I'm done for a while

Hi friends-
If anyone out there still checks in, I'm sorry for my total lack of writing.

I'll leave the blog up, but am closing it off to comments.

For fabulous money saving advice, visit my friends Bargain Becky and Wicked Cool Deals.

Spammers

Have taken away the fun of blogging. :(

Tomorrow is a big day, people

I know, I know. I've disappeared. Life has been crazy- good crazy- and my blog has slipped from the list of priorities.

BUT I'm coming out of hibernation with an alert (for the 3 people who might still read this blog) about a mass coupon distribution in tomorrow's newspaper.

Carve out an hour tomorrow. Sharpen the scissors. GET READY.

(Thanks Michelle!)

$5 off $25 at CVS

Sure, you have to take a boring quiz to get this coupon- but it takes a minute or two. It's worth it.

Remember- give this coupon FIRST for maximum savings... then, fork over your other coupons.

Thanks for posting this, Michelle- this is really helping me score some cheap diapers!

If Shaws is Nearby,

This week is KILLER for cheap and free stuff.

They're having a General Mills/Unilever promo this week... spend $30 on PRE-SALE prices, get a $15 coupon for your next purchase. Oh yeah!

There are a million ways to work this deal, but I'm going to start simple, and with things we need. This is my husband's furlough month, and the budget is super tight- so I need to make deals like this work hard for the old family right now.

Here's my plan:
(2) Skippy Peanut Butters (Presale $5.18 on sale for $4) -$1 off 2 (from paper)= 2 for $3
(2) Chex Bars (Presale $7.58, on sale for $6)- (2) .60 (will double)= 2 for $3.60
(4) Yoplait Yo +(Presale $11.96, on sale for $10)- (4) $1 (from paper) = 4 for $6
(2) Fiber One Yogurt (Presale $5.98, onsale for $5) - BOGO (cereal box) and $1 (from paper) = 2 for $2.50

So, after sale prices and coupons, I'll score all of that for $14.10, then get a $15 coupon for my next purchase.

So people, go get your fliers and make a plan!

Super Smart Shoppers: Does anyone know if I can roll these cats (coupons?)

So I went back on my word,

and shopped at Walgreens. Twice.

But this time, it was WORTH IT.

Here's why- I needed a bunch of stuff, and I was able to score it on the cheap.

Here's what I did- you might want to check it out...

Trip #1
Bought 2 Nutrashield Sunblocks @ 11.79 each. (Used 2 of these $5 off coupons.) (Thanks Michelle!)

Scored a $10 Register Reward for buying 2 Coppertone Products.

Bottom line- Spent $13.58, got $10 RR back.

Trip #2
Bought:
1 Huggies @ $10 (Used $1.50 off coupon I got in the mail)
5 Kotex liners @ $3 each (Used 5 $1 off coupons- my mom found them in a coupon book Curves gives out)
4 Sharpie Markers @ .50 each (flier coupon)
4 baking soda @ .50 each (flier coupon)
Used this sweet $5 off $25 purchase- good only yesterday and today! (Thanks Michelle!)
Used my $10 Register Rewards
Scored $5 Register Reward for Buying over $20 of Kotex and Huggies

Bottom line- Spent $6 and change (I can't find my receipt... but I know it was 6 something) and got $5 Register Rewards back.

When Walgreens is good, it's really good.

Here's the reason for the baking soda and sharpies... Walgeens has a pain in the butt policy that you can't use more coupons than items- So since the price was right and I use these anyway, I bought them to make my transaction legal. :)

The Price of Milk

It's summer in New England (sort of), so my kids and I have been spending more time outside and less time online. It will probably be that way for another month or so. I've probably lost all of my readers, including my mom, but hey- summer is too short up here. We've got to live it up while we can.

Anyhow-

Today, a friend pointed out the insane regional price differences of some pretty basic groceries.

So I'm curious...

How much is a gallon of milk where you live? Like for NORMAL people (not crazy bargain hunters like us)?

I know there are even differences based on what kind of milk and where you shop. Around here (just outside of Boston), I've seen milk as cheap as $2.10ish at BJs, but it seems to be in the $3.50ish range at most grocery stores (regular price).

So indulge me- where are you, and what did your last (regular priced) gallon of milk cost?

Government Cheese

I grew up in a hard working middle class family- but we lived in an area of Connecticut that had more than its fair share of upper class folks (think country clubs, BMWs, and overpriced restaurants in the town center).

Not too far away, there was a small, exclusive boarding school for boys. My friend got wind that they were having a dance, and obviously, needed girls. We made our best attempt to look well bred and hopped in my parents' Aerostar mini van.

All was going well at the dance... that is, until one friend, in a nervous moment talking to a boy, disclosed that government cheese makes excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.

Pause tape.

OK- here we are, surrounded by cute, rich boys, and she says WHAT?!! Needless to say, her new friend could not relate. The details get fuzzy after that- but I'm pretty sure it was a night-ender.

I haven't had the opportunity to try government cheese, although I bet it does taste darn good.

However, here's what I am digging these days- cheese scraps from the deli, which I think are about as sexy as the government variety.

I always saw them there- sitting in their little styrofoam package- looking all pathetic and frazzled. It was my mother who picked them up and said, "I bet the kids would love these... you break their cheese into little bits anyway." You know what? She was right. For $2.99 a pound, there is a sweet variety of cheese in that package.

So I'm over my deli snobbery... I don't need cheese cut fresh from the block... and I will be darn proud if my little girl spills the beans to someone at some snooty dance someday.

Q&A Session- Follow up to Cloth Diapering Post

OK, So the news is out. I use cloth diapers.

While I dig the environment, you wouldn't see me and immediately default to "Earthy crunchy tree huggin' mama..." I'm pretty normal.

So yes, normal people cloth diaper. Why? Lots of reasons:
1. Less nasty poop in the landfill
2. Cheaper
3. Cuter.. much much cuter.
4. Just as reliable as disposables (these are NOT your grandma's cloth diapers...)
5. I know there are more but I'm not creative right now- just know there are a zillion GOOD reasons to do it.

So here are the questions I've gotten via email/comments... I'll answer more if you leave them in the comments section.

What are the good brands I should know about?
OK- There are a zillion good brands, and several kinds of cloth diapers. I use only pocket diapers. There are 2 pieces- a diaper that comes in cute colors, and a towel-like insert that goes inside to collect the pee. I have used 5 brands- bumGenius 3.0, Fuzzi Bunz, Haute Pockets, Happy Heiny, and Swaddlebees (How funny are these names?). My favorites, by far, are bumGenius and Fuzzi Bunz.

Why does it seem most parents start cloth diapering when baby is a few months old?
I don't know. I'll tell you that with my son, I was a freaking mess about EVERYTHING as a new mom- the last ting I wanted t worry about was washing poop. But when I started at 4 weeks, it was so not a big deal.

How many cloth diapers do I need to start?
For one kid, I'd say 12-15 should be fine.
Did you use the sized diapers or the diapers meant to fit through potty training?
Both. When we started, Fuzzi Bunz only came in sizes. We started with them. When Jennie was born, I bought some bumGenius one size. Now, Fuzzi Bunz makes a one size- I would have been ALL OVER that. Why? The snaps are more durable, kids can't undo them, and hey grow with your baby.
How did your husband really feel about cloth diapers?
I asked him. His first response: "Fine. I mean, shaking the poop in the toilet was gross at first, but not as gross as having it sit in a Diaper Genie for a week, or a landfill for 500 years. Really, if I have to wipe a butt anyway, what does it matter if it's in a disposable or cloth?"

OK- What other questions are there? I don't mind up close and personal poo questions. I can handle it.

Wow- this is a sign of MY TIMES.

Right now, my hair is sopping wet- with Natural Instincts hair color... #9N- Dark Neutral Blonde.

Last time I was in this situation, I was 17, the color was jet black. It did not come out in 28 washes as the box promised.

Since my teenage coloring escapades, I've become more of the sit in a salon chair, pay $120 fr a highlight type... even if it was a twice a year luxury.

Well, we can't afford it anymore. Not twice a year, not even less frequently.

Oh- and those two kids? They made my hair change color- seriously... it used to be dark blonde- it's now a (not pretty) dingy brown.

I tried to get used to it, but I don't like it.

So that's how Natural Instincts reentered my life. I bought the box with my Walgreens Register Rewards- so it was free.

Oh! 10 minutes is up! I'd better go see what free bought me. I'm not expecting much- I know I get what I pay for.

If it's terrible and we know each other in real life, just pretend not to notice, OK?

42% Cash Back on Used Diapers...

You can't get that with disposables.

So I have 2 kids, 16 months apart. Needless to say, since my daughter joined our family 14 months ago, I have been changing a TON of diapers.

While you will see me post the occasional deal on disposable diapers, we are a cloth diapering family. We started using cloth when my son was 4 weeks old- so we've been at it for about 2.5 years.

Truthfully, this is one thing we did NOT do to save money. We did it to reduce our environmental impact. Let's be honest- our kids are the ones who will be forced to deal with the consequences of our crappy environmental choices, so we figured they could start doing their part right now- as babies.

So like I said, this was not an economical decision (in the beginning). The cloth diapers were not cheap up front. We paid $18 each, and at our highest, had around 30 or more.

However, over time, these diapers paid for themselves, and are now paying us back.

I'll use the set of 12 Fuzzi Bunz I bought a little over 2 years ago. My son wore them from age 4 months-2.5 years. My daughter started sharing them with him when she was 3 months old. I did some crazy number crunching, and estimate that this little set of 12 Fuzzi Bunz diapers, which cost me a crazy $216 to buy brand new, saved us between 6,000-7,000 disposable diapers. But I like the number 6,000... it's easy and round and happy.

So you know me, I like a deal. I buy disposables sometimes (no way on heck I'm sending all of these cloth diapers back and forth to sleepovers at Grandma's). With some serious sales, stocking up, and coupon matching, I can get good quality diapers for around .15 each... ballpark (seriously- don't hold me to my math. It's 6 am.).

So 6,000 x .15= $900.

Hm. Dang. Even with my most frugal frugality, expensive cloth diapers are looking much better than good disposables bought cheaply.

But here's the kicker- that set of 12 Fuzzi Bunz? The ones that have been lovingly washed, dried, and stuffed for over 2 years? I just sold them yesterday.

You read that right. I SOLD USED DIAPERS- their is a HUGE market for this. I know- I was a little shocked, then grossed out, then gradually moved into acceptance. So those used Fuzzi Bunz? Someone bought them for $90 yesterday. I made 42% of my initial investment back.

So $126 out of pocket beats $900, huh?

Oh, and it's much bigger than this... my kids used more diapers, and would have used more disposables- this was just a snap shot.

Oh- and I use cloth wipes, too. Cha ching.

Cloth diapers are not for everyone. But let me just say- they MIGHT be for you. In the beginning, the idea repulsed me... but I got over it quick... and I am SO GLAD this is the route we went.

Any questions?

I feel like a dirty cheater every time I set foot in Walgreens.

I'm in a long term relationship with CVS. It started when I was just a kid- so I guess it goes back, oh, 25 years? Growing up, there were 2 CVS stores in my town- one that we parked at when we went to church, and one in the town center that was the main source of my candy intake as a middle school student. CVS has always been there for me... consistent, faithful, solid. It has never let me down.

So why do I have this crazy little thing on the side with Walgreens?

I don't really like Walgreens. The aisles are cluttered, the shopping carts stick, the checkout is slow.

BUT... every once in a while, Walgreens sucks me in with what appears to be a rockin' deal. Sometimes the deal pans out (think $3.33 Huggies back in March), but generally, I am greeted by fine print, empty shelves, and Register Rewards that expire way too quickly.

Today, I had the opportunity to make a quick run out alone (parents of mini kids... you know how valuable this is).

This week, Walgreens is running that buy 8 Skippy or Ragu, get 8 Register Rewards promo, and a BOGO on razors- all items on my restock list- so despite my short supply on Skippy coupons, I headed out.

I get to Walgreens, a bit of a drive from my house. They have 2 jars of pasta sauce, no razors. YO.

Not to be dissuaded, I decided to make the trip to Walgreens #2. It was a trafficy drive, but I knew that if I could restock my pantry with staples, it would be worth it.

I head in. No Ragu, one razor.

Dude- they make it IMPOSSIBLE to do their deals.

I stocked up on peanut butter, overpaid, and left feeling like a cheating spouse. I had been searching for something better, and had been disappointed. AGAIN.

So Walgreens, after I use my $8 Register Reward (which probably expires in 12 seconds), we're on a break. You've let me, my time, and my household budget down too many times.

I'm going to rekindle my relationship with CVS. They've never made me feel yucky and used.

Anything tastes good with shredded cheese

OK, So it's Tuesday at 9:30 pm, and I haven't spent money on groceries yet (well, since Friday). That's good, right? :)

So far, we've been hitting the leftovers hard, but reinventing them a bit. Leftover spaghetti became a pasta bake- with cheese. Leftover chicken? Chicken Pot Pie... with cheese.

God bless those Kraft shredded cheese printables from a few weeks ago, and double God bless Stop & Shop for running a sale on them for $2 each- my freezer is jam packed with $1.50 bags of Kraft shredded cheese.

How do you reinvent your leftovers?

Today, I needed some milk...

and formula. Oh, and a razor for Rob.

BUT- This week, I only have $50 to spend on stuff like that, so I'm in super cheap mode.

I found a way to spend NO MONEY on it. Seriously- my total was $0.00, and I got 3 extra bucks.

Here's what I bought:
1 gallon of milk- $2.99
1 Similac (ready to drink) formula- $5.00
Schick Quatro Razor- $7.99

Here's how I paid:
$2 off any Similac coupon
$4 off any Schick coupon (in today's paper!)
$5 CVS Extra Bucks
$5 Similac Formula Check

So really, they owed me .02, but it doesn't work that way. :)

So far, on day 3 of our $50/week budget, we've spent nothing.

Tonight's dinner- chicken breast, fresh green beans, corn on the cob. Estimated cost- $3.00

Dinner for (about) $2

So I'm not enough of a home economist to figure out what a meal costs to make down to the last bite. I guess I could, but honestly? I just don't want to. So I'll do my best guess.

Anyway, tonight's dinner was Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese and Salad (I substituted regular milk for the half & half).

Here's why it was (about) $2:

-I used Wacky Mac pasta- I got it for free using a Smart Source .75 printable coupon. This pasta was $1.25 a bag at Shaw's, and they doubled my coupon... so I guess it was better than free. It was -.25.

-I used a bag of Kraft shredded cheese from the freezer. I remember that after a sale/coupon combo, it was $1.50. So I guess that brings the total to $1.25.

-I bought a head of Romaine and a cucumber at Roxies for $1.59... I washed and cut it into a (basic) salad. We ate about 1/3 of it, and will use the rest for 2 more dinners this week. So I guess that was about .50 worth. My total is around $1.75 now.

-I'm going to guess that the bit of butter, dressing, flour, and milk that went into this recipe make up the last .25... maybe .50. We'll never really know.

But bottom line? My family ate for $2... and there's plenty of leftover mac & cheese for lunches this week.

Please be nice: A Public Service Announcement by Katy

So I don't think that a lot of big jerks read Happily Average. Overall, I think we're a nice bunch of folks trying to make ends meet.

So I don't think any of us NEED this story, but I'm going to share it anyway.

Last night, I made a quick Walgreens run. I was headed toward the checkout when I saw someone huff out of the store. The manager pointed to the cashier and said, "Next time, card her... every single time."

I have no idea what happened here. I can make some inferences, but I can't be sure. I didn't see the whole scene.

What I did see was what happened next. The cashier, a girl who looked about sixteen, quietly started to cry. And cry. And cry some more... as she was waiting on people.

Here's what people did:
Lady #1: "Oh, you're not upset, are you? Don't be."
Lady #2: Barely notices the girl is crying as she's asking detailed questions about her package of Misty cigarettes. Then, she finally notices the girl's tears, and says, "You need to get a thicker skin if you're going to work with people."

By the time I got up to the register, she was starting to sob.

Ugh. I know the feeling. I used to be her.

I can (easily) recall three times from my teen years when customers made me cry at part time jobs. I'm sure if I thought hard enough, I could recall a few more. It was always over dumb things too- like lettuce on a sandwich, or the wrong kind of chocolate in an assortment. Sometimes, I think stressed out people seize an opportunity to use vulnerable employees as emotional punching bags. It sucks.

Luckily, there was no one in line behind me, so the young cashier and I had a few moments to talk- it was enough time for her to pull herself together a bit.

Man oh man... the folks behind the counter, the waitress bringing our lunch, the cashier at Target- they're real people with real feelings. Sometimes we all need a little reminder... but since we at Happily Average aren't the type to treat people like crap, let's take the opportunity to go above and beyond with kindness- or at the very least, stick up for the cashier when another customer isn't as gentle.

$50 a week

OK, So a couple of weeks back, we found out we were going to lose a chunk of income this summer. While were prepared for the blow, the reality didn't suck any less.

To get ready for a lean paycheck, we are cutting back where we can- so I'm giving myself a new little challenge to work with.

Starting with this week's grocery specials (Friday 6/12), our family will be going on a $50 per week grocery budget.

Will we be able to do it? I don't know... I think so. Here's why:

1. I stockpile shop. I have a tone of non-perishables in the basement at any given time.
2. I prepaid for us to be part of an organic fruit and veggie CSA this summer- so fresh produce won't eat into our budget.
3. My family is down with simple, no frills eating.
4. My kids are really young... and I am REALLY trying to lose weight (OK- I'm not a bubble head. I know this will make it harder... just dreaming.).

So I'll keep you involved in the process- I'll share my grocery lists, coupons, and meal planning. Who knows- I might spot some can't miss deals for all of us since I'll be extra motivated.

I'm not sure how long I'll do this for- so let's just say 4 weeks. Why not? So June 12-July 9... $50 a week. Can I get a little cheer? I need it.

So I kind of disappeared.

Not sure if anyone noticed- I was gone for a week.

Well, I wasn't anywhere- I was at home- I just wasn't online.

My hard drive died a tragic, sudden, gruesome death.

Through my frustration, I learned a few lessons...

1) I am SO GLAD I sprung for an external hard drive a few months ago, BUT- I wish I had backed my computer up more frequently.

2) I am SO GLAD that we paid the extra $100 or so for an extended warranty. Ususally, I think they are a big rip off- not so much on a Macbook. I love this computer, but unfortunately, it has given us reason to work that warranty more than once.

So hopefully I'll be back in the swing soon. I have to break my computer in all over again. Sigh. At least I have it back!

So this time, I did it a little differently...

When I cleaned out my expired coupons last month, I let my kids play in them. Fun? Yes. Messy? You bet! Useless? I guess.

Marie left a comment after that post suggesting I donate my expired coupons to the Overseas Coupon Program. This is a great service- we send our old coupons (up to 2 months past their expiration date) to a military base of our choice. Our old coupons are then put to good use by military families around the world, (they can use them for 6 months past their expiration date).

This seems easy enough. Military families do so much for us, and often don't get a whole lot in return. It's just not that hard for me to take my unused coupons to the post office instead of my recycling bin.

When Theory gets Tossed into Practice

One of our financial goals this year has been to build up a big, solid, emergency fund. I know they say 6-8 months of living expenses is optimal- We're around 4-6 right now.

Sometimes I hate our emergency fund.

It's so unsexy (not that I'm this fabulous sexy person with this insanely cool lifestyle, but you get the point). It just sits there, gaining a bit of interest, untouchable. Sometimes, I want to sneak away with a chunk of it and take a vacation. Or get a fabulous highlight/haircut. Or buy some nice clothes. Or... or... or... but I don't. I respect it, and leave it alone.

Well yesterday, I was freaking glad it was there.

My husband got notified that he'll have to take some furlough time this summer (read: forced unpaid vacation). While I'll be glad to have him around (for a week at a time), the "unpaid" part caused me to drop a few F bombs. I've been quite candid with our budget being snug, so it's clear that losing a chunk of it hurts. Bad.

However, after a few deep breaths and a couple of hysterical sobs, I pulled myself together and got over it. Then, I gave big time thanks to God (and Dave Ramsey) for our rock solid (albeit unexciting) emergency fund.

So here's a big endorsement for the e-fund. If you haven't already, get one going. It doesn't have to be huge in the beginning- just commit a certain amount every month. We set up an automatic transfer to an ING account where the balance doesn't tempt us. Don't have an ING account? Email me and I'll send you a referral code- they'll give you $25 for signing up (and they'll give me $10 for referring you- and let's be honest- I could use it!).