My Favorite Things Part 1 (Just Call Me Oprah)
Author: Cheryl
•3:22 PM
Well, Oprah without all the money and all.  As you read in my last post I lack in the shopping gene (well outside of groceries), and I can be pretty cheap with myself.  However, I do have a a few items that I come to just fall in love with madly, and some I have spent a little money on (or got as a gift, that counts, right).

So without further ado, here is My Favorite Things, in case you haven't completed your shopping yet, and you are so pathetic that you would look to me for holiday present advice.




1.)  Butler Bag by Jen Groover 

I originally talked about my fascination about this bag a year or two ago on this blog before I even owned one.  I saw it, knew it was perfect for me.  Since I never want anything my husband was thrilled to have something easy to buy me for my birthday.  It was as simple black bag with the organizer of all organizers inside.  It was love at first site.  That was over a year ago and we are still in love.  I do have to admit I did switch to another bag for a little.  One of those typical bags where everything just gets throw in the bottom of it.  But that lasted about two weeks before it drove me crazy and I went back to my Butler Bag.

The inside of my hybrid Butler Bag contain 6 small compartments and one large compartments.  You can fit several things in each of the small comparts.  I have one that has my Iphone, Ipod and headphones in it.  Another that holds 4 tubes of lipstick/gloss, a compact and a container of hand sanitizer.  The large compartment is great for all sorts of things.  I have a compact umbrella and hairbrush in it, but I have room for more, like a water bottle, scarf, lint roller etc.  There is even room on both sides of the organizer for flat items, like paperwork, full sized notebook, that great novel you are reading or the latest grocery store circular.  There is a zippered change purse and the bag is sturdy and fashionable.




The greatest compliments I have gotten on this bag, for real, have been from security people.  When I have had to open my purse at the airport, concert, tv show, etc., I get the toughest men and women ready to scrutize the contents until I open it up and they all go soft and say "Oh wow, that is the coolest thing I have ever seen".  I'm not kidding.  It has happened just twice last week.

I love my Butler Bag and hope Santa (hint hint) gets me another one in a different color this year.  Please check out Jen's site.  They are worth the price and are cheaper than those fancy foo foo bags all the girls carry in the mall.

Butler Bag by Jen Groover




2.)  Iphone

My husband is an Apple junkie.  If its made by Apple he wants it.  He stood outside the Apple store in line when the Iphone first came out.  He was on it 24/7, he raved, raved, raved about it.  I held my ground and kept my cheap old phone saying I didn't need all that fancy stuff, I just need to make a phone call now and then.  I even called him Paris Hilton when he would text and basically sit glued to the phone where we went.

About a year later my phone really started to die on me and I knew I had to get a new one.  My husband insisted I get an Iphone and promised me I would love it.  I gave in and he drove me right down to the Apple store.  I walked a little bit later with a brand new Iphone 3G (didn't need the 3GS).  I must say the Apple employees are quick and wonderful with your purchases.

At first I just played with what came on the phone and it took me a while to get the hang of it, but I still was convinced I would get overly into it like my husband.  Once I found the App store that all came to an end.  I was addicted.  I loved sorting through the applications I could get for free and purchase that would make my life easier.  Some I didn't like and erased shortly after getting them, but some have become things I can't live without.

Its an amazing phone and I'm sure you heard people whoop and holler all about it, but it really is worth it.  Its my daily organizer, financial planner, internet, e-mail, Ipod, camera, tape recorder, radio, file cabinet, game center, cookbook, map finder, and card store all into one, plus more.  The only thing I am hoping is that Santa brings me a car charger for it, as I tend to burn the little monster into the ground over the course of the day.

So yes, I love my Iphone.  I'm not ashamed to say so.  I highly recommend.

Apple Iphone




3.)  Hamilton Beach BrewStation

I got my love of drinking coffee from my grandmom.  When I was a teenager I would sleep over her house in the summers and she would make me breakfast.  She would always have instant coffee with her meal.  I loved the smell of it from the beginning.  At first she let me have a sip now and then and as I got older she would let me have a cup now and then.  It wasn't again until I was in my mid twenties that my love of coffee came back.  But the only place I liked to drink it was at a diner.  They have great coffee, don't know why.

My mother in law was the first person I knew who had the Hamilton Beach BrewStation.  I loved the look of it, the lack of glass carafe, and the coffee pouring out of dispenser, all hot when you need it.  I told her how awesome I thought this was.  A few months later guess what I got for Christmas from her?  You got it.  I still have that same BrewStation a few years later.  And I love it.  I am the only one in my house who drinks coffee but it still gets a good use just from me and when I have company over.  It works as good as the day I got it.  Its easy to use, easy to clean and looks good on the counter.

The picture above is the the version I have but Hamilton Beach makes all sorts of versions of BrewStations now.  I highly recommend for the coffee lover in your life.

Hamilton Beach BrewStation


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What To Do Today?
Author: Cheryl
•8:20 AM


I explain the picture in # 4. Well its supposed to be in the 80's today and absolutely gorgeous. My husband has to work at 11am and then he has to cover the Flyer's playoff game at 3pm. So its just me and my day. I really don't have to clean the house, as we did that Thursday night because of the TV crew coming over.

1.) I dropped the dog off at the groomer's at 7:30am. She should be done and smelling good by 9:30am.

2.) There is a craft show/car show in the town over starting at 9am. I could buzz my dad and see if he wants to go. He loves to walk around those things.

3.) I do have to exercise at some point and should probably do that before it gets hot. Yes, in the 80's is hot for me.

4.) I need to change some light bulbs outside. Seems they all decided to blow at exactly the same time and going in my yard at night has become a "Who can see in the dark" sport. The light near my back door, as you can see in the picture above, has become a home for a bird to have her babies. I have noticed this happening over the past week and she has built quite a nest. I haven't actually seen the bird or any babies yet. She seems to do her best work while I am at work. I really need this light to see down my back stairs but I don't have the heart to tear down her work just for that. So I will just change the other bulbs for now.

5.) I should probably clean off my patio and give the patio furniture and grill a good scrubbing. I do have a love for hosing things off. I could play outside all day with a power washer if I had one. I love them. I once borrowed my dad's old washer and I must have been out there for hours. Its a great way to clean things without using any elbow grease.

6.) I put aside some money to get my dryer fixed. I really need to have it back. My towels come out like rocks without it and I feel bad dragging them over my mom's house to dry for me. I will call the repair man today and see when he can come out.

I wish I had audio on here, so you could hear the snoring contest between my husband and my one persian cat. She is giving him a good run for his money.

So we shall see where the day takes us. I love days like this.
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Happy Couponing Anniversary
Author: Cheryl
•12:41 PM

This month it will have been a year since I started couponing. Unfortunately I didn't start our budget, debt paying and savings until September of 2008. But the couponing started the whole process off and I have a friend of mine to thank.

I went to the grocery store right up the street from me to pick something up when I ran into a friend of mine. She had a huge black binder in her cart and was riffling through it. When I asked she started telling me all about her couponing and all the money that she saved. She also said "Do you shop at Target?". I said of course I did. She said well if you want to pay like nothing for everything you get at Target you have to start doing the CVS deals, and you will barely ever need to go to Target again. Not go to Target again? It sounded awful. CVS was only a place where I picked up my prescriptions.

We walked around the store together doing our shopping and she explained me to briefly how she does all this couponing. She is one of my dear friends, and a very smart woman. So despite my doubts and concerns, I figured it couldn't hurt to try it out.

So the next day I went to Walmart and bought a binder, baseball card holders, a calculator, new pair of scissors. I went online for hours and looked up any information I could find on couponing and CVS. That is when I found Hot Coupon World, which is still my savior to this date. That weekend I went to buy my newspapers. I bought four of them came home and found no coupons in the paper. This was before I knew that coupons don't come out in the newspapers on holiday weekends and it was Easter. So first lesson learned. My first deal at CVS was a Garnier hair products deal and I was nervous as can be to hand them my coupons. I felt like I was doing something illegal. I paid much more out of pocket the first time, as I needed to accumulate ECB's first. But it wasn't long before I was addicted.

Shortly after that I took my couponing to the next level, the grocery store. Then I was hooked. I can't imagine now ever going back to the old way I used to shop. Even when all the debt is gone and savings is built up, I will always keep doing this. Its worth a little extra time a week to save a bundle. And I actually consider it fun, since I am an organizing and list making junkie, those are skills that really come in handy when looking for deals and planning meals.

So happy couponing anniversary to me.

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Our Budget Process
Author: Cheryl
•11:53 AM

This is where the magic happens, my desk at home. I thought I would take you through my budget process. Not complicated at all. But a much better one for our family than the one we had before September 2008.

My husband and I get paid every two weeks, but he gets paid the opposite Friday of my payday.
So I choose to pay our bills and figure out our budget on a 2 week schedule.

1.) Money, money, money - The Thursday night before I get paid, I check to see how much money is left over in our checking accounts. We have two checking accounts. One for all of our bills and one for our budget money. I make sure that any outstanding checks or bills came out of the bill account and that what is left in both is free money. I then add those totals to my check total, which will direct deposited into my account the next morning. My husband's check is already in one of those accounts by then. All those amounts together is what we have to work with.

2.) Savings - The funds for our emergency fund are directly taken out of my paycheck every two weeks and deposited into an ING savings account. That way there is no arguing whether we have the money to save. As they say always pay yourself first.

3.) Bills, Bills, Bills - I gather all my bills. If you look on the picture above there is a small 4 drawer plastic filing thingy sitting to the left of my desk. That holds in the top drawer all pending bills. The others drawers I will explain at another time. In a notebook I list all the bills due, the amount due and the due date. I then total all the bills.

4.) No one said there would be math - I have had the same calculator since high school and it still works. I love it. I then subtract the bills from the total money we have to use. If that number is painfully low, then I know some bills will have to be pushed off. But since we have been better with our money this hasn't happened anymore. We are actually quite ahead in paying our bills, thank you very much.

5.) The Bi-weekly Budget - Our budget for ourselves is usually comprised of four categories: Groceries, Husband, Myself, Miscellaneous. Groceries is always $100, $50 for each week. My husband's portion is for anything he needs (gas, haircuts, etc). My portion is very small, as I only need gas, and I have a small car, and I barely buy anything else. Miscellaneous covers anything else we need for the house or for the pets (dog or cat food, CVS, litter, newspapers, etc.). If we have anything outside the ordinary we make up a new category and figure that into the budget (ex. doctor's appointments, prescriptions, presents, family events). But most of the time it is just the four categories.

I use Google Docs to keep track of our budget. The reason I chose this program, is that my husband and I can both view it over the internet with passwords, so we can both see how much is left in our categories and can update the budget anywhere we are.

Once I have the budget amount, I subtract that from what is left after the bills.

6.) Credit Cards - Whatever money is left over from all of that is our snowball amount that goes to the current credit card we are working on. In the bill totals for #3 are the minimum balances for the cards I current have that are due. So this snowball money is extra that goes to the current card on my hit list.

The budget is now done.

7.) Payday - When I wake up Friday morning, my check is already deposited into my bills account. In the morning I check all the final totals in the bank, and make sure they are still matching up from what I figured out the day before. I transfer the money we calculated as needed into our budget fund. And then I proceed to pay our bills from the remaining money in the bill account. I try to pay most of our bills online, but I do have a few old time companies that still make me mail in a few checks. I also make sure the snowball money goes to the credit card I am currently working on paying off.

8.) Wrap up - I put everything down again in my checkbook to keep on hand and check our balance in our emergency fund and update the blog with the new total.

Really easy and working very well for us.

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Financial Update: January 2009
Author: Cheryl
•1:05 PM

One month down in 2009 and how did I do on my new goals for the year?

1.) Pay off credit cards # 4 and 5. I have paid over $1800 to card #4 and with our tax returns in the next few weeks #4 should be completely gone. And I'm glad cause it has an awful interest rate. #5 will take longer as all this extra money that was coming in is stopping.

2.) Have emergency fund at $1500 by end of year. We are up to $676.56 so far. We are still on track with $50 from each of my checks. When hubby gets back to work full time we will make it $100 each payday.

3.) Buy chest freezer and stock with deals for dinners at home. Mr. Freeze is more than happy and settled in our house. We try to keep him stocked with meats and prepared sauces.

4.) Stop buying certain pre-made products and make them from scratch at home.

Laundry Detergent
Fabric Softener
Household cleaners

I still have alot of these left from my former deals. Probably won't use them up until mid-summer.

Syrup
Pasta Sauce
Meatloaf

I have actually made the syrup several times. We love it and no longer buy pre-made syrup.
We do make homemade pasta sauce on occasion when we have all the ingredients but I still can't resist buying jars when they are real cheap. Meatloaf I plan to try soon. Need to find an awesome recipe.

5.) Clean out the garage and sell unnecessary things. I have actually cleaned a few things in there. But unfortunately my brother is moving back home with my parents due to the lovely economic crisis and I am the only one with a garage. So his stuff will be storing in my garage for while. So I don't see if being empty and clean any time soon.

I also decided to get my spare room organized. For the longest time it was a catch all for leftover furniture, my cats toys and my vacuum cleaner. I needed a place to call my own, do my bills, write my blog, organize my coupons and listen to my music. So you see below my little desk area we created. I was able to get my file cabinet out of my poor husband's office. And once we had this up, I reorganized my file cabinet with folders, labels. Our paperwork is real easy to find now and hubby knows where everything is anything ever happens to me.

Yes you can see my Yoda and Animals dolls. Two of my favorite toys I couldn't part with.

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Whats Going On...
Author: Cheryl
•11:27 AM

Well my ulcer is back. They originally found it when I was 19. And something I must have done recently has irritated it. So a call to the doctor tomorrow will be in order. I keep eating to keep my stomach full, which does make it feel better, but my pants are getting tight. That's not me above, of course. Just imagine longer hair and much more annoyed face.

I'm in my impatient stage again with the debt. Have to wait until I get paid on Friday before I can send more money to my debt. Not a race, remember, not a race. I am just so determined to get rid of it, that it can't happen fast enough. Emergency fund still chugging away. I couldn't decide to do the EF or the debt, so I keep doing both at the same time.

I switched to a new bank this week. None of those annoying fees for strange things anymore. So yahoo!!

Finally set up a little office for me in our extra bedroom. I was living out of a tiny corner in my husband's home office, with just an old metal file cabinet and Rubbermaid file box. I never felt like organizing it and doing the stuff I wanted to with our papers as I felt like I bothering my other half being in there. Now that I have my own space with a desk and cabinet, I am really getting things together. Making up new files, gathering info in correct spots. Have a calendar on the wall of all my bills due dates. I've shredded things I have kept for way too long. I'm a big girl now. I should have taken a picture of it.

Mr. Freeze is getting surprisingly full thanks to all the Eggo's I got at SuperFresh and the turkey I earned a few weeks ago that was taking residence at my parent's neighbor's house until I had a place to put it.


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My New Coupon System
Author: Cheryl
•8:21 PM

Most people that I know that coupon have one of these two systems for organizing the coupons and papers. You either cut out every coupon and organize them either baseball card holders in a binder or a file box. Or you keep the whole coupon books (SmartSource, RedPlum and P&G) in files or binders and write the date of when they came out.

For those who cut them out it is alot of work especially when you buy 4 or 5 newspapers. You have to file them all in their specified categories and your binder can get huge fast. If you keep them whole you tend to not remember what you have and it becomes somewhat of a pain to sort through all of the pages just to see if you have any toilet paper coupons.

Since March when I started couponing, I have always cut out all my coupons. I'm a visual person, so cutting out the coupons make me look closely at each of them and that helps to remind me what I have. You will see my huge binder below. It is always at its biggest right before the end of the month. Its just bulging at the sides. I love when it is time to go through it and get rid of the expired ones. I actually like it being thinner and lighter. It is so much easier to find things.

Since I figured my schedule was about to get busier soon, that I should try to find an easier way to keep my coupons and a way to get my coupon book lighter. So I came up with combining the two ways . I normally get 5 to 7 of each coupon book that comes out. 4 of them I buy myself, 2-3 of them come from my mother who gives me her's and her neighbors.

I cut out one set of coupons from one of each type of book, on the back of the coupon I write what book it came out of and the date (SmartSource - SS 9/20/08, etc, Red Plum - RP 9/20/08). Those coupons I file in my baseball card holders in my binder.


The other coupon books I write the date on the top of them and file them away in my newly purchased and on sale file box/keeper thingy below. It has dividers and labels to make files like SmartSource, Red Plum, Mail In Rebates and Receipts. So now I keep all of the coupon books in here and have just one set the coupons from each book in the baseball card binder.


When I get my circulars for the sales, I only have to pull out the baseball card binder which will not be so thick after the end of the month and look through the coupons. If I find one I want to take to the store, I look on the back to see what book it came out of. Go to my file keeper and cut the duplicates out of the correct coupon book.

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