• Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 78 other subscribers

  • “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers” — Isaac Asimov

  • Recent Posts

  • Pages

  • Categories

  • Archives

  • Blog Stats

    • 195,061 hits

A New Year and a New Pair of Shoes

Posted on January 1, 2011 by auburnchick

Can you believe that it’s 2011?  Wow!

Molly spent the last few days of 2010 catching up on sleep…

She came back from the kennel where I had boarded her over Christmas not quite herself.  I’m not sure if she picked up a doggy bug, was sick from eating their food, or was just emotionally drained.  She’s a skittish dog.  Her nerves are constantly on edge, and I don’t know why.  Regardless, we’ve been giving her an extra amount of loving.  I also gave her some canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie kind) in her food to help her go potty.  I’m hoping this improves her disposition.

Anyhoo…

A couple of weeks ago, I found a Kohl’s gift card in my billfold.  I found out that it still had a balance of $7.  I felt like I’d won the lottery!

Yesterday, armed with a 20% coupon I found online, I headed to the store.  I didn’t plan on coming home empty-handed.

When I got to the store, I found two pairs of shoes I liked.  They were very different styles, so I had a hard time making up my mind which pair to get.  I called Chicky and asked her to meet me at the store.  She declined.  She’s so kind, that one.  I will have to remember this when her birthday rolls around at the end of the month.

So, what did I do?

I made friends with a lady who was sitting in the shoe department.  She was dressed stylishly, so I figured she had good taste.

I asked her opinion, and she told me she liked the pair below…

I liked them too because they looked “teacher-y.”  Plus, I figured I could wear them with my all favorite uniform…blue jeans!

The second pair was cute…in a different way…

They reminded me a bit of Mary Janes…a style I have fought against buying.  But they were oh so comfortable and cute with my blue jeans too…

This pair was also very comfortable…extra cushioning inside.

What to do, what to do?

My new friend changed her mind and told me she liked the second pair better.  Then, she brought over her daughter and granddaughter.  The daughter liked the second pair.  The teenage granddaughter liked the first pair.  I figured Chicky would agree with the granddaughter’s opinion.

I got out my handy-dandy phone and did some figuring.  These Croft & Barrow shoes, which are regularly priced at $54.99, were on sale for $20.99.  With my 20% discount, I could get them for $16.59.

Plus, I had the $7 gift card, which meant less of an out-of-pocket expense for me!

So, I did what any woman would do.

I bought both.

Happy Dance time!

There is nothing like ringing int he new year with new shoes!

And glittery nail polish…

(and a little rain…)

Happy New Year all!!

Filed under: Saving Money, This-n-That | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Finding Balance

Posted on August 15, 2010 by auburnchick

In the last three weeks, I have discovered something.

Finding balance can be very difficult.

From the moment I heard the words, “Consider yourself hired,” I hopped aboard a roller coaster ride with lots of hairpin turns and very few straight-aways.

Having a class of your own is way different from walking into someone else’s room and sitting for a day or two.

As such, other parts of my life are suffering – namely, couponing, cooking, and performing small parenting tasks.

Oh, I’ve been collecting coupons, buying papers every week and printing the online coupons that look most attractive.  However, I really fell behind in getting them filed.

So, on Saturday, after Rooster and I ran errands, I sat down and made myself focus on getting this job done.

First of all, I had a huge mess to clean up after I removed the coupons from the top of a bookshelf I had been using for the last few months.  I needed to take the bookcase to my classroom.

Here’s the mess I created on Friday morning…

I really know how to start my day, eh?  Nothing like a mini-stroke to get yourself pumped up for a Friday.  It kind of made me dread coming home.

To clean a mess like that, I knew I would need to be in the right frame of mind, so I waited, giving myself Friday off.

By Saturday, I was ready.  Of course, it could have been the adrenaline rush I was experiencing from finding GREAT deals at the mall, which resulted in the purchase of two new pairs of pants and a new shirt (I only spent $51, saving over $100!!).

But I digress.

The mess.  The coupons.

I took everything to my big table and got busy…

As I filed, I also trashed the expired coupons.  I filled my small wastebasket (no picture though).

Finally, a couple of hours later, I was done.

My coupons were organized in a manner that befitted my anal tendencies…

So, Saturday was fairly productive.  Rooster has a good lead on a weekend job.  He also has a drum torque (whatever that is), a new Xbox headset, and a pair of eyeglasses on order (to be blogged about soon).  He was also fed.

In the process, he and I spent three hours of quality time together (bestill my beating heart).

And, I got my coupons organized.

Balance?

Not quite, as dinner was a “find what you can” sort of meal.

But, I’m getting there – inch by inch.

Filed under: children, Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

A Bracelet, A TV, and Freebies

Posted on July 10, 2010 by auburnchick

It’s Saturday, and I feel like being random, so that’s what this post is going to be about today.

First off, let’s talk about the bracelet…

Rooster came home yesterday from a two-week mission trip to a Navajo reservation in New Mexico.  He went with my church’s youth group.

He bought souvenirs for the family, and the bracelet was my gift.  It is hand-made.

The crew took the scenic route, giving them time to visit Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.

Rooster sent me these pictures from the Grand Canyon…

He took two cameras’ worth of film, which I will be getting developed on a CD (once I can find a good coupon code, of course), so I’ll share more pictures later.

While he was gone, Chicky was enjoying being an only child.

Actually, I hardly ever saw her because she is working six days a week…juggling two jobs.

Her goal?

Make enough money for this…

Sorry for the clutter of the animal print towel (her’s, by the way), but this is my nice dining room table, and I am trying my best to keep it from getting scratched.

A funny store about the TV purchase.

She had planned on buying it at Sam’s, and I had to go because I am the one with the Sam’s card.

Of course, the Mr. went.  He’s actually been doing most of the shopping with Chicky as she buys things for college.  I cannot stand to shop (yeah, I know it’s hard to believe given my love for couponing).  So, he was there too.

The Mr. had planned to pay for the TV so he could get rewards points.  Chicky was going to transfer the money from her bank account to his so he could send in the payment right away.

But, Sam’s doesn’t take Visa credit cards…only Visa Debits, MasterCard and AmEx.  So, Chicky and the Mr. were trying to figure out what to do.

She, being the very responsible girl that I’ve raised her to be (sorry…I need to pat myself on the back every now and then), offered to pay for it with her debit card.

Well, the cashier looked at her incredulously and told her there was no way she had a card since she was 12 years old.

Poor Chicky.  She gets this a lot because she is so petite and does look young.

She informed the girl that yes she does have her own account, thank you very much, and that she is, in fact, 18 years old.

Meanwhile, the Mr. wanted his reward points.

Then the cashier said something about her parents paying for the TV.

Chicky stood up straight and informed the gal that she had worked very hard this summer and had been saving for this item.

I think Chicky taught that girl a lesson about not making assumptions.

As for me, I was very proud of her.

She’s not only been working like a fiend, but three mornings a week, while Your’s Truly is comfortably tucked in bed, she’s been rising at the crack of dawn to work out with an athletic trainer who is helping her prepare for her college soccer season.

Ok…enough about how wonderful my Chicky is.

But before I change topics again, take a look at one corner of Chicky’s room…

Mary, go ahead and laugh at the coffee creamer.  heehee

All summer long, we’ve been adding things to that corner.  She’s got enough laundry detergent to get her through most of the first year.  She’s got shampoo and conditioner galore, along with medicine, bandaids, and other stuff from all of my couponing.

Ok, so on to the freebies portion of this post.

One of things I love most about couponing is the free stuff I get.  I spend a lot of time reading couponing blogs and signing up for freebies.  It’s become an adventure when checking the mail.  Here are some of the things I received this week…

The Kellogg’s coupon came within a few days of a phone call I made when I discovered one of my boxes of cereal was involved with the recall recently announced on the news.  The coupon has a long expiration date, so I’m going to save it for a B1G1 sale and score two free items!!

So, that’s the randomness for the day.  It feels good to be a little less organized than usual!

Filed under: children, Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Shopping Shenanigans

Posted on July 6, 2010 by auburnchick

I know it’s been awhile since I talked about shopping.  Honestly, I really have not gone on many trips lately.

In my effort to save money, In my laziness, I’ve tried to stay out of the stores.   Thankfully, we’ve had my stockpile to eat from.

Well, one look at my fridge this weekend, and I realized it was time to get my coupon folders out…

The freezer did not look a whole lot better…

Even though the current Publix sales flyer is not that great, I still picked up a few things…

I spent $18.58 for the above items, saving $47.87, for a grand savings of 72%.

I thought it would be an eye-opener to list each of my favorite deals, the final prices I paid, along with the regular prices in parentheses beside them.  This will give you a good idea of how much money you can save by combining sales with coupons…

Mustard – $.45 each (regular $1.89)
Pasta – $.15 each (regular $1.29)
Boxed Potatoes – $.40 each (regular $1.79)
Salad Dressing – $.64 each (regular $3.27)
Tornados – $.50 each (regular $2.50)
Snuggle Fabric Softener – $2 each (regular $6.99)
Breyers Ice Cream – $1.15 each (regular $4.29)

Even though I didn’t have coupons on the red potatoes, salad, and cheese, those items were on sale as well.

I divided my groceries into two batches because I had two Family Dollar coupons ($5 off of $25 and $5 off of $20).  My Publix will only allow customers to use one of these per transaction (no more stacking like the good old days).

So yes, I was the weird shopper who calculated everything as I shopped and used the toilet paper in my next transaction as the divider in my cart.

I’m so weird.

Here was round #2:

I spent $15.10, saved $35.82, for a grand savings of 70%.

Here are the deals, sales prices, and regular prices…just to compare…

Reynolds Wrap – $.90 each (regular $4.29)
Carvel Ice Cream Cake – $1.99 each (regular $9.99)

I did not have a coupon for the olive oil, but it was B1G1, and we go through worlds of this in my house, so I consider it a good deal.  The toilet paper is my weekly purchase.  Even though it rings up at $6.15, I had a $.25 coupon.  Every little bit helps!

Today, I headed back out for more shopping after reading up on additional deals that were too good to pass up.

My free items of the week were these…

Publix has them B1G1, and there was a $1 coupon in the 6/27 SmartSource.  Publix has a store coupon in its current yellow Advantage Buy paper for $1. 

After matching one set per bottle, I actually MADE $2.01!!!!

So, I couldn’t let the overage go to waste.  I picked up the cheapest ($2.45) bowl of watermelon I could find…

Grand total?

$.44.

Yep.  Floridians do not pay taxes on essential grocery items, and all of these are considered non-junky.

I saved $5.99 on that one transaction, making for a 93% savings on those three items.

Next, I headed over to CVS.

The first thing I did was scan my ECB card at the price checker scanner located by the cashier.

The machine was overly generous today, spitting out a long length of paper with several coupons printed on it.  At the very bottom was an ECB for $1.50!!

Remember that Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) are as good as money.  You take the amount of your ECB off the total of your bill.  Simple as that!

So, I was starting ahead of the game.

My first transaction was the following…

The deal was that you got a $1 ECB after buying the deodorant, which is on sale for $7.99 (after being marked down $2).  Inside the box was a package of coupons, among which I found a $1/1 deodorant coupon.

Cha-Ching!

I paid $7.47 and got my ECB.

My second transaction included the following items…

I used another $1 coupon on the deodorant.  I had $.25 coupons on the detergent, which is on sale for $.99 ($1 cheaper than the regular price).

The Pantene was on a clearance shelf for half off ($2.50).  I had a $2 coupon, so I got it for $.50.

For this transaction, I used the $1.50 ECB I’d gotten when I walked in along with the $1 ECB that printed after my first purchase.  After paying, I got another $1 ECB from buying the deodorant.  I will probably use this during my next Publix trip.

Total paid was $7.12.  I saved a little over $12.  It wasn’t the greatest percentage of savings (almost 50%), but every little bit helps, and seeing as I am trying to get Chicky stocked up for college, I did what I could.

So, have you been shopping lately? Taken advantage of any good deals?

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Everything is Kung-Fu

Posted on June 12, 2010 by auburnchick

The title of today’s post is just one of several memorable quotes from the movie The Karate Kid.

First, watch the movie trailer (love the song in it…I used that song on the soccer video I created for Chicky’s high school team)…

Oh yeah.  Rooster, the Mr., and I went to our SECOND movie in TWO weeks, courtesy of two free movie tickets (thanks again, Coupon Queen, for providing the stuff I needed to take advantage of this offer).  Rooster still had money on the movie theater gift card he had received for his birthday.

We splurged on popcorn, candy, and pink lemonade, but only because I was able to use three $1 coupons that we printed from the Sprint kiosk in the theater (see this link for more info).

Unbidden, Rooster threw in $6 of his own money to help pay for the snacks (so kind of him, eh?).

But I digress…

Let’s get back to talking about the movie!

We had seen a trailer for this movie two weeks ago, and we knew it was going to be good.

Let me just say that we were not disappointed!

Being an 80’s teenager, I knew I would be comparing the remake to the original.  Who could ever forget Ralph Macchio’s portrayal, eh?

Wax on, wax off.

But I digress…again.

The NEW Karate Kid, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, was INCREDIBLE!!

First off, filming was done in China (yes, I checked online just to make sure those weren’t sets).  I read that the director cut down the number of people in his crews to enable them to access the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and, probably the neatest place, the temple where kung-fu originated.

The scenery is breathtaking!

The storyline is an emotional roller coaster ride.  I laughed a lot and teared up a few times (danged 40 year-old hormones).

There were a few blips that reminded me of the original movie…subtle nuances that you KNOW came from that 80’s gem.

Jaden Smith proved himself as one charismatic actor.  He has a lot of spunk…most definitely his dad’s son!!

And Jackie Chan…oh man…what can I say.  You just fall in love with him.  He plays his character in a most endearing way!!

Oh, and the villains!  Of course, every movie has villains!  I’ve gotta say that I LOATHED them!

If you like rooting for the underdog, this movie is for you.

If you like a movie with a bigger message, this one is for you.

I’m giving this movie two thumbs up minus a teensy bit of one thumbnail.

My only complaint is that Dre (aka Jaden Smith) utters a three-letter expletive THREE times in a row…very in-your-face.

I was mortified because there were lots of younger children in that theater!  In fact, there was a four or five year old boy sitting beside me!  Ugh.

This movie is best suited for upper elementary/middle school and above, I think.  Mostly because there are a couple of beatings that are very difficult to watch.  Two things I cannot stand watching in a movie (besides sexual scenes, of course) are women getting hit and children being hurt.  Dre’s beatings are integral to the storyline, but I would not advise younger children see the violence.

Filed under: Saving Money, This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

More Free Stuff!

Posted on June 10, 2010 by auburnchick

I’m not trying to make you jealous…I’m really not.

Cross my heart.

I just can’t help but share (not gloat, mind you) my savings.  I hope by sharing that I inspire you to get out there, hunt for the coupons, and get some free stuff for yourselves!

My latest finds…

Yep…15 containers of Skinny Cow ice cream.

Over $25 worth of smooth, delicious dessert yumminess.

All I paid was tax.

Go to this link (she’s a wonderful resource of deals, by the way) to read about how you can stock your own freezer with these treats (don’t forget to use your CVS rewards card, which gives you the sale price).  Oh, and go to Facebook and “like” Skinny Cow.  Then click on the Fan Exclusives tab for the link to another $1/1 coupon.

Walgreens has the following available for free this week…

The way to get these free is by purchasing the 36 count, which is on sale for $8.99.  As soon as the cashier rang up the larger box, the smaller box popped up as a “gift.”

Go to Hot Coupon World’s coupon database to find out where to obtain $1 coupons on the product.  I used two (one per box), which allowed me to pay only $6.99 for both!

You see?  I’m not a miracle worker.  I’m just a gal who keeps reading the couponing blogs I’m subscribed to in Google Reader.  I keep in mind the things I need to keep in stock (no, ice cream is not a need but a much welcome treat for Rooster after spending hours outside, in the sun, for summer band camp).

Now, go forth, print your coupons, and get your free stuff!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

What Did AuburnChick Get Free Today?

Posted on June 7, 2010 by auburnchick

Ahhh…one nice thing about getting the day off is having time to think!

Yeah, yeah.  No comments from the peanut gallery.

Seriously.  With the house quiet, I was able to read couponing blogs, focus on my objective (to spend as little money as possible), and think!

By 11:15, I had visited Target twice, returning home with these free goodies…

The reason I was there twice was because when I went the first time, I spied the above razor, on an endcap (facing the inside aisle, not the main, outside aisle).  Look at the clearance sticker…

Well, I happened to have the 6/6/10 Proctor & Gamble insert with me, and inside was a $4 off of the razor!!

It took every bit of law-abiding good sense not to speed home and right back to pick up my second coupon.

As it was, I actually went home after the first trip, got Chicky to church so she could leave for a camp, and then returned.  I probably looked like one of those speed walkers as I made my way back to that endcap.

As I approached, I saw two ladies eyeballing my endcap.

HELLO…you better pray you’re not thinking of getting MY razor, I wanted to shout.

But I didn’t.

What I did do was excuse myself as I slid between them, arm reaching up and out for that razor, explaining that this item was the main thing I had gone shopping for.

I dared not look at them.  Who knows what they might have thought.

Who cares.

I made money on that transaction, using the overage to pay for a couple of other items.

After, I ran a couple of other errands, finally winding up at Taco Bell, where I took advantage of a coupon for free Margarita Freeze…

Oh

My

Gosh!

The tarty rush of delight was a shock.  Soooooo yummy!!  It felt almost wrong to be standing inside the house while drinking it.  I should have been on the beach!!

Anyhoo…

Next, I sat down and went through Southern Saver’s Publix list, pulling coupons and THINKING.

I came home with a passel of groceries.

I only paid $32 and some change, saving over $70 and 67% overall.

Several of the above items were free…

Several items were nearly free.  I paid a scant $.03 (yes, that’s three cents) for each loaf of bread and less than a quarter for both the deli meat and deli cheese.  Each box of granola bars was $1.

Of course, the $6 toilet paper brought my total up, but hey, what can I say.

When I got home from shopping, the mail had arrived.

Among the items, I found the following box…

Inside was…

That, my friends, is the newest Gillette Fusion razor, complete with battery and everything.

I got it free by “liking” Gillette on Facebook and watching for the announcement to head over to a youtube site to sign up for a free razor.  The company gave away thousands of these over the course of a few weeks.

I won mine last week.  I am impressed with how fast it came!  The Mr.’s eyes lit up when he saw it.

So, it was a good day for getting free stuff.

Oh, and before I forget, did anyone take advantage of the National Donut Day last week?  Several shops offered customers free donuts.  I headed over to Krispy Kreme and picked up my favorite flavor…

Ok…so the drink wasn’t free, but I couldn’t resist.  It is a Jolly Rancher Green Apple Chiller, and it tastes EXACTLY like a Jolly Rancher!!  YUM!

Oh yeah…it’s been a good few days!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Thin Mints On Steroids

Posted on June 1, 2010 by auburnchick

A few days ago, I went shopping to take advantage of a few sales.  I came home with the following…

Obviously, Oreos were on sale. I got each box for under $.14 each.

Rooster LOVES the Cakesters, and he had been waiting for me to find a good deal on them.

Well, folks, I had major coupons (thank you, Coupon Queen!) that paired up quite nicely with the B1G1 offers, so I bought 20 – the first time I went (I say that while gulping guiltily).

As I was selecting my products in the store, I innocently picked up a box of these…

Rooster and his cousin, Music Man, were playing Xbox in the other room.  I offered a cookie to each of them, while taking a bite of my own.

OH

MY

GOSH.

First, a peek into the delicious middle of this fabo cookie…

Folks, a lot of science obviously went into this product (notice it’s “new”).

See how the cookie is layered?

First, the chocolate outer coating.

Next is the fudge.

Next is the creme filling.

On the bottom is the cookie.

Oh, and what you can’t see is the mint flavoring.

OH

MY

GOSH.

These cookies taste just like Girl Scouts’ Thin Mints, except that the fudge layer makes the cookie less dry and tres delicious.

I stuck the box of cookies in the fridge.

OH

MY

GOSH.

Even better!

We’ve eaten two boxes so far.

I took back the five boxes of regular fudge cremes and exchanged them for the mint.

We’re all fighting over these cookies.  In fact, I even caught Chicky mint-handed as she tried to devour a cookie undetected.

Um, I don’t think so.

I’m putting most of the cookie boxes into Cookie Jail.  Otherwise, we’re going to go through the almost 30 boxes I now possess (thanks to return trips) in under a week.

Seriously.

They’re that good.

Run to your nearest store.

Buy a box.

Tell me what you think.

Remember…I won’t steer you wrong.  Don’t forget about those coconut M&M’s I told you about.

Trust AuburnChick.

I know chocolate.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

I Love Getting Things for Free

Posted on May 25, 2010 by auburnchick

This morning, I spent three hours filing coupons.  It was an overwhelming task, to say the least…

The payoff was worth it, though, when I later came home with several free items…

I found the Tide at Target in the travel-size section of the health and beauty aisle.  I used $1 coupons that said “on any size.”  The cashier tried to tell me I could not use the coupons, but I assured her that because the coupons did not say “excludes trial sizes,” I could, in fact, cash them in.  This is a good lesson to remember when using coupons.  Always check the sizes specified!  You never know when a great deal is at your fingertips.

The body wash was a great find.  Target’s regular price is $3.99, and I had $4 coupons for both, making them free.

I got the pretzels from Publix, thanks to a tip from Coupon Queen.  She reminded me that I had a coupon for free pretzels when purchasing two bags of Ruffles chips, which were B1G1 during the most recent sale.

SCORE!

I got some other great deals today, but I won’t bother to bore you with the details.

But, after not shopping for three weeks, my deal-seeking inner goddess has been re-awakened.

Bring on the sales, Baby.  Here I come!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Some Things You Don’t Skimp On

Posted on May 24, 2010 by auburnchick

It’s been three weeks since I touched my coupons.

What can I say?  Life has kept me busy.

We’ve made really small trips for deli sandwiches and such, but no major excursions.

However, today was the first in a while that I did not have to sub. I planned on taking advantage of my day off.

I dragged out the coupons…

Yeah, it’s as messy in real life as in those pictures.  Hence, my reluctance to dive back in.

However, Rooster had started getting ornery, pretty much demanding that I get my act in gear.  He’s almost 16 and eats a lot.  In his words, “I’ve eaten everything that’s edible.”

Not very subtle, eh?

So, I got my list together and headed out.

I spent more than usual, but only because my store will not accept the $5/$20 Rite Aid coupons any more.

Still, I saved 60%.  Sorry, but I did not take any pictures.

I heard ooohhh’s and ahhhh’s as the kids and the Mr. discovered the cookies and chips I had come home with.  You’d have thought they’ve never seen those items before!

A bit later, Chicky emerged from the restroom with a, “Whoa, what kind of toilet paper did you buy?”

Uh oh.

I guess the Scott’s wasn’t going over very well…

I thought I was getting a great deal.  I used a $1 coupon to drop the price I paid to $2.99.  I had compared the yardage and saw I was getting more for my money.

Plus, I thought Chicky liked rough toilet paper.  She used to tell me to buy “gas station toilet paper” because she did not like the soft stuff.

I guess her preferences have changed…matured, if you will.

I would have done well to check the number of plys per sheet.

It is one-ply.

“Suck it up,” I said.  I’ll get some better stuff next time, making no mention of the $10 stuff I buy for the Mr.’s bathroom (which I’ve blogged about before).

Still thinking it was no big deal, I headed over to the kids’ bathroom for a tinkle.

One spin of the roll, and I was hollering, “Whoa!”

Rooster heard me and said, “Told you so.”

That he did.

I learned my lesson.  There are just some things you don’t skimp on.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »
  • December 2025
    S M T W T F S
     123456
    78910111213
    14151617181920
    21222324252627
    28293031  

  • Currently Reading

  • Books I’ve Read