are you reading and what do you recommend for me and others to read?



     

All items I Review, I Review because I love them. I make no monetary compensation.



 

Beautify Our Lives and Homes ~ My Krazy Coupon Days! 7/3/11

I first started to use coupons back when my kids where just in Elementary school (they are now in high school and starting college). The only store I knew about that had great deals was Ralph's. I remember reading an article at our homeschool group and it got me very motivated to give it a try! It was so exciting to see all the food I was buying and to see the savings printed at the end of the receipt! I continued to do this for about a year and then I stopped. I stopped because I found myself buying things just because I had a coupon for them and not because we really liked it or needed it. It's obvious that I didn't know what I was doing!

Years Later my husband saw a report on tv regarding The Grocery Game and thought it was great and wanted me to try it out. I did and my love for using coupons came right back, but now with more knowledge and experience then before. I organized a three ring binder with the card holder inserts and all the categories. I received my first 2-4 weeks free I don't remember exactly how many, but I do know that this time I was shopping to have a stock pile to feed my family now and later! I did this for about 2 years and my stock pile lasted for about 2 more years after I stopped, pretty good don't you think? I had to stop because I got very sick and was not able to go shopping for more than 15 min. at a time. With The Grocery Game it would take me about 1 1/2 hrs - 2 hrs every time I went and that didn't count the pre-sorting! It also cost me $10 for 8 weeks per store and $5 for each additional I wanted. It was worth the money if you used it.

Now to the present and the craziness of Extreme Couponing with TLC! I had never heard of anyone shopping this way and didn't think it was real...it kind of is and isn't all wrapped up in one. By now I'm sure many of us know that reality tv is not really reality tv. The stores featured on the show agree to let these ladies (families) shop there for the show. Most stores don't allow us to empty their shelves and take every item available just because we have a coupon! Most specials have a limit and the stock pile they have and show on tv took them a very long time to achieve. 
In one of these episodes I saw a very nicely dressed lady going through a dumpster and I was like, "No way, not a chance!" I continued to watch the show and one thing that really got to me was what she said at the end. She said she was doing this to bless her family and help when there was nothing else she could do. The show I had watched before was with another lady that shopped this way and admitted to being a coupon addict and couldn't stop herself!  Long story short I found out later that this Krazy lady going through the dumpster had never done this before, it was just for the show and she said she would never do again! I don't blame her :0) Reality TV at it's best people!

The Krazy Coupon Lady is her website and it's completely FREE! Here you will find everything you need to know about couponing and so much more! She tells you what's on special at each available store and how many to buy. If you are a Beginner she will take you step by step on how to start couponing. It's all there for us to take advantage of, if we choose to. If you have a facebook account and you "Like" her page, you will receive up to the minute alerts of Free products, specials, etc. I love the Krazy Coupon Lady and I went on my first Krazy Coupon Trip!

Want to know what I got and how much I paid for it??? 

First let me tell you I went to four different stores. It didn't take as long as I thought it would and it was so much fun! I went to RiteAid, CVS, Vons and Target.




I had 4 separate transactions at Target ~ 4 Spaghetti Sauce and 4 Whole wheat pasta Total $10.56 Paid: $6.56
I had 4 separate transactions at CVS ~ Hair Gel, Revlon Clear Nail polish, Tylenol Precise patch, 2 Colgate Toothpaste, 1 Deodorant Total: $24.84 Paid: $8.69 and I still have $3 Rewards. It's like I really paid $5.69!
I had 1 transaction at RiteAid ~ 2 Body Wash Total: $7.61 Paid: $4.98 and I still have $1 Reward. It's like I really paid $3.98!
I had 1 transaction at Vons ~ 4 Gold fish crackers, 2 boxes of Cereal  Total: $18.14 Paid: $ 7.36

Total Purchased: $61.15
Total Paid: $27.59!!!!!

If you think about it, I really saved more if I would count the actual prices, not the specials, but that's ok for my first Krazy Coupon Experience...don't you think?

One of the biggest lesson in my First Krazy Coupon experience is the seperate transactions. CVS, RiteAid and other stores give what they call Rewards or money back to use on your next purchase. If you are making separate transactions you are not only using your coupons, but the reward money from the previous purchase! The second lesson would be to buy at least two newspapers. Ideal would be 4, but I'm not there yet. If I would have had two coupons at RiteAid, the Dial body wash would have cost me  no more than $2 total! So come on, go get your newspapers before I do!!!!

I will keep you updated on My Krazy Coupon Days and show you what I get and how I'm doing on my Stock Pile! 

I want to know how you are saving and what you do to help save money for your family???


The Best Blogs I've read this Week 7/2/11

Like you already know, I haven't had much internet access and I haven't had the chance to visit too many blogs. The ones I have visited are great and here are the best for this week. I hope you find them helpful, inspirational and fun!

Full of Beans ~ Learn how to stretch your budget with rice and beans from Chick N Charge



A great way to find out what the best deals are at the Supermarket ~ from Bargains Anonymous


The Button down Bib ~ Step by Step instructions on how to make the perfect shirt Bib from My Own Road




I make this dessert all the time and I love it! ~ Easy Patriotic Trifle Dessert from  My Blessed Life  

Stars and Stripes Cupcakes for the 4th! from babble


Do you have a project or idea you would like for me to see and share, let me know???

What have I've been up to lately??? 7/1/11





I've been asked this question several times the last few days and there is so many ways I can answer it. First, let me tell you we have had the experience from "The Netherworld" with our phone, internet, cable provider! We decided it was time to switch from our old satellite company because we were not happy with the picture quality and prices. We had known for a while of this new AT&T Uverse service and we were waiting for it to come to our area. It finally did and we set everything up, not a problem...or so we thought!
It has been going on for two whole weeks where we have no phone, cable or internet!!!! We would get it for an hour or two and then it would loose it's signal for another day or two, on and off it has been. I am on right now and I don't know how long it will stay on! The question I'm sure you are asking is "why don't you just cancel the service and give up?" Well, because we are a stubborn family and the reality is that the picture quality we are getting is amazing...for the hour or two we are actually able to see it! Hahaha! I don't know where or how this is going to end, but this has been one aspect of my life for the past two weeks!



My Fibromyalgia Diet

Right before we lost our internet connection I had been doing some research on how to help myself and my Fibromyalgia. I have to face it, this is here and unless the Lord decides to heal me (and I believe He can) it's here to stay! I read in one of the blogs I follow The Chronicles of Fibromyalgia that there are five fingers of the whole well being - Diet, Sleep, Stress, Hormones and Exercise. I had read this in one of the books I was reading but hearing it from someone that is going through what I am going through made it more real for me! I decided to tackle the first one...Diet! I have changed my diet drastically and I am already feeling much better! I feel like I can do more things throughout the day and have more energy (this is a biggy for me). I have eliminated- All sugar, Carbs, Gluten, Caffeine, Most Red Meats, Pork, and because I am going through the detox part I can't have any fruits except for berries (and that's a cheat) etc, etc, etc. Yes, I have no life! Hahaha. I have been on this diet before and it's not so hard this second time around. I guess the reason would be because I'm not doing it to loose weight (even though I am :0) but for health reasons. Gluten and Sugar are like poison to my body and I just have to learn to live without them. Will I have them at times? Yes, but I also know that with it will come the pain and aches that are basically gone at this moment.
I have found some incredible recipes that I will share with you at a later time! My whole family is loving them and they are not even on this diet!


How to make Liquid Hand Soap at home

While all this has been going on I have had a chance to start on two projects, one of which I will share with you today.
A few weeks ago I found a how to make your own hand soap, idea on Pinterest. On this blog I found how to turn a Bar soap into Liquid Hand soap. It looked pretty easy and I decided to try it!
Here is what I did:

INGREDIENTS
1 Bar soap - Grated
10 Cups of Water
1 TBS Vegetable Glycerin

EQUIPMENT
Cheese Grater
Large Pot
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Wooden Spoon for turning
Soap Container with hand pump
Container to hold extra soap
Funnel




DIRECTIONS:

1. Grate the Soap. In this picture you can see that half a bar will make about 1 cup. In the second picture we have 1 1/2 cups of grated soap. It took 3/4 of the bar soap to make 1 1/2 cups. As I continued with the recipe I decided to add the remainder of the soap because it was not thickening up like the recipe said it would.





2. In a Large Pot add the 10 Cups of water, soap and Glycerin. Turn on medium/low and stir until the soap dissolves completely.

3. When it is dissolved you will see that you have a lot of bubbles on the top. Use the same spoon and remove as much of the foam as you can.





4. I had to let it sit over night for it to thicken. I don't know if it's the type of glycerine I used or what, but
I've read this can happen sometimes. For some, all you have to do is wait until it cools completely and pour into the soap container.




5. The next day my soap was like a big lump! I had to use my hand blender to smooth it out. I think I added a little more water too. You will have to decide this ones it cools and you see what the liquid hand soap is like. If it's too runny, it might need more glycerin and soap. If it's too thick it will need more water.

When I was done with the blender it was smooth just like any other liquid hand soap!
This recipe will make about 6 bottles worth! Imagine the money we are saving just by making our own hand soap!


Questions???
I get this question all the time, "why do you make all these products that you can very well buy at the store?" My answer is always the same..."because I love it and because I want to bless my family!" 

The Bible teaches us to be good stewards of our money and to be our husbands helpmate. I want to make sure I am doing everything in my power to help our family. Do I have the money to buy these items at the store? Of course I do, but why should I, if I can bless our family by saving us some money?  I also use coupons and if I can get any of these homemade items at a very low price or for free I will get it at the
store no problem!

Proverbs 31 talks to us about the woman whom the husband safely trusts her so he will have no lack of gain! She does him good and not evil all the days of her life! When we think of evil we don't ever put over spending as evil right? It can be if it's bringing problems to our lives! She willingly works with her hands! She considers what she is buying and then buys it! How many times have we gone and bought something without thinking? This is when we over spend!

I can go on and on, on this chapter but I'm not :0) I think it basically answers the everyday questions I get? Don't you think?

If you try this recipe let me know how it turns out and what challenges or tips you may have for us!

Weekend Bloggy Reading    

- DESIGNED BY ECLAIR DESIGNS -