No Spend Month: The wrap up

OK, So we finished out last week of NSM, and to be honest - we didn't do so hot.  We actually went out to breakfast AND bought some stuff at Home Depot.  So, basically, broke the NSM rules.  I think we were just over it.  That being said, I do think that doing NSM has given us a new perspective on how we spend our money and what we spend it on.  Being forced to think about each purchase really makes it clear that: 1.) Just because you want it doesn't mean you should buy it.  2.) Having a strict budget really makes you question each and every purchase.  Is it really necessary?  Do I really want/need it?

That last thing, I suspect, is what is going to influence how we budget from now on.  We have set a budget for different categories of spending (groceries, eating out, gas) based partially on what we did during NSM. Knowing that we have a set amount of money to spend on certain things will allow us to choose to do those fun things - but also choose not to.  And we have carried over a few new habits - yesterday, K drove my (more gas efficient) car to work. It turns out that NSM was good for our budget - even though we had some unusual expenses, our thrifty ways ended up balancing that out.  So, despite our failure to adhere to NSM rules, I still call it a success.

No Spend Week: The Return

After our epic fail of No Spend Month, I am feeling hesitant to attempt it again.  But we had already agreed that after our weekend break, we would do one more week of NSM just to make up for ending early.  Of course, having a really fun weekend break with my BFF here, where we were able to go out to eat and drink a few times makes it easier.  And having it be only a week makes it seem REALLY easy.  I'm sure I will eat those words.  We are already on day two and I barely noticed!  But yeah, not spending money on Monday is way easier than not spending money on Saturday, as our last weekend of NSM proves.

I still have not gotten gas since before NSM started (go Mazda!), but my little gas light came on a few days ago, so I will need to do that.  K needs gas too, but we might try to squeak by with him using my car a few days to be able to hold off on two fill ups.  I will head to the grocery store to pick up some fresh produce.  After our weekend of indulgence, I feel like my meal plan for this week will have to be mostly gluten free and and meatless.

I found a money blog yesterday written by a woman who paid off a huge amount of debt in less than two years by going on what she calls a "spend fast".  It is basically a year long no spend month.  While I admire her discipline, that just sounds so miserable to me.  But you have to admit that it would be pretty cool to pay off all of your debt and start saving tons of money in such a short amount of time.  The plan that K and I have come up with for now is allowing a set budget for "fun" - that could be eating out, going to happy hour, going to a concert, taking a trip or anything else that falls in the not really necessary category    So that way, we won't feel like we are going crazy, but we also won't...go crazy.

The end of NSM will allow us to see if we actually learned anything about spending, and if we can actually apply any of our tactics in the real world.  I feel like learning how to have a balance is a process, and probably takes years.  At least it will be an adventure!

Start of No Spend Week
Day 1: $0
Day 2: $0

Let's see if we can make it 5 more days!

Fry's trip 1/24

OK, here is my first couponing trip at the Arizona grocery chain Fry's.  They are owned by Kroger.  One nice thing about this store is they they bump all coupons up to a dollar - so if you have a .25 cents off an item, it becomes a $1 off an item.  This is for the Mega event going on right now. In this event you save $5.00 when you buy 10 participating items, and you can mix and match among all participating items. Since I don't buy as much processed food now, I mostly am focusing on building a stockpile of toiletries  cleaning supplies and things like that.

Paid $11.27, Saved $30.53

4x All Free and Clear Laundry Detergent (50oz) $2.49 after Mega savings (used $2/2 from 1/06 SS)
= $1.49 each, or (.03 cents per oz and .05 cents per load)

2x Bush Black Beans
= .49 each after Mega Savings

4x Hunts Diced Tomatoes
= .49 cents after Mega Savings

2x Hunts Tomato Sauce
= .49 cents ( got these on accident, I thought they were part of the Mega Sale but they weren't)

2x Colgate toothpaste, .99 cents on sale, used 2x $1/1 Colgate from 1/06 SS
= both for FREE

2x Colgate toothbrush .99 cents on sale, used 2x $1/1 Colgate from 1/06 SS
=both for FREE

Total Paid: $11.27
Total Saved: $30.53

Just for comparison, the All Free and Clear is .05/oz and .08/load at Costco, so this was cheaper than buying there.  I paid $1.49 for a 50 oz bottle, and the same amount from Costco would have been $2.50.
The cans of tomatoes are .75 cents each at Costco, and I paid .49 cents each for these.

Thanks to The Cents'able Shoppin for the matchups!

Week Three of No Spend Month: The Epic Fail

Oh, you guys.  We failed SO HARD this week on no spend month.  We were doing really well until Saturday.  We went to the Farmers market and picked up just a few things.  We just managed to resist going to breakfast at our favorite breakfast place (which just so happens to be located a block away from the market).  It was tough, but we succeeded in passing it up.  Then we had to go to Costco.  Dun dun DUUUUN!  We are aware of the temptation that lies in Costco.  It is fairly impossible to leave Costco without having spent at least a hundred dollars.  We needed olive oil, and Costco has the best prices on that.  We also needed a few other things, and there were coupons that expire next weekend for several items that we need to get.  We had originally planned on doing a Costco run during our NSM break (when my BFF is here) - but Coscto is really not one of the sights that I want to show her while she is here.  So I reasoned that we should just go the day before she arrives.  And then K reasoned - well, why does it matter if we go Thursday or today?  Why should we just go in for one thing and then come back in five days for the rest of it?  Would it make a difference?  Not really.  So that was fail number one.  Fail number two is even worse.

See, we have been looking for an entertainment center for several months to replace the tiny Ikea "birch-effect" one we are currently using.  But we have been having a hard time finding one that we like that isn't five hundred dollars.  Then I saw this cool idea on Pinterest that involves putting up shelves instead of having an entertainment center....we actually have some gift cards and some stuff to return, so we figured we could pick up the supplies without spending any money out of pocket.  Wrong.  Wrong and wrong.  It was all downhill from there.

So, we have basically failed no spend month.  However, we had already planned on finishing NSM after the BFF visit, so we will continue with that plan ( and just have to readjust our budget for the last week.)

Spent this week:  So Much
What we have left: I don't want to talk about it

What we ate this week:
Tuesday:  Spinach, Sweet Potato and Quinoa salad (adapted with sweet potato instead of butternut squash)
Wednesday: Spicy Lentil Dahl
Thursday:Spicy Eggplant Stirfry
Friday: Grilled Chicken and grilled vegetables
Saturday: Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
Sunday: Stuffed Bell peppers
Monday: Out (Yep.  That happened)

I'm participating in the No Spend Month Challenge with Growing Slower

The No-Spend Month: Week 2

So, week two of NSM is coming to a close.  K has been sick this whole week, which means we have been laying extra low.  This weekend, unusually low temps, an air quality warning, and no spend month combined to equal a Harry Potter marathon.  I'm looking forward to the 25th more than ever.  And they say it's the third week that is the hardest.  Sigh.

But, this No Spend Month is doing its job, and that is to make us take a good, hard look at our finances.  I started a google spreadsheet of grocery prices to help us have a good idea of where we can get the best deals, and so that I can know when  coupon deal is cheaper than Costco (or wherever we normally buy it). We made some budget goals and strategies for the WHOLE YEAR.  This is the first time I have ever done anything like that.  It feels ambitious, but it also feels like it might be more effective than what we were doing before.  We also have been able to keep the grocery bill pretty low while still buying everything we need - I don't really feel like I'm skimping.  This is showing me that when we are no longer in a "no spend month" we should be able to keep a reasonable grocery budget.

Also, in the spirit of No Spend Month, I ventured to the local library and got myself a library card.  I was pleasantly surprised by how nice and functional the library here is.  It has all the bells and whistles that the Portland Library had, with the online hold system and everything.  It even has a huge wall of windows facing out on what looks like wetlands.  I wonder if they dry up in the summer.  I got myself three books that I will probably not be able to read before their due date.

Spent this week:
Groceries - $54
What we have left: $103

What we ate (dinners only)
(Posted links to recipes that are online)

Tuesday: Roasted shrimp and broccoli with Rice
Wednesday: Leftover Lentil Stew ( that I made last week.  I made this a stew instead of a soup when I accidentally added one cup of uncooked quinoa instead of cooked.  Whoops!)
Thursday: Sesame Peanut Tofu with Spaghetti Squash ( I adapted the recipe to use tofu instead of chicken and spaghetti squash instead of pasta)
Friday: Chicken Cacciatore (stovetop instead of crockpot, and again with spaghetti squash instead of pasta)
Saturday: Golden Vegetable Lasagna 
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Veggie stir fry with rice

I'm participating in the No Spend Month link up with Growing Slower

FREE Dave Ramsey Total Guide to Budgeting Download

Here is a free download of Dave Ramsey's Guide to Budgeting.  This goes well with any plans to get your finances into shape this year.  I have heard of Dave Ramsey quite a bit in the couponing community, and many people swear by his methods for getting out of debt.  Go HERE to check it out!

Thanks to The Cents'able Shoppin

The no spend month challenge

Do you ever look at your bank account and ask yourself "Where did all my money go?".  If you are like me, this happens all the time.  I have been seeing these "No-Spend Month" challenges on a few blogs, and had entertained the idea of trying it.  Now that the house buying, moving, and holidays are over, it seems like January is the perfect time to try it, with everyone all freshly energized with new resolutions to improve themselves.  The rules of the no spend month vary, but the gist is that you are trying to curb your incidental spending by setting a tight budget and sticking to it.  The way we decided to do it is this:  Keep paying all regular bills, but think about what we should spend on groceries and gas, and then set the budget a little lower than that.  The idea is to challenge yourself to think differently about spending, and try to find creative ways to not spend.  I used to be VERY good at this, back in the broke days.  And even now, we have already made some changes to the spending habits we had developed in Portland.  We go out to eat much less often, and generally shop less as well.  But it still felt like the spending was a bit out of control.  I feel like the no spend month will allow us to look at where the leaks are in the budget, and changes we can make to fix that.  We are not trying to become cheapskates or misers, but to become more mindful of how we use money.  It is also just a way to challenge ourselves and grow.  Sort of like a budget fast.

We set our expense budget to $250 including everything outside of our normal bills.  We were going to set it to $300, but we have to cut the month short since my BFF is coming for a visit at the end of the month.  Since we are not doing quite a whole month, we decided to bring the budget down to $250.  We will probably go back to a "no spend week" the first week of February to make up for the few days we take off during our visit.

What we started with:
I started with a full tank of gas and K started with an empty tank. For food,  we weren't particularly stocked up on anything, but have staples in the pantry and freezer.

The Challenges:

The biggest challenge we anticipate is the gas for K's commute - we now live further from his work and his car...has a drinking problem.  The second challenge, and the one I am hoping will make the biggest improvement, is the grocery budget.  Since we started cooking at home nearly all the time, our grocery bill has exploded.  We look at cooking as entertainment, since we enjoy cooking together, so we were not trying to limit ourselves much with what we spent on food.  My goal for this month is to be able to continue to enjoy cooking delicious foods, but to do so frugally.  We have already cut out many processed foods and started eating less meat, which lends itself nicely to this goal.

What we changed this week:
K had a problem with his headlight, and thought it would need to be replaced.  Because it was no spend month and he didn't want to go buy a new headlight, he took a look at it and discovered the he could actually fix the problem for free!

I avoided driving to the store for one ingredient I was missing for dinner, and found something I had on hand to substitute for it.

We made a meal plan that consisted of many ingredients we already had, and is mostly meatless.  The items that did need to be purchased were mostly sale items.

I decided to start couponing again, and the no spend month is forcing me to do it carefully to avoid spending too much out of pocket.

We normally go to breakfast on Saturday mornings, but instead we went to the farmers market to pick up a few veggies.

We found a nice walking path near our neighborhood.  Free entertainment, plus exercise!

What we spent this week:

Yikes!  I'm a little nervous because we have already spent a big chunk of our budget.  The main expense was filling K's car up, but we are hoping that is the only time this moth we will need to get gas.  This challenge is forcing us to think of ways to save gas.  I am trying to limit my errands, and K is thinking about working from home one day a week, and possibly taking my car to work one day a week since mine gets better gas mileage.

Expenses ( rounded)
Gas: $56
Groceries: $29
Misc: $8
Total: $93
Left: $157

What we ate this week (dinners only)
Tuesday: Soup (I had some in the freezer)
Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash with sesame peanut tofu
Thursday: Veggie Stirfry with rice
Friday: Grilled steak, sweet potatoes and onions
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Spicy Lentil Stew
Monday: Veggie stir fry w/ the remaining leftover steak

Most of this was from what we already had since I didn't go grocery shopping until Sunday.

I'm participating in the No Spend Month link up with Growing Slower

Deals of the week

My first week back in couponing has gone fairly well.  I picked up two newspapers this week - I would have liked to get more but they were sold out everywhere due to the fact that they had 6 inserts this week!  I am attempting to coupon at new stores - CVS is new to me, since we didn't have them in Oregon.  They are fairly similar to the old way that Walgreens worked, which I like.  Walgreens has taken their new rewards program national, and it is a combo of the old system with register rewards and the new system with points.  I'm glad they kept some register rewards (they completely got rid of them when they tested the program in Portland) - but I hate the points system so I will probably make CVS my drugstore of choice.  I was pleased that the CVS I went to this week didn't seem to have a problem with shelf clearing.  I even went back for something today, and they still had some.  This is refreshing.

Because we are doing No Spend Month, I am trying to keep my oop as low as possible.  I did end up having to pay for 2 newspapers ( $4), but I have already recouped that expense and then some in the few items I got using the coupons in those papers.  My main goal is to only get things that are free or very cheap.  The other thing that I have to watch out for here is paying sales tax.  In Oregon when I got something for free, it was truly free.  Today when I got something for free, I still payed .35 cents in sales tax.

Here is what I got this week:

All for $2.00

CVS:

4x Stayfree ultra thin  ($3.99 each, on sale B1G1)

Used 2x Stayfree B1G1 coupons from 1/6 SS

= All 4 for free!

Soft Scrub (sale $2)

used $1/1 from HERE

also loaded $1/1 from SAVINGSTAR 

Paid $1 but should get back $1 from savingstar so FREE!

Walgreens:

2x 16 oz coffeemate creamer (sale 2/$3)

Used 2x $1/1 coffeemate HERE

Paid $1 or .50 cents each!

Target:

Reach Floss (.97 cents regular price)

Used $1/1 Reach HERE (may be NLA)

Free plus .03 overage!

Total OOP for everything:

$2.96 (including tax)

$1.96 if including savingstar rebate

SAVED: 23.98

First Couponing trip in 2013!

Wow!  I have basically been totally out of couponing for almost two years!  My life got so busy and I just didn't have the time for it, not to mention the resources.  Well, things have changed (again), and I think that now is the perfect time to get back into it.  The coupon game has changed a bit since I was in the thick of it.  After the huge boom in "extreme couponing", I think some stores have changed their policies, digital coupons are bigger than ever, there are all kinds of apps for smart phones, and to top it off, I now live in a totally different region of the country so I have new stores to get used to.  I planned my first trip to CVS today, and I picked up my first coupon freebie in a long time at Target!  Granted, it was about the easiest freebie known to couponers, but hey, you have to start somewhere.

Free Floss!

Target
Reach Floss - .97 cents, regular price
Used $1/1 Reach product found HERE
= Free plus .03 cents overage

$50 Free at Minted!

Hey everyone!  Have you heard of minted?  They are website that offers super cute cards, moving announcements, wedding invites, baby announcements, wall art and more.  Right now you can get a $25 credit for signing up HERE.  After that you can go HERE to get a $25 off $50 coupon code.  Then you can use both offers to score $50 worth of product for free!  You only need to pay the shipping.  After signing up you should see your $35 credit when you go into Account and click on "refer a friend"  I personally am thinking about using my credit to buy a print for the new house!  This is also perfect timing to order cards for the holidays.  Act fast, this coupon is only available through November 4th.

Thanks Coupon Connections and Money Saving Mom!

Small Target trip

I headed out to Target, with a stack of coupons in hand.  I left having used only a few of those coupons, but I still consider it a decent trip.

Spent: $1.29
2x Up & Up Ibuprofen, 24 count ($1.09 each)
Used 2x $1/1 Up &Up pain reliever from HERE = .09 cents each
Travel sized toothpaste ($1.07)
Used $1/1 from HERE (.07 cents after coupon)
Soft Soap $1.04
(No coupon!  There is .35/1 floating around, but I don't have it)

OK, ummmm.  I just realized I made a mistake (as is the norm, right?).  The coupon I used was for Aquafresh Extreme clean.  It specified no restrictions,  so I was good to get the trial size.  Which I needed (my toothpaste stockpile is in storage, apparently.)   I thought, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I had grabbed the Aquafresh Extreme Clean.  Apparently, I had grabbed the Arm and Hammer.  And somehow, the cashier also didn't notice, and pushed the coupon through...whoops!  If you do this deal, be sure you actually get the correct item, unlike me. 

Sadly, I was unable to do the other planned deals.  The target I went to is in the middle of a Fresh Grocery remodel, so they did not have the Ore-Ida Easy Fries for .99 cents, and although I found several Mossimo shirts on clearance for $3.74, none of them were items I would ever wear.  I saw lots of super cute clearance shirts at higher prices, so I will check back and see if they get marked down any further.  ( if you have no idea what I am talking about, there is a $3/1 Mossimo apparel item coupon at target.com, and if you use it with a clearance item, you can get it super cheap.  There are some items marked to $3.74, making them .74 cents after coupon!)   

All in all, Target is not really my favorite place to coupon right now, but I feel pretty OK about the deals I got today.

My Weekly Grocery trip

I decided to start posting my weekly grocery trips, in addition to coupon trips.  The truth is that I am not an "extreme couponer" and I do need to do supplemental shopping trips for my groceries.  How much can a single girl on a budget get for her buck?  I tried to keep this trip under $20.  I do have some groceries on hand from my Doubler Trip to Albertsons, and a few things from my weekly trip last week, as well as things in my stockpile from the last year.

This was mostly Fred Meyer and a little Trader Joe's.  Total Spent $19.44.  Yes!  Just under the wire.

Foster Farms Whole Chicken (Sale .99 cents/lb - $4.07)
Ground Pepper from Bulk Spices (.84 cents)
Organic Broccoli ($1.29/lb - $1.84)
Organic Baby Carrots ($1.50)
Organic Fresh Herbs Poultry Mix ( Clearance .99 cents)
Fuji Apples (.99cents/lb - $1.81)
Lemon (.59 cents)
Garlic (.34 cents)
Bell Pepper ($1.79)
Fred Meyer English Muffins ($1.39)
Total - $15.16
( A note about the organic stuff.  I love to buy organic, but often can't afford it.  I will buy it if it is the same or cheaper than conventional - which does happen sometimes.  In this case, Fred Meyer only had organic available in the broccoli, carrots, and herbs.)

Trader Joe's Pizza Dough ($1.29)
Charles Shaw Pinot Grigio ($2.99)
Total: $4.28

Yes, there were a few splurges here.  The herbs were not on my list, but I grabbed them since I was going to roast the chicken, and they were marked down, so it was kismet.  The bell pepper was also a "splurge".  Yeah.  It's fun when you are so broke that a $1.79 bell pepper is considered a splurge.

Obviously the wine is a splurge.  See above.

What am I going to do with this?  Well, as I type I am roasting that little chicken, which will be my late dinner tonight.  Since I am only feeding myself, I can usually get about 3 meals out of one of those babies (Sometimes 4!).  So, I plan to make a stir fry one night and a BBQ chicken pizza another.  I will post my meals another time, maybe.  I also made myself a nice little appetizer:

I have a confession.  I love happy hour.  After a long day at work, I love a good nosh and a nice glass of wine.  Plus, happy hour prices are usually pretty good.  However, happy hour is another rare indulgence since I became broke girl.  I present to you...homemade happy hour!  Quick, easy, and only about $2.25.  Wine - $2.99 for the bottle, so about .75 cents a glass.  Apples .99 cents a lb, so that particular apple cost about .50 cents.  The goat cheese I bought on Friday when I was feeling rich ( payday, the only day I feel like I have money to burn).  It was about $4.99 (Yikes!) so about $1 an ounce. This same setup would have probably cost me $10-$14 bucks at a wine bar.  Granted, the wine probably wouldn't have been 2 Buck Chuck, but.... still, not too shabby.  You gotta treat yourself right, even when you think you can't afford it.

Rite Aid 5/15

$5.87 OOP - This is more than I normally spend on a drug store trip, but I didn't have any +Up rewards.
Transaction #1
Rimmel Products Priced BOGO
Used 4x $2/1 Rimmel Products ( From coupons.com NLA and Facebook)
Purex Laundry Detergent ( Sale $1.97)
Used $1/1 Purex from 5/1 RP
Used $3/$15 purchase from doing a Rite Aid Survey
Paid $5.13
Got back $5 +UP reward for spending $15 on Rimmel ( Before coupons)

Transaction #2
2x Ziploc Storage bags 2/$4
1 20 oz Diet Coke $1.69 ( I needed a filler and also I needed a coke :)
Total $5.74
Used $5 UP rewards from Rimmel
Paid .74 cents OOP
Got back a $1 UP reward for Ziploc

There was also a coupon for Ziploc but I didn't have it.  Still, I needed baggies, so I got them.  I normally won't do a deal if I have to pay more than a few dollars out of pocket, but I've let my drug store game slip and I decided to spend since I was going to have to anyway.  Now I have some free makeup, and I would have spent a few bucks on baggies anyway.  Plus I have a $1 UP reward for next week.

Fun with doublers

I decided I missed the rush of the coupon game, it's been awhile since I had a good doubler run.  Although it took me FOREVER to plan this trip, I have no idea why.  Well, it's partially because my coupons are in complete disarray.  I plan to organize them soon and will post about that fiasco, I'm sure.  But, on to the savings. 

I did this in two transactions:
Transaction #1
Jello Temptations x2 (Sale 2/$5)
Morning Star Farms ($3.50)
Used 2 x $1/1 Jello Temptations from Facebook
Used $1/1 Tearpad from the store ( language on coupon stated one coupon per visit)
Doubled all three:
$1.50 OOP
(Should have been $2.50, but I just noticed on my receipt that the cashier somehow gave me an extra dollar off)

Transaction #2
Yoplait Greek 4-pack x2 ( Sale $2.99 each)
Morning star Farms ( $3.50)
Used $1/1 Yoplait Greek 4-Pack from 3/27 SS
Used $1/1 Morning Star Farms Printable
Doubled all three
Total: $3.48

Grand Total: $4.98!
Saved $17.16!

PS - can I tell you how happy I am to have the mini corn dogs back??  Thanks Morningstar Farms!

Also thanks to The Krazy Coupon Lady, Coupon Connections NW, and Happy Money Saver for helping me get my own shopping list together!

10 Pack of Duracell Batteries for $2.24 at Rite Aid!

I saw this on Hip2Save earlier, so stopped by Rite Aid to check for myself.  Yep!  The 10-packs of Duracell batteries are ringing up $2.24!

  They are marked at the regular price which is $8.99.  I used the $1/1 Duracell 8-pack or larger from the P&G Everyday savings booklet that I requested on Facebook a few months ago. 

So I paid $1.24 for a 10 pack!  Sweet!

Thanks, Hip2Save!

Cool Freebies I've been getting

Sometimes, you just have an awesome mail day.  Or mail week, in this case.  I've been getting something cool almost every day!  It really is worth it to sign up for those freebies when you see them.  You won't get them all, but you can still end up with some really cool stuff!

Brew Over Ice Tumbler (From Facebook, No Longer Available)
Coupon for FREE International Delight Coffee House Creamer from Vocalpoint (Arrived in the cutest coffee cup package - I suggest you join Vocalpoint asap!  They send out great free coupons)

2x Secret Natural Mineral  Antiperspirant/Deodorant .5 oz ( From Secret's Facebook Freebie Friday - I have absolutely no idea how I got 2.  They came a day apart, and I don't know if I somehow requested 2 or it was a company glitch?  Either way, I'll take it :)
Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum (No Longer Available)

Wow!  These are awesome freebies, the Physicians Formula is a full sized product.  It's true that these particular freebies are no longer available.  But don't get discouraged!  When you see a posting for a freebie, and you have time to request it, do it!  You will soon see fun presents in the mail on a regular basis.  You won't be able to get every freebie, and that's OK.  But I find that these little things brighten my day!  Plus, you never know when you are going to find a product or a company that you never knew you loved.

For example - my Brew Over Ice cup arrived damaged.  I was so excited, and then so bummed out.  I decided to write a short message to the company on their facebook page ( it was the only way to contact them, since I had requested the freebie on facebook and no other contact info was included in the package).  I wrote a message thanking them for the awesome freebie, and letting them know that it had arrived damaged.  I also was sure to reiterate how much I appreciated this awesome freebie!  ( I REALLY hate those people that think they are entitled to a freebie.  You aren't entitled.  Get over it)  Anyway, they were so nice, and contacted me within about 24 hours to let me know that they were sending me a replacement cup!  How nice is that?  Sometimes, when you are broke and things are hard, it's the little things that make your day :) 

Target Easter 75% off

I actually got this stuff on Friday, so chances are there is even less Easter stuff at Target, and it may have moved to 90% off, if there is any left.  When I went on Friday the candy was 50% off and the other Easter stuff was 75% off.

Easter Socks (2pk) - $1.25
Fuzzy Easter socks ($1.25)
Easter M&M's ($1.44)
Reeses and Snickers eggs ( .24 cents each - I plan on eating the candy and saving the empty eggs for next year!)
Adorable Spatula ( .99 cents!)

Sweet Score on Murad!

I love Murad products, but wow, they are expensive.  I was lucky enough to stumble upon an awesome sale at Trade Secret this weekend.  They are discontinuing their Murad products, and so they were a part of their Buy 1 get 2 FREE sale!  I was able to score $142.50 worth of products for $50.50!  Now, keep in mind that the 6.75 oz cleanser alone sells for $26.  I was able to get 5 - 2oz bottles of cleanser (10 oz), 2 - 1oz bottles of perfecting lotion (2oz - the 1.7oz bottle sells for $33), 2 - .5 oz bottles of Hydroquinona Lightening gel ( 1 oz - the 1 oz bottle sells for $60) And a 2 oz Pomegranate Moisturizer (Sells for $33).  Actually, if I had purchased all of these full sized products at Sephora I would have spent $152.00!

OK, so here is the catch.  When I got home and opened my products, almost all of them were expired.  Some not by much, some by ALOT ( like 2 years).  I have been really busy since then, but plan on dealing with that tomorrow.  I'm not sure if it will be made right or not, but I will be contacting both Murad and Trade Secret.  So, I would recomment you check out the Trade Secret Clearance Sale, because there are good deals to be had!  BUT I will advise you to check your expiration dates BEFORE you leave the store!  I'll write an update on this when I have more info.  Also, the girl at Trade Secret told me the sale had been going on awhile, and they had no idea when it would end.  So if you are interested, don't wait!

FREE Mothers Day Card from Tiny Prints!

Sweet!  You can head over to Tiny Prints and make your Mama a card for FREE!  Just because you are broke doesn't mean you can't show your Mom some love!  Use code MDLOVE at checkout to make it free!  If you have it shipped to yourself, it will be totally free, if you have it sent straight to the recipient it will cost you .44 cents - the cost of a stamp!

Thanks Wild for Wags!

Target Clearance Finds

I found myself in a small town this morning with some time to kill, so I made my way over to the local Target were I found some great clearance deals!

Fresh Step Cat Litter - Clearance $4.74 (regular $9.49) ( This was the only box, or I would have bought a few).
Assets Panty Hose - Clearance $3.75 ( Regular $15.00!) These are the best things ever, made by the creator of Spanx!  I found another pair clearanced at $3.00 at my local Target, but they seem to be sparse.

Suction hooks - .62 cents ( just needed them!)

I also found some Michael Graves cleaning supplies on clearance, and I tried to buy a microfiber mop replacement, but the mobile coupon wouldn't work on it :(  The cashier said it was probably because it was on clearance, but who knows.  Bummer, I was excited about getting a good deal on that.

P.S.  Why was I in a random small town this morning?  Well, let me just say, do as I say, not as I do.  And if you were wondering how NOT to save money, the answer is get a speeding ticket.  (don't do it).