The Coupon Lady

I have been part of a group called "mothers of preschoolers" for two years now. We get together once a month to do a "craft" project, and talk about our kids. I'm not going to lie, I suck at "craft" things, but I go because they have free child care and delicious snacks. I also love the fact that I get to sit down, relax, and have “adult” conversations for a couple of hours. We had our first club meeting of the year this past Thursday. There were a lot of moms there. One particular girl caught my attention. I overheard her telling another mom about coupons and how to save money at the grocery store. I LOVE meeting other frugal people, and I also LOVE learning new ways to save money!! I always clip coupons from the Sunday paper, but I'm definitely not an "expert" at the "discount grocery" subject. This girl, on the other hand, could probably write a book about it. She told us she bought a trunk full of groceries once for $3.99...at PUBL#X...Say what?! I couldn't believe it. My eyes lighted up, my heart started beating fast, and I wanted to hug her. I was jumping up and down when I asked if she would share her secrets with me... I bet she thought I was "special"...Oh yeah, and I also asked if I could write a post on my blog about her, and she said YES!!

So here is what she told me:

*clip manufacture coupons from the Sunday paper.
*sign up for "costumer rewards" programs, such as "baby club" at Publ#x. (they send you store coupons in the mail).
*Also, there are two blogs you should check daily. (IHEARTPUBLIX.COM and TOTALLYTARGET.COM) The authors of those blogs do most of the "hard work". They find the good coupons online and post them on their blog for you. They even give you tips on how and when to use certain coupons to maximize your savings!

She also told me:

Most stores will take both manufacture and store coupons for the same item, and they also accept competitor’s coupons!!

OMG'sh!! I have never been so exited about grocery shopping in my life. I have been collecting my coupons; I will let you know how it goes.

P.S.: If you want to connect with other mothers of pre-schoolers in your area, you should check out MOPS.ORG
P.S.#2: I don’t legally endorse and I am not legally endorsed by Iheartpuplix.com, totallytarget.com or mops.com. Visit and follow those sites at your own risk!

Please Don't Kill The Sea Turtles

According to the dictionary frugal means “economical in expenditure and not wasteful”. That’s definitely me. Now, with that being said, I’d like the opportunity to explain why I’m that way.

First of all, I’m frugal because I live on a budget.
To live on a budget is to have a plan on how to spend your money; it has nothing to do with being “broke”. You can be on a budget whether you have a lot of money or no money at all. I think people often frown upon the "B word", because they associate it with “restrictions” or “rules”, but in fact, since our family started a monthly financial plan, we have experienced freedom. We know exactly how much money comes in and out of our bank account, and there’s peace of mind that comes with that.

Secondly, I’m frugal, because I don’t like debt.
A good friend once told me to always “live within my means”, I interpreted her advice as “don’t buy useless crap you don’t need on credit so you don’t get in a financial mess later”. I personally think that’s the most useful thing I’ve ever learned, besides “how to find and attend all the free food events on campus” hints from frat guys in college.
Since I've gotten married, My husband and I have tried to stay away from credit cards. We like to pay cash for everything we buy. If we can’t afford something we want, we save our money until we can pay cash for it. I love not having to depend on "Mr. capital one" and their ridiculous interest rates.

Lastly, I’m frugal because I’m environmentally responsible.
As I mentioned on a previous post, my dad always calls me “hippie”, which is totally not the right word to describe me, since I don’t wear tie-dyed shirts, I don’t smoke pot, and I DO shave my armpits. I have tried to explain to him what being “green” means, but he’s such a “baby-boomer”, he just doesn’t get it. By the way, I’m not sure what the term “baby-boomer” actually means. In my world, a “baby-boomer” is any person who is older than me, who does not understand the internet and still pays their bills by mail.
Ok, now back to being environmentally responsible. I don’t like wasting our God given precious resources, so I reduce, reuse and recycle. It feels good to know I’m doing my part to reduce my family’s “carbon footprint”.

So, here is a summary of what I’m trying to say:
I’m not cheap, broke, or a hippie. I’m a person with a financial plan who is not wasteful with my resources and who cares about the Earth.

Now, here is what I originally wanted this post to be about:

5 ways to reuse PLASTIC BAGS (mommy edition)!!

* Instead of buying expensive diaper pail bag refills, place stinky disposable diapers in regular plastic bag before tossing in the pail.
*For easy cleanup, place a plastic bag inside your sink when you peel fruits or vegetables. That way, you can quickly gather and dispose of the peels.
*Wrap gifts with plastic bags. (I got the idea and picture from realsimple.com)
*Always keep a few plastic bags in your car for emergency situations. Those valuable things can be used as a “throw up bag” on road trips, or to hold wet clothes, or to protect your new “hair-do” from the rain, or as a trash bag, or…ok, I think you get the point.
*If you don’t like any of those ideas, please consider depositing your used plastic bags in a recycle bin at your local grocery store.

Alcohol-ic

My first experience with alcohol was in college. I tried drinking it so I could "fit in" and be cool, but all I ever got from it was awful hang-overs and multiple embarrassing stories. Here I am, seven years later, experimenting with it again. Don't you worry friends, this time I won't be drinking it, just cleaning with it, I promise!

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol 70% usp, is like a miracle sent from heaven. I love cleaning with it! Baking soda and white vinegar are also on the top of my list of favorites! Those three ingredients are so cheap and "green", and yet so effective for your day to day cleaning.
Here is some of the facts I found on my "research":
White vinegar and rubbing alcohol disinfects and baking soda deodorizes. wow! complicated, right? So, when you mix vinegar, baking soda and water together you get an awesome all-purpose cleaner. Oh, and the best part is, when the baking soda and vinegar mix together, it bubbles!! I was so excited to see that! I felt like a home-schooled kid doing a science experiment.

Out of all the "recipes" I tried, this one is the most effective:

Mix 1 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water.

I used this solution to clean my kitchen appliances, baby's high chair, and other surfaces that just needed to "wiped", not necessarily "scrubbed".

For hard core cleaning, like the bathtub and bathroom floors, I used pure baking soda with a little bit of water and scrubbed it with a sponge, then I used vinegar and water to disinfect. It worked!


I used rubbing alcohol and old news paper to clean my windows and mirrors. WOW! What a difference! I can actually see out of my bedroom window now, which reminds me, I got an awful lot of yard work to do...