Recently, I've decided it's time to turn frugality into more of a hobby. I've tried couponing before and it never seemed like I saved enough money to be worth the cost of the newspaper or the time it took to cut the coupons. But I'm trying it again. So I've been spending all my computer time checking out "deal" blogs and searching obsessively for coupons online. Filling out forms, signing up for email lists, getting all kinds of spyware put on my computer as it turns out--ALL in the name of getting a coveted "Q". Or even a not-so-coveted one.
So, since all the crazy frugal mom blogs seem to do this, here is a picture of the deals I've gotten in the last couple of weeks. I got all this stuff for $1.18. Plus one more pack of applesauce cups that we ate already :) I'm proud of this little stash, it makes me feel productive or something.
Some of it is stuff I wouldn't normally use (like Irish Spring... if our family suddenly starts smelling like leprechauns, you'll know why....) but there's this whole CVS thing where you earn "bucks" but then you have to spend them on something else that earns bucks (if you want to keep the good times rolling...), and Irish Spring was better than a bottle of Vitamin D pills.
This week I'm already feeling a little less excited about the whole thing, and the only freebies on the horizon are a pack of toilet paper, an Easter egg dying kit and a box of South Beach Diet granola bars. I'm not sure I care enough about those to take a trip to 3 stores. But I'm going to try to keep going for at least a couple of months and see if I can get into the groove.
Also, any avid Michigan couponers out there notice that we get different coupons than other places? It seems like the deals I'm finding listed on other websites are using coupons that I didn't get. Which is frustrating.
And I also ventured into the land of consignment clothing stores. I'm not sure I like it. I didn't get much money, and then I felt obligated to spend it at the store. I did find a few things I liked there, but it took a long time and was just a pain in general. We did get a free Melissa and Doug puzzle for going in, though. Maybe I'm just proud, but I found the whole thing kind of humiliating.
In going through the kids' old clothes, I reorganized them all and here is the girls' 0-3 mo. tub vs. Sam's 0-3 mo. tub.
It pays to be the first child :)
If you got through this whole boring post, and have a frugal tip to share, please do! Who knows, maybe one of these days you'll find me dumpster diving.
