IT IS HERE!! Finally!

I finally figured out how to post a link to the comp list on here.  Hopefully in the near future people can just check here for the list on Wednesday mornings and I can get away from emailing it out to everyone (which is very time consuming).

Here we go:

Comp list for 10/17-10/23

Ad Match Policy

What are the comp rules at my Walmart store?

I can't wait to hear feedback on this. Love it? Hate it?  Let me know!

P.S.  Ok, so I will have to work on the formatting but you get the idea! haha.

This is only a test....

Comp list (THIS IS AN OLD ONE! I AM JUST TESTING THIS!)

I am trying to see how to post a link for the comp list on here! Thank you for your patience!

Just Walk Away...

I was watching the news the other morning and they touched on one of my favorite topics (online shopping). They provided a tip that I LOVE for several reasons (and one that I have used myself!).

Their tip was to sign in to your account (or make one if you don't have one) on a website, put an item in your "shopping cart" online and then just walk away.  Simple as that.  Well, kind of.  I only recommend doing this on your home computer as you probably don't want someone else shopping under your name on a public computer!

Anyway, certain websites will then send you a coupon to your registered email address to entice you to purchase the items you left in your cart.  Best Buy was one of the stores they listed that will do this quite often.

You really get two benefits: first, you get to really think about your purchase and see if you actually want/need it and then second, you get a coupon so if you DO want it you can get it for cheaper!

Not all stores will do this but usually it is worth a shot (if you aren't in a hurry to get your item, that is).

Happy Shopping!

Finally!

Ok, so I have been neglecting this blog perhaps just a teeny tiny bit.  As usual, I shall now make a promise to blog more often, blah blah blah.

Anyway, I like to be organized.  Couldn't tell?

And organization usually means calendars, spreadsheets, folders and lists.  Ahh, my favorite: lists.

I think I have been searching my whole entire life for a perfect grocery list.  They are usually too small or too flimsy or something else equally frustrating.  So I decided to take matters into my own hands.  Behold the mother of all grocery lists:




I organized it in the same way that I organize the comp list to hopefully make for easy shopping.  I am in the process of having it printed onto a tablet to see if I like it (Add some magnets to the back and it should be just right!)

Guest Post: The Magic of Coupons

Hello! In the following article, Karen continues her guest posts by sharing her money saving tips using coupons:

The Magic of Coupons…

Lots of stores offer you a reason to shop at “their” store, and some of those reasons are worth it!  CVS has a program you can earn Extra Bucks Rewards (EBR) aka MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!!!  CVS also has a store card, and I recommend you scan it at the kiosk near the front of the store when you walk in.  They offer you coupons, some advertised, some not, for your shopping trip.  I have gotten some great deals just by paying attention to the store coupons and manufacture coupons with me. 

Last week I was at CVS, and they had lots of great EBR offers.  So I planned my list, stocked up on some great sale items, added manufacturer coupons with those offers to make them even better deals.  In my first transaction I put all the items that would give me EBR’s.  At the end of that transaction, I had $20 in EBR’s to apply to my next transaction!!!  In fact, I was getting such good deals, I even had to search out a few more items in the store to be able to use all my EBR’s!  (I could have saved them for my next trip because they’re good for 2 weeks, but I don’t make it to CVS that often, so I prefer to do 2 transactions and use them immediately vs. have them expire.)

One of my exciting deals I found, was a $4 off allergy medicine store coupon that printed out at the kiosk.  Children’s Benadryl just happen to be on sale for $4.99, and I happened to have a $1 off Benadryl manufacturer coupon with me.  I don’t know if you added that up, but I got FREE Benadryl!!!  And for my kiddo that has allergies, that is a necessity!

Saving money can be super easy and super fun!!!  Thinking outside the box, and incorporating a few new habits into your life can save you lots of money. 

Learn what programs are out there, and how you can benefit from them!  Happy Shopping!!!

Thank you, Karen!

A Quick and Easy Deal Post

I just wanted to share this great deal real quick!

I had my good friend Aundrea Shafer take our family pictures a couple months ago (see this post) and I knew I wanted to do something special with them.  I have always loved pictures on canvases but they are quite expensive.  (Sometimes hundreds of dollars.)

But through Groupon I found pictureitoncanvas.com.  I ordered one of our pictures on a metal sign for $20! I signed up for their email list and soon started receiving specials a couple of times a week.  One day there was one for canvases for EXTREMELY cheap- we are talking a 20x30 gallery wrapped, thick bar canvas for $29.99! And the shipping was quite reasonable.

So, here is my recommendation.  If you are looking to have some pictures put on canvases, join Picture It's mailing list here and wait for the deals to roll in! (They make great gifts for grandparents, also!)

The Magic of Coupons

I have asked some friends to do guest posts here and there, sharing their tips to help you save money.  I think it is important to get info from different people because they may have some ideas that you hadn't even thought about.  

For the first guest post, I have asked Karen Harris to share her expertise in couponing with us.  Enjoy!

The Magic of Coupons…

Coupons can be  magical little things.  

To some they’re just a little piece of paper that says, “save 50 cents off a box of Cheerios”.   Some say, it’s just $.50 that I’m going to lose between home and the checkout…  and some will say, YEAH BABY, that’s a $1 off a box of Cheerios.   What people don’t realize is that 50 cent coupon can add up to a lot of money saved – and quickly! 

There are many things one can do to save money at the grocery store.  Price matching is one very big thing.  Meal planning based on what’s on sale can also make a really big difference.  But when you add the magic of coupons – that’s where the fun begins. 

I recommend people buy a paper every Sunday, consistency will make a difference in the big money- saving picture.  Then once you have your coupons, don’t run to the store today to use it, wait for that item to go on sale, that is when you want to use it.  And with Wal-mart allowing us to price match, that really makes it easy vs. driving to other stores in another town.

Say that box of Cheerios is normally priced at Wal-mart $2.98, but HyVee has them on sale for $1.89, and you put your $.50 coupon with it, that box only cost you $1.39.  That is a savings of $1.59 or 54%!!!  Now you have two options…  cut your grocery bill by over half, or buy 2 boxes for less than the price of one box.  By stocking up at that price, you will save money in the long run, because you’re going to be buying Cheerios, so buy them when they’re on sale. 

Now that same box of Cheerios is also on sale at Country Mart for $2.00, and you say to yourself, I’ll just price match them at Wal-mart, but what you aren’t taking into consideration is that Country Mart will double coupons up to $.50, which means that coupon is actually worth $1.00!  (Please know that Country Mart will take manufacture coupons in print, newspaper inserts, magazines, peelies, and  internet coupons only from www.coupons.com.)  So at Country Mart the cereal will cost $2.00, but that 50 cent coupon will double, so you will only pay $1.00 or a savings 67%!!!  

Tell me couponing isn’t Magical!

Thank you, Karen!

Excitement

About 21 months ago, my husband, my son and I moved into my parents' house.  We had just completed a short sale on our house and didn't really have any place to go (especially where we could focus on our mounting debt).  A couple weeks later, I had my daughter.

Since then, we have all been sharing 1 (ONE!!!) bedroom.  This was much easier when Kinsley was a newborn (yes, I am a fan of co-sleeping when my children are newborns) and Carter was 2.  Now, Kinsley is terrible 2 and Carter just had his 4th birthday.

Needless to say, things have been a little cramped.  We absolutely LOVE living out on the farm, but there is obviously no where for rent out here and we cannot buy for another year and a half (again, thanks to the short sale).  And we need some space!

So we decided to move back to town.  We started looking for apartments and luckily on Friday we found this gem while driving around.  It was empty, for rent, and in our price range.  It is 2 bedrooms- we decided that would be better than 3 for right now since the kids are so used to sharing a room with us anyway. I doubt they would like their own rooms!  It also has 2 bathrooms and a large kitchen.

We are very nervous about making ends meet with a new expense but it is a necessity (if we want to keep our sanity, that is).  Wish us luck!

I also wanted to share a few photos from our recent photo shoot with a VERY talented photographer.  Her name is Aundrea Shafer, owner of A Shafer Photography.

{Want to have Aundrea take your pics? Call her: 620-757-1237.  Tell her I sent you!}

Re-run

Ok, so I know for some of you this is a re-post but since I have had so many new people added to the Comp List recently I thought it might be good to go over some of the highlights of the blog.

This ginormous arrow points to one of the cool features I have on here.  Feast your eyes upon our menu for the week (I try to do a month at a time, usually).  We try to follow this each week and it makes grocery shopping MUCH easier than trying to decide in the store what you are going to make for supper.    I also find it makes for a cheaper shopping trip- if you know what is on the menu for the week you tend to spend less on random stuff.

I do have two young children and we don't have much time to prepare foods so a lot of the meals are quick and easy for those reasons.  But I hope you might still find it helpful if you ever are stuck on what to make for dinner!  (Another fun thing is have each of your children to have their own "night"- they get to choose what is on the menu for that night.  No one else can complain!)

Quick Shopping Tip

I wanted to take a minute to share with you one of my favorite price comp shopping tips.  Invest in these: 






I have found that it is a little difficult at checkout paying attention to two screaming children (who are pulling things off of those stupid little shelves that are conveniently enough in reach) while trying to keep the comp stuff separate from the regular priced items and making sure the cashier rings them up at the appropriate price.

That's where these little stickers come in handy.  They are just the little stickers you would buy for garage sale items or whatever.  But take a sharpie and write the price you are paying for the item on there while you are shopping, stick it on, and its a lifesaver.  (Ok, money-saver)