Who Am I?

Hi everyone!!

I am an Air Force wife (and a relatively new one at that).  My husband and I have 7 kids total, and a grandbaby!

My husband and I were born 8 hours apart, in the same hospital.  I tease him often that he kept me awake with his crying in the nursery!  After our short 3 day stay (yes - this was back in 1969 when they kept you for 3 days and allowed you to rest before shipping you home with a newborn that doesn't sleep) in that hospital we didn't meet again until 7th grade.  We both played in the band (I played clarinet, bass clarinet, and percussion - depending on what the season was and he played saxophone) and were friends from that time through graduation from high school when we went our own ways, got married (to other people) and had kids.

My kids are 22, 20, 13, 13, and 11.  His are 21 and 18.  I was a single mom for 10 years before Brett and I reconnected through Facebook!

There was an immediate "re-attraction", and while he lived in California and I in Michigan we developed quite a friendship over the course of a couple months.  He came home for Christmas and things haven't been the same since!

We continued dating, and less than 10 months after that 1st face-to-face meeting (just before Christmas 2009) we were married on 10-01-10. 

I work full-time as a Project Manager for a bank here in Michigan.  Being the only parent in the house (until November when hubby retires) I am constantly running - baseball practice, band concerts, school functions, the "I need this tonight" trips, etc.. In my "free time" I coupon - search for upcoming deals, match up my coupons, and get ready to get the next weeks deals!  I am also an avid reader, and although I don't watch TV much I do have a couple shows that I watch every week that I never miss an episode of!  (Thank you to whomever invented DVR)

I have couponed for years.  I haven't always been this serious about it, and have really become addicted to finding the best deal.

I am not your typical "Extreme Couponer" that you see on the TLC show.  I do not steal papers from driveways, I do not get into dumpsters for coupons, and I have never cleared a shelf.  I do have a stockpile that has taken over my closet as well as several cupboards in the bathroom, and will soon be moving it to its own room (we have an extra one - YAY!).

I have had several trips where my total OOP was $0.00, but not hundreds of them for sure!  My typical savings on a grocery trip (i.e. Kroger, Meijer, VG's) is 70%+, so I think I do a pretty good job, and my kids get food they want to eat!

I do this as a hobby, and because I think it's utterly ridiculous to not use coupons and pay full price for something that if you clipped a coupon you could get for much less!  I have family members tell me how crazy I am and that my time is worth something.....well they're right - it's worth 70% of my grocery bill each week, and a whole bunch of free products!

I believe in ethical couponing - so I will not be posting ideas on how to get coupons that you're not entitled to, how to use a coupon for a product it's not intended for, etc.  What you will find on this blog is a way to consistently save money week over week on your grocery bill.

I sincerely hope you enjoy reading about the deals I find, and that you recommend this page to your friends!  You can also like me on facebook and follow the deals there!