Make it special - surprise accessory

Check out this sweet stretch bracelet I bought from Sorta Southern Boutique online.  I discovered the shop on Instagram and bought a scarf there a few months ago.  They sent me a 50% off coupon which I just used on this cute bracelet which will be fun to wear with jeans as a surprise accessory.

The next step? Add a sparkle or unexpected surprise accessory to whatever you are wearing today.  :)

Coupons: Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath & Beyond

I've posted about Bed Bath & Beyond previously and their generous coupon policy.  I also posted recently about a new sister store that opened in our area called Buy Buy Baby.    I was in our local Bed Bath & Beyond store  yesterday shopping for wedding gifts and noticed they were giving away Buy Buy Baby coupons so I asked about Buy Buy Baby's coupon policy.  Here's what they told me...

Buy Buy Baby accepts Bed Bath & Beyond coupons UP TO THE EXPIRATION DATE.

Remember, that Bed Bath & Beyond accepts their own coupons past this date.  That's why I always cut them out and save them for future use.  To hear that they are good at both shops is great news.

As with all coupons, be sure to check with your local store to make sure the policies are the same.  As I mentioned before, I have not yet visited Buy Buy Baby.

Be sure to check your mail and the papers for these valuable coupons.  When I have a surplus, I pass them on to new brides to help with their bridal registry purchases and setting up  house.  

In addition, I was at a 4th of July party last week and a young friend told me he works at The Christmas Tree Shops in Altamonte Springs AND that this is also a division of Bed Bath & Beyond.  Not sure about their coupon policy but it may be the same as BBBaby.

Doing a little research,  I found this:

Bed Bath has a total of about 1,200 stores, including about 993 under its namesake brand. It also owns 64 buybuy Baby stores, 71 Christmas Tree Shops stores and 45 Harmon stores... Cost Plus, World Market...

Who knew?  Always carry your BBB coupons with you (of any store) as they may be interchangeable!

Warning: Eye Lash Curlers and Refills

I remember the first time I used an eyelash curler.  I was probably in junior high and attempting to be beautiful by wearing makeup.   I pinched my eyelid with the metal gadget.  Ouch!  Occasionally I do that even now but as a makeup essential (at least for someone with fairly straight eyelashes) it is an eye opener, literally.  Many women use these as I do in their regular makeup / beauty routine.  Using one early in the morning in getting ready for work, it's amazing there aren't more emergency room visits of women putting their eye out.

Anyway, a week or so ago, my eyelash curler needed a new refill--those little rubber pieces that fit in between the metal.   The metal tool lasts forever but the rubber refills wear out.  I was in a hurry and ran into the closest Walgreens to get some.  I had a Cover Girl eye lash curler.  The refills I purchased were Maybelline. They're all the same, right?  WRONG!!  I put them in the  CG curler and used it--twice--once on each eye, and succeeded in breaking off a few eyelashes on EACH eye.    Unbelievable!

A few days later I was in a different Walgreens and bought a Maybelline curler which must be slightly different from the Cover Girl curler.  Now it works perfectly.  A quick scan of the cosmetic walls and I noticed that the CG curler is going to be a discontinued item.   I wonder if others have done the same thing...  So, be warned.  Use the refills for the specific brand of curler that you have. That is, unless you're going for the uneven eyelash look...  :)

If there are any men reading this, you're probably scratching your head and wondering why in the world anyone would use something that looks like it's an instrument of torture in the first place.  One of those Mars/Venus mysteries.   :)

Using Pinterest for Your Birthday Christmas Wish List

Everyone is posting these days about Pinterest.  Blogs often have some duplication from others simply from the amount of posts / websites everyone visits.   So far I have not seen anyone mention using Pinterest as a Wish List to help others shop for you.   It makes it SO much easier for people to "see" what you would like for a gift when special occasions come up rather than just try to guess what you might like.  My birthday is later this month and family members were starting to ask me what I would like as a gift.

I took some time and thought about what might be special to receive (not that I really NEED anything).  I've sent the link to them which really helps out a lot. There are inexpensive and higher priced items on the page for all budgets.  Plus it helps if someone else sees it and can tell you where they saw the item at a great price!

Wow. I've never taken a screenshot before.  You can learn how this is done as well HERE.

My actual wish list is at  THIS LINK if you'd like to see it.   If you haven't gotten the Pinterest bug yet, try it.  It's really fun but try to limit your time online. I've heard it can be addictive.

Try this visual wish list this year for you and your family as you start gathering lists together and shopping for the holidays.  I like to do most of my shopping online and EARLY.

Mrs Ts TidBiTs and Treasures 10% OFF Jewelry Sale

Hop on over to my Ebay store to see if I have anything on your shopping list this year.  There is usually a sale each month on a different category.

This month:  10% off most jewelry

Sale ends October 31, 2011

Go to THIS LINK to shop.

Boutique for A Week September 21-23, 2011 Metro Life Church Casselberry

Mark your calendars:  Boutique for a Week consignment sale for children's items is coming soon! 

 Open to the Public on September 21-23, 2011 

 Metro Life Church, Casselberry

Registration is now open!  You can consign items, volunteer to work the sale and of course, shop for  what you need.  Expecting moms can even register to shop early.

For more information, go to:  www.boutiqueforaweek.net or check out their blog.

Boutique For A Week is a week long kids’s consignment sale.  We are endeavoring to maintain the highest possible standards to bring you the most affordable prices to help you meet the needs of your children during their growing years...

UPDATE 9.24.11:
Here is a photo from the September Boutique... I bought LOTS of gift items there, most of them were new with tags attached. We're having a boom of babies in our church!

Mark your calendars now.  They hold these 2x each year and the next one is March 18-24, 2012.

Dresscue Me Saving Women One Dress at a Time / Planet Green Channel 465 or 1465

I was in our local Goodwill shop this week seeking Ebay inventory and spotted this as I walked in the door. Since I, of course, had my camera in my purse, I snapped a photo so I'd remember to check it out when I got home.  

I looked online and found that it is a new TV series on Planet Green which I don't recall ever watching myself.  In the Orlando area, that's channel 465 or 1465 (HD).  I have not seen this program yet but it looks interesting.  If you like fashion and wearing pretty clothes on a sensible budget, check it out.  Details are at THIS LINK.  It premiered Tuesday, April 19, at 10:30 p.m., so set your DVR if you're not up that late.  

By the way, I did pick up some Ebay inventory while I was in the store...$15.58 for all of this.  Three books, some dishes and a few collectibles.

I'll update next week as to whether any of it has sold.  :)

4.26.11:  The round cookie press SOLD

Entertainment Club Books 2011 now $15

If you were waiting to buy an Entertainment Club book for 2011, now is the time...  Offer expires April 30, 2011.

To order, go to THIS LINK.

Christmas Shopping / CHARITY Ebay Listing / Kenyan Arabica Coffee

Our church's youth group is selling 100% Arabica coffee to raise money to dig a well in Mrema, Kenya, Africa. $15/1-lb. bag, ground or whole beans. All proceeds go directly toward the digging of the well.  I have the listings posted on my Ebay store through the end of December 2010.  Coffee is available both in ground and whole bean form.

If you would like to purchase some, go to THIS LINK.

A little more detail about the significance of the label on this coffee--Esther's Well: 

Esther is from a Digo village deep within the mountainous heartland of Kenya. From a young age she dealt with the scourge of leprosy which plagued her skin, hands and feet until she was miraculously healed by the grace of God. This miracle led her to her faith in God, which was unacceptable to the people of her village because they practiced both Islam and forms of witchcraft, and she consequently was ostracized and excommunicated by her own people and even her own family. The neighboring village of Mrema graciously took her in as one of their own where she was treated with respect for her faith, and she lives there to this day telling her hopeful story.

We had a chance to visit this in the summer of '09 and personally met her, seeing with our own eyes the hands and feet that were marred by the leprosy. We also learned that the closest water source is a small dirty river over 10 kilometers away, and felt the call to raise money for the drilling of a well that will benefit not only the people of Mrema, but neighboring villages as well.

The coffee beans for sale are grown in Kenya and roasted locally in Orlando, Florida.  The proceeds from each bag of Esther's Well coffee will go directly to the well-drilling process, which will hopefully begin before the end of 2010, bringing water to thousands of Kenyans who would otherwise go thirsty.  

Here are some photos from the trip to Africa last summer:

93 Days Until Christmas! Setting Aside $$ for Holiday Shopping

UPDATE July 1, 2011

After July 1 at our home, we always say "it's almost Christmas" because there is only one more month of summer break, school begins, holidays resume, a few family birthdays...    Time really flies!  Start saving a little bit each week starting NOW and you won't have to stress out about your January credit card bill for the holidays.  Perhaps this year you can be more generous to others by just planning ahead a bit.

• $5 for   26 weeks =  $ 130
• $10 for 26 weeks =  $260
• $15 for 26 weeks =  $390
• $20 for 26 weeks =  $520
• $25 for 26 weeks =  $650
• $50 for 26 weeks =  $1,300

===================================================

Original Post:

93 Days until Christmas!

Although we just celebrated the first day of Fall on Wednesday, Christmas is just around the corner!

Prior to Christmas, we have three family birthdays, then two more right after Christmas.  If you haven't already started, it's not too early to begin shopping for Christmas or at least setting aside $$ each week for holiday spending.  Most people do not include GIFTS as one of their budget items even though it is almost always a large expense during the year, but it really helps avoid the credit card shock in January to have done so.  It's good for the national economy to spend a lot during this time, but more importantly, your/my personal economy needs to stay in order.

I have been budgeting for holiday spending for quite a few years and although I can't control my husband's gift spending, I can at least control my own and estimate what his might be (he's sometimes more generous than I am at Christmas time, but has learned to shop the sales).  :)  :)  Stress from over-spending can be  a nightmare.

Let me show you how the money adds up little by little.  

Although most spending is done before Christmas, if you set aside money each week  from now until December 25, you'll have saved:

• $5 for   13 weeks =  $  65
• $10 for 13 weeks =  $130
• $15 for 13 weeks =  $195
• $20 for 13 weeks =  $260
• $25 for 13 weeks =  $325
• $50 for 13 weeks =  $650

Even if you spend more than this, this $$ stash will still put a healthy dent in any holiday spending that you do.  Keep track of how much you set aside each week on an index card like the one on the right.  Deduct it right away from your checkbook (so you won't spend it on something else) and/or put the cash in an envelope (best idea) or in a separate savings account.  Use the money solely for your Christmas shopping.  Last year, I just cashed a few checks for the whole amount I had set aside and then deposited it when the credit card bill arrived. 


BOTTOM LINE:  When it's gone, that's all you spend.  It takes discipline meaning often giving up something else to set a little more aside but so worth it later.

Other ways to gather funds or to  save some extra holiday $$:

• Sell items on Ebay, Amazon or a yard sale
• Part-time job for a few weeks
• Sell books at BrightLight Books (a local store here that takes them)
• Talk with relatives and agree to limit spending to a certain amount per family OR to just buy gifts for the kids in each family [We typically buy a small family gift for the adults--Christmas ornament, candles, holiday decor, gift card-- and then gifts for the children.]
• Draw names in your family or group that usually exchanges gifts AND set a $$ limit
• Have a family outing or special dinner together instead of buying gifts for each other
• Give service coupons to each other to be used over the next few months 
• Shop at thrift stores and yard sales, looking for new, unopened items
• READ the sales flyers in the newspaper and/or shop online for the best bargains
• Use your coupons when selecting gifts
• Give gift cards and set a low limit for each, i.e. no more than $10-$20
• Decide as a family to give a specific amount to a charity and then give each other ONE gift each
• Give one gift on Christmas Day plus a set amount of $$.  Go shopping together with the family the morning AFTER Christmas and then have lunch out together. [Some friends of ours did this last year and really enjoyed it.]
• Keep a list of whom you intend to buy for, with your $$ limits and keep track of your spending
• Make your gifts to keep the costs down--food items are great (I baked a loaf a day last year and gave it to all our neighbors and local relatives), sewing, artwork, greeting cards...be resourceful and creative.
• Give at least one gift to someone that you know will be totally unreciprocated just for the act of giving.  Sometimes you have to do this on Christmas Day so you don't get "pay backs".   

I've already begun setting aside money for Christmas and always feel so free when shopping by doing this.  Don't delay.  Start this week.  You'll be glad you did.

FIINANCES: Groceries

Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, 

Which, having no chief, officer or ruler, 

Prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. 

Proverbs 6: 6-8

Grocery shopping--one of those tasks that someone in the family must do generally at least once a week.  I actually enjoy grocery shopping and hunting for bargains.  It's one of the few regular variable expenses in a household that you can control by your  choices and preparation beforehand.  I shop in two stores primarily--Sam's Club for bulk items and some perishables and Winn Dixie or Walgreens for most everything else. These three stores are literally 2 minutes from my house. There are other stores (including a Wal-Mart Supercenter) a little farther away, but why waste the time?  

I cut coupons on Sunday or Monday and belong to The Grocery Game which does a lot of the calculating and recordkeeping to determine the best price  in a given store. There is a small fee for this. [Another similar site with no fee is The Coupon Mom.]   I was skeptical at first, but taking advantage of this website has  really helped me save quite a bit of money in the 3 months since I joined.  My whole concept of food shopping has changed.  Of course, if we are completely out of something I will restock it whether it's on sale or not, but generally my guidelines are: 

1. Keep a running list in a convenient place for everyone to use (whoever used the last of something writes it down here)
2. Plan rough menus  for the upcoming week (what meats if any you'll use)
3. Make a shopping list
4. Sam's Club:  Purchase primarily basic foods in bulk--meats, milk, eggs, some perishables, etc.
5. Winn Dixie:  Buy ONLY  what is on my shopping list and/or what is the absolute rock bottom price of an item that we would use  (I only take with me the coupons I will need to make sure that I do this).
6. Visit one or two stores no more than once during the week

By regularly sticking to these guidelines I am always "stocking up" on things on sale at their lowest prices.  Knowing your family's eating habits and their favorite foods is necessary, but so is  thinking ahead for items that will always be purchased (toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, etc.).   I have a pantry in my kitchen and another storage area in the laundry room for surplus which we either consume ourselves or is given away.  This summer there were two food drives--one at my husband's business and one by the post office. We were able to give 4-5 bags of donations to each from the surplus.  It didn't hurt the budget a bit and we were able to give more than  we would have if I had gone out the day before and bought a bunch of groceries.

A little discipline, a little time of planning and you can make a huge difference in what you spend for food for your family.  The extra money is either saved, given or put towards a future expense.

Oh, and what do I personally spend each week for groceries?  My goal is $150 or less for a family of four (with 2 older sons).  Lately I've spent  a total of about  $100-$125 per week at the stores above COMBINED.  I used to easily spend close to $200 per week.