After all my huffing & puffing about DH not having Christmas shopping completed, he decided to go last w/e.  I wanted to buy a Wii Speak so went with him.  Ended up spending another $400 (400 from the w/e before also!)  However...everyone & I do mean EVERYONE's Christmas is bought.  I can't even begin to tell you what we got them all.  Miss Lilly -- 3 y/o is getting a dish set in a little picnic basket carrier + a 3 peice winter clothing outfit and some kind of Bert & Earnie DVD, her Brother 6 y/o Christopher is getting a very-much-asked-for DVD movie which you can also put in your computer & it has a game on it ($59.99...no wonder his parents refused to buy it for him!).  Plus for christmas their family is getting a Wii, so we bought him a game that he was oohing & awing over.  and their Sister 9 y/o Destiny is getting one of my scarfs, a very-much-asked-for Hannah Montana 3D video & we also got her a Wii video game that her parents said she had been asking for (on a different nintendo platform but they do have it for the wii also).   Our other grandchild, Justin is getting clothing, an alarm clock radio (surprisingly, his request!) & a handheld electronic game.  And then there's Temumin & conner...we got them 2 pairs jeans each, a fleece lined jacket each, 2 long sleeve tshirts, socks & undies & then got both boys the game, Cranium (they love board games...both boys are quite bright for their age & love trivia, reading & learning).  We also got them new vibrating controls for their PS2.  they have regular controls but have been asking their parents for vibrating ones (these boys are 6 & 8).  For DH 2 daughters I crocheted them both LionBrand Skinny Scarf's & crocheted 2 dishclothes.  (that was a total of 10 scarfs & 20 dishclothes I crocheted!)  for his 2 sons & a SIL we got 3 lined jackets with hoods.  for my Christmas present I picked out... a charger & rechargeable batteries for my Wii controllers, a $20 Wii points card, a gel cover for the Wiiware game controller and this w/e we are going to go to Catherines to see about buying me a new coat.  We looked at Walmart and they had absolutely NO plus size women's winter coats.  Had plenty of jackets, vests & sweaters but no coats.   Go figure.  I've put off buying a coat for 10+ yrs and when I finally decide to do it...can't find one!  They even had coats in regular sizes & had a ton of men's coats but nothing i would wear, LOL.  They all LOOKed like mens coats.  It I could have found something 'neutral' in the men's section I would have bought it.  

Have ate out several times this week so far.  Havn't used coupons or bought 'sale' items at the restaurants.

I really can't say I have been thrifty or frugal this week.  But then if DH had told me WHEN he was planning on doing his shopping I could have planned a little better, gone coupon hunting & looked online to see things we might want to buy (or maybe find cheaper online)....that way we could go to the store, go right to what we want, buy it and get out of there, LOL.  As it was...it took us 3 hrs at wally-world and another hr @ The Game Stop.  Plus we had 40MPH winds that day & it was freezing cold!  It started snowing that night & we ended up with 3 inches.  He had to pick the worse day of the year..weatherwise...to go christmas shopping, LOL.  The blowing wind was the catalyst that made me decide it was time for a new winter coat.  Plus I had been tinkering with the idea of crocheting my beanie longer. Today made up my mind for me!   it barely covered my ears and if I shrugged my shoulders it rode up my head.  so I used a metallic Blue fancy fur type yarn that I bought on sale for around $3.00 (regular $7.99) and used that with the original wool yarn and made a band for the hat.  Everyone is telling me how much better the hat looks, yadda,yadda,yadda...  And it is much warmer now that it's longer, LOL.  I made a hat & scarf for my husband for Christmas but i made it out of WW yarn.  I think I will buy some of this lionbrand wool-eze for him and make him one too.  the only problem being...i don't think he would want fur on his,, LOL.

Next Christmas I am going to try to NOT buy any gifts (for myself included) unless I have some type of coupon for it.  I will start in October by starting to take the daily newspaper.  When I was working I got to look at a newspaper for free (desk issue)and I use to always find coupons in the paper for toys & games & would use them when appropriate. I can also sign up at various toy websites (like toysrus, ect) and I'm sure they probably have newsletters & offer discounts & special online offers, ect.   Also, I was reading an article online about coupon codes (for online purchases).  Supposedly you can find a code for just about anything you want to purchase if you purchase it online and this code will get you some kind of deal, whether it be free shipping or a percentage off the cost.  I am going to research that some more but will wait until summer to do that.  I wish I would have thought to post that article here.  that way I could have it to refer back to because it did give several websites that deal in the online codes.  Oh well.  I'll worry about that later.  We had to buy for around 22-23 people and got it done in less than $600.  the other two or three hundred was spent on ourselves.

today I have a chiropractor appt.  It was determined that on top of the degenerative disk disease, thorasic & lumbar spurs, I also have 3 bulging disc.  L3, L4, L5.  With 4 & 5 being the worse.    I probably should go to my PCP with this knowledge but I just hate going to the dr.  Can you believe the chiro practically tortures me but i am more than willing to go to him.  My poor PCP has never even stuck me with a needle and I refuse to go to him unless I am on my death bed.  Go Figure.  I have a court date with an ALJ (administrative law judge) set up for Janurary 27th.  I need to go see my PCP about this (my back...not the judge, LOL)  so it will be more evidence in my favor that I really do have something wrong with my back and I can not work because it aggravates it.  sitting is just as bad as standing & walking.  the only thing that relieves it is to lay down.  i don't know but one job that allows you to lay down while you're working and I aint doing that job!!!

Well, DH decided to grace me with his presence so I'm gonna get off here & visit for a bit before he heads to work.

The news just said that it was reported to be raining in west Wichita.  that's where I have to go to see the chiro.  I hate driving in this weather.  They are expecting it to be a freezing drizzle.  I guess I getter get around & head to the chiro as early as I can.  The longer I wait...the colder it will get.  It's only suppose to get in the 40's for a few hours today.

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I hate Mondays.  I don't know why.  I just really don't like them.

Went with hubby while he did some Christmas shopping this w/e.  I saved him around $60 with coupons @ Circut City.  We bought a new WII microphone (the one we have really sucks) & we got $5.00 off that because of a WII 'special' coupon i had.  Had a coupon that cut off $20.00 if we bought 3 video's.  (we ended up buying 5!)  3 of them are Christmas presents.  2 were for us. and then I had a coupon for $30 off every $150 spent.  Our total bill after all was said and done:  $197.17...down from $247.17.  SAVINGS:  $55.00!!!

We went to the Texas Roadhouse.  they must have a new chef/cook.  My meal was excellent and there was also enough there for me to get 3 meals out of it!  Usually I get two meals out of what I order but 3? ...all I can say is "wow".  AND I had a BOGO coupon so we only payed the price of my drink & salad for my portion of the meal cost....somewhere in the $10.00 range.  Gary's meal cost somewhere around $10.00..so we got a $40 meal for around $20.  SAVINGS:  $20.00

Instead of going to the movie like we normally do (cost of about $36.00 + cost of dinner = approx $75 total)...we went to the Mosley Street Melodrama instead.  I received an special invitation email for Dinner & show for $16.00.  Half off their regular price.  Sooo...for what it would have cost us for 2 movie tickets, 1 lg popcorn & 2 lg drinks...we got dinner & a show.  It was excellent BBQ from PigOut PigIn.  They have been in the wichita community for YEARS.  The Melodrama was hilarious.  I was laughing so hard, tears were coursing down my face.  the next day I actually had sore facial muscles from laughing so hard the night before!  SAVINGS:  approx $40.

So that is $115 that I saved my husband this w/e.

Now...what did I spend though...that didn't come with a discount or coupon?  Lets me think...I bought a 12 pack of Bud Light @ around $15.00.  Bought a Venti Peppermint Mocha Twist Espresso from Starbucks to the tune of $4.41.  Bought a video game from Game stop with no coupon, $39.99.  DH spent a total of $90 @ Game stop with no savings.  YIKES.  However we did buy all 3 games on sale so I guess there was some savings, just not really noticible ones, lol.  Plus we entertained at home over the w/e so we saved money from meeting friends & family out and about on the town.  And all it cost us was the 12 pack of beer.  If we would have met them at a restaurant or sports club it could have run us anywhere from $30 to $100.  So i think we got off pretty easy with $15!  My stepson & his family brought chili dog fixings & we provided the Nintendo WII & games (we have like 30 games!!!) & the beer (and Ice tea, hot chocolate & water for the 3 kids---which we had all 3 already at home so no extra purchases were actually made).  We had a nice Saturday of playing WII games & enjoying the family.  Plus a couple of their friends stopped in...it was a very enjoyable day.

Friday night we went to TSO concert ($117) , Saturday with family ($15.00), Saturday night the Mosley Street Melodrama ($36.00), Sunday vegged out at home ($00.00). 

Wow!  I just added everything up & we spent $403 this w/e.  WOW.  It could have been worse.  It could have been $518.  I did save him $115.00.  Plus we got 5 christmas gifts bought.  only 3 more to buy.

Writing it all down, it appears we had a busy w/e.  No wonder I am so tired today!  LOL.  I need to also stay away from that darn coffee.  It is giving me the dizzy spells again.

Anna

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I didn't do as well as I was hoping at the craft fair.  I only sold 2 scarfs.  Period.   after lunch I dropped the price of the scarves to $10 & sold 2 of them so I only made $20 at the fair.  But still...seeings as it only cost me $4.00 to make the scarfs (four dollars total, not 4 each) I made a profit of $16.00 (spent $3 on breakfast so actually only made $13).

The booth next to ours said she wanted a dog sweater but I guess she decided she didn't like mine or didn't fit her dog maybe?  Jan said she never even came over to look at it.  I didn't get there until almost lunch time because Jinna & I decided to go to the Riverside Cafe and then she wanted to swing by her house to pick up something she forgot for the craft fair.  It is an old restaurant that has wonderful home cooked meals for a reasonable price.  Also they usually have coupons on the back of grocery store receipts so you can buy 2-for-1 meals.  Jinna just happened to have one of these coupons so we split a $5.99 meal.  I got half an order of B & G, hashbrowns, 2 eggs over-easy, 4 slices of bacon & a sausage patty for $3.00!  OH...and that included Coffee & a small milk also.  If I would have got the same thing Jinna did, it would have only come to $2.99 and I would have only had to pay $1.50 but Jinna only ordered toast, 1 egg, hashbrowns, hot tea & sm juice.  So they charged us for the higher price meal and jinna and i split the cost since it was a 2-for-1 coupon.

Today I have to go to the chiropractor & to crochet group.  I will stop at Dillons to use a coupon for a buy-1-get-1 free bread bowl.  I will take one of them with me to Crochet group & serve chicken noodle soup in it.  I made a double batch of it yesterday but we'll eat it today.  I'll use the other bread bowl to feed DH supper tonight.

DH took the day off work to go & have blood work drawn (part of his physical).  I imagine we will go out to eat this evening.  I have a 25% off coupon for one of our regular stops (The Texas Roadhouse) so will see if I can get him to take me there.  It shouldn't be a problem cuz it IS his favorite restaurant.  I think they are ok and I absolutely love the Beef Tips & mashed potato's but I also think they are a bit pricey and I cringe when he suggests we go there.  for the both of us it typically runs between $40-$60 each time.  It just depends if we get an appetizer or add a salad.  We've bought (3) $30 gift certificates from there recently and when he paid the bill on the first one, we had also had an appetizer AND a salad and the total bill was $99!!!  the next time I think it was like $78 but we didn't have appetizer or salad that time.  I didn't catch the price on this last one he bought.  we gave one of the gift cards to his daugher for her b/d & the other 2 will go to my sisters for Christmas.

speaking of Christmas...I've got 4 of the 8 scarfs made.  i better get busy on the other 4!  Got my family bought for already (the gift cards), my 2 neices will get scarfs (total cost $4 to make), DH 4 neices...2 of them will get scarfs and the other 2 will get shower gel & lotion from Bath & Body.  I had a coupon last year for buy-1-get-1 and I bought the 2 shower gels.  Well...they had a promotion going on at that time, for every $15 spent you got a free $15 or cheaper product.  Sooo...because I had spent $15 on the shower gel I got to pick a free product so I grabbed a matching body lotion.  And then it wasn't a week later I got another one of these coupons in the mail.  So I went back and bought another one.  So I basically got $60 in product for half price.  So DH 2 oldest neices will get the B & B product and the 2 youngest ones will get crocheted scarfs.  And then DH will have to buy for the 6 grandbabies because I offered to go to Kmart 2 months ago and put christmas on lay-away for them and he kept hem-hawing around so now...he gets to do the shopping for them.  I do NOT shop for christmas this late in the season.  I typically have my shopping done & all crafts made by Sept or Oct.  The only reason I didn't this year is because of our recent move & I've been down in the back and not been able to do a lot of that.  I also recently had shoulder surgery so that has put a crimp in things also.

I need to drop off some stuff at the thrift store today and will probably stop in & see if I can find any bargains in yarn, material or hopefully a cheap frame so I can work on a puzzle.  there's nothing worse than getting a puzzle put together and then not be able to frame it cuz you don't have a frame laying around.  It drives me crazy to leave a puzzle laying out not framed so I try to make sure i have a frame on hand before I put the puzzle together.  However I refuse to pay $8-10 or $12 for a used picture frame that doesn't even have glass in it.    Anyways...hopefully I will find one soon.

Ok...gonna get off here & get my day started.

Anna

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