Movie Monday

Today was a good Monday.  Generally, Mondays are really hectic days at work, but today was a perfect blend of hustle and bustle and downtime.  I started the day off right...With a Beth Moore devotional CD my mom gave me for Easter. And.... with a cup of coffee that tasted extra good for some reason.  :)

After getting some coffee into my system, I felt mentally and emotionally prepared for a day of ringing phones, full inboxes, and normal life.  I expected to walk into the office this morning and have a totally full voicemailbox after being gone all week.  Nope.  Not one message.  I breathed a sigh of relief to see that they dreaded red message light was not blinking.  I relished the moment. 

I fit some schoolwork in.  Then, I felt guilty for doing schoolwork while I was at real work. So I stopped.

Then I had a banana. 

During my lunchtime, I purchased $103 worth of groceries for $64.  Thank you, Kroger.  I combined several coupons with their 10 item mix n' match mega event, and it was worth the extra planning and effort!  Granted, I am nothing like some of the extreme couponers that have been on The Learning Channel lately, but I am learning! The whole process was rather exhausting (in kind of a fun way), and I am happy to say it should be at least a few weeks before I have to return to the grocery store... at least for any major shopping. 

With some of the savings from grocery coupons, I purchased some of Trader Joe's chilli spiced dried mango.  SO GOOD.  I also bought banana chips for Andrew.  He LOVES them. 

Mental note: Trader Joe's is the best place for dried fruit... not only do they have an extensive selection, but they are also cheaper than anywhere else I have seen.

To top off an already fabulous day, my sister and I went to see Something Borrowed.  It is not in theaters until Friday, but Avery's boyfriend had two free preview passes.  Unfortunately (unfortunate for him, not for me), he had to work, so Avery had to take her second choice of a date:  ME!  We had to stand in line FOREVER, but that was actually a good thing!  It gave us a little quality sister time.  I have missed that recently. 

Today was an exceptional Monday.  I feel alive, ready to face and conquer tomorrow. 

God is good...  In the storm, and in the sunshine.  He is powerful, and He is good.  Let us not forget that!

America Runs On...

Allow me to preface this post by stating that, when funds, and/or time, are available, I absolutely prefer to frequent little, independent coffee shops and cafes, or ones that are unique to the Nashville area, as opposed to patronizing chains, like Starbucks or Panera Bread (although I do love both of those places too).

I love [almost] nothing more than going to a local coffee shop, sitting down with a cup of coffee and a muffin, and pretending to read my book while secretly people-watching, and eavesdropping on conversations that I truly have no business making myself privy to.

Unfortunately, the busy-ness of life, a general lack of funds, and a small storehouse of common sense, prevent me from frequent indulgence in this beloved past-time.

Thus, Dunkin Donuts.

By going to the Dunkin Donuts website, and signing up for Dunkin Donuts perks, you can receive coupons in the mail for free drinks. And not just coffee; they offer a wide array of items for which you may use your free coupon. Signing up for the perks is free, and, other than an occasional annoying email, there is no downside to the perks program.

Dunkin Donuts also offers punch cards. My punch card is "But five beverages; get the sixth free." By using my free coupons that I receive in the mail, I am able to earn punches on my card, which, will eventually earn me ANOTHER free drink.

The perks also include things like: Buy a donut, get a medium coffee free. Or: buy a medium coffee and get a free donut. Or: Get a bagel and cream cheese for 99 cents, with the purchase of a medium coffee.

I LOVE the taste of Dunkin Donuts coffee. I love the donuts too... Who doesn't need an extra-sweet kick-start to their day every now and then?! The one thing I would not recommend? Their muffins. The taste is not quite worth the calories. I am a BIG advocate of muffins, but these are not my favorites. I would stick to coffee and donuts if you need a sweet fix.

If, at any time, you do not need your sweet tooth satisfied, Dunkin Donuts does offer new flat breads and wraps. I tried the egg white and cheese wrap recently, and it was surprisingly satisfying! Still didn't compare to a donut, but it only contains 150 calories, as opposed to a donut, which contains upwards of 300, at best!

So, I stopped at Dunkin twice this week on my way to work. Both visits were free. And I will be stopping at Dunkin Donuts on my way to work Monday... for free :)

America's Drive-In

Since I am not yet an incredibly skilled coupon user, I have learned to maximize the deals that I have found.

I frequent two places where, every time I go, I spend almost nothing.

Place number one: Sonic. I am a faithful Sonic patron; I go almost every day. Now, normally, if someone told me they did this, I would think, "How silly! Doesn't she know how much money she could say by NOT doing that?!"

Well, if someone told me that, my rebuttal would be this: "I have gone to Sonic every day for a month, and left each time without paying even a dime. And I have gotten exactly what I came for!"

Then, I assume said someone, being quite taken aback, might ask, "Well, how do you manage such a thing?"

To which my reply would be, "The lovely people at Sonic make it insanely easy not to spend money there!"

You see, although I do love a good Sonic ice cream (their shakes are buy one get one free anytime), or maybe a burger, I generally do not go there for the food.

Two words:

Diet coke.

I know; it's bad. But it is a great, FREE pick-me-up, just when I am starting to hit my afternoon slump each day.

And now for the free part.

Each time you purchase a drink, you are handed a receipt. On that receipt, there is a phone number. There is also a notification that lets the receipt holder know that, if they call the number listed on the receipt, and complete the survey, they can receive a free Route 44 Sonic beverage.

The surveys take anywhere from one to three minutes. Sometimes the survey is really brief, and sometimes it is more in-depth. Either way, it is worth it.

At the end of the survey, you are given a validation code. You write this code down on your receipt, and turn that receipt in next time you visit a Sonic, in order to redeem your free drink. And guess what?! With that free drink comes a receipt... Need I say more?

The way it turns out, you are basically able to get your drink for free EVERY TIME you order one. You just have to have a touch tone phone, and a pen handy. The validation codes are pretty long.

But a penny saved is a penny earned!

Place number two: You will have to check back tomorrow.

Hope you can stand the suspense. :)

Goodnight!

Coupon Queen

I spent my afternoon with a client today. She and I went to the grocery store together. And she completely inspired me! She walked out of Kroger having paid only twenty-three dollars for an entire buggy-full of grocery items! The shopping process was painfully drawn out, and she was incredibly meticulous; however, she did not purchase even one thing that she did not have a coupon for, or that was not already on sale... or, in most cases, both!

The client walked into the store with a very specific agenda: buy more; pay less. She knew exactly which food items were on sale this week, and she had her coupons in her hand, at the ready. Accompanying those coupons, she had a list. After combining already-on-sale items with her coupons, she ended up paying next to nothing for the bulk of the groceries that she purchased.

Twenty-three dollars for more groceries than one person could possibly eat in weeks.

I was shocked.

And I suddenly realized something:

Bargain shopping takes work. It takes brains. It takes planning ahead. It takes time. It takes organization.

I am a terrible coupon clipper.

Wait... Correction...

I am a great coupon clipper; a terrible coupon user.

I tend to find coupons crumpled up at the bottom of my purse about two months after their expiration dates. Or I hoard coupons until I have so many that I could not possibly NEED to purchase all of the items that said coupons pertain to. Or I carefully guard an "important" coupon until I desperately need it (or until I think I desperately need it), and then, when I am pumped up, and ready to use it, excited for the sense of satisfaction and accomplish that I am sure is just around the corner, I realize that I left it in my other bag, or in the car, or on the kitchen counter. Or, I dig frantically through my purse in search of this all-important coupon, the entire time I am standing in the grocery store checkout line, still not having found it by the time I reach the register, flustered because I know I have a mob of angry shoppers waiting in line behind me, and finally giving up. Then, when I get in the car, I resume my thorough search through my purse (searching less frantically now), and find the coupon in the exact spot where I should have known it would have been all along.

Obviously, my coupon using skills leave much to be desired.

And all these years I thought I was thrifty. Boy, did this client prove me wrong. What she displayed today was sheer talent: Practiced, well-developed, unmatched (at least by me)... talent.

I am inspired.

It is time to turn over a new leaf.

Tasty Tuesdays: All Things Cupcake

I have made two impulsive food purchases this month that have been well worth the cost in dollars and in calories, although I feel sure that a more distinguished food connoisseur would disagree with me. Please heed this recommendation with the knowledge that it comes from someone (me) who has an insanely high tolerance for all things sweet and sugary. I have gone days without "real" food, in favor of desserts instead. I would live off of homemade icing if I could. Having said that, please know that I am not condoning gluttonous or unhealthy eating habits; I am a firm advocate for all things in moderation. And, I happen to love ALL foods; I just love sweet foods the most.

Impulse Purchase #1- Cupcake Fruity Pebbles: I do not know if these technically qualify as an impulse buy. I first noticed them in the store about two weeks before actually purchasing them. For some reason, Cupcake Fruity Pebbles were not on my grocery list, and I try not to deviate from the list, because doing so always leads to my spending more money than I originally planned, and on things that I do not actually need! Somehow, my boyfriend managed to convince me that the Cupcake Fruity Pebbles NEEDED to be bought by ME... someone who would truly appreciate them for what they were. It was then that I realized the cereal was practically begging me to rescue it from its cold, lonely grocery shelf. I picked that cereal up, threw it into my buggy, paid for it, and did not look back. It was DELICIOUS! It was like eating a cupcake for breakfast (which I am not at all opposed to). It was the equivalent of a Funfetti cupcake in cereal form, and who does not love a Funfetti cupcake?! My next move will be to make Cupcake Fruity Pebbles Rice Crispy Treats... Yum! There is even a recipe on the side of the cereal box for Cupcake Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes!



Impulse Purchase #2- Burger King Cupcake Sundae Shake: On Thursdays, when I am not interning, I work at the campus library. Seven hours straight of sitting at a library desk, in a room with no windows, can get a tad boring. Sometimes, it is just downright depressing. One such day, Andrew took pity on me and asked if he could bring me something. He asks me this every Thursday, and I usually respond by saying, "No, but thank you." This particular day, I especially needed a pick-me-up, and I knew exactly what I was craving: The Burger King Cupcake Sundae Shake. I had never tried it, but I know what I like. I love ice cream, and I love cupcakes. What could possibly be better than combining the two? Well, after trying it, I can firmly say that there are not many more fast food desserts that would even come close to touching the Cupcake Sundae Shake. I may even go so far as to say that it is BETTER than a Funfetti cupcake. The ice cream tastes like yellow cake batter (which I love), and the whipped cream serves as the frosting, and the sprinkles add the perfect touch (I have heard it said that sprinkles serve no purpose other than adding unnecessary calories, and usually I might agree with that; however, the sprinkles are an essential ingredient in this particular treat)! Please do not ask me how many calories are in this shake. I do not know, nor do I care to know. It was worth every one!

Happiness is life served up with a scoop of acceptance, a topping of tolerance and sprinkles of hope, although chocolate sprinkles also work. ~Robert Brault