Haunt Your House for Cheap!

Sometime towards the end of September I flipped the calendar over early so that my boyfriend would let me decorate for Halloween. He's not really the Scrooge type, but for some reason he didn't want to decorate until it was officially October. I think he just didn't want to face the fact that summer is over. I, on the other hand, could not stop buying Halloween decorations every time I walked into a dollar store. They're just so cute and they're only $1, so even if I get 30 of them, that's still like....wicked cheap, right?!

I realize this is terribly uncool, but I love the dollar store for things like this. I mean we got some pretty good decorations for just $1, and a lot of them will probably get reused next year. Even the ones that don't (like the static cling pumpkin my kitten has been pretty persistent in insisting should not stay hanging on our window) well, they were a dollar. I also got all my Halloween party plates, cups, napkins, straws, table cloths, candy bowls, and platters from the dollar store, which would have been scarily, creepily, frighteningly expensive had I gone to iParty or Target.

 

I can't wait to go back for Christmas decorations!! Maybe I can afford enough things to make my car more festive than this guy's:

WANTED: Bigger Mailbox

So I came home from work yesterday and engaged in my favorite extracurricular activity - getting the mail! The post office delivery man must really hate me or something though because everything was squished in, boxes were crushed, and there was flaming poop in a bag!

 

Ok, well that last one isn't true, but nevertheless all of my mail came out unscathed and I'm pretty excited about it all! Here is what I got:

 

A free sample of Mary Kay mascara, free Always samples, Head & Shoulders shampoo and conditioner sample, a $10 Target gift card, and my All You Magazine that I LOVE because it's full of coupons and tips on how to save money! A great mail day to end a looong week!

This wasn't my favorite mail day of the week either. That was yesterday when I came home and found this card from my 1 & (almost)3 year old cousins. It pretty much made my day! :)

By the way, if something happens to me, and people need to search my computer for clues, please ignore the Google search for "flaming poop in a bag"...

Extremely Un-Extreme Couponing

Can I just tell you how much I hate TLC's "Extreme Couponing" show? I hate it as big as this woman's hair.

 

And almost as big as her snaggletooth. I feel like it's given people who just use coupons to save a little extra money each week a bad name. I'm almost embarrassed sometimes to hand over a stack of coupons because I don't think there is EVER a positive reaction. I even had one cashier at CVS give me a hard time and say "that show is going to ruin it for everyone" when I used ExtraCare Bucks to make my order free. Hello - you GAVE me the ECB's to use towards things, didn't you? Am I supposed to hang them on my wall, make origami swans, or wipe my....well, anyway....I'm pretty sure I earned those by buying things and if my order ends up FREE when I use them, great! Hooray!! That's the point!

But seriously, if you've watched the show, you may have seen the woman who stocked up on diapers....but doesn't have any children. Or the couple who collectively weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of A LOT and filled a carriage with Butterfingers. Then there are the people who dumpster dive for coupons, insist that they are different from hoarders because "their stockpile does not have dust, hoarders have dust", and spend 10 hours in the grocery store filling up carriages with things they will most likely never use unless there are several national emergencies in one week. I mean, I understand the show is called "Extreme Couponing" but...really? I almost hope some of it is staged...

There are some people on the show that I will give credit to. They donate things to their local churches, shelters, etc. and share with their neighbors. That's great! I just wish there were less people who abused it so that I don't have to suffer when stores start limiting their use of coupons. I generally try to use my coupons to just stock up on the things I use all the time while they are a good deal. I do NOT have a stockpile, but I do have enough toothpaste, shampoo, razors, and toilet paper to last me until there's another good sale. And I didn't have to take down an old lady or jump in a dumpster to get them.

 

Thoughts? Anyone else think this show needs to taken off the air yesterday? 

Everything You've Ever Wanted...For FREE!

Ok, maybe not EVERYTHING. I've always wanted one of these:

 

Unfortunately, that's not on the list. But I did name my cat after him!

Ok, on to The List. Does that sound dramatic enough? I can't seem to figure out how to spell what a drum roll would sound like, so that will have to do. Anyway, I just found this today on one of the blogs I follow. The blog is Deal Seeking Mom. I'm not a mom, but I am a deal-seeker, so I figure it cancels out and I'm still ok to read it? Today she posted this and I have a feeling it's going to be a loooong night for me! I'm actually overwhelmed just looking at this. It's longer than my Xmas list! I am about to go sign up for millions of free things and wait for them all to start pouring out of my mailbox! I mean even if I sign up for 1/4 of these, it's going to mean free samples for weeks! OOOoooOooOooo!!!! I can't even wait!!!

 

p.s. I know you won't believe this, but I did find one that she missed - copy and paste this into your browser to get a free sample of Garnier Shampoo & Conditioner! 

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/shieldcolor102000/

I Have a Confession...

There may be a name change for this blog sometime in the near future. Why? Well, because I now have a cat. That's right, I am on my way to becoming an actual couponing, cat-loving, going-to-bed-early, cheap old lady. But I am no longer "minus the cats"...

 

That's my little girl! (Oh gosh, it's already starting...) Isn't she the cutest? Don't you just want to pick her up and rub her all over your face? Or is that weird? 

Anyway, in honor of my new little addition, I wanted to tell you all about a cat-related freebie! If you "like" Purina Pro Plan on Facebook, they will send you a coupon for a FREE 3oz. can of cat food! To be honest, I could use several of these because our cat likes to eat ALL. DAY. LONG. If she's without food for 30 seconds, she will cry like we're starving her. But just like everything else she does, it's awwwwwww sooooo cuuuutee!