Bed Pillows for Couch Pillows Say What?!?!?

Since me and Ryan are moving on a SERIOUS budget we are taking my moms old couch until we can do better. Its a comfy couch but its in some serious need of some TLC. So thats what i plan do to im going to clean it up, febreeze it and throw a couch cover over it, add some decorative pillows and call it done. Its a cheap and simple way to make something old look new!

Now onto the title of my post. As most of you know i work at Sears in the mall and as a cashier i work in all different departments but this week Ive been in home fashions only. Which this is dangerous for me since im moving and need to stay on budget but im resisting temptation pretty well until i seen the most adorable bed pillows on clearance for $4.99 each plus an additional 40% off on top of my discount! I couldn't resist, ok well maybe i could of so i put them on hold and looked at them for my entire shift wondering if bed pillows could be used as couch throw pillows. 

The answer to my question is YES! If you really think about it why do some pillows just have to be for one or the other? Its not like someone is going to come over to your house and look at them and say "oh aren't those suppose to be used for bedding?" If they do they must really be picky. I could understand if you had the matching bedspread in your room but if you find a good deal on them like i did especially on clearance most of the time there are only bits and pieces of the bed set left or like in my case there were only three of the pillows left. 

(I'm going to bring out the dark brown in them by doing a dark brown couch cover (pictured above) since these are mostly light brown.)

After much deliberation, and looking at them all day i finally decided to get them..... until i got back to the register after my lunch to discover they were GONE! i totally freaked out and went into panic mode (a little over dramatic i know) when all of a sudden one of my sweet co workers Emma came walking up behind me holding a big gift bag. I asked her what that was and she said a housewarming gift for you and ryan for when you move and when i opened it there were my pillows. I dont think i have ever had a job that I have connected with so many people and made so many friendships but its the little things in life that matter most. So if you want to use couch pillows as bed pillows or vise versa do it! You only live once why not enjoy the small but odd things in life? 

Target Shopping Trip 5/23/11

I was going to get these items sunday but i got side tracked with other things and totally forgot about them so here are the rest of my target deals for the week:

The Breakdown:

3 pack Magnum Ice Cream Bars (amazing btw!)- $3.29

$1.00 off manufacturer coupon

$1.00 off Target Printable

$1.29 after coupons

Breyers Ice Cream- $2.99 each

$1.00/1 manufacturer coupon 

$1.50/2 target printable

$3.48 for both after coupons

Up & Up Nails Polish Remover- $0.97

$0.50 off Up & Up Beauty Care Item

$0.47 after coupon

Up & Up Ibuprofen- $1.09

$1.00 any Up & Up Pain Relieve

$0.09 after coupon

I spent $5.50 out of pocket and SAVED $8.40!

Dont You Just Love When You SAVE more than you Spend?

Please Note- Last time i went they only had two of the nail polish remover so i only took one and they were sold out of the up and up brand ibuprofen so i had to come back today and get some. I advise people to be courteous to other shoppers and please dont wipe out a good deal just because its a hot item.

Getting To Know You Sundays

I came across this while reading a new blog i discovered Lariats & Lavender and thought it would be neat to take part in some of these little things bloggers do. You can link up here and share with everyone else to. 

1. what's your favorite rainy day activity? 

Lay on the couch with the pup (when ryans not home) and watch t.v/movies or if im in the mood ill bake or cook something. On rare occasions ill dip into "for a rainy day" fund and do a little bit of shopping but whats all the fun if you use it all at one time?

2. what time do you go to bed? 

It really just depends and can range from 10pm to 1am depending on how early i got up what i did and etc.

3. how many magazines do you subscribe to? 

1 Family Circle because i got a 1 year subscription for $4.99!

4. did you sell all your belongings because you thought the world was ending yesterday? 

No i didn't. I dont believe when people say the end of the world is coming. Reality check no one knows!

5. what's your beauty obsession? 

My TIGI Peace Love & Planet Leave in Conditioner!

6. if you could only wear one designer/brand for the rest of your life...what would it be? 

american eagle jeans....they fit perfect and are soooo comfy!

7. what's your summer must have?

Flip Flops, Sandals, Tank Tops, Shorts, Summer Dresses, BBQ, a Pool and fun Get Togethers

8. do you make weekly dinner menus? 

I try to but with Ryan hardly being home i dont really stick with it since its only me.

My Two New Favorite Things!

I'm always finding neat little nick knacks and etc working retail since i deal with a lot of women customers on a day to day basis. You will be surprised how much i see and some of it i just want to forget sometimes HA! Some days just feels like that post about "People Of Walmart" yeah that sums it up. But there is a good side you find small but useful things that make your day to day life a lot easier. In my last post i talked about my purses.... if you know me you know i love my big over sized purses but i hate not ever being able to find my keys! It drives me crazy because they always fall straight to the bottom and everything covers them up. Does anyone else have this problem or i am the only one? Well ladies i have finally fount the solution to it when i had a lady with 5 children come through my line and she had a "key hook" you clip your keys to it and then hang it on the inside of your bag so you can easily find your keys and no more looking through your purse forever trying to find them! I did some digging and i fount some of the cutest ones on amazon and some on ebay (but with my amazon gift cards from surveys and stuff i prefer amazon). This is the adorable cutie on its way to me now fount here.

My Newest Favorite Thing is bath and body works new Coconut & Mango Scent!

I was in there for my free gift (when they had the bbw club card) and they said you get one hand sanitizer, one of the new coconut & something lotion and a 2 oz candle and thats when i discovered it and i fell in love! I can't wait for the shower gel and body wash to come out it smells amazing!

(sorry about the bad pictures these were all taken with my phone)

Confessions Of A Purse & Wallet Fanatic

I'm going to come clean on this one im a total purse and wallet fanatic especially if its something you dont see a lot of because its so different. Did i mention that there is an adorable "purse boutique" at the mall i work at that sells the most adorable stuff? I just recently went back in there just to look because he used to be so high priced i stayed away, but one of the bags he had caught my eye so i decided to go in and check it out and thats when i fount this pretty little thing that i feel in love with instantly and for only $19.99 i couldn't help it.

Also i was able to score an adorable over sized (Ryan calls it a duffel bag lol) purse at a small shoe store called Traffic for only $25! I never thought that i would like small purse/shoe shops for things like this but they have some amazing deals and really cute stuff! Traffic always has sales on their shoes that you can't find anywhere else and there purses are amazing!

My favorite thing about this purse is its versitle. You can use it like i am with just the two shoulder straps or you can add the longer strap and use it as a cross body bag! either way is totally cute and its big enough to hold everything you need plus some.

Do you have any favorite places you buy your purses and wallets from? 

My Target Shopping Trip 5/22/11

I must say i use to always steer clear of target because i always thought they were to "high priced" until i came into the coupon/bargain finding world and now its one of my favorite spots to shop! This week i didn't get to many deals because right now im not in need of any food until we move but for now this is what i was able to pick up:

On this shopping trip i SAVED more than i spent. I couldn't believe it when she told me until i looked at my receipt but i saved $9.05 and only spent around $6.00! I would of only spent around $5.00 until she asked me if i was using a reusable shopping bag and that i could save $0.05 every time i shopped so i spent the $1.00 and got one. Here's the breakdown of what i bought:

Up & Up Nail Polish Remover $0.97
Used $0.50 off Up & Up Beauty Care Item (target printable)
$0.47 after coupon

Bic Soleil 3 Pack Razors $4.49
Used $3.00 off coupon from insert
$1.49 after coupon

Up & Up Brand Peroxide $0.52
Used $0.50 off any Up & Up First Aid Item
$0.02 after coupon

Not Pictured but i also scooped up a navy blue cami regularly $8.00 on sale for $6.00
Used $3.00 off MS apparel item
$3.00 after coupon

Did you find any good deals at target lately?

Summer Time Is Here Finally!

Summer has finally hit here and its time to break our the capris, shorts, tank tops and my favorite sandals and flip flops! I didn't normally wear sandals until this year i seen some of the new styles coming out that i fell in love with and so thats what started my sandal addiction. Dont get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the old fashion old navy flip flops (which i totally <3) but something about sandals just dresses and outfit up some. Ive posted a couple of pictures of my recently bought ones from target and i must say i am in love :)

Are there any certain styles you like?

Packing. My Enemy!

Time is winding down as me and R come closer to moving out and im finding that packing is my enemy! We are "scheduled" to move in next weekend and its already Wednesday here and i have not done any packing what so ever. I can probably sit here and give you guys a million excuses on why i haven't started but let me be honest with you i DISLIKE packing with a passion, unpacking is the easy part if you ask me. Im thinking about taking this time (packing) to organize a little better and weed out the things i want to keep and the things i want to give away, trash and etc. I know it probably sounds like im packing up an entire house but its only 1 single bedroom. Either i have a lot of stuff or im making this whole thing bigger than it really is lol :)

Does anyone have any packing, unpacking or moving tips?

& i promise to post before and after pictures of the packing.

My Amazon Deal 5/16/11

Another item for the apartment has been purchased and it didn't cost me anything out of pocket. I finally used the amazon gift cards i had been saving for a rainy day to buy our food storage containers. Its pretty easy to get amazon gift cards by doing surveys through Opinion Outpost. It takes a little while for the surveys to come in but once you get going at it you can earn some extra income. In 6 months i earned over $100 in amazon gift cards. another way to earn them is by using swagbucks as your default search engine and using the swagbucks to buy amazon gift cards.

Did i mention that you can get a FREE 1 month trial of amazon prime? Its normally $79 a year and it gives you unlimited 2 day shipping on select items and $3.99 1 day shipping on select items as well. I signed up for the free trial and got free two day shipping so my storage containers should be here in no time! Have i said how much i love getting deals like this? Ive nearly bought everything for this apartment out of "free money" aka gift cards :)

Target Shopping Trip 5/16/11

Here are some of the amazing and red hot deals target has this week. I just seen The Krazy Coupon Lady post them and i printed clipped and ran to target to get these before they were all gone! All together i paid a little over $5 out of pocket for everything and here is the breakdown for you:

Up & Up Dryer Sheets 40 ct $1.37

Use $0.50/1  Target coupon

Final Price- $0.87

Up & Up Ibuprofen (24 count) - $0.99

Up & Up Ibuprofen (24 ct) – $0.99

Use $1/1 Target printable

$FREE after coupon

Up & Up Hydrogen Peroxide

$0.50/1 – Up & Up First Aid Item – (target.com)

$0.02 after coupon

KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce (18 oz) – $1.42

Use $1.00/1 coupon from the 5/15 SmartSource insert

$0.42 after coupon

Up & Up Overnight Pads (28 ct) – $3.34

Use $0.75/1 Target printable

$2.59 after coupon

Moving On A Budget Part 1

Everyone knows moving can be expensive just from the "move in cost" such as deposits, pet deposits and of course your first months rent. Me and R have all of these but luckily we scored a deal where we get 2 weeks off first months rent which practically cut our rent in half! Aside from all that there are still things you have to have such a dishes, cookware and etc. If you really add it all up without doing your research it can get very costly. So far me and R have:

-Dishes

-Cooking Utensils

-Measuring Cups

-Silverware 

-Silverware Tray

-Knifes

-Toaster

-Hand Mixer

-Coffee Maker

-Paper Towel Holder

Adding it all up i got all of this for around $60 opc (out of pocket cost) Wanna know how i did it? Heres how!

The dishes (not pictured yet) i was able to scoop up at a thrift store for $14 and it was a complete set, 4 plates, 4 small plates, 4 bowls and 6 coffee cups. Not bad for stoneware dishes that normally cost about $40 at least. I had the silverware and a spare set of dishes from when i lived with a friend so that saved us some money. My best advice if someone says oh i have some stuff you can have take it! thats how we are furnishing our apartment and its all in really good condition!

Now for my Target Shopping Trip!

All of these you see pictured here cost me around $3 out of pocket(everything is rounded up or down)

Chefmate is targets brand of small kitchen appliances but my mom and grandma have been using them for years because of the prices and they are fantastic!

Chefmate Toaster- $6.00

Chefmate Hand Mixer $6.00

Steak Knife Set- $5.00

Kitchen Knife Set- $4.00

Paper Towel Holder $3.00

2 Slotted Spoons $2.00 ($1.00 each)

Silverware Tray $3.00

Chefmate Coffee Maker $10.00

Total After Tax Is $39.00

Out of Pocket Cost $3.00

Gift Cards $37.00

How did i get all this for $3.00 out of pocket cost with gift cards is the gift cards were free! 

I had gotten a thing in the mail from target with a coupon on the back that said start a registry with 10 items or more and get a FREE $20.00 gift card. Of course i thought this is to good to be true but i took it up there and they said it was valid so i started me and R a housewarming registry and got the gift card. 

While i was up there i had another coupon transfer or get a new prescription at the target pharmacy get a FREE $10 gift card, so i transfered my prescription and got the gift card!

For my final gift card its a promotion currently going, if you buy 2 Gillette fusion razors or refills get a $5.00 gift card. Luckily i had my coupons with me and i had (2) $4.00 off coupons for those spent $10 out of pocket and got the $5.00 gift card which now i had $35 in gift cards to spend however i wanted.

So i decided to spend it on stuff for our new home and i had $2.00 left on a gift card from a previous buy X amount get a free X amount gift card that i used to and thats how i only paid $3.00 out of pocket for everything pictured above!

Now on to one of my other favorite retail stores...... Kohl's!

I will be the first to say that its a hit and miss with Kohl's sometimes they have amazing deals and sometimes they are just luke warm. My favorite thing about them is when you get those $10 gift cards in the mail.

I use those all the time, Ive bought numerous purses, wallets and now kitchen stuff for less than $10 every time

This weeks Kohl's deal for me is my "Pink" Kitchen Aid  Measuring Cups

Regular Price- $13.99

Sale Price-$12.59

Gift Card Amount- $10.00

Out of Pocket Cost- $2.75 after taxes

I saved $11.40!

My last stop for the day was one of my other favorite places....The Dollar Store

Yes the one where everything is a dollar.

 I dont know how some of you guys stores are but mine is good quality and when i dont have a good stock pile i use this for things like sandwich bags aluminum foil and etc.

I was able to get everything pictured about for $5.30 after taxes 

Porcelain Toothbrush Holder $1.00

Ice Cream Scoop $1.00

Spatchula $1.00

Can Opener $1.00

6 pc Coasters $1.00

Ive learned that you dont always have to have the name brands to have the best with some of the small stuff and just because its cheap means its bad quality. I'm always seeking good deals and doing my research before i make any purchases to keep from over spending on things that i really shouldn't. This concludes my Moving On A Budget Part 1. Check back soon for Part 2!

Big News!!!!

WE'RE MOVING!!!!!

Yes thats right we got the apartment! We still have a little bit more to save up but we are looking to move in June 3rd! Im so excited because we have waited so long for this and its finally happening!

Ive already planned out how to buy and save on the stuff we need to you will be seeing a post on that coming soon! ill post as we go along with the moving process any tips and advice is great!

i swear this will be my attire the day of the move :)

and the apartment will probably look like this for a few days

Wish Us Luck Guys!

Back To Basics Plus Free Stuff!

Its been a long time since ive done a post on coupons, free samples and etc. As a matter of fact its been a while since i posted on here at all. Since me and ryan are now both working and have two vehicles we can now officially move out. We are looking at this one apartment this weekend and hopefully we can get it. With that being said its time to go back to the basics of saving money and that calls for coupons! Yes i am one of those crazy people who has a coupon binder but i dont carry mine to the store, thats what my small expandable file is for :)

My coupon binder is pretty simple since im a total newbie to all this but it keeps me organized and keeps things less messy. I just used a simple 3 ring binder, page dividers with pockets and page/baseball card protectors. It keeps things organized and simple.

Another thing i noticed ive been accumulating a lot of is those reward cards for stores. Most of them will save you money or let you earn points you can turn into cash. Ive collected quite a few and im just now learning the great benefits of them. 

I follow a few ladies such as Happy Homemaker Cindy & The Krazy Coupon Lady and i have learned so much from them. They post the deals, coupons, and sales and take the guess work out of it all for you. I would highly recommend any newbies follow their blog it really helps!


Everyone likes getting free stuff right? Well i just recently fount a way to get a free hair cut! Yes thats right i said a free professional hair cut. Since I work in the mall their is this higher end salon called Tony & Guy. I was always curious about them but never really ever went in until one day i was at work and got approached by one of their employees and she asked if i wanted a free hair cut. Now there are limitations like you have to pick one of the styles they have but its totally worth it! You dont have to worry about getting a bad hair cut because they are so precise with it and they are fabulous! I did a couple hair cuts with Kim (we added to the one i had to enhance it) and i fell in love. Needless to say she is my new hair dresser. As a suprise bonus today she gave me a $40 Toni & Guy gift card to use for being one of her models :). I also fount out that when the new hires are testing out they go through a training period where they have to do so many free cuts (model nights) and some even do color also. Its defiantly something to look into and worth it if your in the right hands.

Happy Shopping and Bargain Finding Everyone!