My hobby

So I have two hobbies; scrapbooking and saving money. Last time I talked about my wedding album so this time it is to brag about my money savingness (I just made that a word.) In the course of two weeks, I have accumulated a lot of free things and have accumulated a lot of cheap, name brand products.

So James and Pebbles are just shocked at this deal. We got 5 boxes of cereal (all name brand cereal) for 2.35. which is 47 cents a box. I had several manufacturers coupons and 1 store coupon. This is a great promotion that is ending tonight at Albertsons. I then got 4 blocks of Kraft cheese and 1 package of Kraft Shredded Italian cheese for 4.00. What is pretty funny is I actually made 2.00 off of this promotion. So yesterday I went to Target and saw they had Kraft chese 2.00 for a block or bag so I used two 1.00 coupons and got them each for a 1.50. However, I realized that the Kraft Feeding America Promotion is still going on and I was able to print out another coupon using Jezika's printer and I got a Kraft cheese coupon from Target.com/coupons. So I took back the cheese that I had bought on Monday and expected to get $6.00 back because that is what I paid for it. However, the clerk wanted to give 8.00 since it was 8.00 for 4 blocks of cheese. However, I told the clerk that I had previously used coupons and that I should only gt 6.00 back. So she talked to the manager and because I was honest, I got an additional 2 dollars. I used that 2 dollars towards my Toys For Tots Fund. 

I got all of this stuff for 3.69. I got 2 free candles that was on clearance with a buy one get one free and a 1.50 off two candles.  Then, I got two candles and two sprays for 3.69 this week at Safeway. The promotion does end tonight. All of the dish detergent I got free from combining store deals, store coupons, and manufacturer computer.  I also got free Bio True contact solution from online. Also, I forgot to post this in the picture, but I got a bottle of Advil for free too using a coupon.

So I have had a great time saving money. I really find it fun looking for great deals for it be online deals or samples or even cutting coupons to make money on products. I also have found a lot of blessings in being honest. If I am undercharged, I always go back to the store. In all of my shopping endeavors, the store managers never ask for that money back. I one time got Tide Stain Reliever Packets for 1.49 (usually 8.99) because a clerk had incorrectly keyed in a coupon. I caught the mistake immediately and went to customer service and they thanked for my honesty and told me that I didn't need to pay the additional money (which was about 5 dollars.) Honesty pays!

I see on a lot of couponing blogs that some people even try to use expired coupons in order to get more money. I don't understand why people would purposely do that. I mean if you accidently try to use an expired coupon (which I almost did today) that is one thing. I caught it and just looked online for ten minutes for another Cimmanon Toast Crunch coupon.

Anyway, this is my hobby and I love it. Hopefully I will have enough time to continue couponing when I go back to school full time.

Its almost November

I can't believe that is almost November and that James will be a year old. I can't imagine how much time flies. Here are a couple things that just came to be recently.

I have just recently created our wedding album. Three years and no album. I really enjoyed doing it and I can't believe how much life can change in three years. Joe and I have been sealed in the temple and we are parents. That is possibly the biggest change in our life. James has brought so much joy and excitement in our lives. We never expected to be parents while we were in college and it has brought a lot of interesting conversations and what a professor called "a teachable moment." Maybe it isn't a good idea to bring him to school to study because he is the cutest distraction on the planet.

This brings me to another point; James is almost a year old. We recently were visited by the NICP nurse which is quite the controversial figure in our household. She sees him as a nine month old because that is why James should have been and for a nine month old he is off the charts in greatness. However, when you ask her how he is doing for an 11 month old, we are greeted with "yeah hes doing fine." So apparently our little boy doesn't clap and hasn't quite learned how to walk yet but let me tell you what he can do.
1. He can stand up on his own and appear to be dancing. He can also stand up in his crib when he is not happy and tries to motion you to pull him out of his crib.
2. James loves cheese and he gets it all over the place.
3. James can crawl around like his diaper is on fire. He is amazing at crawling around and getting to every place where I don't want him to go.
4. James like yogurt and cake. He doesn't get cake all that much.
5. James' laughs are contagious and always makes me and Joe smile.
6. James is an explorer. I wish I could know what he is thinking.
7. James loves the mornings and loves talk radio.
8. James grosses his legs when he sleeps. He is comfortable that way.
9. James does not like grocery shopping but then again neither does his daddy.
10. James looks adorable in just about anything>
11. James likes cats. It would be nice if cats liked him.
12. James is resilient despite a rough start.

I watched videos from him in the NICU and I have fallen in love with my little man all over again. I can't wait for Joe to come home from his field trip in San Diego because I want him to see all those videos that we took. Next week is the Trunk or Treat so it will be his first Halloween. He is going to be a flying monkey in training.

As we approach the holidays, I am looking forward to Black Friday Shopping, James' take on thanksgiving dinner, decorating for Christmas, Winterhaven, Zoolights, and the Mesa Temple Lights. Of course we will both have finals but I am sure we can celebrate around them.

Then after Christmas, we are going to Virginia.

Despite having a busy life, we have a great life.