I think it's important to have a balanced life, yet I have never been good at doing that. I get side tracked and addicted to a certain thing and I only want to do that and that thing only. After a few months the desire starts to fade, and at the same time something new and exciting catches my attention and pulls me in a different direction. So where once there was a deep passion and love for something, a few months later it becomes dormant and layered with dust.
This morning I have come to shake the dust off of my blog and let it shine once again.
It's quite ironic that a few years ago I would spend hours and hours (...did I mention HOURS?) on Blogger/Facebook; whether it was on my own blog; writing and posting dozens of posts, or on a friend's blog, reading about them, leaving a mass array of comments and browsing through endless pictures of them, their families and extended families. The center of my thoughts during the day and sometimes waking up at night were spent wondering if so and so got my comment, if I had gotten a comment or if another fantastic blog was updated so that I could read it, look at pictures, and leave a comment! I wouldn't have been able to take myself away from the blogging world back then even if I was on my death bed. Or so it seemed.
Now this makes me chuckle to myself and maybe even a little embarrassed by the fact.
How in the world did I ever HAVE time or FIND time for all that!? It's exhausting just thinking about it.
Want to know my latest passion? Of course this one is different. I swear! I am balancing it better, or so I think. :)
Know why it's addicting??
Because I spent less than $15 for all this:
2 razors
2toothbrushes
2 boxes of crest toothpaste
FREE Air wick
1 protein bar
3 Pringles
Bounty paper towels
Studio leave-in conditioner
Infusion Conditioner
Dove body wash
2 cans of mushrooms
2 comets
1 big container of raisins
2 rolls of toilet paper
The first two weeks I seriously got into coupon-ing I would have spent about $425 on groceries, products and miscellaneous stuff, for our family but only paid approximately $230 instead. I didn't take a picture of it all but it was so cool to see the savings after all the coupons I used. I am not great at it yet, but it's only been a few weeks and each week I am learning more and more. I have learned small transactions are better and save you more. Like for instance, the other day I got all this...
For 10 dollars! The markers alone were $9.99 but I got them for $1.04. The toothpaste I got for a quarter each and the shampoo and conditioner they paid me 24 cents to take it from them. Umm, thanks!
The other day my husband startled me with an outburst of laughter as I was in the middle of eagerly telling him I needed to send some coupons to my mom as the coupons can only be used in Idaho and they were for a $1 off any kind of cheese!
Why the sudden outburst of laughter from my dear husband, you ask?
Well, when we were first married my mom would send me coupons in the mail at least once a month. And Ryan and I chuckled about it all the time. How cute my mom is for sending us coupons that we won't really use. BUT now I see the value of a coupon and I have to say, sorry Mom. You were right! I sure she loves hearing those words. :) (My mom is always right. Does that mean I will always be right someday to my kids?? There's hope at least.) And to think about all that "money" I was throwing away!
I am very excited about couponing, and feel completely opposite about it now then I used to be. In high school I was completely embarrassed by it. In fact, I would duck when my mom would pull out her 7 inch stack of coupons at the register and then debated with the cashier whether or not something rang up right-! So embarrassing right?
Not anymore!
Now I am loving the savings and I am getting some positive attention from it too, which is hilarious to me!
Another quick story: At target last week I had a mother and two of her daughters stop and watch me and the cashier as he scanned each one of my 50+ coupons and the price plummet from the 3 digits to 2 digits. Awesome.
When the final price appeared this sweet mother and her daughter cheered for me! How cool is that?!
Now you tell me how that is not addicting!? Saving money, building a stock pile of things for your family for cheap and getting cheered for it!
All in a days work. (Sorry honey, but I have found a new love....
Just kidding, nothing can replace my husband!)
I am hoping this new found addiction stays with me forever, yet in a balanced way. I know I have a weakness for letting things take over my life for awhile...like blogging did a few short years ago. Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. And so I am making a goal for myself to keep me balanced. Here are a few: to blog a once or twice a week, to exercise 3 times a week at least, to read a book or two a month, to get my sharing time done early for Primary, to take my kids to the park and swimming and read books to them more. To spend less time cleaning and more time playing and saving! To not let ONE thing take over everything else.
"The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man." Euripides
2 comments:
Your a better person then I am. . .I gave up on the couponing. . .I just don't think i am doing it right. . .Good luck in your adventure, sounds like your already make strides!!
I really want to learn to coupon. I like you though, don't want it to take up a lot of my time. I can't believe the time some of the people on "Extreme Couponing" spend on it. That to me isn't worth it. But what you are doing sounds good!
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