I'm a believer

For years I have bought into the idea that coupons are a waste of time and money. "It's cheaper to buy the off brand." After making money off of purchases and spending 39 cents for $60 worth of groceries, I have changed my ways and beliefs.

I will say that it does take a lot of time and energy and sometimes it takes a lot of printer ink, but what other job can you make $50+ an hour and do it completely on your own terms?

I will never spend more than 25 cents on a package of pads again! Body wash = FREE... Razors = FREE... It's insane how much you don't have to spend to get nice things! And you get to try items you never thought you would try!

And even better, once I get my stockpile, I am going to gather items to send to soldiers overseas and/or donate to local charities. We live on one income and as much as I've wanted to help local missionaries and such, I haven't had the resources. Now I have something tangible I can do to help. Of course there are other things you can do, like make a meal, a loaf of bread, pray,... but this is something I can work on over time and pull from whenever I want!

This is one of those things you have to have the time and energy to dedicate. If I wasn't home a SAHM, I don't think I could do this as well. I may not always be in a position to put this much time into it, but for now it is helping us make ends meet and pay off my student loans, so it's worth it! And speaking of student loans, we are officially half way to having them paid off!

Our little miss

It is amazing to watch a child grow and develop their personality. I don't think you realize all of the details unless it's your own child. Our little miss is so dramatic already and she's only 8 months old!

The giggles, the smiles, the raising of one eyebrow...I just love being a mommy!

Sure at times it's rough, but it's amazing how quickly you learn from your mistakes. Like Thursday night I decided to take my hubby to a movie. I clicked on the Fandango link fast enough to get a 10 cent ticket, and I had to book it right away in order to get it. Well, we couldn't find a sitter for that time, so we took the babeh with us. Normally she is super chill and falls asleep in the sling in the theatre. Not this time! She went from screaming mad to super happy and chatting as loudly as she could. Needless to say mommy didn't get to see much of the movie. So, we probably won't be taking her to the movie theatre anytime soon.