seriously?

I was watching an episode of Oprah recently. (I can't believe I just typed that. Oh well.) I am trying to remember what it was about..

Recession proofing you marriage, I think?

Anyway, Dooce was on briefly. I swear she said she makes $40,000 a MONTH from the advertising on her blog. Maybe I misheard, but I'm like 90% sure that's what she said. She went on to say that her husband quit his job, and that her blog is the "family business."

I wish I had a blog that was the family business and we didn't have to worry so much about financial things. I'd be ecstatic if I made $40K a YEAR from a blog, never mind a month.

or not

I emailed someone with a couple of questions I had about the potential job. The email address of mine I used was in gmail. 

If you have a gmail account, you know how you can see the first line or so of the email even before you open it? Well, the response I got started with the word "unfortunately".. so you can figure out the rest of how that went.

I was a little sad, I'll admit. Okay, more than a little. But on the bright side, I'll still get to spend all my days with Daughter. For now anyway. Too bad no one sends me a paycheck for doing that.

money not spent

I have come across some crazy blogs recently where people have committed to only spend $1200 or whatever on groceries (food, toiletries, diapers, etc) for their entire family for the entire year! Seriously. And I mean crazy in a nice way, I think. I say "crazy" because as a general concept it seemed impossible to me.  But once I started reading more and more of the blogs and the endless lists on them of the sales, coupons, and savings.. it actually seems possible. And I'll admit it.. I've gotten a little swept up.

While I'm miles away from committing to any budget, never mind a $1200 or $1500 one, I have started scouring the Sunday flyers for deals and sales.

I found a buy 1 get one free coupon for Kleenex at Walgreens- so I bought two. A couple of days later, I received a register coupon for 50¢ off Target brand tissues (which are normally $1.29 or something). So now there are 3 boxes of tissues in my stockpile.

This week I bought some shampoo at CVS that was on sale for $4.99 and the brand was also promoting a "try it for free" mail in rebate. While I was at CVS I got $25 worth of baby products (diapers and wipes) that were on sale and got $10 back in CVS Extra Care Bucks. But I didn't really spend $25-  I had a $5 off $25 CVS coupon, $4.50 in ECB, $1.50 off diapers coupon, and 50¢ off wipes.. so I actually only spent $13.50 (for 80 size 3 Huggies diapers and 216 Huggies wipes). There was a pretty good deal on iTunes cards too.. if they had had the $5 versions available, but seemed to not- oh well.

I don't know, is CVS crazy? On one of the $1200 budget blogs I came across (midgetmomma), the woman gets such good deals with Extra Care Bucks, coupons, and sales that when she shops she very often gets gift cards back with the difference on them (as well as her bags of products)! Please take this 63 cents and $50 worth of products, have a nice day.. geesh.

At Target on Thursday I had a coupon for 50¢ off a Grande Pike's Place coffee at Starbucks. It wasn't really supposed to be for iced coffee, but the girl was nice enough to hook me up anyway. I also got another pretty good deal.. something like buy two of product X and get a $5 gift card, but then I also had a $1 off 1 manufacturer coupon and a Target coupon for $1 off 2. It was for a product I like, but wouldn't have bought otherwise because it's a little expensive. You gotta be careful of things like that.. you end up spending more money just to save. I guess it usually works out in your favor in the end though.

What a nerd.. I am looking forward to Sunday all week now!

well, it's a job

I had a job interview this week. Well, I actually had two.. at the same place. I was called back for round two.. that's good right?

This is the first interview I've had since Daughter arrived in my life, which makes it 100 times more complicated. At first I was somewhat looking forward to playing"grown-up" for a few hours, but then I realized I didn't actually have any interview clothes that were in the house and not packed in boxes lost forever in the garage. Oops. 

Eventually I managed to put together a fairly decent outfit.. but when they wanted me to come back.. I had to go buy new everything.. and that was so much harder than I thought it would be having to drag Daughter along. Poor thing, but she did pretty well.

Anyway.. the initial sort of excitement started to go away after the first interview. And then it reeally started to go away as I prepared for the second interview and I realized having this job would mean not spending all my time with Daughter. And that started to upset me. 

I thought about spending 40+ hours a week at some office. I thought about driving for 10+ hours a week back and forth to some office. I thought about all the stupid grown-up clothes I would have to wear all week at some office. I thought about how this job was sounding more and more like the job I left a year ago for many reasons, including that I hated it and everyone I had to be around during it. 

I thought about all of that as I walked really really slowly back to my car after the 2nd interview. When I got into my car.. I just sat there for awhile. I thought about all that.. and then how much time I wouldn't be spending with Daughter.. and I was so very very sad.

new bag!

ah! I finally, finally got a new bag. I have been carrying around the same (wintry) bag for like 2 years now. Don't get me wrong, I really really like it, but it is wool.. and that seems a little weird for the spring/summer. I also noticed recently that the bottom corners are starting to wear out a little bit.

Daughter and I went to Target on Friday (after her check-up) to buy her first jars of baby food! And on the way by the bags at the front of the store I saw there were new (Spring?) colors of those canvas Converse bags they rotate around for the last year or so. I have been looking at them for awhile.. every time new colors come out.. I have to look. I almost bought a blue one once, but when I saw the striped one, I had to have it- and now I do. It is a little lighter weight than the ones they have had previously, but I think that's another reason why I like it. Actually, I almost didn't buy.. just because.. I don't know.. that's the way I am. But then I was unsnapping the inside and I looked at what was imprinted on them.. and I took it as a sign. It said "orion" all over them.. my cat's name! He was sending me the "just buy the G**damn bag already mom!" message.

update: coupon contest

Okay, okay.. since the response to the coupon contest has been.. absolutely zero, I am changing it slightly. 

Leave a comment on THIS post (not the one from 3/29) saying something about why you would like the coupons. Anything is fine- like.. you love candles, it's so-and-so's birthday, you like saving money, whatever.. I'm just nosey. And I'll pick one person at random to receive all 4 $3 off coupons (I don't have them in front of me at the moment, but I'm pretty sure they're good for awhile).

Leave a comment by the end of the day on Monday, April 6.

dragging daughter

When I drag Daughter all over the place - in and out of the car/carseat over and over.. I wonder if she hates it or loves it. Somewhere in between or a combo of the two maybe?