DVDXpress Coupon Code

Rent 1, Get 1 FREE
Check out with Coupon Code "LAKEVIEW" with 2 movies in your shopping cart.
Expires at midnight 01/26/09. Forward to your friends!

Canning Jars

I purchased a jam making kit last summer while at the Goodwill for $3. I have yet to use it for jam but I do put the jam jars to good use holding things such as apricots, raisins, yeast, sugar, milk and coffee.

These jars are the perfect size for holding small amounts of leftover sauces.

Sell Your Stuff on ArtFire

There is a site that I'd like for you to check out where you can buy and sell handmade gifts. It's a cross between ebay and etsy but better since it's less expensive for smaller sellers. ArtFire already had some really neat listings up and the site looks great.

It's designed to be an outlet for artisans to showcase their work to buyers. Check it out and tell me what you think. If you are selling on etsy or ebay would you switch to ArtFire.com?

Rejoice...

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

It's 6:15 a.m. and I am dressed and the children are eating breakfast. I have been up since 5:15 a.m. and have used that time to read Ruth 1:1, shower, put on make-up and brush my teeth.

The van is warmed and is in good working condition...Praise God! If you know anything about my van, you'll know that after paying it off in August 2008 it was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was sentenced to the grave.

In September 2008, we were told that the van would not make it through the winter; however...God is faithful and He keeps His promises.

God has truly been good to us. That is just one of the many things that I rejoice about this morning. As we go about our day let us remember that it is in God that we put our trust.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Genesis 50:20
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

This Sums it Up

There has been so much going on at A Day in the Life Of.

First, thank to everyone who participated in my Monday blog carnival Working Willingly. I have really enjoyed visiting your blogs and taking a peek into your week.

Your comments have been such an encouragement to me and have inspired me to work more willingly at the tasks that I have been given. Did you miss the fun!??

Don't worry...join me next Monday for my "Working Willingly" blog carnival, inspired by Proverbs 31:13

In addition, beginning Tuesday of this week at A Day in the Life Of... I began posting a 5 day series on "Freezer Cooking". We are on day 3 and the freezer is stocked with breakfast and dinner. Head on over to see what you've missed.

Be sure to come back tomorrow when will look how to cook one meat that can be used in over 5 different dinner's. You all can add to that number by sharing meals that they would make with tomorrow's meat. In addition, for those of you follow the grocery deals than click here to see what's on sale at Publix this week.

Finally, be sure to stop by A Day in the Life Of next week. I will be posting a Coupon 101 series that will be a step by step guide to help anyone interested in shopping with coupons.

CVS: Try it...You'll Love it

Using Extra Bucks to earn Extra Bucks is the way in which I shop at CVS. I buy more than just Extra Buck earning products; however when I shop my primary goal is to never pay more than $2 out of pocket per purchase.

Extra Bucks are just like cash at CVS. They are coupons printed by the CVS cash register that can be used towards select purchases. In order to mulitply your EB's you must match them with EB items and then reduce your cost by matching the EB items with coupons.

If you are new to shopping CVS using Extra Buck, below is a really simple scenario to get your feet wet.

Transaction #1
Children's Throat Cooler Ice-Pops 6ct. $4.99 ea. (limit 2) Get $4.99
Buy 2 boxes & print a buy-one-get-one FREE printable coupon exp. Jan 31,2009
Total after coupon: $4.99+tax

Get back $9.98 EB's ($4.99 per box)

**stop here or move on to the next transaction**

Transaction #2
Naso Gel spray $7.99 (limit 2)
St. Ives skin Care $2.99
.33 candy at register

Balance: $11.31 + tax

Pay in this order
-$9.98 Extra Buck
-$2 off St.Ives

pay remaining tax out of pocket
Get back $7.99 EB's

**stop here or move on to the next transaction**

Transaction #3
CVS 24 hr. Allergy Relief $3.79 (limit 2)
buy 2 $7.58
add add a filler item...I usually get a roll of Toilet paper .89

balance $8.47 + tax

Pay with $7.99 EB
Pay the tax with cash
Get back $7.58 in EB's

**stop here or create your own Transaction #4 **

When you become more comfortable with grouping items to maximize your EB's savings you can combine many more items.

To see more scenarios on how to use $5 cash to earn more EB's visit Alyssa's blog by clicking the image below

$0.99 Movies Tonight

Need a movie to go with your free Jiffy pop-corn from Publix? Then check out 2 movies for the price of one at your local DVDXpress kiosk. With two movies in your cart, enter the code "JIGSAW" and you'll get two movie rentals for only $0.99 + tax. Hurry because this coupon code expires at midnight 01/19/09

Inexpensive Shampoo at Publix

Publix has Garnier Fructis on sale 2/$5 good till Jan 30th. I am going to use (2) Walgreens $2/1 (competitor coupon)

Final cost for two will be $1.00

Frugal Stocking Stuffers

I really look forward to getting my mail each day. It is usually filled with free items and samples of many of the products that I use. Proctor and Gamble was especially generous this week.

(3) $1/1 mfq's for Tide lanudry deteregent

(3) pouches of (1) load Tide laundry detergent
(2) $20/$30 purchase at Firestone
(1) sample of Pantene shampoo & conditioner

Last week I received the newest issue of my son's free Lego magazine subscription, (5) children's exercise dvd's, (1) Geo Trax dvd, a bible story activity kit (Noah),

a free book for a girl age 7-12, lip gloss and a science poster and the free P&G samples from today.
Many of these freebies will be donated and a few will become birthday filler and stocking stuffers.

I'd love for you to hear about your frugal tips for aquiring birthday and Christmas gifts.

CVS Deals Week of Jan 18th

These deals are compiled by Mommy Snacks.net. For a more complete list please visit her site.

$1.89 Dawn Dish Liquid B1G1 FREE
$.25 in the 12/28 P&G Insert (exp 1/31/09)
$.50 in the 12/14 P&G Insert (exp 1/31/09)
$.50 in the Homemade Simple Mailer (request only)
$.25 in the 12/28 P&G Insert (exp 1/31/09)
Net Price $.45 - $.70 each

$1.99 Crest Toothpaste (assorted varieties)
$.75 and $.50 in the 12/28 P&G Insert (exp 1/31/09)
Net Price $1.25 - $1.50

$2.99 Herbal Essences Hydralicious Shampoo/Conditioner: $1 ECB. Limit 5.
$1 in the 12/28 P&G Insert (exp 1/31)
Net Price $1.99 - $.99 after ECB!

$3.79 CVS 24-hour Allergy Relief 5 ct: $3.79 ECB. Limit 2.
********************************************************************
Additional deals compiled using the deals listed at HCW and Slick Deals

Excedrin (20 - 24 count) $1.99, use $2 coupon (or 10/19 SS) = FREE

Roc skincare - prices start at $4.99, use $3 coupon

Children's Throat Cooler Ice Pops (6 ct.) $4.99, buy two, use BOGO coupon (or 12/7 SS) and get back $4.99 EB for each (Limit 5)

Listerine Smart Rinse or Agent Blue (8.5 - 16.9 oz) $3.99, use $1 coupon and get $3 EB (Limit 5) = FREE

Soy Joy specially marked 6 pack boxes $6 and get back $6 EB (Limit 6 - reported being Limit 10!) = FREE

Kotex pads (16-20 ct.) with bonus pantiliners (16 ct.) $4.99 mine rang up at $3.27 use $1 coupon and $0.75 off printables
get back $2 EB (Limit at least 6) = $0.27-$0.52

CVS card scanner is located at the front of the store. It's a red machine that spits out coupons and you can also price check there. If you don't see it just ask an employee. You should scan your card every time you go in just in case they give you another good deal!! note courtesy of Mummy Deals

Drug Store Scenarios

I have about $28 in ECB's that I'd like to flip. I challenged myself not to spend any money out of pocket at CVS this month which means that I need to stick with 100% free after ECB deals and Free after coupon & ECB deals in order to make this happen.

Here's what I plan to purchase this week from CVS and Walgreen's

CVS

$1.99-$3.29 Colgate Toothpaste B1G1 FREE - Limit 6

*I have some coupons for $1.00/1 and some for $0.75/1 that I’ll use.

$6 Soy Joy 6 ct: $6 ECB. Limit 5

*The buzz is that these have a confirmed undisclosed limit of 10. I’ve already bought 5 and my receipt does not say limit reached.

$4.50 Dove Shampoo, Conditioner, Styler: $3 ECB (upon purchase of 2). Limit 1

I have some Dove cpns. that I've been waiting to use

Kotex pads 16-20 ct with Bonus panty liners 16 ct $4.99 get $2 ECB limit 5

*I bought 1 so I have 4 more to pick up this month. I’ll use a few $1/1 cpns. To reduce my oop cost

Walgreen’s

$2.79 Colgate Total or Regular B1G1 FREE w/ Walgreens Weekly Ad Coupon

$1.39 ea. - $1.00/1 cpn=$0.39 ea.

$3.79 Oust Air Sanitizer B1G1 FREE
B1G1 FREE Oust in the 1/4 SS Insert (exp 2/28)

$2.99 Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner B1G1 FREE
$.75 in the 1/4 SS Insert (exp 3/2)

$2.99 Aquafresh Toothpaste: Advanced, Extreme Clean or White N Shine
$2 January IVC (page 17) and $1 Printable here

$14.99 Contour Meters/Breeze 2 (x 3 cpns)

(3) $30 in the 10/26 RP Insert (exp 7/31/09) = FREE + possible overage

$.89 Kleenex Facial Tissue w/ Walgreens Weekly Ad Coupon
$.50 on 3 in the 12/7 SS Insert (exp 1/31)
$.50 on 3 in the 1/4 SS Insert (exp 2/28)

$0.72 after cpn.

Walgreen’s deals courtesy of Mommy Snacks

The Kitchen Cabinets

This lower cabinet is positioned between my refrigerator and stove. It hold all of our plates, children tea mugs and plastic tumblers. There are about four of every item. We have a 1-2 extras in case of guest. I began paring down my dishes to 1. make more room for food storage and 2. minimize the amount of dirty dishes that were being accumulated throughout the day. The top shelf hold recycled food storage containers for left overs.



This cabinet is somewhat of a catch all for useful day-to day items. The top shelf is my charity storage area. So far there's 2 cans of soup and 1 box of cereal. Once it's full will donate it to our church food pantry were they'll use it to feed the less fortunate in the community.

The next shelf is our mini office area. On the left you'll find yellow pages, the church directory, Christmas card in the process of being addressed and mailed. To the right on the middle shelf is my homemaking binder and the white thing beside my binder is our updated homework helper.
The bottom shelf has medicine on the left and school/craft supplies on the right.



This is the weirdest cabinet in my kitchen. It is set of in the corner of my kitchen and has a lot of space way in the back but no lighting . This is the opening to the cabinet.

and below is the back, which is so awkward to get to. I store food and kitchen gadgets in here.



The cabinet below holds glassware, china (in the back) and cake pans.


The cabinet below holds baking items and spices. The white canisters hold rice, flour and homemade cocoa mix. They are recycled Whey Protein containers like the one you see on the middle shelf. When the protein is done I wash the container and use it for dry ingredients. One the lower shelf you'll find the spices to the right and the baking itms to the left.


The cabinet below is directly over my stove. I keep my cookbooks and a few of the the children's reading books on the right. On the left is exra cereal boxes, pasta sauce and paper towels.

This is the dry goods/breakfast cabinet below. You'll find pastas, grits, cereal, oats, sugar, powdered milk, dried fruit and tea.

All 16 of these cereal boxes below are inconspicuosly stored behind all of the items I just showed you. I keep a pantry list in my HomeMaking Binder. It help keep track of what I have since I am prone to things away out of sight.
I hope that you've enjoyed this little glimpse into my kitchen. Thank you for dropping by.

DVDXpress Cupon Code

For those of you who have access to a dvdxpress kiosk I will be posting a coupon code here weekly for 2/$0.99 rental. This weeks rental code is "FUSION". This will allow you to Rent 1 and get 1 FREE

Check out with Coupon Code "FUSION" with 2 movies in your shopping cart.
Expires at midnight 01/12/09. Forward to your friends!

Working Willingly

I had been faithfully participating in Tiany's Monday Meanderings until other obligations caused her to discontinue hosting it. I really miss it.

I continued to post my own weekly duties but miss the aspect of visiting the blogs of other mom's and (dad's) to see how the were prioritizing their weeks. Therefore I have started a meme that will allow me to keep my priorities in order. I am hopefully that you will join me in an effort to share and encourage each other as we work willingly to care for our homes. With that said here is the button which you can save to your computer. Please add a link back to my blog within your post so that others can share their posts as well. This meme will be hosted at "A Day in the Life Of..."

Walgreen's Deals for the Wife at Home

Many thanks to Lori from Moms By Heart again this week for her help in compiling all the great deals at Walgreens. For a complete list of all the deals at Walgreens with coupon match ups please visit Lori at Moms By Heart.

Oust Air Sanitizer $3.79 B1G1
Use B1G1 free coupon from 1/4 SS insert
Final price: FREE

Colgate Toothpaste $2.79 B1G1 with insert coupon
Use $1.50 from September All You magazine or $1.00 coupon from 1/4 SS insert
Final price: 2/$0.79 or $0.21 overage

Aquafresh Toothpaste $2.99
Use $2.00 EasySaver coupon
Use $1.00 printable coupon or $0.75 coupon from 1/4 SS inser
Final price: $0.24 or FREE

Glade Air Freshener Spray $0.89 with insert coupon
Use $1.00/2 coupon from upcoming 1/11 SS
Final Price: $0.39 each

Bounty Basics Paper Towel $0.89 with insert coupon
Use $0.25 coupon from 12/28 PG insert
Final price: $0.64

Mitchum Deodorant $1.99 with insert coupon
Use $1.00 printable coupon
Final price: $0.99

Halls Cough Drops $0.99 with insert coupon
Use $1.00/2 from 12/7 SS insert
Final price: $0.49 each

How do you Celebrate?

I must admit that I have not given any of my children and birthday party since my fifteen year old turned one. That's right...fifteen years ago I was a new mother who had no friends who had children. I decided to jot down some 1st birthday party ideas and perused the party stores for the perfect decorations. I poured so much time and effort into the party and hardly any children were there.

Many of my friends, who like I said just did not have children at the time. Since then I swore of birthday parties. Don't get me wrong...three of my four children have had birthday parties in their life times, they were just not hosted by me.

My mother in law throws the parties and gets all of her friends to bring their grandchildren. It blows my mind.

Fifteen years later and many of my friends are parents and I'm thinking of hosting a birthday party this year for at least one of my children. It will probably be my five year old since he has never had a birthday party. Plus his birthday will give me till December to plan.

I haven't a clue where to start. I'm not good at decorating or planning social gatherings and as a wife I am totally lacking in the area of hospitality. So I will be soliciting advice, and scouring the web in an effort to learn all that I can about how to host a frugal birthday party without losing my mind.

Suggestions welcome.

Rite Aid $5 off $25 Coupon

Some of my favorite coupons are the ones that I print online. They offer a higher dollar value than many of the ones found in the inserts. Thanks to The Freebie Blogger we can now begin printing off a great coupon to use at Rite-Aid.

Print a $5/$25 Rite Aid Front End Purchase coupon courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coupon expires 3/31/09.

This coupon is a pdf and can be saved to your desk top for easy access. Print it as many times as needed.

Make Me Feel Beautiful

I have struggled for a long time with the idea of having plastic surgery. I struggle with being able to accept some of the physical features that I consider to be abnormalities.

Since I am bringing up this topic then should take the opportunity to be candid. I have bunions. Huge ones that make wearing many shoes and sandals out of the question for me. I long to wear a strapless shoe but would not dare to offend anyone with the sight. In addition to that, my feet have no arch...completely flat which makes for an unsightly display in strapless sandals.

The description that I've given may be blown out of portion from my personal point of view however; the opinion is one that I live with. Would having a doctor break the bones in my foot to reconstruct it to my specifications make me a better Christian, wife or mother?

Definitely not.

Why then do I want to have the surgery. Simply because it's available. Probably so that I can feel normal when I take me shoes off at the beach. I have a friend who has had the surgery. She spent six weeks in a boot shortly before the summer, but by the summer those toes were freshly manicured and fabulously displayed in a stunning pair of strapless sandals. Ohhh...the envy.

I was even more motivated to have the surgery. Deep down inside it's just a superficial desire to fit in. Who wants to stand out, but I guess it's what keeps me human. The knowing that I am not perfect helps keep God in perspective in my life. It reminds me that only He can make me perfect both inside and out.

What Motivates You?

I spend a good deal of time on the computer and consider the time that I spend valuable.

When I come away from reading blogs my goal is to come away inspired to do something for my self, my family or my home.

Earlier this week I was inspired to do a top to bottom deep cleaning of my master bath.

This weekend it was getting the children's school clothes ironed and hung. This is something that I've been doing since they started public school in August.

Here are all of the clothes ironed lined up along the deep freezer, dryer and washing machine. Now I need to match up some outfits.

Here's a few choices.

After the clothes are matched and placed on hangers (as full outfits) they're hung on a wardrobe hook outside of the children's closets.

We take down one outfit each night.

I would love for you to share a link or the name of the blog that inspires you.

Website Monitoring

When I first began my blogs "A Day in the Life Of..." and "The Wife at Home" network monitoring was one of the last things on my mind. However when I became serious about building my reader base, I learned that knowing what's going on with every aspect of your blog is a very crucial component to building a successful website.

I knew what I wanted to write about when I began blogging but was not sure if anyone wanted to hear about it. I began website monitoring in an attempt to learn what was working and what was not, I was able to fine tune my topics.

Website monitoring services help me to determine what days I have the most visitors, so that I can plan very important posts for those days. I can even track the time of day when my visitor count is highest. By monitoring your blog you can see if your blog is reaching national or even international readers.

If your blog readership is not growing, load testing may be the solution you need. Knowing what is going on behind the scenes of your blog will really help you fine tune your niche.

There are many free and for fee services to help you gain a better perspective in managing your blog. If nothing else, it is just plain fun to see what's going on with your blog when you're offline.

MY BIG GIVE

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Each week my mailbox is filled with free items such as coupons, recipe books and samples of everyday products. I get more items than I could ever use so what I plan to do is donate some of to a women's shelter in December. The perishables I will use but the non-perishables will be donated. Who couldn't use maxi pads, tampons, trash bags, pamper, laundry soap and shampoo.
I will keep adding to the box below each week until it's full. After that we'll begin again filling another box, and another all the way up until December. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Do you agree or disagree that giving opens up opportunities for us to receive?

A Restful Sleep

This year at my house is the year that we will begin doing a bit of remodeling and redecorating. If you've read my list of 2009 goals you'll know that re-painting all of the bedrooms is major priority this year. In addition to painting the bedrooms we would like to begin buying some matching furniture for our master bedroom.

Right now we have a super soft Serta mattress but that is where the luxury ends. We have this comfortable mattress with no headboard. I have tried to dress the bed up by adding two nightstands and a picture over the bed, but the room is in dire need of a makeover. One of the obstacles to buying a headboard and foot board has been cost. The other is agreeing on one that we both like. I like the leather divan beds and my husband likes that traditional wood four post bed.

I am hoping to find a happy medium soon that would incorporate both of our wishes so that when we lay down to relax we can enjoy the surroundings and have a restful sleep.

CVS Deals Jan 4th - Jan 10th

Colgate Total 2/$5 (limit 3)
Get $2 ECB's

Garnier Fructis shampoo or conditioner $2.99 (limit 1)
Get $2 ECB's

Ziploc Freezer Bag Twin Pk. quart or gallon $5.99
Get $2 ECB's

Moist Cottonelle Wipes $5.98
Get $3 ECB's

Glade Plug-ins scented oil refills of candles $5.49
Get $2 ECB's

Spend $20 on Johnson & Johnson products from page 14 & 15
Get $10 ECB's

CVS vitamins BOGO Free starting at $2.75 Use -$3/1 CVS Pharmacy item

Palmolive Dish Liquid 10-11 oz. $.97 (limit 6)

Loreal Vive Pro shampoo & conditioner $2.99
mfq in 1/4 newspaper

Birthday Getaway

With Christmas gone and my birthday on the horizon, my husband and I have begun making plans for my birthday slash Valentine's day getaway. He is leaving the destination place up to me. Some options that we are looking at are Orlando, Florida and Branson, Missouri .

My best friend and her husband will be traveling with us which is a treat within itself. We always have a great time when our families travel together or when we travel together as couples. Between my best friend and I, we have 8 children total. We both have two boys and two girls. We both are around five feet and married men well over six feet.

For the Bransom, Missouri destination I am considering to places. The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is my first choice and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is my second. Both locations are beautiful and offer top notch accomadations at an affordable price. The Romance Package for a couple starts at $139 a night. This package is dubbed " The ultimate in "do not disturb" getaways... " and that is exactly what I am looking for in a romantic getaway.

The package includes in room sparkling wine or cider once we arrive...ooo! la! la! The rooms are fitted with a specially made Serta mattress called the Hilton Serenity Bed. It has a Suite Dreams mattress and box springs, Super Topper mattress pad, down-filled comforters, Touch of Down pillows, 250 thread-count sheets and duvet cover, along with custom decorative bed throws.

One night on this mattress and you'll want to purchase your own. I know from experience, that's why I own a Serta now.

Even the amenities are top notch. Each suite is filled with items from Crabtree and Evelyn's La Source bath amenities."

While in Branson we will probably spend most of our time relaxing at the hotel during the day. Our evenings wil be spent dining and at the local theaters. With four children and the price of movie tickets we have really fallen behind on what's new at the box office.

If you've ever been to Branson or live in Branson I'd love to hear about some good places to visit while there.

Walgreen's & CVS Jan 4-10

Please vist Lori at Moms By Heart for the full list of deals and coupon match ups for Walgreen's this week.

:: Walgreen's

Flintstones Vitamins $5 each
Get $10 RR wyb $20 (before coupons)
Use (4) $1.00 coupon from 1/4 SS insert or printable coupon
Use (4) $1.00/1 from Walgreens coloring book inside flap
Final price: $.50 each

Palmolive Dish Liquid $1.79
Use $1.00 instant coupon
Use $0.25 from 1/4 SS insert
Final price: $0.54

Softsoap Hand Soap $0.99 (I'll hold out for the Kroger 10/$10 sale where my cpn. will double)
Use in-ad coupon to get this price
Use $0.25 coupon from 1/4 SS insert
Final price: $0.74

Quaker Instant Oatmeal $1.99
Use in-ad coupon to get this price
Use $0.70 from 1/4 RP insert
$1/1 Print Your Coupon (print limit 10)
Final price: $1.29 or $0.99

********************************************
:: CVS

Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste 2/$5.00
Get $2.00 ECB

Use $1.00 CVS Beauty Book coupon

Use (2) $1.00 coupons from the September All You

Final price: OVERAGE
(Limit 3)

Colgate Total Toothpaste, buy 2/$5
Get $3 ECBs (limit 3)
$1.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste printable
Better than FREE after coupons and ECBs!

Speedstick 24/7 Anitperspirant/Deodorant 2/$6.00
Get $3.00 ECB on 2
Use B1G1 coupon from 1/4 SS insert
Final price: FREE
(Limit 1)

Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler, $2.99
Get $2 ECBs (limit 1)
$1/1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment, exp. 5-1-09 (RP 1/04/09)

What Are They Interested In?

As a mom of four children toddlers to teenagers I feel like it is important for me to stay abreast of the movies, television shows and music that is constantly being marketing to our children.

I find myself viewing movies, television shows and music now as a critic, not only on behalf of my family but others as well. I have submitted over fifty movie reviews online in November and December alone.

I often check websites that offer music reviews before allowing the children to even listen to many songs. These days with a fifteen year old I find myself heading over to the Pop Music Reviews section to see what the latest music artist spewing out.

Music, movies and television shows are a big part of our society, however, I think that it is an important practice to become familiar with what is being marketed to our youth. With the information that I gather I am able to help guide them in choosing entertainment that will encourage them to be better and to do better.

There are many sites available that will give you detailed information regarding movies, music and television shows. With internet access we can access the information at a click of a button...or hyperlink.

What means do you use to educate yourself on the content of youth music, movies and television?

$5 off $25 CVS Coupon

Be sure to check your email for your $5/$25 CVS coupon. Mine was sent 2 hours ago. It cannot be shared since it has your name is on it. The coupon reads as follows:

Your Name Here,
Print this coupon to use at any CVS/pharmacy store.
Save $5.00 on any purchase of $25 or more with your ExtraCare card.*

Offer valid only for intended recipient.

Hurry!!! Coupon expires 1/4/2009

Walgreen's Deals Jan. 4th

$2.99 Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Stylers
$2 January IVC (Page 14)
$1 in the 10/5 (exp 1/31) and 11/9 RP Inserts (exp 2/9)
$1 in the 1/4 RP Insert (exp 5/1)
Net Price: FREE

$1.25 Progresso Soup w/ Walgreens Weekly Ad Coupon
$.50 on 2 AND a $1 on 4 in the 11/23 Smart Source Insert (exp 1/17/09)
$.50 on 2 AND a $1 on 4 in the 12/7 Smart Source Insert (exp 1/31/09)
$.50 on 2 in the 1/4 SS Insert (exp 2/28)
$1.10 Printable here
Net Price: $.15 - $1 each

$.33 Hunts Tomato Sauce w/ Walgreens Weekly Ad Coupon
$1 on 2 Printable here
Net Price: FREE

$3.49 Electrasol Gel Pacs 20 ct
$2.50 in the 11/4 SS Insert (exp 2/1)
$1.50 January Easy Saver Rebate (#31)
Net Price: $1 - money-maker after Rebate!

$.99 Reynolds Aluminum Foil w/ Walgreens Weekly Ad Coupon
$1 in the 11/9 Red Plum Insert (exp 1/4/09)
$1 in the 11/16 Smart Source Insert (exp 1/10/09)
$1 in the 12/7 Smart Source Insert (exp 5/31/09)
Net Price: FREE

CVS ECB Deals for January

In an effort to continue to increase my savings I will be making some modifications to my spending habits. Up until now I have divided my income in three parts 10% Tithe, 50% savings, 40% spending. Starting today it will be divided as such 10% Tithe, 70% savings, 10% my spending money, 10% hubby's spending money.

During the month of January I will only spend my 10%, ECB's, RR's, Gift Cards and any other non-cash means of purchase. That is a 40% reduction in spending from last month.

This will be tough at first especially since I am hard pressed to pass up any good deal, however, in order to pull this off I'll need to do two things.

1. Leave my debit card at home
2. Leave my checkbook at home
3. Only carry my 10% cash, ECB's, Gft Card and RR's

Here's what I have to spend so far $11 Walgreen rebate card and $6 ECB ($4 & $2). The best way to hold on to my ECB's is to use them for free after ECB items only.

Here is my plan for this week:

Buy 1 (+ one free w/coupon)
Children’s Throat Cooler Ice Pops 6 ct., $4.99
Get $4.99 ECBs (limit 2)
BOGO Children’s Throat Cooler Ice Pops printable
Better than FREE after coupon and ECBs!

NasoGel Drip Free Gel Spray 1.52 oz., $7.99
Get $7.99 ECBs (limit 2)
$2/1 NasoGel Drip Free Gel Spray printable
Better than FREE after coupon and ECBs!

Preparation H wipes 10 ct., $4.19
Get $1 ECB (limit 5)
$2/1 Preparation H printable
$1.19 after coupon and ECB!

Transaction #1
Buy 1 NasoGel @ $7.99
-$2 MQ=$5.99+$0.55 tax=$6.55
use $6 ECB to pay (roll over from last trip)
$0.55 OOP
Earn $7.99 ECB’s

Transaction #2
Buy 1 NasoGel @ $7.99-$2 MQ=$5.99
Buy 1 Prep H $4.19-$2 MQ=$2.19
Total $8.18
pay with $7.99 ECB from trans. #1
Pay $1.02 OOP
Earn $7.99 & $1 ECB

Transaction #3
Buy 2 Throat Coolers @ $9.98/2 (get 1 free per purchase w/Q)
use $4.99 BOGO Free Q
ECB’s ($7.99 & $1 from trans #2)
Pay $1.68 OOP
Earn $4.99 & $4.99 ECB’s


Total value of items $30.15
Total OOP $3.25
Total ECB's earned $9.98 ($4.99 & $4.99)

or

Trans #1
Buy 2 Throat Coolers $9.98
Buy 1 $0.33 candy filler
-$4.99 use BOGO free coupon
-$4.00 ECB (from last week)
-$2.00 ECB (from last week)
-$.02 OOP
Earn $9.98 ECB's $4.99 & $4.99

Trans #2
Buy 2 Naso Gel $15.98
1 Prep H $4.19
Total $20.17
$20.17-$3/$15 CVS Q=$17.17
$17.17- $9.98 ECB from trans #1=$7.19
$7.19-(2) $2/1 Naso Gel Q's ($4)=$3.19
$3.19-(1) $2/1 Prep H Q=$1.19
$1.19+ tax on $20.17=$2.33 OOP

Total OOP $2.35 cash
Started with $4 & $2 ECB's & $3 cash=$9
ECB's rolled $4, $2 & $9.98
Total ECB's earned this trip $7.99, $7.99, $1, $9.98=$26.96
otal used from this trip $9.98
Profit of $17.96
Over $30 worth of items for $2.35 cash oop
ECB's remaining $7.99, $7.99, $1

For additional deals visit Deal Seeking Mom

Goals for 2009

Below is a list of some of my goals for 2009 in order of importance.

Spiritual/Personal Goals:

Read my Bible Everyday
This is so easy to do when I am homeschooling. Incorporating it into my lesson plan keeps me accountable and consistent.

Bible Study
Continue in Proverbs 31, Colossians 3, Titus 2 and Psalms

Develop the discipline to to pass up a deal.
To many trips to the store during the week adds additional wear and tear on our (only) vehicle.

Determine set work hours for freelance assignments

Determine new computer/blogging time frames
I have been wasting way too much time on the computer lately

Choose two-four reliable sources for weekly deals
I spend way too much time researching every available deal option

Commit to going to the gym again 2 days a week with my family
I always fall off of the band wagon when it gets cold out. This will be an easy goal since I enjoy working out with my family. In addition, I received some cute new gym clothes and sneakers for Christmas

Homeschool Goals:

Get 9th grader registered for virtual public school
She was accepted to our state virtual high school. Yippee! Re-learning Algebra was killing me.

Begin working on Lesson plan for the children in May 2009

K-5
2nd grader
4th grader

Get all three computers serviced and in working order

Homemaking Goals:

Crochet Dishclothes for 2009 Gifts

Decide on two-four main sources for finding shopping deals

Narrow my shopping route down to 2 grocery stores and 2 drug stores
Kroger, Publix, CVS & Rite Aid (Done)

Begin gardening in March 2009
veggies and flowers

Repaint all bedrooms
budget for paint, primer and brushes $130.oo

Donate clothes and food Quarterly
Salvation Army, GoodWill, Hannah's House, Church food pantry

Redo diningroom floors
Budget: (TBD)

Purchase a Dining Room Table
Budget: $300 (Craigslist)


Financial Goals:

Get Emergency Fund Fully Funded
~PLAN~
Increase savings funding from 50% of (my) income to 70%
70% Emergency Fund ~*~ 10% Tithe~*~ 10% / 10% me & hubby's pocket money

Begin keeping a detailed record of spending vs. savings in 2009 while using coupons, rebates and ECB's