Fridays are Free Candy Bar Days!! Who doesn’t like that?!
I’m re-posting this from last Thursday just so you can prepare yourself.
The Mars company is giving away free candy bars to the first 250,000 people to visit their site each Friday between 9am and 11pm EST. You will be asked to enter your birth date (to ensure eligibility). Fill out the information, and within a few days, you’ll receive an email confirmation. Your coupon will arrive four to six weeks later.
The fun part…besides free candy? You can do this up to five times, if I remember correctly.
I’ve been chatting with a friend who reads my blog, and I realized that I left some things out of my previous post…say it ain’t so!
First off, I want to say that I think The Grocery Game is fabulous! There are many good reasons to sign up for it:
The format of the lists makes it easier to recognize good deals. Each grocery store list has a column for the percentage you save on each item. You quickly learn what is considered “rock-bottom” prices. The higher the percentage saved, the better the deal, obviously, and you start being more discriminatory about what you will and will not purchase.
Another neat thing about the lists is how items are color-coded. Free items are in green, rock-bottom items are in blue, and sale items (but only buy if needed) are in black. The lists are organized according to the layout of the store, but you can sort the lists any way you want. You can check mark what you plan on getting and only print those items. Lots of planning went into how these lists were devised.
You learn patience. Just because an item is on sale does not mean that it’s the right time to buy something. After four weeks (the trial period), you will probably see an item go on sale twice. In my case, it was the Hebrew National Hot Dogs that I’m so fond of. This go-round, I had two coupons, so I stocked up.
The main downside to The Grocery Game lists is that they don’t come out until Sunday in order to factor in the coupon inserts for that week’s Sunday paper.
My stores’ ads last from Wednesday through Tuesday, so that leaves me only two and a half days to shop. When I’m working, this isn’t good because the week gets hectic.
If I come across a coupon in the Sunday paper for an item I bought a few days earlier (using my other web sites), I know that I can take my coupon back to the store, tell them I didn’t have my coupon during my purchase, and get my money back. If the store gives you a hard time, return the item and re-buy it with the coupon.
Other things to remember…
Keep your coupons with you. I started to put mine in the car when I went to Starbucks the other day but changed my mind. I went straight to Walmart, where I found a great deal…if I had my $1 coupons that were at home. Back I went, wasting precious time in my day. It was worth the trip but unnecessary.
Buy two Sunday papers. I found having two inserts invaluable this morning as I prepared to shop. There were a couple of B1G1 items, and I was able to clip two coupons to use on them.
When printing coupons from the Internet, hit the back button to print them a second time. Most sites will allow you to print two copies of a coupon but no more than that unless it’s a PDF you can download.
Printing coupons from the Internet is notorious for being a hit or miss thing. A couple of the sites require that you install a coupon printer and have Java enabled on your browser. Try different browsers. I have the most success using Safari. Check out THIS link, which helped me print coupons from SmartSource and RedPlum. Folks, it can be done. Be persistent.
Watch carefully while your cashier is taking off your coupons. Just this morning, I caught one of my coupons (a biggie…$3) not being scanned.
Know how much items cost and watch them get scanned as well. Several items at CVS did not ring up correctly last week. A couple of the problems were due to signage (not my mistake, but I got the price advertised) and a couple of problems were with the way the prices were entered in the system. I always check my receipt after I leave.
I have found that keeping a list of the coupons I’m using and what the item will cost me afterward helps me keep my ducks in a row and helps me when I’m looking over the receipt later. I typically have a general idea of what I’m spending before I get to the register. This helps me recognize a problem instantly.
Create a spreadsheet and enter your savings. It’s hard to see how much you’re saving unless you put it down in black and white.
This sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it?
It’s really no different than deciding to eat healthier.
What you’re doing is training yourself by developing new habits. Once you decide that this isn’t a fad for you, then you’ll be permanently hooked.
Consider older people today. The generation that lived through the Great Depression learned how to save money. When times got easier, still they penny-pinched.
Tomorrow (the 24th) is the last day of my free trial period of The Grocery Game.
For one month, I’ve used the lists as a springboard for saving money.
You have all been reading about my shopping adventures.
Remember…I am not a celebrity. I’m just a regular gal…the kind you run into every week at the grocery store.
I have not been paid by anyone to try this thing out, nor am I being paid to promote various web sites.
As I said, I’m just your ordinary blogging friend.
What have I learned this month?
Saving money takes some work. Is it worth it? Heck yeah! I used to loathe shopping. Just ask my family. That’s one reason why Chicky started doing it for me.
Repeat after me: “Thank you, Lord, for technology.” Thanks to the Internet, there are loads of resources available to help you. Remember…Google is your friend. Need a coupon for Kotex (as I did this morning). Just Google it. What about Scotch Tape? I Googled and found a great coupon that I used at CVS this week.
Stacking coupons saves you even more money. Keep in mind that you can use a store coupon along with a manufacturer coupon on the same item. Use two coupons on B1G1 (buy 1 get 1 free). You’re getting two items, so you can use two coupons. This is in addition to any store coupons you might have.
Stock up when prices are low. Web sites such as Frugal Coupon Living, Southern Savers, and I Heart CVS put out lists of weekly store sales. Make sure you click on coupon links! Also be sure to check out the comments under these sites’ posts. There are people just like us trying to figure things out. In my case, a coupon wasn’t available at the link provided, but I found it at a different link and posted the information. It’s all about helping out one another.
Subscribing to the RSS feeds of shopping web sites such as those above saves a lot of time when hunting for new posts. Google Reader is my personal favorite.
Don’t buy what you don’t think you’ll use. This is something I’ve done a good job of. Although I’ve been uber-excited about all of my savings, I have honestly asked myself questions such as, “Will my family eat this?” and “Will this go to waste before we eat it?” and “How many school supplies do the kids really need this year?” Don’t buy what you don’t need. Or, if something is free, and you can’t use it, consider donating it to a food bank, school, or homeless shelter.
You will, initially, spend the same amount of money as before. However, as your stash grows, you’ll notice that you don’t need to buy as much. They say it takes about three months for this to happen. I think in my case, it will be about two.
Save your coupon inserts and write the date on them. Don’t cut them out before you need them! Frugal Coupon Living and Southern Savers refers to the name and date of each supplement when providing coupon information. Trust me. It’s much easier to find coupons this way. And, just because you don’t think you’ll need something, you might change your mind later.
Ok…time for some hard-core evaluating. Will I pay for my Grocery Game subscription?
No.
Here’s why.
After recently discovering the Frugal Coupon Living and Southern Savers web sites, I think I can save money without paying for the “lists.” These sites put out very similar lists only in a different format. Their lists come out the first day store sales begin.
Southern Savers put out this post today that explains that they only list sales that reflect best prices, so if something is on sale but not on their list, try to hold off. Chances are great that the item will be cheaper the next time it’s on “sale.” This is, essentially, what The Grocery Game does only in a different format.
I will, however, continue to read The Grocery Game’s forums. They are free. The ladies there are awesome and will answer your questions quickly and in a friendly manner.
I am so glad my neighbor told me about The Grocery Game. Her small comment got the wheels in my brain turning, and it piqued my curiosity. They say curiosity killed the cat.
Well, in my case, curiosity saved me enough money to buy an entire litter, if I was a cat person!
Quite simply put, shopping will never be the same for me. I like challenges, and that’s how I approach each planned trip to the store. How much can I save? Just how close to free can I get something?
It’s addicting. And it’s like a virus that spreads to those around you.
The gal who bagged my groceries last week watched my bill go from $115 to $37. She asked if I used web sites, and I gave her three to write down.
Today she bagged my groceries again. You could see the look of anticipation as she waited for my total.
$54.55…before coupons.
After?
$16.43.
For this:
I had a coupon for every item in that picture. In some cases, I had two or three coupons.
The Chef Boyardee was free…even a money maker of $.15 after my $1 coupon.
I got six packages of Carefree for $.34…total. That’s $.06 a piece for a savings of 96% on that item alone!
The bagger was amazed…once again…and told me she had visited the sites I gave her and was planning on giving it a shot. I wished her well.
I hope I haven’t bored you with my shopping adventures. I will continue to update my total on the sidebar of my blog. And there will be posts where I can’t contain myself and will just have to share stories of my latest shopping trip.
I hope I’ve inspired you to start saving. If this poor economy does nothing but causes us to be more mindful of what we spend, then at least that’s one positive, right? Why waste money if you don’t have to!
Oh, and for the record, since June 30th, I’ve spent $445.56. I saved $519.12. So, WITHOUT the coupons, I would have spent $965.08. My savings was 54%.
With the numbers laid out like that, I find it a bit disconcerting to think about how much money we’ve been wasting the last few years.
My ultimate goal is to cut grocery and “miscellaneous (i.e. Target/Walmart/CVS)” shopping in half. I think I’m on my way!
God must really shake His head at some of the stupid things we humans argue about.
Take, for instance, the Mr.’s and my latest disagreement.
This is actually an ongoing thing, stemming from the earliest days of our marriage.
Do we argue over money?
Not very often.
Did he blow a top when I spent $200 on airline phone charges years ago before I knew that you got charged even if the person never picked up the phone?
Nope.
What about the time when I had the bathroom faucet taken apart and couldn’t put it back together with the mammoth wrench I had purchased.
Nope.
What drives the Mr. insane and will cause him to shake the walls with his yelling is…
and hold onto your hats…or rather your pants…
When he finds an roll of toilet paper on the hanger…one square left…and a new roll of toilet paper on the back of the potty.
Yes folks, this is what drives the man nuts (well…it’s one of quite a few things, but let’s not go there).
Truth be told, though, the situation is not as simple as it seems.
You see, I play a small role in the evolution of his anger (in this matter only, of course).
For a woman who will not hesitate to fix an oven, risk her life changing out the doorbell, or climb ladders to trim trees, one of the tasks I loathe the most is changing out the toilet paper roll.
I will, in fact, avoid it at all costs.
I have no explanation for why I feel so strongly about it.
I mean, it’s not a nasty job…certainly not near as bad as scrubbing the outside garbage can, which I did for the first time ever in my entire life yesterday evening.
There is just something I cannot stand about pulling off the empty roll and replacing it with a new one.
Now, you must understand that in the AuburnChick home, we go through a LOT of toilet paper. The Mr. has Crohn’s Disease. It’s a debilitating disease of the small intestine that pretty much keeps a person in close proximity to a restroom.
We buy the most expensive toilet paper — Charmin Aloe — and place it in the master bathroom only. In fact, he’s known to travel with a few rolls of it, keeping it in his suitcase so the maids don’t inadvertently change it out.
The kids get what I like to nickname Gas Station Toilet Paper. When you use it, it feels like you’re rubbing a Brillo pad across your rump. Chicky actually used to ask for it. She hates toilet paper that falls apart while you’re using it. Rooster likes the good stuff but only gets to use it if the kids’ bathroom is occupied, and he has to go to the other one.
What was my point? Oh yeah…we go through a lot of toilet paper, so replacing the empty rolls is almost a daily thing here.
I’ve tried my best to try to figure out a way to make it so he doesn’t know the new roll on the back of the potty hasn’t been used. Thus far, I’ve been unsuccessful.
Have you ever noticed how you kind of have to pull on that first piece to dislodge it from the roll? It’s a grand feeling…kind of like opening up a treat.
Weird, I know, but hey, whatever rocks your boat.
I’ve tried gently mashing down the end where I’ve pulled from…to re-stick it to the roll.
That doesn’t work.
Licking the edge of that end piece and sticking it down doesn’t work either.
Ewwww…gross…I can hear you now.
I’ve actually never done this, but it HAS crossed my mind…that’s how desperate I am.
Instead, I face the wrath.
Yesterday, I braced myself as he rushed straight for the Reading Room after getting home from work.
I can’t help but wonder if the Mr. didn’t go in, guns blazing. You see, he knows my MO by now. Of course, I didn’t disappoint. I’m so predictable. He let it be known, quite loudly at that, that he knew my game.
I would have taken cover except that I was stuck on the couch, sore from a day of working outside in the yard.
Some couples need therapy to learn how to handle money issues.
Not us. We like to be different…stand out from the crowd.
Hmmm…I wonder if Dr. Phil has ever dealt with toilet paper issues in relationships.
Sometimes it’s the little things that remind you how blessed you are.
First things first…I headed to Starbucks, coupon in hand, after dropping Rooster off at band camp. The gal there wouldn’t let me get the Piadini (it’s not considered a “pastry”), so I opted for a Cinnamon Roll instead. It complimented my Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino nicely…
After chowing down my free food, I settled in for a bit of knitting. The day was much too beautiful to go back home and do chores. I’m sure you would have done the same thing.
I stayed about an hour and managed to knit half of a mini stocking for Dustina’s Operation Children’s Stockings project…
As I got in the car and headed to Walmart for, yes, more shopping, I was struck by the beautiful sky…
I turned on the radio, and here’s what was playing…
What joy filled my heart as I sang along at the top of my lungs…Jeep window rolled down…arm hanging out enjoying the feel of the breeze.
God used a quiet morning and the beauty of nature to remind me of how great He is.
I originally cast on using green Koigu KPM, but, as you can see in the picture below, the yarn was knobby and hid the cable work. As you know, being a good knitter begins with the marriage of a yarn to a pattern. If they don’t pair up well, they have to find new mates. We’ll just say mine were dating and decided to break things off before the relationship got too complicated.
The Koigu KPM was not a good match for this pattern.
I wanted these socks to be green, so I pulled out my skein of Sockotta (color #816). I used 85 grams of the 100-gram skein.
I started the socks on July 4 and finished last night, July 19. I would have finished sooner, but I had a few days when I didn’t knit at all.
The socks look complicated, but the pattern really was fairly easy once I figured out a few little things. My google search for clarity in a couple of the instructions led me to a knit-a-long on Ravelry. The ladies on the forum were very patient as I posted several requests for help. It didn’t take me long to figure out that, simply put, I’m a dummy. Don’t over-think this pattern. It’s not that hard.
The only part of the pattern that really drove me bonkers was the heel, where the pattern is continued on the first half of it.
Because you are working back and forth on one needle (the one that holds your heel stitches), you have to remember to reverse the stitches as they are written on the even rows. Additionally, you work your way from left to right on those rows and then go back to right to left on the odd rows. After knitting in the round and reading your stitches right to left for most of the sock, it can be a bit disconcerting.
The other issue I had with the heel chart is Row 7, which I believe has an error. Instead of the kfb, I did a M where the kfb’s occur on the chart.
The payoff is worth it though. The heel is lovely!
Although I’ve knit quite a few pairs of socks, I usually have the problem of my socks running a smidge too large. I know that I need to go down one needle size (most of my socks are knit using 1 1/2 needles), but I don’t own a pair of 1’s. The Mr. told me I can order a pair so my socks will fit better.
To get a better fit, I only completed 2 1/2 pattern repeats after the heel turn. By starting the toes earlier, I shortened the foot, making for a snugger fit.
Rooster took such fantastic pictures that I had to post them all.
Two nights ago, I watched the movie, Saving Private Ryan. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
I’m sure that most of you have seen it before. It was made in 1998. Somehow, it never made its way to my DVD player, although I have heard references to it many times.
This was probably the first time in a long while that I’ve sat, riveted, to the television…no knitting in my hands. I did not want to miss a single scene.
For those of you who haven’t seen it, I’ll sum up its storyline.
Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is tasked with the job of searching for Private Ryan (Matt Damon), a paratrooper who has landed somewhere behind enemy lines. General George Marshall orders Private Ryan’s extraction after learning of the death of Ryan’s three brothers. His desire is to spare Ryan’s mother further heartbreak.
The movie is graphic. War is not a pretty thing though.
I sat, horrified, as I watched soldiers get slaughtered on Omaha Beach. When I heard a reference to Kasserine Pass, I was proud that I had paid attention during my military history class. I knew that this was the site of a battle in North Africa during an early phase of World War II.
As I watched the movie, I listened for a line that my pastor spoke about in a recent sermon.
You can hear Captain Miller utter the words in the following scene:
If you missed it, he says, “Earn this; earn it.”
Poignant words.
He was telling Private Ryan that he needed to live his life in a way that would be worthy of the lives sacrificed to save it.
I couldn’t help but think about Jesus, who sacrificed His life so that we — sinners — could live.
There are a couple of popular “theories” about going to heaven:
1) You have to earn your salvation by doing “good” things.
2) If you don’t do anything “bad,” then you’re a “good” person and will go to heaven.
According to the Bible, both trains of thought are misguided.
God’s Law demands a payment for sin. God will only accept the blood of an innocent one — hence the sacifice of an unblemished lamb in Old Testament times.
There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. It is a gift offered to all people.
Go through the 10 Commandments and ask yourself how many you’ve broken. The Bible says that hating someone is the same as murder (1 John 3:15). Lusting after another person is the same as committing adultery in your heart (Matthew 5:28). Stealing is…well…stealing, whether it be another’s words (plagiarism) or time on the job (i.e. goofing off). Taking the Lord’s name in vain is blasphemy (Exodus 20:7).
There is not one person on earth who can say they have kept all ten Commandments. Hence, every single person is “bad” according to these standards.
What if I had been standing in front of Jesus as he neared the time of his death. I wondered if He would have told me to, “Earn this.”
I remembered the story of the criminals who were crucified with Jesus.
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
43Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
I am so thankful that Jesus didn’t look across at the criminal on the cross and said, “Earn this; earn it.”
That criminal couldn’t. He had been condemned to die. He was hanging on his own cross. His life was over.
He knew he was a sinner. He acknowledged it before God (remember that Jesus is God).
He knew he needed a Savior and recognized Christ’s authority over sin.
Powerful stuff and a powerful example to us.
We cannot earn our way to heaven. Just like the criminal, we are condemned to die.
This sounds harsh, but the message should not be sugar-coated. Yes, I know that’s the popular way to present the Gospel these days, but folks, it’s the truth.
The awareness of our sinful nature should drive us to our knees in humble submission to God.
One day we will be asked to pay the penalty for our sins. We may have served on the PTA, given food to the homeless, or taken in stray animals, but at the end of our lives, those things won’t matter. Just like my “good” works didn’t exempt me from paying my speeding ticket last summer, neither will they cover over my sins on Judgment Day.
Good works FOLLOW salvation. They do not precede it.
I’d venture to bet that had the criminal, by some miracle, been granted a stay of execution at the very last moment, he would have lived out his days in service to our Lord.
What did follow that man’s conversion was God’s grace. Surely it softened death’s sting. All he had to do was ask for it and take hold when forgiveness was offered.
Perhaps the most fitting words are, “Accept it.” In doing so, we bring glory to Jesus for the sacrifice He made for us.
I love how Ray Comfort uses Michael Jackson’s death as a springboard for sharing the gospel. It’s amazing how many lost people there are in this world. It simply makes my heart hurt.
I encourage you to watch the video all the way through. It is very poignant. People should not fear death. If you have a relationship with the Lord, you don’t have to.
AuburnChick's Adventures 