BOGO Bargain

I stumbled across this deal at CVS the other day and happily left with 4 bottles of CVS-branded zyrtec for the price of 1 and a half bottles, as they were buy one get one half off. Plus the boxes were 100% free as they had an additional bottle attached. Ethan takes allergy medicine every day so this will is something we use!

I love sales!

I found a great open front cardigan at Kohl's, and as you can see, the price was right! You definately can't argue with 90% off. I can't actually remember the last time I paid full price for any piece of clothing, it's just the way that I am and it drives my hubby crazy!

Finally!

Us Sprint users finally have a reason to celebrate.......
The IPhone coming to Sprint was awesome to hear today. I will be one of the crazy people ordering mine this coming week, I have an upgrade available so mine will be quite affordable, thank you :)!!!

Coupons!

No, I'm not one of those crazy women you see on TV buying 60 bags of cat food and they don't even own a cat. But yes, I do use coupons, and today I was a very happy woman to find 5 inserts in my Sunday paper! I only use coupons for the things we use, and with 3 of us in the house eating gluten free, it's more of Eric's food, and non-food items. One of the few exceptions that there seems to always be coupons for is yogurt, which is wonderful since I think Landon could eat it day and night. So I'm off to clip and read this week's sales papers!

Ways We Save Money

I am going to start a list of ways we save money..

1. Cloth napkins , especially for the kids, since they tend to need several :)
2. Coupons Coupons Coupons, and not just for groceries, services as well (ie oil changes, haircuts)
3. CF light bulbs (they really cut your bill)
4. library books!
5. Dollar stores, Big Lots, Goodwill
6. pack lunches
7. accept hand me downs

Ah, enough for the day, this is just the beginning!

Facebook Addict

I have to admit, I have become a true facebook addict. I have a farm, 2 actually, a cafe, and island and a mafia. It sucks you in! Here's to hoping that NaBloPoMo makes me blog more again. I hope to continue with more series items, such as air travel tips, frugal hints, and maybe a child activity list. I am open to any suggestions!

$3 for both boxes

You have got to love the sale section. All of this for $3! So far I have shredded zucchini and yellow squash ( I sneak it in recipes for added veggies) and made a batch of homemade applesauce. Some of the potatoes were also used tonight in Mexican casserole. Thats it for day 2!

WFMW - Kid's Detangling Spray

Okay, so you'll probably think I'm a big cheeseball, but I love using kid's detangling spray. I have naturally curly hair that can be absolutely horrible to brush. I don't want to admit how many times I have gotten a hairbrush or wide tooth comb stuck in my hair. After trying many salon products and winching at the prices, I picked up a bottle and gave it a try. For just a few dollars, I get the same results. Best of all, it's available at most drug stores, no more special (i.e expensive) salon trips!

For other great tips check out We Are That Family.

WFMW - Big Lots!

I used to be an avid Big Lots shopper. I will admit for the last 3 yrs while living in Georgia, I slacked off. The stores were either too far away or were so gross they made my skin crawl. Well, living back in Chicago, I have re-established my Big Lots love. There is one nearby, that I am in love with the deals. For example, Propel Water for 70 cents (bear with me folks, I'm trying to kick the Diet Coke habit, okay who am I kidding, let's say lessen the quantity consumed) I also stocked up on Johnson's Head to Toe Wash for 99 cents, which is a total godsend when your kids have sensitive skin. So that's what's working for me these days - Big Lots!



For other great tips, check out We are That Family

WFMW - frugal tips

WFMW this week is all about frugal tips, my favorite. Well, I have had a crazy day today so this is going to be a quickie. My frugal tip is to purchase a plastic holder with dividers to store all your coupons in. My holder cost around $2 and was labeled as a check holder. Many others support this gigantic binder contraption, but with 2 small kids, who has a free hand to carry that into a store. My holder is small enough that it will fit in either a purse or diaper bag. I labeled the tabs to my liking with categories that fit my family.

For other great tips, visit Kristin at We Are That Family!

Frugality - TV Vargas Style

Well, since we don't have the money to have cable, this is how we roll at the Vargas house. We are all about style with our digital converter box and the ever so fancy rabbit ears. I have not stooped to putting the flags on the antenna yet, but I'm close!

Long Time No Blog

I know, I have been a sucky blogger. But, let's face it, like everyone else, life gets in the way. My personal life has been an absolute mess on the financial front and work front. (Don't worry, marriage is still going strong) My job of 6 yrs told me last week that they don't have the money to pay me anymore. My airline job only provides me with part time hours. So, in other words, OUCH! I don't even want to discuss our finances now in result. So, here I am, back to making every penny count again. Maybe I should take this as an opportunity to really explore frugality and to share our journey with others.....

Menu Plan

I have really fallen off the wagon of making "every penny count" lately. I did promise myself to make a menu for this week.

Sunday - grilled chicken, homemade beans

Monday - breakfast burritos

Tuesday - spaghetti

Wednesday - burgers and waffle fries

Thursday - nachos

Friday - eat out, weekly treat with DH, make taquito casserole for DH to take to work


Everything of course is subject to change, depending on what happens during the week

WFMW - powdered drink mixes

I love the convenience of the pre-measured drink powdered that you add to a bottle of water, but I don't love the price. I discovered that if I but the regular canister of the "tubs" that make a 2 quart pitcher, I can take 1 tsp of the drink mix and add it to my water bottle for the same taste. I empty all of the tubs into a little jar, and I have the convenience of single serve drinks for a lower price.

For more great tips - see Rocks in My Dryer

Potty Time

Look what we've started! Landon is now officially potty training. So far, the success is variable. I am happy to say that our diaper consumption is slowing down, but we will have to buy more toilet paper.

ETA - The potty above is the Baby Bjorn. It is the only one that I found that was

a. simple

b. had a tall enough "splash guard"

c. didn't talk, sing, or have any other ridiculous "extra"

I totally recommend it!

Change of Adoption locale

Okay, with much thought of time and money needs, we are probably changing where we are adopting from. Possible choices include Korea or China at this point. We just don't have the money or 3-4 weeks to spend in Peru. Eric was reluctant at first and then I spilled my guts. I told him that I would feel complete once I get my daughter. I told him that I have always felt that the baby I lost was my daughter, that I have the need to fulfill that want in my life. He said that he was fine with it and that we should begin to save. I guess I should tell him that I already started :) I also found out that Delta provides $1500 in reimbursement for adoption. Well, I guess its full force saving and paying down our bills.

Landon the Chunkmeister! (JK!)

Well the number of the day , 23 lbs 14 oz. That's a weight gain of 4 lbs in basically a month! The doctor was impressed. She said keep up the same and she didn't want to see him until his birthday in July. We go to the GI doctor next week. He is a supporter of the GF diet in kids.

On a side note, my stupid neighborhood association has announced that they will be having a neighborhood garage sale again! Yay! More money for my adoption fund. It really amazes me at the crap that people will buy. Last year I actually sold 2 stained runner rugs for $2 each. I hope it will be as good as last year. I made $130 without really even trying.

Adoption

I want to discuss one of our goals in the future. I passionately want to adopt daughter. Eric is on board with my want and actually said he would like to adopt from Peru. Holding us back, though, is definitely the cost. I made a decision last week that I am going to start saving on my own for our goal. My special adoption fund. Last week I managed to save $150. I know its not much, but its a beginning. I plan on putting any extra money I lay my hands on in this fund. This will include any pet sitting, surveys, rebates, gifts, and hopefully another garage sale this spring. I also want to check about selling some of the boy's clothes on consignment. I hopefully can make more money doing this then the quarters you get at garage sales. I also am trying to pay off our debt and save money on our everyday costs. This is proving difficult with food costs these days. The fact that the boys eat gluten free is also another expense. I think if we seriously buckle down and work at this, we can do it.