A bargain or not....

While at Wal-Mart, I found this hair color for $2.97! Now, I am always on the look out for a bargain! My roots were starting to show a bit, so I gave it a try. I only color my hair once every 2 months or so...that would be around $1.50 a month for color! Lol!
It is a basic coloring kit, no thrills here. It had conditioner, but for only one application. The color was true to the box, I was completely satisfied with how it colored my hair. It took a little longer than I usually spend; I usually leave color on for 15 to 20 minutes and this called for 25 minutes. But, the color was nice and shiny! The only problem I have with this is the conditioner. It didn't have a pretty smell to it...it wasn't bad, but it just wasn't a fragrance I would have chosen! Lol! I like the kits with the conditioner that has a weekly treatment for a month, this had only one application. Now as far as conditioners goes, it was okay...so I really can't complain about it...except the smell of it! Lol! But, I will have to buy an intensive conditioner or hot oil treatment for a $2 or $3 to make up for the fact I don't have a weekly treatment. But, my hair is fine and breaks easily...so if you don't have that problem you may get by without buying anything additional. So, it may have cost me $2.97, but you add the additional conditioning treatments for $2 or $3...and well, I might have saved a dollar or two. I don't usually spend a lot on my color kits (I'm cheap! Remember!). I never spend more than $8 for a color kit and MOST of the time it's less with coupons.
If your hair doesn't need a lot of conditioning like mine does...go for it! In my opinion, it's a nice product...just needs more conditioner with a different smell! Okay! Okay! I will be quiet about the smell!.

Yea! Grocery amount was under budget!

WOOOO HOOOO! I was able to get my 2 week grocery budget under $150! I spent around $130 this go around. I was able to find some great markdowns on some meat! Ingles had family packs of chicken thighs marked down to $3!! I can't remember off hand the price of my other meat find, but it was sirloin tips and I was excited! We hardly ever have beef because it is so expensive. It's usually chicken, ground turkey, and tuna for this family! Aldis is a life saver! I LOVE Aldis! They really help keep my grocery budget intact! When the cashier finished ringing everything up...and my buggy was all the way to the top with no room left, she asked me to guess my amount. It was $83! She was as amazed as I was! Then with the meat buys I got at Ingles and Super Wal-Mart...the total was $134. God is so good!
I had all intentions of taking a picture for everyone to see just how much I got, but my hubby and son went to putting away the groceries pretty quick!
I am wanting to start stockpiling some groceries...I just need to figure out how to budget it and what to get. If anyone can offer up suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I have read where a case lot of food is the cheapest...but how do I go about getting that...where and how much am I looking at. I learn so much from you ladies on your blog!! Thanks for all the wisdom!!

ONE CREDIT CARD PAID OFF!!!!

Well! It's finally happened we have our first credit card paid off!! I'm so excited! We still have a very long way to go...but it feels like we are FINALLY making some progress! Our debt snowball is finally rolling!! Lucky for you guys...you can't see me doing my happy Snoopy dance!! Lol!
We have gotten used to our strict budget and (speaking for myself) I don't feel like it's a sacrifice to be on it anymore. I don't miss a thing! I don't miss eating out and shopping all the time at all. Our life has become simpler and more enjoyable. I LOVE finding bargains! I LOVE shopping at thrift stores, Goodwill and consignment shops!! I LOVE trying to improve my grocery budget and trying to get the money part lower and the actual groceries brought home to be more! It's such a RUSH to save money! I could really kick myself for not living like this before! Ugh! But, that is the past, and well....I need to stop living in the past! There is nothing I can do about it but learn. And BOY DID I LEARN!!! Lol!

God has been so good and gracious to us to allow us to pay off this credit card! So....ON WITH THE SNOOPY DANCE!!! And I hope there are LOTS more Snoopy dances to come!!!

I'm SORRY!

I must apologize for my absence on the blog. I have been neglectful of it for quite a while.
I have no excuse really, I have been healthy and I have had time. I guess I have just been battling those inner demons that seem to haunt me from time to time. You may not be acquainted with them....low self esteem and depression. Those little voices that say "No one cares" or "You have nothing to give". I find it hard at times to blog about things because they seem so insignificant or silly. I have a pity party for a little while and then manage to dig myself out of this muck and mire. So, please be patient with me. God always helps me find the light switch and soon the darkness will disappear!

An Adventure....

Whew! Okay....Breakfast Casserole in refrigerator ready to cook for dinner, Chocolate No-Bake Cookies made and setting up and last but not least I have Grape Jello in the refrigerator. I have all my laundry caught up and my house isn't the cleanest, but quite frankly I have ran out of steam!
This week has been a wild one! I blew a tire coming home from work Monday night. But, God was really watching out over me and it happened close to home and not on the interstate! It happened where there was no where to really pull off the side of the road, so I drove to a nearby parking lot about 100 feet away. So, not only did I blow a tire...I bent the snot out of my rim! Jeff believes it was either driving it the short distance to the parking lot, or when the tire blew, it jerked off the road and I jerked it back on. But, it doesn't change the outcome, the rim was bent! So, Tuesday Jeff spent the day trying to find a used rim, he called every local dealership, garage and junk yard...no luck. We had to order one off the internet. So, Tuesday I drove my Dad's Jeep! The Jeep hasn't been driven in about 6 months and is an old Jeep he fixed up. What an adventure! I couldn't keep the blasted thing running. Every time you stopped it would die...I called my Dad and he said that I had to let it "warm up". I know that people thought this crazy blonde has not a clue on how to drive...I had to keep one foot on the gas and the other on the brake when stopped. It looked like I was trying to drive a straight drive...and I wasn't doing well at it! Lol! Jeff took the Jeep Wednesday and today until my rim arrives and I am driving his car. Yes, I have the spare on my van...but I am uncomfortable driving it with that tiny tire! Ugh!
This situation was a huge inconvenience and a costly one too. But, I saw God working throughout it. God kept me safe! I wasn't on the interstate faraway from home, I was minutes away! I was going a slow speed...something that I wouldn't have been doing on the interstate! I was able to regain control of the van when the tire blew and not hurt or damage it (other than the rim)! My Daddy had his Jeep for us to use...which is running fine now that it's been driven a while! What an adventure! Not one that I want to repeat! Lol! But, God was there! Watching over me! Keeping me safe! God is Good!

Busy!

I'm still here! I'm sorry that I have been blogging lately. Getting this part time job has thrown me off just a bit. I need to adjust. I have been working more hours, mostly on the weekend. I am now up to 4 nights a week. So, the nights I have been home I have been spending catching up with family. During the day I have been catching up on the housework and laundry.
My pay check has not become extra money like I would have hoped. Jeff's hours has been cut, so the little I bring home helps to supplement what he is not. But, this job is a blessing because I can bring home that money to help.
I just thought I would dash in here for a second to let everyone know that I am alive and kicking. I hope to post more soon.

Monday!

It's Monday! I have been cleaning the house almost all day today, trying to get caught up from the weekend. I woke up with a bit of a stomach bug...so, I haven't been feeling too well. But we Moms have to keep on keeping on even when we don't feel our best! Lol!
The Bridal Show went well. It was a long, long day. We were unable to take lunch or breaks because we were so busy. 9 in the morning until 4 o'clock is a long time not to eat or go to the potty!:-) But, I made it through. The break down of the booth went smoothly and we loaded up my van and took everything back to the store. Once at the store, I quickly punched out and left....this ol' girl's feet hurt and I was HUNGRY!! I ate my packed lunch on the way home! Lol! When I got home at 4:30 I changed and started making home made pizza for dinner. Afterwards, I crashed!
I didn't have to work Sunday, which was a good thing! I had a huge headache! We didn't even go to church! I am not sure if the headache was part of the stomach bug I have or not.
The goals that I have for this week include getting some summer clothes ready for the consignment shop. I also want to take down my dining room curtains and wash them and clean the windows....maybe even the bedroom curtains and windows! I am wanting to sew a tote for groceries too. When I go to Aldis I always take a laundry basket to place the food in (I don't buy the bags!), but I thought if I could make a couple of totes it would help too. I have some fabric that I bought a couple of years ago I can use! I have never made a tote before...so this could get interesting! Lol!