Eating Out

I had promised a post about how the not eating out thing was going, and I finally have time to do that.
I have to admit, we have ate out some, but not as much as normal. There were several nights that I wanted to stop and just pick something up on the way home from work, and I actually resisted the urge. I really think that this will be a slow process for us. The main thing is that we do better each week, and hopefully within a few weeks, we will be to where we won't be eating out at all.
Pray for us that we can do this!

Spring Break Week

The kids are on Spring Break this week, and where we had been gone all weekend, we had no groceries, and I knew the kids would eat a lot this week being at home. I did not go to work today because we were all exhausted, so I had a chance to go out and get some groceries.

My first stop was Walgreens. I bought 2 Glade candles, a softsoap body wash, a 20oz coke, and a candy bar. My total before coupons and discounts was $19.51. I used 2/$2 glade coupons, a Walgreens Glade coupon, my $4 register rewards from yesterday, and the candy bar was free because I purchased a coke. My total OOP was $6.51. I saved $13. I also got a $3.99 on softsoap that printed out, so I can go back this week and get a free softsoap!

I then went on to Kroger. I got 62 items, and my total before coupons and Kroger savings was 202.70. After all was said and done, my total was 140.16. I saved 62.54. Normally I would not have bought so much at the grocery store, but with the kids being on spring break, i needed too. Maybe next week, I can spend a lot less.
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One crazy weekend!

This past Friday was my 30th birthday, and my middle child Emily got put in the hospital. Friday morning her throat sounded awful so we took her to the doctor, assuming that they would say, "Oh it's just a cold." Well, it wasn't. She had an abscess on her tonsil. We were sent to Lexington to the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital, and spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The antibiotics helped it go down some and she will be on the antibiotics for the next 2 weeks. Then we will go see an ENT about getting her tonsils out.

On the way home Sunday, I just had to stop by Walgreens in Lexington. They have a lot more than our Walgreens in Somerset does. I of course had my coupons, and the hospital had internet access, so I checked out the ads and got my coupons ready ahead of time. I went in and got 93.52 worth of stuff, after coupons and tax my total OOP was 34.01. I got $4 register rewards and I will have $8 rebates, so my actual cost was 22.01

So excited! My little girl got to come home from the hospital and I saved money!

Walgreen's 3-21-09

I made a quick run to Walgreens this afternoon. They finally had the listerine in stock, so I got 2 listerine and 1 package of huggies diapers and 2 candy bars. My total before savings was 22.47. I used 2 $2 listerine coupons and 1 $5 huggies coupon. I also had a $6 register reward, so my total OOP with tax was 8.82.
I also ran back over to walmart and got some more johnson's buddies soap for free.

Not a bad day!

Kroger 3/21/09

I went to Kroger last night and did save about $30. My highlight of the trip though was Johnson's Bedtime Bath. I got one lotion and 1 wash. I got them for $3.00 each, and I had a $3.oo off coupon for each one. They were free! How awesome is that!!!!!
I will post more later today about how the no eating out thing is going and some other things that have been going on.
Have a great day everyone

Walgreen's 3/16

Today I went to Walgreen's and got 2 Natural Dentist Toothpastes

Reg Price 4.99 Each

On Clearance for 1.29 Each

I used a $2 Coupon

I got 2 Natural Dentist Toothpaste for .73

A Savings of 9.40

Yeah!!!

Walgreens 3/15/09

I decided to go on to Walgreen's today and skip the nap. I was a little disappointed. I spent more than I expected. There was an awesome deal on Listerine, but they were out of the kind I had a coupon for.

I ended up getting..........................

4 Dove Body Washes on sale @ 4.49 each = 17.96

- 4/1.50 coupons from http://www.dove.us/#/us_landing.aspx/ =-6.00

Total for 4 Dove Body washes 11.96

2 Dove Clinical Deodorants on sale @ 6.74 each = 13.48

- 2/2.00 coupons from the dove website, however I don't think they are still available = -4.00

Total for 2 Dove deodorants = 9.48

2 Lysol neutra air @ 3.79 ea = 7.58

- 1.00 coupon from the RP

- B1G1 Coupon from the RP worth 3.29

Total for 2 Lysol neatra air sprays = 3.29

Neosporin on sale for 3.99

-1.00 off coupon

Neosporin = 2.99

2 bags of sweetart jelly beans @ 1.50 ea = 3.00

-1.00 Walgreen's coupon

-1.00 coupon from http://www.verybestkids.com/CelebrationCorner/Default.aspx

Total for 2 bags of candy = 1.00

1 bag of butterfinger eggs, 1 bag of crunch eggs on sale for 2/5.00

-1.00 Walgreen's coupon

-1.00 coupon from the above link

Total for 2 bags of candy = 3.00

2 Reese peanut butter eggs @.69 each = 1.38

1 Walgreen's coupon from the ad -.38

Total for the 2 eggs = 1.00

The bad part was that on my eyeliners they were really messed up. They were supposed to be B1G1 50% off, however, they both rang up at 3.49 each. Then 2 of my coupons did not get taken off. So I should have actually saved 3.74 cents more.

My total OOP was 43.20. My total savings were 35.67.

I also received $6 of register rewards for my next trip to Walgreen's!

Not a great trip, but oh well, I did save some money. We live and learn, and I definitely learned a lot from this trip.

Wal-Mart 3/15/09

These Johnson's soaps are what I bought at Wal-Mart today.
I got 6 @ .97 each = 5.82
I had 2 $3 off coupons from http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rkrpeos84985850&bt=wi&o=51049&c=JB&p=fJEldFXL
After tax and coupons, I spent .17!

How cool is that!

NO EATING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband and I celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary today. God has blessed us so abundantly.

Starting today, we are not going to be eating out at all. This includes me not eating out for lunch too! The only way we will eat out is if we are out of town and do not have a choice or it's a special occasion. Oh yeah, and we will eat out if someone else is paying of course. We really need to pay off bills and save up some money, so I think that this will help. I have to admit this is really going to be hard for me. Keep me in your prayers that I will have strength because I am going to need it!!!!!

Kroger 3/14/09

I did not take a picture because I went ahead and put some stuff away, but I had an awesome trip to Kroger. I purchased 52 items. All together, the regular prices totalled $168.21, I saved 52.02, so my total OOP was 116.19! Yeah!
I plan on going to Walgreen's on Monday, so I will post how that went. I think I will get a lot free!!!!!

I had 2 awesome shopping trips today. After work, I went to Kroger. They have a deal right now, where you can buy 10 items and get $5 off. Plus I had at least one coupon for nearly everything that I bought. Here is the breakdown......

I bought all of this plus 2 Land O Lake Butters, and 1 box of Blue Bonnett Stick butter. I had the 10 items required, so I got $5 off. I also had a $3 coupon from last week. I had a .60 coupon on each one of the natures valley and fiber one bars, and 1 - .75 coupon for one box of the fiber one bars that I downloaded to my Kroger plus card from shortcuts. Plus I had a .50 coupon for 1 box of the fiber one bars, and another .50 coupon for 1 box of the natures valley bars. I had a .75 off coupon for the juice and a 1.50 off Kroger coupon that printed out for me last week at the register. For the toilet paper, I had a .75 coupon that I got right there in the toilet paper isle and a .50 coupon that printed out for me last week at the register. I had a .50 coupon that got mailed to me with my monthly Kroger coupons for the Dixie plates, and finally I had a .55 coupon for each Land O Lakes butter. Reminder, Kroger doubles coupons that are .50 or less.

My total before all savings was 47.70. After Kroger +, and Coupons, I paid 13.82 OOP. I saved a total of 33.88!

On my lunch break, I ran to Walgreens. I had a printable coupon for Sambucol and a Walgreens Coupon for it also. I had a $2 Walgreen's coupon for the Garnier Frutis. I had 3 printable Excedrin coupons and a Walgreens Excedrin Coupon. For the Colgate total, I had a printable Coupon and a Walgreen's Coupon. Reminder - If you have 1 Walgreens coupon and you buy more than 1 of that same item, it will take the amount off for the number of items you have.

My total before coupons was 38.62, my total OOP was 4.12 (should have been 2.12, but he forgot to scan 1 of my coupons). I saved 34.50!

My shopping trip......

Well, I went out to get groceries tonight. I had planned on stopping by Walgreen's before I went to the grocery store, so I had my coupons all ready in my purse. Walgreen's just has awesome deals, and when you combine them with coupons, it's even better. I got in Walgreens and could not find my coupons. I thought that I had put them in a separate envelope from my Kroger coupons, wrong! Even though I did not have my coupons, I found a few good deals. Garnier Fructis products are 2/$7, and they have a $2 off coupon in the Walgreens Easy Saver Book. Also I found a few things on clearance. All together, I saved $5.64. Not a great trip, but I got a few good buys. I then headed on over to Kroger. I had tons of coupons, plus they have a great deal on some of their frozen foods. My total before savings was $94.61 and I only paid $59.94, which is a savings of $34.67. I am proud of that trip. Oh yeah, as I was gong through my Kroger coupons, I found my Walgreen's ones. I guess I will go back by there on Monday.
Have a great weekend!
I will post more detail about my next money saving adventure.

About me.................

As I write my very first blog, I am a little overwhelmed at the idea of people reading what I write. I guess I just really wanted a place to share my successes and failures as I try to save money and get us out of debt. I feel like in the past we have been bad stewards of the money and resources that the Lord has blessed us with and I want to change all that. By posting on this website for all the world to see, it is holding me accountable to what I set out to do.
So, here are our goals!
By summer of 2011, we will be debt free, I will have my bachelor's degree in accounting, and possibly be a CPA, and I will be at least 60 pounds lighter. I also want to put enough money in a savings account to take my husband on a trip, just the two of us, and also take my family on a vacation.
God has been so good to me and my family already, and I cannot wait to see what he will do next.