Life and Walgreens Shopping

I have not been the best blogger lately. My apologies for those few people who look forward to reading. :) I haven't taken many pictures (although I should have, because we've done some fun things!) and the time I would normally sit down to blog, I've been napping or nesting. We are getting so close to baby Arden's arrival. YAY! We are making it...I'm moving pretty slowly and seemingly have less and less energy (and less and less patience!) and Evan and Kendall are just hanging in there with me. Bless their hearts. I've had to ask for forgiveness a lot lately from both of them!

It's been a while since I've written about couponing. I'm still trying to do as much as I can, and am learning the benefits of actually stocking up on things while they are on sale. It really DOES save money! We have consistently saved about $50 each month in our grocery budget (for the most part) although that does get thrown off a little bit on months like this one, when we travel. While I would love to make it to $75 or $100 a month in savings, I'm happy with $50 for now. None of us are willing to eat beans or Ramen Noodles for every meal, and I try to make sure we all eat as balanced and healthy meals as possible. (Although with this pregnancy, we've eaten way more carbs and sugar than normal, because those things have sounded the best!)

This afternoon, Kendall and I made a Walgreen's run. I was super pumped about my purchases. See below:

I got two Coffee Mate creamers, two Colgate toothbrushes, four Garnier hair products, one package of toliet paper,  two M&Ms Easter eggs, two shaving creams, and two sticker books. Before coupons and previous Register Rewards, my total was $36.33. After coupons and RR, I paid $18.27. Then, I got $10 in RR back. Technically, I only spent $8.27, since I have $10 to spend on my next Walgreen's visit.

I'll be honest, couponing is work. However, being home full-time now, I have a little more time and energy to spend doing it, so I don't mind. I usually shop at Kroger, Walgreen's, and Target weekly because those three stores are the easiest for me to match up deals and are in close proximity. I tend to spend one evening looking at coupons and ads, then one morning shopping. I'm willing to give it that much time and it works well for us. Kendall is a pretty good little shopping partner, although I do enjoy an occasional trip without her. My biggest stress is when we start checking out and she wants to "help" put all the groceries on the belt or she's into all the candy! Thankfully, she is quickly learning the "hands off" rule!