I did not know what I was missing.....I looked into the Grocery Game (GG) several years ago when we first started trying to get out of debt but it seemed like a whole lot of hassle for some coupons and a couple dollars in savings here and there, what is the point right? Plus I was convinced that the only things there were coupons for were packaged foods or things I wouldn't buy anyway.
We tend to eat pretty healthy when it comes to meals, lots of homemade from scratch stuff with a few prepackaged things to help in there too. So I figured anyone that didn't cook like I did would surely save tons just not me.....the other thing that turned me off was paying for the GG membership.....I just shy away from those sort of things in general. So I missed out, went along with my little life and didn't look back.
Then a couple Mom's from our homeschool group got some of us together and they shared how they got started with the GG and then went beyond that further to save money, they had receipts to look at and examples of how they did this coupon shopping sales combining thing and I was just in awe! It was amazing I just had no idea there were all these tricks! After the meeting you could tell several of us were sitting there just processing all the info in our heads trying to get it all straight because they gave us some really awesome info and some great tips to get started and it was so much fun. So I still had some reservations (still do a little) because I am kinda timid about coupons I hate taking up extra time or making people wait. Plus I had to tell myself that just because junk food was going to be on sale and an excellent price did not mean that I need to buy it! So I have to be careful about that added temptation, the good news is though that if the junk food isn't on sale it is less of a temptation if I am in the coupon shopping zone.
So here I am several years after hearing about the grocery game (funny thing is the two moms that gave us the presentation also had heard about it several years ago and decided not to pursue it then either.) Anyway I had Mr Wonderful grab me a Sunday paper early Sunday from the local mini mart. I started clipping and organizing my first set of coupons (I was never really a coupon shopper before). It was kinda a rush wondering what would be on the next page of the coupon pages and when I was all done there was an odd let down and a desire to go find more coupons! LOL Anyway I printed of THE LIST from the website http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ and then went to town, I went to Rite Aid and Safeway. I did well for my first trip and only having one Sunday paper's worth of coupons and a couple printable ones in my possession.
Here is my very first shopping trip with GG:
Rite Aid~
Total regular price $78
Coupon Savings $7.60
Savings after rebates $17.50
Total Savings combined with sales $52 or 66%
Safeway~
Total regular price for the items I bought $ 196.64
Savings just with club card $69.80
Coupon Savings $18.70
Total Saved $88.50 or 45%
Remember all this savings from the GG list (which simply helps you combine your coupons from the Sunday paper with the sales at the store to get the best deals) and ONE Sunday paper's worth of coupons! I am amazed.
I looked back thru a few of my last receipts from Safeway from BEFORE GG and my club card savings were only around 15-20% ( know sometimes when there is alot of Buy One Get One Free sales it goes up to like 30% then). So I must have been really bad at the sales shopping, I just was getting everything I NEEDED and not paying much attention to the sales because if it wasn't on the list I wasn't buying it but yet if I had planned out meals by the sales fliers more or also stockpiled when it was on sale it would have been so much better but I was so focused on not buying excess I lost out all this time! Live and learn.
My goal is to be careful and not be lured by sale items I don't NEED, because even if I could have saved 90% I'd still be spending 10% more than I would if I hadn't bought it! I have to be careful and also not bring home too many things we don't need even if they were great deals. I want to stock up on the items we definitely need but since storage is an issue I have to be careful, I already have plans to add a second shelf up high in almost every closet and maybe some under bed storage. I am also thinking about moving my sewing supplies somewhere else so I can have the utility shelves in my walk in closet for stockpiling. I think I will move the sewing items to the large linen cabinets in the bathroom, for some reason sewing supplies in the bathroom is not quite as weird as food storage in the bathroom, although it might be handy....doing my hair realize I hadn't eaten anything and just pop open the cabinet and grab a snack right? I draw the line at food going in the body at the same time it goes out. Some things should not be combined! So hence the reason only paper products, hygiene products and sewing supplies will be in the bathroom cabinets....it is really a shame too because there is a LOT of storage in there. So the dry goods food will go into our walk in closet on a set of 4ftw X 7 ft H X 2ft D shelves. That should be plenty of storage to get me started.
I am so excited for the next week's fliers (tomorrow is the day) and of course the Sunday paper again, this time I think I might buy 2 papers. My goal is to plan out our meals from the flyer and also look for some bargains to stock up on. This GG thing is addictive and FUN! What better hobby than to save lots of money on groceries....sounds like a pretty safe "addiction" to me!
My incentive is that we will be continuing to budget the same amount for groceries and household and anything I save and don't spend on that I can have for what I like to call "fun" money for either a weekend getaway, some new clothes, makeup I can't normally afford or some other luxury item like that, or even stuff for the kids' homeschooling that we would love to have but it is not a necessity etc. I am looking forward to it for sure!
If YOU decide to try out the Grocery Game I suggest to start buying the Sunday paper a couple weeks before you sign up so you can be rearing at the gates when you get your trial month membership for $1, you can take full advantage of more sales and savings that way and you get the most bang for your buck (literally a buck!). Plus if you want to sign up, use my email (thesummerfields@yahoo.com) as a referral! I can get some free weeks of membership (and so can you for referring others which makes it EVEN better of a deal as if saving all that money in one day wasn't enough reason.) I saved enough in one day to pay for the GG membership for 1 entire year!
Monday, May 19, 2008
New Vacuum!
My new vacuum is finally here!!! Ahhhh it feels like a Cadillac after my other one!!! The self propel is really nice but not as powerful as I figured it would be ( I have never had a self-propelled one), which is probably good otherwise it would run over my toes! I LOVE that dirt sensor light, it really encourages me to take my time and wait until it is more clean before moving on. The carpet is so light and fluffy underfoot now.
So that was the excitement for the day.....the rumble of the UPS truck coming up the street and he delivered our long awaited vacuum then he asked me if he could please borrow our hose (it was running in the front yard) to cool down some. It is really hot lately, unusually warm this past few days, we are all trying to adjust. So after he sprayed the hose in the air and let it rain back down on himself he was back on the road (hopefully a little cooler) and we were excitedly opening our package. There is something about the thrill of a new machine......albeit it means work, like you know I actually have to vacuum!!! No more excuses......I might kinda miss my old excuses some days.
We spent part of the early afternoon cleaning up the living room from the piles and piles of folded clothes we'd been working on, so that I would not be embarrassed to have someone stop by unexpectedly...or expected like the UPS man, since those big packages they tend to carry all the way into the house for you. Which is so nice of them by the way. So the dilemma of Mt Washmore is better but Mt Fold Me was huge! Now they are both manageable and we should have them scaled in no time....I hope...unless that mysterious multiplying thing happens overnight....where you go to bed with just a few loads left in the pile and suddenly in the morning there are 10 loads......it isn't possible that each of the 6 people in the family wear THAT many clothes in one day is it?
Why is it when the A/C is on everyone leaves the door open? It is driving me nuts! It is like they sense there is $ to be wasted and they seek to fulfill their mission in life.
So that was the excitement for the day.....the rumble of the UPS truck coming up the street and he delivered our long awaited vacuum then he asked me if he could please borrow our hose (it was running in the front yard) to cool down some. It is really hot lately, unusually warm this past few days, we are all trying to adjust. So after he sprayed the hose in the air and let it rain back down on himself he was back on the road (hopefully a little cooler) and we were excitedly opening our package. There is something about the thrill of a new machine......albeit it means work, like you know I actually have to vacuum!!! No more excuses......I might kinda miss my old excuses some days.
We spent part of the early afternoon cleaning up the living room from the piles and piles of folded clothes we'd been working on, so that I would not be embarrassed to have someone stop by unexpectedly...or expected like the UPS man, since those big packages they tend to carry all the way into the house for you. Which is so nice of them by the way. So the dilemma of Mt Washmore is better but Mt Fold Me was huge! Now they are both manageable and we should have them scaled in no time....I hope...unless that mysterious multiplying thing happens overnight....where you go to bed with just a few loads left in the pile and suddenly in the morning there are 10 loads......it isn't possible that each of the 6 people in the family wear THAT many clothes in one day is it?
Why is it when the A/C is on everyone leaves the door open? It is driving me nuts! It is like they sense there is $ to be wasted and they seek to fulfill their mission in life.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Vacuum Woes...
I am about to blog about a household appliance....I do realize this is scraping the bottom of the subject matter barrel, but it is what it on my mind lately.
I have a Bissell Powertrak Revolution vacuum.
IT was supposed to be a good one, it features a Turbobrush for cleaning stairs and pet hair...(.never mind that I don't have stairs). It is a bag less model which was a must for me as I liked seeing what I got out of the carpet each vacuuming session. It has about 5 different filters and all kinds of special features right? Well it is a terrible vacuum, the suction is poor (because it has so many filters that get clogged that have to be washed out periodically), the beater bar/brush bar has had to be replaced once already and needs it again, the thing clogs up all the time I have to stop vacuuming and either get the shop vac to suck out the clogs of hair and dirt from the hose section right behind where the beater bar is or I have to dig it out with something......it is a VERY messy process and annoying for sure. Then when it comes time to emptying the dust cup it is THE most messy process, you dump it into the garbage can but get to enjoy the poof of dirt all over and you are lucky if all the dirt actually gets into the garbage can, why did I think bag less was a good idea? It is really messy even if you carefully take the canister out, dirt still falls all over the vacuum itself so you end up vacuuming along and probably dropping more dirt here and there with the emptying process. So I beg to question, why do we have a HEPA filter and 5 means of filtration if when you empty the canister it gets poofed back into the air worse then ever? What is the point?
So I just finished picking out my new vacuum. I at first wanted a Dyson or Oreck.....then I got to reading reviews and I actually used a Dyson for a while at church. I am not impressed with the Dyson, it does have good suction I will give it that but it is awkward to operate, the buttons are hard to figure out and it was incredibly hard to push on low pile carpet of all things. Plus the way the front rounds down you can't vacuum under anything it is too bulky.:( Anyway the Oreck had so many negative and mixed reviews I opted against it to because of price, bag costs, and the fact that you have to have two machines to do the job of one normal vacuum since the upright does not have a hose you have to use the little canister vacuum they send free. Anyway I went with a Hoover, I spent less than I was going to on a Dyson or Oreck and it seems to have some nice features. I had a really basic Hoover from our wedding 11 years ago and it lasted 9 years without any problems or repairs.....my current vacuum I had less than 2 years and have needed to replace the beater bar two times and am constantly unplugging it. So I kinda went with the brand I knew worked alright for us. I found it on Walmart.com for $220 and free shipping and handling. Then I also looked on Ebay and was able to find it for $144 and $20 SH so I bought it off Ebay with a Square Trade Extended Warranty so if it breaks they pay to fix it or if it can't be fixed they reimburse me what I paid for it, it is a 3 year warranty so I hope it works ok. The warranty was cheap so I figure it was worth it for a little extra piece of mind. This is the most I have spent on a vacuum so I am hoping the more you spend the more reliable right? LOL
Here is my new vacuum that I should be getting in a week or two. Hoover Windtunnel Bagged Upright U6439-900.
Here are the specs in case you feel like reading a boring list of specs. LOL
The Hoover WindTunnel self-propelled vacuum features an on-board powered hand tool for cleaning stairs and upholstery, agitator on-off switch for cleaning bare floors, filter bag check indicator to let you know when to change the bag, and HEPA filtration, which is great for allergy sufferers.
Self-propelled for effortless cleaning
Deluxe stretch hose and on-board powered hand tool for above-floor cleaning, stairs and upholstery
Embedded-dirt finder system lights up to let you know when the carpet is clean
Agitator on/off switch allows for cleaning bare floors
Bag check indicator lets you know when bag needs to be changed
HEPA filtration traps 100% of dust mites, 99.98% ragweed and common grass pollens
31-foot cord with quick release
Wide, 15-inch cleaning path
Headlight
Model No. U6439-900
Top-rated by a leading consumer magazine
Available at Walmart.com; not available in Wal-Mart stores
Self-propelled for effortless cleaning
Deluxe stretch hose and on-board powered hand tool for above-floor cleaning, stairs and upholstery
Embedded-dirt finder system lights up to let you know when the carpet is clean
Agitator on/off switch allows for cleaning bare floors
Bag check indicator lets you know when bag needs to be changed
HEPA filtration traps 100% of dust mites, 99.98% ragweed and common grass pollens
31-foot cord with quick release
Wide, 15-inch cleaning path
Headlight
Model No. U6439-900
Top-rated by a leading consumer magazine
Available at Walmart.com; not available in Wal-Mart stores
Day Two With Short Hair...
We played with Sunshine's hair a little today and it looks cute, we put some hot rollers in it for just a few mins and this is the style we came up with, does she look older or younger than before?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Locks of Love...
Sunshine has been growing her hair out for several years to be able to donate to Locks of Love. We trimmed the ends recently but we still had enough to cut the 10" required for donations. Before we did anything major I had to take pictures of her beautiful hair that I have spent hours in my life braiding and messing with. I love her hair, silky, long and naturally highlighted from hours of childhood fun in the sun. I wish I still had those natural highlights like I did as a child.
It was really hard to cut thru but I got it all cut off. So it was done but oh crap, then I realized she needs a professional haircut, I don't think I can even this up and still have her look like a girl! I can cut hair to some degree but her hair is fairly thick and everytime I tried to even up the ends it looked so choppy so I quit while I was ahead and made a quick call to the local salon and she asked me if I could be there in 10 mins.....uh 10 mins.... sure. So I woke up Whippersnapper from his nap, made the boys change their clothes because they were knee deep in the dirt pile in the yard. I threw on some foundation and mascara myself and we were off and running.
The lady did a nice job evening things up and Sunshine loves it! So do I, it is so flippy and cute. I think this will be perfect for summer and also much easier for her to care for. Not to mention she is really excited about new hair clippies, headbands, and barretts too. I can still do some short little braids in the top of her hair and it will be nice to keep it out of her face some. She wants to grow out most of her bangs and leave a few whispy bangs so we'll have to keep her longer bangs swept to the side in a barrett or something.
It was really hard to cut thru but I got it all cut off. So it was done but oh crap, then I realized she needs a professional haircut, I don't think I can even this up and still have her look like a girl! I can cut hair to some degree but her hair is fairly thick and everytime I tried to even up the ends it looked so choppy so I quit while I was ahead and made a quick call to the local salon and she asked me if I could be there in 10 mins.....uh 10 mins.... sure. So I woke up Whippersnapper from his nap, made the boys change their clothes because they were knee deep in the dirt pile in the yard. I threw on some foundation and mascara myself and we were off and running.
The lady did a nice job evening things up and Sunshine loves it! So do I, it is so flippy and cute. I think this will be perfect for summer and also much easier for her to care for. Not to mention she is really excited about new hair clippies, headbands, and barretts too. I can still do some short little braids in the top of her hair and it will be nice to keep it out of her face some. She wants to grow out most of her bangs and leave a few whispy bangs so we'll have to keep her longer bangs swept to the side in a barrett or something.
We wanted to share this special journey with you. Hope you enjoyed being along for the ride!
It came!
We got our homeschool supplies order yesterday! It was so exciting for the kids to open it all up and we looked over every item and they all asked if it was theirs.....everyone got their little stacks and then we had a family stack. They are really excited to do school now...that was what I was hoping for.
My favorite things are probably the Prima Latina DVDs and the Prismacolor watercolor pencils.
We will be taking a month off as soon as we finish this years materials. Then we will start some new materials in mid June. I doubt the kids will let me wait that long, although there is still a chance we'd go ahead and have a summer break thru till August 1st.
I am stuck between two trains of thought. It was strongly suggested to me by a public school teacher friend to see about Spud Man being evaluated for a learning disability. Which I kinda wonder since he loses so much info if you don't work on it REALLY consistantly and he is just not progressing very fast at all, we've been working on beginning reading for almost 2 years. Then there is the other train of thought, he might not be quite ready and give him 3-6 months off and see if he picks it up easier then......which I am having trouble letting go and doing that because he is 7 now what if he does have a learning disability and we'd be wasting 3-6 months precious time using methods that could help him learn easier. I don't want to stick my head in the sand and yet I am not real eager to sign him up for a lifetime label either.:( We are still thinking on it and trying to figure out what to do.
Well that is the short of the school order....I am so excited to read thru them and incorperate it all into our plan next year.
My favorite things are probably the Prima Latina DVDs and the Prismacolor watercolor pencils.
We will be taking a month off as soon as we finish this years materials. Then we will start some new materials in mid June. I doubt the kids will let me wait that long, although there is still a chance we'd go ahead and have a summer break thru till August 1st.
I am stuck between two trains of thought. It was strongly suggested to me by a public school teacher friend to see about Spud Man being evaluated for a learning disability. Which I kinda wonder since he loses so much info if you don't work on it REALLY consistantly and he is just not progressing very fast at all, we've been working on beginning reading for almost 2 years. Then there is the other train of thought, he might not be quite ready and give him 3-6 months off and see if he picks it up easier then......which I am having trouble letting go and doing that because he is 7 now what if he does have a learning disability and we'd be wasting 3-6 months precious time using methods that could help him learn easier. I don't want to stick my head in the sand and yet I am not real eager to sign him up for a lifetime label either.:( We are still thinking on it and trying to figure out what to do.
Well that is the short of the school order....I am so excited to read thru them and incorperate it all into our plan next year.
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