So, you want to save some $? Do It!!

I constantly have people asking me how I get stuff for so cheap. I began really digging into extreme couponing in July 2013. I have learned so much since But, it is a learning process. I learn new stuff everyday. No one hands it to me, I have to find it. No one can "teach" a person how to coupon. I got tips, read, googled, read, youtubed, read, etc. Couponing, serious couponing, is like having a job. I spend hours and hours studying and looking for deals. People who do this for a living can easily spend 60+ hours matching coupons with deals and chasing these deals. It's not something you can spend 10 mins doing and save 90%. Like anything else, you must apply yourself if you wish to do it well.

That being said, they are several ways to save $ that take little time or preparation.  You still have to do some work but the savings are definitely worth it. Here are some quick, easy shopping trips that I've made within the last week and saved a good amount of money. 

1. Bath & Body Works. Ladies, we all love it and they always have sales but be patient and wait for the best ones. I got 7 hand sanitizers, regular $6.50 each, 2 mason jar candles, regular $12 each, 1 full-sized lotion, regular $12.50, 2 wallflower single bulbs, regular $6.50 each and 1 wallflower holder which was $8.50. Retail total before tax was $104.50, I paid $51.90 and that's including tax. The sanitizers were 7 for $24, the candles were on sale for $5, the bulbs were on sale for $3, I paid full price for the bulb holder and I had a coupon that got me a Free lotion. This made my purchase more than 50% off even though I paid full price for an item.

2. J.C. Penney. Rarely shop there but I needed some clothes for work. I had no time to wait for a sale so I had to deal with what they had.  I bought a pair of khaki shorts, regular $30, a pair of capris, regular $44, a top, regular $24 and a polo, regular $18. My retail total was $116 before tax. I paid $53.72 including tax. The shorts were on sale for $19.99, the capris on sale for $24.99, the top on sale for 12.99 and the polo on sale for $8.99. I googled J.C. Penney coupons on my cell phone and found one for 25% off. They wrote down the coupon code and it took an extra $16.75 off my total. I saved 55% on this transaction and there was no preplanning. Side note-it kicked out a coupon for $15 off when you spend $50 in their home department. Always watch for coupons and stuff on your receipt. They can come in handy!

3. Finish Line. I never go here but my son had outgrown all of his shoes and needed some asap and I found a decent pair for work. I got him 3 pair, normally $40 each and my pair were normally $70. His shoes were on sale for $30, all 3 pair and mine were on sale for $40. I had $20 off if you spend over $100. My retail price before tax was $190, I paid $117 including tax. Almost a 40% off savings. Pretty good for Nike, Pumas, and Under Armour shoes. 

4. Aeropostale. I usually only shop here for my nieces and nephews but needed work shirts. I bought 2 polos, regular $29.50, 1 shirt, regular $34.50, 1 tank, regular $24.50, 1 polo, regular $9.99, and 2 pairs of flip flops, regular $15 each. 2 polos were 50% off, 1 polo was 30% off, the shirt was on sale for $12, the tank was 60% off and the flip flops were on sale 2 for $10! That's a Great deal considering 1 pair is normally $15. The retail price was $158 before tax, I paid $73 after tax. Plus I got a free pair of sunglasses, retail $19.50, for Free for spending over $60. If I add in the sunglasses,  I saved over 60%!! I had no coupons, didn't plan for this trip, I just went in because I needed a few shirts. 

Here's a few tips: Always google the places you are planning to shop or even eat at, they often have coupons. 

Sign up online for places you regularly shop at and even not so regularly shop at. Most send emails out all the time with coupons and sometimes even freebies.

Look for sales! I never buy anything at full price, idk why anyone would. Our economy is on the rocks but it is fairly easy to save some $.

Look at the ads in the paper or online. Often they have stuff there that is not always advertised in the store.

Take your time if you can. I know most of us have kids and jobs etc. And shopping can be a down right pain. Drop the kids off at a friends and spend an extra 20 mins looking around. It is worth it if you save an extra $40.

*Remember, there will Always be another sale. Do you really need the 72 inch big screen right now if you can save $200 on it in 2 weeks? The choice is yours but I prefer to leave a store with money still in my pocket.

If you enjoyed this, please share with your friends and leave feedback.

OneLove~Andi ☆

A day off work

A day off of work, Yes!! No...to be quite honest,  I'd rather be working. Don't get me wrong, I love sleeping in a bit later, getting lots of snuggle time with my son and being on my own schedule, then there's what I Should be doing. I had a list a mile long of things I needed and wanted to do. I got a few done but then again, my list was enough for a week of things to do plus having a 2 yr old barking orders and fussing for no reason didn't help either. As he sits here crying, for reasons unknown, I want to be him for a day. Sleep when I want, cry when I want, have people pay attention to me because they're genuinely interested, and not have a worry in the world except to wonder if Sponge Bob is on. Maybe this seems odd or selfish to you, idk, don't really care. If I could sleep until I wanted, people would be checking on me to see if I'm dead. The world has itself in such a hurry so ya know what? I'm not going to beat myself up over what I didn't get done (which is an everyday thing for me), I'm going to be happy with what I did accomplish. I sat with my baby through therapy, did 3 loads of laundry, the dishes, went to the grocery, loved on my son and played games with him and blogged lol. It may seem like a lot to others but to most mamas, you will understand when I say I felt like I did nothing. It's O.K. It's O.K. It's O.K. The other cleaning can be done another day. The room can organized this weekend and the storage unit cleaned out...someday. Getting extra kisses from my son got done today. Allowing myself not to go 101 mph got done today. Do I do this often? No. Should I do it more often? Yes. But if I don't do it, well, you know the rest. I'm not going to allow myself to be overwhelmed because I wasn't super human today, I was just human and that's o.k. A day off work is so not what it sounds like. We too often forget that our children should get more of our time. Just because they are with us does not mean we are with them. Be with your child. Clean another day. Take a mental break. The world didn't end and probably won't, hopefully. 

A lil bit of this and a lil bit of that

2014, minimum wage is $7.25, gas is around $3.69/gallon. This means if you work an 8 hr shift, most people on minimum wage cannot fill up their gas tank from that days wages...

     Hi ★♥ My name is mom, mom, mom, mama, mama, mama, mommy, mommy, mommy, mum, mum, mum or to most of you, Andi. My full name is Andrea but so many people cannot pronounce it that I started going by Andi years ago, true story. I have a beautiful 2 yr old son and yes, he is cuter and more intelligent than your child ;) I live in a pineapple under the sea and my son and I do the hot dog dance daily. I love to coupon, volunteer, work with charities etc. I like long walks on the beach, Oh wait, that's for another site.

     My blog will be filled with random mommy days, tips on saving $, pieces of my past and present, food for thought, although, I'm not a great chef, remembering that we all live on this earth and share it etc. I might make you laugh or cry, I apologize in advance. My attention span is about that of when you are flipping through the channels on tv. If you get lost in translation...well, quite frankly, I'd be worried if you didn't sometimes.

I have stopped writing now at least 8 times because of my son. He just threw a bowl of Kix and pretzels on the couch and while I picked them up, I sat the bowl on the table and then his cup in the bowl, spilling it all over again. Did I mention how proud I am of all the single parents? They never told us about this stuff huh?

     Save your $! Do not spend it before it is in your hands. Bad habit our society has. You get your check and are already in the negative. Pay your bills! I don't want to. Sorry you don't want to work and keep popping out kids but I pay for mine, you can do for your own. We all have hardships, just because you ran out of your fav flavor of coffee creamer does not give you the right to be a jerk. Sigh, I will be back. Mommyhood calls. This was just a brief summary, more substantial stuff coming soon! Maybe...

     Namaste! This means hello, goodbye but the true meaning is I bow to the divine in you.