Working and Waiting

Meijer school supply deals!

2009-07-13T09:35:00.003-04:00

Meijer, in an effort to one-up Walmart, is offering some great deals on school supplies! Through the end of July:

Crayola 24 crayons...$0.19
Elmer's School glue...$0.19
One subject notebooks...$0.05

On Saturday (7/11) I found,

Crayola 8 count washable markers...$0.79
7 pack of pencils...$0.39
Elmer's glue sticks (2 pack)...$0.79
Pens (8 pack)...$0.89

I don't know if those deals are still on this week or not, but it's worth checking into! Keep in mind not just your immediate needs, but if you're going to make a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, you can stock up now while the savings are great!

Um, yeah...so I took quite the break

2009-07-04T13:58:00.002-04:00

I've taken a 6-month blogging break without even meaning too! I've been shopping and saving, but have really pared down on the amount of shopping I do, so there hasn't been much to write about. I've written some recently on my other blog, Radiance of Joy, if you'd like to check it out.

Another snow day

2009-01-28T20:36:00.002-05:00

Well, I was stuck at home again. I didn't accomplish nearly as much as yesterday, but I cleaned out the hamster's cage and made and froze a batch of Hamburger Helper. Of course, I didn't wash the dishes I created so...Well, there should be work tomorrow. It's about time!

Baking/Cooking day again!

2009-01-27T18:16:00.003-05:00

Well, due to a "large" amount of snow which came overnight (large in Cincy is nothing compared to Rochester, where I grew up), the roads were yucky this morning. So, I worked from home today. Except, I didn't have a lot of work. So, I got things done!

1. I started with working out for 10 minutes, not much I know but for me, it was quite the accomplishment.

2.Then, after dawdling away the morning, I did 2 loads of laundry,

3. Next, I baked brownies, a batch of muffins, a batch of Chicken Helper (which I freeze in individual portions--my own tv dinners!), and some biscuits. Most of the muffins, brownies, and biscuits get frozen for later. I pull out just what I want/need when I'm ready to eat them.

So, I've mostly re-stocked my freezer. Yeah! With musical rehearsals coming up, it's good to have quick dinners available. That's all for now.

Financial goals for 2009

2009-01-08T16:03:00.002-05:00

Over 2008, I attended Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and did great for a whole, um, month. But it is now a new year and I have a new chance to rein in my finances and hold myself accountable. This is especially appropriate as I recently changed jobs and now earn less and travel a bit further for work. So, here are my goals:

1. Create a monthly budget

2. Stick to monthly budget!

3. Save at least $100 a month

4. Re-pay parents (at least 50%): I have no debt to any companies, just to my parents. I owe them a few thousand though and feel the need to get it paid off.

5. Ask myself if I really need something before I buy it.

Those are it. They may seem really, really basic, but as I haven't done a good job, it's about all I can handle right now (esp. 1 and 2). Good luck to all who are trying to be more fiscally responsible. With God's help, I know it can be done.

Drinking milk

2008-12-15T13:15:00.003-05:00

Over the past two weeks, Kroger's had 1/2 gallons of milk on sale: 10/$10! To take full advantage, I'm drinking more milk than normal (I usually only drink about 1 glass a day) and am going to try freezing one carton. I figure if I decide I don't like the freezing thing, at least it's only $1 wasted. I even splurged and got a carton of O.J (also in the sale)! Great deal!

Otherwise, I really haven't done much shopping. I find one of the best ways for me to save money is to simply stay out of the stores! Seems simple, but once I started paying attention to sales, it became really hard to pass up great deals. But, I was buying more than I need to stock up and that just used money I didn't currently have. I'm still not good about sticking with my food budget, but it's better.

Oops! and Baking Day

2008-12-07T19:05:00.003-05:00

It's been a while.....Okay, so all my baking was from mixes, but still…today, after church, I hit Kroger. There I bought eggs (and $1 half gallons of milk!). I came home and got baking. First up, a pan of brownies which I will cut into servings and freeze for future chocolate cravings. Next, Jiffy blueberry muffins (only makes 6). Then, Jiffy corn muffins (2 boxes), yielding 15. A great way to warm up the apartment on a cold day! By the way, Jiffy mixes are only $0.39 at Walgreen's this week with in-ad coupon.

Making progress

2008-11-17T20:19:00.007-05:00

Well, yesterday I woke up feeling pretty yucky so I did not complete my entire list. I did stop at Kroger and I clipped coupons and started my shopping list for the week. The rest of my list I pushed until today.

Tonight, I hit the ground running! I got home and immediately started cooking chicken (3 meals worth) as I had forgotten to pull it out of the freezer this morning. Then, I threw in 2 loads of laundry. I cooked up a bag of Lipton rice and sauce (3 meals for me) and mixed it with broccoli. After eating, hanging one load of laundry to dry and tossing the rest in the dryer, I washed dishes, made tomorrow's lunch, and baked cinnamon rolls. As soons as the towels were done, they were folded a put away (not something I'm good at). The extra food was put in containers and one went in the freezer and one to the fridge for Wednesday's dinner. Now, it's time to relax a bit. Good night!

I did it!

2008-11-15T20:02:00.003-05:00

Today, I had the day pretty much all to myself (with a 2-hour exception)! This has not happened since, um....June or so. Anyhow, I made myself a to-do list and actually did everything on the list plus I changed my sheets (I'm not too good about doing this). Here's what I did today:

1. Dishes (no dishwasher, just me. Did two "loads")
2. Laundry: Darks and shirts (2 loads total)
3. Bake corn muffins
4. Clean bathroom (not heavy-duty cleaning, but still needed done)
5. Send belated birthday card
6. Pay a bill
7. Grocery shopping: Meijer
8. Walgreens
9. Work on Operation Christmas Child boxes

Now, to be fair, some of this seems pretty quick and mundane. But for me...this was an extremely productive Saturday. Probably because I've been too busy to do anything but the necessary.

Goals for tomorrow (about a 4-hour time frame b/w church and rehearsal)
1. Laundry: Whites and towels
2. Grocery shopping: Kroger
3. Keep on OCC boxes
4. Clip coupons/plan weekly shopping trip(s)
5. Ironing?

Have a great night and a blessed Sunday!

Free Samples Galore

2008-11-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

Right now, Walmart is offering a bunch of free samples! Check it out here: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx

Freeflys.com also has a number of free samples listed.

Recently, I've received Dove lotion, Neutrogena face wash, Always products, Orville Redenbacher popcorn cakes, and a Kashi cookie. Yummy!

Happy sampling!

My financial year

2008-11-13T12:01:00.001-05:00

As the year nears an end, I've been thinking about how I did financially this year. My biggest success came from starting to read Crystal's blog and learning how to get the best deals possible on groceries and personal items. I have saved hundreds since March following the ideas from Crystal and couponing!

My biggest challenge is in the works. I switched jobs recently and, in doing so, took a paycut to my bank acct. Technically, I got a raise, but I now pay much more for health insurance. But, I prayed long and hard before the change and felt God leading me to take the new job so I know He'll work it out.

I also began selling Mary Kay this year. As it's brand new for me, I've spent more than I've earned so far, but am looking forward to moving into the black fairly soon. Well, that wraps up my financial report for 2008, now to start working on goal-setting for 2009!

Compassion International

2008-11-12T15:13:00.001-05:00

Get this widget!

Compassion – Make a Donation – Sponsor a Child

Compassion International: Releasing Children from Poverty in Jesus' Name

2008-11-12T11:53:00.001-05:00

I sponsor a little boy (well, he's almost 13) in Haiti through Compassion International. For $32/month, I help provide Ivernal with school supplies, food, health care, and the chance to hear God's Word. What's best is that I can write to Ivernal as much as I like and he writes back to me as well! His letters are treasures and remind me of how important my sponsorship is. One person can make a difference in fighting poverty!

Hello World

2008-11-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

I've been posting on Wordpress.com but am a bit dissatistfied with the layouts available. So, I'll try Blogger and see what I think.

A little about me: I am a single mid-20's woman, working full-time in an office setting for the betterment of early care and education. I am a Big Sister, a Compassion Advocate, volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, attend church regularly, and participate in community theater. That being said, I have very little free time! But, in that free time, I'm learning how to play the coupon game and am saving big time on groceries (thanks Moneysavingmom!).

This blog will be mostly space for me to write about my life and about my thoughts regarding society, singleness, and children. I hope you come back to visit and I'll try and write at least 3x a week. Thanks!