Not So Suzy Homemaker

Baby Stuff We Can't Live Without

2011-04-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

My baby boy will be 3 weeks old on Thursday and I thought I might write a post about the baby stuff I love so far! I have a ton of friends having babies in the next couple months and I thought this might help a bit :).

First of all, for night time, we LOVE the Halo Swaddle Sleepsack:

*this is not my baby*

We got this from the hospital that Haden was born at and I'm SO happy we did! The best thing about it is it's velcro side giving me the ability to do a really tight swaddle on my little guy. This is key because with all other blankets or swaddlers he is able to wiggle his arms up and eventually wiggle out altogether. Also, the bottom keeps his leg fairly free so he can kick as he pleases!

Avent Pacifiers

Some babies just need binkies. I realized this quickly after Haden was born. He loves these pacifiers and they seem to stay in longer than the other kinds I've gotten. Plus they come in fun colors!

My Boppy Pillow:

*this is also not my baby*

I don't always use the boppy for feedings, but I love it for propping him up and just letting him chill! It's a lovely invention for when you need to get a few things done around the house. Since both his swing and infant seat are downstairs, I use this upstairs when I put away laundry or do other household chores!

A couple other things that are not brand or type specific but that I use every day are:

-An infant seat

If I could do things again, I would definately get a "bouncer" seat. The one I have doesn't bounce but it's nice to stick him in to sit in while we are downstairs!

-A swing

We just pulled this one out of the garage a couple days ago and both Haden and I love it :)

-Burp Cloths

So far Haden isn't to much of a messy burper, but if you are breastfeeding its a must to keep some of these around. It's kind of a messy business.

-A travel changing pad

I carry this thing everywhere we go because I think it's kind of gross to change him directly on those public changing tables. I also use it when I'm downstairs in the living room and don't want to take him to his changing table upstairs.

-Lots and lots of blankets!

This is a pretty easy one to get because people love giving new moms baby blankets. I never thought I would use them all but I really do! I keep one in every room and one in the diaper bag. Keeping them scattered throughout the house means there is always one in an easy reach to warm him up!

That is all I can think of for now. Hoping this list helps someone!

This IS my baby :0)

Happily Homemade: Applesauce

2011-02-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

This blog should really be titled "Simply" Suzy Homemaker because simplicity is really what I'm all about. As I've said before I really don't like complicated recipes or using patterns or reading instructions. Simple is key in my life and so it will be here on my blog.

And with that said, here is how I made my "simple" applesauce yesterday. I bought a ton of apples on sale for .68lb at Albertson's- the best part was the $1 off coupon for buying a whole bag full. I bought two bags. Do not expect much on the measuring part, I usually avoid this step and hope it goes well. It went well for this experiment so I am happy.

Homemade Applesauce:

What you need:
Crockpot

Apples!!!

Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Peel your apples, then cut them into quarter chunks.

Place in slow cooker. Add a "splash" of vanilla, and sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar over the top.

Cook on Low for 4-5 hours.

Mash them! (I used a potato masher)

Voila!

So it doesn't look that appetizing. But trust me it is GOOD! And healthy! I ate mine today with a Nature Valley granola bar crumbled up in it.

What other kinds of things have you made with apples?

Coupon Queen Wannabe: Let's Break This Down

2011-02-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

Since I first started writing about couponing a couple of weeks ago I have noticed a huge surge in coupon queen wannabes (not from myself, I think it's just a trend that's catching on). This makes me extremely happy because

1. I don't feel so completely crazy and alone at this!

2. I can ask my friends for advice and hear their awesome saving stories

3. The checkers at our local Albertson's are starting to catch on to our crazy coupon ways!

It's been especially fun to see my friends facebook statuses fill up with dollars saved.

Here are some awesome deals both my friend Alex and I have scored over the past week:

My first trip to Albertson's, using "Twice the Value" coupons:

4 Transactions, Spent 9.37 (Amount saved...unknown :( I sort of forgot this crucial adding up step)

My favorite find on that trip was the Jimmy Dean sausage marked down for "quick sale" to 1.99. I had two $1 off 1 coupons+ the Albertson's store doublers, meaning these sausage's were absolutely free! Free is my favorite price :).

My next picture includes what I bought at Albertson's above but also my stop at Safeway. My total for the entire day's shopping was $32.72- saving around $75.00. Although it might not look like a lot, I feel like I did great considering all the meat which is normally the most expensive thing to buy at the grocery store!

This trip included:

-two packages of bacon

-two packages of bratwurst

-one package of racher's reserve cube steak

-tortillas

-buns

-various snacks

If you'd like to see some more great shopping trip pictures, head on over to Inspiration Clothesline to check out Alex's great deals last week.

So lots of people have been asking Alex and I how to get started with this couponing business. I'd like to see if I can break it down into the easiest, most manageable steps to get it started.

First:

Start clipping.

I primarily find my coupons from the North Kitsap Herald newspaper that I subscribe to and receive on Fridays (it's free!). I also clip any coupons I receive in the mail.

Second:

Get Organized

I am using a three ring binder and baseball card inserts for my coupons, organized by "aisles" in the grocery store (ie dairy, produce, canned goods, etc)

Third:

Find the match ups.

"Match Ups" are basically store sales (found in the weekly store circulars) matched up with available coupons. Check out my first couponing post to see some AMAZING blogs that do ALL of this work for you. This is also the best way to discover the printable coupons you will need.

Fourth:

Print and "pull" the coupons you will use

Once you scour the match up blogs, begin to put together what items you want to buy from their posts and pull these coupons from your binder or print them off line (you will find the links in the match up posts).

*Remember this key: sometimes things are really an awesome deal- but ask yourself honestly: will you use this product? If you aren't sure, even though it's still so cheap...you are possibly wasting your money!

Fifth:

Shop!

Bring your coupon binder along with you while you shop, in case you spot a good deal on something you see in the store. As you add the coupon items to your cart, set the coupons aside one by one until you have all your items.

Sixth:

Get the most bang for your buck

The great deal situations are going to happen when you can match up store sales and manufacturers coupons. The "EXTREME" coupon deals are when you can match up store sales, manufacturer's coupons, AND store coupons! Yes, you can stack store coupons with manufacturer's coupons!

Albertson's releases store coupons every so often called "Twice the Value" coupons. They will double any manufacturer's coupon you have.**Using these stacked with manufacturer's coupons, that is how Alex and I got those great deals last week :)

**You can only use 3 "twice the value" coupons in one transactions. You will have to do multiple transactions to use more than three, and get the best "bang for your buck"

I hope this post helped someone to get started on couponing. Let me know if I can answer any questions!

Easy Crafts: Name Banner

2011-01-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

I've seen quite a few of these banners in the craft world lately and also had a couple of friends that have made them. I decided to just go with the flow on this craft and not follow any instructions (as we know I don't like reading the instructions). This is how I went about it:

My mom and I made the mobile for above Haden's crib a little over a month ago (coming in a future post) and I had some leftover fabric from this project. I made a pattern of a triangle shape and cut enough triangles for each letter of his name. If you wanted to get really fancy and "neat" with them, you might want to hem the edges, but I wasn't into all that fine detail work so I just left it. They fray a little bit on the sides but that's ok for me. Makes it more authentic looking I think :)

Once all the triangles were cut, I traced and cut out the letters on white fabric. I then glued these letters to the triangles, and sowed around the edges using a brown thread. Hand sewing definately gives the project the "homemade" look. Once these were finished, I glued the triangles to some ribbon.

I think it turned out well! It's been so fun having a great outlet of creativity to focus my attention on these last couple of months (baby's room). You could make one of these for parties of all occasions, they make a wonderful decoration!

Simple, Quick, Delicous

2011-01-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

This is my motto to cooking. If I see a recipe I like, and then read the ingredients and it looks even semi complicated, I usually end up just passing on it. Sometimes I will go out on a limb but usually my criteria to try something new includes:

1. a pretty picture (so I can make sure mine looks right!)

2. less than 10 ingredients (5 is even better)

3. somewhat healthy (or has the ability to add veggies in somehow) and

4. quick! (less than 10 min prep time is preferred!)

Reader Ruth Anne asked me to share some of my favorite dinner recipes with you. I am going to start with just one of my favorites today so I don't get overwhelmed. I made this for the first time in a long while last week and was reminded how much I really love it- it's SO good! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this one, but it's so simple I think you will be able to figure it out :).

Thai Chicken Wraps

-3 Cups Rice
-6 Large Tortillas
-4 Chicken Breast
-1 Medium Red Onion
-4 Cups Peppers/Broccoli

Peanut Sauce:
-1/4 cup Sugar
-1/4 cup Peanut Butter
-3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
-3 Tbsp Water
-2 Tbsp Oil
-1 clove chopped garlic

Start out by cooking your rice. When rice is about halfway to being done, chop up chicken breast and onion -sautee in cooking oil. When cooked, place aside and put peppers/broccoli into the pan. Cover and sautee/simmer until done. Mix chicken back into pan with veggies and place on low to keep warm.

In separate small saucepan, bring all peanut sauce ingredients to a boil, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. Place on low to keep warm.

To assemble, spread rice on tortilla, add chicken mixture, and sauce on top. Roll up, and enjoy!

This is such a yummy and easy dinner. Hope you and your family loves it as much as us!

Easy Crafts: Heat Pack

2011-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

This week I made a heat pack to use on my back because this pregnancy has been quite unfriendly to that region of my body! I didn't really want to spend to much money on a fancy electric heating pad and I also thought it might be fun to make something easy and simple so I settled on this:

This heat pack is filled with rice. If you are local, Central Market is a great place to buy rice in bulk. Just buy the cheapest variety you can, and buy enough to fill up whatever kind of shape you'd like to have.

There are not a lot of instructions for this project because it's pretty much self explanatory. You just need to take some fabric (make sure it is not polyester or it will melt in the micro) and sew it into any shape you'd like. Leave a small hole, big enough to get your rice in. Then turn it inside out (which will now be right side out) and put your rice in through the opening. I did this using a toilet paper roll because I don't have a funnel at home. Once all the rice is in, sow it up. Voila! You're done!

To use, just microwave the hot pack for 1-2 minutes. It holds heat really well. It was a fun, easy, and quick project that anyone with the right materials can do!

Coupon Queen Wannabe: My First Jaw Dropping Experience

2011-01-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

So maybe if you are a experienced and saavy coupon queen this post won't amaze you too much but I feel I must do a little bit of bragging about my shopping day last Saturday.

My friend Oli and I set out on the town yesterday to see what kind of deals we could find in the Silverdale shopping area. Our first stop was lunch (of course, we are both pregnant!). There is a Quiznos in our town that just re-opened and I received a "free lunch" coupon in the mail last week for. The deal was good for two Toasty Bullet sandwhiches if you buy chips and a regular drink.

Apparently some people can eat two toasty bullets all to themself (since it really is supposed to be a lunch for one person)- but Oli and I ended up splitting it and paid a total of $1.95 for our lunch! We happily made up the difference with a trip next door for some starbucks drinks :).

After fueling up, we headed over to see what kind of deals we could find at our local toys/babie r us. I had signed up for their "rewards" card a few months ago and they sent me 9 R US dollars to use. Free money! My favorite!

Since the coupon said no diaper purchases, we decided on buying some wipes. I grabbed a box of 432 wipes with a price of 11.49. When I went to pay the cashier, she happily informed me of the in ad coupon of 2.00 off any pampers wipes- making me total come to .70 cents! Yes, I paid .70 cents for a box of 432 wipes! (insert coupon happy dance here)

(same wipes but I only got a 472 count)

Lastly I also picked up a tub of 72 wipes at Target, and, using a 1.00 off coupon I had, got that tub for 1.00!

It was a really fun day and I do have to say- nothing feels better than saving money!

Meal Planning 101

2011-01-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

As I write this I am looking at my new and glorious grocery/meal planner that I have just designed:

I tried using one that I found on the internet but after much deliberation decided to just create my own. It's not very foofy or pretty but I like it all the same. Plus, it includes all my local stores so that when I do my coupon match ups I have a place to write what I need from which stores.

I've noticed in the last 3 months since I started to plan our meals a couple of different things:

-I can eat the same thing for breakfast and be perfectly happy. Kellen doesn't eat breakfast at all! (His choice!) For that reason, I only circle through about three things for breakfast and luckily other than eggs, most of these ingredients can be found in my freezer/cupboard and pulled out every morning (frozen waffles, toast, oatmeal). That makes shopping for breakfast REALLY easy- I just have to think about any kind of "specialty dish" I want to make on the weekend and put that on my grocery list.

-Lunch is easy for me because I can always have leftovers. If there are no leftovers to be had, there is always some kind of sandwich materials I can make myself. Kellen is happy with the same thing too. Again, makes this part of my shopping list easy as pie!

-Dinners are a bit more complicated, but every since I made my handy, dandy "favorite meal" list- it has been a lot easier. I just choose about 5 meals from this list and then I decide which ingredients I have and which I need to buy. I only do 5 meals because we always end up either a. eating out one night, b. eating with friends, or c. eating leftovers. I found having 5 planned meals works well with our lifestyle at the moment!

I know a lot of people would think I'm a total weirdo, but meal planning is totally fun to me now that I have the time. Add on top of that matching coupons up for great deals, and you have one happy Nicole for a couple of hours.

I can't wait until my grocery trip tomorrow. Wow- am I weird or what??!!

Simply Sewing

2011-01-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

Is there any kind of homemaking activity that has ever intimidated you? Maybe an activity you've always thought you'd like to try but just never got around to it because you thought it might be too complicated?

For me, it often takes quite a bit of courage to try something new. For some reason there are lots of projects that just intimidate me. I think it's because I have this fear of messing it up (and giving up) or simply not being happy with the outcome of my project.

But realistically, what is life except a big game of try, try again? Maybe you mess up the first few times but when you finally DO succeed, it feels all the much better!

One thing I had always wanted to try was sewing. For some reason being able to "sew" seemed like such a complicated and foreign task. But after some research and encouragement from some other sewers, I finally invested in my own machine and began to teach myself.

I picked up a fairly modern version of a singer sewing machine about two years ago in my local Joann Fabrics. I got it for around $100. I have no idea if this is a good price for a new machine but it seemed to be the best kind for beginners like me. It's never given me any problems! It looks almost identical to this:

The great thing about sewing is that it really isn't that complicated at all. Now granted I have never really gotten to experimental with my stitches (I think I have maybe used only two kinds so far?) but if you want an easy, quick project, sewing is definitely a great option.

Three Words: Trial and Error

Another thing to note is that even the most "experienced" sewers make mistakes! It's amazing how easy it is to visualize something in your head, sow it up, and realize you've accidentally sewed it inside out, wrong side out, or simply just closed a portion you should have left open. Luckily it's not hard to rip out a few stitches and start again :).

That being said, I should note that I have never actually used a pattern. I guess I'm just not an instructions kind of person. I prefer to visualize what I want in my head and try to make it happen. Maybe that's why a lot of ripping out stitches occurs in my house!

Ok, now that I've talked your ear off about sewing, here's a few examples of some things that I've recently sown!

Curtains for Baby's Room:

A pillow cover to match baby's room (the actual one it came with was bright pink...won't work for a boy!)

Crib Skirt for baby's crib:

Decorative curtains for our front window:

I have also made a purse and a dress. These are a lot more complicated to do without a pattern! My purse turned out cute but the dress kind of looks like something Jesus may have worn. haha! I suggest maybe trying out a pattern if you are looking to make something to wear in public :)

Stay tuned for a post on how to make your own heat pack. It's a very simple, fun, and easy project!

Coupon Queen Wannabe: Starting the Stockpile

2011-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

If you missed my first blog post on beginning couponing start HERE.

Now that you may have committed to extreme couponing the first step is creating what's called a stockpile. A stockpile is essentially an area of your home (preferably somewhere that has a lot of extra space!) that you can create a kind of "store" for items that you use on a regular basis. Obviously if you have space constraints, stockpiling may not be for you. Either that, or maybe you can find a closet or pantry that you can create a type of mini stockpile.

Karrie from Happy Money Saver has a great post on her stockpile. Here's an example of what stockpiling over a long period of time can look like:

For more pictures on how Karrie organizes her stockpile, click HERE.

Maybe you are thinking to yourself- wow, this seems a little excessive. Maybe. But maybe not. Think about it- how many of these kinds of items do you continually buy week after week, month after month on your grocery trips? The point of stockpiling is too estimate how many of these items you will use in a certain amount of time (say, 6 months), wait until these items at are their rock bottom price, and stock up on them for that amount of time! If you really think about it, that is essentially what Costco offers- but with coupons, you may be able to cut the expenses of these multiple items significantly.

Here's a pic of the start to my stockpile:

Since I just really started my stockpile last week, it's looking quite low at the moment. But I have cleared an entire shelf in the garage and will happily fill that with low price items until I outgrow my space! I also have an extra fridge/freezer in my garage that I can use to store (mostly frozen) food.

Nicole's Stockpile Plan of Attack:

The first step in creating a useful stockpile is figuring out what things you use the most of. I did this by typing out a list of easy dinners that I make on a monthly basis. I came up with about 30 meals I cook pretty often, are easy to assemble, and don't require too many ingredients.

Then I broke them down by ingredients.

Here's an example:

Spaghetti

1lb ground beef, Pasta, Sauce, Bread, Lettuce, Ceaser Dressing

Once I had these all written out, I then wrote a separate list to figure out how much of each ingredient I used per month:

example:

10lbs Ground Beef
5 Boxes of Pasta
3 Jars of Spaghetti Sauce
etc, etc, etc.

I found a great stockpile list to work off of HERE.

Using the figure of 6 months to stockpile, I went down the list and figured out how many of each item I could stock up on for a 6 month period of time.

Now the search is on! My new goal is to scour the coupon blogs, weekly circulars, and coupons I have available to me to find the best deals on these items. I will then purchase multiple quantities of these items when I see them at their lowest price, stocking up on them for 6 months at a time.

But there is one problem.

How do I know what's a good price?

.....stay tuned for more information on how to know if it's a great deal!

Me Like Organization.

2011-01-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

More "free" time=less busy.

Yeah, right. :)

I've had the immense pleasure of indulging my organizational beast over the past couple of weeks. I am the kind of person that drools over the organization section at Ikea and could walk away with one of each bin/basket/drawer/shelf (and find uses for them too!).

It started with my bedroom closets. These needed some SERIOUS attention. I ended up shifting my entire wearable* wardrobe to the smaller closet on my side of the bed and it has worked wonders for helping me keep motivated to hang my clothes up.

*Heres a Tip: If you have a hard time giving away clothes because you like them but never wear them, at least put them in a storage area for a couple of months out of the way. Only hang the clothes you wear on a reoccurring basis up. Then, when you revisit these clothes in a couple of months, you may realize that it is easier to give them up since you really haven't needed them!

Here it is. Don't mind the random stickers on the drawers- these are plastic drawers I decorated when I worked at a summer camp when I was 15. They are inside the closet so who cares what they look like?

Closet organization systems come with a hefty price, so I like to use plastic drawers inside closets to make the most of that otherwise dead space on the bottom.

Realistically, Kellen and I have outgrown our dresser and will probably need a bigger one (or maybe even a second completely) once I am out of wearing only maternity clothes. I have lots of ideas for our bedroom but just have never gotten around to them. Isn't it funny how somehow your own "space" always comes at the bottom of the to do list in your house?

Yesterday I gave my office a organizational makeover. I didn't take a before picture but here's what my work space looks like now:

I'm happy to say I've made this room immensley useful. For the first year of living here, it was quite neglected and we barely even stepped foot in it. Now I go in it every day for things like:

-Budget/Bill Planning

-Couponing and Meal Planning

-Sewing and Crafting

(My sewing machine is tucked away under the desk)

-Blogging :)

It also doubles as a guest room since against the other wall is a twin bed (not pictured as I intend to cutesify it with my next Ikea trip)

The closet in the office is also useful too. Not only does it serve as some extra space to hang my old dresses (that I will likely never wear again but can't bear to part with) but it also houses all my creative knick knacks as well:

-Baskets of fabric/yarn

-Brown Baskets: Art Supplies/Scrap paper/Card Making Accessories

-Small drawers: Painting Supplies

-Blue Drawers: Childhood Memorabilia, Costume Stuff in the other (wigs, necklaces, hats, etc)

-Large White Drawers: Electronic Cords, Winter Wear (gloves, hats, scarves)

-Medium White Drawers: Cards, Tissue Paper, Photos, Photo Books

Organizing is so fun and it makes me feel like I am breathing fresh air when I finish a project.

Next Project:

Our Bathroom Closet

Attack of the Yarn!

2011-01-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

One thing that my old pup Chloe loved was yarn balls. I tried hiding them from her but somehow she knew that every time she could sneak upstairs she could wiggle herself into our office and pull out a ball of yarn to string all over the house. I thought this was a cat trait? Apparently it is not just cats who enjoy these things.

I have received lots of yarn over the past couple of years. My lovely MIL blessed me with a starter knitting set for Christmas a couple of years ago and taught me how to do a simple stitch. She is an excellent knitter and always has some kind of amazing knitting project going on. I thought I might make Kellen a UW husky scarf he could wear for football games. That was January 2009. Here is what it looks like today:

Yes. That's Right. It has been two full years and I am currently still working on this wonderful project. It takes me about two-three rows before I get a bit burnt out and have to put it down. I usually end up putting it away and forgetting about it for a couple of weeks/months and then pick it up and do another couple of rows. My goal is to have this one done before Haden's first football season. We will see!

If you know me at all, you know that I am quite the sentimental one. I really like traditions and incorporating family items into my life.

My great grandma (or "GG" as we called her) was really into crocheting. She lived with us for a period of time when I was younger and I have a very vivid image of her sitting in her recliner chair and crocheting for hours upon end. I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow I ended up with one of her crochet kits:

Up until recently, I hadn't put this kit into much use (well, actually, no use at all). I hadn't even attempted to crochet. But over the holidays I thought I might try it out.

I ended up liking crocheting a lot more than knitting. For some reason, to me, it "flows" better- and therefore I can get a lot more done before I get so burned out.

I went out on a limb for my first real project and watched a youtube video on how to crochet a baby hat. Here's how it turned out:

I think it turned out pretty well for my first project! I was even able to use the yarn my MIL gave me two Christmases ago. It should be able to fit my little boy somewhere in his second year of life (maybe 18 months?). It was fun and definitely got me feeling a bit more confident around yarn and a needle!

What's your favorite thing you've made with yarn?

Hello, Homemade!

2011-01-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

As I strive to become independently wealthy on one income (HA!) I must find ways to pinch my pennies in areas I never imagined.

One of these areas I hope to explore is going homemade.

There are lots of household items you can apparently make your own of. One I recently tried is making my own multipurpose cleaner. I would share it with you, but it didn't turn out so wonderful and I'd like to try a few more recipes before I spread the joy.

Some other things I intend to try include:

-Baby Wipes

-Lotions

-Chapstick

-Dressings/Marinades

-Seasonings

-Other Household Cleaning Products

Apparently I am not the only one who is thinking along these lines. My beautiful and also wonderfully pregnant friend Amber has also recently started the homemade journey. I have yet to try out her first post about homemade laundry soap- but you can check it out here if you are interested. She also has some more future posts coming about some of the things I listed above. I'm excited!

What are your favorite things to make homemade?

Coupon Queen Wannabe

2011-01-07T00:29:00.001-08:00

In my first few weeks of being a brand new SAHPM (P stands for Prego) I have fulfilled so many of those "I wish I had the time to do that" thoughts!

One at the top of my list has been to learn to coupon. I have tried logging on to coupon sites countless times and have made it about five minutes before I want to tear my hair out. If saving money is this complicated (I thought) than I would rather just pay full price to avoid frustration. And why does it seem like a foreign language? Either that, or I would print a couple of coupons and think to myself- great....3.00 saved. It's got to be better than this.

Well folks, it is. But the problem is, as with most things in life, it takes some serious committment, time, and patience to become an extreme coupon diva goddess. I have no where even come close to "goddess" status, but I have learned a couple of tricks over the past couple of weeks that might help my fellow thrifty shopping friend for the future. I will share what I learned on couponing here:

1. Couponing really sucks if you don't know what's on sale.

Why would I pay 1.99 for a can of Campbells Soup (with a coupon) when I can get the store brand for 1.50? This is what I kept thinking every time I would only use a coupon on something. But here's the thing- extreme couponing means you WAIT until the Campbells is ON SALE and then use your coupon too! Let's say Campbells soup goes on sale for 1.75- and then use a coupon for 1.00 off- you will then get the Campbells for .75 cents! This is called a "coupon match up" and lots of blogs out there do this work for you by comparing the store circulars with the available manufacturer's coupons. All you have to do is get your coupons in order and shop!

2. Stockpiling is key

Building a stockpile just means buying multiple items of one thing you foresee you will use in the next 6 months-1 years time at their LOWEST price. Using multiple coupons for multiple items means purchasing a lot of one thing at this reduced price- and you will not have to buy it at full price when you really need it!

3. It's gunna get awkward.

People don't understand coupons. Well I sure didn't. And that inevitably means an awkward grocery trip with your cashier who may try to tell you that you can't use two of the same coupons. The fact is, you CAN use the same coupons, as long of you have two of those items. Some other helpful rules include:

-most stores allow you to use store coupons AND manufacturer coupons.

-the term "do not double" refers to doubling the actual coupon value itself with ONE item. This does not mean you can't use two+ coupons that are the same, as long as you have that many of those items!

4. It will take time

I have to admit, I really haven't had any amazing, jaw dropping experiences yet with my couponing. I DID get 5 boxes of granola bars yesterday for .80 cents each, but that was my first "stockpile" experience. I figure it's going to take me a good six months until my stockpile is really impressive looking.

So far I've found these blogs REALLY helpful- you should check them out!

The Krazy Coupon Lady

(She has a wonderful beginners section!)

Happy Money Saver

(Really helpful match ups I used this week)

For the Mommas

(Just found this one but excited to use it)

Coupon Connections NW

(Hoping to take one of her coupon classes in the future!)

This Beautiful, Frugal Life

(I believe she's from the NW-she has some great tips! I especially found this one helpful)

These are just a few things I've learned over the past few weeks with my first attempts at extreme couponing. I am really excited to learn this new way of life and save some serious mulah in the process.

Do you have any coupon tips you would like to share?

Stay tuned for more this week on beginning couponing and how I went about it!