I Took a Shot at Couponing and Saved Money Using Apps

I was walking down the freezer aisle at SuperTarjay for our regular weekly grocery shopping and passed this cart parked on the side. Nothing unusual about a parked cart I thought, but what got my attention was this huge, transparent plastic file folder sitting on the cart's "baby carrier" compartment filled with tons of coupons! I immediately looked around to see who this dedicated couponer was, simply to satiate my curiosity. I saw an older couple by the dairy section, flipping through a pile of coupons trying to find the right one for the item they were going to purchase. I was speechless. That's pure smart shopping right there! Ironically, I can't see myself doing coupons that way. I can't keep up with even the few coupons I have. That day, I even forgot all the coupons I meant to bring. Talk about total fail! But there was hope - or savings - to be had in my horizon!

Can You Live A Life Without TV?

From an avid reader:
Dear Maricris,
Is it possible to exist in this day and age without TV? - Marlene, NC

First off, who in this world would elect to NOT have TV in their house? Certainly NOT YOU, right? Well... ME. I know what you're thinking. You must think I'm bunch of crazies! In this generation, NOT having TV is unreal. Unimaginable. Absurd. Well, truth be told, in my house, we're not so crazy about TV. Though giving it up, took a lot of debate. No, we were not aiming to mimic Colin Beavan, the No impact Man or even remotely trying to live off of the grid - that's just too much work and sacrifice involved that we can't afford right now. This one, sort of happened... and you know what's weird? It does feel kind of... good.

ONE CAR CLUB Featured Blogger Tina of Practically Chaotic - Getting by with 1 car!

People usually look at me like I’ve lost my mind when I tell them that our family only has one car. After the blank stare, there’s always a question: Do you and your husband both have a license? Yes, we’re both fully licensed and insured. Are you one of those environmentalist people? No, we’re not. In fact, our last car was a 1993 Suburban that got approximately 12 miles per gallon.

Healthy Living Healthy Savings: Kid's Eat Free!

One of my great pet-peeve is not finding a whole lot - sometimes none- of discount coupons for organic and natural products. And for families who lives a frugal life like mine, it can get frustrating trying to budget everything at times while still living a healthy affordable lifestyle. And when it's free the better! This is the reason, I'm rounding up valuable discount coupons for that purpose. I hope you find them useful:

Family Dinner night: Kids eat free! A healthy treat for the family. Thanks to Earth Fares' conscious effort to help eliminate childhood obesity epidemic.

Healthy Living Healthy Savings: Great deals on Organic products

 My Earth Fare Bounty of the week

Living on organic or natural products doesn't come cheap. I can attest to that! And while couponing is a great money-saving tool, it is not always a luxury offered on most organic products. So when I find a great deal on organic finds, I'm more than happy to share them.

Earth Fare: Free 5 pound bag is coupon is good until Tuesday, May 16. The $1 OFF coupon is good until 3/24/10 - Got mine today!

To print this coupon: Highlight the image and then check "print selection" option before printing.

Deals on my bounty:
Stonyfield: 5/$4 Sale ends 3/30/10
Milk Chocolate covered Almond: $6.99 lb Sale ends 3/30/10
Sunspire Sundrops: $6.99 lb Sale ends 3/30/10
Gaia Essential Oils: $2.00 off coupons while supply last 

Check this out for more deals:

• Fare Deals
• Weekly Deals

SuperTarget :  Free Physicians Formula All Natural Bamboo Compact Mirror and Brush - after mail-in rebate. $5.99 value. Great for the Eco-conscious!

My Bamboo compact and Bamboo Silk Face Powder Refill

 Peek-a-Boo!

The compact is innovative and the design is very attractive! Both top and bottom swivels to open and is refillable. Magnets are used to lock the compact and hold the powder refill in place. The powder refill is $8.99 and also made of Bamboo powder.

Enjoy! If you have any deals on organic products, please share them. I would love to get my hands on them. 

This Mom Got Herself An E.L.F.

Photo Courtesy of E.l.f.

As a Mom, the idea of having Elves helping me out especially in the Glam Department is definitely appealing since I tend to neglect myself to a point of looking like an old hag who hasn't showered for days! And then run around Events unmade and unglamorous too! Yuk! right?

Now last week, Ted Rubin and @Askelf  has been constantly tweeting about E.l.f. hitting Target stores by Nov 1st. Oh Sweet Inspiratioooonnnn! I've never tried this brand before and have no idea how much they costs but I decided I should check it out and see what this hype is all about. So, this week I specifically went to Super Target just to check this new product out and what do you know? I ended up with some E.L.F. (or Elves) for myself! and best about it - without breaking my piggy bank!

E.l.f in action

You know what got me? The unbelievable price and the little "perks" that goes with the product! I gushed and ooh'ed and aah'ed like a lunatic just marveling at the price of each items! And so while other shoppers were looking at me crazy, I was busy snapping pictures to document my official adoption of E.l.f.!  I was never this excited with make-ups before! And if it weren't for my hubby and daughter being with me,  I would have bought the entire collection!

So, from this cluster of bounty:

I sanely snagged these:

• Special Edition Mechanical Eyelash Curler - $1.00
• 3- piece Eye Kit - $3.00

Can you believe the price? The Eye kit includes Brightening Eyeliner, Regular and Waterproof Mascara Duo and Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara Duo AND only costs $3.00??? The Eyelash Curler with replacement rubber for a whooping 1 dollar??? Get out of this world!

As you guessed, E.l.f is now my new official Glam helper! It's not the kind of Elf I hoped for but this will do! Hmmm...and right now, I'm thinking a Pre-holiday Makeover Party for my mom group might just be an awesome idea...What do you think ladies?

And check this out! they are looking for models for their Face of E.L.F. 2010, you want to give it a shot? Ted also tweeted to me that I can get a free mini make-up collection for purchases I make online with this coupon code LOYAL just because they love their fans! Cool huh? You want the code? Grab it!

So I declare! E.l.f. = Best frugal choice!

Contingent Option for Minor Health Care needs

For many of us who could not afford Health Care coverage and don't have any health insurance, getting sick is not an option. But what if you do get sick? Where would you go?

Let me share to you a classic example: My little girl got sick last week. When she started complaining of ear ache, running a fever and not sleeping at night due to pain, we knew she needed medical attention. We suspected she's got ear infection but we have to be sure.

Now we could not afford to go to just any urgent clinics that charges absurd fees especially if you don't have health insurance, so we did our homework and discovered Minute Clinic by CVS Pharmacy. They charge a very nominal fee of $62 for Minor care needs. Melissa Herrington, the Physician Assistant who attended to my Little Miss Sasserfrass was very thorough and concise with her examination and diagnosis. We were definitely happy and relieved with the result and pleased with the experience.

Minute Clinic is definitely our first choice now if we do need minor medical care. And we're not the only ones apparently. There were a lot of people lined up at that clinic that day and according to Herrington, their clinic is always busy everytime! In this current economic times, I was not at all surprised. More and more people are opting for services like these and this might just be the answer we need to completely eradicate the tight rein of Health Insurance companies on us! A drastic strategy used by private-owned clinics in Canada offering memberships to their facility to eliminate the use of health insurance. Do you think this can be a sensible approach here in the US especially with this dysfunctional health care system we have?

Somewhere in Time

Don't you ever sometimes wish like you were somewhere else in time? Where everything else is different and everything else is a whole new experience and life is better?

With the recent chaos in Charlotte NC brought about by the Wachovia buyout by Citigroup Inc., and the still prevailing gas shortage, made worst by the failing economy, being in Charlotte NC right now isn't such a great idea! You can't even draw a pretty picture out of it...such a bummer! - If you are from Charlotte NC, you'll definitely agree with me when I say, I wish I was somewhere else and in a different era...

Fortunately, I had a bit of a taste of that on saturday. For the first time, after we started braving the storm ... My little family was able to enjoy a true to goodness family outing! It was indeed a big treat for us. And nope, we didn't splurge just for the heck of it! We were actually very good with our spending, enough that we enjoyed the entire day without poking a big hole in our pockets. My only splurge was the tattoo on my arm which I finally got after missed tries for 3 years - yikes that sounded like pregnancy, didn't it?! - but yeah I did. It was also an original design not even in their picture gallery. So proud of myself - it brought out the wild (or wench!) side of me!

And where did we go you say? Well, we went to Carolina Renaissance Festival by Huntersville NC. It was about half an hour trip (talk about saving gas!) but it was worth it. It's inexpensive and best of all, we went during opening weekend which meant our tickets were discounted and my 4 year old got in for free! See cheap fun! And the happiness it brought to my daughter seeing all the Princesses and her favorite Belly Dancer performers (and hubby seeing overflowing breasts from tight corsets - except of course for that one occasion where he got disgusted by a woman wearing no "support" and her treasure was hanging all the way to her waist ) was priceless!



Yet back to reality... and while contemplating about where I want to be at this moment...This song came to me..."somewhere in time", which was also a movie by the late Christopher Reeves. For some reason, this song never fails to drive me to tears! Not sure if I'm just plain emotional right now or simply vulnerable to the song. The guy who did this piece did a good job. Take a moment and listen to it...

So tell me, Is there a song that evokes the same emotional effect to you? And where does your family go for affordable (cheap) but worth it fun? Share some tips and tricks!



P.S. There's still plenty of time to join the PROMO if you haven't yet. The drawing will be held on Oct 15th!

Life in Asia Part II - Conserving H2O with Tabo and Balde

So what the heck is Tabo and Balde? - sounds really foreign! Is that a forbidden act or sumthin!? - well, it is foreign because it is Tagalog which roughly means in English, Tabo - "water scooper" and Balde - "water bucket" . It is not Tabooooo or forbidden. Actually, their main functions are very viable in conserving precious H2O if incorporated in your daily chores. Mind ya, when we had those water restrictions down here south, the Tabo & Balde options were award-winners in drought stricken lands!


My Tabo and Balde in Action!


Now as I've already mention in Part I, life in 3rd world Asia is not about luxury rather that of survival. Adapting to whatever available resources that's at hand and learning how to conserve it. As an example of humble living, bathrooms in Asia doesn't have the luxury of showers - if you're lucky you'll find faucets inside. Otherwise, you have to fetch the water with a water bucket, from somewhere else. Fill a big barrell situated in the bathroom for your consumption, then YOU can shower. For Americans who are used to all the amenities available to them, it is a dilemma or even utterly shocking entering a "bare" bathroom! Here's a classic example told to me by an American friend:

I went to thailand and stayed with a friend. It was time for me to take a shower so I went to the bathroom. The bathroom was situated apart from the main house. It was square and the walls were about 4ft high. There was a water bucket and a water scooper below the faucet and where to draw water, you have to pump the faucet. I didn't know what to do. I saw a big basin, filled it up with water, sat in and took a "bath". After a while, my friend checked on me and there he was chuckling and bursting into laughter. It was totally embarrassing. Needless to say, he taught me the lesson on "how to take a shower in Asia 101".

I conserve about 20 gallons of water each time my daughter wants to take a bath and about 5 gallons if she has to shower. The water bucket holds 10 quarts of water which is rougly 2 gallons. I use that to wash, shampoo her up, then refill it and use that same amount to fill the tub so she can play in the tub to her hearts content without wasting so much water in the process and safer for her. She's already 4 years old but I'm still paranoid about her drowning in the tub with so much water! In a gist, I'm conserving water and saving money on my water bills.

Here's what you can do: buy a water bucket and a water scoop ( i use a salad bowl - be creative. They're kinda hard to find but if you have an Asian market nearby, you're in luck!) and start experimenting. At the end of the month, see how much water you've saved and $$$ on your H2O bill. Don't forget to incorporate proper handling of water too, everytime you turn on that faucet.

Happy Tabo-Tabo showering!

Stay Tuned : Batya and Palangana - more on conserving H2O

Further Reading:
Part I - For women only

Don't be an inert energy : Be the first to comment or react to this post. OR burst!

Life in Asia - Part I : For Women Only

I have been impressed with Crunchy Chicken's take on one of her Eco-green challenges involving cloth wipes. It just bring smiles to my lips and brings back so many memories of me growing up. For this practice has been uncommon in Asia (Philippines). And it dumbfounded me that someone in the US have actually stumbled upon this ancient custom by women in the Far East. I particularly grew up a practitioner, if that is the politically correct verbiage for it, of this "feminine ritual". Life in a 3rd world country like Asia is hard, you make do of whatever you have or not have, which for the most part is the "not have" side of it. In this manner, growing up in Asia has made us more adaptable and attune to whatever available resources that's at hand which to this day and age is considered Eco-green living. To some it's barbaric, to others its' the fact of life!

Here's my expose' on the versions of "Eco-green living"...the Asian way...back then & now... And since this post is prompted by Crunchy Chicken's cloth wipes, it is befitting that I begin my exposition on that topic: The handy feminine "Punas" (wipes) :

Think about the boonies. What comes into mind ? Picture yourself living in it. The forest is your shopping mall. If you look at the picture above, that is the traditional house, Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) & setting where I lived and grew up. Luxury doesn't exist in any form. It's like being Jane in Tarzan's world! And being a woman with feminine needs, it can get kinda rough (and gross). Think about when its that "time of the month". yuk! Feminine wipes, pads or even toilet papers are basically unknown & has not reached the mainstream market yet. So what's a woman to do? Our talented foremothers created one just for that purpose - and more - which was passed on to the next generation & beyond : Old white T-shirts were recycled into feminine wipes...

Dilemmas: What if you're a bloody Mess ? - Now even with cloth wipes being handy, it still gets tricky when you're a bloody mess- so, instead of using the wipe after each trip to the restroom, we resort to "kaw-kaw our papaws" -pronounced like cow(wash our delicate selves)- or moo-moo cows as how my daughter calls it - then we use the wipe to dry our "pretty flowers". Makes sense, don't it? Back then, the cloth wipes was one of the essentials you'll see stuffed in women's purses or bags. You won't catch one without it especially when they're away from their own turf. Ok this is starting to sound like a vagina monologue now, don't you think? :)

Care instructions: Depends on your preference. If you wash (cow-cow) yourself every trip to the restroom (which is highly hygienic) and using the cloth wipe to dry you up, then you can wash the cloth until you think it's necessary, especially when it doesn't pass the "smell" or "scent" test ! (",). Otherwise, hang to dry until next use. And if you must wash after every use, wash (or handwash) as normal but use delicate soap. Now, If you want to incorporate washing yourself every trip to the bathroom a habit , here is one handy tool that would surely do the trick: Peri Bottle! - I love mine! For any mother who has given birth in a hospital, you get them free. Make use of it. It makes for a wonderful feminine hygiene gadget.

... And more: In the absence of feminine pads, the same recycled shirt morphs into a menstrual pad. They're cut into the biggest square possible then folded several times into a rectangular shape, wide enough to fit onto an underwear then sewed. This are designated as "special" menstrual underwears. Like the cloth wipe, a spare one is always carried around for emergencies & attached with safety pins. Ouch!

Lunapads has actually captured the very essence of this idea - and they're very cute too!

Here is a funny excerpt from the past when Feminine pads finally permeated the market:

The 1st type of feminine pads that made to our store shelves was the ones with "belts". Strings are tied on both ends and are attached to a belt that goes around your waist. My Aunt decided to try this modern contraption - without the belt! She took me with her to the market. We walked since we live so close to the center of the city. She was busy telling me stories when all of a sudden, a man yelled for her attention. He was pointing at her bloodied pad on the ground with disgust & embarrassment! - Her pad fell out. - she must have been wearing really loose underwear. As for my Aunt & I, we both went crazy laughing! -Thank heavens for sticky glues on the feminine pads now!

So, say goodbye to toilet papers & more and save trees!- As you can see, I've already passed on this age-old tradition to my daughter. What about you? I am interested in finding out what age-old traditions or ritual you have growing up. From what country did you grow up? I would like to know how our different living conditions dictates the way each of our diverse cultures lives & adapts to survive.

dig this: Some motherly advice - If you must use toilet paper in public toilets, wet the paper slightly. This will soften the paper & saves you from those icky wacky paper scratches, not to say, those loose fibers that is also an irritant. If our "flowers" can sneeze, it probably already have everytime you use toilet paper!