Lifeskills13 savings Journal

lifeskills13 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 10:19:01 PM

Hi! Well first ill tell you a little about me. Im a stay-at-home mom with a 10month old daughter and expecting another one any day now! I feel so big but its not stopping me to getting those deals! :)
My hubbie works 12hour days as a fitter (metal fabricator) he also runs me to the store once or twice every two weeks because at age 21 i still don't know how to drive...i know i know. So when i go to the store i will have a full buggy or two and make many transactions depending on the sale :) the cashiers love me..specially because i shop at 4 in the morning..which is when my hubbie comes home from work.
I have been couponing for less then a year..but i really really got into it in Oct.07 (new house more room to store food) Im only allowed to spend 100dollars every two weeks for groceries which includes food, diapers, cleaning supplies and bathroom supplies.
I shop at mostly one store "Giant eagle" and yes im so disappointed i don't shop at cvs (no car and no one to take me at the right time means the sales are always sold out by the time i get there :( so i stopped goin there.
I have my own flickr account and latly i have been posting pictures of my great deals..plus adding up the savings.

Total amount saved since 1/1/08-2/04
$1311.61

and remember i can't go over my budget.

Now ill be back to post here when i get the chance to add even more savings and mention the deal that i got!
b-bye for now

lifeskills13 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008, 09:58:43 PM

Did some more saving this weekend..not as much as i wanted because of the -22F windchill out there...made me cry everytime i stepped outside..instant frostbite.

Had my DH take me to walmart because the one near is converting to a super walmart and the layout was changed..so i needed to take the time to see where everything was. No good deals that i was aiming for but other poped out at me. Some really good designer shirts for DH (he had no dress up shirts left) marked down to 11dollars and i made him buy a few. We even found his size! which all the 3x most of the time is sold out. I even was able to get a dressyshirt for me for 9dollars that i can wear now and after the pregnancy woohoo. I can just hear my old friends now (the ones who wouldn't step foot into stores like walmart or other discounted stores to buy off-brand clothes) lol

Also while i was there i check the prices of a mop..you know normal ones compared to swifter. I had i think 5dollars off the wetjet..so there i was looking at it and a young couple (shouldn't say young ..my age lol) and the lady picked up the wetjet while i said "i can't get it now i left my 5dollar off coupon at home, its way too expensive to buy it now"
In her cart was i swear had products that i had coupons for! another reason why i try not to leave the house wihtout my coupon folder. I could have given her one coupon for that wetjet and like 20others!
*smacks forehead* they could have saved so much money.

Anywayss....the last few times my DH wanted to go to the store (he thinks he goes faster..he does he just misses all the other deals and passes up the blinkies lol) He has gotten so much better with going by himself now..with my list and very clear instructions though :) there is this deal at GE this week for huggies wipes..well i want to do it by shelf price for the catalina not the sale price..so i made the mistake to tell DH that if 8 doesn't work use 10 to get the catalina..he came back with 20wipes..i said how is that divided by 8? he said i mentioned that 8doesn't work and to get 10...words with him gets so screwed up! i even had it wrote down on the list get 8 first!! then try 10..but he was like oh well still got a good deal..one more thing to add to his learn from mistakes list.
he did go back next time and got me 8 in atransaction :)

One thing i have been having a problem with him is the fact that GE doubles coupons up to .99cents, he always forgets how that works..so one time i would have gotten something for free i had a .50cents off coupon and the product was on sale for 10/10..he came home without it saying it wasn't on sale it was a dollar now..lol and the GE's BOGO items mostly mean the item is half off so you are able to buy one for the half price..he came home with two of them with i put One on the list...the second time he did that he was like it was a good deal! why not get two?! i said because...i had only ONE coupon? lol

enough of me talking added to the savings this weekend (i don't count the clothes)
YTD: 1,552.53

lifeskills13 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 01:14:51 PM

I just had my Son on 2/13/08

so my savings is goin to take a break :) ill be busy at home with my 11month old and her birthday 3/17 coming up.
Im still reading all the posts though so ill be alil caught up when i get back into the swing of things

mks18412 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 03:06:47 PM

Congrats on your new addition

Ggbwg · #5 (**permalink**) 02-19-2008, 12:16:57 PM

Congrats!
Also don't feel bad for not having your license. I too at age 28 almost 29 do not either. I SHOULD but i don't always too scared to even try.

dalkambo · #6 (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 08:20:31 AM

Congratulations!! It's a shame you couldn't hold out ONE MORE DAY and have a st. patty's baby and a valentine's baby!!!

lifeskills13 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 03:32:35 PM

thank you everyone! i know everyone said you should have waited a few more hours! lol i was until my doctor heard i was doin that and he said "fine, just go home and call me when your ready" (jking of course) and i was like no! ill have him now lol he did pop out quickly

savings sence then i added a few dollars here and there. Trying not have my hubbie go to the store without giving him some coupons to use. Im hoping ill get good deals with giant eaglethis week :)
I went to cvs to start the deals and im thinkin ill do alright now. I did try the cvs thing almost a year ago and always had problems so i stopped. But my sister came down to visit who is a cvs freak and convinced me to start it up again..i think i did alright :) goin back tomorrow to get the next weeks deals

lifeskills13 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-06-2008, 06:56:32 PM

I started CVS again on 3/1 because im getting sick of seeing all these deals pass me by and me not doin them because of my dislike of the store. Whatcha know, since the first i havn't had a problem with anyone or transactions having problems. Im thinking im goin to do alright :)

What i did today:
First transaction

8 Private Reserve Russel Stover Chocolate : 26.32
I bottle of CVS vitamin C :2.99

1 $5/15 cvs coupon -5.00
4 BOGO Russel stover coupons -13.16
1 ECB -8.97

Spent OOP: $2.18 saved 27.13

Second transaction:
1 G Venus Embrace razor 9.99 (saved 2.00)
1 Coupon -4.00
1 ECB -5.99

SPent OOP= .26cents (tax) Saved 11.99

What is left in the photo i paid less then a dollar for on 3/2

Oh and for my grocery budget for a three 1/2 family for these two weeks was 40.00, when tommy took vocation it hurt us. But with me stockpiling we are able to survive on 40 for two weeks :)

YTD grocery savings : 1,711.11

CVS OOP: 24.84 Savings: 128.22

saveit · #9 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 02:19:55 PM

I just got my license a couple of months ago, and I am twenty-five years old! I got sick of having to get things done before my husband took our only car to work (which would sit for about 14hrs daily!

) Then he bought me a car of my own and it sat out in my driveway 24hrs daily!

So, I guess that finally inspired me! Now that I have my license, I dont understand why I waited so long. I kept getting my temps and then they would expire and Id have to start over, this occurred for a few years. I think Manueverability Test it was scared me the most, and it was about the easiest and funnest part of the test!

My son also kept making me feel bad by saying "Go bye bye?" and here I couldnt drive him anywhere!

Well anyways, it sounds like you are doing great with your budget! Im glad your stockpile really helped out during a tough time!

lifeskills13 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 04:31:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveit

I just got my license a couple of months ago, and I am twenty-five years old! I got sick of having to get things done before my husband took our only car to work (which would sit for about 14hrs daily!

) Then he bought me a car of my own and it sat out in my driveway 24hrs daily!

So, I guess that finally inspired me! Now that I have my license, I dont understand why I waited so long. I kept getting my temps and then they would expire and Id have to start over, this occurred for a few years. I think Manueverability Test it was scared me the most, and it was about the easiest and funnest part of the test!

My son also kept making me feel bad by saying "Go bye bye?" and here I couldnt drive him anywhere!

Well anyways, it sounds like you are doing great with your budget! Im glad your stockpile really helped out during a tough time!

thank you! and you sound exactly like me, i have a car in the driveway for 12hours a day. Im hoping soon ill be taking the test...but yes i think i renewed my id two or three times already and i haven't even done anything :( this summer i have no excuse so i better take it. also being alone with two small kids and not being able to drive is hard! if they get hurt or sick..i have to call people ..i wish i can do everything by myself and take the pressure off my hubbie from trying to take me to the stores on time.

at least im not alone w/ this same problem :)...its probably a good thing..wouldn't have all this time to spend on the computer if i could drive lol