What I've Learned: Back to School Shopping

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I turned 36 in June and for 14 years of my Mommyhood life, I've gone back-to-school shopping in one fell swoop. Backpacks, shoes, new clothes, and various school supplies were bought all in one, often exhausting, day.

But when resources (read: money) is limited, one tends to revamp how she does things. We have never been "rich" by any stretch of the imagination, but I was always able to pull a couple of hundred dollars together to get school supplies and clothes (admittedly, credit cards "helped" in some areas. Note: do NOT do this unless you can immediately pay off your balance, in full. And really, if you can do that, just pay cash. It's so much easier.)

With The Man Beast landing a new job and me resigning from mine, resources have been very limited. As such, I've had to be resourceful and keep an eye out for sales and do my back to school shopping in stages. You know - how normal people shop.  You do shop this way, don't you? You don't? I'll give you a few good reasons why you should break your shopping down into smaller trips:

1. You can grab some good sales. Here in Georgia, we're winding down the summer, so most local stores have started putting back to school supplies on sale. Actually, Wal-Mart has had their bins out front, not to mention two isles, full of school supplies for a month or so. Office supply stores, such as Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max are having mad deals just to get you into their store. If you space your shopping trips out over weeks (instead of hours), many of the door busters are on school supply lists. Getting three-pronged folders for .20 or even .10 is good, but getting them for .01 is even better.
2. Tax Free Weekends. Many states participate in tax-free weekends where customers don't pay tax on any clothes, shoes, or back to school supplies. This website lists the weekends, if available in your state. I love shopping at JC Penny because their clothes last, so I will be heading into JC Penny August 10-11 (my tax free weekend) to snag some deals.
3. Don't buy everything  you need. School starts on August 6th in my community. My tax-free weekend isn't until the following weekend. Therefore, I'm going to buy some clothes before school starts and save the rest of my list for after. As far as general school supplies are concerned, if you haven't gotten them during the door busters (see point #1), you might be able to get some good deals after school starts. Get just the basic and build on when and where you can.
4. Don't buy new. I know this might be a gross concept to some people, but tons of great deals on children's clothing can be found in thrift shops. Many communities have privately run consignment shops. My community recently had a Goodwill store open. The proceeds from sales at Goodwill stores go to help those with disabilities find jobs (which, as a future SPED teacher, is a mission very close to my heart). Salvation Army isn't just a church. Their stores also give back to the community as well by providing emergency help to those in need. (Help, of which if you'll remember, my family and I were personal recipients)
5. Reuse what you can. Who says your kid needs a brand new backpack if their old one is holding up? Have you replaced a three-ring binder in the middle of the school year that is still in good shape? Don't replace something that doesn't need replacing. Shoes are almost a definite - kids grow out of those - but if your kids got clothes for Christmas, the chances are pretty good that some of them still fit. Go through your child's closet/dresser and assess what they really have. Most wardrobes don't need a full overhaul; a few select items that work with existing pieces works just find.

Do you have any other tips? Share in the comments!

Brave: A Movie Review

http://disney.go.com/brave/

Yesterday, I got the chance to go see Brave, the newest movie from Disney Pixar, with my daughter's Girl Scout troop. The synopsis of the movie is very similar to most other modern-day Disney movies which feature a female main character: a princess who goes against the grain of what she is supposed to do and instead, does what she wants, only to realize the consequences of her actions. Merida's fate is to marry a first born son from one of the three surrounding tribes in order to keep peace among them. Her pickings are slim, at best.

So, she does what any hard-headed princess would do: she declares that she will win her own hand in marriage. (Yes, it confused her family and the surrounding tribes, too). And then she runs away. The sprites lead her to the cottage of an old wood carver and Merida, soon finds out she's a witch. She asks for a spell to change her mother. The witch warns her to be careful what she wishes for and soon, Merida regrets her wish.

Brave is more than just a movie about a rebellious teenager. This time around, I think Disney Pixar really got to the root of mother-daughter relationships and how incredibly fragile they can be. Merida wants to be heard; her mother wants Merida to realize that what she is doing for her is for - or what her mom perceives as - her own good. A classic mother/daughter struggle.

The movie had an incredibly slow start, in my opinion. I didn't really get "hooked" until after Merida storms off after the archery competition. From that point on, however, the movie not only picks up but really pulls you in.

Brave is a heart-warming story that reminds us that while we might change our fate, family remains the same; unwavering and steadfast in all of live's perilous adventures.

 

Handle with Care: A Book Review

http://www.jodipicoult.com

From Picoult's website:

Synopsis:

When Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated – she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain.

As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow’s medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has found an answer. If she files a wrongful birth lawsuit against her ob/gyn for not telling her in advance that her child would be born severely disabled, the monetary payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to get up in a court of law and say in public that she would have terminated the pregnancy if she’d known about the disability in advance – words that her husband can’t abide, that Willow will hear, and that Charlotte cannot reconcile. And the ob/gyn she’s suing isn’t just her physician – it’s her best friend.

Each character in the book tells his or her version of the story to Willow. This format is nothing new to Picoult as she did something very similar in My Sister's Keeper. In fact, those who are familiar with Picoult's books know that this story does not have a happy ending; her stories never do. (Note: Picoult's book, My Sister's Keeper, is vastly different from the movie, starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin.)

The book challenges me as a reader, a special education educator and as a Christian. Centered around the lawsuit is the question: How disabled is too disabled? In fact, Charlotte's lawyer brings up a question that is undoubtedly on most pro-lifer's minds:

"And it's a slippery slope - if an OB decides a kid with brittle bones shouldn't be born, what's next? A prenatal test for low IQ, so you can scrap the fetus that won't grow up and get into Harvard?" (page 53)

However, on the other side of the coin, Picoult addresses the physical, emotional and even financial implications of extreme disabilities:

"Your first seven breaks happened before you entered this world. The next four happened minutes after you were born, as a nurse lifted you out of me. Another nine, when you were being resuscitated in the hospital, after you coded. The tenth: when you were lying across my lap and suddenly I heard a pop. Eleven was when you rolled over and your arm hit the edge of the crib. Twelve and thirteen were femur fractures; fourteen a tibia; fifteen a compression fracture of the spine. Sixteen was jumping down from a stoop; seventeen was a kid crashing into you on the playground; eighteen was when you slipped on a DVD jacket lying on the carpet. We still don't know what number nineteen. Twenty was when Amelia was jumping on a bed where you were sitting; twenty one was a soccer ball that hit your leg too hard; twenty-two was when I discovered water[proof casting materials and bought enough to supply and entire hospital, now stocked in my garage. Twenty-three happened in your sleep; twenty-four and twenty-five were a fall forward in the snow that snapped both forearms at once. Twenty-six and twenty-seven were nasty fractures, fibula and tibia tenting through the skin at a nursery school Halloween party, where ironically, you were wearing a mummy's costume whose bandages I used to splint the breaks. Twenty-eight happened during a sneeze; twenty-nine and thirty were ribs you broke on the edge of the kitchen table. Thirty-one was a hip fracture that required a metal plate and six screws. I stopped keeping track after that, until the ones from Disney World, which we had not numbered but instead named Mickey, Donald, and Goofy." (page 105)

If you're looking for answers, this book will not provide it. Instead, it will give you a million more questions to consider. I get very wrapped up in books to the point of rooting for a character or absolutely despising them. I think Picoult is brave for writing her characters in such a way that you can hate them (or love them) in one chapter and feel the reverse in the next. Charlotte is this type of character for me. I'm sure it's not a coincidence that the character I struggled the most with emotionally was the mother.

One thing I did notice in Handle With Care, was that it was very similar to My Sister's Keeper. The characters "felt" the same. Both moms were overbearing to a fault, the dads were trying to be the "good guys", and the siblings got lost in the shuffle and exhibited self-destructive behavior. Because of this, I knew that the ending wasn't going to be happy and it wasn't.


Picoult is to books what M. Knight Shyamalan is to movies; all of her books have huge plot twists - none of them particularly happy. In fact, I've found, that most of her books leave me feeling frustrated. "Can she write a happy ending just once?"

No. Because that's not the kind of writer she is and I think that is part of her charm. People pick up her reads to be challenged and I think part of the reason why Picoult never sums up her books with a "buttoned up and beautiful" mentality is because that's not real life. Storybook fairy tales do not exist. Yes, there are magical moments to be gleaned from the every day, but there is no palace, princesses, and knight in shining armor.

As always, I would recommend Picoult's books. In face, I'm heading to the library this morning to pick up another. I'm a glutton for punishment.




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God is watering His flowers

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When the kids were little, I would tell them that when it was raining,  God was watering His flowers. God has been watering His flowers a lot lately down here in Southern Georgia! I don't think a day has gone by over the past week where it hasn't rain at least somewhat.

Oh, the rain is fine by me. Aside from Girl Scout activities and various doctors appointments, I don't have a whole lot going on right now. I've been catching up on the house cleaning as well as some long-overdue Netflix movies. The kids, however, are a different story. They have had to get creative with their time since TMB and I have limited their screen time. But they are managing just fine being the resilient children I know they are.

The rain can be a damper (pun intended) when you're starting a new exercise. Taking walks around the neighborhood is a you-against-nature adventure as you brave fierce summer storms. Running will only get you wetter. (Really, Mythbusters proved it!) There's always the gym. Just hop in the car, drive down the street where treadmills, step climbers, various machines, and free weights await.

Of course, if you're a little low on funds, you have to get creative.

You can always create your own exercise routine: sit ups, push ups, squats, and jumping jacks. This is free and uses your own body weight: win/win. But, what if you can't do a sit up or push up? What if squats and jumping jacks really hurt (and not the PE-in-high-school hurt where you would try anything to get out of running that mile)? We can't all be Sherman Klump.

Thanks to a friend of mine, I discovered Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home program. She is a bit of a mix between Richard Simmons and Tamilee Webb from Buns of Steel. Leslie's Home walking program involves just four basic moves and her workouts range from a beginner's one-mile workout to an advanced 5-mile workout. The 3 Mile Power Walk that I'm currently working through includes hand weights for a brief upper body workout.

This workout is perfect for someone who is a beginner or who has the aforementioned knee problems. Or for someone who might be stuck at home by choice or by chance. I also like Leslie's DVDs because they are easily customizable. After completing a 3 mile walk, I could easily go back and add another mile or two (or three!) I'm a long way from a six mile workout - but it's there if I want it. I also recently discovered that Leslie has audio (tapes, cds, and mp3s) workouts so that when I'm ready, I can take a walk outside.

These walking workouts might not be for everyone. But Leslie Sansone does for people who want to lose weight and get fit today, what Richard Simmons did for people back in the 80s - she gets people moving. There aren't any complicated steps to learn or memorize. I have no rhythm. None. I can't dance. Not at all. But I can do a Leslie workout. And every day gets a little easier.

One day, I hope to get to moving outside. But until it dries up and cools off a little bit, I'll be walking in my living room, working up a sweat.

Tomorrow, I will share what I'm eating in my quest to get healthier.




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Summertime

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hello blog world!

It is good to come back to the blog - it kind of feels like home. I haven't had much of a chance to come and write, although I've had a lot of really great ideas. Not suprisingly, most of those great ideas have gone out of my mind. I need to devise a system where I can make note of my great ideas and use them later when I think, "I really need to update my blog, but I don't know what to write." I wonder if there's an app for that?

We are in full-blown summer mode here at the Turtle Dwelling. The Man Beast still goes to work every day (and makes sure I'm up before he does - thanks for that, honey). Getting up earlier allows me some quiet time to get things done. Which on good days, means getting a head start on the laundry while drinking a cup of coffee. I tend to the kids up between 9 and 10 and then we start our day of lollygagging around the house. Chores get done but that's about it. TMB and I have recently set limits on screen time for the kids. Baby Girl is doing a fabulous job with it (I've really noticed a change in her temperament) and she even told me yesterday, "It feels like I've been in front of the screen for hours even though I was only online for a few minutes checking out the Dum Dum website!" The Boy seems to be having a tougher time with it; probably because his whole world exists online. The good news is when the kids are away from the screens, they are so much more creative. Baby Girl is all about the Legos® at the moment. The Boy is a fantastic drawer and given the option, will draw for hours (when the lure of the screen isn't present, that is).

Big news professionally - I begin student teaching in August! I cannot believe I am so close. I am in my next to last class and will be taking a glorious 2 week break until my last class before I begin student teaching. I'm not sure what I'm most excited about: student teaching, having only two classes to go, or graduating. Four years ago, I thought this day would never come and here it is! The only sadness I have is that I won't be able to walk across the stage in Phoenix (unless anyone wants to sponsor my family and I go to!) In the end, however, I suppose a college degree (!!) is only a piece of paper; one which no doubt stay in a box up in the closet with my high school diploma. However, it is a huge achievement for me and only 12 years past due! But hey, better late than never, right?

Health news - not so big. I've been reading about the dangers of sugar and the effects wheat has on the body (hint: inflammatory properties). It all started while watching Tom Naughton's Fat Head video on Netflix. Later, I read Wheat Belly (at Tom's recommendation). Then, the ball just kept rolling from there. I also had some fabulous input from a friend who knows her stuff when it comes to how foods heal (and hurt) the body. Two weeks ago (after we came back from our Girl Scout cruise), I decided that Monday, August 28th was my starting day. I have since cut out breads, pastas, cereals, and rice as well as sugar. I've lost 8 lbs so far, which feels fantastic. However, I've lost inches which feels even more fantastic!

Because I've cut out the added junk, the family has, too. As a result, the kids are eating healthier. It makes me proud when I see my kids eating healthy, real food as opposed to processed junk. I'm working with Baby Girl about serving sizes and portion control.

My next step, is learning about which supplements the kids should be taking in order for them to be at their peak, particularly Baby Girl who has recently been diagnosed as being on the Spectrum.

Hoping to update everyone on a regular basis (we're talking daily, here - there will be plenty going on later in the summer!)

Until next time,


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Plan to Save

Looking through my drafts, this was a blog post I wrote back in 2009 but never published. Funny how in just three short years, things have stayed remarkably the same.

Okay, so the economy looks pretty darned bleak. Providing you haven't lost your job (and even if you have), you're still feeling a bit of a pinch - even if you do have all of your ducks in a row financially. Everyone (no matter how much they have in their bank accounts) have had to make a few adjustments. I think those of us who tend to live paycheck to paycheck have to make the most tweaks.

Do an Internet search for frugal blogs and you will find a lot of good advice. (Be sure to sneak a peek at my blog roll to find a few of my favorites). But here is my tidbit:

STAY OUT OF THE STORE!

I realize this sounds very...strange. But the fact is, if you plan all of your purchases, you will save money. And Rule # 1 of saving money is don't spend any!

A couple of months ago, I started taking my own advice. I would only go grocery shopping once a week (it used to be every two weeks until The Man Beast switched jobs and started getting paid weekly). Once a week. That's it. Lately, I've been grocery shopping on Saturday afternoons. I do a full week's worth of shopping - usually at one store, sometimes at more than one if the deals are really sweet (lately, they really haven't been).

What if you forget something? What if you run out of something?

If I forget something - of course I go back out. But since I've been shopping by a list and keeping to the list, I rarely forget something - unless it didn't make it to the list in the first place. If it's something that's imperative to a meal, I'll see if a substitution can be made. If it can, I'll use it. If it cannot, I'll have to go out and get the missing item.

However, if the missing item is something 'extra' that isn't necessary for any of the meals that are planned for that week, we go without. We also go without if we run out of something.

I'll give you an example. I have a dish washer - two actually, if you count The Boy. The Boy and I share kitchen duty. (Lately, he's been doing all kitchen duty in an effort to raise spending money for his trip to Orlando with his class in May). Since The Boy spends the most time cleaning the kitchen, it's his responsibility to tell me if we run out of something.

Last week, The Boy forgot to tell me we were running low on dish washer detergent; halfway through the week he ran out. He told me, but I didn't do anything about it. I told him that I was only going to the store once a week and I meant it. For the rest of the week, he was 'forced' to do the dishes by hand. He's still alive and even brushed up on his dish washing skills in the process.

I plan my other purchases, too.

We have a local store that gives discounts to members under the age of 49 on Fridays. The kids are going to need a few things for Spring - shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. I could go out and buy them right now. Instead, I'm choosing to wait until Fridays to go and look around. If I stack a sweet sale on top of my 20% discount, I'll save a good chunk of change. However, if I were to go out right now and go to the nearest store to buy these items, I might not save as much as I could have.

Why? Because convenience costs money.

I am convinced the reason we reach for convenience - stores, foods, etc - is because we fail to take that little bit of time to plan.

Believe me, I've had really great weeks when I have some cash left in the checking account after I've taken the time to plan. I've also had weeks where I haven't planned as well as I should have and I end up scraping the bottom of the barrel by the time The Man Beast gets paid again.

I urge you all - plan, plan, plan! I certainly don't claim to have it all together (most of my blog roll peeps have it together. This is why I am soo not perfect).

Tomorrow, I'll share some of the tools I use to plan and manage my money.

Until next time...

I need to put the shelf-clearers on speed dial

I'd like to start out by saying that yes, I am a tad bit bitter about my shopping trip on Saturday. I think I have every right to be. But ultimately, I'm going to put on my big girl panties and deal with it because that's what I do. (After all, I'm raising a teen and a soon-to-be pre-teen. I have to set a good example for them and teach them the right way to act as an adult. Never mind that I really wanted to pitch a fit in the middle of the floor, kick and scream until I got my way.)

Saturday, I went coupon shopping. I haven't been coupon shopping in quite a while and decided that Saturday was going to be the day I did it. (Let me first back up and say that I went to the Piggly Wiggly on Friday night to grab a few deals. .99/lb tomatoes? Yes, please!)

With gas prices creeping up toward $4/gal, I figured I'd make a giant circle in my shopping exersion in town. First, I hit Wal-Mart. Then, I would hit Harvey's.

The Man Beast and I are getting back into the swing of things as far as coupon shopping goes. He read online where you should put a "price" on your time. He and I figured $10/hr. I spent about an hour going through the sales/coupon match ups (SouthernSavers.com and Coupon-Wizards are my two favorites). So, I figure I need to say at least $10 this shopping trip (plus the slight amount of gas I will use).

So, I head to Wal-Mart. I want to get the free Reach floss and Hydro Silk razors. I don't because I can't. They are all gone. Local extreme couponers have hit again. And if this weren't enough, I drop all my coupons in the middle of the isle. (Luckily, I brought only the coupons I was going to use for that trip in that store, but still, it was about 20 coupons. Completely embarassing.)

This is what I end up getting at Wal-Mart. (My savings weren't as high as they could have been because I stopped by the dollar bin to pick up a few Easter items for Baby Girl.)

My non-food before-coupon-total: $34.98
My non-food after-coupon-total: $26.58
My best buy - Up2U gum: $0.28

My food before-coupon-total: $33.32
My food after-coupon-total: $24.57
My best buy - Panko bread crumbs: $0.82

Total savings: $17.15

Next, it was on to Harvey's. It was a real quick trip.

My before-coupon-total: $47.68
My after-coupon-total: $27.25
My best buy - Dunkin Hines cake mix: $0.30

Total savings: $20.43

Total for both trips (before discounts and coupons): $115.98
Total out of pocket: $78.40
Total Savings: $37.58

So, I made the $10 for my time, plus an additional $27. Was it a great trip? No, not by any means. But it was saving something. It is a step in the right direction.

A few thoughts on my version of couponing:

• I won't go out of my way to "chase" a good deal. Even I know that great deals come around about every 12 weeks.
• I won't buy obscene amounts of mustard a la Extreme Couponing.
• I will buy four items (to go with my four coupons) and that is it. (If I have a BOGO coupon, that total goes up to 8 - not 200).
• I won't buy Depends just because they're free. I don't need them. One could argue that I could donate them. True. But I'll leave that little tasks to the extreme couponers (which I hope are not hoarding). I'm realistic to know that I rarely run errands outside of the ones I absolutely have to run.
• I am not the least bit organized. I adopted the whole-insert idea (see statement about the "price" of my time).
• This is how my brain works: If I buy shampoo at $2 each after my coupon and receive a Catalina, Register Reward, Extra Care Bucks, or Up Points worth $2, it does not make my shampoo free - I still paid $2 OOP (out-of-pocket). It is for this reason that I find a lot of couponing sites very annoying. OOP spending is OOP spending. It is money that cannot go toward a bill, savings, or haircuts.
• This said - my favorite coupon sites are: Coupon Mom, Southern Savers, and Coupon Wizards. Check 'em out!

Note: I was *not* compensated for this post in any way, shape or form. I'm simply sharing some linky love.