The new look came as a bit of a shock when I peeked here.

So far I don't mind it. My blog page looks the same, but the front page and this editing screen are all different.

Of course we forgot the paper while camping, also found out we really 'need' to buy better sleeping bags!

Yeah I can manage without, and this weekend reminded me how grateful I need to be of my house. I have a comfy place to sleep in a warm bed. Only when I voluntarily head out to the woods am I in the 'real weather'.

Fortunately the hail storm waited till we were home. It doesn't take a lot of money to make us rich. I know my kids were snug in their beds while the hail pounded down, and I knew that was unlikely to change anytime soon.

As to the sleeping bags, I really hate being cold in a blanket roll! Will have to do some researching to find a couple real sleeping bags for 6 foot tall folk.

For two weeks we have forgotten to buy the paper!

This week there were several deals, mostly for chocolate that we could have used the paper for.

But good news was there were several other deals we could use the old coupons for!

Have to see what happens when we actually go to the store, but for now, some condiments, and some donatable pasta, plus some dental care stuff will be free or next to free. Maybe.

Well if cheese is really on sale...I have to put the if in, cause the store in question didn't send me a flyer and I don't know how to check actual price online. But according to one of the coupon deal matchup websites, cheese is 1.55 for 8oz block. combined with a coupn should be a decent price.

Other than that, nothing beyond some free pasta to donate.

Apparently my brand of yogurt (I know I shouldn't be so picky) and our brands of pasta do not have coupons. The one I hate does frequently, but not the couple I like. I know my pickyness gets in the way of saving, but well there you have it.

I could get cold cereal on sale several places, but...I don't like to eat it, too sugary, and since even the so called whole grain is essentially simple carbs it is practically a waste of time to eat. By the time you finish a bowl and clean the milk/mess the kids are hungry again. (me too, but I am always hungry)

Read a simple article on working out while being frugal, basic but

nice

Sometimes it is good to review what can be done. I hear far to many excuses in my life. from folk who can't do a thing for scouts to folk who can't afford (fill in healthy item here). To folk with no time to homeschool, or workout, or you name it.

I am about tired of excuses, unless I am giving them, I don't want to hear them. Now if you don't mind I can't work out today, I have too much scout work to do..... umm oh, not helpful eh? OK fine, I would rather sit here and type this and other emails, than go for a walk... but we shall see what the end of naptime brings. Better get cracking on the most important emails.

Oh another link, that rude website has a hilarious article on national debt and finances. Though you will have to meander on over to cracked yourself, I refuse to link to it, cause they were swearing again. I know it is silly, but leave me to my silliness, it is as harmless as the website.

monthy payment myth

Little blog post on monthly payments.

I remember looking through a mail order booklet when I was young. It had all sorts of nifty gadgets for the kitchen and house. All with very low prices between 3 and 7 bucks with a few really fancy machines for up to $25. I thought they were a great deal, till my mother pointed out that was per month. None of the ads said how many months you would be paying for! I am sure the info was in the fine print somewhere, but the mere thought of buying something when you don't know the price seemed like a huge risk to me.

I was really bothered by the total cost of our house, but didn't see any other way to own a house. Saving up 100K or more while paying rent didn't seem to make any more sense then paying 200K for a 100K house.

Maybe we made the wrong decision on that one, but at least we in general avoid the monthly payment trap with all other items.

So my husband took 4 more coupons back to HT. He bought two loaves of whole wheat bread, and two different fish things for $3.50.

We used one whole loaf for lunch, so there will be no trouble using all that bread. The fish we are saving for dinner next Tuesday, have to eat 'out' because that is our LOOOOOONG day.

He also made a trip to the local park, so not really out of his way? But in general we are failing at the whole reduce the car use thing.

Some good things, some normal things. One store not having the sale we expected, and a mistake.

First Walgreens we were trying to get two free toothbrushes, and grab a coupon book. We forgot you need one item per coupon, so instead of free it was 1.22 for two toothbrushes and one thing of chapstick. eh could be worse.

Then Target, 2 free deodorants, not sure if we like the brand, but we can donate if not. Plus some diapers, size one in preparation of a new baby, 50 count for $5 (had two nice coupons that combined)

Food lion did not have cheese on the sale mentioned in the coupon site, so we only bought apples, needed the apples, didn't like wasting the gas though. The apples were cheaper there than at any of the other stores we went to today.

Harris teeter, had a new brand of yogurt on sale plus coupon ended up 3 things to try for 50cents total. Plus some bread on sale plus coupon ended up being 50 cents a loaf (whole wheat no HFCS) PLUS some fish (fzn) coupon plus sale ended up a dollar each, not great, but we try to eat more fish supposed to be good for you. The lemon yogurt, and taco shells were not on sale, but I needed em.

BJs we had coupons for chx, and cashews, plus two others that husband decided to wait and see if there is a sale for. Also bought more bread (once we ran out of coupons it was cheaper to get more at BJS) and milk (always cheaper at BJS for us) cheese (since the reg BJs price is better than non sale even with coupon)

All totaled up we spent about $110, receipts say we saved about $35 from printing coupons and the paper. Mostly printed but not all.

So I guess getting a paper was worth it. sortof?