Shopping Tips

Okay I just got home from shopping a Target and I am going to share some of the things I have learned on how to save some money shopping. I know I am not the only one trying to cut back and save money. I have a few tips that may help you save some too.

First pay attention to shelf labels. I was just at Target and noticed a product I use but didn't need was marked down, reg $11.99 down to $6.99. Now I figure a $5 saving is really good. So I picked up 2. When I got to the check stand it rang up at full price. I asked for someone to check the shelf because there is a tag for $6.99. What happened was it was on sale LAST WEEK and Saturday night no one removed the tag. They did a price adjustment for me. I also had this happen on another product today that rang up at $3.24 and was signed at $2.99, she didn't bother to send someone to check that one she just changed it.

Second is stacking coupons. I know it takes a special kind of person to do the coupon thing but it really does save some money. Stacking coupons is when a store offers a coupon that can be used only at their store and a manufacturer also issues a coupon for the same product, you "stack" them together on one item and save. In our area Target, WalGreens and Rite Aid all do this.

Also you can use your coupons on Sale items and Clearance items. Today I had a Clearance item $2.24 with a Target coupon $1 off and a Manufacturer coupon $0.50 off. I ended up getting Scott some Chex Mix bars for $0.74!!!

I also check the website Steals and Deals daily for coupons, clearance info, Internet deals and stuff. This is were I learned about Stacking Coupons this weekend.

If you are going to use Internet coupons make sure your retailer accepts them! I can tell you not all retailers do. The Food 4 Less group that I work for does NOT! I was at Starbucks last week and their was a sign showing 3 Internet coupons that store didn't take. Also Starbucks within a store, Safeway and Target, does not take Starbucks coupons or gift cards. I will tell you the reason, Internet coupons are EASY to forge also many times retailers don't get paid for them. For some retailers it is easier to not take them, than take the HUGE loss of money if they do take them and don't get paid.

WalGreens and Rite Aid have register rewards. I am loving them. I have just started earning and using them. How it works is you buy the specific product or dollar amount of products and when you pay it prints out a coupon for dollars off your next purchase. I will give you my example from last week. I had to spend $20 on a grouping of products to get a $5 register reward. In the grouping of products was Lean Cuisine 2/$5 and Nestle Chocolate chips $1.99 a bag. I am using my Register Rewards to make Halloween Treats for my niece's kindergarten class for FREE! Here is the kicker WalGreens has some products on sale this week, plus you get a register reward and in Sunday's paper are coupons. They are now paying me to shop their!

Anyone else got some money saving tips? Share with us PLEASE.

I'm Still Here!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I was sick because of the heat this past week and not doing much. I did sew a little bit but not much. If you stop over at my Stash and Scrap blog and read Design Wall Monday you will see what I have been up too.

Here are the pictures for those who don't want to read what's going on!

Also I don't know if I will have the time to post again before going into the hospital on Thursday morning. So I am letting you know my wonderful friend and photographer Heather will be posting for me on Thursday at some point in the afternoon or evening. She is a busy woman so have some patience until she can get baby info and photo posted. Since you will have to wait for her to post for me, head over to her site, check out her wonderful photos and book you Holiday Photo session with her. She is doing mine!

I am so EXCITED!!!

Some of you may remember the piece of shit that broke my truck window a week before Christmas back in 2007. If not here is the story. Some of you may even remember when I was to go to court and the piece of shit was declared incompetent back in May 2008. If not here is that story. And the next piece of the story you may remember came in September 2008 he plead guilty. If not here is the third installment of the story. What I learned after the third installment is he got picked up on something else and had to plead guilty to my charges.

Which brings us to current day. Today I got to my mailbox and there is a check from the County Controllers office. I can't think of a reason that the controller would be sending me money. I open it up and it is for $25. Cool. Then I see it is the first payment of restitution for my truck window! I thought I would never see a penny of that money. Only 19 more payments!

I WANT These...

I want planter boxes. Scott kills everything I plant in the ground, he either hits with Round Up or a Weed Eater. I want Black and Red Tulips in planter boxes in our front yard. Plus right now they have free shipping.

Weekend Goal

I know it has been a while since I have done a weekend list. I am not doing a list this weekend either. Sorry to disappoint you. I have one HUGE goal. Are you ready for it?

I want 25 new items photoed and posted in my esty shop. I know I have been neglecting my shop. I have some stuff made and working on more. So tomorrow Linda is supposed to come move stuff for me so I can get to the esty shop box. By Sunday night I want 25 items!

Do you want a hint on what's to come? Maybe I shouldn't. Okay I will tell you. There are some glam bags, baby stuff, Christmas stockings, aprons (if I can get a model), and quilter's travel case.

I am hoping to start this project Saturday. So come back and see what happens!

What Did You Do Today?

I just talked to my sister and she asked me "What did you do today?"
Me "nothing."
Her "You really did nothing?"

I thought for a minute, I guess I did stuff. To me it is just life, nothing really. So here it is, What I Did Today:
Paid Bills and mailed them
Cleaned out the Frig
The Dishes
Put 12 lbs of Hamburger into 1 lb bags (Costco)
Made Pina Coladas for the freezer, Ready for 10/3
Made Tuna Sandwiches for Lunch
Made Chili for Dinner
Washed my sheets
Put clean sheets on my bed
Made a burp cloth, new style for me, kicked my butt
Cleaned some more of Nu Bebe's room
Found the bottles for Nu Bebe in the garage
Made 1 Asian Star block for Block Lotto

I don't feel like I did anything. Just life stuff. I am still planning on tacking out the garbage and a shower. I may pull some fabric for the HHR club quilt. See I did nothing!

Labor Day Plans

So I have made many plans for myself for Labor Day. None of which include going into Labor, please keep your fingers crossed. It isn't looking good for October 1st at 7:30am. She might be early.

First is heading down to Manteca. We are going to hit K-Mart, you guessed it check for clearance Leap Frog Tag Books. Then we are going to the sale at Ladybug's Quilts. I have 9 or 10 bags of stuff to drop off for the families who's homes were destroyed in the apprehension of the suspected bank robbers on Friday. I also need 2 yards of a Black and White print to make Nu Bebe a crib sheet and I need a few 1/4 yard cuts for my red and aqua disappearing 9-patch swap.

Did you catch that? Yes I joined another swap. The Frankie's, Ghost's and 9-Patches are ready to mail for my Halloween Swap. They were supposed to go yesterday but do to a Postal conflict they are headed out 2 Day Mail on Tuesday morning. As for the new swap I joined Jane's Red and Aqua Disappearing 9-Patch Swap. It is going to be tons of fun. I even made 8 of my 25 9- patch blocks tonight. I am now out of Aqua but have cut some more Red so I will be ready to sew tomorrow. If you have ever thought about making a Red and Aqua quilt or a Disappearing 9-Patch quilt this is the swap for you. You shop click on over to Jane's and join. As of Saturday she had 43 of the 100 spots filled. Also she is only taking sign ups until Tuesday, even if the 100 spots aren't filled.

After leaving Manteca we are headed to Modesto to go to Beverly's. They seem to have a better fabric selection than Stockton. I am looking for car fabric to make a quilt for the HHR club. The So-Cal group has an annual show at Tom's Farm and a bunch of Nor-Cal members are going down. Scott and I have not finalized our plans on going yet. For some crazy reason I volunteered to make a raffle basket. I have a picnic basket and some stuff for it but I was thinking of making a quilt to go with it. I really have NOTHING going on between now and Oct 24th. LOL!!! We may decided to brave the Modesto Mall after that too.

Once we get home I need to clean some more and sew. What are your plans for Labor Day?

Killer Deal For Christmas

I purchased the Leap Frog Tag Learning System today for Delaney's Christmas gift. They almost gave it to me! The Leap Frog Tag Learning System in the OLD packaging was on clearance at Target for $12.48! That is 75% off. But wait, I was able to find a coupon off the Tag Learning System for $10 off!!! With tax it cost me $3.60! Manufacture Suggested Retail price is $49.99 plus tax. They gave it to me. NOTE: Trinity Park Target had only 1 left Friday at 5pm.

But wait I need books to go with the system now. K-Mart has some on Clearance for $6 and toys on clearance are an ADDITIONAL 20% off. Which makes the books only $4.80. But wait, I found another coupon for $3 off a Tag Book. Here is the trick with the books, you first take in your $3 coupon get one book and pay, mine was $2.23 with tax. K-Mart is printing out a register coupon for $5 off a book, game or toy. You walk book number 1 to the car and go back into K-mart and get another Clearance book. You then use the $5 coupon they just gave you and pay, my second book cost $0.23 plus I received another $5 coupon. Repeat as many times as needed for your Clearance books. You will still have 1 $5 off coupon to use on a future purchase. Coupons expire 11/19/09. Manufacture Suggested Retail price for books have a range of $13.99 to $15.99.

While I was walking back and forth K-Mart had the storage case on Clearance too. I figured I could splurge on it! The case was on Clearance for $13 plus the 20% off making it $10.80. K-Mart would not let me use the $5 off coupon since it wasn't a Book, Game, or Toy. Oh well. it cost me $11.34. Manufacture Suggested Retail price is $15.99.

Paying full price for the Tag Reading System, 3 Tag Books and the Storage case should have cost me just over $120. With VERY LITTLE effort I was able to get all of it for $17.59!!! The ONLY reason it cost so much is because of the storage case not having a coupon. If I would have stuck to just the Tag Reading System and 3 books my GRAND total would have been $6.25 compared to approx $105.

What A Day!

Delaney woke up at 7:45am today, I am used to her 9:30am. I get so much done in that time without her. Plus I KNOW what shows come on at 9:30am not 7:45am. She wasn't understanding that her shows were running late today.

I woke up this morning not being able to use my left arm. I have some nerve damage from a pic line IV that was put in 4 years ago. Most of the time is no problem. Then there are days that knock you on your ass. Today is one of those days. I am hoping to be much better tomorrow.

The shoulder issue has set back my day! I stayed at home. Helping Delaney get dressed and in and out of my truck was out of the question. I needed to get to the post office. That has now been moved to the stuff that must be done on Friday. I have finished the Frankie Blocks for the Halloween Swap. The Ghosts and Frankies will be headed to Jane tomorrow. I have also added the photos to the Duvet Tutorial. My August Block Lotto blocks are packaged up and ready to ship tomorrow too. I also started Saturday's Sewing For Baby Tutorial, this week it is a mobile. I am pushing myself to get it done!

As for tomorrow, I need to be at JoAnn's early to pick up a pattern that is going on sale. When I was their earlier this week they only had 1 in the size I need. It is a Bloomer pattern for Sarah's Halloween costume. She is going to be Alice in Wonderland. H - I need a few measurements, I hope to start this weekend! We also need to hit Target. I am trying to stock up on 2 months worth on stuff. Good thing I drive a Suburban! I am also trying to hit Dinner's My Way to grab a few things.

Any big plans for this weekend? The last 3 day weekend of summer. Me no! Shopping Monday in Modesto that's all. Check back this weekend for a few things Saturday will be Sew For Baby Link to the Tutorial and Monday is the deadline for 10 peoples UFO projects.