Thrifty Lady, Target Addict

OK, I will admit it. I spend way too much money at Target. That makes it impossible to track what I'm spending on food, clothing, toys, electronics, household goods, medicines and personal care items, and all kinds of other things because I buy it all there. Most of the time, though, I don't pay full price. I've got a few tricks. Some of these apply to shopping at Rainbow and Cub for groceries, as well.

1. I subscribe to the local paper and save the coupon sections each week, keeping them in neat little file folders and labeling them with the date. I don't clip anything until I'm about to use it. I also hang onto the weekly ads for stores I use frequently, but only for that week. When I get a new paper, I throw out the expired ads. Here's Maggie helping me dig through my stash of coupon inserts.

2. I check Carrie's list. She and her team match sales with store coupons and manufacturer's coupons to get the best possible deal. She also keeps track of online printable coupons, which brings me to:

3. If it's not on Pocket Your Dollars and I need it urgently, I check Target.com's printable coupon section before I leave home. I tend to go through everything they have available when I make my shopping list, and keep an eye out for coupons I regularly use. There are frequently coupons for Target's store brands, so even if you're an "I buy generic to save money" type, you can get an even better deal with a minimal amount of planning. The same is true for the grocery stores' weekly ads. Generic butter and milk are good examples of things that are almost always cheaper with the grocery store's coupon.

4. Also, if it's not on one of Carrie's lists and I need it urgently, I check her coupon database. This tells me if there is a coupon in my filing box for something that's not on sale, and if there is an online printable. If I'm not picky about brands, I can usually get a better deal than paying full price.

5. I receive mobile coupons from Target via text message. These are usually similar to what's on their printable coupon site, but without the hassle of printing. Save a tree!

6. Rainbow has a double coupon day each Wednesday and some Saturdays. They will double the value of up to 5 coupons with values up to $1, with a $25 pre-coupon purchase total, so you can save $10. They also have a lot of store coupons and weekly specials, especially in the meat department. I usually try to put my list together early enough in the week that I know whether or not it will be "worth it" to do double coupon day. When I do, I typically save around 50%. Cub doesn't double coupons, but they accept manufacturer's coupons up to 30 days after their expiration date. Cub also has online printables.

7. I try to use what I have first, and wait for a good deal on something before I buy it, unless it's a rock bottom price. I also don't buy things I don't think we'll use, just because they are cheap or free. For things we've run out of, I use the Cozi app on my phone to keep a running grocery and shopping list. When I'm shopping with Dan and he wants to make an impulse purchase, you will often hear me say, "I think I have a coupon for that at home. Put it in Cozi and I'll buy it next time."

8. Last but not least, we broke down and got RedCard debit cards from Target. They save us an additional 5% on top of whatever I've already saved us with coupons, and we never pay interest because it comes right out of our joint checking account.

Dan has a variety of tips for buying electronics, DVDs/Blu-Rays and video games, but I don't really keep up on them. I just sort of nod and smile, and if I'm wanting to get something, I ask him to keep an eye out for a good deal. If you are ever in the market for a new computer, laptop, wireless router, TV, etc. you are welcome to ask him for advice. He also does freelance home tech support for way cheaper than Geek Squad, and he gets the job done right. Just sayin'.

What do you and your family do to save money?

Thankful

So, what exactly am I thankful for?

I'm thankful for my job. It's not often that you can find fulfilling work that lets you spend all day with your kid, and make enough money to live comfortably. I'm thankful that my husband has a career he loves, which provides us most of our income and pays the bills. We still try not to waste money, but we don't have to worry about whether or not we can afford groceries, gas, and clothes for Sam, plus some extras. I'm thankful for Pocket Your Dollars and Cheap Ass Gamer, with which we have saved tons of money by shopping strategically. I am thankful that we can afford to be somewhat generous around the holidays, too.

I'm thankful for my home. Last year at this time I was struggling to pack up what felt like a huge apartment when the two of us moved in, but felt so cramped and tiny by the time we moved out. Renting a townhome in Lakeville has to be one of the better decisions we've made over the years. Sam has so much room to run around and play, and I've lost weight going up and down the stairs with laundry. Someday we'll own our own house, but for now, this is home. It's even big enough that we were able to help a friend down on her luck for a couple of months this fall, by having her and her daughter sleep in my office, the third bedroom, on a futon. It was cramped and a bit stressful for everyone involved, but I am so glad we were able to do it.

(OK, I suck. I don't have any pictures with friends handy. If you have one, post it on FB and tag me and I'll add it!)

I'm thankful for my friends. Even though I don't see most of them often, when we do get together, we have a great time. The old friends who are still in my life at 30+ are generally responsible enough to have their own %^&* sorted, are good parents if they have children, and are kind to my kid even if they don't. The friends who have scattered across the country and around the world, or who I just haven't managed to make enough time to see recently, are quite supportive on Facebook. My online community means a lot to me when I'm stuck in the house with little kids for days at a time.

I'm thankful for my extended family. (We have to get a more current family picture, guys! I don't have one with everyone!) I have some of the coolest nieces in the world. Ryan and Ella are growing up way too fast--they are going to be 7 this spring, can you believe it?! They have all kinds of interesting thoughts bouncing around their brains and are both curious and kind. Reese is growing up right alongside Sam, but she is Jena all over again the way Sam is Dan all over again. She knows and will sing "Call Me Maybe", and I just die laughing. My brother and siblings-in-law are great, too. It is fascinating to watch them parent, and watch their careers take off. I am so proud and thankful for my brother's new career as a paramedic.

I'm thankful for my parents. I know a lot of people my age have already lost one or both parents. I love the way they take care of Sam, and always want what's best for him, me, and Dan. We've all been busy lately, but when I really need them they are there, just like they are there for my brother and his family, my grandparents, and so many others in their lives. I am thankful that however hard it was to raise kids in the '80s and '90s, they stuck together and continued to grow in their relationship with one another. I am thrilled that they're picking up new shared hobbies in their fifties. I am thankful that my mom's holiday gig in retail last season turned into a long term thing, because it seems to fit her well and give her some fulfillment.

I'm thankful for my son. Three years ago at about this time I had just found out I was pregnant, and had no idea what was in store for me. My brother asked, while Christmas shopping, whether it was a boy or a girl. I replied, "It's a brine shrimp right now, dummy." He picked out some great onesies, anyway. Sam has been my 24 hour a day, breakfast lunch and dinner, practically all the time thing for the last 2 1/2 years, so much that he still doesn't say my name because he doesn't have to. At least once I day I just stare at him and have to give him kisses and tell him how beautiful he is, and how much I love him. He's recently started saying, "I yah yoo!" back. I am thankful for all the progress he's made in learning new things, I am thankful for his good health (no ear infections, ever!), and I am thankful that he's mine. Ours. Whatever.

I'm thankful for my husband. How we found each other through the magic of the internet, the randomness of dating websites, I'll never know. I am thankful that we did. I am thankful for everything he's done over the years to be a great boyfriend, fiance, husband, and father. I don't know many women who have husbands who do nearly as much day to day childcare even while working a full time job. I have probably given Sam a total of 4 baths in the last year, no joke. It's Daddy time for Sam. All the little things he does and thinks and says, add up to my closest friend and my soul mate. We make each other better. Even when we disagree, we rarely argue, and when frustration builds up and we finally have to have an argument, we take time to cool off and then talk about it and sort things out before any damage is done. He can be brutally honest, but he's not ever deliberately hurtful, and he admits it when he's wrong. I can't imagine my life without him.

All my blessings, and I know there are more that I could have gone into more detail about, add up to a pretty wonderful life. Yes, I get stressed out and sick of picking up after my tornado of a kid, and tired of doing dishes and changing diapers, but all in all, I'm happier than I've ever been. When I started this blog, I was a bit lost and just trying to figure out what to do with my life. If nothing else, I could make blankets and coasters that would warm a baby or brighten someone's day. I still want to do that, but my life is pretty full at the moment, and I like it that way.

Turkey Thursday!

So, today is the day that people in my culture typically stop and give thanks for the blessings of the year. Not because of some silly story about pilgrims and natives, but because a common thread in agricultural societies is to give thanks and feast at harvest time. If anything can be learned from the historical tale of the first American Thanksgiving, it might be that we ought to give aid to those immigrants who seek relief from religious persecution and economic hardship.

But Americans also eat a lot of turkey, and then make plans to go buy tons of stuff the next day, or rather that evening or at midnight. One year Dan and I were attempting to enter a Circuit City on Black Friday, and nearly got run down in the crosswalk. Ever seen pedestrian road rage? Midnight Cowboy, anyone? It wasn't that bad, but I think he kicked and possibly dented the woman's car. Anyway, we decided to never again leave the house on Black Friday, and do all of our shopping of Black Friday deals online instead. Instead of making this post all about Christmas shopping, I'll get back to the turkey.

Most years Dan and Sam and I have celebrated Turkey Day at my mom and dad's house, with whichever members of our extended family can make it. There are usually a few "extra" folks, either Dan's sister and her family, grandparents, cousins, friends, etc. We don't have a lot of commitments that day, and don't have to argue about which side of the family to visit since Dan's dad is no longer with us and his mom hasn't been on speaking terms with us for more than 6 years. Not that she ever would have hosted, anyway.

Unfortunately, this year we're all in the midst of the cold that would not take no for an answer. So my poor mom is making this gigantic 22-lb bird that not as many people will be there to eat.  She just made a hilarious plea on Facebook to ask people to ditch their plans and join her. Luckily for me, we made the call not to attend yesterday morning, in time to thaw a small chicken to roast for the three of us. I'd already bought crescent rolls to take to my mom's, and had gotten an inexpensive frozen pie "just because" a week or two ago. Dan worked a half day on Wednesday, so he was able to stop and pick up the few other things to round out the meal.

At this point I started typing a list of things I am thankful for, and realized I needed to split it into two posts. I'm thankful for all of my blessings, to be detailed in a later post!

Special Needs Kid

One of my earlier posts about Sam talked a bit about Poland Sequence and Sam's upper limb differences. I can proudly report that he has had two successful surgeries on his hand, and has fully normal use of all of his short little fingers. The first surgery was in the summer of 2011 when he was just over 1 year old, and the second was later that winter when he was about 18 months old.

The first time, the surgeon took skin from the inside of his left elbow (the same side as his hand) to graft onto the sides of his fingers where there wasn't quite enough skin when they were separated. This was the same elbow with the contracture, and I felt that messing with it any further would be a bad idea. So, the second time around, we had them take skin from the opposite side.

Side note: when babies and toddlers have surgeries on their hands or arms, they typically need to have casts over their entire bent (so it doesn't slide off) arm to keep them from chewing on and pulling out their stitches. I call it the "cone of shame", human style.

For Sam's first surgery, all stitches were covered on his left arm under the cast. The next time, since the wound from the skin graft collection site would only need a couple of weeks to heal, they just bandaged his right elbow. Well...that was a mistake. Long story short, his stitches loosened to the point that he had a gaping hole inside his elbow, and he had to be put back under general anesthesia to clean out the wound, stitch it back up and get shot up with an antibiotic just in case. So, for most of last December, Sam had bent elbow casts on both of his arms. He was also on heavy painkillers for a couple of weeks.

After all of that was over, and his casts were removed, I contacted the school district to see if they might be able to help with some of his occupational therapy for his elbow. We moved into a townhome shortly before Sam's second surgery, and we were in a new school district. Early Intervention services evaluated Sam for fine and gross motor skills, as well as a range of other developmental milestones. Even with Sam's sticky elbow, he passed gross and fine motor with flying colors. However, they discovered that he has a speech/language delay.

So, for some months, Sam was seen every other week in our home for speech therapy, and once weekly at his usual private clinic for occupational therapy. I was also taking him to Early Childhood Family Education once a week in the evening.  We weren't happy with his speech therapist after a couple of months, so this fall his therapy moved to Early Childhood Special Education during ECFE class, on Thursday mornings. He's doing well and will be re-evaluated by the school district next month.

He hasn't been in OT for his elbow quite awhile, mainly due to insurance changes and the fact that he wasn't making any progress, so we couldn't justify the cost. We tried pool therapy last spring, but it didn't seem to get much better results. Our insurance changes again after the first of the year, so we plan to try OT again then, or at least have him re-evaluated at the private clinic.

With all of that, you can see how for the first two years of Sam's life, he was more than enough of a full time job for me. Now that he's two and a half, and I'm in class with parents of other kids with some special needs, I can relax a bit and count my blessings.

WAHM (Work-at-home Mom)

As of last June, I officially became a full time WAHM. I work 41 hours a week caring for a young lady who just turned 1 year old. Her name is Maggie, and she and Sam have been getting along OK so far. She is this close to beginning to walk. I probably won't post many pictures of her here, since I don't have her mom's OK to do that, and I will try not to complain too much about work. It's not what I want to do forever, but since I'm already mommy-ing full time for Sam, adding one more kid and a little income is what works for us at the moment.

I LOVE being self-employed. I HATE having to get up so dang early, but I LOVE not having a commute. I borrowed a second carseat and bought a double stroller on craigslist, so we go on adventures sometimes. It is exhausting work, but ultimately very rewarding.

Just in the last couple of weeks, I've managed to carve out enough time to work on a few crochet projects for the holidays. I'm not going to want to post pictures of them until after they are given away, but I'll save shots to show off the work. As long as the pattern is mindless enough, and as long as the kids aren't climbing me, I can watch them play while I work on a project. I'm not making anything for sale any time soon, but it does feel good to get back into crafting. It relaxes me.

Years go by and still I think of you...

Two years have gone by and it's time for this blog to reboot, for two reasons.
1. I started crocheting again! Yay!
2. I have decided that FaceBook can go eat a +#&%. However, I still want a way to share the awesomeness of my day-to-day life and opinions on stuff with people, and have them write back.

 Anyway, more to come.

Sam's blankies

Back to the business of crafting, at least for gifts!
I have two big-ish projects that I'm working on - as my wrist has healed and Sam is increasingly able to entertain himself for short periods of time, or nap for more than 10 minutes. Unfortunately I haven't gotten pictures of them taken yet, so this little photo blog will have to take their place for now.
I made an afghan for Sam before he was born, and selected two of the afghans I had made previously for sale, to give to him. Here they are:
The one I made special is light green superwash wool:


One of the ones I made before was a small, light summer blankie in a bright blue cotton blend:



And Sam's third homemade blanket is an acrylic granny square, in blue and yellow: