(Don't worry, I won't be offended if you can't bear to read the whole thing) 8-)
Not in the 4'5", gray-haired, can't drive, Metamucil, cat-loving, "where's my teeth," "back in my day," sort of way.
No, it is far worse. I now liiiiiive to get my Sunday paper and my Wednesday grocery fliers. I frantically cut coupons on Sunday evening with my arthritis friendly scissors (even though it is carpal tunnel that I suffer from...but, work with me!) Then I match up coupons to sales and special bonuses and VOILA....I'm a coupon-loving stockpiler!!!
Seriously though, I have been doing very well. I have saved a lot of money, and I feel quite proud of myself. I am so excited about this! My husband, who does not really "do excited," is pleased as well.
This is what my hallway closet looks like right now....
Now this may not look like a lot, but these 3 shelves contain: 27 bottles of shampoo, 7 bars of soap (there were 7 more, but Kevin was allergic to them), 4 body washes, 19 regular sized tubes of toothpaste, 4 tubes of travel size toothpaste, 2 toothbrushes, 2 boxes of Bandaids, 7 deodorants, 4 boxes of tissues, 12 rolls of toilet paper (in addition to the 12 rolls I keep next to the toilet in the bathroom), 6 rolls of paper towels, 1 package of facial cleansing cloths, 4 packages of baby wipes, and 462 diapers of various sizes...and a partridge in a pear tree.
Oh, add to that the 226 diapers that I couldn't fit in the closet and have stored under Livi's crib...
Those things are expensive!! I stock up whenever I can. There is a spreadsheet that I found on this site (http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/) that gives you a price to beat for each size/brand of diaper. I still won't buy diapers unless it is less than their price.
Now on to my kitchen. This is what the pantry looks like...
So, guess what the cereal of choice is at our house. My sweet husband says that if there was only one choice of cereal in the world, he'd want Cheerios. Since I know that I will be buying them anyway, if they are on sale and I have coupons, I grab some. A few here and a few there....and there you go.
Also on the top shelf are Fiber One bars and a variety of other granola bars. I keep these around for days when we are running short on time in the mornings. Benjamin can eat them in the car on the ride to school. There are also, I think, 16 boxes of fruit leather that I found at a salvage grocery store in Louisiana. They were out of date, but I figured it is dried fruit, what can it hurt? I got a case for Stephanie too. None of our children have perished, so I guess it is okay. These also tag along with us on the way to school. Oh, and see the foil on the bottom? Stephanie and I got that 100% free. Our store coupons+Walgreen's coupons+Walgreen's sale=free!
Now, a few disclaimers....
1. You do have the cost of purchasing the newspaper. I purchase 2 of the Dallas Morning News double editions. This costs $6 total. It is SOOO worth it!
2. There is also the cost of driving (I TRY to make all trips in one outing if I can). My friend, Stephanie, and I have been going together, so that saves gas too.
3. There is quite a bit of time involved initially, though I see the time getting shorter and shorter as I learn more. Stephanie and I work together on finding the sales so this also makes it faster...and significantly more fun!
4. There is an inital cost if you are going to play the CVS or Walgreen's game. This can be as small (what Stephanie did) or as large (what I did..but only $14) as you want. You can read about that here (http://tinyurl.com/5wdygf) and here (http://tinyurl.com/5tfce9) However, this pays off HUGE!!!
I'm going to post about my last 2 outings when I get the chance. If you're still reading, then Great!! And Laura, if you're reading, Stephanie and I will get you yet!
(evil laughing)
Now this may not look like a lot, but these 3 shelves contain: 27 bottles of shampoo, 7 bars of soap (there were 7 more, but Kevin was allergic to them), 4 body washes, 19 regular sized tubes of toothpaste, 4 tubes of travel size toothpaste, 2 toothbrushes, 2 boxes of Bandaids, 7 deodorants, 4 boxes of tissues, 12 rolls of toilet paper (in addition to the 12 rolls I keep next to the toilet in the bathroom), 6 rolls of paper towels, 1 package of facial cleansing cloths, 4 packages of baby wipes, and 462 diapers of various sizes...and a partridge in a pear tree.
Oh, add to that the 226 diapers that I couldn't fit in the closet and have stored under Livi's crib...
Those things are expensive!! I stock up whenever I can. There is a spreadsheet that I found on this site (http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/) that gives you a price to beat for each size/brand of diaper. I still won't buy diapers unless it is less than their price.
Now on to my kitchen. This is what the pantry looks like...
So, guess what the cereal of choice is at our house. My sweet husband says that if there was only one choice of cereal in the world, he'd want Cheerios. Since I know that I will be buying them anyway, if they are on sale and I have coupons, I grab some. A few here and a few there....and there you go.
Also on the top shelf are Fiber One bars and a variety of other granola bars. I keep these around for days when we are running short on time in the mornings. Benjamin can eat them in the car on the ride to school. There are also, I think, 16 boxes of fruit leather that I found at a salvage grocery store in Louisiana. They were out of date, but I figured it is dried fruit, what can it hurt? I got a case for Stephanie too. None of our children have perished, so I guess it is okay. These also tag along with us on the way to school. Oh, and see the foil on the bottom? Stephanie and I got that 100% free. Our store coupons+Walgreen's coupons+Walgreen's sale=free!
Now, a few disclaimers....
1. You do have the cost of purchasing the newspaper. I purchase 2 of the Dallas Morning News double editions. This costs $6 total. It is SOOO worth it!
2. There is also the cost of driving (I TRY to make all trips in one outing if I can). My friend, Stephanie, and I have been going together, so that saves gas too.
3. There is quite a bit of time involved initially, though I see the time getting shorter and shorter as I learn more. Stephanie and I work together on finding the sales so this also makes it faster...and significantly more fun!
4. There is an inital cost if you are going to play the CVS or Walgreen's game. This can be as small (what Stephanie did) or as large (what I did..but only $14) as you want. You can read about that here (http://tinyurl.com/5wdygf) and here (http://tinyurl.com/5tfce9) However, this pays off HUGE!!!
I'm going to post about my last 2 outings when I get the chance. If you're still reading, then Great!! And Laura, if you're reading, Stephanie and I will get you yet! (evil laughing)
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