Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Couponing Diva Victory



Summer is here, and now, I can get back to one of my favorite things: couponing. I love couponing. It saves me money, and I get to purchase the products I need for a low price.

Well, I went on a couponing mission on Saturday at our local Dollar General store. I used my $5.00 off of $25.00. I also uploaded the store coupons on the website. And, I used coupons from my local newspaper.  I spent $57.00 on items that should have cost me about $80.00. I had a savings of 22%. This was awesome, but in all honesty, I wanted to have a savings of about 50%. Well, I didn’t make it on this particular trip, but when I looked at my saving for the last 30 days (on the store website), I had an overall savings of 88%. Can you say, “Awesome!”?

To add icing to the cake, on my store receipt, I got another opportunity to save more money. They offered a coupon for $3.00 off of $15.00 for completing a survey about the store. I did the survey and got the coupon.
When I did couponing more regularly, I always put about $20.00 back and purchased one particular item. My goal for the month of July is to store up on my favorite toothpaste. So, I will be actively looking for toothpaste coupons. I had 5 years’ worth of toothpaste. I am just now running out, and I want to store back up. I also have plans to load up on laundry detergent and shower gel.


Sunday, September 18, 2016

The Fantasy


The Fairytale

I think as women, we all have some secret fantasy or fairytale in our minds. We were read these wonderful stories of love conquering all when we were growing up, and we want so badly for those tales to be true. We want that fairytale ourselves. We want to believe in the magical kingdom and the knight in shining armor. Sadly, it isn’t true.

I can remember my own fairytale. I always believe that I would grow up to become a famous write one day. I would do teaching just for fun. I would live in a moderate sized house with 3 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, 3 kids and a husband who absolutely adored me.

Well, now I’m grown. Now, I don’t live in my dream house with the 3 bathroom, 4 bedrooms, and the little nook where I write my books. I don’t have 3 kids. I did have 2 kids. And, suddenly, I have a rumbustious little kitty cat.

I am a write. I have had the privilege of writing online for Yahoo and Helium. I do have some book on Amazon. I also have the privilege to start my own online store on Teacher Pays Teachers. I have gotten to write for my local newspaper from time to time.

I did not get to walk down the aisle in a beautiful white dress with the man of my dreams. I have not met the man of my dreams. I have learned that there is no knight in shining armor. There are only choices we make.

As an African American woman, my chances of getting married are slimmer than women of other races. I know I’m going to get in trouble for saying these, but I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time with African American men. I constantly ask myself why can’t they just “man up”.

Anyway, I would love to just live in the fantasy. I would love to live in the beautiful house with wonderful husband and the great kids. I would be so great to come home from a wonderful day at work to the welcoming arms of a man who loves me…and who I love. I must add that I must love him too. 

Ah…yes. Now, I get to make a quick and fabulous dinner for the family. We get to all sit down and eat together as a family.

Oh, the kids…one son is grown and on his own. However, he is not living up to the dream I had for him. I wanted him to grow-up and go off to college. I wanted him to get a great job and be financially stable. Well, since he just graduated from high school only 2 years ago, there is still hope that he will go to college instead of going to work full-time. My youngest son is still in school and doing fine.

Well, it was great to live in the fantasy. Now, it’s time to head back to the reality. Who knows? Maybe, one day the fantasy will come true.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

My Favorite Summer Beauty Products


Summer Beauty
 
 
Summer is here, and so is the time to take care of your body. For this post, I decided to talk about some of my favorite beauty products this summer. First, my skin. I love to take showers. There is just something about the feel of warm water and tons and tons of suds. Here are my favorite shower gels:
 
 
I absolutely love Dove body wash. It feels so creamy and smooth. When I want to think of what to write in my books, I grab the Dove and jump in the shower. It really gets my creative juices flowing. I also love the feel of the Nivea. It is also smooth. I also love the fragrance of the Nivea. One time my guy friend thought it was perfume. And, last but not least, is the Suave. I love it. It is inexpensive and smells awesome. I love all the different fragrances.
 













Hair...hair...hair! It is no secret that I wear hair extension and accents. To keep my natural hair blended and looking smooth, I use gel. My favorite gel is: Shine n' Jam. This stuff works great.


 
Of course, you have to wash clothes in the summer. So, I decided to talk about my favorite laundry detergents. Here are my top picks:
 
 
Here are 3 of my favorite detergents. I love Cheer, Tide, Purex, and Gain. I am out of Gain at the moment. I will admit my favorite one is Cheer. I love the smell. I love the way it does my clothes. I just love it. I also love Purex. Purex is the cheapest, but it smells great and cleans just as well.
 
 
Well, these are my summer picks for the moment. Back with more later!
 



Friday, January 1, 2016

Winter Storm Outage Tips You May Not Have Thought Of


Winter Weather Outages Preparation Tips You Might Not Have Thought Of

Winter is finally here, and along with winter comes the possibility of power outages. Sure, you know to insulate the windows and purchase batteries. But did you think of these other important things?

*Have extra blankets and thick clothing available

Have extra blankets and clothes available to use during a winter power outage.  When the power goes out, your home could easily lose its heating source, and you will need the blankets and clothes to keep warm. You and your family should dress in as many layers as possible to keep warm. Keep your head covered since a large percentage of one’s body heat is lost through the head.

It is also a good idea to keep blankets in your car. If you have too, you can use your car for brief periods to access its heater. If you have a wood burning fireplace, it is a good idea to stock up on wood before the weather turns cold.

*Section off the house

Close off most of the rooms in your house. You and your family should gather in one main room like the living room or a bedroom to stay warm.  It is easier to try to heat one room than a whole house. 

*Fill up the gas tanks

Fill up your gas tanks before extremely cold weather strikes.  Gas heaters and gas stoves can help you and your family stay warm. They can also be used to prepare food during the power outage. Don’t forget to also fill up the car with gas. Your car can prove to be a source of heat.  You can use its heater for short periods to keep warm.  Just don’t try to sleep inside your car with it running as this could result in carbon monoxide poisoning.

* Flameless candles and flashlights

With the power out, you and your family will need a way of lighting your home.  Purchase several flashlights and flameless candles. Flameless candles eliminate the dangers of a fire. Have enough flashlights to light several rooms in your home. These will provide a source of lighting.

*Cook perishable food

If you have a way of preparing food, go ahead and cook your perishable food. The food can stay cool for a little while because of the freezing weather, but if the power remains off, it will ruin. Once you have consumed all of the perishable items, then start on the canned goods.

*Bottled water

Stock up on bottled water. Power outages can cause the water to also be off. Purchase enough water to last for at least a week. You will need this water for drinking and preparing food.

*Have a landline phone

When the power goes off at my house, the cordless phone is dead. Cell phones are great, but they also needed to be charges. So, keep at least one landline phone in your home.  .  Having one landline phone will ensure that you still have a way of communicating.

*Prevent frostbite

Protect your extremities and move around as much as possible to keep the blood circulating to your extremities.

* First aid kit

Before the cold weather strikes, have your first aid kit stocked and ready to use. This kit should include gloves, alcohol, cotton balls, bandages, Neosporin, gauzes, and other emergency items that can used if an emergency strikes.

Preparation is the key to surviving a winter power outage. So, be prepared!

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Money Saving at the Local Grocery Store: Penny-pinching Diva


Penny-pinching Diva Strikes Again!

I know you know by now that I love to save money. I love coupons. I love sales. I love deals. So, when I found some today, I was ecstatic and decided to share the fun. So, here goes.

I went to my local grocery store, Pilgrim’s Food liner~which can be quite expensive~and found some great deals. I found bananas that were on clearance. These bananas were turning brown and about to ruin. So, why would I buy them? Simple. They were an awesome deal. I took the bananas and turned them into 2 great breakfast meals. They became banana nut bread, which I like to eat with my morning cappuccino, and they will become banana pancakes. Here is a great tip. Instead of using pecans in my banana nut bread. I used walnuts. They are cheaper, and once they are chopped up and added to the mix, they taste the same.

Since the holidays are over, I want to try to eat healthier. I found carrots on sale along with collard greens, Dole salad, and spinach. I love all of these, and they are healthy. So, win…win. I also got to receive a Box top for education. (This is an awesome program. Be sure to see if your school participates or to find a school that you can donate them to at http://www.boxtops4education.com/ )The coupon is located on the carrots. This will be collected and given to my local school. See. I am saving money and helping the local school.

(The bread smelt so good. I couldn't wait to eat it. So, I cut off a piece and had a bite.)
I didn’t use any coupons on this trip. Wow! My grocery does double couponing on Wednesdays. I love this, and I usually wait until Wednesdays to make most of my purchases, but today, I was just on a quick grocery run.

Well, my banana nut bread is ready. And, I will be digging in!

How the Holidays Can Ruin Your Sex Life


The Holidays Can Ruin Your Relationship

The holidays are here and you are so excited. You get extra time off from work to spend with your family and that special someone. Just think about it. Extra time to spend with your man. Things couldn’t be better, right? Wrong! The holiday can wreak havoc on your relationship.

Too Much Company

Too much of anything can be bad. And, having too much company can be deadly to your relationship. The holidays are when piles and piles of well-meaning relatives tend to show up. These guests~whether invited or not invited~can put a damper on your love life. For instance, you and your “Boo” want to spend some time together. But, how can you when your sister and all of her kids are running around the house. And, for some reason, these relatives don’t seem to find it necessary to excuse themselves when you and your special someone are trying to have a conversation or be romantic.

No Privacy

Okay, this one is any extension of the last one. During the holiday, it is almost impossible to have some private time. Whether at home or at work, people are everywhere. For some reason, the holidays and all of that sugar seem to dull people’s common sense. Friends and family seem to find it necessary to spend as much time with you as possible. So, they invite themselves along on “trips to the store” a.k.a. “bootie calls”. They bang on locked doors because they want to tell you something cute that your crazy uncle did. They eavesdrop on phone conversations. They snicker when you are kissing your significant other under the mistletoe or on New Year’s Eve.

Fatigue

The next romance killer of the holidays is fatigue. Let’s be honest. The holidays are exhausting. All that shopping, cooking, and pretending to be happy are enough to wear even the Duracell Bunny out. So, who has the energy for “romantic time”? Sure, your mind may be saying “yes”. You may even be in the mood. But, the need for sleep will trump the need for sex any day.

Packed Schedule

The holiday are fun. The holiday are exciting, and we all want to get it all in…the parties, the celebrations, the trips to see the extend family. Well, all of this fun can prevent you and your lover from having any fun. By trying to squeeze in everything, you can sometimes forget to leave time for just you and your spouse.

So, what can you do? Simple. Keep it simple. Don’t overschedule your time off. Say “no” to some of those party invitations. And, if the house is full of noisy, nosy relatives, dish out the money and head to a hotel for a few hours of alone time with your partner.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Keep the Receipts/Do the Survey


Keep the Receipt/Do the Survey
Tips on Saving Money and Getting Things for Free!


Okay, so you went shopping, and you have one of those pesky receipts. They are just trash or extra paper for you to dispose of. Wait. Before you throw that receipt away, read it!

Why in the world would you read a sales receipt? Because it will save you some money. If you take the time to do the survey on the receipt, you can get a lot of free perks. In my book, How to Pay Less for Everything and Even Get Some Things for Free, I talk about how you can save money with those pesky receipts. One great thing about those receipts is that most of the time the companies offer you rewards for taking their surveys.

Popeye’s chicken is currently offering two pieces of chicken and a biscuit with the purchase of a large drink. All of this will cost you about $2.40. Wow! This is great deal considering you are getting a meal for the price of a large drink.

Subway gives you a free cookie in exchange for your input. One cookie may not seem like a lot, but you can add to your lunch as a tasty snack. Remember, the goal is to save money and share my opinion.

Burger King offers you a free whopper just for your opinion. And, I love whoppers. I just pay for some fries and a small drink. Another quick and simple meal for less.

JCPenney offers you a 10% off discount for sharing your experience. This discount is good for the entire day. I used this coupon this weekend~which is tax free weekend~and save a bundle. I was able to purchase some jeans I had been wanting. I got the 10% discount. Plus the jeans were on sale, and I didn’t have to pay any tax. I was happy as a chicken looking at a June bug.

Office Depot gives you a $10.00 coupon that is good on a purchase of qualifying merchandise. I love this one because I just wait until I am out of both my colored and black ink, and then, I use my coupon. This saves me about $5.00 on each ink cartridge.

Wal-Mart, Fred’s, and Walgreen offer to add your name to a monthly drawing for cash and prizes. I am all for prizes. I haven’t won any yet, but I do know someone who has.

So, don’t throw that receipt away. Use it to voice your opinion, share your shopping experience, and get some things for free!