Couponing first post in the series

I need to come up with a good name for this series, any ideas?

As I promised WEEKS ago, I am now starting my series of posts on couponing. I have been doing a TON of research and compiling of information to make sure that I relay all the correct information. This being said I am still learning myself! I am finding and learning new things every time I turn around! I have several websites/blogs that I refer to daily! (All of which I will be including in these posts. Just not exactly how each post will pan out exactly, I'm winging it). Please make sure that you check with all the stores around your area for their policies. You should be able to find these on their websites or by just going to the service desk and talking to a manager.

There are several things you should know about couponing to be successful.

1. You WILL feel overwhelmed at first, it is okay, I still do today and I have had great success in just over a month.

2. You will have to put sometime and effort into collecting coupons/finding the deals each week. I spend about an hour every day or so.

3. Do NOT try to get every deal.... ever (no matter how good you get at this), this will make it impossible for you to be successful! (and then I would be worried about hoarding and wasting money on things you won't use)

4. If you are doing this correctly you should be that crazy person at the register with ATLEAST 30 coupons.

5. Be proud of yourself, not embarrassed and ashamed. I have found the last two times, people are more curious about how I save so much than having to wait in line while the cashier is scanning all my coupons. Be polite, patient, and open with your experiences and savings and you will find that people are more entertained than bothered.

6. Do NOT try to start with both the grocery store and drugstores at the same time. Pick your most used grocery and start there, I would recommend using just that for about 6 weeks, so that you have it down pat, before throwing in 1 drugstore.

7. Most importantly be prepared to make mistakes! Understand that this is not an easy task and you have to figure out what works best for you.

8. Most importantly HAVE FUN!!!!!!!

I'm hoping that friday I will be able to make a coherent (I'm having foot surgery thursday) post about either why you should coupon and/or how coupons work. Please let me know if there is something specific you want to know, so that I can research and find the best place to put it in this series!

Happy couponing (and learning)!

Today I feel like

Today I feel like the worst person on the face of the planet. I feel like I have given up on someone entirely too early. I feel like I have been selfish with my feelings and my hurt. I feel like I have not given her a chance.

Today I just want to curl up in a corner and say that I am sorry, for not being there, not understanding, not being the friend needed.

Today, my heart is breaking even more than it has before. I am so sorry my dear friend.

I'm not sure where to even start with my apology as I am nost sure it will even do justice for the neglect and undesereved doubts! I am so sorry!

I found an awesome deal!

I found an AMAZING deal today at my publix today!

But just so you know, whatever you do, DO NOT take pictures of the isle signs! I did this today so that I could get my coupon binder in order of the store to make more efficient and I got told that I was NOT ALLOWED to take pictures, this occured in isle 5 of 13. So as you can imagine my next 8 isles were written out and kind of combobulated.

But anywho, the point! My mom bought me an oral b power toothbrush for xmas from target, it was marked down from $70 some odd bucks to 34.99, and then I had a $10/1 coupon from the p&g insert to make it 24.99, which I though was a pretty good deal. Just the brush and no replacement "head" brush thing.

So Brad decided that he wanted one, so when I was going to the store today, I was looking at all the booklets that publix has and noticed that they had $10/1 oral b coupon for the toothbrush and then I had another from p&g coupon from todays paper for $10/1, so i dedcided that I would look. thinking that it would be way more expensive, boy was i wrong!

Publix (in my nashville store) had an oral-b vitality power toothbrush for 26.99. (now I am still learning, but my store will allow you to stack a store coupon (which has an LU # usually on the bottom) and a manufactures coupon (which says manufactures coupon on top), I checked with the cashier before she wrung them up and was told that I should be able to do them both and the computer would beep if it was not allowed, which it obviously did not)

so

toothbrush 26.99

store coupon -10.00

manufacture coupon -10.00

_____

total price 6.99 before tax

what an awesome deal!

Now this being said, should I find out from a reader that we (cashier and myself) made a mistake with this I will be returning to the store to fix my error!

As I am still very much learning, and still somewhat overwhelmed, please make sure that you check with your store to see what their rules and regulations are! I have not been able to find them other than what the staff has verbally told me and from what I can tell all stores are different!

I'm too tired to write!

I know I promised several people my coupon hints and sites yesterday, but to be completely honest I am too dang tired to even think about putting together a coherent and useful post about couponing. I'm sorry, hopefully tomorrow will be the day!

But I do have to tell you about this horrible melt down we had yesterday and ask for you advice!

Yesterday my sweet, adorable, can't do anything wrong (he he he) 5 yr old threw this MASSIVE fit, in public.........in target! Now I'm not just talking about crying, I can deal with that, but SCREAMING the ENTIRE way through target. Now, this has become something that has started over the past year, but has never happened in public and never to this extent. We make sure to tell her that fits are not okay and that they are not exceptable. They also mostly occur when her way has not been gotten. Typically when a fit begins, she is sent to her room to calm down after given the option to either stop fussing and talk about the situation or go sit in her room. When sitting in her room she is to sit in the very middle without any distractions so that she can think about what is going on. (We are trying to get her to work on feelings when they are starting and through them so she understands what is going on in her brain and express them, but we are not anywhere close to this yet.)

What worries me most is that lately when these fits start it is also starting to begin with aggression, usually hitting something like the door when she is walking out of it, or snatching as hard as she can so that her arm is wound back and propels all the way around the front of her body. This is in NO WAY acceptable and will not be tolerated. When this sort of out break begins she is once again told why that action is not acceptable and told to either explain why she did that action and to calm down or go sit and think. If the fit is completely out of wack and is drawn out excessively or we are told no she wont sit in time out SEVERAL times, she will recieve a spanking and an explaination and be put in timeout until she is calm enough to sit and talk about why she responded the way she did, and the action(s) that landed her in the punishment she received. I am not one that likes to spank, so we try not to use this route unless absolutely necessary.

I know that I have a problem with yelling and I am very actively trying to work on this, I am trying to use an athoritative/calm voice. We explain to her that she is NOT a bad girl, but the choice she made was not the best choice to make. I don't quite know where to go though, I feel like the whole situation is getting worse, and I can tell you that I really don't think timeouts are working, by the time she calms down, she can't even remember what she is so upset about. I have tried taking away toys for negative attitudes and this is not effective, I don't think spankings are effective either. I am at a loss for what to do. I have also tried making her do things that she doesn't like, ie sweeping, cleaning, basically manual labor and this has no effect, she finds a way to like said chore.

I would really like to nip this attitude in the butt before it gets any worse. Please offer any advice you can give! Anything that may have worked for kids in your family, things your parents did with you. I love my daughter very much and want her to grow up and understand why we can't act certain ways, and have good morals. I am just lost.

has to be one of my favorite

This age that Tyler is currently at, has to be one of the most fun.

They have yet to learn to talk back, but are still learning what is okay and what is not. They are also learning new skills and things every day.

They still think that everything is funny, and will still let you cuddle.

Tyman is really funny right now. He is learning like crazy and just has the best personallity I could ask for.

Here is his latest new adventure/heart attack for mom, because it never takes place at an opportune time. Usually when standing right by some table with sharp edges, or even more fun, jumping off something, like say oh a brick fireplace, or a bed that is taller than him.

But enjoy