And then there were more...

Checked the mail today...

Three more companies hooked me up with coupons.

$1.00 off any Cheer Product
(4) $.25 off any one Bumble Bee* Product
(2) $.50 off Heinz HomeStyle Gravy (any size, any variety)
(2) $.50 off Classico Sauce (any size, any variety)
(2) $.50 off any Bagel Bites Snack Product (any size, any variety)

This is so exciting.

What is even better... these manufacturer's coupons, or at least most of them have expiration dates that are later in the year, which means I can stock up right before we leave or once we arrive in Virginia Beach. The move is going to cost us enough...

Coupons, coupons and, OH YES, more COUPONS!!!

After unpacking last night and settling down on the couch, I glanced over at the desk and noticed a stack of envelopes and several packs of Chap Stick...

I concentrated on the Chap Stick for a bit and hoped if hubby purchased that much, he better have used a coupon. Yes, I know, one-track-mind. LOL!

When I confronted him, he stated, the Chap Stick, as well as the stack of envelopes came in the mail over the weekend for me. They were all coupons and samples. I guess my girlfriend was right... for every ten companies you e-mail, nine say NO and one will send coupons and possibly samples.

WOOHOO! Score!

Along with the five or six tubes of Chap Stick, I received the coupons listed below:

(3) $.55 off Brawny Paper Towels
$1.00 off any Midol Product (16 CT. or Larger)
$1.00 off any Phillps Product
$1.00 off any One A Day Adult or Teen Multivitamin Product
$1.00 off any Flintstones or One A Day Kids Multivitamin Product
$1.00 off any Alka-Seltzer Plus Product
$1.00 off any Alka-Seltzer Product
$1.00 off any Alever-D Product
$1.00 off any 20 CT. or larger Aleve Product
$1.00 off any Citracal Product
$5.00 off the purchase of A1CNow Selfcheck at home A1C System
$1.00 off any Bayer Aspirin or Heart Health Advantage Product
FREE Bayer Contour or Breeze 2 Blood Glucose Meter when you purchase Bayer's Countour or Breeze 2 Test Strips
(3) $.35 off Seneca 100% Pure Apple Juice 64 oz. Bottle or 46 oz. Can
(2) $1.00 off any One packaga of AllWhites or Better'n Eggs
(6) $1.00 off any product from Johnson & Johnson
$.50 off One Argo or Kingsford's Corn Starch
$1.00 off Benadryl Topical Product
$1.00 off any Benadryl Product
(3) $.25 off any Blistex Lip Care Product
$1.00 off any 2 boxes of Bigelow Tea, Green Tea, Herb Tea, or Decaffeinated Tea
(2) $.55 off Bush's Baked Beans or Bush's Grillin' Beans any size, any variety
Try One (1) Alouette Cheese, FREE
(2) $1 off any One (1) Alouette Cheese Product
$.25 off any package of Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables or Fruit
(3) $1.00 off any Amy's Delicious Organic Frozen Foods
(5) $.55 off any Amy's Grocery Items
$.75 off Amy's Cakes
$.75 off Amy's Hot Cereal Bowl
$.75 off Amy's Lasagna
$.75 off any Amy's Kids Meals
$.75 off any Amy's Pot Pies
$.75 off any Amy's Light & Lean Meals
(2) $1.00 off any One (1) Armour Retail Product
$.25 off any Celeste Frozen Pizza for One

I have the best husband... Or do I?

Once a month I have an obligation to serve my country... This last weekend was one of those.

My family and I live about four hours from the drill site, which means spending the entire weekend away from home. I do not mind this at all. My only issue... prior to departure, not only do I have to ensure I have everything I need, but I have to make sure hubby has everything he needs to keep himself (and the kids) occupied and out of trouble. LOL!

I typically depart on Thursday evenings and return on Sunday evening...
Thursday afternoon, after taking care of the daily list of appointments, I had to sit down and plan out the two-week menu, make a shopping list, dig out the coupons and finally make a list of which stores he needs to visit for weekly specials. Yes, it is a lot of work and quite time consuming, but worth it when it comes to the bottom line.

What was accomplished while I was gone, was more than I ever expected.

I was so proud of him... Friday, while the kids were at school, he did all the grocery shopping or at least what he could in the time allotted.

Saturday, he and the kids cleaned house, cleaned up the yard, which included all the broken branches from all the storms (the ones the neighbor kids insisted on dragging out again)... Oh well!

Sunday, he and the kids ventured out again to the other supermarket for the remaining items on the shopping list.

With the exception of buying four "DOUBLE" packs of newspapers (he was only supposed to purchase two "DOUBLES")... He saved about $23 and kept us within budget.

I think our next goal... Drop the budget by $40/month.

F.Y.I. I am a lucky wife!!! My husband cooks, cleans, laundry, grocery shops and just about anything else that I hate doing.

Productive Rite Aid Trip

The other day I went to Rite Aid... the bottom of the reciept said, "I have purchased $74.02 of the $100 toward my $20 reward." That meant I needed one more trip was needed before the Winter Reward expiration date of February 26th.

Guess where I went this morning?

It took me about 45 minutes of wandering around the store to pick out items that we needed and wouldn't go to waste and that would actually qualify. Here is what I bought...

1 Gas X Ultra Sftgl 18 Ct 6.99
1 Thermacare Back L XL 2 Ct 6.99
1 Halls Cherry 30 Ct 1.99
1 Halls Honey Lemon 30 Ct 1.99
1 OS Cran Cocktail 64 Oz 4.79
1 OS Cran Cocktail 64 Oz 4.79
1 Pepsi Diet 12 Oz Can 12 Pk
Sale 1/4.29. Reg 1/5.58 4.29

Coupons Utilized
Buy Thermacare Back 2 Ct or more 2.00
Buy 2 Bag Halls 30 Ct or more 1.00

Store Special
Buy Halls 30 Ct 2/3.00
=Up -1.00 on 2
It's like paying 2/2.00 w/Wellness Card

Bill total w/tax $26.09
Total Coupon Savings $6.00

I now have a $20 Reward that can be used towards purchases before 3/27.

Now tell me that wasn't a successful shopping trip.

D... I... E... T... A four letter NIGHTMARE!!!

I hate the way I look and feel right now.

I have been thinking for weeks about the need to go on a strict diet and workout regime...

I have the tools needed to be successful.

I was doing very well last spring, summer into early fall...

Last summer really took a toll on me. My father passed away in June. I made Chief/E7 in July, which kept me occupied until mid-September. I injured my back in August, which has put a damper on my fitness habits.

In the spring, I pushed my body to the ultimate limit. I ran in several events... Several 5Ks, a 10K and topped it off with a half marathon.

I know what I have to do and why... There is a high percentage of Obesity and Diabetes in my family.

For the most part, I eat healthy, which is not the problem.

I can't seem to gather enough motivation to work out. There is always an excuse (or another). I recently had to change my morning routine, which left me no time to workout in the morning. I don't like to workout during the day because I have other things that must be done and I won't workout in the evening because the kids are home.

I have sat down several times, wrote up a routine, started and within a week, gave up. What is wrong with me?

I need to make a change and soon.

Savings Update

I am so unbelievably excited!!! Dani has been encouraging me for weeks to to to GETGO, a subsidiary of Giant Eagle (grocery store) since I have a savings card.

Last night, I finally went. Oh my, it was so worth it.

Gallon of gas in Frederick, MD: $2.939/gal
Fuelperks! (per gal) to date: $2.10

Price 2/21: $0.839/gal
Gallons: 14.334
Amount: $12.03
Savings: $32.97

Here is how it works...
(sited directly from http://www.gianteagle.com/fuelperks/rules-regulations)
Earning fuelperks!
To qualify for a 10¢ per gallon discount, you must spend $50 with your Giant Eagle Advantage Card® at participating Giant Eagle® and GetGo® locations.
Only purchases made at registers where the Giant Eagle Advantage Card® is scanned are eligible.
A complete list of participating Giant Eagle® and GetGo® locations can be found by clicking here or by calling Customer Care at 1-800-553-2324 .
The promotion is valid for a limited time and may end at any time without prior notice. fuelperks! discounts expire two months after the last day of the month in which they're earned. Discount totals and expiration amounts will appear on your Giant Eagle® and GetGo® receipts.
Discounts will be tracked electronically on your Giant Eagle Advantage Card®. You must scan your Giant Eagle Advantage Card® at the fuel pump at GetGo® to receive your discounts.
Purchase restrictions: Offer excludes purchases of alcohol, tobacco (except where permitted by law), fuel, price-controlled milk products (PA only), kerosene, state-and federally-funded pharmacy prescriptions, postage stamps, lottery tickets, Giant Eagle® and GetGo® gift cards, Visa prepaid reloadable gift cards, money orders, Moneygram, amusement or entertainment tickets, copy or fax machine service, delivery charges, fund-raising activities, donations, returned check service fees and items prohibited by law. Offer applies only to out-of-pocket pharmacy totals. fuelperks!® discounts are calculated after all of the aforementioned items, all store discounts, and all coupons (including manufacturer coupons) have been subtracted from the order. fuelperks!® are not earned on the amount of sales tax and other taxes paid by the consumer.
Redemption Restrictions (updated as of 7/1/10)
fuelperks!® discounts must be redeemed in their entirety. Discounted fuel cannot exceed 30 gallons and discounts must be used in full on one vehicle in one transaction. Maximum allowable number of redemptions is 5 per day / 30 per calendar month, Giant Eagle® reserves the right to further restrict redemption transactions at its discretion. Only valid on gasoline and diesel fuel. Discounts above the price per gallon of gas will be saved on your Giant Eagle Advantage Card® for use on a future visit. Only at participating locations. No cash back. Discounts are worth no cash value and are not valid with any other offer. Discounts cannot be transferred to other Giant Eagle Advantage Card® accounts or organizations.

Discounts won't expire until two months after the last day of the month in which they're earned. Discount totals and expiration discounts will be listed on your Giant Eagle® receipts.

Learn more about fuelperks! in the FAQs. And don't forget to check your fuelperks!® discounts online!

Crazy Weather

2-1/2 years-ago I was so ready to leave California... I was done with the monotone weather. With the exception of the few years that I lived outside the United States because of my Navy travels, there was never much change in the weather. It was anywhere from 60-80 degrees, UGH! BORING!!! There was never a season change, granted we got rain, but nothing more than that. The vegetation was always brown and ugly.

I was ready for a change.

In October of 2009, we began our trek across the U.S. to Maryland. Best decision we ever made.

I love the East Coast! They actually have seasons here.

2008
Winter
Took a little getting used to... There was not too much snow, but the temp's did drop into the single digits.

2009
Spring
Beautiful! It was awesome watching everything bloom. However, I could do without the Dogwood Trees. That appears to be the only thing I am allergic to.

Summer
It was decent. Actually, I don't remember too much.

Fall
Oh, the change in colors. What an experience. If you haven't had the opportunity to see it, do so. Everything is so vivid and the temp's are bareable. That was the first year that I discovered Indian Summer.

2009
Winter
I should have known it was going to be bad when I drove to Virginia Beach at the end of January for two-weeks and the roads were barely drivable. It took several days to recover. The Tidewater area hadn't seen snowfall like that in 20 years.

I had planned to drive home (4-hours) for the weekend between, but they warned the Washington, DC area alone would see snowfall in the double digits. By the end of the weekend, my husband and three children were trapped in the house. There were 6' snow--drifts in our back yard. When all was said and done... Our area had seen 55" of snow that season. The snow did not melt away completely until early April.

2010
Spring/Summer
Unbelievably warm. I had never spent so much time indoors. Stink bugs were horrible!

Winter
We have had snow on the ground since mid-December. The last of it melted away this last week when the temps went from the 30s to the mid-70s in a matter of days. It was beautiful. We thought spring was finally here... It was also extremely windy, whcih made for a fiery nightmare. Who would have thunk it outside California? It is odd because the snow only melted within the last few days, so everything should have been saturated still. How do you get to the point, like in PG county where 1000 acres burned. I do not get it.

Until today! It has been in the mid to upper 30s all day and we are expecting 4-6" of snow tonight. WTH?

My friend and I just returned from our monthly game of BUNCO in the mountains... Let's just say I NEVER want to do that again. Not the game! Drive on the untreated roads with people who still think it is okay to drive 100 miles an hour in incliment weather. The ice has been coming down since, probably 7 p.m. There is probably a good 1/2" or more on the ground already.

Can we please have some normal weather?

Navy Federal Credit Union

Do you have a Navy Federal Credit Union Checking Account? We do! Recently, Dani was telling me about the Active Duty Checking Account...

What is Active Duty Checking? Here is the breakdown from https://www.navyfederal.org/products-services/checking-savings/checking.php?selectedTab=1...

Active Duty Checking®

ATM fee rebates and free checks for life.

•ATM fee rebates at Visa/PLUS® System ATMs, up to $20 per statement period
•Over 45,000 FREE ATMs
•Early posting of qualifying Military Direct Deposit*
•No minimum to open and no monthly service charges
•Dividend earnings
•Free military wallet duplicate checks and unlimited check-writing privileges for the life of your account
•Free Visa® Check Card, accepted at millions of locations worldwide
•Free 24/7 phone service
•Free Web Bill Pay and Account Access
•Checking Protection options

*To qualify for this account, Active Duty Direct Deposit of Net Pay must post to your Active Duty Checking account within 60 days of account opening. If the Active Duty Direct Deposit stops for more than 60 days, the account converts to an EveryDay Checking account.

So, you ask, how do I convert my EveryDay Checking Account to Active Duty Checking? The Active Duty member needs to call them. The process takes two minutes and depending on when you call, you will have access to your Direct Deposit upon posting versus payday.

Saving $$$

Five weeks ago, with the encouragement of my good friend Dani, my husband and I began couponing...

I had been chatting with Dani for weeks about couponing, but never mentioned my desire to start to my husband, until one day he came home from work, mentioned a t.v. program he watched on TLC (Extreme Couponing) the night before while standing duty. I had heard about the program through Dani, but never actually watched it. As soon as he said, that was the opening I needed to convice him we needed to try again.

The next Sunday, I was at the market making a newspaper purchase, but not just any purchase, I bought four newpapers to the tune of $6.50. That evening, I told him, that purchase would be money well worth spending if our savings exceeded what I spent on the papers.

The following day was a holiday and we had respite lined up; we set-off on our first shopping trip to Giant Eagle with Dani. WOW! What an experience. Dani taught us the basics of shopping with coupons, in-store deals, etc. That first trip saved us $30.

We have turned couponing into a family activity. I purchase the newspapers, the kids clip coupons, I make the menu, hubby puts together the shopping list and then I search the ads and coupons for all the deals and finally we pick a day to shop.

Since our first couponing shopping trip, to-date we have saved $260. Each week, I add up all the savings and transfer the money to our savings account. After doing the math, within one year, we should be able to save $3,100. Hubby says that should be enough to do the required maintenance on our vehicles. WHAT? Who said we were saving money for the vehicles? I was thinking along the lines of a vacation or a long overdue honeymoon. We shall see...