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Merry Christmas!

mycoupons | 15 April, 2007 06:52

After spending my Saturday visiting several Target stores in my area, I have made a corporate decision.

From here on out, my children will be celebrating all major holiday’s one week after the calendar date.

My children cannot even read, how will they know that Christmas should be celebrated on December 25^th? It will be celebrated on January 2^nd around these parts now.

Why?

Because 75% clearance is the BOMB!

I spent a little over $50 at Target yesterday and filled the trunk of my car to the brim. I have enough peeps to carry me until NEXT Easter, adorable outfits for my daughter, next year’s baskets, Kelly Barbie Dolls, dye kits for next year, socks, hair ties, and more pastel colored M&M’s than I can eat. (Although I am going to try!)

It amazes me how on April 7^th, a pair of Capri pants in pastel colors were $9.99, but on April 13^th, they were $2.50.

After Christmas this year, I bought enough wrapping paper to wrap gifts for my great-grandchildren, and plenty of ornaments to decorate next year’s Hannukah bush.

If you are not an after holiday clearance shopper, you should be.

A little foresight and proper planning, and your holiday budget can be drastically reduced. All you must do is get a year ahead.

Shop after THIS year’s holiday’s for NEXT year!

After Christmas 2006, I purchased new lights for my house, 10 boxes of Candy canes and a Santa that blows bubbles out of his butt. Total price? $4!

All holiday related toys are usually on clearance too, so gathering up a bounty for next year will save you bucks too!

I bought enough toys at Target to fill Easter baskets for next year AND the year after.

When it’s time for the actual holiday to come, I am going to be all set. Of course, the neighborhood kids will refer me to me as the lady who gives out stale candy at Halloween, but I am now a converted after holiday clearance shopper!

Target should be marking all the Easter stuff to 90% off on Monday- the only thing better than a .24 box of peeps is a .10 box of peeps!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Until we meet again,

Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com

Hey! If the grocery store is closed...so am I!

mycoupons | 07 April, 2007 20:51

I am taking a day off to enjoy the holiday with my friends and family.

I hope you will do the same!

Happy Easter!

We will return to our normally scheduled programming on Monday.

Until we meet again,

Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com

Hop to the Extra Care Bucks!

mycoupons | 07 April, 2007 06:28

The news is bad. Mr. Audio Visual is leaving for college in August. Charlene and I are very broken up about this unfortunate turn of events. I know he can’t work at CVS forever, but what will I do now?!!

Think of a new topic for Saturday’s…. I guess.<sigh>

Here they are..enjoy them while they last.

The bad news just got worse. CVS got cheap this week- nothing to get TOO excited over.

Extra Care Buck deals for 4/8-4/13 are as follows:

Get 2 ECB when you buy three Pepsi fridge mates
3/$10- LIMIT ONE!
Get 5 ECB when you buy two Jergens natural glow products- LIMIT ONE!
Get 2 ECB when you buy Dove cream oil body wash 10 ounce size.- LIMIT ONE!
Get 5 ECB when you buy ONE Acne free or face lift product- LIMIT FIVE!
Get 2 ECB when you buy Garnier 100% Color- LIMIT THREE!
Get 6 ECB when you buy Revlon colorist expert color & glaze system-LIMIT THREE!
Get 4.27 ECB when you buy Tresemme Thermal creations stylers –LIMT ONE!
FREE!
Get 3 ECB when you buy Bic soleil razor-LIMIT ONE!
Get 4 ECB when you buy Aleve liquid-gels 20 pk. –LIMIT ONE!
FREE!
Get 3 ECB when you buy Excedrin back & body 24pk.- LIMIT ONE!
FREE!
Get 2.77 ECB when you buy Crest nature's expressions toothpaste 6 ounce size.- LIMIT ONE! FREE!
Get 3.77 ECB when you buy Listerine tooth defense fluoride- LIMIT ONE!
FREE!
Get 4.99 ECB when you buy Oral-B pulsar pro health toothbrush-LIMIT ONE!
FREE!

Don’t forget to sign up at CVS.com/email for a $4/$20 Coupon!

Happy Shopping!

Happy Easter!

Until we meet again,

Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com

It's just as easy to love a rich man as it is a poor one!

mycoupons | 25 March, 2007 06:42

Today we did something that every parent dreads doing. We had no choice.

We went to Toys R Us.

With our children.

After they had stuffed their faces full at lunch.

Thirty minutes later, we were dragging two kicking, screaming lunatics by their arms into the parking lot. I will not be surprised if local police show up at our door later, after running a search of our license plate. To an outsider, it looked like we were kidnapping these two children. Putting my son in his car seat was like wrestling a lion into a too small cage.

We have a birthday party to attend tomorrow, we needed a gift. Toys R Us was next to the restaurant where we ate lunch. A much wiser choice would have been to get a gift from Home Depot or a tackle shop, but convenience won over reason.

Within seconds of walking inside, my daughter was asking for every toy she saw. My mother used to call me ‘BuymeLetmeGetme’ and the torch has now been passed.

Lauren was oooing and ahhing over the latest Barbie’s, board games and water guns. Her brother, not even two years old was pointing to everything Dora and yelling “DOWA!” at the top of his tiny lungs.

When my husband decided to explain to Lauren that we were here for her friend’s birthday present and not for her, she went into uber brat melt down mode.

I sprinted to the checkout with a gift for the birthday girl, and was reminded by my daughter that I NEVER buy her anything!

In the car, once the baby cried himself to sleep, I explained to Lauren that money is not never ending and just because we want things does not mean we get them. I explained that daddy goes to work and his boss gives him money for working. Lauren then told me she was ‘going to get a job!’

What a fabulous idea!! Five seemed old enough for an allowance, so as soon as we got home, I put her to work. I explained an allowance, and how she could save her money up for something special. I was so proud of myself for being so very ingenious!

First, I had her clean the playroom. Once she completed that task, she asked for money. I then had to explain that she is part of our family, and we all pitch in. I am not going to pay her to do things that are expected of her. She then asked what she could do to earn money, and I told her we needed to clean out her drawers and re-fold everything.

She was an eager participant for all of five minutes. Once her panties and socks were organized, she put out her hand. I explained that we had not finished working yet and bosses didn’t pay for half a job. A worker must finish all their work if they want to get paid. And since we need money to buy things we want, we must work hard.

Lauren, always full of gems, stated the obvious.

“But YOU don’t work mommy- and you have lots of nice stuff!”

Ahhh. Dear daughter. You have found the secret of life. Find an unsuspecting man to fall in love with you and pay your way through days of watching soap operas and eating Bon-Bons.

But, she is only five. Way too young for me to taint her with the truth.

So, we made a chart. I listed all of the chores, and the going rate for completing them.

I explained to Lauren that I would take her to the bank Monday morning and help her open an account. I told her she could put her allowance in her piggy bank for buying small things she wanted right away, or she could put it in the bank for big things she wanted in the future. My husband even offered to match her bank deposits dollar for dollar.

She seemed to grasp the concept and is very excited to open her bank account!

This was at 2:30 this afternoon. By 8:00 P.M., Lauren had earned $2.25. I was so proud of her!

I asked her at bedtime if she wanted to put the money in her piggy bank or deposit it in the bank (reminding her that if she put the money in the bank, daddy would match it and she would earn two FREE dollars!)

She pondered this for a minute and told me she decided to put it in her piggy bank. When I asked why, she explained that if she put it in the bank, she would miss it.

I realized that five is a little too young to explain compounding interest and parental matching plans. So when she fell asleep with her two dollars and one quarter safely inside of her piggy bank, I snuck in to her room and deposited two singles and a quarter.

I figure if we continue on this track, her room will stay clean, her laundry will remain put away, and she will be a millionaire by the time she is seventy-seven.

What do YOU do about allowance? I’d love to hear your ideas! Email me or leave comments here!

Until we meet again,

Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com

There is DEFINITELY something about Mary!

mycoupons | 18 March, 2007 14:22

Editor's note: I hosted a St. Patrick's Day party at my home tonight (I am penning this article on Saturday night.) Although I may get fired for admitting this, I imbibed a teeny bit of alcohol at the party. Yep, I am drunk on the job. I am also in my pajama's... but shhhh..don't tell my boss. Anyway, I will use spell and grammar check, but ask for your forgiveness if this comes across as a drunk girl writing. Thanks.

Frugal: Fru-Gal {Froo-guhl}- Adjective.Economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.

Cheap: My friend, Mary.

Mary was a guest at my party tonight. The talk turned to coupons and saving money.

My friends can be divided into three categories.

1. Coupon-a-holic money saving freak-o's (Like me.)

2. Spend crazy, pay extra on purpose show-offs.

3. Mary.

Yep. She is in a category of her own. She claims she's frugal. Let's call a duck a duck- she is CHEAP. As in CHEEP. As in a baby birds first word. CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP.

When everyone arrived, I had out a tray of appetizers. Salmon and cream cheese on baguette slices with capers. (How Rachel Ray am I??)

Mary said they were delicious and wanted to make them for HER party next week. She asked how much salmon is. I told her the package cost me $2.99. Then I told her it was a three ounce package. She seemed shocked to say the least. She said she would have to make a different appetizer as she was not spending that kind of money on FISH!

The conversation then turned to the cheap things people do. Mary let loose some doozies!

She has not purchased salad dressing since 2001! No Sir! She just collects ketchup and mayo packets from fast food places and makes her own- AT HOME!

Mary does not order a beverage in restaurants. She orders water with lemon. Lots of lemon. Then she adds sugar packets. I called it ' Ghetto lemonade.'

Speaking of restaurants, Mary will only go out for lunch, never dinner and if she wants fast food, she goes through the drive-thru and orders a kid's meal.

You know when a bar of soap is on its last leg and you are left with a sliver? Well, my favorite shower past time is mushing that sliver down the drain. While the water is running, I use my foot to smush the sliver down into the holes of the drain. Mary is not a fan of smush the soap. She saves them all. Then she melts them down into a NEW BAR OF SOAP.

My favorite Mary'ism' is envelopes and stamps. She purchases neither.

As for envelopes, she has acquired quite the collection of return envelopes that come with bills and such. She just tapes a blank piece of scrap paper over the pre-printed address and hand writes the address for her letter.

The only time she encountered an issue was when her electric bill was late. After some investigating, it turned out that the envelope she used had a barcode on it, directing it to the phone company. So she sent her electric bill to the phone company!

That didn't stop her. A magic marker through the barcode solved her problem!

As for stamps, no need to buy them according to Mary. She just makes the to and from the same (The address of the intended recipient.) and omits the postage. When the USPS realizes this error, the simply return the letter to the sender- the original addressee!

I think I will turn her in. I need some excitement in my life.

When we sat down to eat, my husband took the opportunity to refresh everyone's drink. He handed Mary a glass of tap water, a whole lemon, and a five pound bag of sugar. I spit my merlot across the table!

Hey, I may be frugal, but I am NOT cheap.

Until we meet again,
Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com