We're in the home stretch of the final 36hrs of the All About Saving Cashola Month Contest.
I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of friends, family, and bloggers who have decided to participate in the contest. Some people have even said they don't care about winning the contest as much as they have appreciated the push into the couponing world.
I've heard story after story of people who have never, or rarely, used coupons getting out there and saving some serious cashola by shopping smarter with sales and coupons.
It makes my heart smile!
So, fellow money savers, pull out your Sunday papers (I say paperS because I KNOW you buy at least two, right?) and make your Sunday/Monday food and drug store deal runs soon because tomorrow is the last day of the contest. After tomorrow, you will have 24hrs to gather up your receipts and pull out the old push button calculator to add up your total savings.
Remember, the contest only includes food and regular drug store items bought at grocery and drug stores on sale or with coupons. For example, if you buy a computer desk, flat screen tv, garden plants or clothes on sale or with a coupon at a place like Walmart...don't include those items. I'm looking for savings on GROCERIES and REGULAR DRUG STORE ITEMS, If you have a question about a particular store or item qualifying for this contest, just ask.
Most stores print your total savings in bold at the bottom of your receipt, so add up those numbers on purchases made between August 1st and August 31st and submit the following to me, via comment to this post, comment to tomorrow's post, or via Facebook Private Message, by midnight on September 1st:
Your First and Last Name and the total $ amount saved, and (OPTIONAL) the total amount spent OOP (out of pocket) on qualifying items.
Personally, I like to add up my total amount spent OOP and total amount saved so I can see the net worth of the goods I've purchased. For example, if I spent $30 OOP at Kroger and saved $58, I like seeing on paper that I have $88 worth of goods that I purchased for only $30.
I look forward to hearing your ALL ABOUT SAVING CASHOLA MONTH total savings!!!
GOOD LUCK!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
All About Saving Cashola Month---Final Week
I'm SOOOO excited about the amount of people who have decided to stop whining about their budget and get out there and save some serious cashola using coupons and shopping sales!
The All About Saving Cashola Month is going by super fast. Today marks the beginning of the FINAL WEEK of the contest. It's not too late to enter. Matter of fact, even if you don't enter the contest, you can start saving cashola with coupons TODAY.
In case you missed it on previous posts, here are a couple of web sites that help me organize and plan grocery and drug store shopping.
Coupon Mom
Southern Savers
Two Thrifty Sisters
I Heart CVS
Anyway, back to the contest. Here's a pic of what the winner will receive, shipped FREE!
The All About Saving Cashola Month is going by super fast. Today marks the beginning of the FINAL WEEK of the contest. It's not too late to enter. Matter of fact, even if you don't enter the contest, you can start saving cashola with coupons TODAY.
In case you missed it on previous posts, here are a couple of web sites that help me organize and plan grocery and drug store shopping.
Coupon Mom
Southern Savers
Two Thrifty Sisters
I Heart CVS
Anyway, back to the contest. Here's a pic of what the winner will receive, shipped FREE!
This is EXACTLY like the binder I use to organize my coupons. The winner will also receive about $100 worth of coupons, clipped, organized and ready for saving some major CASHOLA!
A mid-month poll of SOME of the people who are participating, showed we, as a group, had saved over $1100!!! I know for a fact, that number has DOUBLED. And we still have another week to go!!!
I can't wait to see the end results! Keep up the GREAT work!!!!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Counting Backwards
As she lay motionless on the operating table, watching the nurse with the red hair and comforting blue eyes tap tap tap lightly the tube of meds about to enter her left hand, her mind wondered into the future.
She saw a tall, handsome, blurry-faced young man sitting beside her on an airplane. Her heart raced towards their destination and her lips parted towards his kiss. He, without a doubt, loved and adored her more than she knew. More than she could ever have hoped.
"You'll feel a cool sensation in your arm," Nurse Red-Head interrupted.
She nodded and forced her stare to the tile ceiling. Just as her mind struggled to find the young man once again, the nurse whispered, "Now, count backwards from ten."
Various scenes flashed before her eyes.
Some from the future. Some from the past.
"Ten..." Her voice sputtered.
-A white dress.
"Nine..." She hesitated a bit.
-The handsome young man waiting at the end of the aisle with a love steady in times of fullness and emptiness.
"Eight..." Her voice more steady and firm.
-A home. Built of brick, stone, wood, or clay...it didn't really matter as long as HE was with her.
"Seven..." She said in a normal voice, but was sound still coming from her mouth? She didn't know and didn't care.
-A child. Or two. Or three. Or none. As long as she had the chance to try.
"Six..." She whispered, as the sound seemed to come from her ears.
-Her parents. All three of them. Two of which hadn't spoken civilized to one another in nearly two decades; yet together they sat in a waiting room down the hall in support of their first born daughter. And, the third, at work, trying to concentrate as 'his' (in every way that's worth noting) daughter underwent surgery. A surgery that could have so many different outcomes.
"Five..." Now, it seemed her nose was doing the whispering.
-Her Grandma C., sitting on Grandpa C's lap, eating dinner, as they had for nearly 40years prior. Prior to Grandma's passing the year before.
"Four..." Her feet? Could her feet be counting?
-A beautiful little girl with long dark hair and captivating eyes, climbing over a chain link fence.
"Three...", said her fingertips.
-The many mistakes (and by many, I mean MANY) she made in the past and a silent promise to change.
"Two...", said her tongue.
-A large tree with millions of green, yellow and red leaves, swaying back and forth.
"One..." Her eyes spoke with concern and worry.
-Many Dr.'s visits. Ultrasounds. Mammograms. Biopsies. More ultrasounds. It all came down to this moment. This Lumpectomy on her left breast.
.
.
.
She felt a thickness in her throat. She tried to breath, talk and scream all at once. Nurse Curly Black Hair held her chin and tugged on the tube that seemed to swallow her esophagus.
"Mom? Where's my Mom? I'm hungry." Was all she could think to say.
"The dr. thinks she got it all. She'll call you with the results," her Mom said with a slightly shakier voice than normal.
.
.
.
As I look back on that Monday, 8 years ago, I remember the emotional recovery. The 'not knowing' was the hardest part. My Mom had an inside hook up in Pathology who leaked the news before the dr had a chance to call.
Benign Fibro Adenoma Tumer.
BENIGN!
My scar healed quickly, but my soul took a bit longer.
I didn't deserve BENIGN. The way I was living my life, even 24hours before surgery, I didn't deserve it. I lived in a constant state of disrespect. I disrespected my body, my mind, my parents, my job, my employees, my education, my relationships. I hated life and everything in it. I trusted no one. I mean NO ONE. I not only wasn't on the right path for my life, I was in a messy jungle of wishes, wants and desires, with absolutely no direction or means to achieve my goals, short nor long term.
She was me. I was her. August 20, 2001.
Then, 22 days later, on September 11, 2001, I became 'me'. Well, at least, the beginnings of 'me'. And, only now, do I know and understand why 'I' was given the chance to live this 'benign' life.
...to be continued.
She saw a tall, handsome, blurry-faced young man sitting beside her on an airplane. Her heart raced towards their destination and her lips parted towards his kiss. He, without a doubt, loved and adored her more than she knew. More than she could ever have hoped.
"You'll feel a cool sensation in your arm," Nurse Red-Head interrupted.
She nodded and forced her stare to the tile ceiling. Just as her mind struggled to find the young man once again, the nurse whispered, "Now, count backwards from ten."
Various scenes flashed before her eyes.
Some from the future. Some from the past.
"Ten..." Her voice sputtered.
-A white dress.
"Nine..." She hesitated a bit.
-The handsome young man waiting at the end of the aisle with a love steady in times of fullness and emptiness.
"Eight..." Her voice more steady and firm.
-A home. Built of brick, stone, wood, or clay...it didn't really matter as long as HE was with her.
"Seven..." She said in a normal voice, but was sound still coming from her mouth? She didn't know and didn't care.
-A child. Or two. Or three. Or none. As long as she had the chance to try.
"Six..." She whispered, as the sound seemed to come from her ears.
-Her parents. All three of them. Two of which hadn't spoken civilized to one another in nearly two decades; yet together they sat in a waiting room down the hall in support of their first born daughter. And, the third, at work, trying to concentrate as 'his' (in every way that's worth noting) daughter underwent surgery. A surgery that could have so many different outcomes.
"Five..." Now, it seemed her nose was doing the whispering.
-Her Grandma C., sitting on Grandpa C's lap, eating dinner, as they had for nearly 40years prior. Prior to Grandma's passing the year before.
"Four..." Her feet? Could her feet be counting?
-A beautiful little girl with long dark hair and captivating eyes, climbing over a chain link fence.
"Three...", said her fingertips.
-The many mistakes (and by many, I mean MANY) she made in the past and a silent promise to change.
"Two...", said her tongue.
-A large tree with millions of green, yellow and red leaves, swaying back and forth.
"One..." Her eyes spoke with concern and worry.
-Many Dr.'s visits. Ultrasounds. Mammograms. Biopsies. More ultrasounds. It all came down to this moment. This Lumpectomy on her left breast.
.
.
.
She felt a thickness in her throat. She tried to breath, talk and scream all at once. Nurse Curly Black Hair held her chin and tugged on the tube that seemed to swallow her esophagus.
"Mom? Where's my Mom? I'm hungry." Was all she could think to say.
"The dr. thinks she got it all. She'll call you with the results," her Mom said with a slightly shakier voice than normal.
.
.
.
As I look back on that Monday, 8 years ago, I remember the emotional recovery. The 'not knowing' was the hardest part. My Mom had an inside hook up in Pathology who leaked the news before the dr had a chance to call.
Benign Fibro Adenoma Tumer.
BENIGN!
My scar healed quickly, but my soul took a bit longer.
I didn't deserve BENIGN. The way I was living my life, even 24hours before surgery, I didn't deserve it. I lived in a constant state of disrespect. I disrespected my body, my mind, my parents, my job, my employees, my education, my relationships. I hated life and everything in it. I trusted no one. I mean NO ONE. I not only wasn't on the right path for my life, I was in a messy jungle of wishes, wants and desires, with absolutely no direction or means to achieve my goals, short nor long term.
She was me. I was her. August 20, 2001.
Then, 22 days later, on September 11, 2001, I became 'me'. Well, at least, the beginnings of 'me'. And, only now, do I know and understand why 'I' was given the chance to live this 'benign' life.
...to be continued.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Is it fair?
Assuming you have a wonderful, loving, considerate, overall fabulous husband who is also the love of your life and an AWESOME father to your babies....
Is it fair to be REALLY REALLY REALLY mad at him, for nearly 48hrs, for something he did in YOUR dream two nights ago?
.
.
.
No?...Just thought I'd ask.
Is it fair to be REALLY REALLY REALLY mad at him, for nearly 48hrs, for something he did in YOUR dream two nights ago?
.
.
.
No?...Just thought I'd ask.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
He's BACK!!!
HE is back!!!!!!!
And HE. BROUGHT. FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't keep plucking. must. make. hair appt.
I'll dye, fry, and cry before I let HIM win!
"I". DO NOT. have. gray. hair!!!!!!
And HE. BROUGHT. FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't keep plucking. must. make. hair appt.
I'll dye, fry, and cry before I let HIM win!
"I". DO NOT. have. gray. hair!!!!!!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Happy All About Saving Cashola Month!!!
As I posted HERE, I have declared the month of August, All About Saving Cashola Month!!!
In celebration of this festive month, and to officially kick off my money saving contest, I ran to CVS and Publix today for a quick shopping trip. Although, my marvelous husband, aka the official entertainer of our two children for the day, may disagree with my definition of "quick".
Anyhow, after shopping sales, using coupons, and redeeming store rebates and gift certificates, I wound up spending $66.90 OOP (out of pocket) on $257.84 worth of groceries, goods and school supplies. That was a daily total savings of $190.93!!!
Now, before you roll your eyes and turn to run because you can't believe I'm so pretentious to have bragged about my huge savings after just inviting you to enter a contest on saving money...you should know that I have spent the last three and a half months perfecting my shopping strategy and game plan, AND, before mid-April of this year, I thought people who seriously couponed were losers who didn't have anything better to do with their time than to sit and cut out little squares of paper.
I feel another Pass the Ketchup coming...
In THIS economy, every little bit helps. And, I've found that those little bits can REALLY add up. Looking back HERE, HERE, and HERE...I've come a long way. It's funny how "buying" a few extremely cheap and/or free things can reel you into the couponing bandwagon.
Do I have 'better things' to do? If you consider laundry 'better', than yes.
Mommying is my first priority, and budget shopping goes hand in hand with providing the best possible life for my family.
If I were to earn an hourly wage for the time I spent today clipping/sorting coupons, grocery game planning, and shopping as compared to the amount of cash I saved.... I would have made about $50/hour, and that's a pretty decent rate if you ask me.
:)Christina
In celebration of this festive month, and to officially kick off my money saving contest, I ran to CVS and Publix today for a quick shopping trip. Although, my marvelous husband, aka the official entertainer of our two children for the day, may disagree with my definition of "quick".
Anyhow, after shopping sales, using coupons, and redeeming store rebates and gift certificates, I wound up spending $66.90 OOP (out of pocket) on $257.84 worth of groceries, goods and school supplies. That was a daily total savings of $190.93!!!
Now, before you roll your eyes and turn to run because you can't believe I'm so pretentious to have bragged about my huge savings after just inviting you to enter a contest on saving money...you should know that I have spent the last three and a half months perfecting my shopping strategy and game plan, AND, before mid-April of this year, I thought people who seriously couponed were losers who didn't have anything better to do with their time than to sit and cut out little squares of paper.
I feel another Pass the Ketchup coming...
In THIS economy, every little bit helps. And, I've found that those little bits can REALLY add up. Looking back HERE, HERE, and HERE...I've come a long way. It's funny how "buying" a few extremely cheap and/or free things can reel you into the couponing bandwagon.
Do I have 'better things' to do? If you consider laundry 'better', than yes.
Mommying is my first priority, and budget shopping goes hand in hand with providing the best possible life for my family.
If I were to earn an hourly wage for the time I spent today clipping/sorting coupons, grocery game planning, and shopping as compared to the amount of cash I saved.... I would have made about $50/hour, and that's a pretty decent rate if you ask me.
:)Christina
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