A Steal of a Deal #10

Sometimes I see something in a store that I might like to own, but can't bring myself to pay full price for it. Case in point - the monogrammed pumpkin seen above. I eyed these pumpkins last year at Hobby Lobby, but could never bring myself to pay the $30 they cost. Fall clearance came and went and no pumpkins were left with a W on them. Then this year they had the same pumpkins but rather than the letter already being on it, you bought the letter separately and applied it yourself. The pumpkins were $29.99 and the letter was $1.99. I watched intently waiting for them to go on sale, decorating my house without a monogrammed pumpkin.

Then I heard the fall decor was 80% off at Hobby Lobby so I ventured over there. Jeremy gave me a small but appropriate budget and lo and behold there were the pumpkins and letters. The pumpkin that was once $29.99 was not $6 and the letter that was $1.99 was now $0.40 so for $6.40 I bought myself a monogrammed pumpkin. My husband was impressed in my patience to wait and my discipline to not spend more than I was supposed to.

A Steal of a Deal #9

Another steal of a deal at Kohl's - $6.98. I scored 2 T-shirts for J plus a shirt for me. I also got a necklace with a matching pair of earrings. I had a coupon on my phone and a $10 coupon I received in the mail. My receipt says that I saved $81.54. What a steal of a deal!

Couponing Update - August

For the last few weeks of July,  I did the Weight Watchers weight loss eating program. I started eating healthy and watched portion control. So far I've lost 8 pounds! For the month of August, J joined me. It increased our grocery bill a bit as we try to finish up the not-so-good-for-you food in our pantry and make healthier choices.

Here's what I got free this month:

• 4 cups of yogurt - it was both healthy and I picked great flavors!
• a dozen eggs
• 16 oz. mini peeled carrots
• 5 small packages of feminine products
• 1 package of pens (10 count)
• 1 full-size hair spray
• Store Brand Raisin Bran Crunch - a store I shop at has a "Buy Theirs Get Ours Free" program each month. One of the featured items this month, was Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch. My brother loves the stuff, so it looks like a care package is in his not-so-distance future! 
• 1 full-size bottle of barbeque sauce 
• 3 protein bars

Other deals:

• One of the items we're switching over is white rice to brown rice. This month I found Uncle Ben's Boil in a Bag Brown Rice. Each box of rice had 4 bags in it. A serving is a half a bag so it's the perfect size for dinner for J and I. With a sale and a coupon, I was able to purchase 10 boxes (40 bags of rice) for $3!
• 2 containers of coffee creamer for $0.50 each
• 3 full-size containers of hand soap for $0.18 each or $0.56 for all 3

A Fall Tour

I don't have a mantle so I decorate the shelf of my hutch.

I made this wreath last Fall and since taking the picture have sold it.

The dining room table that looks really pretty but we hardly sit at it.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

In August 2003, I was 22 years old, single and had just graduated college in May. Seminary was the next step for me, and to be exact New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was the next step for me. I met these 3 fun gals and we've been friends ever since. From Katrina to marriage to death of loved ones, we have experienced the ups and downs of life together. Since we've all graduated from seminary, we try and get together ever few years. We first got together in New Orleans when 2 of the 4 of us still lived there. The next year we got together in Mobile because we were a little more scattered. And in October, we all got together in Tuscaloosa, because we're even more scattered. It was so much fun!!!

It had been 3 years so we had a lot of catching up to do!