Day 3: How I "made" some extra money to fund our Christmas budget!

What does that look like to you??  Don't worry, I don't think you are stupid, we all know it's a bunch of coins...BUT, would you believe me if I told you I collected this and a BUNCH more from all over my house??  Well I did.  It is kind of embarrassing, and I feel like it is almost sinful.  I had money ALL OVER MY HOUSE.  Every room, almost every drawer, everywhere!!!  I didn't really start the day thinking this would be my blog post (I actually had another one in mind) but I had to find something in one of my 50 junk drawers and I started to go through it.  Low and behold I found a whole mini mason jar full of coins.  So, I thought to myself "hmmm, I wonder how much more money I have hiding in my mess of a house".   So I began my quest. It took me about an hour to go through my well organized house (HA!) and collect all the loose change.  You will honestly NEVER believe how much I collected. Are you curious??

I gathered all my coins and headed to the BANK....NOT the "coinstar" in the grocery store.  Please people, never go there...they take a percetage of your money!  Just go to your local bank and hand over the coins!!

After patiently waiting (because you all know how patient I am) Sue the teller presented me with my CASH.......$65.95!!!!  I feel almost ashamed to admit that.  For someone so concerned with budgeting money, I had all that just sitting in random hideouts all over my house!  WOW!  So, although I didn't technically "make" money, I did "find" it...so I figure that counts!!

TOTAL in the "jar" :  $172.95

Moral of the story, you may not even realize that you have money right under your nose!  Take a peek in those junk drawers!!

Day 2: Funding our Christmas Budget!

So,  I know I am supposed to tell you all about making the big bucks for our Christmas budget, but I really wanted to share how I PREPARE to SPEND the funds I make.

You see, I really do love all things Christmas, but I try and focus on what Christmas means to our family.  Above all, Christmas is a time of year to reflect on and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Presents and trees and parties are fun, but without the birth of  Jesus it would be insignificant.  I try and teach my children about the true meaning of Christmas and let them know that all the "extras" are exactly that, extra. 

With that being said, I try and not "over-do-it" when it comes to gifts.  Around October 1st, I will make a list of all the family/friends/kids that I am planning on buying a gift for.  I will go through the gifts I have already purchased (CLEARANCE RACKS LAST CHRISTMAS...more on that later) and add those to the the appropriate name.  I will also list items that I want to purchse in the future under the persons name. This makes things a lot less confusing and a LOT more organized when I have to go out and shop.  One year I somehow ended up with 4 pairs of mittens because I forgot to go by my list and just started purchasing "things"...no bueno.

Ok, now on to the fun stuff.
 
DAY 2:  HOW I MADE EXTRA CASH FOR OUR HOLIDAY SPENDING

So there's this little website where you can buy and sell items....it's called EBAY, ever heard of it??? Yea, I thought so.  SOOOOO, I love ebay.  I have purchased many a sweet "I MUST own this immediately" items on ebay. For example, the rare Mario Bros. figurines from China for Jack's 5th birthday, or the Halloween costume that I knew Luke had to have.  BUT, I have never sold on Ebay,  it seemed scary and time consuming.  I have sold things on craigslist, but for some reason EBAY seemed like a lot more work.  WELL, I was wrong (first time for everything).  I listed a few old Halloween costumes yesterday and guess what....????  One sold in 3 minutes.  Yep. Sure did.  So, they paid me and I shipped the item.  That was it.  No meeting creepy people in parking lots at a random grocery store, no waiting around for someone who said they would buy an item and then didn't show up...nope, no hasstles.   I list an item, they pay for it, I ship it.  EASY!  Go look around your house and see what you can list on ebay...you would be SHOCKED at what sells for big money on ebay!!  Now, I only made $7 for the particular item, but the other auctions are not up yet so I will keep you posted on how much more I make! 

TOTAL in the "jar" :  $107

25 Days of earning Christmas Money!

So....excuse me for not keeping up with the blog, I birthed a child and lost all track of time.  I have found being fabulously frugal has been a lot more difficult with three children running a muck.  Although I still use coupons regularly and rarely miss a great deal, staying disciplined has been VERY hard.  I will eventually get back to highlighting coupon use and where the great deals are, but for this series of posts I wanted to focus on something that can be relevant to many, CHRISTMAS spending and budgets!  let me explain:

I love ALL things Christmas.  I love the decorations, the snow, the pine tree aroma, but especially I LOVE giving gifts.  Now, you may be asking yourself, "has Katie lost her mind, it's only October, why is she talking about Christmas??".  The question to that is no...I am actually quite clear headed (shocking).   You see, if I want to purchase gifts for all the loved ones in my life, I need to BUDGET for them.  I see too may people that overspend around Christmas time.  I have vowed that I will not be one of them.  I also REFUSE to be one of the CRAZED women running through target throwing toys mindlessly into the cart..REFUSE!  I am better then that and you should want to be too! 

O.K. so, here is the plan.  I will highlight 25 different unique ways I used to make our Christmas money this year!  EVERY penny spent on Christmas gifts this year will come from the "extra" money I earn from these 25 ways!  **Disclaimer, I respect the fact that everyone has different traditions, principals and budgets around the Holidays **

So without further ado.......

DAY 1:  How I made extra cash for our Holiday spending:

I sign up for random things.  Sometimes it is a major blessing, sometimes not so much.  About a year ago I signed up to be added to Fieldwork Denver's database.  Fieldwork Denver is a company that organizes focus groups for company's.  Basically, you sit at a round table discussing products/topics you use while people observe you behind a two way mirror.  After you sit and share your opinion on the chosen topic/product, you get paid! 

Ok, so I was a little weary when I signed up.  It sounded too good to be true, but I figured $100 to talk to other people about products/topics/current events for 80 minutes sounded like a vacation.  So I signed up and applied for every research group available.  Sometimes they called, sometimes they didn't, sometimes I didn't qualify for the group, or other times I was unavailable for the days/times requested.  But I hung in there and continued to apply.  Alas, they called, I qualified and I was available. 

I was a BIT nervous to attend my first research group, but AM SO THANKFUL I went.  First of all, the Denver Fieldwork building is in the Wells Fargo building 26 floors up with AMAZING views of the city.  Secondly, they feed you Jimmy Johns, chips, fruit, drinks,. and snacks.  Some of you may not be impressed with that but for a busy mom to three, it felt like I was on a vacation!  My group was ushered into the "round table room" to meet our facilitator.  From that point on, you basically just talked about the chosen topic with the other people at the table.  The topic for this particular round table was illegal immigration (amazing what I qualify for!).  After 80 minutes they ended and I walked out to get my $100 Visa Gift card.  Easy-Cheesy-Japanezee. 

I currently have attended 3 different research groups and have been compensated the same every time.  I did my third last week and earned $100 for our Christmas Fund.   All I had to do was talk about Milk advertisements!!

If you are interested in being added to Fildwork's database, you can find more info HERE.

My hope is that I can encourage, guide and inspire you to be wise with your spending this Christmas season.

Blessings,
K

Adding to the stockpile!

DAY 9:

Howdy!  Today was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.  I had to work all day and shuffle kids to and fro in between!  Although hectic, it was a productive day and everyone seemed happy.  After cleaning my second house, I decided to make a quick stop at kings to pick up some "freebies".  These are items I DO NOT PAY ANY MONEY FOR.  If It is free I will buy it.  If it is an item we do not use, I donate it!  Below is a picture if all my freebies:

(8) 3 musketeers candy bars
(4) M&M candies
(4) Reach flossers
(4) Reach toothbrushes
(5) Colgate toothpastes (some not pictured, Luke was building a tower!)
(2) 4 regular rolls Angel Soft bath Tissue
(1) Nestle butterscoth morsels
(1) Men's speadstick deodorant
(1) Beach Nut Fruit snacks

All of this cost me nothing!  I had coupons that either matched or exceeded the price of the items.

Yesterday I mentioned I would teach you a little something about stockpiling.  I stockpile items that are either free or at the rock bottom price I will pay for an item.  Today I added more laundry detergent to my stockpile.  I prefer Tide, BUT, I will not pay $8.99 for a bottle of tide when I can get another brand for under $2.  Wisk detergent was featured this week on sale at King Soopers.  Three weeks ago when I price matched Wisk, it was being sold for around $6/bottle.  This week it was on sale for $3.49!!  even better, I had a handful of $2 off coupons.

That is (5) 32 load bottles of Wisk.  I have more coupons, but decided on 5 today.  All in all the detergent cost me $7.50...that is less than one bottle of tide costs! 

I also bought (2) smart waters sale priced at .49 to get to my 20 items for the mega event!

The cashier rang up an item twice, which messed up my WHOLE order.  Thankfully, customer service refunded me the amount with no questions asked!

TOTAL SPENT AT STORE (approx since my receipt was off): $9

We were kindly invited over to a friends house for supper.  It was a PLEASANT evening spent with friends in their air conditioned house :)  I brought a pasta salad that I whipped up using pasta from my stockpile! 

DINNER WITH FRIENDS: $0

TOTAL SPENT DAY 9: $9 (-$1 rollover,  Total rollover $22.98)

TIP: ALWAYS check your receipt when you leave the store for errors, it could save you some moola!!


DAY 10: 

I put $15 of gas in my van using our rollover.  I still had a half tank of gas, but wanted to stay ahead of the game since I hate when I get down to E!  I have been DILIGENT in making sure that if I drive anywhere, I am killing as many birds as I can with my one stone.  I cleaned a house on the opposite side of town from where we live and made sure that I brought the library books with me to return, and went to the bank near where I was.  USUALLY I would pay no attention and make 3 DIFFERENT trips.  I'll tell you, when you are living on $8/day, you think a LOT more about what the most economical way to do something is. 

My whole $8, was spent today on produce.  I weighed out everything and made sure to buy whatever was on sale.  All in all we were able to get some bananas, celery, apples, grapes, and a pepper. 

TOTAL SPENT: $7.93!!

TOTAL SPENT DAY 10: $22.93( TOTAL rollover after deduction: $8.05)

I am so ready for Winter...Days 7&8

Anyone else feeling the HEAT????  Let me just say that having no AC in 100 degree heat is miserable....even more miserable is having no AC in 100 degree heat AND BEING PREGNANT!  My body hates mother nature right now.

DAY 7:
Sunday morning I woke up and realized we were out of milk and bread.  Thankfully, I had a loaf of bread in the freezer so only had to run out for the milk. 
TOTAL SPENT AT STORE: $3.01


It was Hot, I was grumpy (REALLY GRUMPY!) so lunch was a hodge podge of "things" I threw together.  We spent most of the afternoon at the pool to try and cool down.  I was planning on doing a big pot of spaghetti sauce for dinner, but the thought of a stove made me dry heave.  Instead, I drove my happy hinee to Little Ceasers and picked my men up a $5 pizza...I already had plans with the leftover wings I got for free :)
TOTAL FOR PIZZA: $5 (plus tax..??)

TOTAL SPENT DAY 7: $8.01 (-.01 deducted from rollover, TOTAL rollover $23.98)


DAY 8:
When I woke up and I was still hot, I figured I better stop complaining and make the most out of the day.  Jack started Vacation Bible school this week and it could not have come at a better time.  You see, I like to have my son V.B.S. hop...that is sign him up for every vacation bible school within a 10 mile radius.  He makes new friends, learns about Jesus, and is out of the house for three hours doing something constructive.  Oh, and did I mention they are all free?? 

After VBS, we decided to go to the free lunch at the school since Jack is INTRIGUED by it.  I am so pleased with the fresh fruit and wheat buns they include in the lunches.  My boys eat it up, and I do not have to prepare it!  I was thankful for the lunch today since my kitchen is pretty bare.  I am blessed with a father that gardens all summer and sends fresh vegetables my way on a weekly basis, but other than that, we are getting down to the nitty gritty!

I needed another activity to cool us down since it was 103 degrees at 3pm today.  We decided on the library.  Have I mentioned how much I love the library??  My boys got a summer reading prize, sat nicely and read books, played on the computer and rode up and down the elevator...10 times (hey, I didn't care, I was in AC!).  When we left the library, I was not yet ready to go back to the sauna-like conditions of our house so the boys decided to use their summer reading coupons.  They both received a FREE noodle bowl from Noodles and Company for reading 12 books.  They LOVE the mac and cheese at Noodles, and can split a normal size bowl.  I used the other coupon and we all drank water.
TOTAL FOR AFTERNOON FUN AND DINNER: $0

TOTAL SPENT DAY 8: $0 (rollover $8, TOTAL rollover $ 31.98)

It is still about 89 degrees in my house and I am still miserable.  If only I could get an AC unit for $8!!!

Tomorrow I will HAVE to use some of my rollover for Fresh produce and gas...I will also try to highlight the art of STOCKPILING! 

A totally awesome day 6!

DAY 6:

Money, I love money.  When I was a 13, I babysat every weekend and bussed tables at my dad's restaurant after school.  I would take all the money I made and hide it in a box on the top of a bookshelf I had in my room.  One day, my mom was dusting my bedroom and happened to stumble on my treasure, she found over $1000.  My mom wanted me to put it in the bank, but I loved to count my money.  To me it represented hard work.  Still to this day I  think that hard work is one of the most important characteristics one could possess.  I loathe the lazy man.

So, what does this have to do with living off of $8/day?!  Well, I am always looking for ways to make some extra money for my family.  My husband is the main provider, and he works very hard to give us all that we need ( I love him for this!), but I have something stamped deep in my soul that makes me want to stash away money in a box on a bookshelf.  If you know me at all, you know that I have at least 2 yard sales per year to clear out all the crap we have accumulated and make some extra dough.  I also sell items on craigslist that we no longer need/use.  TODAY though,. I drank milk.

Yep, milk.  A friend of mine on facebook had posted that she participated in a consumer testing panel and was compensated $80 total...just for tasting milk.  Sounded good to me, so I applied and was asked to come in on Saturday afternoon.  I arrived a bit skeptical of the whole situation, but heck, I was kid free and am always up for a new experience.  Sure enough, after exactly 18 minutes of tasting a few different samples of skim milk, I walked out with $35 cash in my hand.  I go back next Saturday for another 18 minutes and will be compensated $45...TOTAL $80.  Sound wierd?  I thought so too, but it was totally legit, quite fascinating, AND I MADE MONEY!

Now one of the reasons I like to stash money is because I know that unexpected "things" are always lurking around the corner.  Now, I have not always been it situations where I can stash money like I did when I was 13, but even hiding $20 for emergency pizza money makes me feel a bit more at ease.  A few weeks ago, our toilet "guts" decided to fail us and we have been without a main floor bath for quite sometime.  We have also been without one side of a kitchen sink thanks to a stubborn garbage disposal.  Now remember that hard working husband I was talking about earlier?  Well, he is VERY hardworking, but not the "handiest" of handy man's if you get my drift.  So, after realizing that just to get a plumber to my house will run me about $100, I decided to enlist the help of a friend (actually her amazing handy husband).  I asked what they wanted to eat when they came over and at their request, I ordered chicken wings.  I had a coupon for .35 wings at a wing joint down the street.  I knew I was going to go over my $8/day budget, but did not care one bit since hiring a plumber would have cost me 10 times that!  I ordered the wings, paid $15 and drove home.  When I arrived home I opened the bag and quickly noticed that it was NOT my order.  I called the place, and the kind gentleman said he was remaking my order and to KEEP the other order (30 wings, 2 orders of fries and a dessert!).  When I arrived to pick up the correct order, they GAVE ME BACK MY MONEY and sent me on my way with the 40 wings I had originally ordered.  All I could say is wow, that is customer service at its finest!
TOTAL FOR 70 WINGS: $0 (and a fixed sink/toilet)

All in all, day 6 was surprisingly awesome.  I was willing to shell out double our $8/day budget but instead did not spend a dime and MADE $35!!!!

TOTAL SPENT DAY 6: $0  ($8 rollover, TOTAL ROLLOVER $23.99) 


 

Day 5. $8/day challenge

This morning I partook in one of my favorite pastimes; garage saling!  Thankfully for my $8, there were really no good buys to be found.  I did pick up a new dog leash for our pup and a gap kids sweater for Luke.  Almost ALL of my children's clothes come from garage sales because I just can't justify spending $300 on a wardrobe for a 3 year old!! 
TOTAL SPENT AT YARD SALE: $2

My mother was kind enough to gift us a Carrabba's $10 gift card that was expiring today.  If you have ever been to Carrabba's, you know that the you can't get much for $10.  Thankfully, their kid's menu was very reasonably priced.  I ordered a kid's spaghetti and meatballs and a kid's cheese pizza and ordered carryout  (the fear of getting kicked out of a restaurant thanks to two tired kids was a chance I was not willing to take).  This fed me and both boys and we still have 2 leftover pieces of pizza! 
TOTAL FOR DINNER: $10.00, but we had the $10 GC!!!  
TOTAL MINUS giftcard: $3 (for tip!)

Now, neither of these things were necessary, but it was so nice not to have to cook, and the boys LOVE our "date nights".  Also, a little retail therapy is good for the soul....even if it is at a yard sale!!!!

TOTAL SPENT DAY 5: $5 (rollover $3, total rollover $15.99)

I want to let everyone know that there is a HUGE difference between being frugal and being cheap.  It is one thing to clip coupons and find the best deals around, it is a complete other thing to tip poorly or use your coupons unethically.  Please be generous and respectful to those around you.  If you do not have money to tip accordingly, do not go out to eat.  (CAN YOU TELL I WAS ONCE A SERVER?!?!?)

DAY 4: Mega event trip!

I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and it is still going strong even after about 10 Tylenol!  Thankfully, after work I mustered up enough energy to run to the store to pick up some items featured at the Mega event going on.  I only had $8 on me so I knew I had to stay under my budget.  Below is the picture of the items purchased:

(6) Boxes Pop Secret popcorn (we LOVE popcorn for movie night!)
(5) Colgate toothpastes
(3) Reach toothbrushes
(3) Sunny Delight Juices
(1) 32 load Wisk Laundry detergent
(1) Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes
(1) 2 tub Smart Balance Butter
(3) M&M candies
(3) Peanut M&M's candies
TOTAL BEFORE COUPONS AND SAVINGS CARD: $54.17 ( crazy that people DO pay that!)
***I kinda freaked since I knew I only had my $8***
TOTAL AFTER COUPONS AND CARD: $7.81

After my successful shopping trip, I decided to lay down with Luke for a nap.....THREE hours later, I woke up a bit more refreshed.  I still had a headache, but felt a bit more upbeat :)

Since I still had a super headache, I REALLY wanted to order a pizza for dinner but knew I had already spent my $8....damn.  So, I "classed it up" and made hot ham and cheese sandwiches with carrots and dip.....really fancy! 


TOTAL SPENT DAY 4: $7.81 (rollover .19, TOTAL rollover $12.99)

Spending EIGHT with Kate!

Today started out a little rocky since we were up all night thanks to these crazy Colorado storms.  Thank God my husband woke up with the boys so I could sleep an extra 15 minutes!  He TRIED to do a nice thing by feeding them breakfast....unfortunately, he assumed they eat "man size" bowls of cereal.  I came down stairs to one empty bowl of cereal (his) and two OVERLY full tupperware size bowls of soggy cereal still left on the table.  I was not so mad about the cereal, but when I looked and saw the last half gallon of milk was gone, my appreciation turned into pissiness (my own word!).  Needless to say, we had to head out to the store to get some milk, blah.

We arrived at King Soopers at 8:45am and the kids insisted we get the fancy carts with the T.V. in them (really people, a tv in a shopping cart...??).  After a brief argument over who got to sit on what side, I quickly grabbed the milk and a red onion I needed for a future meal.  The boys were rewarded with a free cookie from the bakery (yes, I am the mom that gives her kids sugar in the mornings, judge away!) and we got out of there with no injuries or major crises, Praise the Lord!
COST FOR MILK AND ONION: $3.41

Next we headed to Starbucks for my reward :)  I brought an empty bag of coffee to trade in for my FREE tall coffee!
COST FOR MORNING COFFEE: $0

We then headed across the street to meet some friends  for FREE chick-fil-a breakfast!  Today's free breakfast was chicken mini's which my boys adore.  I did buy them a chocolate milk to share since they agreed to share with no fights (and they DID!).
TOTAL FOR BREAKFAST: $1.25

Our kids were getting a bit unruly in the play place at chick-fil-a, so we decided to take the crew to a nearby park before we got kicked out!  The kids played nicely and we only had two minor injuries.  After playing, the kids were hungry again, so I decided to tag along with my friend to get some lunch.  My friend Maria has 3 of her own kids (ALL BOYS!) and watches 2 little girls and her nephews during the week!  She is a saint!  Feeding her brood is expensive, so she takes them to free lunch at a nearby elementary school during the week.  Since Jack has been asking so many questions about school, I decided I would use this as a learning tool, and get some free lunch while we were at it!  My kids have never been in a school cafeteria so they were stoked!  The lunch offered today was either chicken nuggets or a hot dog with a banana, pasta salad, and a chocolate milk.  Although skeptical of a "school lunch", the food was descent, somewhat healthy, and FREE... plus I did not have to cook or clean! 
COST OF LUNCH: $0

Since we played so hard all morning, the boys were both tired and ready for some down time.  We had a nice afternoon, dinner was cooking itself in the crockpot and my laundry was DONE.  Could a girl ask for anything else????

TOTAL SPENT DAY 3: $4.66 (rollover of $3.34.  TOTAL rollover $12.80)

For all my fellow King Soopers shoppers, there is a new mega event starting TODAY that has some pretty good deals.  A few of my favorites are listed below:  In order to get the deals, you have to use your SooperCard, buy 10 participating items in the same transaction and you will save $5 instantly at checkout. The starting prices below assume that you are buying 10 participating items to get the sale price!!!

Colgate Toothpaste 6.4oz  $ .99
-.50 coupon (7/10 SS)
FREE! 

Reach Toothbrush or Access Flosser .99
- $1 coupon (4/17 SS)
FREE! 

Band-Aid Bandages 10-80ct $1.99
-.50 coupon (6/12 RP)
=.99 


 Kettle Brand Potato Chips 9oz $2.29
-$1 coupon (6/19 SS)
=$1.29 

Krusteaz Pancake Mix 14-32oz $1.99 (ONLY mix I will use!)
-$1/2 Krusteaz Coupon
=$1.49

Aunt Jemima ancakes 5.2-14.8oz $1.29
-$1 Aunt Jemima Coupon 
=.29! 

SunnyD 64oz .99
-.25 coupon (5/15 SS)
=.49 

Kraft Salad Dressing 16oz $1.49
-$1/2 coupon (6/19 SS)
=.99

Wisk Laundry Detergent 50oz $3.49
-$2 coupon (6/26 RP)
=$1.49 


Kraft Mayo or Miracle Whip 22-30oz $2.49
-.75 coupon (6/19 SS)
=$1.49 

Pepperidge Farm Bread, Bagels or Flat Bread 12-24oz $1.99
-.30 coupon (5/15 SS)
=$1.39 


Vitaminwater 20oz 
.49


Pop-Secret Popcorn 3ct .99 
-.50/2 coupon(6/19 RP)
=.49 (STOCK UP PRICE...we eat a lot of popcorn!)

There are other items included in the Buy 10, Save $5  Mega Event that are not listed here.  Be sure to check your store ad for all the items included!

  

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!  I plan on hitting up the mega event tomorrow.  I will be sure to post pics!  

 

Day 2!

This morning I met a few friends and their kiddos for brunch at a nearby park.  I was planning on making an egg bake to share, but realized I didn't have the correct cheese for the recipe.  As much as I wanted to go run to the store and grab something already prepared, I knew that was not in my $8 budget.  I calmly (ok, maybe not so calmly) racked my brain for something to bring.  With a little creativity and 30 minutes preparation, I came up with "Pigs In A Blanket",  breakfast style!  I cooked up some sausage I had frozen in my freezer and wrapped them in some pancakes I whipped up!  VOILA, easy meal that kids and adults will enjoy!  I also was able to freeze 6 extra pancakes for breakfast later this week!!!
COST FOR BRUNCH WITH FRIENDS: $0

I DID have to go to the grocery store for a few things for tomorrow.  I was not thrilled with my measly 48% store savings, even if I did only purchase 4 items. 

I needed Apricot preserves for dinner tomorrow night.  I wish they had a little jar, but this was the smallest I could find!  I snatched up a few banana's, 4 ears of corn and some Mango Lemonade that I am obsessed with ;) 
TOTAL SPENT AT GROCERY STORE: $4.26

Dusty and I were supposed to attend a baby shower on Sunday, but there was no way in hell I was taking my two little monsters.  Since Dusty will see the expectant couple tonight at his basketball game, I figured I would go ahead and send the gift with him.  Now, you may be thinking to yourself "how did you buy a gift with your remaining $3"?   Well, I did not have to buy a gift today because of my Stockpile of gifts.  I LOVE to buy things for people....I love even more to buy things for people months and months ahead of the time.  You see, as a frugal shopper I VERY RARELY buy anything that is not on sale.  When i find a smokin' deal I usually snatch it up.  I buy most of my Christmas and Birthday gifts off clearance racks throughout the year.  I also buy ALL kinds of children's clothes in all different sizes/genders/seasons.  Most of the outfits are purchased for less than $2 after clearance and coupons.  I also stock up on baby items like lotions, wipes, diapers, bibs, etc... when they are super cheap combined with a coupon.  Thanks to my stockpile of "stuff" I was able to put together an adorable gift bag for the newest addition to the Fox family!!

Included was a Plush baby blanket, tub of wipes, a baby towel and wash rag, Baby Magic baby wash, and of course a sweet little dress and bloomers (I will go broke if I ever have a girl :)  )


TOTAL FOR BABY SHOWER GIFT: $0 ( To give you an estimate of what I did pay for the items when I purchased them:  I paid $1.49 for the dress at a Children's Place end of summer clearance sale, .49 for the tub of wipes after coupon, the baby wash was free after coupon, towel free after coupon savings and the blanket was $2.99 after coupon and sale.  Total: around $5.....



TOTAL SPENT DAY 2: $4.26  (rollover of $3.74 ...TOTAL rollover $9.46)


Just to show you all what kind of crazy things I will do to save money, I thought I would share with you a picture from last Friday night.  It was customer appreciation day at Chick-fil-a and if you dressed up as a cow, you got a FREE MEAL, not just a sandwich :)  Not only did we get 3 free meals (YES, I too dressed myself up as a cow) but my boys thought it was SO FUN to get dressed up not on Halloween! 

That there is two little calves all ready for some free chicken!  There is no proof of me in my costume, so don't bother looking!!

Back to the $8/day Challenge!

Wasteful.  That is how I have been feeling lately.  I feel as though we have been wasting food, money, gas, and time.   I am grumpy, my little angels are acting like demons, and nothing seems to be changing.  After much thought and consideration I have decided we need to do one thing and one thing only, SIMPLIFY.  People have a real nifty way of making the uncomplicated complicated.....unfortunately, I am one of those people.  A few months ago when we were living off of $8 a day, life seemed easier.  I know that may seem bizarre to some, but getting rid of all the "fluff" helped us see what was really important in life.  So let the challenge begin,  wish us luck :)

DAY 1:
I spent most of the morning getting stuff in order.  I paid bills, organized my mountain of mail, and returned some phone calls.  One of my calls to make was to Comcast.  Let me preface this with letting you all know how much I despise dealing with customer service people.  I rarely have great experiences and usually end the call upset.  Our 2 year contract was up and the folks at comcast thought that raising our bill $25/month was ok.  Since we are on a strict budget, I kindly asked to cancel my service.  After 5 minutes speaking with Judy, we now have the same package for $5 less.  VICTORY!
SAVED $5/month by placing a call!

After my success with comcast I thought it would be a good idea to clean out my fridge and pantry to see what exactly I will be working with this next week.  Part of the reason my family is able to live off of $8/day is because we USE WHAT WE HAVE.  I am a firm believer in planning our meals around what we have in the kitchen and what is on sale at the store.  I do have a substantial stock pile of food items thanks to couponing, and also freeze meals ahead of time.  After taking inventory, I planned my family's meals for the week.

BREAKFAST
Waffles and Fruit X 2
Brunch at the park with friends
Egg in the bread
Sausage and pancakes with applesauce
Raisin toast with apples and peanut butter X 2


LUNCH
Grilled Ham and cheese sandwiches w/melon
Dino nuggets with carrots and dip
Veggie soup (my kids love soup even when its 90 degrees out!)
leftovers X 2
PB&J and fruit
Chicken and pepper Quesadillas w/ green beans

DINNER
Annies mac and cheese with carrots (daddy's at work :) )
Stir fry (veggies from my dads garden!)
Mostoccoli with green salad
Hamburgers/hot dogs with red potatoes and esparagus
Dinner out with my little men (dad's at work)
Angel hair with Italian sausage, veggies
Pizza night

Most of the menu items revolve around what I have in my house.  I will need to get some fruit and other little items!

After my day of planning and organizing, I was feeling ready to take this challenge on full force.  I told the boys if they ate all their dinner we would go to 7-11 for a FREE slurpee in honor of  7-11 day.  They were SO excited!!!  Unfortunately, when we pulled up, there was a huge sign on the door that read "ALL FREE SLURPEES GONE".  I was upset (total understatement!).  Since I promised my boys and we hadn't touched our $8, I thought it only fair to get them their treat.
TOTAL FOR 2 SMALL SLURPEES:  $2.28 and a brief argument with the ignorant cashier.....


TOTAL SPENT DAY 1: $2.28 (total rollover $5.72)

On a side note, we did start our challenge out with FULL tanks of gas in our vehicles. Also, just like last challenge, our monthly bills are NOT factored into the $8/day ;)

Late night King Soopers trip with Katie the coupon lady.....

What were you all doing at 9pm on this wonderful Tuesday night???  I was out taking advantage of King Soopers Mega Event!  There were some coupons I had to use before this sale ended, and I was running low on laundry detergent :)  I spent about 30 minutes making my list and clipping/printing my coupons earlier this afternoon.....On a side note, IF you watch that ridiculous show "Extreme Couponing" on TLC, you will repeatedly hear the couponers claim that EVERY one that "extreme coupons" spends at least 30 hours a week in preparation for shopping trips.....LET ME TELL YOU, this is so not true.  I have NEVER spent even close to that much time!  Although, if you are just beginning your coupon clipping journey, you will spend more time getting the hang of things...BUT, it is not ALL time consuming!  Okay,, back to my night.  I grabbed my coupon satchel and headed out.  I was in the store for 25 minutes and this is what I came out with:

(5) Purex Laundry Detergents
(3) Crystal Light "on the go" Single Beverage pouches
(3) 5 quart Crystal light Tea and Lemonade Mixes
(1) Kraft Singles
(1) Secret Deodorant
(3) Carefree Panty Liners
(1) Eggo Waffles
(1) Sunny Delight
(2) Boulder Valley BBQ Potato Chips
(6) Assorted Pasta's ***Although I have a LARGE stockpile of pasta, it is always nice to give some to friends/family/local foodbank!
(3) Kraft BBQ Sauces (not my fave, but good for freezer cooking!)
and last but NOT least
(2) Butterfinger candy bars....(I am planning on making homemade blizzards once this crazy weather warms up :)  ) 

TOTAL BEFORE COUPONS AND LOYALTY CARD:  $76.47
TOTAL AFTER COUPONS AND CARD: $6.89 plus $2.18 in tax!!!!!! 

Not the best I have ever done, but any savings over 90% is FABULOUS!  Plus, I NEEDED laundry stuff, and I was thrilled to find a $3 off Secret Deodorant coupon which made it FREE!


Now, I want to share a quick coupon tip with you.  If you are thinking of starting couponing, one of the biggest things you must consider is: ARE YOU BRAND LOYAL?  As much as I would love to always wash my clothes in TIDE, I just paid a whopping $0.60 for (5) 32 load Purex's.  That is right....60 pennies!  6 dimes!  I realize that some families have allergies, or other factors that may contribute to brand loyalty, but if YOU CAN, and if you are SERIOUS about saving money, I would encourage you to break out of your comfort zone!  

LONG overdue...DAY 21 and challenge wrap up!

LONG AWAITED DAY 21! 
I am sad and a bit dissapointed to tell you that ALL of my $8 plus my rollover was spent on gas....blah.  I must say, the whole $4/gallon of gas thing REALLY threw a wrench in my exciting challenge.  Had I known that prices were going to climb daily, I probably would have increased my daily allowance.  So with that said:

TOTAL SPENT ON GAS: $9.56 (used $1.56 rollover)

After living off $8/day for the past 3 weeks, I was somewhat sad to end the challenge.  I knew for my marriages sake that we needed to break from the frugalness, and with all the birthdays and company in town I knew that it would not be possible to live the same way we had during the challenge.  I must say though, I have seen a MAJOR difference in the way I spend money. 

Living off of $8/day was not easy and at times I wanted to stop the challenge and run out to the nearest store and pay FULL PRICE for something (gasp!).  Looking back, I am really proud of us for sticking it out, and working TOGETHER as a family.  I look forward to share more of my frugal ways with you all and hope that you will continue to check back with me on a regular basis!

 END OF THE CHALLENGE

 

~When you are living off $8/day, you have a hard time clothing your children....You also put them to work in the kitchen :)

Do you have any crazy ideas you would like to "challenge" me with?  Leave a comment and let me know!  

Who wants a FREE Pizza from Papa Johns?!?!? How about a FREE Bagel with Cream cheese from Brueggers?!?!?

Today only you can get a FREE medium cheese pizza from Papa Johns.  Just enter promo code mkcqov under promo codes located HERE.  If you don't want it today, just order it now and schedule it for a future delivery or pickup (up to 21 days out).  THIS PROMO CODE WILL NOT LAST LONG SO ORDER FAST!!!!    yikes, that was quick!!!  I hate it when deals expire so quick...  :(

I ordered my FREE pizza for tomorrow at noon so the boys can have an easy, FREE lunch!

NOT in the mood for pizza?!?!?  While, through May 16, just print this LITTLE PUPPY off and use it to score a FREE bagel with cream cheese at BRUEGGERS BAGELS! 

~~I apologize for not updating the blog....now that I am back on track, look forward to some awesomeness coming your way :)

Free Coffee for earth day!

Head on over to Starbucks AND Caribou coffee with your reusable mugs and get some free coffee!!! This offer is valid today only.  Whoo hoo....I will be hitting up both establishments! 

Days 19 &20: $8/day challenge!

DAY 19:
Yesterday we had a lovely morning together as a family and I decided we would "splurge" and ORDER a pizza for dinner!  USUALLY the only pizza we get in this house is $5 Little Ceazers Pizza's, but tonight Dusty begged requested Papa Johns.  Although I was hesitant to spend our moola on the pizza, I did locate a FREE medium cheese pizza with any pizza order!  

My husband was happy, I was pleasantly surprised by the high value coupon ( even if we did go over our $8!), and the boys were THRILLED with a pizza night with Mom and DAD!
TOTAL FOR TWO PIZZA's: $12.45 (we did use some of our rollover! TOTAL rollover remaining: $7.06)

Since I knew that we are nearing the end of our challenge, I figured I still have rollover to spend, so why not spend it?!?!?!  Jack was in need of cleats for baseball and after looking at the Sports Store catalog that came in the Sunday paper (cleats priced at $29.99!!!!) I knew I had to make a trip to the local thrift store!  Wouldn't you know it, there were a pair of size 13 Adidas cleats perfect for a certain little boy!  Even more perfect, the $3.50 price tag!  WHOO HOO!  
TOTAL FOR JACK'S CLEATS: $3.50 

TOTAL SPENT DAY 19: $15.95 ((Total rollover remaining: $3.56))

DAY 20 
Day 20.....the day before our last day of this challenge!  I WANTED to do some really great coupon shopping today for the WOW effect, but, Gas was needed...BLAH!  Maybe tomorrow! 
TOTAL SPENT ON GAS: $10


TOTAL SPENT DAY 20: $10 (Total rollover $1.56)

DAYS 18: $8/day challenge

Before I give a break down of the past two days I wanted to share with you all something that really spoke to me this morning.   Through this challenge, I have taken a deep look into the way I view my material possessions.  Although it is fun to have "stuff", it is SO not what is important in my life.  It is my children, husband, family, friends, and the choices I make that are important. 

1 John 3:17 says "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person"

I really believe that now-a-days people forget how important GIVING is.  Now don't get me wrong, I know a lot of givers, but in general society today is very selfish.  I am not trying to tell you to go and give away your fortune, but would it kill ya to SMILE at someone in the supermarket?  HUG someone that needs a hug? Give of YOUR time to help a friend (or a stranger?).  GIVE anonymously to someone who has fallen on hard times?  I challenge each of you this week to GIVE something that is precious to you...just give it to someone!    Whether it is your money, time, an ear to listen, or a material possession, I am sure that the recipient will be SO very thankful!  

 DAY 18: $8/day challenge 

I started the day off at a spin class which I can only compare to child labor.  You sweat from places you didn't know prespired, you have a hard time "breathing through" the hard times and your butt and crotch hurt.  At least a got a baby out of labor!  I must admit, I did feel pretty amazing after I finished the class! (A BIG thanks to Jen S. for dragging my butt there!)  Now, some of you may be asking yourselves "How do you afford a gym membership?"......Let me tell you......I REALLY wanted a membership at this fancy shmancy health club that opened a few years back, but knew that $100 was not exactly in the budget (Dusty was unemployed and we were barely scraping by).  So, I looked online and saw that they were hiring for a weekend position.  The pay was AWFUL, but they included a free membership for you AND your kids!  2 Hours of free child care a day....sign me up!  I applied, interviewed and was hired a few weeks later.  I now work a few Sunday afternoons per month.  I make a few extra frogskins for myself AND get a free membership!

COST OF MEMBERSHIP AT FANCY HEALTH CLUB: $0 

 After the amazing workout, Jack and I headed out to the first of two parties we had for the day.  We were honored to celebrate Jack's friends' birthdays (twin girls).  This was our 4th kids birthday party this MONTH and if I wasn't so fantastically frugal, all these parties would have been VERY costly.  You see, I not only stockpile groceries, I also stockpile presents!  This may seem crazy, but I would bet money that you would be somewhat envious of my "gift closet".  It is a WHOLE closet devoted to gifts for people.  I have gifts appropriate for newborns-grandparents.  I have a multitude of different size clothing in BOTH genders!   Most of this stuff i found on a clearance rack after a holiday, or purchased with a coupon that made it free or almost free.  My "gift closet" not only saves me a TON of money, but even more importantly, TIME.  I am the worlds biggest procrastinator, so if I didn't have the closet to "shop" in, I would be running around like  a chicken with my head cut off 10 minutes before a party started!  

After the first party, we headed out to celebrate my friends birthday!  I know she loves starbucks and had just received a $10 giftcard for renewing my Denver Post subscription.  I knew she would appreciate it more than I would so I kindly re-gifted the card (she called me this morning asking me how I purchased the GC with an $8/day budget...I let her in on my secret!).  I also added a little something from my "gift closet" to finish the gift off.   

TOTAL COST FOR BIRTHDAY GIFTS FOR 3 PEOPLE: $0!!!

All in all, we had a wonderful day and only spent $.99 on some Sour Cream I needed for the potatoes I was bringing to the party!
TOTAL SPENT DAY 18: $1 (rollover $7, Total Rollover: $11.51)

 

**Day 19 will be up later tonight**

A new dress=happy kate! $8/day challenge DAYS 16 & 17

Howdy all!  Sorry i did not post yesterday....the whole $8 went to gas...again.  So dumb.  With that said,
TOTAL DAY 16: $8 (total rollover $2.20)

DAY 17
Today I cleaned all morning and decided to take the boys on an adventure since it was so nice outside.  We went to a friends for a bit to play in THEIR backyard (it is amazing how just a change of scenery can stimulate little minds!).  I also made a quick stop in at Kohls (shhhh, don't tell Dusty!).  You see, I know I am on an $8/day budget, but by God a woman has to shop!  My birthday is fast approaching and I would *like* to have something spectacular to wear on my special day!  After browsing the sale racks and only finding bulky sweaters and "grandma" pants (no offense gram) my eyes lit up with excitement when i noticed a certain dress dangling from the 80% rack.  Could it be?  Could the dress I have been eyeing since DECEMBER possibly STILL be there, AND on sale.  Ladies, (since I know any men that were reading this have stopped) I desperately wanted this green asymetrical dress...and actually DID buy it.  It cost me $60.00 and the guilt of paying that much on something for me RIGHT before Christmas was just too much to handle (I know this may not seem like a ton of money for some, but to us it is).  I returned it a few days later, regrettably so.  I have thought of this dress many a day and daydreamed about wearing it to my cousins wedding, a night out with the girls, a date night, etc....But, all the fantasizing in the world could not make the dress magically reappear.  I knew it was forever gone.  UNTIL TODAY.  You should have seen my face when I spotted the dress, the ONE and only dress on the sale rack.  There was NO way that this dress could possibly be my size, or could it???  Hesitantly I picked up the dress took a deep breath and looked at the tag.  There, staring back at me was my exact size, I could not believe my eyes.  Even better than the size 0 (lol!!) was the price tag.  $12....YES, $12.  To make that sweet, sensuous $12 even better was the $5 off and 15% off coupons I was holding in my hands.  The dress is shown below:

I realize you all may not like this dress, but it really is adorable on ( or so I think).  I will be celebrating my birthday with this frock on and will post pics after the event!

TOTAL FOR MY MAGICAL DRESS: Regularly $60, on sale for $12

TOTAL AFTER MY COUPONS AND GIFT CARD: $3.43...that is correct, out of pocket I paid $3.43.  I WON'T be returning this one!

I threatened told the boys that if they were good all afternoon that I would take them to the dollar store to pick out a prize (YES, I bribe my kids).  After MUCH debate, they both decided to get guns that shoot balls out of them....go figure!
TOTAL FOR 2 BALL GUNS: $2.16

TOTAL DAY 17: $5.59  ( rollover $2.31 Total Rollover: $4.51)

On a very random side note, I would just like you all to know that I am doing something RIGHT now that I never do.  Are you ready....I ....am .....baking!  I just took out my first pan of cupcakes and they look AWFUL.  How can someone mess up cupcakes you ask......let me explain.  I LOVE to cook, but for some reason ANYTIME I bake, I ruin it.  if anyone ever asks me to bring a dessert, I bring my "famous" Rice-Krispy treats...because there is NO oven involved!  I thought it was my oven, but I just got a new range so that can no longer be my excuse.  Damn.  My friend who's birthday I am baking these for better REALLY love me!  I will post pics once I try and salvage these God-for-saken messes!  Wish me luck!

Awesome deals at the King soopers by my house....also DAY 15

I love Wednesdays, why you may ask??  Well, on Wednesdays the ads for this weeks sales get released.  Pathetic, aren't I?!?!?!?!?  Today, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the King Soopers a block from my house is having a GRAND RE-OPENING sale and let me tell you, the sale looks pretty awesome!  I would HIGHLY recommend you come and check it out if you are in the North Denver area. The location is 104th and Federal.  Some of the best deals I saw were:

Colorado Proud Milk: $1.69 (this is an AWESOME price considering I haven't seen it below 2.15 in some time!)
5lb box of CUTIES: $3.88...also there is a $1 off coupon in last weeks paper making this $2.88!!!!!
93% lean Ground Beef: $1.79/lb!!!! This is a STOCK up price!!!!
Post cereal (select varieties): 2 for $3  Captain Crunch/Raisin bran and others.
Red Seedless Grapes: $.88/lb great price :)

For my Organic peeps:
Organic Braeburn Apples: $1/lb
Horizon Organic Yogurt (32oz.): 2 for $5

There are many more great deals going on so head on over!  The prices are valid until Tuesday, April 12th!


DAY 15
After noticing the deals at my local king soopers, it was hard to not go and stockpile some of the items featured.  I did know I wanted to make my Homemade spaghetti sauce so decided to just pick up (1) pound of the 93% lean ground beef and after scanning my pantry knew I needed (2) more tomato pastes.  Since I do stockpile, I had everything else I needed to make the sauce. 
TOTAL FOR MEAT AND PASTE: $3.60  If I didn't have such a crazy day, I would have taken a picture of HOW much sauce I made!  It is amazing how inexpensive it was to make and it will last us a month!  I was also able to make dinner for a friend on bedrest, and jar some for another friend!

I also put $8 of gas in my tank.  Once again this made me irate!  Seriously, $3.49/gallon??  I was sick to my stomach for the whole 10 seconds it took me to pump my $8 of gas!!!!
TOTAL FOR OVERPRICED GAS: $8

TOTAL DAY 15: $11.60 (NO rollover today, and we used $3.60 of rollover.  Total rollover remaining: $2.20)

I also want to address one more thing tonight.  For anyone who watched the show "Extreme Couponing" tonight on TLC, I wanted to let you know my thoughts.  First of all PLEASE remember this is REALITY TV....most of these woman do not go on shopping trips like that all the time.  Second, although I do maintain a stockpile of things my family uses on a regular basis, the woman on this show are HOARDERS!  Please, please, please do not associate me with this.  I Donate items that we will not use and always pass my extras on to friends and family.   Lastly, if you are new to couponing, please realize that YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPEND 6 hours a day clipping/organizing coupons!  For anyone that knows me, you all know I am a busy woman.  I have two wild kids, am active in my church, I work a part-time job, and By God, I AM A BLOGGER...LOL! (I had to throw that in there!).  I do NOT have even an HOUR a day to mess with coupons.  So please, understand that this IS extreme! 

Day 14: $8/day budget

First of all, I would like to say a BIG thank you to everyone for taking the time each day to read my blog.  I am baffled still as to how people have been reacting to this.   I appreciate all the kind words of encouragement and hope to have more reader involvement in the near future!

I also wanted to let you all know that I am currently in a situation to pay some kindness forward.  You see, I clean houses....this may not sound very glamorous, but I love to clean and I make my own hours...for me, it is the perfect job...for right now.  I recently read about a non-profit that provides maid service to women who are battling cancer.  Being a healthy mother, I can only imagine the daily struggle it must be to try and maintain your health/family/finances, and of course a clean house when you are sick with such an awful disease.  With all this said, I am currently searching for one deserving Mother who is either battling cancer herself, or who has a child who is sick with cancer to provide my service to.  If you know of anyone who may be a good candidate, PLEASE email me at katethecouponmom(at)yahoo(dot)com. 

Okay moving on....

DAY 14
After my terrible day yesterday, I am happy to report that I am back on track!  Today I was quite productive and there were no major meltdowns...praise God!  After dropping Jack at school, I stopped in at my parents for a cup of coffee....the folgers at my house is just not doing it for me and I know my mother only brews starbucks!  After a nice visit, Luke and I headed over to a friends to try and help her with her meal planning/budget for the next few weeks.  This wonderful friend of mine has 4 children 4 years of age and younger (bless her heart!) and struggles with her grocery budget each month.  I feel like we have been making a LOT of progress and she is finally getting the idea that you CAN'T just throw things in your grocery cart...you need to plan out your trip!  So, after a tutorial we stopped in at Sprouts (a "farmers market" style grocer) and practiced what I preached.  I showed her how I weigh out all my produce and try not to exceed what i have budgeted.  She did wonderfully, and I did better than wonderfully!  I budgeted $3 and spent exactly $2.99!!!  How's that for accuracy?!?!?  I purchased (1) Zucchini (1) yellow squash (1) onion (1) bag of pears and (1) bag of carrots!!

TOTAL SPENT OF FRESH PRODUCE: $2.99

After the shopping excursion, I picked up jack from school and for a brief second wondered if I could just drive through somewhere and pick up lunch..would anyone know???  Well I didn't and I am SO happy that I resisted the urge.  My kids don't ask for it, nor do they even enjoy fast food....I enjoy the convenience of it, ME, not them (although two weeks ago I would have said otherwise)!!!  I am slowly but surely breaking that habit.  We are healthier now both physically and financially because of it!  So awesome! 

We came home, and I decided that my pit of a car needed some TLC.  It was so discusting and I just couldn't take it anymore.  Usually I go down to the local "wash your own car" place, but when you are working with $8/day, you wash your own car!  I got out the ol' shop-vac and went to work.  I now have a nice and tidy automobile and didn't spend a penny :)
TOTAL FOR A CAR WASH: $0

TOTAL SPENT DAY 14: $2.99 (rollover $5.01, Total rollover $5.80)


Tip of the day: Now that the weather is warming up, get out the cleaning supplies and do a little scrub-a-dub-dub.  You will feel so much better once your house/car/office is in tip-top shape!  If you don't feel like cleaning, give me a call, I know a great cleaning lady :)  !!!!!