I'm Not A Geek

I am in no way, shape, or form, a geek.  That said, I love video games, but I don't think that alone makes me a geek.  It's not like I have GeekAlerts.com in my favorites list.

Or do I?

Okay, seriously, I am not really into all the newest and fastest gadgets that are now available.  I only recently switched from the basic flip phone to a blackberry-ish phone, but only because I started texting a lot and wanted a full keyboard.  My new phone is capable of doing so much more than I know.  In fact, just the other day my son took the back off and was super excited that I had some type of music card.  I don't know why he was so excited, I mean, it's my phone, and I couldn't care less.  I probably need to look up science and technology news 2012 just to broaden my horizons, but it would probably all look like a foreign language to me. Now, I might check it out simply because they have all kinds of coupon codes, like Expedia coupon codes, and Walmrt coupon codes.  Now, if you know me at all, you know that I could live in my local Walmart, so coupons for that store would not be wasted on me.

That doesn't make me a geek though, does it? I think it just makes me a smart shopper.

Christmas In February

 I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about Christmas and how I am unable to get the kids all the things they really want, seeing as how I don't have much money this year.  I've told them that to make up for it, I will let them have some money when I get my taxes back in February to buy whatever they want.  The girls both want cell phones, but I am not sure that will be possible, since a gift like that comes with a monthly bill that I can not afford.  I was thinking I might try to talk them into laptops.  Ryan already has one, and the girls are constantly fighting over mine. Having their own would stop the fighting.

Of course I would do some research first to find the best deal.  There are Think Geek coupons online that I can use on all kinds of electronic devices and other things, and of course I am sure I could find a Dell coupon or two as well.  My computer is a Vaio, and I love it, but it cost me $600, and I am not going to be able to spend that much on my kids.  My mom has a Dell, and she has never had a problem with it.

Ryan is going to be harder to buy for.  Since he already has a laptop and a cell phone, it will be harder to find something that he wants.  He has been talking about an xbox, but if I get that, which I plan on doing, it would be for all of them, not just him.  Maybe I will just hand him a ThinkGeek promo code and let him decide what to get for himself.   I would give him a price limit, of course.  Otherwise, he's likey to spend my entire refund check.

Christmas Shopping

 So, we are less than a month away from Christmas.  For the first time ever, I am not done with my shopping.  In fact, I only started shopping this past weekend.  A lack of money has a lot to do with it, as does the fact that my kids are being pretty tight lipped about what they actually want this year.  I think it might be partly my fault, since they know I am struggling with money, so they don't want me to feel bad if they ask for something that would be impossible for me to get for them.

I have more for the girls at this point, simply because they are easier to buy for.  I was having trouble buying stuff for Ryan, so I took him shopping with me and he picked out a bunch of stuff for himself.  Sure, he won't be surprised Christmas morning, but at least he is getting things he wants.  I know there are things he didn't ask for that he really wants, and most of those things are electronic.  To be honest, I would needs a few Geek Gadgets and Discount Coupons to afford even the cheapest of the things he wants, but I promised him, and the girls, that when I get my tax refund in February, they will each get $100 to spend on whatever they want.  I also promised to buy them an xbox, which is what they really want.  They seem to have developed an unhealthy addiction to Call Of Duty, which they play at their dad's house.

I was talking to my sister the other night while we were Black Friday shopping about how I am not going to be able to get anything for my nieces or nephews this year.  She understands, but that doesn't change the fact that I really wish I could.  I especially wish I could get something for my newest niece who was born yesterday.  I could use a Things Remembered coupon to get something engraved for her.  I also wish I could get more for my mom and dad, seeing as how they have both done so much for me this past year.  I could use some RedEnvelope promo codes to get each of them something special, but I will probably end up just letting the kids paint them some ornaments or something.  Luckily, I have a stash of unpainted ornaments that I have accumulated over the years during after Christmas sales. 

I am hoping my kids, and my family, won't be too disappointed this year.  I plan on making it up to them next year, though, when I am more financially secure.

Save Money Buying Christmas Gifts

I have been thinking a lot about what I want for Christmas, which is pretty funny because I don't have anyone to buy me presents anymore.  Well, I have my parents, and they always give me great gifts, but I don't have a husband anymore, so there is no one to buy me that something special.  Make sense?

Anyway, there are a few things I want that I will probably end up buying for myself after Christmas when I have some extra money.  I really want a blender, which may seem like a funny thing to want, but I borrowed my mom's a couple of months ago to make a frozen mixed drink, and I am hooked.  She asked for her blender back, so I am going to need one of my own.  I want a good one, too, which means it will probably cost me a small fortune,  But, I know I can find some Savings.com coupons to use and save some money.  

I also want a breadmaker.  Nothing tastes better than freshly baked loaf of bread, which I know for a fact because my mom loves to make bread in hers.  And it is so good! Especially when you dip it in her homemade spaghetti sauce. 

One other thing I would love is to be able to buy my kids what they want for Christmas.  Unfortunately, this year, money is so tight I don't know how I am going to get them anything.  But, I will find a way, because my kids deserve to have presents under the tree.  I can wait until I get my taxes back next year to get the things I want, but my kids will have what they want Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas?

One of my favorite shows is The Big Bang Theory.  My mom has the first three seasons on dvd, and since we don't have cable right now I borrowed them from her.  We have been watching them pretty much nonstop, and the kids and I probably know every word to every episode now.  One of the things I find fascinating about this show is how these four grown men are so into comic books and all things geeky.  I am sure there are people like this in the real world, and they would probably love a good Gadgets Blog.  I found one that has all kinds of "toys for boys" on it, though I am sure there are girls out there who would be just as interested.

This blog not only shows off the neatest new gadgets, it also has Carbonite offer codes and other coupon codes.  I know I could probably find use for the Vistaprint coupons since I have been considering ordering some Christmas cards from them this year.  I haven't sent out cards in several years, but this year I want to, just to let everyone know about my upcoming divorce.  

I mean, what better way is there to let people know what is going on in my life than with a Christmas card?

Finding Dell Coupon Codes Online

We're moving.  On May 1st.  That's about three weeks away, and I am so excited.  I have a lot to do before then, and I am praying that I will get it all done.  I have only a few boxes packed, which is stressing me out a bit, especially now that I am working 9 hours a day.  By the time I get home, I am too tired to do anything.

The kids are excited about the move, too.  I was looking online for Dell computer coupons, thinking I would get a better computer for the girls room.  The one they have now is pretty old and outdated.  Ryan loves his laptop, so I was thinking that if I could find Dell coupon codes for laptops, I would try to get them one of those.  The only problem would be sharing it.  They fight over everything as it is, so maybe I need Dell coupons for two computers.  I also need some money, because even with the coupon codes, buying computers now will be expensive.  I am hoping I can convince them to wait until Christmas so Santa can bring it for them.  I know that is eight months away, so maybe I can save up the money before then.

Coupons

Tomorrow is the big day - the kids go back to school.  They have been home for over two weeks now, and I really need a break.  It's not that they have been bad.  It's just that I have had someone around twenty four hours a day, and this mommy needs some "me" time.  They have also eaten all the food in the house, so a trip to the grocery store is in order as well, and that works a whole lot better if I don't have six other hands adding groceries to the cart. 

I have started using coupons again, which can be very time consuming.  It's hard work matching the coupon to the store where you can get the best price.  The ideal situation is to use a coupon at a store where the item is already on sale.   I have, in the past, actually gotten items for free this way.  It doesn't happen often, but I have also had the store pay me money for an item, when my coupon puts my balance into the negative.  I had this happen a lot with those fruit coupons I printed a couple of months ago. 

I do know that now that the kids will be back to eating two meals a day at school, my grocery bill will go down.  Hopefully this means I will be able to save enough money to get that new camera I need.

It's Purple, And That's A Requirement!

I have been doing a lot of research online, trying to find a new camera.  For those of you who don't know, my camera broke during Brandi's party last Sunday, and I am trying to find a replacement.  I have looked at several, and have had people suggest some for me to check out.  The one I keep finding in every store I go to is the Kodak easyshare.  I wanted to check out the specifics online, and I found it on Macy's website.  (That's a flat out hint for anyone who still has to buy me a Christmas gift!)  Check out how pretty it is:

Isn't it pretty?  One of my biggest requirements, aside from it having to be purple, is that it comes with it's own rechargeable battery.  My last camera had one, and I found that it lasted longer than the AA's I had to recharge daily for the camera I had before that one.  It also captures video, which I didn't realize my last camera did until I had had it for over two years.  Yeah, I'm just that quick.  This time, I am going to know everything the camera does before I purchase it.

I have done several posts in the past few months about remembering to look for online discounts before making a big purchase, and how I always forget to do that.  Since this camera costs over $150, I am going to need all the discounts I can get.  Savings.com had some discounts for Macy’s, as well as other stores, which will help reduce the cost of the camera.  I am pretty proud of myself that I remembered to look for discounts.  I'm on a roll, too.  Tonight, I ordered pizza online, and was able to save $5 off the order by searching online for a coupon code. 

Now if I could just decide if I really want this camera, or should I keep looking.  Any suggestions?

Coupon Chief ~ A Great Place To Find Coupon Codes

I did it again. 

I bought something online without checking for coupon codes first.

Seriously, people.  What is wrong with me?  Ryan found a book bag that he wanted, and I just went ahead and bought it.  It was only after I hit the "submit order" button that it occurred to me that I might be able to find Amazon coupons online.  In fact, I went ahead and looked anyway, and sure enough, I found a bunch of coupon codes on http://www.couponchief.com.  This site is pretty cool, because it lists all kinds of discount codes to hundreds of different stores.  It is easy to find the store you are looking for, too, because they are arranged alphabetically. 

I was browsing through the stores, and was actually surprised to find a couple of coupon codes for Claire's.  We have one of these stores in our local mall, and Brandi has been drooling over all the earrings.  She won't be able to wear any for a while because her ears are still healing from the piercing, but I want to get her some for Christmas.  I found a Claire's coupon code for $10 off a purchase of $15 or more, which is an awesome deal.

Let's just hope that I remember to use it.

Who Doesn't Like Saving Money?

I am a "sometimes" coupon user.  For me, the coupons have to make the purchase worthwhile, or I will not use them.  For instance, if I have a coupon for veggies, and even with the coupon the name brand veggies cost more than the store brand, I will but the store brand.  I am just cheap that way.  The last time we food shopped, I had two coupons for $.50 cents off Chex Mix.  It just so happened that the store I was in had them on sale BOGO at 2 for $5.00.  The bags also had a $1.00 off two coupon, so I went to the counter expecting to pay $.50 for both bags.  Well, imagine my surprise when I realized that the store doubles coupons under $1.00, so my $.50 coupons were now $1 off each bag, which in the end meant I made money buying the Chex mix.  Not bad, right?

The one place I always try and use coupons is when I buy things online.  For instance, when I renewed my domain names a few months ago, I searched online for coupon codes, and ended up saving 30%.  It's such an easy thing to do, too.  You can find coupon codes for just about anything at Savings.com.   I wish I had thought about looking up coupon codes when I bought the girls some stuff on Amazon last week.  Kasi got a book bag, and Brandi got a Wizards of Waverly Place lunch box, and I may have been able to save some money if I had thought about searching for coupon codes.  Savings.com also has an "Answers" page, where you can ask questions about the things you want to save money on, and other people can respond in real time with (hopefully) helpful answers.  I know when I find a good deal, I love to tell people about it so that they can get in on it, too.

I bookmarked this site, so hopefully the next time I am buying something online I will remember to use it.

New Comforter For Kasi

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Linens 'N Things. All opinions are 100% mine.
Kasi's birthday was last Friday, and I still haven't gotten her a gift.  I want to get her something special, because it was her 13th birthday.  I keep asking her what she wants, and she always says she doesn't know.  So this means I have to decide all on my own.

Great.

I was thinking that maybe I would buy her a new comforter for her bed.  We are not allowed to paint the walls here, so when we moved in, I let the girls pick out big stickers for the walls in their room.  They picked big brown and pink circles.  At the time, I only had money to buy matching curtains, so Kasi has been using her old comforter, which is kind of childish.  I started looking online, and I found a cute comforter at Linens 'N Things.  

I think it would look great on her bed.  It has the pink and brown, and also purple, which is her favorite color.  It was kind of hard deciding which comforter I thought she would like, because there were so many to choose from.  Linens 'N Things carries more than just comforters, too.  They have a nice selection of  kitchen gadgets, bathroom supplies, and even vacuums.

Now that I have found what I want to get for Kasi, I am going to show it to her first, just to make sure she likes it.  I would hate to get her something she didn't love.  If she decides she likes it, I am going to order it, and get free shipping.

How am I going to do that, you ask?  Well, I have a coupon code for Mommy Bloggers like myself to use.  It's MOMBLOG.  Easy enough to remember, right?  It can be used on all orders over $26 until June 1, 2010.

So get shopping!

Coupons

I just had to buy new ink for my printer, and let me tell you, it cost almost as much as the printer did. Why do they have to make those cartridges so expensive? A couple of years ago, I took my cartridges to a local drug store to have them refilled, but I don't think they were filled completely. Sure, it was cheaper than buying new ones, but I still don't think I got my money's worth.

How hard is it to offer cheap ink? I have been printing a lot of coupons lately, and it seems like the money I am saving on groceries is going towards buying new ink cartridges. Okay, maybe not all of it, because I have been finding some really good deals. I have gotten good at using coupons at stores that have the item on sale. For instance, when we went shopping on Saturday, I had a coupon for vegetables. It was a save $.50 per bag of steamable veggies. The veggies were on sale at the grocery store, and the bags had a "save $1 on two bags" coupon on them. When all was said and done, I think I paid about $.50 a bag. Not too bad, right? The cashier tried to give me a hard time about using two coupons on one product, but I eventually won. I am new to the whole coupon thing, so who knows if I was right or not, but apparently persistence pays off.

Now if I could just talk my way to cheaper ink cartridges.

Sneakers

Every Christmas, my kids get clothes from family. You would think they wouldn't look forward to something like that, but they love it as much as I do. Especially the girls. Ryan like it, but doesn't get excited about it. To him, it is what it is. I guess it's a boy thing.

I was ready to kill him a couple of weeks ago because of another "boy thing" he did. Remember how he dressed up as the Scream guy for his party? Did you happen to notice his shoes in the picture? I'll have to go back and see if you can tell in the picture, but he took a can of black spray paint to his sneakers because he needed black shoes. I could have killed him. Had I known he was going to do that, I would have found some foot locker coupons and went and bought him a pair of black shoes.

The worst part was that he had Junior's permission to do it, so I couldn't really get mad at him. I did, however, want to kill my husband.

Ryan Wants A Cell Phone

It's back to school time, which means parents all over America are shopping for their kids. I know I am. Luckily, I found all the supplies my kids need. They could use some new clothes, but I am going to wait until it gets a little cooler outside before I shop for that. They have enough shorts to last the rest of this summer.

When I went to register them for school, I was impressed with the school's cell phone policy. It used to be that the students couldn't even carry them, but now they can, as long as they are not taken out during school hours, and they are not turned on while in the school. At the moment, we don't have cell phones, so it's not something we have to worry about. Ryan has been begging for one, though, so I may have to find some CellphoneShop coupons to get him all the accessories that go with cell phones these days. He has a birthday coming up in a couple of months, so maybe we'll see about getting him one of those prepaid kinds. At least then I wouldn't have to worry about him going over his monthly minutes.

Saving Money At Walmart

It is pretty expensive feeding a family of five, so I always try and find the best deals possible. I never buy meat unless it is on clearance, I only buy toilet paper at a certain store because it is three dollars cheaper, and I always try and use coupons. I was thrilled when I found Walmart coupons. The Walmart by me always honors our local grocery store prices, so I usually just shop there. Being able to use coupons specific to Walmart is an extra bonus. I want to start keeping track of how much I spend every month on food, and how much money I save. I bet I save just as much as I spend.

Are You A Coupon Lady?

I have become a little obsessed with finding great deals. It has gotten so bad that I won't buy something unless it's on sale, or I can get a really good deal on it. I have found some really great buys using coupons, too. Some people think they are a waste of time, but not me. I scour the internet every week, and love finding coupons for the things I normally buy, because they save you the most money.

I have two main stores that I grocery shop at, Walmart being one of them. I know the prices of the things I buy every month, and by looking at sale papers I can decide where I will get the best deal. Walmart is usually the cheapest, and adding Walmart coupons saves me even more money. I found a really good coupon a few weeks ago for those new Kraft macaroni and cheese crackers. I had four coupons for $.55 off one box, and found the boxes for $1 at Walmart. That's right, I only paid $.45 for each box. Not bad, right?

Using coupons wisely is how you save the most money. It takes some practice, but eventually it will become second nature. At least it did for me.