Great day at Publix and Target

I decided to take the kids shopping today. I wanted to see what was left on seasonal clearance. The super Target had a lot left, but was still at 50% off. I bought some foil with some snowflakes on it for .49. Each were 80 sq ft and I had a $1 coupon. I paid $5.00 for 10 foils. They will be perfect for when J goes camping with his friends. I am also going to give some to my Mom. I gave my sister at least 10 sponges when she was here. They were the good ones too. I bought a pack of diapers, 2 boxes of swiss miss hot chocolate, 2 command hooks, 10 reynolds foils, 2 sets of utensils for the kids, a pack of 80 glad kitchen bags and some travel games. My total bill was $14.44, I saved over $48.

After that we went over to Publix. I bought 2 family size boxes of TGI Friday's appetizers, 1 box of coconut shrimp, 1 frozen pizza, 1 package of smithfield bacon, 5 scotch brite scrubbers, 2 scotch brite sponge wands, 24oz sour cream, 1 graham cracker crust, 1 package of taco rolls, and 1 bottle of Verdi. I spent a little over $20.

$20 at Publix?

I went shopping at Publix the other night and I thought I had it all figured out. I had rain checks, a gift card and even a $10 competitor's coupon to use. My total was $40.46 before coupons. I had to spend $40 to use the $10 coupon, so I was just at the limit. I bought 6 packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 pot roast, applesauce, celery, grape tomatoes and a few other things? I had $8 left on my gift card, so I ended up spending around $12 out of pocket.

Here is my idea for purchasing gift cards. I am going to buy an American Express gift card as long as there are no activation fees. With the gift card purchase at Publix, I will get a $10 Publix gift card. I am going to use the AE gift card to purchase $100 worth of Outback gift certificates so I can get the free $20 gift card from there. The nice thing about the Outback card is you can use them at Bonefish and Carrabba's also. I hope my plan works.

I am just recovering from Black Friday.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving. My Husband's family came over for dinner on Wednesday, so I was home cooking all day. My SIL brought her camera equipment over to take pictures of my friend's children for their holiday card. My sister and her family stopped over, so I had my SIL take pictures of my Nieces (which turned out adorable). To top that, we each ordered free collages from Walgreens. After we cleaned up, I called another friend of mine to see if she wanted to go to CVS and Walgreens for their 3 day sale (Thurday-Sat.) Their systems turned over at midnight, so I wanted to be first in line. They had bendaroos on sale bogo at CVS, which is unheard of. I am going to keep one box for M and give another as a gift. I bought lotion, shampoo, conditioner, earphones, snuggies, and games. The cashiers at both places were so nice. The one at CVS was so impressed with the amount that I was saving and the ECB's I was getting in return. I probably spent $8 and got over $20 back. When we were at Walgreens we joked around about waiting 10 minutes for the Snuggies to go on sale, we said "I am sure there is not going to be a shortage of snuggies" a few minutes after we said that, these two women walked in and put about 20 snuggies in each of their carts?? I wish I was in their family, I would get a Snuggie for the Holidays lol. I didn't go shopping at Kmart this year on Thanksgiving. There wasn't anything I really wanted. I did go to Sweetbay in the morning because we needed a few things that were on sale. I also wanted to get my $10 coupon. On Thanksgiving we went to my parent's house and had a wonderful time. The food was good and it was nice and relaxing, especially since I didn't have to cook. It was nice to see the kids play together too. We left there around 9, I made my "calls" and J's Aunt met me at my house by 9:30. I had enough time to get some warm clothes on, pack a cooler and grab my ads. We met my sister at Wal-mart and she followed us to Toys R Us for her first Black Friday adventure. We both wanted this vanity that was originally priced at $70, on sale for $24.49. She wanted 3 of them and I wanted 1. After waiting in line for an hour and a half, the floodgates opened aka the TRU doors. People were cutting in line and the woman behind me was telling them off. She kept telling my sister to block them with her cart. I was thinking, don't bring us into this, we are not with you. My Aunt went straight to electronics because that is always the longest line. I found the vanities after being pointed in many directions. We even had a pile up, I bumped into my sister with the cart, and the man behind me was practically on my back. All of us just laughed. I grabbed all 4 vanities and headed to the back of the store for all of the other goodies. I could not believe how packed that place was. Now I know why I never shop TRU on Black Friday. We got a lot of great things. I also got 4 free boxes of the 64 count crayola crayons. After TRU we headed over to Walmart. We had all intentions on putting the items in our cart and checking out exactly at 5am. Well, they had people guarding the sale items, so we had to wait. While we were waiting we grabbed the price matching items. I bought a leapster game for my Niece, and some littlest pet shop dolls. My other friend and her Dad came around 4am and waited in line for the cheap bikes. She always gives bikes to the Angel Tree. This year the 20 inch bikes were only $29. That is a great deal. She had to wait in line and could not leave until they gave her the bike, so she called me and I shopped for her. I even brought her a drink lol. I also grabbed a few items she was going to buy the kids and put them in her cart. I didn't spend as much as I thought I would. I spent about $50 and got a lot of stuff. I am really happy with the $3 hoodies. I picked up a pair of PJ's for my friend to donate. After Walmart, we went to Target. There was nothing left. The guy in electronics sort of laughed at me when I asked if they had any of the drum sets left. I came home and went to sleep for a few hours and then woke up to take care of the kids. A few hours later, my crazy sister asked me to go to Macy's with her. WHAT?? She didn't get any sleep and now she wants to go shopping again, with all 4 kids. So we did. I was falling on my face and she was shopping away. She treated the kids to lunch and then the kids played at the mall. We went home and played some more and then my Husband came home. He made Chili the night before and put it in the crock pot for the next day. We knew I was not going to be cooking that night. I went to bed early and the next morning I was still so tired. He had to work, so the kids and I hung out around the house. Sunday we took the kids to Chuck E Cheese because they earned all of their stickers on their reward charts. We bought lunch at McDonalds using coupons, so the 4 of us ate for under $6. I had the tokens, so we didn't spend anything at CEC. We had a really nice Thanksgiving weekend.

An Almost Free Saturday.

We decided to have "special time" with the kids on Saturday. We had no plans for the weekend and that was fine with us. J had a day planned for the boys, but those plans fell through. He asked me for some suggestions and boy did I come up with some. It was 9am, so I quickly called Lowe's to see if they had a workshop going on. They did! She said they were making snowmen and it started at 10. The boys got ready as I looked for some coupons for their next event. I found some coupons for free miniature golf and go cart rides. I also gave him some coupons for a free kids meal and ice cream. I think he spent under $5 for their whole day. I had a girls day out with M and my Mom. We went to the craft fair at the soccer field. I didn't even know about it, my Mom told me. She is not a craft fair person at all and she couldn't believe I didn't know about this one. I was going to take M out to the one in Tarpon and then we were going to eat lunch at our favorite restaurant. M loves Gyros! We parked at the day care down the street from the fair. I had to park there last time because the place was packed, so I figured it would be a good place to park this time too. My Mom said they were charging $2 for parking at the other lot. I saved money and didn't even know it. Great start. There weren't that many craft vendors set up. There were a lot of businesses with booths. My Mom found some earrings that she was looking for and a few other things. She wanted to buy me some earrings, but I wouldn't let her. She did end up buying me a cake server. M went on a free pony ride. I donated some money since they are rescued ponies and I know it will go towards a good cause. After the craft fair, I was going to take M to the one in Tarpon. She wanted to go home instead. I am not sure why? I offered to take her wherever she wanted to go, but she refused. We ended up going home and doing some crafts of our own. She painted a pony bank, we baked cookies, made egg bread and muffins. She kept saying "Mommy, isn't this a nice day staying at home?" She kept on looking out the window to see if the boys were home. I finally asked her if she wanted to come home to wait for them, she said yes. We were about to snuggle up and watch Mickey Choo Choo in my bed when we heard the boys. Well, they had a special guest with them, NaNa! The kids were so excited. J said we had the rest of the night to ourselves. I took a small nap and then we went out to dinner. We went to the Sake House for sushi. We got home pretty early, but it was still nice to go out to dinner.

I slept in on Sunday and then went to the grocery store. I had 2 different transactions. One of them was only .60!! That check included 8 McCormick grinders, 2 Sunsweet Ones, 3 Philadelphia cream cheese blocks, 16 Organic juice boxes, and Lipton tea bags. I love coupons!! The next order was way more expensive. It was a whopping $15.66. That order included 8 McCormick spices, 4 coffee mate flavored creamers, 8 boxes of crackerfuls, 4 boxes of ritz, 4 boxes of wheat thins flatbreads, 1 Cuban bread, 3 packages of Publix deli meat, 1 package of swiss cheese, and 2 bags of Lays chips. We were making Cubans for lunch today, and serving chips on the side. The bag person was telling me that I was a really smart shopper and she uses coupons too. I donated some of the crackers on the way out. They have the box for the food bank set up at the store. Talking about donating...the other day M and C kept saying "we can put this in your shelter." I had no idea what they were talking about until today. A few days ago I was cleaning out my closet and my dressers and I put everything into a bag to donate. Well, I found C's stuffed animal in the garage and I put it in the bag. He said "what are you doing with my animal?" I said "I am putting it in the bag for the shelter." At first he put up a fight, but then he understood and wanted to put more of his things in the "shelter."

Spent .83 at Walgreens

I went shopping at Walgreens today because I needed to use some RR that were going to expire. I bought fabric softener, 6 boxes of kraft macaroni and cheese, 2 snow globes, maxwell house decaf coffee, 3 nail files, 2 silver command hooks (on sale for 75% off plus I had a $1.50 coupon, making them free). I have been wanting to buy those hooks, but they were always so expensive. I am going to hang my recyclable bags on them by our front door. The kids can also use them for their jackets and sweaters. I was shocked when the cashier told me my balance was only .83. I paid with a rebate card that I had from a while back, so I paid nothing out of pocket and I still have money on the card.

I went to Publix today and as I was returning my free movie from Blockbuster Express, I saw some new coupon books. I asked the cashier for the ones behind the counter, but the others I was able to take myself. The Winter Savings book has a lot of great deals!

First time ever.

After dropping the kids off at a Friday night program for $5 each (3 hours of fun) we went to Chicos for dinner. We used a coupon for $25 off. This made our bill $10.xx, our tip was more than the actual bill. The tip was $6.xx and the bill was $4.xx after the coupon. We could not believe that we had a great meal for an even better price!

Saturday we went to the preview of Planet 51 for free. One of J's friends has the hookups to things like that. I packed snacks and in we went. When we got in the front door, they had security searching bags for items like video cameras. I was so nervous because I had snacks and juice boxes for the kids. I told the security officer that I had snacks and he said "that's really the way to go these days, all we are looking for are cameras." I laughed and handed over my video camera (just kidding). After the movie, we went to a birthday party. On the way to the party, M said the funniest things. She said she was going to make me a Christmas tree with coupons hanging on it. She also said she wanted to return the cat to the kitten store so we can get a new one. C tried that the other day, he was so convincing because he was talking about all of the things Tigger does wrong, like "barking" on the bed and always meowing. Our friend had the party at his physical therapy center. He works with kids, so there were a lot of things for them to do. We went home after the party and relaxed. J wasn't feeling well, so we made a lite dinner and watched a movie. The kids went to bed at 7, which was nice for us.

Today I went to the Kmart that was closing in Tarpon. Surprisingly, there was a lot left. I browsed for a long time. When I was just about to check out, I had the girl price check a few items for me. They were showing up at 90% off instead of 60. So, I went back for the other items I put back on the shelf. When I did that, they made an announcement that everything in the store was now 90% off. People went crazy. They were piling things in their cart. One guy grabbed the only bike that was left, he was so happy. I think the bike was originally $300 and he got it for $30. That was probably why it was the last bike because no one wanted to pay that price. I bought my Mom a Sonicare toothbrush for $13, it normally sells for $130. All of the jewelery was gone within seconds. Those prices were marked way up though. I bought some clothes for myself, some socks for the kids, some pantyhose, stickers, thank you notes, cards, crystal light, a basket for M's bike, sudafed, tylenol, maalox, children's claritan, phillips, gaviscon, 2 chip clips that were supposed to be .25 but rang up for $1.49 each, a Tinkerbell purse, MP3 video player (normally $60) a wiper blade that is normally $20 and a bunch of other stuff that added up fast. I still spent $70? Get this, they were still taking coupons! I wish I would have known because I had a $5 off $50 that I could have used and a whole other coupon organizer that I forgot at home. It was sad to see the store close. It has been there since I started going to Tarpon Springs.

A full day of fun for under $30

Last Saturday, J took the kids for the day. I had a seminar to go to. I also went out to lunch with a friend at Plaka's. This is our favorite Greek restaurant in Tarpon. We stopped by the Kmart that is closing and I found a set of 4 salad plates for $2.40 marked down from $15. Lunch was really inexpensive, it was only $8 plus a $2 tip. My friend and I split a Greek salad and a Gyro. We always get the same thing and have lots of leftovers. This time the owner didn't know we were there or he would have offered us a drink on the house or a free dessert. He saw us on the way out. After our late lunch, I dropped my friend off and headed over to another friend's house for a Shutterfly party. That was fun! Just for going, all of the guests received a dozen free greeting cards and a free photo book. I already ordered my cards, I have to put the book together. I only have to pay shipping which is around $8. Not too bad for a really nice book.

J called me in the morning to tell me that they had a lot of fun at the Home Depot workshop. I asked him to take the kids so they could each make me a trivet. The whole workshop was free! J bought some tiles for .30 each and some wood finisher for $6 to make the trivets look nice. The kids and I made a fingerprint turkey so we could display it for Thanksgiving. I used some special paint I had from their hand print tile kit. It can hold up to 350 degree heat without melting or having to be fired. I would love to do "themed" tiles throughout the year. I am going to buy more tiles at .30 each. I figure it is an inexpensive project we can all do together. After the workshop he took the kids home for lunch and a nap. Around 5 they went to a festival that his friend gave him tickets to. He only had to pay $5 for parking. He also gave him a business card that said "four free A.B's" we were wondering what that meant. Well, he found out what that meant as soon as he got on the first ride for free. It meant four free Arm Bands! The kids didn't know what ride to hop on first. Some of the rides, J could go on with them, but others they had to go on by themselves. J made a rule that if he could not ride with them, they had to ride together. There was only one ride that M wouldn't go on, so it worked out well. Then as they were leaving, the owner of one of the concession stands, gave the kids a monster sized bag of cotton candy and 2 containers of carmel corn. The bag of cotton candy was almost as tall as them, I guess that is why it is really called Monster size.

I went to Target yesterday and their Halloween candy is 75% off. There is a coupon on A Full Cup for $1 off of 2 packages of Halloween M&M fun size. I paid .25 for each bag. I like to bake with the kids, so I bought a lot of the tiny M&M's so they can use them to decorate the sugar cookies. I also bought some pumpkin spice Hershey kisses that were delicious. I am going to look up a recipe to use them in. They were .50 a bag since I used a coupon for buy 2 get 1 free. For some reason I don't have a lot of the $1 off kisses coupons.

I had Chick Fil A for dinner last night. I ended up buying a $20 gift card since they were giving away a free calendar with a purchase of the card. Then I used the same gift card to buy my meal. I also used a coupon for a free sandwich. Not so bad. I am planning on buying one more gift card because I love their calendars and food.

Today we are going to stay around the house and relax. We may venture out a little later to Super Target. I want to get some outside decorations. I shouldn't have waited for it to be 75% off because there isn't anything left. I will know better for next year.

.25 Cookies and Pizza

I went shopping at Publix today and bought 4 packages of Pillsbury make and take cookie dough and 5 Totinos pizzas for $2.25. I am going to give 2 of the cookie doughs to M and C class so they can decorate them for the Holidays. I also bought 2 containers of frosting for them to use. I offered to buy more things like sprinkles and tubes of frosting since I can get it so cheap, but their teacher said to let other parents contribute those things. I figured they could buy other items off the "giving tree" and I could cover the cookies. I would probably end up paying under $5 for everything.

I bought 12 cans of vegetables, 4 cans of beans, 4 bags of cornbread mix, 4 bags of muffin mix and 4 bags of Bisquick complete. Some of these items are going to make their way to the donation box. I also found some great coupons for sour cream, so with the corn, cornbread mix and sour cream that I bought for around .40 (for all of it), I will make my corn casserole. I got a rain check for the sour cream deal, so I will get some for my hashbrown casserole too. I am planning on making Minestrone soup for J, since it's his favorite. It will probably cost me under $4 to make a huge pot. I already have most of the veggies, I have all of the meat, broth and noodles.

Trick or Treat

We had a really fun Halloween. I went grocery shopping in the morning and saved more than I spent. I saved over $60 and spent $31. My favorite cashier was there and she gave me Sponge Bob buckets for the kids. I am going to have to write a letter about her, she is always so nice and never gives me a hard time about the million coupons I use. The best deal I got was the Nature valley nut clusters and the Purdue chicken tenders.

When I got home the kids were ready to go to Michael's for their free event. We made trick or treating buckets. They were adorable. The employee was so generous with the foam stickers and jewels. M only wanted her name on her bucket and "sparkly things." C was happy with his bats, ghosts, and haunted houses. After Micheal's, we went to TRU. Since we were early, we stopped in at a different Michael's to make a picture frame. This is a nice one that has a magnet on the back. The employee there was not as generous with the craft supplies. TRU was fun. The kids went on a parade with Geoffrey and got a goody bag at the end. It was a nice recyclable bag filled with lots of stuff. We stopped by a friends house and then home we went. The kids relaxed for a little bit and then we went to the mall. We got there right at 4, so it wasn't that busy. When we were leaving around 5, the mall was packed! We picked up some apple dippers, milk and hamburgers from McDonald's. The apple dippers and milk were free with the Trick or Treat books we bought for a $1 before Halloween. When we got home our friends came over and off we went again. There were not a lot of kids out this year. And there were not a lot of houses giving out candy. It was the perfect amount for us. We walked up and down our street and then the kids were so tired. Our friends left and we all went to sleep! We are planning on taking some of the candy to the local Dentist who will pay us per pound. Some of the other candy will be donated.

Worth the drive

I went out to TRU last night for their "members only" sale. I bought 6 movies, 2 hot wheel cars and I got 2 Tinkerbell photo albums and a Tinkerbell lantern for free. I paid $65 for all of it. The total before coupons was $230.xx. The cashier had to call a supervisor over and it took 3 people to get all of coupons to be accepted. I actually forgot to use my free candy coupon when you buy Monsters verses Aliens. That's ok, because we really won't be home to hand it out on Halloween. Their Aunt is going to pay for two of the movies, so I really only paid $35 for everything.

The sales at Publix look a lot better this week. I have 2 $5/$30 coupons that I need to use before Saturday. I will make that happen.

I amazed myself today.

I went shopping at Publix this morning while the kids were at TT. I bought 4 bonus size bottles of Snuggle fabric softener, 6 soy candles, 2 8 packs of Gatorade, 2 bags of coffee, 2 big bags of Nestle coffee, 2 packages of Bic comfort 3 razors. My total was $55.xx and I only paid $4.71. I was so excited about my savings. Even the cashier was amazed. After TT we went to Walmart with my Mom for $1.99 happy meals. Then we went to Bath and Body works so I could buy some more of the fold up bags. They are so cute.



We went to the Pumpkin Patch with friends(10/21). We get together every year to take pictures and let the kids play. We had a lot of Halloween festivities over the weekend. We went to see Tinkerbell on the big screen thanks to a friend that gave us free tickets. I used a coupon that I printed for a free large popcorn with a large drink purchase. I asked the cashier for water cups and the kids and their friends all had popcorn. We refilled the popcorn and the drink once. My friend offered to buy the next "round" but I told her it was free, she said "of course it is Carrie, I should have known with you it would be free." We both laughed! After the movies we had a 50th Anniversary party to attend. It was set up so nicely by J's Aunt. After the party, we had a neighborhood party to go to. I had baked cookies that morning, so we stopped in the house to get the cookies and off we went for our long walk (3 houses down). Sunday I went shopping for a green shirt for M to wear in our Holiday pictures. It was so hard to find something that wasn't Christmas green. I am going to check a few more places today. Then we went to the pumpkin carving party down the street. It was a lot of fun. The kids helped carve a little bit, but C didn't want to get his hands slimy and M wanted to play with the little doll house. She hardly left that table. I think it was a polly pocket house? Maybe I can find one on sale somewhere. I am going to buy Monsters Vs Aliens on Wed. night. I was invited to a special shopping event. I have my parade magazine coupon for a free bag of candy (up to $3.50) if I buy that movie plus it will be on sale for $10.

Sunny Days...

The kids had their big debut this morning on the Daytime show. They looked so cute on TV. The cameras even got a quick shot of me too. M kept asking me to rewind and play it over and over. C wanted to watch the Disney Halloween show. J came home during his lunch break to watch the kids on TV. I was so proud of them.

We walked around the neighborhood and "Booed" all of their friends. C kept on saying he couldn't wait to tell his friends that we left surprises in their mailboxes. I told him we had to keep it a secret. I put Halloween play dough, stickers, chex mix, and Johnson buddy bars in each of their boxes. I hope they were happy when they saw their surprises.

Tonight I went to a MNO with MNM. We had such a nice time. They bought us appetizers and dessert. I asked the manager for a discount since I forgot my discount card at home. He said yes without hesitation. I saved the club almost $23. They could not believe it. Sometimes all you have to do is ask. Before dinner I went to Bath and Body works with my coupons. I bought a foldable bag for $2 and got a travel size body spray for free (worth $5). I also bought a Holiday nail file for $1 and got a lotion for free, also worth $5. I emailed the link to my club. Tomorrow I am planning on buying a few more of the bags. I have been looking for a bag that will fold up small enough that I can put it in my purse.

Free kidsfest today.

Our day was packed full of fun today! I woke up early to go grocery shopping at Publix. I spent $30.60 and bought 5 bottles of Snuggle, 4 boxes of fiber one yogurt, 6 boxes of french bread pizza, 2 tubes of arm and hammer toothpaste, 8 1lb packages of ground beef, 5 bottles of Dove body wash, 1 box of coffee sticks, 1 container of Breakstone cottage cheese, pears, and 2 bags of cauliflower and broccoli. My total savings was $105.xx. I did all of my shopping in a little over an hour.

When I got home, the family was ready to go to the festival. We got there as soon as it opened. Each of the kids got a free bag of popcorn, then they went to make planters with whatever plant they wanted to put in them. C chose a cool looking plant and M chose a plant with a pink flower on top...who would have guessed she would pick something with pink in it. Then we went over to the ceramic booth. They each painted a ghost holding a pumpkin. After that, J took C to look at the huge train track setup on the tennis court. M painted a pumpkin. C and J came over to paint a "mean looking, baseball player" pumpkin. While those were drying we went over to the police motorcycle and bug. They were giving out free bicycle helmets! What?? Then we went over to the bounce house, where M could have stayed all day. We couldn't pass up the chance to get our free snow cones. After the snow cones, the kids played a few games and won some candy and a necklace. They played in the park for a little bit and then it was time to head over to Chuck E Cheese for A's birthday party. The kids had some much fun at the party. They played a lot of games and got all hyped up on pop and cake. The last stop for the day was back to Publix so the kids could make a goody bag and Publix filled it up with goodies. They put some noise makers, a pumpkin hat, candy, coloring pages, and a bracelet in it. The kids were so tired, they didn't even want to get their face painted. We did not trick or treat around the store either. When we got home the kids took a nap and I sorted out my coupons. J is going to set up the scarecrows while the kids play outside.

Things are coming along.

I am very happy about a phone call I received after we got home from a wonderful day, yesterday. The representative from the JCC called me to setup a coupon class. She said her Mom is a huge fan of coupons and she would like to learn some tips and tricks from me. The rep also emailed me their logo and asked me to make a flyer incorporating their logo. I am happy to do that. They will do all of the advertising for me.

I just got off the phone with the Y rep and they love the class concept, but they don't know how to pay me. They do not have any contractors, so that idea is out. The rep is not ready to give up yet. She has a meeting once a month with their district manager. She promised to ask him if he has a different payment avenue.

I also heard back from the library coordinator. She emailed me a copy of the ad that all of the branches can choose from. It looked great! She is also going to send out a reminder to see if anyone is interested.

Last thing, at my meeting last night one of my friends asked me how my "little coupon business" was going? I started to update her when one of the new members asked me what I was talking about (I don't really promote myself outside of my clubs, as much as I should). She told me how much I motivated her and she would love to take one of my classes. Another new member, a "higher up" at HCC, told me she could get me in contact with someone at HCC that would pay me to do my classes there. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. I will follow up with her next week.

Fun with Elmo and Grover.

Today was better than I could have imagined. We had our own personal concert with Elmo and Grover. We got to the station early, so we were sent to the green room to wait. Well, in walks Elmo and Grover!! The kids jumped out of their seats. M wouldn't leave my side, but C walked right up to them. Grover came over and gave M a high five. They went into the dressing room for a little break. A few adult fans came in to take pictures, but they didn't get to because the characters had to be back on the set. Then while we were in the bathroom, Elmo and Grover snuck into the dressing room again. We were sitting on the couch and out pops the characters again. They played with the kids for about 15 minutes and that is how we got so many great pictures. My camera was not even fast enough! M was a little more shy than C, but they both sat on Elmo and Grover's lap. They played peek-a-boo or "a-boo" as M used to call it. They danced around a little bit and then were called back onto the set. Then the camera guy came in to get us. The kids did not let go of my shirt. Then they saw "their friends" and left me behind lol. I took a few more pictures of them on the set right before they started taping. The kids are not going to be on TV for long, but the whole experience was great. The kids got to watch Elmo and Grover sing "Sunny Days" and we got to spend some more time with them after the taping. We were there for an hour and most of the time was fun filled with M and C's "new friends."

Guess who is meeting Elmo and Grover?

The producer of the Daytime show asked me if M and C would like to meet Elmo and Grover? I said I was honored that she asked us and we would love to come to the station. I am going to dress the kids really cute for their big debut. I am sure they are going to love meeting Elmo and Grover.

The kids and I have been on the go since TT started last week. We went to the Fireman's open house on Sat. The kids did a lot of crafts, got an animal balloon, an icee, and I made them each get a kid id. J and I went away for a night while his Mom watched the kids. She made monkey bread and bracelets with them. They also put window clings on the back door and windows.

I haven't gotten any great grocery deals this week. Probably because I haven't been shopping. We did get a great deal on J's Rockport dress shoes and Izod pants at Penney's. We paid $24.99 for the shoes and $12.49 for each pair of pants. I could not believe the deals they had that day. Friday night we are planning on dropping the kids off at the Y for a few hours while we go out to dinner. It is only $5 per child for 3 hours! I think they give them pizza and snacks too.

Westchase Garage Sale

I had a great time at the sale last weekend. The heat was almost unbearable though. I sold a lot of items from my pantry. I sold some household and kids' items too. I made $350!! I would say $250 of that was from overstock and the rest was from other things. The dog food was a huge hit. I sold all of the cans except chef michaels. I sold most of the cat food and some of the dry dog food. I gave some of the leftovers to my Moms' neighbors and the rest we are going to donate to the animal shelters. I can't wait to take the kids to the cat shelter next week because they love playing with the kittens. I am also going to donate some cleaning supplies and free rubber gloves. My friend already has a Holiday donation box set up at her work, so I am going to give her a bag of food items to take. I have some instant potatoes, rice, mustard, pasta, tomato paste, cereal, peanut butter, among other things that I will donate.

The other night I got the best deal on ground beef and hamburger helper. The hamburger helper was on sale bogo, the meat was on sale for $1.99lb. Well, I had the butcher make me 6 one pound packages because I had Publix coupons for $1 off of meat if I buy any hamburger helper. I also had 6 coupons for free recyclable bags if I buy 2 general mills products (3 were publix coupons and 3 were manufacturer's coupons). The last set of coupons I had were for hamburger helper. So, I bought all of these items for under $10. I spent $27 because I bought nestle cookie dough, cottage cheese, smart fresh veggies, pot roast, 4 publix hamburgers, and I can't remember what else.

I am still waiting to hear back from the rep at the Y. I have left numerous messages, so I hope to hear from her soon. I am also waiting to hear from the coordinator at the Library because I have emailed and called her to see if I set my price too high or to see what I can do to make my classes more attractive to the branches.

We went to the park with 2 other families for our annual birthday celebration. My friend made cupcakes and placed them on a cookie sheet in the shape of a 4. We took pictures and the kids played. It was a really nice day. I had to leave a little early because I was making a roast and I had to get it in the oven. Tomorrow I have plans to go to the annual fire station open house. I have heard it is a lot of fun for the kids and there are a lot of free items to be had. I have my camera ready for this one. J is not going with us, he is staying home to pressure wash the house and do some work in the yard.

Lost track of time.

Last night I went to Kmart for "doubles." I totally lost track of time. I left the house around 7 and J called me around 8:30 to see where I was at. I was supposed to go grocery shopping too. I still had to check out at Kmart, which is the longest part of my trip. I had 3 $5 off $50 coupons with me, so I separated the orders. I could have done 3 orders, but I stuck to 2. My first check out did not go smoothly, luckily it was the smaller order. The computer froze, so I went to another register while the computer rebooted. I was surprised that no one was shopping there last night. A few people ran in and out, but no other "couponers" were there.

Here is how my shopping escapade went...I got all of my coupons ready yesterday while the kids were napping. I know where everything is at in the store now, so I started with the things that I needed, like 1 Gain fabric softener, 8 containers of crystal light, and 4 boxes of 100 calorie packs. Then I went over to the fun stuff aka "the things I don't need." I bought 4 cans of purina one, 6 cans of indoor cat food selects, 6 cans of fancy feast, 6 cans of cesar dog food, 3 packages of dog treats (my neighbor was thrilled when I gave him 1 bag of purina dog food, treats and a few small cans of food for his dog), 2 big bottles of dawn dish soap, 1 20 pack of cascade pellets, 3 packs of batteries, 2 Scott paper towels, candy bars and 10 boxes of ziploc freezer bags. My total before coupons was $173.xx ($66.xx and 107.xx) and my total after was $6.92 and $7.83!! I would have paid that for the crystal light, alone.

A lot of my good coupons are going to expire today. I cannot wait to either use them at Publix or get rid of them. I went through my coupon box yesterday and kept 4 of each coupon and got rid of the rest. I am going to take a break on "Carrie's Pantry" after the garage sale this weekend. I want to clear everything out before the Holidays so I can have the room. The kids were so excited to decorate for Halloween. I just had a few hand towels, a sponge, and kitchen towels to set out. I also have a plastic candy jar with witches on it. We put the Halloween pez dispensers in it. We were invited to a Pumpkin carving party at our neighbor's house. The invitation was very cute, at the bottom it said "BYOP" for bring your own pumpkin. Too bad I don't have a pumpkin coupon.

$9.25

Yes, that is the amount I spent last night on groceries. I had to take a picture of my receipt because I think it is the longest I have ever had. I could hardly fit it in the picture. I had a lot of "free item" coupons plus I bought 12 Dr. Peppers using the buy 2 get 1 free deal, manufacturer's coupons and store coupons. We won't need Dr. Pepper for a while. I also bought some candles, neosporin to go, band-aids, boneless skinless chicken breasts, glade oil refills, rice, canned vegetables, organic tomato paste, Hungry jack syrup, pancake batter, and weight watchers desserts. I could not believe the total, neither could the manager and the cashier.

Where shopping is a pleasure.

I have had the best two shopping trips in the last few days. I went to Publix on Wednesday to take advantage of the sales before they changed. I ended up spending $26 and I bought Friday's appetizers, soy candles, apples, mushrooms, onions, radishes, grapes, bananas, carrots, cucumber, grape tomatoes (can you tell I didn't have time to go to the produce stand this week?) milk, toilet paper, smoked salmon, wine, juice, blue cheese burgers, cubed steak and a hormel marinated pork loin.

Today we had a great day! We went to Chucke Cheese with friends. We didn't spend a penny. I gave the kids a big breakfast and then we headed over the "the big rat." I packed their special cups that we bought for .99 a long time ago, we can get free pop every time we go there. I had tokens that I purchased with a coupon. The coupon was for 100 tokens for only $10. I also had Birthday coupons for free tokens. They let my friend use an expired coupon for the 100 tokens. They had a bunch of new games and we won more tickets than ever before.

After that we went to Publix to buy some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and some more soy candles. Well, we walked out of there with a cartload of items for $16. I saved $146! I bought 6 bounty paper towels, soy candles (medium and large), 4 glade oil refills, 2 glade air fresheners, 2 Pur water filter refills, fruit snacks, 3 packs of chicken breasts, 6 boxes of weight watchers smart ones dessert cups, and 2 adorable Publix recyclable Halloween bags (they have a pumpkin on them). I was on such a high when I left the store today. I did have to "prep" my coupons last night for the shop today because I knew the kids wouldn't be very patient. I was pleasantly surprised because they were so good and patient. Their "reward" was playing outside with their new bikes.

When we got home we played outside with the neighbors for an hour or so. We came inside, had some dinner and relaxed. The kids were exhausted, so they went to bed without any trouble.

Tomorrow we are going to the Y for their special event. It is 2 hours long and it looks like it will be a lot of fun! I am also going for the $10 coupon, good towards any dance or gymnastics class. I already used the Citrus Park $10 coupon for their gymnastics, so I will use this coupon for M's dance class, when the schedule comes out.

Walgreens

I went shopping at Walgreens before my meeting last night. I purchased 1 bag of true north nuts, 2 sets of 8 corn holders, 8 plastic tablecloths with clips, and a small gift for a friend. I only spent $2.75. The nuts were $3 alone. I used the register rewards from the nuts to pay for the other items. I am going to use the 2 red tablecloths for Christmas brunch with J's family.

Then I went to Olive Garden for my board meeting. I had extra coupons for my friends. The nice thing about their coupons is that you can use them for $2 off each meal if you are dining alone or on separate checks. I had a $10 gift card from a survey that I did. My meal with the added gratuity was $9.05. Nothing out of pocket for me. The waitress even offered me a box for my last portion of the endless pasta. I brought it home for the kids to eat for lunch with a few bread sticks.

TuesdaY

I am meeting with the director at the Y on Tuesday. She said we are going to discuss marketing and scheduling for the classes I will have there. I have already attracted a lot of attention because I cut my coupons while I am on the machines. A few people have come up to me to ask questions about "couponing." The number one question is "do you really save a lot of money using coupons?" You know my answer :o).

I left a message for the representative at the Library. I cannot wait to hear back from her. I really want to see a copy of the offer page she sent to the other branches.

My friend said she is going to ask her Bunco group when they are available to take a class. I also have a few people I am planning on following up with. The last big place I have to contact asked me to call them in October, I have it on my calendar. I need to get an organizer/calendar to put all of my appointments in. A wall calendar can only go so far.

Not such a great Publix shop.

I went shopping the other night and spent more than I thought I would. My original bill was $101 and I spent $46.xx out of pocket. I bought a book of stamps, 1 big steak, 2 stuffed burgers, 4 Pur water filters, milk, corn, 2 frozen pizzas, hot dogs, veggies, and I am sure I am forgetting something. The water filters would have been $36 alone, if I did not have coupons. I did help my friend find a pretty good deal on Crest whitestrips.

After exercising today, we went to get the free string cheese at Target. I gave a coupon to a woman who was buying blocks of cheese. I paid .99 cents for a head of lettuce and a bunch of string cheese.

We also stopped by CVS and bought 4 bats with balls attached, 2 boat sets for the tub, a 3 ring pool, 1 big purse like basket to hold beach toys, 1 bag of circus peanuts and 1 beach bag with a zipper and change purse all for .53! I used $7 in extra care dollars. I still have over $20 to use before the end of this month. The last place we went was Walgreens to pick up our free picture collage. It turned out so cute.

Shopping Around

This week is double coupons at Kmart, so I have been a little busy. I went to Kmart the other night with a friend and we both got some really good deals. Her original balance was $125 and she ended up paying $58. Some of her items included 6 packs of pampers, 1 $18 Olay product, 3 or 4 sticks of deodorant, 2 reach toothbrushes, 2 big bags of teddy grahams, chinet dessert plates, and 3 green works cleaners. The diapers alone were $60, then she received a coupon for $3 off her next purchase of $3 or more. My transaction was $50 before coupons and $3.80 after coupons. Some of my items included 1 package of pampers overnights, nail file with a case, fun size packs of oreos, chinet lunch plates, a big bag of dog food, and 12 cans of dog food. Not too bad for my first "run" this week.

I was already on a total "high" from my Target shop right before going to Kmart! I bought 6 bonus packs of schick titanium razor refills, some bananas and skittles, all for $3.18! Each pack of cartridges were $8.94 because they were on sale for 10% off, I had a $4 Target coupon and a $4 manufacturer's coupon for each box. PLUS I had a $5 off $50 at Target that I received in the mail. I was just thinking the other day about the razors and I wished the refills would go on sale. I have a few friends from my coupon group that will be sending me more coupons, I am grateful for that.

I went to Kmart and Target with another friend today, my total was $110 before coupons and $15.07 after coupons. This time was a little different because I planned on using a $10 off $100 coupon that ended up not being accepted by the computer. They had taken the whole display of coupons down. I went to check out and my total came to $110 with about $5 tax. The cashier tried to use the $10 off $100 coupon first and it didn't go through (this was before she tried ANY of my manufacturer's coupons). Well, at the end, she tried it again. She said it wouldn't go through, so I asked for a manager. First, the supervisor came over (very nice, plus she usually rings me up and manually puts coupons in if they don't go through). She couldn't even get it to go through. Then I asked for a manager, only because $10 is a lot of money! She said that the coupon wouldn't go through because in the fine print it says "not valid with any other coupons." I tried explaining to her that the computer didn't take it in the first place even before ANY other coupons were scanned. I also told her I used the $5 one the other night and it went through just fine. I ended up paying the $15.07 and I may follow up with the district manager to find out the true policy. I also received 2 different $5 coupons. One was for $5 off my next purchase of $5 or more and the other was for $5 off any purchase of books, movies or magazines. Last time I bought M and C dry erase books to teach them how to write their letters.

At Target I bought 5 glade candle tins, 5 bonus candle refill packs and 12 small bags of skittles all for $3. I am getting ready to open up Carrie's pantry at the Westchase garage sale in October. I have to stock up.

I did it!

I stayed under my budget of $225! I don't know the exact number, but it was under ($224.99 lol). All of us had such a fun time today. There was a nice turnout and all of the kids had a ball. Everyone liked the dips and appetizers that I served. I tried a few new recipes and they were a hit. J went to pick up pizza, I put the kids to bed. We are going to settle in for the night and watch Big Brother. I am exhausted.

The kids got a lot of really nice gifts. They have a lot more coming. We are going to wait until their birthday to give them to them. Also, next weekend we are going to celebrate with my parents and R, J, and P. They will open their gifts then. When Julie feels better, we will have a little party for the kids again.

I went to CVS this morning at 8 am since the kids were up at 7. I bought a glade soy candle, glade diffuser, 2 body washes, 2 shampoos, 2 electric razors, and some Phillips ear buds all for $3.xx. I got back over $20 in ECB's. The nice thing is, they are good for a month. I will wait for more sales.

Par-tee

Just 2 more days until the party! The kids don't realize the party is for them, they keep thinking I am talking about the neighbor's party. I went shopping tonight for a few more things. I am still under my goal amount, even with the cake. I have decided to make finger sandwiches with the free bread from Target. I am going in the morning with more coupons to pick up a few more loaves. A few people have cancelled due to sickness. I understand and appreciate that they do not want to expose everyone else. I had such great shopping experiences tonight. I picked up some McCormick grinders and a York peppermint patty at Publix and only spent .75. Then at Target, I picked up 11 cups of cereal, bakery bread, 3 packs of skittles, 1 travel hungry hippo game, 1 Johnson and Johnson bubble bath, 2 bananas and only paid $1.63. At Kohl's I bought M's birthday outfit, a picture frame, and 3 pairs of socks all for $8.36.

Partay time

I am back from my vacation. We had a wonderful time visiting family. The kids were great for their first long road trip. I am busy getting ready for their Birthday party. I have not ordered the cake yet. I am going to pick up a half sheet cake from one of our local bakeries. I bought some more goodies for the "family" bags. I have to put together the menu. I also have to buy the table covers from the dollar store. I have all of the chips, cheese, crackers, and drinks. I am going to make a double order of my famous spinach dip.

I was able to make it over to Kmart before the double coupons ended. I bought $92 worth of items for $3.18. Some of the items were softsoap, suave, crest, raid, off, listerine, etc...
I have also stopped into Publix a few times to take advantage of the bogo Shout deal. I have a bogo coupon for Shout and it is on sale for bogo. I also used the McCormick coupons for the seasonings. I didn't see anything so great in their ad this week. I still managed to spend $29.11 on groceries. My original bill was around $100. About $10 was for their party. I already received my $10 rebate from Conagra foods. One of the quickest turnarounds I have seen.

Double Coupons and a Daycare.

I could not believe my eyes yesterday! We are in Cleveland visiting relatives and we stopped by their local grocery store. In the front windows there were signs that said "double coupons up to .99" I pulled out my camera to take a picture. My Husband could not believe I was actually taking a picture of the signs. When we were inside J saw a sign for what he thought was a kids' club. He jokingly said "and there is the grocery daycare." We laughed and moved on. After a few minutes he walked up there to check it out, well, it was a daycare!! A FREE 2 hour daycare. The only catch was, you have to stay in the store. So, I ask, do you think I can stay in the store during double coupons, with a free daycare, for 2 hours? There were computers for the kids, a play kitchen, arts and crafts, and other toys. It was better than the Y. I also found this Organic Chinese ginger that I have been looking all over Tampa for. It was on sale for bogo plus I had a $1 coupon with me. I didn't need 2, so I asked the cashier if she would charge me half price, and she did! I paid $1.64 for the ginger since the machine doubled my $1 coupon for some reason? Some of the items were much more expensive, but most items were around the same price. I also found farfel. I did not have a coupon for that, but we don't have it in FL. My total before coupons was $25.xx and after coupons it was $16.xx. My Husband said if he signed up for their frequent shopper program, than we are moving to Cleveland. I need to pick up some things for the ride home, so I will take the kids shopping and give J a few hours to himself.

Yesterday we also went to Memphis Kiddie Park with the kids. We bought a book of tickets and the kids got to ride every ride except the farris wheel. They did not want to. My Aunt said this place has been around for 50 years. It is for children under 5. The best part was when J rode the roller coaster with the kids. He is such a good sport. You should have seen their faces. M did not like it at all. As soon as she got off, she said "I did not like that roller coaster." C liked it but didn't want to go again. Their favorite ride were the boats. They rode them twice. I was so proud of M for riding the rides. I was telling my Aunt that I did not thing she would. They were both beyond excited. The ticket book even had coupons in it. It was a nice day out for $25. My Aunt said there is a petting zoo for the kids. We are going to some Island on Friday. J is taking C to a baseball game on Thursday while the girls go get our nails done. Saturday my Aunt has a wedding, so we are going to see my great Aunt and then we are planning a family day with the kids.

Find a penny, pick it up...

Who would have known that a lucky penny would pay for my whole order at CVS? I went to CVS last night and purchased 1 Softsoap body wash and one Ibuprofen 50 count for a penny. I also had $5 in extra care bucks print out at the end of my receipt. My second order was .06 and that one included 1 Softsoap and 2 packages of circus peanuts. At the end of that receipt I received $4 ECB and a coupon for free aspirin up to $3.59. The reason I only paid a penny and .06 this time was because I paid $15 for a huge order on Sunday and I got around $20 in ECB back. Those items included 2 power razors, 2 body washes, 2 shampoos, 4 pairs of safety scissors, 4 book covers, and 4 notebooks. I did not even spend all of the ECB's from Sunday. I have a month to use them. I am sure there will be some great sales in the meantime. After shopping I went to my Moms meeting at California Pizza Kitchen. I hooked the whole table up with free appetizers.

What can you buy for a quarter these days?

A LOT! I went to Kmart yesterday and bought a Sassy brand crib mirror, a pack of 3 Bright Beginnings stroller toys, 1 pair of panties, 1 pair of socks, 22 packs of 24 crayola crayons. The cashier said I was the smartest shopper she has ever seen. I expected the crib mirror and the stroller toys to be $30 alone. They happened to be on a hidden clearance where the prices were not marked. The panties and socks were on clearance for .25 each and the crayons were on sale for .20 each. I had 2 reward dollars, one for $10 and the other for $5. Part of the tax was taken off, so the amount I paid out of pocket was only 25 cents. I quickly whipped out my credit card for that "bank breaking" balance lol.

My next trip was to Publix where I bought a $50 Shell gas card, 16 32oz powerade drinks, 2 tubs of Philadelphia brand cream cheese, 20 packs of organic juice boxes, 1 bag of Rico rice, 6 boxes of Mueller's pasta, 8 boxes of pop-tarts, 2 boxes of 100 calorie packs, and 2 boxes of fruit snacks. I am sure I am forgetting something. I paid $51.80. I have to send the receipt to the Keebler Elves for my $10 rebate. So, the price paid will actually be $41.80 for all of those groceries plus the $50 gas card!

Can you save this much with kids?

Last night I went grocery shopping with the kids and bought 2 books of stamps, 10 boxes of seasations, 2 boxes of nutrigrain bars, 2 boxes of butter, 15 bottles of powerade, 2 gallons of milk, 2 half gallons of chocolate milk, white wheat bread, 2 big bags of snyders pretzels, 2 bonus packages of crest pro health with full size mouthwash and 2 boxes of yoplait gogurts all for the grand total of $17.78. The stamps alone were $17.60. I took the kids with me only because I prepared my list the night before. I had everything printed, cut and circled before we left for the store. Today I am going back to the store because the pop-tarts are bogo and C has been asking for them. We finally ran out from the last stock up sale. Today I am going to organize all of my coupons. I feel so overwhelmed and I know if I organize everything, I will feel a lot better. J took the kids to a play date at Great Explorations in St. Pete. We get in free with our MOSI pass.

Success

The garage sale was a success. I sold a lot of things including the water cooler. Almost all of my "customers" asked me if I owned a store. One person even said she didn't need to go to the grocery store after she got done with me. The items that sold the quickest were the Ziploc bags and containers, the McCormick grinders, and the trail mix. I did not make too many big sales, but everything added up. A woman in my twins' group came and introduced herself to me. She said she wanted to meet me because she saw me on TV and she cannot believe how much money I manage to save. While she was talking to me about coupons, one of her neighbors came up to shop. She overheard me asking Donna to host a class and she said "heck, I'll host the class to learn how to save money in these times." I was thrilled. I quickly handed her one of my flyers that I had set out. I would love to have a class in Longleaf. It seems like a little town where everyone knows each other, and they would be willing to attend a class at their neighbor's house. After today I am starting to think that "Carrie's Pantry" is a good idea. I just do not know if it is worth keeping everything in my house until the next sale. At least people know they can come to me for the bare necessities.

When I got home from the sale, M & C greeted me at the door. They did not want our neighbor to leave. They asked me why I was gone this morning and I told them it was because I needed to be at the garage sale. M said "Garages were on sale today? Why did you buy a new garage?" C said "Did the garage fit in your car, Mommy?" I laughed and then explained that I sold some things to make money so we could do fun things with it. M said "Like go to the Zoo, Busch Gardens, Seaworld and the Aquarium?" I agreed.

It is all coming together.

I have had some great news the last few days. I found out that my blog was approved for advertising. That means every time someone clicks on the links in my blog, I will get paid! I am not going to have too many links, but the ones I do choose will be the companies I trust. I also have an appointment with the representative from a company I have been trying to get into. If I am able to do my coupon classes there, I think it will be a wonderful thing. I will write more about it after the actual presentation.

I packed up the car for the Longleaf porch sale tomorrow. I hope that goes well. I have a lot of things to sell. I am going to try to sell a water cooler and some stamp machines for my parents. I hope everything sells. Our neighbor is going to watch the kids for us. The kids are really excited about that.

Today I exercised while the kids played. We came home and they swam while I made lunch. After lunch they took a nap while I packed the car. Sunday Julie is coming over so I can help her get a room in Orlando. We are going to use priceline through Upromise so I can get the 3% for college. I told her how to get coupon books at all of the local outlets. My favorite coupon book is from the prime outlet. There is a coupon in there for the New Balance store. It is 50% off of any pair of shoes over $50. My friend bought a $50 pair of shoes for $25 using that coupon. I gave the same friend a 15% coupon for The Children's Place, she was able to use it at the outlet. The only special they had going was 10% off if you sign up for their credit card. The outlet prices are incredible to begin with.

Spice it up!

Last night I picked up a few things from Publix. I did not have a big grocery shop to do, but I wanted to get out of the house for a little while. I spent $1.85 at the first store. That receipt included 12 McCormick grinders, 2 bags of Goldfish, and 8 packs of organic juice boxes. The next trip was at the Publix down the road. I spent $1.45 on 10 grinders and 10 cups of yogurt. It was funny because I overheard the cashier at the first store talking to the bag boy about how a woman who came in earlier was "scamming" because her original bill was $50 and she only paid $8. I wish I had a big shop to do so I could have shown him how much I can save. I told him it was great that she had the manufacturers pay for most of her bill. Why not? He agreed. The next cashier said she wanted to try the grinders, I told her they were great, and then handed her 2 of my coupons. Why not try them for free! Today I am going to exercise and then run a few errands. I saw that Winn Dixie had grapes on sale for .99 a pound. I need to stop by the produce stand too. Tonight we are having chicken and veggies. I am going to use one of my .25 marinades.

Party for under $225

I cannot believe my babies are almost 4. Boooooooo Hooooooo. Everyone used to tell me that the time will go by fast. I did not believe them until now. I am planning their 4th birthday party already. My goal is to stay under $225. I am sure I can do it. This is what we have so far. We booked their party place for $155. I have all of the Solo paper supplies which were free during double coupon days at Kmart. I have the Capri Sun juice, which was free at Kmart also. I bought the Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Sprite Zero and Dr. Pepper at Publix and Walgreens. The Pepsi products were free with my reward dollars at Walgreens and the Dr. Pepper 8 packs were .50 each at Publix with coupons. I have the goody bags that I am going to fill with items that I have gotten for free with coupons. The bags were even free with reward dollars. So far we are up to a few dollars. I am planning on getting a cake from Sam's club $20. Since the party is at 1pm, I am going to make little appetizers like spinach dip, cheese and crackers, french onion dip, "Mommy's special eggs", and a few other things. I hope I can make enough at the garage sale this weekend to cover the cost of their party. I already have $50 from tonight (Carrie's Pantry).

Carrie's Pantry

I had my Moms' meeting tonight and I brought my pantry with me. Not a bad idea, but not enough customers. My friends all bought things and I made about $50. Even the janitor stopped by to shop. I do not think it was really worth the time it took to pack everything up, load and unload. I am going to a friend's house this weekend to sell at their porch sale. I have a few things around the house that I would like to sell also. We will see how that pans out. The meeting was fun, but really short tonight. One of my friends printed a bunch of flyers for me. I paid her in Gladware lol. She was excited! I sold a lot of the buddy bars and McCormick grinders. I will have to get some more of those.

Fast Money

I took the survey at the mall yesterday. It lasted about 5 minutes and I got paid $25. I was amazed that it did not take longer. Usually when the surveyor on the phone tells me it will last 20 minutes, I plan on being there for 40. After the survey I took the kids to get free ice cream at Chick-fil-A. I have a special mall card that entitles us to a free cone or cup each time we go there. The kids asked me why they were getting ice cream and I told them that I was anticipating their great behavior at The Picture People. OK? We had to wait a while at the picture place because the people before us were running late and they only had one photographer on (3 sales people though). I have my coupon for a free package that includes 1 8x10, 2 5x7's and 8 wallets. I cannot wait to see the pictures! I am also going to make an appointment for Penney's. They have grown up getting their pictures done there. I am always happy with the outcome. Sears is another place I like, but they are double the price of Penney's. I like Sears because they have the cute backgrounds and props. I have to get a few pictures with the #4 at Sears. After the mall we came home and relaxed. Then J asked me if we could take the kids out to eat. I was exhausted, but I said yes. Usually I am the one that wants to go out with them, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity. We went to Cody's because they have free kids meals on Mon. and Tues. I ordered a hamburger and J had chicken fingers. We ordered pizza, chicken fingers and mac and cheese for the kids. They ended up filling up on salad and bread (they are my children lol). At least we have dinner for tonight.

I have another survey at a different place tonight on a totally different subject. This one pays $75 for an hour of my time. It is nice because I am doing surveys and I am starting to receive a lot of my rebate checks in the mail. I will have over $100 for M&C's college fund.

Publix deals

Last night I made a quick trip to Publix. I bought Muellar's lasagna noodles and egg noodles. I hardly see those included in the bogo deals. I had to get a rain check for the large egg noodles and the Manager was insistent that those were not included in the deal. I explained to her that the 5 signs in front of the noodles stated otherwise. She reluctantly had the customer service representative give me the rain check. I usually avoid this Publix, but I just needed a few things. I also bought some organic juice boxes, Publix fish sticks (no coupon), shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese, yogurt, milk, sour cream, frozen spinach, pie crust, 2 packages of laughing cow cheese and eggs. My total was $15.xx. The laughing cow cheese is on sale for $2 and there is a .55 coupon. My friend got me hooked on that stuff. I am planning on making a spinach quiche and a baked ziti this weekend. I am also going to make a noodle kugal. We will see what deals they will have next week.

It has been raining on and off all day today. Luckily the rain started after their lessons. M wouldn't get in the water, I had to walk over there and hand her to the instructor. Then a different instructor came over and just took her in the water. I was so happy to see this happen because M needs to learn how to swim. This other instructor does not mess around or take no for an answer (perfect for M). I am going to get her the next time around. C is doing well. He really tries hard. Plus he had a lot of fun in the boat today with his little life vest on. I am so proud of them! I worked out the the personal trainer today. We did lower body and abs. I feel great. I am going to the mall to do a survey on breakfast bars. They are going to pay me $25 for 20 minutes of my time. I have a picture appointment for the kids and I plan on using my free portrait package coupon.

I'm spent

I did my last Kmart shop today. I spent $14 and walked away with 4 Olay body washes, 3 bottles of All free and clear, 13 command hook products, 5 bottles of Green works cleaning supplies (we tried them this morning and the toilet bowl cleaner works great), Hefty travel bags, 4 Off products, 3 cans of Chef Michaels dog food, Glade refills,Lysol on the go, 4 packs of Duracell batteries and a Swifer dusting kit. I also have a $10 coupon to use on my next purchase. I ran into another person with a lot of coupons. We shared some tips and tricks. I had some gift cards left, so I didn't pay anything out of pocket. I stopped by CVS on the way to Kmart and bought 6 bottles of Head and Shoulders for $1.69. We are stocked up for the next two years. I am on to the next set of deals. I will be coupon free for the next few days. I need a break.

A Moo Moo Here & A Moo Moo There...

We had so much fun today! First we went to CPK and made pizzas with 12 other kids. Then we went over to the play area, which was packed. After that we went to Petsmart to get the free pet food. It was cute because I told M & C that we were going to the pet store, when we drove up M said "this isn't a pet store it's petsmart" I was amazed because she remembered the name of the store and she has only been there a few times. Plus it was not even the same location. After Petsmart we went to Kmart where I bought 3 Jumbo packs of diapers, 4 large Dawn dish soap, 2 boxes of Ziploc vacuum bags, 4 travel packs of Hefty bags, Green works cleaning supplies, 2 kids Reach toothbrushes, 3 bottles of Listerine, 3 4 packs of sponges, 4 bottles of smart water, I paid $30.xx and got $10 back in Kmart money. Even though I am getting great deals, I cannot wait for doubles week to be over. After Kmart we went to Chick-fil-A to get our free entrees. I put the hats on the kids and they were not sure if they were cows or bunnies. The big cow mascot was walking around the restaurant. The kids played for a while and then we went home to beat the rain. They are watching a movie and settling in.

Day off

I took the day off yesterday. The kids lessons were canceled due to rain, so we decided to hang out around the house. We brought out some new toys and watched movies. I then went to my meeting and to a friend's house. I woke up around 5am and cannot go back to sleep. We have our CPK tour today too. I scheduled the free tour and it includes, each child making their own pizza, a tour of the kitchen while the pizzas are baking, eating their own "creations", and a haagen daz sundae. They also give each child their own bag of surprises. Last time the bag included free kid's meals for a whole month. We shared ours because the kid's meals are huge. Then we are going to play with all of the 14 other kids that will be there. I am going to make the cow costumes for chick-fil-a's cow appreciation day. I figure I am up, why not? We will be around a chick-fil-a anyway. Our printer ran out of black ink last night, so I will have to be a little creative with the spots. I was just going to print the costume they have online. I have to stop by Petsmart on the way home from the way home today because I have 2 coupons for free dog food plus a $2 coupon off a $10 purchase to use (they expire tomorrow). I may stop by Kmart for a few things, but it is totally up to the kids. Today is for them!

Trick for a Treat.

I asked all of my friends for their printable Hartz dog and cat treat coupons. My friends were more than happy to give them to me because they knew I would get the best deal. I picked up all of these treats for the local animal shelters. I am sure they will be very pleased. While I was at the store I also bought the party mix treats and some wet dog food. When I originally checked out with the dog treats, a coupon printed for a free box of Milk Bone dog biscuits up to $4.99. I had to get those! I will probably drop everything off next week. The kids really want to go back to the cat shelter to play with the kittens. It feels great to donate.

I spent $2.45 at Kmart today.

I was brave enough to take the kids shopping today. I took them to their swim lessons this morning and then I worked out while they played. After that I decided to brave Kmart with them. I already had all of my coupons organized and I knew what I was going to buy. Luckily Kmart must have had a truck last night because they were well stocked. I bought 6 Green Works cleaners, 2 boxes of cleaning gloves, 4 boxes of dog treats, 6 packages of cat treats, mini oreos, 2 bogo packs of reach toothbrushes (4 toothbrushes total), and a 6 pack of Hershey bars for baking. The cashier was amazed! The kids were so good, which made the trip even better.

Zip"loc" up those deals.

Yesterday I stopped by Kmart to pick up a few things on the way to my meeting. I already had a trunk full of items that I sold, so what's a few more bags? I bought 2 packs of Pampers, 2 packs of Huggies, 7 packs of ziploc bags (4 of them were refills for the pump), 2 pantene shampoos and conditioners, 2 pantene styling products, 1 travel Hefty pack, & 1 box of Pampers wipes. My total was $27.xx, but I had a few reward cards, so I ended up paying $3.02 out of pocket. I received $17 back in reward dollars to spend next time I shop. I love it when that happens! I also delivered all but 4 packs of diapers. I knew those would go quickly. I haven't decided if I am going to pick up the free A1 today. The sale ends today, but we have a lot on our schedule. The kids have swim lessons again and I have an appointment with the trainer. I also need to stop by the produce stand because I started the Jet Start today. I love my local produce stand.

Smooth sailing at the K

Well, I picked up some more things at Kmart today. I paid $1.33 for 2 boxes of Hartz dog treats, 1 bag of Hartz cat treats, 4 bottles of dish soap , 2 bottles of multi-purpose cleaners. They actually paid me $2 because they forgot to take off one of my coupons from the other day. I sold almost all of the diapers. I think I am going to save one pack for my neighbor who is adopting a little girl within the next few weeks. I am going to stop by the Big Kmart on the way to my meeting tonight. It should be well stocked since all of the "couponers" shop by me :o). At the meeting tonight we are going to talk about "Carrie's Pantry" coming to each twins' meeting. We want to make sure everyone is OK with it.

Y is for YES!

I heard some great news today from one of my "leads." I will be teaching classes at the YMCA. I was in shock when the director told me she loved my email and wants me to start teaching in August. She has a big board meeting this week and she will have more information for me then. The reason she wants me to start in August is because they are doing a lot of renovating in building 2. I am waiting to hear back from a few more places, but I have a feeling my calendar in going to be full in no time. The nice thing about the Y is that I can teach some daytime classes while the kids are in the daycare. I can't believe I am doing something that I am good at!

Put some Pep in your step

I got some free Pepsi products the other day. I used some register rewards at Walgreens to buy 6 packs of pepsi products. I also found a Norelco trimmer on clearance. With my coupon for that, I only paid tax. So, for under $2.50 I got 4 recyclable bags, 6 8 packs, and a Norelco trimmer.

I went to Kmart today and had a successful trip without coupon drama. The cashier was nice enough to let me checkout more than once. During my trip I bought 15 packs of diapers, lots of cat and dog treats for the shelter (I still have more to get), 7 Green Works cleaning supplies, Olay body wash which is normally $6.50, but I ended up paying only .50 for it. I listed all of the Huggies and Pampers to sell. I already sold 2 packages. I can't wait to try the green works dish soap for some reason. I sent a friend to Kmart to take advantage of the Pampers deal. She also picked up some other really great deals.

Kmart countdown

I think if I see another coupon I am going to scream. I did not realize how much preparation it takes to do a big shop during doubles week at Kmart. I finally have a list and I am going to stick to it. The most important things I am going to get tomorrow are the dog and cat treats to donate. My friends sent me some printable coupons for the treats. I am going to purchase a few other things too. I printed my $5 off $50 coupons and I have some other coupons that printed on Father's day $5/$25 drug and beauty. I will update you tomorrow on what I bought.

Aren't you glad you went to Publix?

I went shopping at Publix tonight and spent $7.92 and bought Glad wrap and bags, milk, bakery buns, everything to make Paula Dean's lotsa meat lasagna. They were totally out of meat, so I got a rain check and we will use the meat from our freezer. The sale was really good on the meat, it was only $2.29 a pound. The butcher was able to write a rain check for me which saved a lot of time. I also bought organic juice boxes, champagne (verdi...I am a verdi cheap date lol). The cashier tried telling me I couldn't use certain coupons. He had the bag person ask customer service and customer service said I could use the coupons. Not a big deal. I also went over to Kmart to spend the $14 coupon I had because it was due to expire 7/4. I bought myself 2 nightgowns. I was surprised to see they had my size. I also bought a clip on key chain for our Y cards. I spent around $2 out of pocket. I didn't have time to go to Kohl's to use my $10 off $10 coupon, so I will go tomorrow before our party. We are having my dh Aunt, Uncle and Cousin over for dinner after the party. My husband had dinner waiting for me when I got home. We watched a movie "what happens in Vegas." I am going to miss our free HBO. I called Brighthouse the other day to see if they could offer it to us for another year for free. They were not able to. Never hurts to ask.

Carrie's Pantry

Today I sent the emails to my groups about my new "store." I am excited to see their response. I really want to earn extra money to pay off the college funds. Next week I am planning on adding Diapers and cleaning products to the list of sale items. I am only opening up the store to people I know. I figure it will be more convenient for people to shop if all of the discounts are in one spot, and they can let their children play with M & C toys while they shop. I may be in a dreamland, but I will never know what could have been if I didn't at least try this. I am just afraid that some people are tired of my crazy new tactics. On the other hand they may be excited about my new ventures. I have had nothing but support from everyone, which makes me extremely happy.

Thank Goodness it's 6/30

I started my day at the gym with a personal trainer (I feel cool saying that). It was rainy all day today. The kids did not want to leave the house. I was so proud of myself for going! Then I took the kids shopping. The cashier at the store called me his "favorite shopper", made me feel special. He called another employee over to look at the bill before and after coupons. I spent $2.66 (total before coupons was $43.xx). I bought things like Always pads, Lever 2000 soap, Band-Aids, etc. Then we walked over to Winn-Dixie and bought 4 packs of chinet napkins and 1 large pack of chinet plates for a whopping .96. I took the kids home for a nap. We colored for a little bit, but they were really tired for some reason. Maybe the weekend caught up with them or the rain may have done it. While they were napping I organized my coupons and took out the expired ones for the troops. When Joe got home I went shopping, because a lot of coupons were due to expire today. I was actually relieved that today was the end of the month. I bought a lot of stuff at Publix. Some items included pickles, bbq sauce, mustard, land o' lakes butter, post cereal, snack mix, organic juice boxes, whole fruit sorbet. I spent $8.80 after coupons. I am giving the snack mix to my Mom to serve at my Dad's poker game. I also gave her some Glad bags. For some reason I cannot stop buying those things? I love their snack size bags. Tomorrow we are going to the movies with Grandma P. I packed their snacks, so they are ready to go. J is going to see Transformers with Uncle "Po Po" tomorrow, he will be using the free movie tickets from Kmart.

Generally a Dollar

J asked me if I needed to do anything before family day this morning. I jumped at the chance, since I have a lot of coupons expiring on Tuesday. I had a few hours so I went over to a new store for me to use coupons at. I bought over 40 items and only paid $4.73. The total was only .90 before tax. Everything went smoothly and the store is close to my house. I also stopped by Publix to buy 2 gallons of iced tea, 2 french breads and 1 other item because I had to use a coupon lol. My total was still under $8. We went to our friend's house to have a shrimp/craw fish bake. We went swimming and hung out. We had such a nice family day today.

Not 5th Avenue

I went shopping yesterday with my Husbands' Aunt. We had a nice day together, just the two of us. We went to lunch at Olive Garden and then shopped at the Avenue. I had printed some coupons for $5 chino's with any purchase, so that is what I tried on first. I bought some bermuda shorts and a 4 pack perfume sampler, all for $7.45 including tax! I am waiting for their bathing suits to go on clearance. I have found some really nice suits there for a quarter of the price. Plus I use my 40% coupon from the Entertainment book. When Aunt J found a shirt that she liked, I had plans on buying it for her because she is going to watch the kids for us when we go out of town. She ended up buying it. Now I know what to look for at the outlets though. We also went to a few more stores and then headed home. What a nice day!

Inquiring minds want to know.

Since some of you are asking about the "issue" with the manager at Target. I will share the story. I went in there and wanted to purchase a few items that were on sale for $1.97, well I had a few $2 manufacturer's coupons that I wanted to use. The supervisor told me since the computer refused it, they could not take the coupons. I told her that I had a copy of the store's coupon policy from their Corporate office at home and I would bring it back the next day, since I was going by there anyway. I brought it to the store manager this time but he still refused to sell the items to me. He specifically said he would not give me these items for free. I advised him of the policy and politely told him he was contradicting what I had in writing. I showed him the letter and everything. He said if the register refuses the coupon than he will not override it (I know this can be done by the cashier). Since I shop at that Super Target a lot, I wanted to follow through with the issue. I have not been back since, but when I do go back I will call corporate on the spot with any problems.

Deal Stalkers.

I have 2 followers!! You know who you are :O). Thank you for being that interested in my life. I really appreciate it. I have a lot going on. I have had a few people contact me about doing classes. I am really working hard to get my name out there. I am working on a letter to my friend Oprah right now. I went shopping tonight at Walmart. I spent $4.92 and saved over $50. I got a lot of stuff. Too much to list. I posted some good Publix deals to my "students." I hope they are finding the posts useful. I am going to create a "wanted" section in the classifieds. This way people can post what they are looking for and we can all help each other save money. I am on the hunt for a particular toothpaste my friend L uses. I think I found it tonight! Tomorrow night I think I am going to make my dh a nice dinner and we will just spend time together. I am taking the kids out to our play group in the morning. I may have a class next week, we'll see. It really seems like everything is coming together.

Transformers

I went to Kmart on Sat. to buy my Dad's gift and there was a register reward for the free Transformer movie tickets sitting at the register. The cashier handed it to me with my $14 RR from the diaper deal. J really wants to see the movie too! I entered the code and printed the certificate for Regal cinemas (used A LOT of ink). But totally worth it because it has a $14 value and up to 2 admissions!!

I hit the bulls eye at Target.

I spoke with the corporate office at Target today and they said I was correct about the coupon policy. They said the manager was misinformed and they would make sure he knew the coupon policy and enforces it the right way. Corporate asked me to call them if I have any problems the next time I shop at Target. They asked me to call them from the store, so they can address the issue on the spot. I am going to give the Super Target by me a little rest. There is nothing I need from there right now. I always stand my ground when I know what I am saying is true.

Nervous

I am very nervous about my big debut tomorrow. I am more nervous about the actual show, than I was taping it. I sure hope they ask me to come back to tape another show. I hope the show helps generate more classes. I cannot wait to see M and C faces when they see their Mommy on the big screen. We are taping the show in both rooms.