Oh, baby baby!!! GREAT diaper sale next week!

It's time to stock up on diapers!!!
Amazing sale begins 11/2 through 11/8
You WILL NOT get them any cheaper than this!!!

If you have a little one in diapers or know someone who could benefit by knowing about this sale, please read the following information! This will be a great opportunity to plan ahead and buy what you think you'll use until your child is out of diapers, if you have the room to store them! If you don't have a diaper-aged child to buy for, you should still take advantage of this opportunity! How many baby showers do you go to? Could your church or favorite charity use a nice donation? Read on.....

This sale is for all sizes of diapers and training pants!!

Here's how the deal will work:

Walgreen's will have the jumbo packs of diapers/training pants on sale next week for $8.99/BOGO (buy one, get one free) so....

2 packs x $8.99 = $17.97
BOGO offer -8.99
Total = $8.99/2 packages
Or $4.49 per package

This, in itself, is a pretty good buy.

BUT WAIT!!! THERE'S MORE!!!

This is the KEY to make these diapers a STEAL:

There's a "secret" little coupon that you can find in the pharmacy at Walgreen's. You have to ask for it. Details are: Go to the pharmacy. Ask an associate to explain the new prescription savings plan to you. You don't have to participate in the plan. Once they tell you about it....it just takes a minute...they will give you a coupon tri-fold leaflet that is mostly red, white lettering, has a pic of Walgreen's on the cover, and has a big $50 Savings on the top. This is free. They are obligated to give you one when you listen to their spiel about the new prescription program. (Which isn't a bad program, by the way. It costs $20, you get a savings card called a "W" card, and then you earn 10% back on every Walgreen's brand product you buy- which by the way would apply to this diaper deal, since the diapers are Walgreen's diapers. You can do it if you want, but just keep in mind, you don't have to in order to get the coupons!)

The great thing about Walgreen's coupons (their OWN coupons, not the kind you get out of the Sunday paper), is that since they are STORE coupons, they don't have to keep them and put them into their registers. All they have to do is scan the barcode on the coupon or type in the last four digits of the coupon, and you get the savings AND get to keep the coupon for future use. These don't expire until 12/31/08.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT TEAR THE COUPON OUT OF THE BOOK!

So, in the middle of this coupon booklet, towards the bottom, there's a coupon for $2.00 Walgreen's diapers or training pants. The registers are programmed to accept the coupon for as many packages of diapers you buy, not just one package. So, here's the way the deal looks now:

2 packs x $8.99 = $17.97
BOGO offer -8.99
Use Rx coupon -4.00
Total = $4.99/2 packages
Or $2.49 per package


If (and remember this is YOUR choice) you decide to sign up for the "W" card when you listen to their prescription savings plan, you will earn 10% back for all of your diapers you purchase....and that's the PRE coupon price. It's not instant savings, but it works like this: you register as a user on Walgreens.com and enter your receipt numbers after you get home. You earn 10% for every purchase of Walgreen's items.

THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THE DEAL COULD BE EVEN SWEETER THAN THIS!

At least a couple of times per month, Walgreen's puts out a coupon (online) that states $5.00 of a $20.00 purchase. Next week (probably Thursday) would be about the right time of the month for them to do this, but they may not. If they do, the packs of diapers will be about $1.88 each! I'll keep my eyes open for the coupon and let you know...and I'll do the math on my end so you can see exactly how that would work.

If you've read my other posting on stockpiling, you may remember that there are other deals you can take advantage of (they're different each week) that actually earn "store credit", aka: Register Rewards to be used toward your next purchase. If you are interested in doing any of these, let me know, and I'll help you. If you DO decide to take advantage of the register reward program, you can use the register rewards (RR's) earned from another item to pay for your diapers. Then you would be bringing home free diapers and say, free shampoo- or something like that.

If you're serious about wanting to stockpile a SERIOUS amount of diapers, the above mentioned RR way of shopping is the way to go. You could literally take home 100 plus packages........

FOR FREE!!!

So who wants to save a bundle of money?!?

As promised, this blog is my story about something new I started just 6 short weeks ago. I will update regularly, post many photos, and gladly answer any question you may have! I mentioned in my previous "teaser post" that this is not a sales pitch! It's just a new way of looking at shopping. I paid nothing for this information, I just learned how to do it by lots of research and by trial and error. This is just my way of sharing with my family and friends how you can save money, too! If you're interested in learning the tricks of the trade, I'm more than willing to help!! It's FREE!! You don't have to buy anything, there is no book, nothing to order- just information- from me....because I love ya....and want you to have a big fat bank account!

Background- Purex Laundry Detergent!

I've always loved finding a bargain...I think everyone does! There's a certain thrill attached to paying less-than-retail prices for items you use and need in your home. I remember back in the early '90's, I was shopping at a grocery store and noticed a display for laundry detergent (if I remember correctly, it was Purex powder- and before it was all the rage to buy liquid detergent) that had a large sign announcing the sale price as .99 cents each. As I walked past the display, my eyes quickly focused on a little yellow "peelie" (a sticker attached to each box which was actually a coupon) that said .50 cents off. It didn't take but a second or two to remember that the grocery store I was in doubled their coupons.

Before I could think twice, I placed several boxes in my shopping cart and went to the register to pay. The cashier rang them up, scanned the coupons (which doubled at the register) and I made a penny for each box! All I had to pay for was tax, which I think was around .05 cents each. I practically skipped out to my car...not believing the marvelous deal I'd just stumbled upon! But before I left the parking lot, I thought to myself, "You'd better go back in and get some more! Laundry detergent doesn't go bad! When are you going to find another deal like this?" So, back into the store I went- grabbed another 10 boxes or so, just paid the tax, put them in my car...and went back in AGAIN! I can't tell you how many times I did that over the course of the next several days. All I remember is how I ended up with a gigantic stash of Purex powder and didn't have to buy more for at least a year...and the best part was it was practically FREE!

That Purex experience has stayed with me all these years, and I've often found myself looking for a bargain that could compare. I don't think I've come across such a sweet deal since then. That is, until now.

Our economy today

Let's see a show of hands. Who's worried about finances? How many of you are facing tough times and trying to figure out just how you're going to make it? Anybody worried about not having enough money to even cover the basics to care for your family? As I'm writing this, I just heard the heat kick on. Every single time I feel the cozy goodness of warmth on my skin, I begin to wonder how high will the price of natural gas be this winter...and can I afford to have my thermostat set at 70 degrees or should I scale it back to 65 and put on some extra clothes?

We're all worried. I've had stuff like this on my mind for several months now, but just didn't have many ideas as to what to do about it. Thank God we have a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, cars to drive, a steady paycheck, a retirement account (at least what's left of it after recent turmoil on Wall Street, right?).....but it's scary to think that none of these things are "a sure thing". All it takes is the loss of a job and most of us are sunk. I recently read that the majority of middle class Americans are just a paycheck away from being homeless. Does this scare you as much as it does me?

What I "accidentally" decided to do about it.

In September, I was browsing the internet for a recipe I'd once seen on how to make apple butter in your crockpot and then can it in jars. You know how it goes....you're looking for something in particular, but something else catches your attention and the next thing you know, you're off in left-field somewhere reading about something completely unrelated! That's what happened to me that day, and I found myself reading stories and looking at photographs of "stockpiles" of groceries and household products that people were claiming to have paid just pennies on the dollar for or in some cases, the items were free! This interested me so much, and I poured over all of the information I could find. I thought to myself, "Jodie, you can do this. You NEED to be doing this." So I started by writing everything down in a notebook. Armed with all the information I felt I could absorb, I headed off to the store. This was my first "purchase".





Here's how it breaks down:

2 Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash
2 bottles laundry detergent
3 bags of Chex Mix
6 bottles of Robitussin cough syrup
2 packages of razors
2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste

My original subtotal for all products: $58.96
After discounts I paid out-of-pocket: $8.15
$ earned back at end of transaction: $14.50 (to use as cash)

Subtract $8.15 from $14.50: $6.35 profit

I WAS PAID $6.35 TO TAKE THESE ITEMS FROM THE STORE!

Here's a photo taken a few days later. (Notice how the pile is growing)



Now there's body wash, dishwasher tablets, Kashi granola bars, Oust spray, shower cleaners, several bottles of Windex, more toothpaste, mouthwash and razors...and probably more I can't see in the photo...all this IN ADDITION to the first photo. See how the "stash" is growing? Looking back at my notes from my first few shopping excursions, I wanted to mention that at this point I was out of pocket (total for all trips) $11.57. The merchandise total was $133.48 and I had a stack of "to be used as cash" slips that were given to me by the store amounting to $44.00 that I could spend on anything I wanted/needed to spend them on. The reason my out-of-pocket expense is so low is because these "cash slips" were used to "buy" more items. I focused on picking up items that would PAY me more "cash slips". So in essence, I was rolling this store cash from one purchase to the next, paying with their money instead of my own- and earning more store money with each purchase....so the "cash slip" value was accumulating, even when I was coming home with more and more merchandise. Clear as mud? I know it's a concept that takes a bit to wrap your mind around. Just trust me...it works.

Let's take a minute to answer a few questions I know you must have after reading this blog thus far. I anticipate being asked the following:

1. Jodie, what in the world are you going to do with so much "excess"?

When I first started, I wondered, "How much is enough?". After giving it a lot of thought and consideration, I decided it would be great if I could "purchase" enough of the products to last a year. The key point to remember is that WE don't have any control whatsoever over what the stores choose to place on sale on any given week. The important thing to keep in mind is, no matter what the product is, if it's something you and your family will use, buy enough of it to last through YOUR predetermined time. (As mentioned earlier, I chose to buy for a year, if possible. You may only want to do 6 months, or you may choose to look ahead for TWO years. Whatever the case, the choice is yours.)
Since we have no control over what's on sale from week to week, sometimes you're going to come home with the oddest-looking "haul". My husband looked at me as if I were insane when I kept bringing home bottle after bottle of Robitussin. When all was said and done, I had over 30 bottles! Now before you think I'm insane, too....let me tell you why I had that many. One of the sales of the week was Robitussin for $3.99 per bottle. I found a coupon online that I could print off over and over as many times as I wanted to- for $3 off any Robitussin product. Yay! This made each bottle .99 cents. The store I shopped at had a little "bonus" going on during that particular week. For every 3 bottles of Robitussin you buy, receive $10 "cash slip" to be used on your next purchase. So, 3 bottles @ .99 ea. = $2.97. The store GAVE ME $10.00 at the end of the transaction which was a profit of $7.03! I would have been crazy not to have purchased as many as I did! We kept what we felt we could use and then made a donation to The Carthage Crisis Center who were delighted to receive them since the cold and flu season will be here before we realize it.
I was able to take the $10 from the Robitussin transaction and "roll" it into one of the OTHER store's bonus deals which also gave me "cash" back at the end of the transaction. (So, use the Robitussin money to pay for, say, mouthwash- get the mouthwash free plus "bonus money" for buying the mouthwash. Use the mouthwash money to buy more Robitussin, get more free money, buy more mouthwash...you get the idea. It can go on forever!)
In summary, sometimes I buy MORE than I need in order to cash in on the "free money" the store gives me for buying a particular product. In the end, we keep what we think we need for a year and donate the rest.


2. Is this legal? Are you cheating the system?


YES!! This is absolutely legal! NO!! You're not cheating the system, just being a smart shopper! As you know, all major chains have a marketing division. This marketing division within a company decides (based on lots of consumer data) what they're going to place on sale from week to week. Then they create the sale ad/circular that you generally get in your Sunday paper. These marketing agents/reps are very smart people! They work hand-in-hand with manufacturer's of the products we all buy to decide what KIND of sales and discounts will be offered on their products.
When the ads come out- you'll usually find the best buys strategically placed where your eye is naturally drawn to them. Photo enhancements, special lettering, attention-grabbing wording...all these are used to get you to notice that THIS particular product is on sale- and a really good sale at that. Stores expect there will be great turn-out from customers to purchase mass volumes of these super advertised sales. They have studied consumer spending habits and know that in most cases, all they have to do is get you to walk in the store...the rest will happen automatically. If they can get you to walk into their store to buy the current "hot" item, they think they've got you hooked! They think you'll see other things you need or want- and spend more money in the store. And they LOVE it when you bring children into the store!! Nothing screams "impulsive buyer" like a mom dragging 2 or 3 sleepy/cranky/whiney little ones in the store who "want" everything they see. Especially when you're waiting in line for the cashier. It's no mystery why so many items are placed in the check-out line that appeal to children!
If you can discipline yourself to purchase ONLY the items that are going to be free, almost free, or items they PAY you to take....you'll be well on the way to building your wealth!
By stacking the store's sale items along with a manufacturer's coupon, you save more. Additionally, many stores offer their OWN coupons that can be used ALONG WITH the sale, AND a manufacturer's coupon. I've had instances where I can use 4 coupons on one item! In most cases, it doesn't get any sweeter than that! Usually you end up with an overage where they OWE YOU!!!
Yep, it's legal! The manufacturers and stores wouldn't run the specials they do if they didn't want you to take advantage of the deal they're offering. They just count on you purchasing LOTS more other things while you're in there- not just "cherry-picking" the best they have to offer- are you getting it?


3. Since you are concerned about your family's finances and the downward spiral of our nation's economy, why so much in the way of "cleaners" and not very much in the way of food?


Like I mentioned earlier... you've got to take advantage of the specials the stores have advertised from week to week. Sometimes buying cleaners is all you'll be able to do during a particular week. The next week may be a big "grocery" week where you'll hit the jackpot on canned veggies or pop! Like I said, in the beginning you may be bringing home bags of rather unusual items- but in the long run, you'll be glad you took advantage of the Ziploc freezer bag sale, because you're now stocked up for months and won't even have to THINK about buying more for a long time! Buy enough for a year (or more if you have someone/someplace to donate to) and wait for the next sale to see what you're going to bring home next week! In the short time I've been doing this, I've brought home everything from stacks of Quilted Northern bathroom tissue to loads of shampoos and conditioners to a year's supply of Hamburger Helper. I've noticed a CONSIDERABLE decrease in the amount I spend weekly during my normal grocery trips- because I'm not having to purchase the types of items I've already began to stockpile. As time goes on, I'll notice more and more savings weekly. I know I'll always have to buy fresh produce, milk, bread....you know, the perishable items that need replenished on a regular basis.

4. How much time does it take to do this?

At first, it seemed to take me a LONG time to get it figured out and to get my game-plan down on paper before even making it to the store! I wondered if it was really even worth it. But, I quickly figured out how to cut the time spent on "preparing" for the shopping, and now spend more time in the stores. Some weeks are more complicated than others to be truthful. The good thing is, I will help you!! If you want, I could email a list to you when I figure out what I'm going to focus on for the week...a list you can duplicate where you don't have to spend the time figuring it all out! Just let me know! If you live in another area- it doesn't matter. If you have a Walgreen's, Target, or Wal-Mart nearby- you can make this work for you!! Even better, but sadly I cannot take advantage of it, if you have a CVS pharmacy- you've got it made in the shade. Unfortunately we don't have CVS here.


5. How do you know what deals to take advantage of that make your out-of-pocket so low?


Research! I have a "contact" (Oooohhhh that sounds kinds scary, doesn't it?!) that provides me with ads well in advance of the sales. Now I find I can prepare several days before a sale begins and be ready when the doors open! I've subscribed to a few message boards which have members who give great tips on upcoming bargains, sales and bonuses. Some are store employees in other areas who don't mind sharing their "secret information"!!

6. We've been friends for years! Will you teach me how to do this for my family?


YES, of COURSE I will!!! Nothing would make me happier! Just ask me!



I cannot tell you what a sense of satisfaction I have received regarding taking these steps to do something this positive to provide plenty for my family. The savings has been GINORMOUS!!

Here are a few photos I took yesterday of my "pantry". At first I wondered what to do with all of the stuff...where I was going to put it. But then I decided to just use a spare bedroom that was only being used for storage anyway. My husband didn't mind letting me use some shelving from the garage that wasn't really being utilized, and I've purchased another large shelving unit. I can see that I'm going to have to buy even more shelves as time goes on, because the stockpile is growing by leaps and bounds! Remember when looking at these pics, I've only been doing this for about 6 weeks! At the end of the photos, I'll tell you how much I've spent and how much I've saved.

Peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, Hamburger/Tuna Helper, potatoes, Easy Mac, cereal,
canned items, cake/brownie mixes, chocolate chips, etc.
The two bins on the bottom right are full of FREE Halloween candy for the
Trick-or-Treaters!

These Gillette Fusion Razors (for men) regularly rang up $10.49
I ended up paying .49 cents each! But paid with "free" store money!
I brought home 29 of them.
I've given several away to family members, and most of the rest are going to be donated.

This is the shampoo, body wash, soap, facial cleansers, make-up shelf, which seems to be
the most popular with my daughter, Emilee. She likes to "shop" here regularly!

Various drinks, drink mixes, etc. I actually brought more 12 packs home yesterday, so add 5 more to the count!

Toothbrushes/Mouthwash
I had more of the mouthwash- have given a lot away
This is probably a lifetime supply of toothbrushes for 1 person, right?!
There's someone who can use them, I know. I was paid .75 cents for each toothbrush I took out of the store!

Hard to tell, but there are actually 14 tubes of toothpaste- just have some stacked behind.
And the Maalox! Geez, I know that's a lot- and BJ doesn't even have heartburn anymore!
For every 3 bottles I brought home, I made money- couldn't refuse!
It'll be another good item to donate.

Ahhh- Dove bars! Free, of course!

Paper towels & trash bags

Candles & Chocolate!

Laundry detergent, disinfecting sprays

Lots of dishwasher tablets

And this isn't even all of the T.P! It's a good feeling to know we won't
run out anytime soon!

T.P. & various cleaners

So there are the pictures...I'll update from time to time for the whole room- but more often, I'll just snap a pic of the weekly items I'm adding to the stockpile, and how to do them yourself. I'm in the market for a deep freeze, as there are a lot of frozen items I haven't been able to max out on yet, because I just don't have the freezer space. I've been kinda picky about the freezer I buy, so it's taking longer than I would like to get one home and installed!

On a side note, I've read where a lot of people who do this kind of shopping have a couple of "garage sales" per year and rather than donate their excess items, they sell them. I was recently reading about a woman who just had a sale, and she MADE $4,900.00 on items she brought home for nothing. Sound unreal? I believe it, knowing what I know now!

For everything I've shown you I've brought home, here are the numbers:

Total Out-of-Pocket expense:

$78.22

Total saved (at sale prices, not even full retail!!):

$2,768.58

I hope you've enjoyed this information and give some consideration to starting your own stockpile for you and your family. You won't be sorry you did, especially when you begin to see the savings add up. The numbers above show I saved 97.17 % on all of the products...in my wildest dreams I never imagined this would be possible.

Have a great day!

"Jodie, where have you been?"

I've received some messages recently via email and myspace from friends who wonder if I've dropped off the face of the planet, as I haven't blogged in almost 2 months. WOW! Not even I had realized it had been that long.

Everyone can relate when I say, "Even the most well-intentioned sometimes stumble on the thing we refer to as LIFE!" Lemme tell ya, "LIFE" in our household has been turned on it's ear! With things coasting smoothly once again, you have my word I'll be more diligent with my postings and vow to keep all those I know and love informed and up-to-date on all things good and bad going on in my little world!

Where have I been? Why haven't I blogged and "myspaced"?

My comfort zone was dismantled and the events which followed were extraordinarily eye-opening regarding the way I look at life and those I love. Never again will I take another day for granted....never again will I ignore events which deserve fast and focused attention concerning the health of my family and friends. Toward the end of last month, I could have easily lost my husband to the evil beast known as "The Widow Maker". (Ohh, that makes me shudder to even type the words.)

BJ hadn't been feeling well for a few weeks. Tired, sluggish at work, sleeping the weekends away, constant "heartburn" or so we thought, cranky, not eating much.... but the heartburn was relentless. Our family doctor mentioned it was probably a side effect of one of the medications BJ was on and suggested buying some Prilosec OTC. We did. And we bought some more. And we bought the nasty chalky-stuff, and he gobbled antacids like candy and drank alka-seltzer several times a day. I started making "blah" foods for supper with hardly any spice. One night while in the middle of peaceful slumber, I awoke to BJ sitting straight up in bed and literally clutching his chest. He was having trouble breathing and was in severe pain. I turned on the lamp and asked what I could do, what did he need me to get for him, etc. While drinking alka-seltzer he happened to mention that the pain was radiating through his left arm, up his neck and into his jaw. This was alarming. I suggested (should have INSISTED) we go to the emergency room, but he began feeling better and said he just needed to go back to sleep- as the alarm would be going off in just a few short hours and it'd be time for him to go to work. He didn't like the idea of going to the ER and being told to go home and do what he'd already been doing- that it was just heartburn.

The next day, I called our doctor's office and scheduled an appointment. When I mentioned what had happened the night before, they worked him in quickly. At the doctor's appointment, after relaying the recent events, the nurse practioner who was seeing him that day ordered an immediate stress test. Ok-wow. This was taking a path that I wasn't expecting.

We went to McCune Brooks for the stress test. I was in the waiting room and was suddenly called back to where the test was being performed. They had my husband lying down, hooked up to all sorts of wires and machines, and they had to give him nitroglycerine. What? What's going on? The doctor told me there was a problem with BJ's heart and we'd have to get to Joplin immediately. After consulting with our family doctor and a cardiologist, we ended up at Freeman Heart Institute. After an angiogram and the discovery of severe blockage, a stint placement procedure was performed.

My head was spinning. I couldn't believe it was all happening. When the cardiologist came to talk to me after he was finished, he showed me the "footage" of the video from the catheter-cam that showed the blockage. Scary. And we thought it was heartburn. Later, we were told that the main area of blockage was known as The Widow Maker. Those words make me cry. I could have lost my husband. Four people could have lost their father. Seven people could have lost their brother. The world almost lost a great guy.

Everything is alright now. He has recovered and declares he feels like a new man! He says he sees things more clearly- like the world is prettier, brighter, more in focus. The difference is remarkable! Every day I wonder how I could have been so stupid. I dwell on the words "ticking time bomb" and get visible chill bumps when the meaning sinks in. A widow at the age of 37. We've become so much more appreciative of EVERYTHING. We've been given a second chance. I will not let my husband go that easily. Sometimes it takes an event that shakes you to your core to open your eyes, to realize what's important. Thankfully, our wake-up call resulted in a happy ending. We are so blessed!

This is the main reason I dropped off the radar. The second reason (among a few other things like a fractured previous root-canal and a cracked tail bone--yes, it was clumsy ol' me at my finest again!) is I have fallen head-first into a new hobby, of sorts. It's not your typical hobby, and at times I view it more as an addiction. It was born out of worry, uncertainty, the challenging economic situation we are all facing in this country. What is it, you ask?

Thriftiness, Saving Money, Building a Reserve, Shopping for Free (or pennies!)

Most of you, if not all, have been worrying just like me about the state of our economy, about our retirement plans, our investments, about our future and that of our children. Throughout this time of uncertainty- constantly listening to how our country could face another Great Depression, and is probably now already within the clutches of a recession- I felt like I needed to begin to take the steps necessary to "put a little back", "set some things aside", be less wasteful and stretch my dollars until they screamed in pain. One of my greatest fears is that the downward trend of our economy will result in budget cuts that will leave BJ (and the many, many others from Dyno) out of a job.

About 6 weeks ago, I was browsing the internet looking for a recipe to can homemade apple butter and stumbled upon a website that was absolutely fascinating to me. After accidentially finding this website, I realized there were many many things I could do to begin building a reserve, so to speak, for virtually nothing spent out-of-pocket. I could cut my grocery bill by at least 75% and have fun doing it at the same time! I decided I was up for the challenge and began immediately. (When I was re-reading this, I realized it sounds like I'm trying to SELL you something! I'm not! I just learned some new and surprisingly simple techniques by reading! So, no...this isn't a sales pitch!)

Because this has become such an addiction/obsession, I can see it's going to have a great impact on the "tone" of this blog. While still practicing domesticity- just in a much larger, much different capacity- I can already tell you that I'll be posting many blogs about the great deals I'm bringing home for free and adding to my "stockpile". Of course, I'll still blog about other events and life issues that are going on, but like I said....I definitely see this blog as going in a totally new direction.

BJ says I should teach a class...that there are others who share my concern for their own family's well-being and stability during this troubling time we are facing as a nation. If any of you are interested in learning the basics and trying this on your own- let me know! My only wish is that I would have known how to do this a LONG time ago- and I regret the fact that I could have saved an enormous amount of money if I'd just started sooner! But, the money I've saved in just 6 short weeks is already mind-boggling and I'm proud of what I've been able to do.

By taking advantage of sales and promos, sniffing out the deals, price matching, using coupons (buying several Sunday papers), and doing lots of shopping, I've turned a spare bedroom that was rarely used into literally a walk-in pantry- all for less than $100 out of pocket. And by that I mean less than $100 for all of the products I've brought home, not turning the spare room into a pantry. The photos you'll see (in the NEXT blog) aren't really even an accurate representation, as I have donated a LOT to the Carthage Crisis Center already. I'm finding I have the resources to bring home not only items we will use as a family, but plenty more that are considered valuable commodities when donated to a charity. It's time (as you'll see!) to make another trip to unload some excess that didn't cost me a thing. In fact, in many cases- the store ended up PAYING me to TAKE the stuff! Can you see how this is becomming addictive?!

Enjoy the photos...and watch for future blogs (I'm warning you now, they're gong to be WAY more frequent!) with details on $$ spent, $$ saved, etc.!!!

It's good to be back...and back in touch with all of my friends! I look forward to hearing from ya...