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Friday, June 19, 2009

Vacation Time Again

We are getting ready to go on vacation again. We will be going to Florida to see Daniel, Larissa & Dixie. I am so excited to see them. Then we will go back up to Georgia for the family 4th of July bash. It is always a lot of fun. We enjoy this time we get to spend with so many nieces and nephews, their children and of course my sisters. There is no telling what we may get into, but the the theme for the 4th this year is the Old West. Should be interesting.

My treatment is tonight (thank God for that.) My treatments will be put on hold until further notice after this one. It seems the plant that makes the medicine has been contaminated by a virus and so no one will be getting their treatments. Pray for the people in the world that has Gaucher's disease. The treatment that we take only reverses the effects of the disease. It does not cure it. Going without the treatment allows all those effects to build up. There are people who have much worse cases than I do (my sister for one) that need their treatment to desperately. I hope they make it through without too much pain.

Tomorrow night we pack, get the bills ready to be mailed while we are on vacation, clean the house, etc. Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. sharp (we've never left right on the dot) we are Florida bound!! I do dread the drive...we aren't getting any younger, ya know. But, it will be a fun time.

My grocery shopping this week cost a whole $12.23.
6 2 liters Diet Pepsi buy 4 for $5.00/get 2 free-3/$1.50 coupon when you by popcorn & soda = -$2.00
6 3 pks Orville Reddenbacher Popcorn $1.99 had 2 coupons for .50 doubled off= 9.94
4 pkgs. Oscar Mayer hot dogs $1.38 had 2 $1.00/2 coups = 3.52
Kroger was doing $3.00 off 10 items =11.46 + tax, of course.

I am trying to keep better track of my coupon savings so I will be posting those here.

My grocery spending went from $92.00 a week in May to $51.00 in June. Hope I can keep that up, but I know I will have to buy more meat next month than I did this month.

Mae

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Couponing

I have been using coupons for almost 28 years now. This is the first time I have ever really kept track of how much I am spending/saving. It is a real eye-opener. Since the week of May 15Th I have saved 40% on my groceries. I usually buy health & beauty items, paper goods, and sometimes even make-up (if it's cheap enough) at my grocery store. I have compared the items to the items at Wal-Mart and I know that I could get somethings a few cents cheaper at Wal-Mart, but I can't go in there for just what I need, and can't seem to walk out of there without over spending.

This week I have spent less than $35.00 on groceries. Today at Kroger, (my normal grocery store) I spent $11.91. I bought 2 Purex Complete 3-in-1 (on sale for $4.99) 2 Kraft BBQ Sauce ($1.08) 2 A-1 Steak Sauce-10oz. ($2.99) 3 Keebler Cookies ($2.69-2.75), and 3 McCormick's Spices (10 for $10). I had a coupon for everything I purchased. My total before Q's came up to 29.31 (sale price) I saved 14.17 using my Kroger Plus card and another $18.00 using coupons.

Here is the breakdown of what I actually paid:
2 A-1 Sauce $.99 ea=$1.98
2 Kraft BBQ Sauce $.08 ea+$.16
3-McCormick's Spices Free
2 Keebler Cookies $1.25 ea= 2.50
1 Keebler Cookies$.69 ea= $.69
2 Purex 3-in-1 $2.99 ea=5.98

Grand total $11.31 +$.60 tax=$11.91 that is a 73% savings!

I know there is really nothing to eat on this list, but it is all things that I use and since every penny counts, I saved quite a few pennies today. $32.17 worth of pennies is nothing to sneeze at.

I have always looked at coupons as money. Now that I am keeping track of my savings it is really helping me realize what I am saving and spending. My goal is to keep my grocery budget to $75.00 a week. It is getting time for me to average out the last month's spending and see how I did. I think I'll be close.

I would like to encourage you to use those coupons!

Mae

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Job

I took a temporary job last week. It was designing a Play Bill for a local theatre. It took me almost 29 hours to complete it. I worked on it all weekend and every evening for a full week. Last night I delivered it to the general manager and I am done! It was fun, but it took up a lot of my time. It was worth it, I made some extra $$$ for vacation and got 2 tickets to see Guys & Dolls. That should be fun.
This week I made a flower arrangement from my flower garden. I could not believe I got all of those flowers from my own yard. When we lived in the south I didn't have much luck with my flowers. They all seemed to swelter in the summer and I got tired of spending money on new ones. Since living here I have only planted perennials & herbs and I actually am getting some pretty flowers. I cut yellow, pink and deep red yarrow, lavender, mint & roses from my wild rose bush. It really turned out pretty.
Here are two of the prettiest things going:

Lily







Dixie

They are so beautiful! I just love them both.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Stay at Home Moms

I was a stay at home mom until my daughter (the youngest) was 12. I have never regretted one minute of that time. I have regretted some of the times that I was at work and my kids were home by themselves.

My thoughts are:
1. No one will ever love your children as much as you love your children.
2. You are the one who can instill in them, during the most
impressionable years, the values that are important to you.
3. Whether you stay at home, or go to work, you are making sacrifices.

I really believe that children benefit from having their moms at home with them. I think it builds confidence and a sense of security in them. I also understand that that is not an option for everyone. My daughter works days and her husband keeps Lily. When she gets home, he goes to work while she stays with Lily. She has the benefit of having a parent with her at all times. I am thankful for that.

Being a stay at home mom isn't just about taking care of your children. As women, we must remember that their father is more important. The relationship you build with him has to be strong enough that when the children are out on their own the relationship between the 2 of you will be there. Many people let their children come first and when they are gone there is no relationship between mother and father.

You must look at your marriage as a partnership. Both parents have equally important jobs. The working spouse has the job that provides financially for the family. He/She is out in the world all day, a world where no one really appreciates them the way they should be appreciated. So as a stay at home parent, it is up to you to make sure that when they come home, they feel as if all the hard work they do is appreciated.

But the stay at home parent has the hardest job of all. It should be that parent's job to keep the house clean, prepare meals, do laundry, run errands, shop, and take care of the children. And there is no way you could ever be paid financially for what you do.

There are other ways of being paid that are even more priceless. A husband/wife who is happy to be home, because you have made a sanctuary for them away from the troubles of the outside world. A spouse who is contented to be home with his family.and children who grow up to adults that you can be proud of.

I don't think that every room in the house should be spotless, but which ever room the at work parent walks into first should be clean. No toys lying about, an ideal spot to relax in for a few minutes before dinner. The children should be excited to see that parent. Make a big deal about that parent coming home. Run a comb through your hair, brush your teeth, freshen up a bit before they come home. If you are excited to see your spouse the children will be, too. If you are a stay at home mom, make sure your husband comes home to a woman, not just the mother of his children. Remember that he works with women all day who are dressed, have on makeup, and look nice. We all know what that can lead to. You should look nice when he gets home.

Sure the parent that works outside the home should pitch in. Everyone needs a break and in our home some jobs were my husband's responsibility (When he wasn't on deployment.) He usually took out the garbage, mowed the lawn, and still does most of the painting and repairs around the house.

I know this sounds pretty old fashioned, but isn't it old fashioned to stay at home with the children. Isn't that the point. Our mothers stayed home for decades and seemed to live a happy fulfilling life. Your life can be very fulfilling as a stay at home mom. Don't get discouraged while you are being a stay at home mom. You have one of the most important jobs there is. You are raising our future, being a constant in a world of uncertainty for your spouse and children. There are so many benefits to being a stay at home mom. Don't let anyone make you feel like a second class citizen. Just make sure you do your job well and you will be appreciated more than you can ever imagine. You may not realize it for several years, but one day you'll look back with no regrets if you've done your best.

Mae