Phoenix Suns

Well, we finally made our way over to some Phoenix Suns basketball games!  Two nights in a row, even!

The first night it was just Curtis and I at the Phoenix Suns vs. Minnesota Timberwolves.  We were able to get a feel for the venue and the concessions...so, the second night, we could appear to be seasoned ticket holders when my sister and her husband joined us.  (Hee-hee!)

The second night it was the Phoenix Suns vs. LA Clippers.  Curtis was disappointed that we didn't get to see the Gorilla (Phoenix Suns Mascott) do any of his dunk tricks, but the games were great!  Not to mention that the Suns won both of those games (of course, because we were there)! :)

Tons of fun having my sister and her husband here visiting for a short weekend...hanging out with us too!!

"Say Hello To My Little Friend"

Just wanted to post a few pics of our "little friends."  After 4 scorpions and numerous cockroaches, I addressed the issue with the apartment complex and our apartment was sprayed within 2 days.  Since then, no scorpions...no cockroaches (knock on wood)!  :) 

(They say the smaller the scorpion, the more poisonous they are!  Ours were small...and very creepy!  Hopefully we don't find anymore, anytime soon!) 

Settling In

Well...we've been here for a while now, you could say.  (Curtis has been here almost 6 months already...I've been here almost 5.)  In that time, we've lived in 3 different places.  We made our last move into our own place in September into an apartment in Ahwatukee. 

Since then, we've battled many, many problems in our apartment.  (Unclean, not move-in-ready...flooded apartment...all in the first 1 1/2 weeks!)  So, it feels good to say that after everything that's happened...we are finally getting settled in! :) 

We've painted an accent wall or two in the main rooms...living room has yellow :) (my fave)...bedroom has green...guest room has bronco blue!  We've established enough in cooking utensils and things to survive (although I truly miss our things we left behind).  We've started hanging things on walls.  And the entertainment center setup is SAAA-WEET!  It's finally starting to feel cozy!

We're starting to get into a routine w/ work and softball and soccer and everything else!  It's nice!   

And the weather is finally decent!  70's during the day, 40's or 50's at night!  It feels so good outside now!  (Although I really miss the seasons...missing the leaves changing colors and falling off the trees...snow...I miss the snow already!) :)

Arizona is finally starting to seem alright.  :) 

"Couponing"

It has been soooo long since I've blogged!  I've decided I need to get back on it!

Now that Curtis and I are experiencing a new adventure in life, we've had to make some changes.  We both went from full-time jobs (mine w/ benefits), to part-time work and no benefits...we've added to our monthly expenditures (starting a business isn't easy)...and life as we knew it in Boise (being financially comfortable), no longer exists.  So, I've decided to try "couponing."  No...not crazy, extreme couponing! (I watched that show and I don't think I could be that hard core.)  But, I figure, if you don't have to pay full price, you shouldn't.  And, it never hurts to save a few bucks here and there. In my mindset, every little bit counts! :)

I'm following a few couponing blogs that are supposed to help you find the good deals...and the great deals...and it tells you what coupon insert the coupon was in and when.  They also say that realistically, saving 90-95% isn't normal.  You have to be EXTREME to do that!  They encourage stocking up when the prices are good (not wiping out the store).  Then you have supply/storage until the next cycle of good deals comes along (typically every 3-4 months).  And, the church encourages food storage in case of an emergency or life change.  So, why not?!

I've made some rookie mistakes w/ my first few trips, but still feel I did alright compared to our normal grocery bills.  You tell me if it was worth it. :)  (Keep in mind, my totals also include the 9+% sales tax for AZ.)

My first and BEST find was ONLINE! I was able to get (7) 9.1 lb boxes of Arm & Hammer w/ Oxi-Clean Laundry detergent for $15.39!!  I was able to get free shipping too!  This made the detergent $2/ea (plus tax)!  Original price: $8.99/ea! I basically got 7 for the price of 2!!  Total savings of $53.20!!! That's 78% savings!  And I won't have to  buy laundry detergent for a long time!  (Why 7 you ask?  Because that was the maximum weight they could ship in one order, otherwise I probably would have gotten more and shared the wealth!) ;)

Minus the 10 lbs of chicken and
some cinnamon rolls

Albertson's:  (This was my first couponing trip at a store)
                    Original total:  $123.93
                    After coupons/savings: $57.73
                    Amount saved:  $66.20
                    Total savings:  53%
                  *Here's where I made my rookie mistake: The chicken  
                    was Buy 1, Get 2 free (limit 2 per transaction).  I picked
                    out 3, $9 packages; then 3, $6 packages.  They don't separate them like I did in my head.
                    They charge you for the 2 highest priced ones, and the other 4 were free!  So, I paid for 2
                    of the $9 packages and got the rest free, instead of paying for one $9 package and one $6
                    package, like I thought I was!
                    Best deals:  1 gal milk $1.57; Chicken came out to about $2.01/lb (instead of $4.99/lb);  
                         Hamburger Helper $0.99/ea.; Cereal $1.49/ea.; Betty Crocker Cake Mix &
                         Frosting $0.69/ea.; Pillsbury Cookie Dough $1.49/ea

Fry's (like a Fred Meyer):  Original total:  $155.88
                                           After coupons/savings:  $97.44
                                           Amount saved:  $58.44
                                           Total savings:  38%
                                           Dr Pepper Ten 2L - FREE (both of
                                           them)!; Schick Extreme 3 Razors Buy 1, Get 1 free + $2 off coupon =
                                           $2.16/pack 4 (normally $6.33/pack 4 - I bought 16 razors for less than you
                                           can buy 1 Gillette ProGlide razor or Venus Embrace!); Eggs Buy 1, Get 1
                                           free; Shredded Cheese 8oz $1.79
                                           My FAVORITE save:  Large DiGiornio Pizza & Breadsticks Combo for
                                                $3.99 (usually $8.49)!! YUM!




Safeway:  Original total:  $31.51
                After coupons/savings:  $19.02
                Amount saved:  $12.49
                Total savings:  40%
                The soda was Buy 1, Get 1 free, came out to $0.25/can!!!




Safeway:  Original total:  $49.00
                After coupons/savings: $22.10
                Amount saved:  $26.90
                Total savings:  55%
                Welch's Juice $1.99 (normally $3.49); V8 Juice $1.99
                (normally $4.29); Powerade $0.59 (normally $1.49); Lay's
                Potato Chips $1.99 (normally $4.29)

I took pics to give you an idea of how much I got for the price.  I didn't think about taking them until after I had frozen things and of course, we've eaten some of it.  So, not everything is pictured.  Most of the Fry's shopping trip is refrigerated or frozen goods, so I only pictured my non-perishable awesome finds (there was a lot more before I put it all away)! :)

And so goes my adventures in couponing!  I hope to get better as I go.

Does anybody else coupon?  Let me know!!!