Week 37 of 52 - Budging the Grocery Budget...or not.

I’ve heard of a person’s body weight reaching a ‘set point’ where it’s hard to get the pounds to budge. But for us, our grocery and household envelope has also hit a set point.

We have one envelope for all of our household items – groceries, paper products, cleaning products, bath/grooming items, and baby supplies.

When we first began our budget, Walt wanted to separate these into 5 different envelopes, while I preferred the one-envelope approach as I knew who would get the dreadful task of breaking down a Kroger bill into 5 parts. When we met with the financial coach, I had my one-envelope defense prepared, and thankfully he recommended one envelope before I could clear my throat. Since we were chatting via conference call with the coach, only Walt could see my one-envelope victory dance.

So we’ve managed to meet the financial coach’s budget recommendation for that envelope. To do this, we use coupons, shop sales, plan meals, and use Amazon mom for diaper discounts. But try as we might, we weren't able to spend less than his recommendation. Then last month, we had almost $200 left in our grocery budget, so I thought I’d finally broken a record! I excitedly moved some over to savings, and covered a few other expenses.

Before I could revel in my accomplishment, the September grocery budget exploded – day diapers, night diapers, 932 tubes of diaper cream (or at least it seemed), good coupon stock-ups, and a few unexpected grocery trips. Suddenly, we are only 10 days into the month with $75 left for the rest of the month. So most likely, exactly what I “saved” last month will go back into this month’s grocery budget.

Lesson learned for us – our grocery dollars can’t be liquidated for other goals. If we spend less one month, we will undoubtedly make up the difference the next. I may never embrace my body’s natural set point, but I’m at making peace with the grocery set point… at least until the little guy is out of diapers.


We've been embracing the wonderful weather lately. On the cool days, we've played outside...

On the rainy days, we watched it rain and raced our trucks around...and eventually went to the Chickfila playground to burn the energy of cooped-up little boys.

Week 26 of 52 - The Year is Halfway Over!

Do you realize this week is the halfway point of 2011?   How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions?  As I reflect on my 2011 Resolutions, I’ve learned this about being on a budget:

1. 1.  I don’t miss The Learning Channel (TLC) as much as I expected after cutting the cable, but darned if I don’t wonder how my addicted friends are doing on A&E almost every Monday night.
2. 2.  Buying coupons already clipped online saves my dear husband two trips to the local grocery store – once to buy the Sunday papers, once to return the ones missing their inserts.
3. 3.  As it turns out, tracking where money went is not budgeting.  Telling money where to go is budgeting.
4. 4.  Despite planning, inflation happens.  Gas, electricity, insurance, water, and food prices will increase.
5. 5.  Inflation is not an excuse.  Plan anyway.
6. 6.  Treating ear infections is not optional.  Pediatricians will rob a haircut budget in a heartbeat.
7.  7.  Writing about being on a budget will never attract as much attention (or be as fun) as a vacation countdown or new car photos.
8.  8.  Writing about being on a budget will make you think twice about doing something stupid with your money.  Similar to how keeping a food diary can make you stop at 2 cookies instead of 7. (Or at least make you want to break your pencil.)
9.  9.  Combining checking accounts and communicating to your spouse about your budget will make money magically appear…and disappear from your slush fund.
10. 10. Selling household items on Craigslist that no one else will miss can support a disappearing slush fund.

As for my photography, I’ve learned:

1. 1.  I love having an excuse to play with my camera each week.
2. 2.  People are smartly marketing to momtographers like me.  I will never be able to sell enough on Craigslist to keep up. 
3. 3.  The more I learn about photography, the more I realize I need to learn. 
4.  4.  People are smartly marketing to momtographers like me.  I don’t need all this stuff to make memories.
5. 5.  My out-of-focus photo will always be just that – unfocused; my semi-clever editing is no disguise.
6. 6.  Clean editing is more me than creative processing, back to learning the basics.
7. 7.  People are smartly marketing to momtographers like me.  I may need an Intervention myself. 
8. 8.  Finding a friend to critique my work - priceless. 
9. 9.  No matter the exposure, tone, or focus, I will always treasure the imperfect photo more than one never taken.
10. 10. Selling a telephoto lens doesn’t reduce the need for one.  Thankfully I have the red hair to find him in this photo.
11.  

Week 24 of 52 - Learning and Earning

Where is my sweet three-year old?   Healthy independence is good, but the times of outright defiance left me wondering if someone had replaced him with a very small teenager.  My instructions to come inside followed by:
“No.”
“I not want to.”
“I’m not your best friend,” to which I replied, “That’s right, I’m not your best friend, I’m your mother.”

“It’s just a phase,” I tried to tell myself. Several time-outs and spankings later, a friend suggested I include a reward system. Use popsicle sticks or stickers she said. Instead, I used what really excites him.

Coins. Yep, some who know his extended family might say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

So each day starts off with 5 pennies and 2 nickels in the “Keep” baggie. Each small infraction moves a penny to the “Lost” baggie. Each big infraction moves a nickel to the “Lost” baggie as well as his usual punishment.

It’s only been a week and we see some slight improvements. He eagerly picks up the toys at the chance to earn more coins.  He excitedly describes what he will buy with his money, “A teddy bear, a pink hoe for mommy, and blue hoe for me.” (He’s also very into digging in the flower beds with me.) 

We also see him learning the idea of forgiveness. He was so happy at the start of Day 2 when all the lost coins returned to the Keep baggie. Never mind that by 8:30 am, one of those coins found its way back to the Lost baggie.

A coin lost to bad behavior brings frustration, “Just throw them all in the trash. I don’t like my money.”

But oh how he loves putting the coins in his banks at the end of the day.

Week 18 of 52 - Vanity and Maturity at Odds

When we considered what we could we could do without for six months, we agreed no new clothes for the adults.  Believe it or not, it was actually my idea.  We were rocking along just fine; I was even surviving quite nicely in the small segment of my closet known as post- baby-and- not-everything-fits-quite-right-yet.  Then an email from Facebook,  “you’ve been tagged in a photo”.

I scanned the photo and thought how pretty – all the lovely ladies from my church at a wedding we all attended.  Then I paused, who was that older girl on the end?  And what was she wearing? Oh my, that’s me and that brown polka dot dress, that’s mine too...except it just wasn’t as attractive captured there for all time.

Suddenly I realized – I still have Easter to go!  Then my cousin’s May wedding!   What ever will I wear?  This dress will never do…  I will say I did pray over my childish behavior.  And without hearing of my “plight", a dear spiritual mentor calls to tell me that she’s proud of me for the financial changes we are making and God put it on her heart to send some money to buy a dress.  I was quite surprised, thanked God, marveled at His provision, and bought a dress.  

Wouldn’t it be an uplifting story if it ended there?  But it didn’t.  I then bought another dress for the wedding because after all, it was also on sale and I wouldn't want the same people to see me at the wedding wearing the SAME dress.  Then the next day, I bought a third dress because it was one of my favorite colors and I had a coupon!  I reasoned, if it had been at the first store, I wouldn’t have bought one of the other dresses, so maybe I will take back one of those dresses.  But later decided it really didn’t make sense to return the first dress because after all it was on sale and I might need a third dress before summer’s end.  Oh and Walt could use a color-coordinated polo shirt… so in my shopping haze, I end up spending $150 of our dollars.

I like the dresses and while Dave Ramsey would never understand, I tell myself that maybe his wife Sharon would… sometimes you just feel better in a new dress, or three.

As for now, I will enjoy the dresses and work on regaining my focus and maturity with our finances.   I heard Dave say, adults devise a plan and act on it while a child just does what feels good at the time. So I am trying to take Dave’s advice and devise a plan – a plan so big and long-term that the goals are more appealing than what I’m not wearing.  I can only hope my maturity outpaces my vanity.

As for my photography project this week, here's a few:  couldn't resist a shot before pushing those toes back in the crib.  Not as worried about his safety as I was his sleep being interrupted by a stuck foot...

 

While my brother was swinging him sideways...

I joked that this odd shot may be our monthly family photo... Samuel, a blurry George, Walt's arm, my foot...

Week 15 of 52 - A pleasant surprise!

As a government employee, I truly anticipated I would begin Week 15 on furlough.

In fact, we’ve been anticipating this furlough a while.  A few weeks back, we paid off our smaller debt and then put our debt snowball (baby step 2) on hold.  We didn’t want to face an unpaid furlough with only our baby step one emergency fund.   With storm clouds looming on the horizon, we reluctantly put away our colored markers.  

I’m thankful that today, I have dusted off those markers and tomorrow, I can go to work!  I am more motivated than ever to continue our debt snowball particularly since the storm clouds may revisit during 2012 negotiations.

Despite the potential impact to my personal finances, I do want to see our government reel in our debt issue.  After all, if we as individuals are trying to live below our means, shouldn’t we as a nation at least live within our means?  I could better visualize our nation’s debt problem after listening to DR’s rant during the first hour of his February 16^th show.  He read an email from Joe Q. Public with these facts:

• ·         We make $58k each year, yet we spend around $75k each year.
• ·         We have $327k in credit card debt and pay almost $10k in interest each year on this debt.
• ·         We decided to get our spending under control and spend only $72k instead of $75k!

According to him, the ratios were similar to how the government spends each year.  So while that person might be moving in the right direction to spend $72k rather than $75k, the budget still needs major trimming just to break even, let alone make progress on the debt.

Perhaps, we could dissect his math or argue now is not the time.  But when is the time?  It reminds me of our personal budget – now was not the time to deal with our student loan debt, after all, in a few short years, we would be free of diapers and childcare bills, THEN we would deal with the debt.   Meanwhile, we would fall short of other financial goals because we hadn’t devised a budget that truly addressed our spending needs of today, aggressively reduced the debt of yesterday, and planned for the future.

 It hasn’t been easy and it isn’t always fun.  Right now, I would rather be making a deposit on a vacation rental than squeezing the budget for extra student loan payments.  But I know if we stay the course, we can take a future vacation without credit card payments that follow us home.

I purposely chose to look only at the mathematics of this debt situation because I don’t want to spark a debate about how the budget should be reduced.  I loathe debating things I can’t change.  Instead, I save my debating skills for things that I can truly influence such as how toilet paper should be put on the holder.   Or how often air conditioning filters should be changed.  Besides, the fact I have lived beyond my means and accumulated debt probably means I'm not the best person to tell the government how to manage their budget.

So I sit here tonight, very thankful for the opportunity to work for another paycheck, live in this free country, vote for our leaders, and bow my head in prayer for all of them.

For this week’s photos, I've been consumed by digging in my flower beds instead of shooting with my camera so here are some quickie shots.

My little guy who is pulling up everything in sight, including us…

My toddler who refused to avert his eyes from Sponge Bob for a photo, no matter what I tried to do…
(Like the beach towel? My stain-proofing furniture measure).

Edit 4/18:  This brought a question or two, so let me clarify - if I need him to do something, he doesn't get the choice of refusing me.  Well, he has the choice and the consequences if he chooses not to do so.  But if I'm sticking a camera in his face five times a day, he gets the choice of whether to participate or not.  This is my hobby, not his, besides who truly wants a photo of a scowling 3-year old?  And yes, we are reevaluating our television choices (she says with a sheepish grin).

Week 14 of 52 - Spring has Sprung!

Every Spring, I declare it my favorite season.  Then a few months pass, the beautiful fall colors and crisp days descend, and I waver in my declaration.  But as for today, I am delighting in the birth of new flowers and green leaves, the bees buzzing and the morning dew shining.

When we bought our home, there was nothing – this multitude of wild onions, some scrubby boxwoods, a poorly-placed star magnolia, and a handful of grass seed tossed over the builder’s shoulder as he spun out of the drive.

Our adventures in yard work were initially fueled by those beautiful second trimester hormones.  During my pregnancy with George, I tied ropes around those scrubby boxwoods and pulled them out with my Toyota Rav4… my mechanic brother just shook his head and said it’s a wonder I didn’t blow it up.

We’ve learned a lot since then.  Most importantly, we budget far in advance.  Spring comes every year – it’s no surprise the maintenance expenses will follow.  Here are the top lessons learned…

• *Invest in a  landscaping class.  We took a continuing-ed class and learned we’d spent $400 on trees, plants, and plant bed accessories that were bad choices (and time proved this to be true).  Just because Lowes sells it, doesn’t mean we should buy it.
• *Over-invest in top soil and compost.  We spent 3 years trying to till and coax this red clay with a few bags of dirt.  It wasn’t until we called in the dump truck from a local nursery that we saw a difference.
• *A Toro Dingo can make light work of digging holes for trees.  At first, we gasped at the $150 price tag for a ½ day rental at our local Ace Hardware.  Then we calculated how much time it would take for W to dig 25 holes that size and realized his time (and the health of our marriage) was more valuable than that - quite the bargain!
• * Local gardening stores are the bomb-diggity.   We’ve found plants and shrubs at 1/3 the price of our local big box store.  Just last night, I saw a particular perennial at Home Depot for $4.96.  I paid $10… for SEVEN of them.
• *Look around for freebies.  We have planted 3 Eastern Red bud trees and 4 Eastern Red Cedars just by looking in the ditch and property adjacent to ours.  I also rooted a fig tree from our neighbor’s magnificently huge tree.  Yes, I got permission from our neighbor first!  

 (Terribly harsh lighting, but sometimes it's just about capturing the moment).

We still have so much to learn.  We haven’t tackled growing grass yet.  We just mow our clover and hope all the green blends together.   My dad raises beef cattle and to successfully do that, you need be just as successful in growing grass.  He wisely scanned our yard and pronounced that we still needed a ton of lime.  He was being literal… back to the budget. 

 

Happy Spring!

Week 10 of 52 - Marketing, Materialism, and What Truly Matters

Earlier in this 2011 challenge, I read this article from Jon Acuff and his words gave me pause (not to mention an occasional pinch!).

Besides making me question why I was really buying half the crap I buy, the article made me wonder about the marketing in my environment. I decided to save all the mailed and emailed marketing attempts I received for an entire month. I was surprised at the results.  I thought we received more mailed marketing than this.

I was even more surprised at how many emails I received - over 350 emails in the 30 days to entice me to spend money.  This does not count the 360 ads that went to my spam email.  Obviously these numbers do not include all the billboards, radio announcements, internet/facebook ads, television commercials, and things that others own/do which can influence buying decisions.  Wow.  One article estimated that adults living in the city see over 5000 ads each day!¹

Let me be clear, I enjoy advertising and I admire well-done commercials.  Also, this is not to say, “No wonder I am a spender, I’m just bombarded by buying opportunities! It’s hopeless, hand me that catalog before the 25% off coupon expires!”  

Rather, the intention is to recognize the lures that distract me from visualizing the victory of achieving not only our financial goals but more importantly - dare I say – our God-given purposes. 

After all, these savvy marketers are just doing their job – and doing it very well I might add - to sell me on why I need their product!  It’s our job to make sure we give first to our church, fund our emergency savings, and prepare for our children’s education (this is a choice of ours, not a mandate for anyone else).

It’s up to me to pray I will act maturely with the money I am given as well as yearn for the things of true value in this world in the brief time I am here.  

After all, isn’t that what living intentionally is all about?

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:1

For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grace.  The grass withers and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.  1 Peter 1:24-25


As for the rest of our weekend, we spent much time inside, eating and playing with Legos while we watched the rain.

¹http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/media/15everywhere.html

Week 9 of 52 - First name basis with our pharmacist

This has been one of those weeks that if not for this blog, I wouldn’t have even picked up the camera.  All but one member of my household has been sick this week. 

We started out our holiday Monday with S running a 102 temperature.   Tuesday he was pronounced flu- and strep-free but in need of an antibiotic to treat his congestion.  Total cost:  $35.

On Wednesday, we decided W’s presumed spider bite might not be a bite at all.  I did what I do best – Google research and bet him my next paycheck (as if it wasn't already allocated) that he had shingles*.  Doctor confirmed on Thursday and total cost was $35.

Not to be outdone, I got pollen in my eyes while walking on windy Tuesday.  I woke up with yucky eyes on Wednesday.  Determined to self-treat, I found a tiny tube of only slightly out-of-date erythromycin. I filled my eyes full of the goop and for a brief moment wondered if I’d lost my vision.  

On Friday I admitted my home remedies were not working and went to the doctor.  I was prescribed several medications for my allergies.  Total cost: $111.54!  

Saturday rolls in at 3:51 a.m. with a crying baby and I can’t open my eyes, double-yuck.  I do the courtesy of waiting to call until 9 am and the doc on call gives me another medication to the tune of $10.

I’m very thankful to have health insurance or this would have been far more than the $191.54 we incurred.  Still, the total exceeded my usual allotment of $70/month for medical expenses.  Far more importantly than the cost, by week end, S was perking up quite nicely.

In other news, I went consignment shopping for the boys’ summer clothes.  To buy their summer clothing, I’d saved about $300 from my Craigslist sales (this week’s sales included a pair of W’s shoes – yes, he still has a pair left and S’s too small - and unused – diapers).

$164.79 yielded 44 pieces of name brand clothing @ an average cost of $3.75/item.  Bring on summer!  

Oh and as for the grocery challenge, we are finishing out the month with $6.24.  We had to buy milk, eggs, and Gatorade.  I also used $19 for some of the pharmacy bills.  We made it!! 

*OK since the word shingles used to freak me out (as recently as Wednesday), I am doing a PSA on how it is (and is not) transmitted:  http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/transmission.html    For anyone who cares, he’s only a risk to people who haven’t had chicken pox and if they come in contact with the fluid of the blisters (and if he’s in that close of contact with anyone besides me and the boys, then he has far more to worry about than shingles - grin).  Thankfully, W’s blisters have healed and he is feeling better. 

Week 8 of 52 - What the Receiver Receives

My February challenge has been to reduce our grocery budget by almost 30% (27.2% to be exact, but this reveals far more about my personality than you want to know).  As of today we have $41.12.  Yesterday, we only had $21.72.  Let me explain.   

When faced with the option of entertaining an infant and toddler or go shopping, W eagerly agreed to hit Kroger and Publix for a few “must-have” deals.  I quickly wrote a short list of 6-7 items in the corner of the page where I’d printed the Kroger shopping list and said, “Just get these items.  Here are the coupons.  I’ll leave this longer list here in case you need to see the prices of anything.” 

When he returned home, I was surprised to see several things that weren’t on the short list.  Things bought at full price no less! When I asked, he pointed to the Kroger list and proudly said, “I got everything on your list.”  

“But I showed you the list and I said just get these things here in the corner.”   

“Why would you give me a list of things you didn't want me to buy?"

"Because I told you what you to get and I thought you were listening.  But I must talk too much and you just tune me out."

He smirked a little, decided discretion is the better part of valor (or so he tells me later), and replied, "Honey, communication is not what the sender sends, but what the receiver receives.”

I pondered his thought and resisted several eye-roll urges while the "receiver" hustled back over to Kroger and Publix to return a few items. 

To meet our grocery challenge, I mentioned earlier that I coupon and carry an oversized pink binder, but even my mom was a bit startled when she saw it, “Do you really take that big thing into the grocery store?”  

 

Besides couponing, we've been eating out of our freezer and pantry.  Unbelievably, we found 20 different meals we could make.  This weekend we ate a mountain meal of pinto beans and cornbread.  Simple and yum.

So here’s hoping I can resist the remaining sales of the month and hang on to $41.12 for 8 more days.  Thank goodness it’s the shortest month of the year!

Week 7 of 52 - Working hard for beauty

As part of our new budget, we cut our non-essential spending to the bone.  If you could see my hair right now, you would quickly surmise hair highlights must have been on the chopping block.

So to support my foils habit, I began filling out focus group research recruitment surveys with more fervor than ever.  I do this all the time, but haven’t been selected since testing out a dog food meal replacement bone a few years ago.  Yes, I did have a dog at the time.

This week Geo and I scored participant status!  I say Geo because he was my key to getting in the group.  The researchers were seeking mothers of 3- to 5-year old boys to preview a Chuck and Friends TV series and answer questions about the episodes.  This focus group was unique in that rather than a face-to-face group, you participated via a closed Facebook group.  I bragged to W about the $100 I would earn and never even leave our home.

So for three nights, we watched Chuck and his pals learn life lessons as only little trucks can.  The following day I would answer questions and share our thoughts and reactions to the pilot episodes. 

We were rolling along just fine, I was getting up even earlier than my usual 4 am, answering a few questions, and catching back up with the group after the boys went to bed.  W would occasionally comment, “Seems like you are earning that $100.”  I would scoff, “Are you kidding? I’m on Facebook anyway, only this time I’m getting paid to upload photos and comment on photos of others.”

 

Until Day 3.  I had coasted through to the final day, each day becoming a bit more boastful to W about my $100.  Funny how in a tight budget, $100 seems like an absolute windfall.  That evening, I tuned in to the Facebook group prepared to share a few more opinions and bid adieu to this group of ten mothers from across the country.

 

As I read the final assignment, I nearly choked on my oatmeal raisin cookie and spewed my vanilla almond milk (I had a coupon for the almond milk, it’s actually quite tasty):    

Design your own toy
Please sit down with your preschooler and design an ideal Chuck & Friends toy (or bunch of toys!) together. You can draw, paint, act out, or mold the toy (whatever works for your son’s creativity!). When you’re designing the toy, also make sure to identify its functions and how you would play with it.  Take a picture or include video of your toy and post it with a description of what is so great about it.

What?  Isn't CHUCK a toy?  Why does a TOY need a toy?  This was beyond me.

I quickly yelled for W, “Honey, you’ll need to do this.”

“Why should I do it?  You are the one getting the $100.”
 

“One of the reasons I married you is because I knew you would do the science fair projects and build crap like this with them.  Give me the spelling tests, the last-minute reports, but I hate this stuff.”  (Note gentle readers - I could pretend I didn't murmur the words crap and hate, but I did (out of earshot of little ears of course), so why lie? 

After some begging and boosting of his ego (“but honey, you are SO good at this”), he rolled his eyes one last time and worked with G to make a ramp for Chuck and friends.  I posted the photos to the group, breathed a sigh of relief, and said thank you to my man (but haven’t agreed to share the $100..after all, it's not like I can get only 1/2 of my head foiled).

Whew, never worked this hard for a beauty routine.

Week 6 of 52 - Visualize the Victory

As I shared with my spiritual mother about life, she reminded me of her mantra: Visualize the Victory. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago, she clung to her faith in God and adopted this mantra of Visualize the Victory. Today, she is a survivor and remains strong in her faith.

Now when I am tempted to look at the past and say “if only” or look at the future and say “what if”, she repeats “Visualize the Victory” and encourages me to pray and focus my thoughts on what can be achieved. (She also tells me loudly – and repeatedly if needed - to get out of the way and let God handle things as this is almost always applies to how I'm reacting to the situation).

In our attempt to Visualize the Victory with our money management goals, we made a banner that reads: “WE ARE WEIRD AND DEBT FREE!” Each time we pay off a certain amount of debt, we color in a letter. This banner hangs in my bedroom where we can see it every day.

W expressed some concern the scotch tape will pull off the paint when this is over. I feigned surprise at the notion of needing to repaint the bedroom walls! That outcome never crossed my mind…

So for us, coloring in these letters is proving quite motivational. I’d love to hear from others about how they stay motivated to stick with a goal.

As for the rest of our world, it’s been a damp and cold week with few opportunities to be outside. Today I unleashed G on the mud puddles and he had a grand time splashing around.

He saw mud, I saw a small load of laundry in exchange for a tired toddler at nap time.

Verses that stuck with me this week...
Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul ~ Philippians 3:13-14

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
Jesus ~ John 16:33

Week 4 of 52 - Comparing prices

Ok, my odd behavior this week may land me in the People of Wal-Mart line-up but let me try to explain.  While we have an overall monthly budget, I realized I had no idea what we pay for many items we buy.  So I decided to go on a pricing mission.  

W suggested rather than take the time to record prices, I simply take photos instead - brilliant.  Up and down the aisles, my camera snapped at rollback prices while my eyes darted at unsuspecting blue-vested employees.  Fortunately, I completed my mission with some strange looks and questioning glances, but no Wal-Mart interrogation or demands to erase my memory card full of pricing information.  

Engergized, I continued my pricing mission at a local discount club.  One of my objectives was to price diapers, because as any mom knows, each sweet little baby bottom goes through a multitude of diapers each month.  My price comparisons revealed the Amazon Mom Subscribe and Save was a full $10 cheaper per box than the pre-tax discount club price!  Caveat: I’m positively addicted to the baby fresh smell of a particular diaper brand.  Perhaps a generic store brand would yield similar savings, but I admit I'm a sniffer of new diapers.

This week’s photo is S with the diapers he uses in a month.

My February challenge:  lower our grocery bill by 30 percent.   In preparation, my couponing friends took me on a field trip – it was a morning filled with new couponing actions and lingo: BOGOs, stacking, and even a rain check.  When I checked out and was a little too enthusiastic about my sales receipt savings, the cashier peered over her glasses and said, “You new at this?”  Yep, for now at least.

Week 3 Supplement - Learning to D.I.Y.

So in another eye-opening moment, we learned from Russ that our 12-year old car with 180,000 miles wasn’t really THAT old.  He didn’t even take a breath when I told him our 5-year old car has 120,000 miles. He calmly replied that he drives all of his cars to the 300,000 mile mark and it was very unlikely we would have to replace either of these cars, let alone BOTH of these cars in the next two years as we had planned.   

I’m sure I missed the next few comments about avoiding car payments.  Instead, I was thinking about how this put a kink in my “next car” plan!  It no longer mattered whether it would fit comfortably in our one-car garage.  My friends and I could debate something besides paint color – crystal black pearl versus glacier blue would no longer occupy our noon conversation.

Given it wasn’t going anywhere, we decided to fix the radio in the 12-year old car.  Doubtful that Russ intended for his remark to justify a bit of spending.  This time was different though.  Instead of spending hours researching features and deciding whether I also needed speakers and a satellite radio receiver, I sorted by price and chose the cheapest radio that fit.  

When it arrived, W asked when we would take it down to get the radio installed.  I reminded him the custom installation would cost twice as much as the total purchase.  He sighed deeply, procrastinated on the couch (until I found him), and then trudged out to the car as if on a death march.  

In no time at all (he made me say that) and with only two calls to Crutchfield tech support (at my insistence), he installed it with ease.  And we can now hear Dave’s podcasts and stay motivated to drive these cars for a very long time.  Maybe we’ll keep them long enough that we'll even be able to flash cash instead of dig for a pen to sign the finance offer.

Week 2 of 52 - One baby step at a time

Week 2 has brought very few photo opportunities. Here’s one of S on his play mat.  Similar to us, he is taking baby steps… rolling over, learning to support the weight of his arms, and trying to crawl.

I had several baby steps this week including a conference call coaching session with Russ Carroll, Dave’s lead financial coach.  The meeting with Russ reminded me of why it’s so important to be better money managers – so we can be even better givers.  He commented we are made in God’s image and God is the ultimate giver, so we too should strive to be givers.

As for the couponing, it’s been a good first start, thanks to the help of my friends!  I have my coupons organized in a hot pink binder and even scored 3 jars of Peter Pan peanut butter for .44 cents each…which may come in handy during this snow storm.  W must be motivated too, he even said he would take the flashy pink binder to the store if needed.

Week 1 of 52 - Couponing!

I'm so not a coupon person.  Well I once was a coupon person and the relationship ended in the middle of an Ingles store.  I was pushing the cart with my hip, shoving a pacifier in the mouth of a crying newborn with one hand, and clutching my accordion-style coupon book in the other hand.  Long about Aisle 5, I tossed the coupon book aside and my left-handed scissors have been gathering dust ever since.

But I have some good friends who are impressive coupon ladies, not TLC Extreme Couponers mind you, but savvy enough that when they told me this week's Sunday paper had 5 coupon inserts, I decided to give it a whirl.

So here is my first shot of the year and hopefully the start of a new less-frustrating coupon adventure.  

As for the photography, it's a very noisy start!  I learned that I must always check my ISO before clicking... I didn't and the ISO was set at 6400!

Meanwhile, if you have any coupon tips that helped you save time and ease frustration, please share!