Saturday shopping spree, save save save!

Yeah, I was the girl in line at Target taking forever at checkout. With my stack of coupons I was on fire! I did amazingly well, until I got outside and realized I forgot to use my Target cartwheel. Yay. I am so awesome like that! So, go figure I could have save extra, I always forget something. Like stamps. I always forget stamps! 

Ok, there were some great deals and steals today in grocery land. I got the Heft on sale for $6.95 and used a coupon I had printed from my site for $1.25 off. $5.70 for the box minutes an additional 5% for having the Redcard debit. My milk(not shown) was free after two boxes of Raisin Bran with a coupon, I also had an Ibotta offer off a dollar back and a rebate from checkout51 for the same.I had some great Catalina's for my Gerber baby foods. The mouth was was on sale for $2.99 I had a $1.00 off Target coupon and I am sure I had an extra mouth wash coupon somewhere, but couldn't find it this morning. I had some left over Garnier Fructise coupons Valued at $2 each and got 4 bottles of the stuff for .99 cents each. The Mitchum deodorant was on sale for $2.67 a stick, I had a coupon worth $2 off. Each deodorant was .67 cents. The Secret was a stick for $2.47 and I had a coupon from the manufacturer for $2 off just for writing to them. The French's Mustard was an unadvertised deal,originally $5 Target had it on sale for $1.25 and I had a coupon for .75 cents off. Each bottle only cost .50 cents. Then the items I was most excited about(call me a dork) was the Iams cat food and the Windex. Ok so, Target has a coupon for $1.00 off the Windex touch ups . Then There is a printable  coupon for $1.00 off, this is a mfc. You combine two Target sc's and one mfc, with the mfc bogo coupon. The Windex is $3.49 in Fl, so you used the $3 worth of coupons and only have to pay ........ $.49 for TWO. Seriously, if you hung on to those Windex coupons from a couple of papers ago you too can be rolling in kitchen or bathroom cleaner. I love this deal! Ok then the next one is the cat food. Target has the small cans of Iams cat food on sale for $.59 a can. You can print an Iams coupon for $2 off three. I made $.23 off each set of three, which goes towards my other items.Neat right? I am giving them away to a friend as my cats don't eat them. I never just put things in my stock pile to just "look pretty". I also stocked up on coffee creamer for hubby. $3.98 for two there was a Target printout for $1 off two combine that with the mfc from last Sunday paper and it is only $1.75 for two creamers. Or $.87 (rounded) per creamer, if you like it that way.  Then there is the glade stuff. Yes, I am going to discuss it. Each one was  $2.99 total was $5.98 I had a coupon for $1.50 from Target. I also had a mfc of $1 off. Each set was $3.45 or  $1.74 each and yes there were Cw offers and Ibotta. *sobs quietly*  

I got the Alexia potatoes with a Target coupon and two mfc so $3 off of them making it $5.58 for both and there was a 25% off CW. Bahhh. Would have been $4.19, oh barnacles! 

Over all I spent $180 after coupons and Redcard it was only $70 (before tax) so  not bad. Not bad at all. You need to coupon. It only takes one transaction and you are hooked. Not only hooked but kicking yourself for not doing it sooner. 

Fun out and about, window shopping and fierce shoes.

Today was a great day out with my mom and boy. We got quite a bit done and looked around at all the things we wanted and didn't need. It was fun!  I love window shopping, sometimes it is nice to get out of the house It is great to just be out.

Our first stop was to get my little man a new car seat. He outgrew his car seat and needed a new one. Who knew that car seat shopping would be so hard. There we were in Target going back and forth between car seats. Category 3? Category 2? Rear facing to forward facing. Cup holders? What? We found a nice car seat by Even'flo. It was great, we also got him some Christmas gifts. That is when we went to Starbucks, I ordered a Gingerbread latte and mom got the Peppermint Mocha. We ordered then sat down. The barista let us know our drinks were ready, so mom got up to get them. That is when some woman jumped up and took my drink. She didn't even order a gingerbread latte. She ordered a caramel brule. I know this because she was right behind us when she ordered. The girls near my mother were shocked and they had to remake my drink. I was sitting there confused. I have never have seen this before. I got my drink finally and it was heaven! By the way they had Alice and Olivia Starbucks mugs;worth checking out.

We went to lunch afterwards and then had a blast at Ross and Michaels. I got a new wallet!A pink(no surprise) Jessica Simpson wallet. While we were out and about today a great thing and uplifting booster happened, my shoes were complimented a lot. I love my pink shoes from Justfab. I had on all white except a pink jacket and those shoes. White on White is still in and I decided to tone it down with the shoes and jacket. It is a look I loved! Too bad I got spaghetti sauce on them; the pants that is. Can not take me anywhere, I swear.

Thank you Target for the humiliation!

Why is it when I want to return something or use coupons they block me or make it unbearable to do so. Target, who I used to love and have admiration for has forsaken me! It begins with coupons and ends with formula.

Let's start with me shopping, as I try to use coupons. There I was with my groceries,mom,son, and coupons. I had manufacters coupons and the store coupons. There policy is to accept both. They told me no, that they wouldn't accept both. Even with the coupon policy in front of them. Strike 1 for my town's Target!

Then flash forward to a Saturday or two ago. There I am needing to return formula.I had purchased it online by using the Target app. I couldn't use the formula anymore, my son was switched to specialty formula. I had the pack slip/reciept; it said that I could return using it via in store or back through the mail. Both required that slip for returns. I thought it was all good and I went to the store with the slip and remaining formula.

  I got to my local store and set down my items at customer service. I handed over my slip and I figured it was ok. Since I used paypal I figured I would get a gift card and that would have been fine. The boy needed diapers and wipes. The first associate was shocked when the system was giving her trouble returning the items. Not a big deal in my book, it happens. She called a manager, OK, fine still not unusual.

 That is until Lucifer the supervisor came. She takes the slip and starts to return my items. Nope, can not take them back. She takes my slip; which incidentally was the receipt as well. She says "We can not return these."
"WHAT?! I just got them 4 days ago!!"
She then said there are two items here and the items I had were different.
"Yeah, they are. One is ready to feed and the other is powder." By the way it said so on the slip,duh.
But, I was trying to be polite to the troll.
"Where is the Receipt??!!" the supervisor replies as she is shoving the slip in my face pointing to the items.
"In your hand, that is all I got."
"Do you have the card you used?" she rolls her eyes as I reply with a nope used paypal.
"Of course you did."
Alrighty, attitude much?!

So, she takes my license and continues to talk down to me. Pointing to the items I had and then to the slip questioning how I acquired them. She tells me she has to check the skus to make sure they even sell those products. I tell her I can walk you back to baby and show you! I felt degraded, I felt as if she was accusing me of stealing from the store. Like I just walked back to the baby aisle and took Similac Advance for sensitive tummies; just to come to customer service and return them for cash. Um, I HAVE A RECEIPT!
I felt like she was treating me like a thief and a lowlife. She stood at the register muttering about me. Um, what did I do wrong? I was well within Target's return policy. That was the only slip in the box. I got one box and that was all that was in there. Why make a scene with me? I was trying to be polite, I was being nice, even when I was a tad snarky it was in defense. "I got those from Target's app" I said quietly.
I was almost in tears when she got back to the register I was standing at. I was shaking. I was humiliated and people were staring.
She then walks back to me and with a horrible attitude says "OK, I guess we can take these back. But, you wont get cash.It will be a gift card,but not cash,OK."
"I never wanted cash, I am fine with a gift card. Thank you. A gift card was fine" I felt abused.
"Ok" she then handed my slip back, which she promptly showed me the items again! Pointing to them like a parent pointing to an F on a report card. She then handed my gift card and receipt for it telling me how much was on it.
I thanked her, even though I wanted to cry, I still thanked her. I left to go get little man diapers. I saw her again at a regular register. She stared at me then ignored me. What the heck happened to customer service?
Why did she get away with that? Why couldn't I ask for a higher up? I felt horrible and I hate going back to that Target. I get better customer service at the Walmart. What happened?! When did it become a hassle to be nice and help someone. Especially someone within return policy and with a receipt. I was not mean to her. I was polite, but she treated me like I stole the items. Yes, I robbed Target by purchasing formula with PayPal and then returning what my son couldn't use and it was NOT opened. Don't get me wrong I still love Target in general. I love the fashions there and the pharmacists. Plus their baby section is wonderful, I just wished their customer service was better.
What are your store horror stories?

Couponing, a learning curve indeed.

Everyone loves saving money. Especially on groceries, food costs have gone up and coupons are a way to save. But, many people do not use coupons. Many view couponers as crazy and have nothing better to do on a Sunday. Well, I am going to be one of those people. I am an up and coming couponer. I am that crazy person. However, I used to not be. I was a non coupon using food shopper.

Couponing is work, a lot of work. From scouring the newspaper to stalking online coupon sites. Like here.  My sister got me into coupons, ever since I heard how much she saves. She is one savy extreme couponer. Who, need storage for stuff, just like Honey BooBoo's mom has extra storage for items. She has them all organized in a folder according to type. She goes through the coupons all the time and is very devoted to her craft. I, on the other hand, am figuring this coupon thing out. Trying to be organized is hard so I ordered coupon pages on Amazon. I am also trying to figure out what coupons go where. I am also trying to figure out how many coupons I can use at once. It is definitely a learning curve and so far I have yet to pay full price on diapers and formula. Huggies or Pampers I make sure I always have a coupon. Last trip I saved $50 and before that $92Usd. Like I said learning curve, and while Target takes coupons they may not take competitors coupons. Publix Supermarket does take competitors, like Walmart and Target coupons.
I will post my quest to save! Stay tuned!

Baby weight and body issues.

I went to Target and saw the newest designer for Target, I thought to myself do I dare try it on? Nope, I made a direct line right to the baby stuff. I figured buying my boy something was better than me in a dressing room fighting with a dress. Hurray for post-partum and the struggle with body image. When you are pregnant friends and family tell you things wont be the same and your body changes. Yes we know, what I guess what I didn't know was by how much.  Arms bigger than they were,  chest is bigger, hips, and butt. The pants you used to wear are only able to go up halfway.  The dress you used to wear, you know the one, is now like packing a sausage. You figured it would be back into you pre-pregnancy clothes after baby. Well guess again! There are some ladies who are fotunate enough to get back right away into those regular clothes. Me? I am not one of them! Nope. I lost 25pounds after little guy and have been plateaued since. My clothes hang in the closet mocking me. I am still in my maternity items and while they are cute, I want to be able to wear all my clothes. I can fit into some tops but not all. And I am almost considering buying some new clothes for my new curvier self. What to do? How many mamas have just said the hell to it and gone and purchased some new things. Either as an self esteem boost or just as a inbetween size to get you through. I am curious to see what others are doing, going to do, or did.

Also, with work, baby, hubby, and housework, how do you get your exercise groove back.?