diapers diapers diapers...

*14* PACKS OF HUGGIES DIAPERS + MORE FOR LESS THAN $20.00

Oh ya we also got toilet paper, 6-12 packs of Pepsi, 2 bottles of cough syrup,
2 boxes of Advil PM and sanitary pads!!!

Normally a package of the Huggies Supreme diapers are over $10.00 each. If you only factor in the diapers we paid about $1.20 a package!!!

I LOVE CVS!!!

kitchen remodel

When we bought this house the one downside was the amount of work space in the kitchen.
Anthony solved alot of storage problems right off by putting shelving in an old laundry closet for me... I don't know what I'd be doing without that.
But now it's time to start figuring out how to make the kitchen functional for as little money as possible.

The one thing we *HAVE* to do is move the basement stairs. If we can't figure out some way to do that we're out of luck on the kitchen. I'm hoping we can remove the built in china cabinet in the dining room, expand the opening and have stairs going down there.

*basement stairs now*

*where I'm hoping they can go*

I'm also hoping we can remove the wall in between the kitchen and dining room and add a bar area so the kids can sit and be with me while I'm in the kitchen working.

*this is the wall I'd like to knock out... leaving the bottom half (of course)and putting a eating bar*

*This is what I'd like to do. This lets us add a linen closet in the Mstr bedroom and also add a walk in pantry. Our kitchen is about 10x6 now and this will triple our space! I'm so excited about this project and figuring out how to get it done as frugally as possible while still making an awesome kitchen.*


We plan on doing most if not all of the work ourselves. It will take us awhile to do I'm sure but if we can keep on our budget we should be able to triple our investment (AT LEAST)

*I'll keep you updated*

taxes and random things

I prepared and filed our taxes yesterday. It was pretty exciting, our income went up 50% last year and we still got more back on our taxes than last... only by a couple hundred but still UP!
We've changed our exemptions this year so we shouldn't get hardly any back next year but I'd rather have it every week anyway.

The refund should be direct deposited by next Friday and then we can pay one credit card off and knock the other one down by a 1/3!!!
Our original goal was to have the debt paid off by April 1st but it may take us an extra month depending on how things go around here.
We're making an unexpected trip to Atlanta and that's taking a good chunk of change with plane fare, tux rental, etc. But we are making lots of progress and should be debt free (besides house) before the summer!!!


And never again will we get a credit card or buy anything on credit. So... hopefully our cars (or at least one of them) makes it until we have the cash to buy another one! :)

COMING SOON:
Anthony and I both are making a trip to CVS tonight. I figured out a way for us to get another 13 packs of diapers for $20... so that is our one goal this evening is to rack up on diapers! Oh and also Pepsi products, advil and dimetapp will be included for the $20

more loot from CVS

Once again I am going to share the blessings we got at CVS this afternoon!!
ALL OF THIS FOR $29.74!!!! (OVER $200.00 worth)

Okay so since the week before last I've been WAITING for some good deals and they're finally here! I loved getting all the cough syrup, zantac and toothpaste but I really wanted some consumable products we need NOW :)

So this week it was diapers and Pepsi products. The diapers being the most important with two eating, pooping peeing machines here at our house!


This is what I got:

9-12 Packs of Pepsi
2 bags of doritos
6 Propel Waters
2 bags of twizzlers
4 Advil PM
4 Dimetapp Childrens allergy/cough medicine (which would have come in handy LAST week!)
2 packages of Stayfree pads
a bar of Dove dark chocolate
2 boxes of Mrs. Smiths cookies
1 bag of Munchos
AND THE BEST PART (drumroll please!) 6 PACKAGES of HUGGIES DIAPERS (the Supreme ones even that I never buy!!)

My store allows me to stack coupons (PRAISE JESUS) so I used EVERY coupon they had out!!!


Order #1:
The $15 off $75, the $10 off $50, the $5 off $30, $4 off $20, $3 off $15 and $2 off $10... which brought my total down $39.00

THEN add in the manufacturer coupons... which I had $18.00 worth and that brings my total to $18.90 ~ I had $18 in Extra Care Bucks so I spent $0.90 and got $28.39 in ECBs.
I look at it this way, I've been spending the same $20 for 4 weeks now and getting HUNDREDS of dollars worth of stuff!


Order #2:

Again using all of the coupons above... I messed up and printed the wrong coupon so his total was slightly higher ($4) and since we'd used his ECBs last week he had to pay out of pocket. Anthony's total was $28.84 and he got $28.39 back in ECBs

So pretty good I think! All in all we spent $29.74 Out of pocket and have $56.78 in ECBs to use as needed!

Here is the picture of all of our loot :)

CVS trips

I got all this stuff at CVS Friday and Saturday. I waited all week to go and probably would have gotten a lot more if I had of started earlier in the week.
We're blessed to have 3 CVS stores within 2 miles of our house! Praise the Lord :)


This was all purchased with $20.24 out of pocket and about 10ECBs. The best part was the $39.50 in ECBs I got back! Which will help drastically on the weeks my grocery budget gets chopped!


There aren't a lot of deals this week but if I happen to get any I'll share them!

Financial Shape 2008

As part of the challenge on Money Saving Mom I thought I'd share our financial goals for 2008.

Short Term goals:
- Have all debt paid off by the end of March (about $5,600)
- Use April's savings money to take a vacation
- Get Life Insurance on both Anthony and I
- Transition into using cash almost exclusively

Long Term goals:
- Have fully funded emergency fund (6 mo. worth of expenses) by December (about $10,000)
- Start investing 10-15% (Roth IRA, etc.) after the emergency fund is complete
- Move all extra funds at that point towards paying of the mortgage within 7 years

*We'd really like to be in a place 7 years from now where we can buy/fix-up and either sell or rent houses. But in order to do that we want our current house paid off.



One of the ways I'm trying to contribute towards these goals is by lowering our budgeted grocery amount. I've started CVSing and really planning my menus and shopping lists around sales and coupons which has helped tremendously. Check out what I got at CVS last week!