Well it’s that time of year again.  We all sit down and promise to lose weight, to get organized, etc but this year I’d like you to join me in a resolution to get a hold of your lives.

I will be joining Precious over at Frugal Makes Cents in her Money Savings Challenge.  The goal is to save as much as possible through 2 methods.  1.  No buying items we don’t really need (there will be exceptions) and 2.  Saving as much as possible on the things that we do have to buy.  These are some things we’ll be doing

1. Using every last bit of food.  No food waste means no throwing money away.  If it has a bone in it we’ll be having soup or stew the next day.
2. When I find toys/games/gifts on sale for very very cheap we will be picking them up and putting them away so that we are prepared for birthday parties and holidays.  I’ve already started putting away things for Shawn’s birthday in Oct.
3. I will get back in the habit of watching the utilities like a hawk.  If that means following around Dave and Shawn and flipping switches behind them then that’s what will happen.

I will also be working on earning more this year through Thirty-One Gifts and Etsy.  I truly love the purses and totes Thirty-One has to offer and  will be working my tail to spread that love with others.  I’m also a very very crafty person who loves to craft so it’s time I started selling my finished goods to pay for my raw materials.

Dave and I have already discussed getting our home organized and simplifing our lives.  We have too much stuff and not enough room.  We will be working on that starting next week on his days off.  We are also going to work on spending more family time together at home, we already have lots of fun and entertaining things at home.  So we are going to put all of our games, toys, books, etc to good use at home and save the gas money.

So what are your Resolutions this year?  Feel free to let me know and please join along the savings challenge.

All of a sudden winter has reared it’s ugly head in Florida.  Just 2 days ago I was commenting on how it was unusually warm and that I was loving it, I was wearing shorts and tanktops (stop throwing snowballs at me lol).  But this morning it is COLD!!!!

I’m sitting on the couch with blankets piled on swearing that I won’t turn on the heat but it’s tempting.  The dog is laying in a sunbeam shining through the windows to stay warm.  Now I understand that 51 degrees isn’t that cold to most of you guys but since it was 71 yesterday and even warmer the week before this is a big adjustment for me.  I guess it’s starting to feel like Christmas afterall.

I’m going to be starting up my daily saving posts again soon so stay tuned and let me know if you want to join.  I’m joining Precious over at Frugal Makes Cents on her Money Saving Challenge again for 2011.  I’m expecting a lot of big changes around here over the next few months so saving money is going to be a big priority.  I’ll let you know what I’m going to do and what those changes will be as they come up.  So stick around and feel free to join in on this quest to keep those pennies in your account and out of the stores.

This is a great deal at $15 that is half off!! If you don't have Amazon Prime sign up for Amazon Mom and get free shipping for 3 months. If you don't have little ones that play with lego's yourself don't forget about Toys for Tots and the other charities accepting toys. Some little boy would be thrilled to receive this as a gift so please share the love!

Only $14.99 but act fast

Check out this great deal plus all the others Amazon has preparing for Black Friday

Black Friday starts tomorrow on Amazon. Be sure to check it out. Amazon Black Friday

I'll be posting the deals that I think are the best when I'm home so be sure to check back frequently or follow along on facebook to see all the hot deals!!

I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t even been shopping.  And to tell you the truth I’ve been missing all my readers, the blogs I read and shopping.

So I’m going to get back on track, I still have too much on my plate but I really need to make some time for the things I enjoy including this blog.  For awhile deals seemed to take over my life and now life seems to have taken back over.  I’m going to try and find a happy medium a healthy balance.

With the holidays coming there are going to be deals to do and shopping that needs to be done.  There will be gifts that need to be made as well so stick around.  I’ll be sharing my adventures, my shopping trips and of course my gifts.

We are still working on the house buying front so it’ll still be hit or miss with me until something gets settled.  But I will be here more often and I will be back to saving all of those pennies I’m going to need them.

Check your emails!!  I just got a one time use coupon from Build a Bear for a FREE Bear up to $12 in cost this weekend only.  The coupon is good the 22-24 just in time for my son’s birthday. 

I know where we’ll be Sunday.  Redeeming this coupon and the free accessory coupon we got for one of his bear’s birthday.

So if you’ve gotten bears from there in the past check your email!!

I’ve been missing for a few weeks around here and I’m very sorry about that.  Sometimes life just gets in the way and I’ve been tending to that.  I thought I’d take a minute to say hi and that I miss everyone.

I’ve been working my fingers off trying to create enough goodies to sell at the craft fair this Saturday.  If you are in the area please stop by the High Vista community in Davenport and say Hi.  I’ll be there all day with a friend selling cards, bookmarks and lots of other goodies.

I’ll be sharing some of those goodies with you guys so you can get some creative juices flowing to make holiday gifts for your loved ones.  I’ve also been working my Thirty-One business and am submitting an order this Friday if you’d like to place an order head on over before Friday and you’ll get the chance to win a prize and purchase the Organizing Utility Tote for only $5 with a $31 purchase.

I should be back in full force next week so check back.

I received a BzzCampaign to try the Publix Deli Kid’s Meal a while ago.  My son had the chance to try it out and let me tell you it was a hit!!!  Publix offers 5 different meals with lots of healthy options that my son really enjoys.  I know people tend to shy away from healthy because your kids don’t eat “healthy” foods, but what kid doesn’t eat yogurt, carrots, apples or drink milk or juice?  Each meal contains a sandwich, 2 sides and a drink for only $3.99 so what are the options you ask well here they are

• Chicken Tenders on a Honey Wheat Roll with mini carrots, kid’s yogurt and fruit juice
• Ham on a Wheat Sandwich thin with mini carrots, yogurt and apple juice
• Peanut Butter and Apple multigrain wrap, string cheese, mini carrots, yogurt and fruit juice
• Peanut Butter on Honey Wheat Roll with string cheese, apple sauce, mini carrots and fruit juice
• Roasted Turkey Breast on Honey Wheat Roll with apples/grapes, raisins and organic milk

These meals are great when you are running around town and have to grab a quick lunch.  These are really great when we go to Disney and I forget to pack a lunch.  The only downside is they can’t be customized but they are much healthier than drive thru and nearly the same price.

I was provided with a coupon to try the Publix Deli Meal for free but all opinions are my own.

…. according to random.org post number 21

Allison said...

Allison you have 24 hours to send me your Mailing Address so Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark can get your fantastic prize pack in the mail.

Congrats!!!

Halloween costumes for children, adults, and even pets! Free shipping on $75 or more!

And to make the deal even sweeter here are some coupon codes that you can use to save even more!

VAMP10 - 10% off Any Order
Skull20 - $20 off Halloween Costumes
MAD10 - 10% off $40 or more
bogo20 - Buy One Get One 20% off

Each 70-calorie biscuit is a delight when served hot from the oven, with a warm fluffy center and golden, flaky crust. Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits are the perfect size for kids, or for mini sandwiches and appetizers. There are countless recipe options, from miniature ham sandwiches come lunchtime, to delicious sliders for nighttime entertaining. There are so many ways to make these biscuits and your family will love trying each one.

These biscuits are delicious!!  I made up one this morning with a piece of ham, an egg and some cheese and it was yummy!!!!

If you’d like to try these delicious biscuits you can get a $1 off coupon here and then experiment and let me know your favorite recipe.

And now it’s time for the giveaway…

The people at Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark have provided me with this great gift pack and one to giveaway to you guys.  You’ll receive a biscuit basket, a butter dish, butter spreader, a coupon for Free Grands Mini biscuits and a $15 giftcard to purchase some ingredients to experiment with.

So how do you win you ask.  Well it’s easy and this time I’m giving you lots of chances to enter,the giveaway runs through Friday the 8th.  For your first entry leave a comment telling me a recipe you’d love to use these biscuits for.  For extra entries you can blog about this giveaway and leave me a link, you can post it on facebook and let me know about it, tweet about the giveaway and let me know, or you can simply come  back once a day until Friday and leave a comment.  So start entering and remember to come back tomorrow to enter again!

You can get a $25 Restaurants.com certificate for only $1 right now when you use the code WOW at checkout.  Make sure you start at ShopatHome for your 25% cashback so your certificate will only cost you .75 in the long run.

I’ve used these certificates with lots of success before but please make sure you read the fine print before purchasing so you know what you have to purchase. 

What are you waiting for head on over and pick up a couple certificates today!!

Eww these things are gross.  LOL  Of course that just means that little boys seem to love them. 

The people at MomSelect and the Hexbug people teamed up and sent me a fantastic kit to host a party for the HexBug Nano.  Straight out of the box one of my favorite things about these little buggers is that there are no moving pieces and so there’s no way to get dog hair stuck in it.

Here’s Shawn and Daddy building a track and letting all the bugs loose.  We were given lots and lots of bugs and Shawn’s friends were able to take home a couple.

If you are interested in trying hexbug nano’s out for yourself they are available at Target, Walmart, and I’m sure all toy stores.  They are inexpensive and the kids seem to just love them.  If you have any let me know what you think.

Have you signed up for Upromise yet??  If not WHY??? 
September is National College Savings Month - Join UPromise Today and Save for College!

It's free money for college for your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, or a friends kid. Remember every little bit helps out alot.

Restaurants.com has another code for you to use on checkout to make most of the $25 gift certificates only $2!!!!

But it gets better if you shop through ShopAtHome.com you’ll get 25% back on your purchase.  If you are new to them click the link and you’ll receive a $5 sign up bonus.  Purchase one certificate and you’ll get .50

I’ve used their gift certificates many times.  We recently used one for the Irish Pub near my home and one at The House of Blues at Downtown Disney.  They are simple to use and can really save you some money, just be sure you read the restrictions before you purchase to make sure you can meet them.

When you checkout with Restaurants.com use the code SHARE and you’ll receive the discount.  Be sure to go through ShopAtHome first.

Comment #8 

I’ll be contacting you to send you your $5 giftcard courtesy of the great folks at Frebreze and Walmart!!

Ok I feel like I fell off the wagon, do you ever get that feeling?  Tomorrow is a new week and a fresh start so I plan on getting back on the wagon.

Now that we have a couple weeks of normalcy (I’m not sure I know what normal is anymore) we are going to get back on track.  Tomorrow will be spent cleaning the house and doing laundry YUCK!! plus I’ll be clipping coupons and make a plan of attack for all the local stores.  If I can get that sorted out tomorrow we will run out and make the rounds however if it doesn’t happen I’ll be more than happy to go Monday while Shawn is at school.

I’m also going to work on lowering the electric bill again.  Last month’s bill was too high in our defense it was hot hot and humid so even when it cooled off a bit you couldn’t open the windows because of the humidity.  With any luck the humidity will be taking it’s leave this month and I can air out the house again.

It’s probably time to revisit my goals for last month and see where we came in.  I know it’s not where I wanted it which is why I’ve been putting it off.  I need to find a more solid plan to make my savings goals come through.

So how has your savings been going??

Back-to-school time is here, and for most Moms that means back to car-pooling, homework monitoring and of course, packing lunches. It can be hard to come up with lunches made with real, simple ingredients that kids will eat and actually enjoy. Luckily, Hellmann's® and Best Foods® Mayonnaise are putting the fun back into lunch this September with their virtual Sandwich Swap 'n' Share program.

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay and actress/mom Lori Loughlin are teaming up with Hellmann's® to help re-launch Hellmann's® virtual Sandwich Swap 'n' Share on the Facebook® application (Facebook.com/Hellmanns).  This virtual version of the beloved school lunch ritual of swapping sandwiches will benefit Share Our Strength®, the leading non-profit organization ending childhood hunger in America.
When you visit Hellman’s Facebook page you’ll be able to create a sandwich, for every sandwich built Hellman’s will make a donation to Share our Strength.  Plus when you share the sandwich with a friend they’ll make an additional donation.  so head over and make a sandwich for free and help them get to $75,000!!

Disclosure: I will be receiving an entry into a giveaway for this post provided by Hellman's and MomSelect but all opinions are my own,

Sorry I haven’t been around for a few weeks now, I’ve had family visiting and been busy busy.  But to make up for my absence I have another Giveaway for you.  This giveaway is courtesy of the great folks over at MyBlogSpark and Febreeze.

Coupons again. Be sure to head over to Upromise and load your new monthly ecoupons. This month they have 33 coupons available worth just over $28.

If you haven't signed up for Upromise yet head over and start letting companies help you save for college. You don't have to have any kids either you could always start saving for a friend, grandchild, or any other kid in your life.

According to random.org the winner is #4

• silkypup said...

So Silky I’ll be getting in touch with you to get your mailing information and MyBlogSpark and Yoplait will be sending your prize pack out right away.

Don’t forget today is the last day to enter the Yummy Giveaway

You can earn up to three entries.  First leave a comment here telling me your favorite flavor, second post about this giveaway on your blog and leave me a link to it and lastly post about the giveaway on facebook and let me know you did it.  I’ll be picking a winner tonight so get going and be sure to leave me comments so I know how many entries you get!!!

There is currently a great deal going on to get some super cheap gift certificates from Restaurants.com.  Here’s what you need to do.

First go to ShopatHome and sign up for an account.  You’ll get a $5 bonus in your account for following my link.

Next type Restaurants.com into there search engine, which will take you to their site.  Shop for gift certificates to restaurants in your area or somewhere you are planning to visit.  Use the code CLEARANCE to receive 80% off your purchase price making the $25 certificates that sell for $10 only $2 each.

Now sit back and wait you’ll receive 25% back from ShopatHome and once you reach $20 they’ll send you a check.  This is a great way to save money on eating out and these certificates work great.  Be sure to read the fine print on the certificate before purchasing it most of them have some sort of stipulation.

It’s my birthday so who wants a present???

I recently received a fantastic package in the mail from the great people at Yoplait and MyBlogSpark and I want to share one with you.  I’m not a yogurt person there’s just something about the taste that I just don’t like but I’d been curious about the Yoplait Whips.  So you can imagine how happy I was when they sent me a coupon to try it free and a few other goodies.  Let me tell you the Chocolate Mousse was delicious as a non yogurt eater I was amazed after a few spoonfuls I didn’t hate it but it still had a touch of the lingering yogurt taste so I put the rest in the freezer to try it frozen.  Well that was the key for me that yogurty taste seemed to disappear and I loved it.  My son who loves yogurt also tried one and said it was delicious (out of the mouth of a 5 yr old)

Yoplait Whips! yogurt is currently available in nine delectable flavors – Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Raspberry, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Burst, Orange Créme, Peaches ‘N Cream, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mist, and Vanilla Créme.   Shawn tasted the orange creme which smelled like a creamscile but I couldn’t get a taste without losing an arm and I had the Chocolate Mousse yum!!!

So now for the fun part the GIVEAWAY!!!!  One lucky reader will receive a coupon for a FREE Yoplait Whips Yogurt, a soft sided thermal container and these really cute frozen pop makers courtesy of Yoplait and MyBlogSpark.  How do you enter??  Good question.  Well first leave me a comment here letting me know that you follow along and your favorite flavor or use of yogurt (please please make sure you leave me a way to get ahold of you).  To get extra entries you can post about this giveaway on your own blog and leave me a link to check it out, you could also share this giveaway on facebook and leave me a note letting me know that you did. 

My only big condition is that you must leave separate comments on this post letting me know the different ways that you have entered so I can pick a name and you get as many chances as possible.  If you can’t wait to try Yoplait Whips you can head over here to print out a coupon today.  And remember you have to leave me a way to get ahold of you so I can get your mailing address!!

I will be picking a winner on Wednesday September 1st so don’t wait enter now!!

for Smile.ly yet??  Smile.ly members get inside and exclusive looks at new brands, new products, and new online content.  You get to try new products out and let the manufacturer know what you really think about it.

Head over to Smile.ly and give them a try today.  And be sure to let me know what you think.

One way to help increase my savings is to increase my earnings.  So I’m going to list a few of the ways I earn some extra who knows one of these might help you out too.

• I sell Thirty-One gifts.  It’s a home party based company with a strong belief in women.  Holding the parties is alot of fun and is profitable for both me and the hostess.  They also have a great product that is sturdy, durable and cleans easily.  If you are interested in hosting a party or becoming part of my team feel free to email me for more info.
• Over a year ago I signed up for Swagbucks and I have redeemed over $200 in Amazon giftcards.  Where else can you earn $200 or more a year just for simply searching the internet (which is what you are already doing)
• I also signed up for YouData.  You can see the widget on the right side of your screen now, this is no get rich scheme but at least you get paid for the ads you view.  They pay weekly (even if you only have .03) to Paypal.
• MyPoints is another great way to earn free Giftcards.  If you’d like me to send you a referral please leave your email in the comments (it won’t be published) and I’ll send it out to you.  I’ve earned several Amazon giftcards and a few Lowes giftcards through them.
• Through this blog I have signed up for Logical Media they coordinate different ad campaigns and I pick the ones I feel are relevant to my readers.  When you guys so graciously click on one of those ads and usually fill in your info I get a small referral fee.  So when you see the ads please click!!!  Don’t worry I’m not upset if you don’t click.
• I deal shop like crazy.  I buy excess but this excess allows me to donate, supply my family and friends, have enough for us and it gives me some extra to sell at yardsales which really helps buy a special gift.
• I’m crafty are you??  I’m going to try and find a few craft shows this year since Shawn is away during the day I should have some more time to work on crafting without distraction.  So if you are in the area and know of any smaller craft shows please let me know.

That’s all I can think of right now.  If you have any other ways you make a little extra money please feel free to share with us.  None of these are ways to get rich but they will help you earn a bit more to cover gifts or a little splurge for yourself.  Obviously you could make much more money and quickly by getting a job but for some that’s not an option and some may want to make additional money.  So let me know what you are doing to earn an extra buck.

I am going to see how much we can cut out of the budget in September and add to our savings.  I’ll be buckling down on savings and no more eating out.  At least I can try to not eat out much.  My mother in law will be visiting and we’ve been saving some restaurant coupons to go out a few times while she is here but we are going to keep to only thought out trips.  I will still be picking up gifts for the 4 birthdays in October and of course for Christmas but we are going to get creative and see how cheaply I can do that.

Here are a few of the things we’ve been doing this week to save

We got Shawn all set up and comfortable with riding the bus to and from school.  This will save me lots of money on gas through the year.  The line is forever long at his school and sitting there for 30-45 minutes twice a day wastes my time and gas.

I managed to turn the A/C down (or is it up) a couple degrees for about 90% of the week.  I’ve been able to keep it at about 78-79 for most of the week but when I had the stove on the other day and when I was cleaning I had to put it at 76.

I’ve only used the dishwasher every other day and washed some dishes by hand in between.  I really hate washing glasses so I only run it when the top rack is full and then I fill the bottom with whatever else is around.

We’ve been cleaning and organizing so I’ve been adding more stuff to the yardsale pile.  As I find things I’ve been pricing it immediately and boxing it up that will save me time and energy the night before the yardsale when we finally decide to have it.

I was offered and accepted the chance to set up a table at a Family Fun Day at an apartment complex out of my normal circle.  This should hopefully allow me to sell a few of my Thirty-One purses and bags and I plan on making some smaller cheap items to make some easy money.  I was offered this as a free event so all I’ll spend is time and gas to get there.

That was about it for the week.  With Shawn gone all day I’ve been staying home more with the TV off so that saves on electric and gas.  I think we had the TV on alot or I was running around to keep us both occupied.  I will be getting back into crafting soon but for this past week I’ve been treating myself to a little rest and relaxation.  I’ve been a stay at home mom for almost 6 years so I took the week (at least from 8-3)  off.  So what have you been doing to save some money?  Who’s with me on this challenge to add to your net worth, put away for holiday spending, or whatever goals you have? 

Have you liked Walgreen’s on Facebook yet?  If not get your tush over there and click Like and you’ll be able to get a free purse size photo book.  I believe this is a today only offer so get on over there and make your book. 

This is another free way to make a gift for family or friends.  I’m filling mine with Shawn’s back to school pictures.

This is so timely I was just thinking about making a few Aprons as Christmas Gifts!!  Head over and sign up for their free newsletter and receive a few free patterns.

Here’s a run down of the things we did yesterday to save some money:

• Washed all of Shawn’s uniforms for school and then air dryed them (this saves me $1 on the dryer and will also extend the life of his clothes)
• Washed and gathered all the containers for school lunches (the cost of a school lunch is insane, I can make a much better tasting lunch for Shawn and send it with him to school)
• Drove up to where there was an advertised estate sale (I love to look for deals) which unfortunately had closed earlier than scheduled but stopped at Winn-Dixie on the way home (this store is going out of business and there wine was 40% off I bought 2 bottles saving myself and my mother in law some money)
• Set up my sprout container to grow my own sprouts.  (Tray system was bought at 75% off at Target and I’m hoping it’ll grow some nice additions for my salads and stir fry)
• While at Winn-Dixie I picked up some frozen popcorn chicken for 20% off and made cheap and easy “Boneless Wings” for dinner (quenching my urge for Gator’s All You Can Eat wings and obviously saving $$)

Today was Shawn’s first day of school but we managed to do a few things to save some money

• The TV was off for most of the day (saving electric)
• The lights were also off all day
• We ran errands in a circle to save on gas
• Picked up free Airwick Compacts at Walgreens to add to my yardsale pile (hopefully this will be a profit but if not 5 of them cost me only $1.40 and would be nice in Christmas baskets)
• Went to Publix and stocked up on a few cheap and easy meals and 10 jars of Peanut Butter, it was about .70 a jar which is a stock up price since we go through appox 15 sandwiches a week here
• We stopped at the library on the way to pick up Shawn and picked up a book for myself and one for Shawn (free reading for both of us)
• Tonight I’m working on a cross stitch gift and Dave is watching a movie on Netflix for Wii.  Neither are exactly free but both very cheap entertainment.

I’m sure there are other things that I’ve missed but I’m just too tired to remember.  I’m a horrible nightowl with occasional insomnia issues so getting up at 6:30 this morning was very draining.  Hopefully I’ll get on a schedule very soon.  So what have you been doing to save money??  I’d love hear it helps me think of new things to do around here.

Today’s deal is 75% off 5x7 Everyday Book.  These work up into nice little photo books and also make some really great gifts.  Prices start at $9.99 so your prices would start at $2.50!!!

Today’s Groupon Deal for Orlando is great for back to school shopping.  It’s $25 for $50 worth of clothes at the Gap!!!  It’s valid in stores only and in any store so even if you aren’t in the Orlando area you can still cash in on this fantastic deal.  Pair this coupon with whatever maybe on sale at the Gap and you’ve got an incredible deal and at least 50% off.

If you haven’t already signed up for Groupon do so here and start enjoying the savings.  It’s free to sign up and you’ll get a daily email with the deal of the day.

Today’s photo deal is a free Folded 5x7 card.  I think you can get these in stores but I’m not sure and I don’t have the time to try it right now.  I’ll update later when I get a minute.

Tomorrow is orientation for Shawn’s new school and Monday is my baby’s first day.  This is a very exciting time for a young boy and his mother who has stayed home to raise him for the past 5 1/2 years.  It is also an extremely expensive time for some of us.  I printed the list of his needs and it went on and on and on.  Ok so it wasn’t that bad but I’m pretty sure if I didn’t sale/coupon shop that list plus his uniform could have bankrupted us.

Hello giant pile of crap required for a little boy to attend Kindergarten and this doesn’t include his uniforms.  I’m taking in some of these things tomorrow well it’s that or I send him with a forklift on the first day.  So I’m going to break down Shawn’s list in dollars and cents and you can ask yourself if sales and coupons are worth it. 

• 4 Dry Erase Markers Free after Office Depot Rebate
• 4 Folders .01 each at Staples
• 48 Sharp Pencils (I’m guessing they plan on stabbing everyone’s eyes out on the first day) I’d say the pencils total may have cost about $4 since I bought Toy Story and Kyle Busch ones the rest were super cheap
• 4 pks of cap erasers .50 each at Target
• 6 boxes of crayons .25 each at Walmart (they asked for 8ct but those were .78 each)
• 1 pair of blunt scissors  .25 (I think) at Staples
• 1 Pencil Box $1.60 at Michaels with coupon
• 3 lg pks of Glue Sticks about .50 each at Staples
• 2 Primary Composition books for .25 each at Target
• 2 Tablets of Primary Writing paper $3.00 each at Staples (not cheap and no dang sale)
• 1 pk of Construction Paper $2 at Staples
• 1 box of Ziploc bags Free at Kmart ages ago
• 2 boxes of tissues Free with coupons
• 1 bottle of Antibacterial Soap Free with coupons
• 1 pk 3x5 white index cards .50 at Staples
• 2 reams of Copy Paper .01 each at Staples
• 3 pks of Baby Wipes Free with coupons

This total just under $20 for all that except the backpack, lunchbox and thermos.  Those were obviously more expensive the backpack was $15 and the lunchbox was free and the 2 Thermos Funtainers were $12 each.  I’m looking at the containers as an investment since I won’t be required to buy juiceboxes (unless they are crazy cheap) and I can send Shawn to school with fruit (that’ll stay cold) and hot lunches on occasion.  So do you think shopping the sales for the past month and using my coupons was worth it, how much did you spend on back to school??  I’d love to hear how you did.

By the way I’m not sending all of this stuff with him, I don’t think he needs 48 pencils or 12 glue sticks on the first day of school.  So the things that obviously aren’t needed for the community pile aren’t going to end up there just so I can go back out in a month or two and buy more pencils and glue sticks.  LOL

Today’s deal is a free photo clings!  You can choose from 4 5x7s, 2 8x10s, or 1 11x17.  I got these last year and they are pretty cute.  These can’t be printed in store so you will have to pay the $5.99 shipping fee for them.  These make another great gift idea!!

Last Christmas my husband took Shawn shopping for a present for Mommy and he picked out a Snuggie.  He loved that thing and since I am always sitting under a blanket in the winter it went to good use.  Then they came out with the kids snuggie and he was excited he wanted one of his own, the only problem they are ugly!!!  So this past weekend Mommy sat  down while they were at the Star Wars Celebration and made this:

This used just over a yard of fabric bought out of the remnants bin at JoAnn Fabrics.  Because it was on sale it cost me about $5 to make and about a half hour of my time.  I may consider making a few more of these to sell on Etsy if there is any interest in them.  Shawn was beyond excited to get his own Snuggie, I was going to wait to give it to him for his birthday but I wanted to make sure it fit and I needed a model for you to see it better.

Today’s photo deal is 60% off collage photos.  I’ve printed a few of these in the past and they look great in a simple frame.  So I’m saying another fantastic deal on Christmas gifts!!!

The prices are $3.99 for 8x10, $1.99 for 5x7 or .29 for 4x6 which makes the 8x10 only $1.60!!!  You can pick up in store and you can order more than one, so you can do one collage for each set of grandparents.  When you have 5 sets of grandparents this is a deal not to be missed.

Today’s great photo deal is 75% off 5x7 Easel Art.  This is another great Christmas gift for your family members.

The cost is $3.75 plus shipping.  So for around $10 you’ll have a beautiful photo in high gloss with an easel all ready for a Christmas gift.  Just get out the wrapping paper, of course you could always keep it for yourself.

I love when Walgreen’s does daily photo deals!!!

Today’s deal is 1 FREE 8x10 photo!!!  There must be a photo in your digital collection that could use to be printed.  If you don’t think you need an 8x10 please remember your family.  These photos in a cheap frame make great Christmas gifts!!!!  So head over to Walgreen’s and get your FREE picture today!

So I had a reader email me asking if I was still going to do a series of homemade Christmas gifts.  I thought of course and went to send her the link to the one I’d already posted just to realize that I never posted it.  I swear I thought I had, somedays I wonder where my head is.  So without further ado:

This time of year is great to stock up on extra “back to school” supplies.  When you take the back to school out of it you end up with some really great art supplies.

So grab a box, a backpack, a reusable bag, or a tupperware tote and load it up.  There have been so many great deals on all of these things that it’ll be a nice cheap gift.  If you play the Staples game properly you could have lots of goodies for free after rebates.  This box has folders, markers, crayons, sticky notes, pencils, pens and paper plus a few other goodies.  Do you know any kids that would like this box under the Christmas tree??  If so put together something now and stick it in the closet with their name on it.

Check back often for my next Christmas gift post.

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Precious over at Frugal Makes Cents has been hosting a Money Saving Challenge for quite awhile and I’ve been doing my best to participate but I’ve fallen a bit off track lately.  So I’m getting back on the horse now with Shawn going back to school and life getting back into a routine it should be much easier.

So here’s what I’ve done this week to save some money:

I refilled my Dawn Foam Dispenser yesterday with a homemade version.  I love the foam soap when washing the dishes but it’s soo expensive so instead of going out and buying a new one or pouting because mine was empty and I have a cabinet full of regular dish soap I made some new foaming soap.  After looking around online for a recipe I found that most people use either 2 TBSP or 4 TBSP of soap and then fill with water so I used 3 TBSP of Dawn and filled to the line with water (which required waiting and squeezing out some bubbles so I suggest filling it 3/4 full of water and then add the soap).  I’m happy to report I haven’t noticed a difference in anything other than the smell since I used the purple one.

I’ve been doing pretty well at cooking out of the freezer and pantry.  Today I have to go pick up some more bread and snacks for Dave and Shawn since they will be going to a convention for the next 4 days and the food there is really expensive.  Hopefully I can pack them enough food that they won’t have to spend any extra money.

We’ve been practicing lunchtime with Shawn so that when he goes to school he knows what to do.  He’s never eaten lunch without it being served to him and I don’t intend on paying for school lunches so we’ve been working on making sure he can open all the packages of his food.  It’s funny to watch because I tell him to pretend like I’m not here to help him and he still waits till he’s done with his sandwich before he has his treat.

I received a rebate check in the mail yesterday but am waiting until Thursday to take it to the bank since I’m expecting a couple more to come and would like to make just one trip.  I also received a “rebate” from a Star Wars promo, DS has made it very clear that he wants a Clone Trooper Helmet and Blaster for his birthday or Christmas.  So I picked up a build your own blaster on clearance at Target for $25 and sent in for the Helmet for free with a $25 purchase.  He’ll get both of those plus a costume that I found for 75% off for his birthday and since his birthday is a week before Halloween he can be a Clone Trooper for Halloween and I’ll save on buying a costume too.

So what have you done to save this week??  I’ll be printing a ton of Target coupons and heading there either today or tomorrow and will be sure to report back on all the money I saved there.  Please feel free to leave a comment or a link back to your money saving tips.

Sign up today for the National Consumer Panel to be heard and earn great rewards while you are at it.  You can earn cash and prizes!!!!  Click on the picture and you can sign up today.

I’m finally getting around to posting and making some goals for the month.  Nevermind it’s a week in to the month LOL.

• We have been trying to stop eating out completely and that hasn’t worked so this month we are limiting it to once a week and always using coupons.
• We are looking at at least another month of house hunting UGH!!! so we will keep saving and scrimping and putting every extra dollar into the house saving account.  I guess at the rate we are going I might be able to pay for the dang house in cash.  I have no intention of waiting that long either.
• I’m going to take another stab at the Etsy thing this month.  Here’s hoping I can get something listed this month.
• I will be hosting at least 1 Thirty-One Gifts party this month even if I have to host it myself and hope that I get enough online orders.  This is an avenue that still needs some work to make it more profitable, so if you’d like to host a party let me know (I’m picking up all embroidery costs this month for hostesses)
• Shawn starts school in just a couple weeks so I need to get him prepared and that is where all my energy is going to be focused.  This will be a big change for both of us since he has to be up so early and will also be eating lunch very early.  Tomorrow he gets the lunchbox challenge, I’m packing his lunch up like I will be for school and he’s going to have to eat it with no help from mommy.
• My birthday is at the end of this month and my MIL is coming to visit the next day so I want the house clean (spotless clean) by then.  That will require getting rid of some more of the clutter which is unenjoyable to say the least.
• I decided against the yardsale today since it’s soooo hot and I wasn’t ready.  I am planning on doing it in Sept so I need to add to the stash stockpile for the sale.  The only different strategy I’ll be trying is pricing things as soon as they come into the house or go into the box for the sale that way I’ll be prepared for the next sale.
• Oh and my last goal is to finally lose a little weight and keep up with my workout regime.  And remember to take it easier when I do workout since I’m currently in pain from working out 2 days ago, I’ll be skipping squats for a long time.

So what are your goals for the month??  Are you trying something new or just getting ready to adjust to the school year schedule?  I can’t wait to figure out what to do with all my extra quiet time when Shawn’s at school for 7 hours a day!!!

First I headed to Walgreens well actually 2 Walgreens.  I ended up with 2 bottles of Complete Contact Solution, 1 box of Star Wars jellies, 1 Gillette Razor, 1 Box of Crayons and a soda.  I spent about $15 out of pocket and ended up with $17 in RR to use this week.  Now I just need to figure out how to roll them back into more contact solution since DH goes through quite a bit. 

Next stop was Target:

I got 3 Playdoh Ice Cream Shoppes for $3 each with online coupon, 3 4pks of PlayDoh for free with purchase, 4 cans of Chef Boyardee for free with TQ, 4 pks of Bic Pens free with TQ, 2 bottles of Simply Lemonade for .99 each after TQ, 4 small bags of Purina Smartblend free with TQ, 3 Colgate toothbrushes free with TQ, 1 Colgate Kid’s Toothpaste (I swear Shawn paints the bathroom with this) .97 with TQ, 2 Composition notebooks .50 and 2 Wonka Bars .29 each after MQ and TQ (dang these things are expensive)

I don’t have the receipt in front of me but my cost was close to $14 and hopefully I’ll sell 2 of those playdoh sets for $5 each at the yardsale and the small ones for $1 each so I should almost break even.  At least here’s hoping.

Upromise has put up new ecoupons for the month of August.  There is over $25 worth of coupons available so make sure you head over and activate those coupons before you go shopping this week.

If you haven’t already signed up for Upromise get on over there and sign up, it’s free and super easy.  Plus they give you free money to use towards your child’s college fund or you can request a check to help pay for expenses.

So last month was not as successful as I would have liked it to be but we did ok.  So lets see how well it worked out.

• I’d really really like to stop eating out.
• Well this was kinda successful and kinda a failure.  LOL  We didn’t eat out as much and did make lots of efforts to pack lunches when we went out but we still ate out too often.  I’m going to try to rework this and strive for a good August.
• I’m really hoping that by the end of the month we have started the house buying process
• Let’s just say I don’t generally wish ill on people but I am not wishing the owners of the house we have been waiting on much well.  We waited and waited and finally all the bank was requiring was a few pieces of paperwork from them and they are not speaking to each other and therefore not signing a paper.  UGH!!!  We are putting in another offer today on a different house so we’ll keep this goal for next month.
• We need to put away some money for moving expenses.
• We did manage to put some away but not as much as I would have liked so we will keep plugging along.
• I will most likely be putting off another yard sale
• Well I really wanted to put this off until we moved or the fall but that apartment complex is hosting a community sale this weekend so I’m going to drag out as much stuff as I can.  I’ll be doing this sale alone since Dave has to take Shawn to his skating lessons so I’m not going to be doing as big of a sale as I normally would but we’ll get some extra money to put away.
• There are some things that will sell better on Ebay/Craigslist then at a yardsale so I need to get those listed now and just get rid of them.
• I did get rid of a few things and I’m still pulling some stuff to sell on Ebay.  The hubby has a few things that he wants me to list and I have a few other things to list as well I just need to find boxes and figure out shipping for them.
• I would love to start and get my photography business off the ground and running.
• Well I tried one method and didn’t like it so this is still a work in progress.  It’s also been too stinkin warm out to get out and take many photos.  Hopefully it’ll get more bearable this month.
• I really would like to sell one item (at least) on Etsy this month.
• Those ideas are all still in my head.  But I’ve been getting much closer I actually got the stuff out the other day and plan on keeping up until I get something sellable.
• My last goal for this month is to host 2 Thirty-One gifts parties.  I really need to use the opportunity to increase our savings and haven’t been.
• I only had 1 party for July which isn’t bad.  Two parties is a lofty goal when you haven’t had much success but 1 party is better than nothing.

I’ll be working on my August goals today and let you know what we will be trying to accomplish for August.  Please feel free to link up to your goal recaps or just let us know how you did this month.

Are you still looking for a backpack for your little one??  Or maybe just an extra for when the first one gets ripped, tattered, dirty and beaten up in about 4 months.  Well head over to Disneystore.com

You can buy this adorable backpack (or many others) for $16.50 and pick out a lunch pail to go with it for free.  Plus use the promo code SCHOOLSHIP and get it all shipped to your front door for free.

So for $16.50 you can get a backpack and lunchpail and save on the gas and frustration of going to the store in search of both.

Pixi Ultimate Lip Collection for $14 and free shipping.  Pick a color that fits the girls in your life and put it away for Christmas I’m sure this would make any teen happy or me for that matter.

While you are over there make sure you print out some of the coupons that are available like the Chef Boyardee, Bic, and Bagel Bites.  There’s lot of good deals to have.

The lucky winner of my $40 CSNstores.com giftcard is drumroll please!!!!!!!

MrsBlack!!!!!!  Congrats Nicole please get in touch with me and give me the email address you’d like your gift certificate sent to.  And of course you are expected to let me know what you got and how the service was.  LOL

I’d like to thank everyone for participating and make sure you stick around for my Homemade Christmas gift series and for a giveaway in the future (I’ve got something working)

Have you entered my giveaway yet for a $40 gift certificate to CSNstores.com??  If not what are you waiting for?  You could get up to 5 entries.  Check out the post here to get all the details and leave your comments.  You have until this evening so get going!!!!!

Yup that’s right head over to Target online and check out their Back in Black deals.  They are also offering an additional 20% off all clearance.  You can also use this code TCJAS2IP to get 20% off regular priced jewelry, shoes, accessories, and men’s wear.

So head over and check out what’s sale and remember Christmas isn’t really that far away.  My hubby would love this TomTom that is on sale for $69.59

Ok so it’s not feeling like Christmas unless you celebrate Christmas on the sun.  But Christmas 5 short months away so I say lets think about.  One of the keys to staying debt free is to not overspend on gifts in order to do that you need to plan.  Start shopping now look down the clearance aisles and make a list of people you’d like to buy a gift for this year.  Keep it tucked in your purse and cross off the people as you find gifts.  Even if you are paying full price at least you are spreading that spending out over 5 months and not charging it all come December.  But you’re not here to talk about paying full price for gifts so lets see if we can come up with some frugal ideas:

• One of my favorite gifts growing up was what my mom called the creative gift.  Every year I got some sort of art/craft gift and they were always my favorite.  Now is the perfect time to do this for any of the kids on your list.  Next week Staples is supposed to have the free bag (backpack or shoulder bag) after rewards again so you could pick up a backpack to fill or wait a few weeks and find a backpack on sale.  Start shopping all the back to school sales now by the end of the summer you’ll have accumulated a mountain of crayons, paper, glue sticks, scissors, markers, etc.  Once you’ve got lots of goodies stuff them all in the backpack or a rubbermaid container and put a bow on it.  I guarantee it’ll be a hit with the kids on your gift list.
• Consider making gifts for friends and family.  You can really save quite a bit of money on homemade gifts and they are always appreciated.  Almost everyone has a child, grandchild, or pet in their lives so you could make them a photo gift (either by hand or online) and it’ll be a hit.  Keep your eyes peeled as you will see companies like Shutterfly, CVS, Walgreens, and many more will start putting photo gifts on sale pretty cheap.
• Since you are thinking about homemade gifts think about your cooking skills.  Do you make fantastic cookies or great freezer meals depending on the people on your list making an extra casserole when you cook dinner and giving that to your friends/family for Christmas might be greatly appreciated.  Or if you are like me and don’t have much family local and no one that would appreciate dinner with no work then test out a few cookie recipes.  I’ve made cookies, chocolates, covered potato chips, chex mix and mini rum cakes for my neighbors, hubby’s coworkers and mailed some to family and they are always appreciated.

I’m going to do my best to showcase one homemade gift each week between now and sometime before Christmas LOL.  I make no promises but I’m going to try and get one posted a week to help you complete your Christmas gift list on the cheap.  If you have any suggestions or would like to share something you do I’m open to guest posts or would be happy to share your ideas in my next post.

I’m so excited to be bringing you this giveaway!!!  CSNStores.com and I are giving away a $40 gift certificate to any of their 200+ stores online.  You can get a head start on your holiday shopping or finally buy yourself something nice.  CSNstores.com has everything you could need from dinnerware to outdoor toys to office supplies.  Personally I’ve been looking through all their stores and found tons of things that I love.  I know that this cereal dispenser would make breakfasts so much easier in my house.

So you are thinking that’s great how do I win??  Well it’s simple and you of course can get multiple entries.

1. Leave a comment telling me what you would buy.  There are lots of great things and I want to know what you would love to have.
2. Like LivingonaBudget over on facebook and leave a comment over there letting me know
3. Share this giveaway with your facebook friends leaving a link back here.
4. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
5. Become a follower here and let me know in the comments

There you go 5 ways to get entry into this drawing.  Just make sure that you leave me some way to contact you.  The winner will be emailed the gift certificate so I will need your email at some point.  If you like me over on a FB or share on FB please leave your comments over there, if you blog about it please leave your link to it here.

I will announce the winner on Sunday 7/25 so check back to see who the lucky winner is!!

I think this woman is nuts.  She wrote an article titles 8 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Coupons and a friend emailed me the link to it this morning.  After reading it I feel the need to rebut some of her findings.  So we’ll go after each of them:

1. You have to buy a newspaper:

• You don’t have to buy a newspaper there are hundreds of coupons available to you online.  Also there are plenty of ways to get coupons from the paper for free just ask.  Lots of people buy the paper to read (imagine that) and have no use for the coupons.
• I personally buy 4 newspapers a week.  I spend $6 on newspapers and save at least $30 a week on essentials.  That’s a $24 savings small investment = big rewards

2. Clipping Coupons takes time:

• So does flipping channels, walking around the block, and earning money.  Her claim is that instead of clipping coupons while watching TV as many do you could be mopping floors and preparing a week’s worth of meals.  UMMM how the heck am I supposed to watch TV in the living room while cooking dinners and mopping in the kitchen??
• I personally don’t clip coupons until I need them.  This saves me a ton of time.  I take maybe an hour (at most) a week and clip the coupons I need out of my old inserts and about 1/2 hour a month to weed out the inserts that have expired.  In turn I save upwards of $200 a month for less than 5 hours work do you have a job that pays you $40 an hour?

3. Getting a newspaper invites lots of additional advertising into your home.

• Ok so this woman is seriously stupid.  LOL  If you are concerned about advertising coming with your coupons or that you are going to be tempted simply by having a coupon then I have an earth shattering major money saving option for you.  Throw your damn TV away that box (that you are watching in the kitchen while cooking and mopping) brings more advertising into your house then anything else.  If anything is going to persuade you into buying something you wouldn’t normally it’s that commercial showcasing all the miracles about the product

4. Many of the coupons will be for things you neither need nor want.

• And many of them will be for things you do use.  Do you not brush your teeth, bathe, use toilet paper, or eat veggies.
• You’ll also receive coupons for things you wouldn’t normally buy buy coupled with the right sale it might be worth it to try.  You have no idea how many products we now use that I wouldn’t have tried without coupons.

5. Coupons can tempt you to spend your grocery dollars on things you shouldn’t

• So can walking through a checkout lane.  Seriously if you can’t resist temptation maybe your spouse should be doing the shopping.
• While there are lots of coupons out there for junk foods there are also lots of coupons for veggies, dressings, canned fruits, juices.  People who eat healthy can benefit from using coupons as well.  My family eats semi healthy (we eat some junk too) and we save lots of money.

6. The same coupons tend to be offered over and over again.

• Yes yogurt coupons come out on a monthly basis and my son eats it on a daily basis so seeing the coupon again isn’t really a problem.  Also no one is forcing you to clip the coupons that you aren’t using and if you are using them then you shouldn’t be bothered by the redundancy.
• Also she seems to be misinformed since coupons come out to advertise new products to get consumers to try the new flavor, brand or type so that coupon won’t be out that many times.

7. You might become a slave to coupons.

• Yes this is true.  She says that you will find it hard to spend $4 on ice cream when you could use a coupon to get it for $2.50.  Yes I would find it extremely difficult to spend $4 on ice cream but if for some reason I really wanted that ice cream I’d buy it and I’m a coupon slave.
• Level of Coupon Slave really comes down to time involved it can get overwhelming but you just have to step back and reevaluate but this goes for everything in life.  Computers, TV, work, etc can all take over your life so use some time management.

8. Shopping take longer.

• I enjoy shopping being a Stay at home mom it’s about the only time I get out so I might take longer than you do.  But on days when I need to get home for something I have no trouble quickly going through the store.
• She claims you have to search through the store to find the item that matches your coupons well if you don’t know where the cereal aisle is then yes you’ll have to search but if you have bought cereal before chances are good that you’ll easily find the Cheerios you have a coupon for.

My Bottom Line

You do not have to be a dedicated clipper to achieve savings.  You can be a casual shopper like my grandma who’s been clipping coupons since I was a little girl and save money.  You can be very dedicated like myself and save tons of money with extra products to sell and donate.  I’m taking a stab in the dark to say the woman who wrote this article has multiple credit cards that she uses on a daily basis and probably also maxs out at Christmas.  Maybe she should sit down and reevaluate her money I can guarantee I spend much less than she does, I have more to show for it, I give great gifts (buying clearance throughout the year or making gift baskets out of my freebies) and am probably happier.  Couponing allows me to stay home with my son if we paid full price for things I would have to work we’d have little to no savings and wouldn’t be looking to buy a house.

Did you read the article??  Please chime in with your opinions.

You can see a list of all the states and what their particulars are here or see Florida’s list here on there site.

My suggestion don’t wait until that week to do your shopping.  Last year I kept an eye on sales and the sales tax and found that the sales aren’t nearly as good the week that sales tax is free.  So unless you plan on doing all your shopping at Walmart where there are never any sales start looking now.  Florida has capped school supply purchases at $10 per item so if you see a good deal on a backpack buy it now don’t wait it probably won’t be included.

I don’t have any numbers on clothes for you but last year I know that I bought a few things for Shawn at Target and JCPenney’s for 20-50% off and when the tax holiday came the sales were off, the stores were crowded, the selection stunk and you were only saving 7%.  As far as school supplies I’ve already crossed a few things of Shawn’s list at a much better savings than 7% I have copy paper that I paid .01 for, scissors that cost a quarter, folders that were .01 each and dry erase markers that cost me only tax.

So don’t wait get out there and start plucking away at that list and check your state specifics for things you are planning on waiting on.  If I’d waited to buy Shawn’s backpack I would have found that it probably wasn’t included (it was $13.99), I might not have gotten his lunchbox free with it (Toys R Us promo on now) and I most certainly wouldn’t have gotten the bag he wanted since the selection only gets slimmer.  If you feel you must wait remember what your tax rate is and take that into account when you pass up a 20% or better sale.

Lunches have been a topic of discussion for nearly everyone with Back To School sales starting.  There was an article in the paper today talking about Lunchables and all the crap that is in them but how working/busy/exhausted mothers sometimes fall into throwing one in the lunchbox instead of making lunch.  I understand that it can happen and was happy to see that Publix will be offering an alternative this year.  Publix will be selling Kid’s Lunchs priced around $3.99 and while have healthy options according to the paper you’ll get a sandwich or wrap with a side such as carrots, yogurt, organic milk and apple juice.  I was glad to see this because I have stopped at Publix before on my way out to pick up something healthier and cheaper than fast food for lunch.

The thing about this article that shocked me and truly points to what is wrong with this country was the comments from parents.  Yes I said what’s wrong with this country it’s not the government it’s the damn parents.  The comments were saying that the options in the lunches were too healthy that their children wouldn’t eat the carrots or drink the milk.  Seriously!!!!!  What do these kids eat and how much do they weigh and I’d ask the same about the parents.  I feel very strongly that my child have a wide assortment of foods to try.  We eat veggies every night with dinner and there’s no way I’m making a special veggie free dinner for my kid.  He’s not the biggest fan of beans but he sits there until they are gone.  Shawn does however love broccoli, carrots, corn and every fruit he’s tried.

How is it that we live in a world where it is expected that children won’t eat yogurt and carrots??  Is it because too many parents want to be friends with the kids so they don’t make them do anything??  I suspect that this is the case since I see kids daily that don’t listen and have a blatant disrespect for their parents and their parents don’t do anything.  I also see the looks I get when I yell at my son for disobeying or for popping his behind when he’s especially naughty of course those looks are from the same people who can’t believe how well behaved he is.  So my bit of advice for the day is If you love your kid make them eat their veggies and drink their milk, yell at them when they misbehave and don’t be afraid to spank  their little butts when needed.  Kids need discipline and they need someone to make sure they eat properly.  Please don’t be one of those people I want to smack sometimes I think the parents need a spanking too.

Are you looking for a great way to save on some things in your town??  Let me tell you about Groupon oh how I love groupon.  Just last month there was a deal for the Nationwide (Nascar) race in Daytona.  My hubby and son love the races and the hubby was planning on buying tickets to this race.  I was able to get 2 tickets for about $10 more than 1 would have cost me plus we got admission to the infield.  We had a fantastic day.  So click on Groupon to sign up for daily emails with the hot deals in your area.

This is truly a fantastic way to save some money so sign up today.  You’ll receive email notification every day as to what the deal of the day is and who knows you might find a great deal and make memories like these:

The first pic is my son sitting on the start/finish at Daytona and the second is my boys lying down on the track.  These memories could not be any better and were possible thanks to an email from groupon.

Shawn Skating Postage Stamp from Zazzle.com

If you order today and use the code JULYPOSTDEAL you can order these stamps for just under $10 and have adorable stamps of my son or there is one of Space Mountain

The past few days have been kind of boring around here and to be honest it seems I’m too tired to remember half of what we’ve done.

Yesterday I realized I needed eggs to make Meatloaf for Dave so I ran to Walgreen’s where I can get a dozen for .99 and while I was there I found several boxes of Photo Stamps.  These stamps are so cute because you can make them with one of your own photos they print them and ship them to you.  Well these were on clearance for $5!!!  Since you can hardly ever find deals on stamps and this is $3.80 off the regular price of stamps I picked up a box and called my Mother In Law who goes through lots and lots of stamps I ended up getting the rest of them for her.  So we both saved some money and will have adorable personalized stamps.

As far as entertainment there hasn’t been much the past few  days.  We have been watching the morning dove who has nested again in my window box (this time she killed the flowers) her babies hatched yesterday.  And since we still live in this apartment we are using what they have to offer

Today’s agenda is cleaning and sorting stuff out to go to storage and to the yardsale pile.  I’m sick of the clutter around the house so I’m going to start putting stuff away for a yardsale once it cools down a bit.

So how have you been saving??

Yesterday we went shopping.  We went to Micheals, BJ’s, Target, Staples and Kohls

The best deals were at Staples with the great back to school specials.  I had a $20 off $50 coupon to use so I bought all of this for $32.82

And the best part is I submitted for $37.94 in rebates so I’ll have made $5 for buying all this stuff and it’s all stuff that we will use or that Shawn will need for back to school.  The folders, pencils and multi use paper are on sale until Wednesday for a penny each.  So go on out and pick up some stuff today.

We also stopped at Target and Kohls

I used 3 $5 C9 Target coupons and got a pair of shorts for me for .54, 4 pairs of socks for .99, and a shirt for Dave for $4.  I’m going to check out a different Target today and see if they have any C9 stuff on clearance I saw a lot of workout tops that I liked that were just a little higher than my cheapness was allowing.  The Buzz Lightyear undies were a steal at Kohl’s for .99 after a $5 email signup coupon.

So have you gotten any great deals lately??

as far as not eating out.  I went to Publix today and bought 4 bottles of All OxyClean for .99 each.  Someday I’m going to make my own detergent but that’s not an option right now and $1 is my buy price for detergent so I used all my coupons.

I started researching a few of the things I want to sell on ebay to see how to group the items and prices that they were selling at.  I also got out some flat rate boxes and saw how much would fit.  A few of my items are pretty heavy so I thought it would be much easier to ship them this way.

Since Dave forgot about a DVD he borrowed from the work library that had to go back today I had to take it in to him at work.  Since we were both out there we ran over to property control so I could go into the broken trailer and he could stay with the kid (no kids allowed).  I picked up a scrapbook for $2 and a recipe book that I really wanted for $10.  That book was soooo overpriced that I can’t get it any cheaper so I’ll be happy about the deal and will enjoy that book immensely.

In money savings today I turned up the A/C a bit when we left and after we got home no one noticed so I haven’t touched it.  Dave took Shawn out to play after dinner since it’s finally stopped raining so he had free entertainment.  As for him and I entertainment tonight is playing on the computer and watching TV (he’s watching Palladia and I’m wishing the singer would stop talking so much and just sing LOL)

How’s your July going as far as saving??? I’d love to hear about it.

Happy July Everyone!!

We have great hostess and customer specials again this month.  For all of my customers if you place a $31 order you can purchase a Little Carry-All (sneak preview from the new catalog) for only $5 and get in embroidered for free!!!  Remember this is the last month you can order from this catalog so if there is something in there you absolutely love order it now just in case.

For all my hostess you will get all the normal great benefits and free products plus with qualifying parties you will also receive a gift certificate to place an order out of the new catalog coming out August 1st.

Here’s my exciting news if you hostess and submit a qualifying party on or before July 14th I will give you the tote featured below for free.  Your party must be $450 in sales to receive the tote and if your party it’s the $500 mark I will include free embroidery for your tote as well.  Take a minute to watch the video below to see this fabulous thermal party tote.

Please contact me to setup your Thirty-One party today.  I would love for you to receive this tote from me.  If you have any questions or would just like to submit an order feel free to email me or leave a message here and I will get back to you.  Click on Thirty-One to check out all the great products we have available to get you up to your party goals.  It’s easier to browse the products if you click on place an order then clicking on the catalog.