Dave Ramsey update and Sorta what I did this week

Just wanted to Jabber on about my day. This morning Jimmy woke up not to his alarm but to my mom texting me at 7:20. Keep in mind, Jimmy leaves for work at 7:20 on a late day. So there was no way he was going to be able to bring Caleb to my moms for me. He left for work and I went back to sleep. Fast forward an hour and 25 min later. I woke up, not to my kid but to my mom :) :) texting me at 8:45. lol Then the kid came in. Well, I wasn't getting back to sleep but sleeping in was really nice today!! Yesterday was a busy day for me, Jimmy was home, my son was home, my sister and her mom came over and made cookies, also got a bunch of surveys done!, got some coke rewards put in (I have a box full), some bills paid, and a few other things too. But with paying bills, that means you must have money in your bank account. Well, we didn't! I am a Dave Ramsey gal. So all our money is at home. So I had Jimmy bring money to the bank.
Also, my home mortgage needed to be paid, so this morning I went and paid my mortgage for Feb. Yes, Feb. I am a month ahead. I know. Not really a Dave thing. But it's a Jessica security thing. And truthfully speaking, when we get to the baby being born, our wedding, our honey moon, ect. I want to make sure that those are being paid! And if I don't have time or money to do so, then we will have an extra $500 that month to work with. I am classic for "hiding" money and this is another way I do it. Jimmy and I both pay a little extra on our mortgages. Again, not quite a Dave thing but I never claimed to do EVERY THING his way. I owe $474 on mine and we pay $500. He owes $598 and we pay $650. I have a 15 year mortgage but Jimmy has a 30 year!! When he got the house a year and a half ago, we were seeing each other but we weren't seriously seeing each other. But I told him to get a 15 year. He didn't listen.
As of July 1st this year, we still have $4,964.12 to pay off of Jimmy's student loan in his name. That student loan started off at $6,147 which means that Jimmy has been paying on his student loan since the beginning of 2007 and has only paid off $1182.88 as of July. YIKES!! Since we have Baby step 1 completed ($1,000 in the bank) This is baby step 2 for us.
Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball. This is semi on hold right now as we are just trying to get by these next 4 or so months til I can go back to work. Also, we have a honey moon semi paid for already. We are going to Hawaii. I know, for some one who is in debt we shouldn't be going. We typically aren't big spenders and we want to make the best of this honey moon. I am a panic queen when it comes to money. I am the Nerd in the family!! But this is something that I want to do. For once in my life, i want to spend money on something. It's just going to happen. I am just going to deal with the criticism.
Along with Jimmy having a student loan out in his name, his mom also has a student loan out in her name for him!! The original balance was $17,305.61!! And four years later it is at $15,718.04. Yup, he's paid off $1,587.57. This is the second item of Debt snowball that we are trying to attack!

He has paid out roughly $11,380 and paid off $2,770.  Thank You Sallie Mae for picking up our slack! That's the new of the day for me :)

Free Purina Pet food

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid82797.aspx?POV=3&wmlspartner=NKa3hZyYoHA&sourceid=15344072553328838272

The link above will get you free dog or cat food. I got this sample a few days ago and I am glad to see that it is back again. Wait for the ONE banner. It'll say get your free sample. Super easy and they sent me a full size box of cat food (BTW, I had requested dog food for my mom. So I am not sure what's up with that.) But... I guess lets try round 2. : )

Huggies Rewards!

Another Huggies rewards point for ya here. Go here:

https://enjoytheriderewards.com/default.aspx?c=us&bhcp=1

BJWNCKSTWLFNPGB 1point

Free Gucci Fragrance

http://www.facebook.com/GUCCI?v=app_140528999319305

Will get you a free sample of Gucci fragrance! Send it to you and anyone else you know on Facebook. Make sure to like them, then head over to the Gucci guilty tab.

Free Yoplait Yogurt

Head on over to:

http://www.facebook.com/Yoplait?v=app_168462209855664

To get a free cup of yogurt! Like the page and click on the calcium tab the very top will have the freebie offer on it!!

Ultrasound Yesterday

Yesterday I had my ultrasound appointment at 2 PM. Before that, I needed to go down stairs to the lab and drink that nasty orange drink for my 1 hour glucose test. They told me I needed to be back in the lab at 2:47 to get my blood drawn for that. So I slowly waddled to my Dr. for my ultrasound appointment which might I add, is at the opposite end of this really long building! I waited in the waiting room til 2:27 at which time they brought me back for my weight. I am up to a whopping 159!! Up 3 lbs from last week. However, they told me I didn't gain any weight last week so really I am up 3 lbs from 2 weeks ago. Pre-pregnancy weight was 147. So I have gained about 12 lbs and I am 26 weeks 3 days along. Then they took my blood pressure. Everything was alright there. By the time we made it into the room I had just 9 min to get my ultrasound done, signed out, and waddle my way down stairs again! Instead of having the ultrasound tech do my ultrasound, my Dr. did it!! He seems to like doing them on me or something because one day I had the ultrasound tech doing it and he came in and asked to switch with her! I really like both my ultrasound tech and the specialist so I don't mind who does it. I told the Dr. I needed to be back for blood work and he said, "We like you so much we want you to stay here with us." And he had the nurse take my blood work : ) That was kinda nice to because then I wasn't going down to a nurse whom I didn't know. Dr. looked at my numbers, first the heart, going through the cycle all the way down to the amniotic fluid. Everything looked good. But the amniotic fluid was still at a 7!! I also expressed a concern I had regarding pain in my hips and low low belly when the baby kicked. Only sometimes but still a concern I had. He tried to look at my cervix but was unable to because I don't have enough amniotic fluid. The ultrasound was done. However, he had me go into a room with just a blanket over my bottom half and do a physical exam for my cervix. It was not at all effaced which is great news. He is wondering now why I have been on bed rest for 2 weeks with no more amniotic fluid. He isn't sure but is having me take 81mg aspirin because he is wondering if the placenta is maturing faster than the baby is. He is wondering if blood vessels are being blocked off that normally wouldn't be blocked off at this point. Blood vessels that should be providing nutrients to the baby that aren't now. So he is having me go on 1 81mg aspirin in hopes that it will open up some of those blood vessels and provide better blood flow to the placenta. After that I was done. He had me make another appointment for next week Thursday the 6th for a weight check and "short" ultrasound and another full ultrasound in two weeks on Friday the 14th. For now, I am to lay down only. Relax, and do nothing, all day, everyday!! Which is a killer for me.

Huggies Rewards!

Huggies has got yet another one for us. I think this is the most that I have ever seen at one time for Huggies or Pampers! Here's the code to get you another 5 points!

bjsgmlkkkqzkpgb

Disney Movie Rewards

The magic code COOL will get you 50 more points on your Disney movie rewards. I think I am going to save up for a Handy Manny DVD for my son. I have only got 470 points but they seem to be adding up fast! The DVD is just 750 points. What reward are you looking to get?

Smile.ly—Be Heard. Be Happy.

Smile.ly—Be Heard. Be Happy.

I just signed up for this, Smile.ly. My mom is part of this site and just got a whole bunch of OJ for free. And on top of that, she got a whole bunch more coupons for $1.00 off OJ which will make for a killer deal on OJ!!! I am thinking I am going to love it.

Huggies Rewards!

Huggies has got one for us today too!!

BGTCKMJMKHKBPGB

That will get you 1 point.

Another Pampers code!

HAPPYHOLIDAYSFB

The code above is worth another 10 points! I think pampers must have had a good Christmas. They sure are in a great mood :)

Pampers code

So the pampers codes just keep coming in!! Here's a few more worth 10 points for you.

CONGRATS2NEWMOM
gtgcouponpoints

Pampers code

NEWWIPESPACKAGE
GTGWELCOME10PTS
are pampers codes that will get you 10 points each!!!

Free bottle of excedrin

Free bottle of excedrin coupon through snail mail.

http://bricks.coupons.com/mail.asp?o=79938&pt=&lang=&ws=&ct=&ci=&cl=&cp=&eb=1&c=NV&p=exce614443&z=&r=&pc=&tc=

Sign up for it through the link above!

Blockbuster Express code

Free blockbuster express DVD rental code! Use thanku to get 1 night free rental. Valid Dec 23rd and 24th only! So make sure to grab one for the fam. or make time for that special snuggle buddy : )

Baby Update!

This is a little delayed but on Monday I went to the Dr. and had another ultrasound. I didn't gain any weight this time around. Still at 156 lbs. Which means I have gained a total of 9 lbs. Monday was just a recheck. So they didn't do a full ultra sound. They looked at all the major things, heart, blood flow, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, head size, the defect, kidneys, and a few other things. The heart is something they want to keep checking up on because with a baby with Gastroschisis, the chance of a heart defect as well is higher than in a normal/healthy baby. The heart of my baby boy is looking Better than they could have imagined!! So that is uplifting news! They are checking the blood flow in the entire body and umbilical cord to make sure there isn't a blockage of any sort. Everything looked great here as well. The amniotic fluid was still very low. Still at a 7. So they have requested that my 4 year old not be home unless some one else is here with me :( So I am home alone all day. As you can guess, I am not to keen on this idea!! But my mom does at home day care so she just takes him all day. The defect is looking the same as before. Nothing new there. And the kidneys still have extra fluid in them. On Tuesday my 4 year old had surgery to get tubes put back in his ears. This is time #4!! He first had them done at 6 months, then at 12 months, then last March so 3 years 5 months, and now, 4 years 2 months. Yesterday my Jimmy was home so I spent a lot of time with him. He has been doing a lot. Working 55 hours a week on average, then coming home and being mom and dad to Caleb, house work, finding us a car, ect. So a day "off" was in order for him! It was nice being able to see him for more than just a few min before falling asleep in bed! Today, I have been listening to Christmas music and trying to catch up on surveys! I am a few days behind and have found that some of my surveys have already closed out!! Still looking out for those deals though. :)

Daily check up

I've got another one for your daily check up. Toy's R Us has a instant win toy giveaway. 40 winners a day will win a Free toy. One grand prize winner will win over $1,500 worth of toys!! Here's the new link:

http://www.toysrushotholidaygiveaway.com/?csm=174772294&csc=1252877&csa=172756598&csu=1254577&camp=CME:20101218_Em_TRUCOM_Toy%20Giveaway

Here are the other things you will want to check today:
Swagbucks.com : Daily poll, trusted surveys, NOSO (no obligation special offers)
mypoints.com : Daily spin and win
Bath and Body works : http://bathandbodyworks.promo.eprize.com/perfectgift/
Disney Movie rewards : http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas

Bath & Body Works

Get at free lip item (up to $8) Free with any purchase!! I did this the last time this coupon was out and  I paid just $2.00 for a hand sanitizer and holder to put on my purse! The holder was just 50 cents! and the mini sanitizer, just $1.50!! I will be doing this for sure if I can get off this crazy bed rest :)

Here's the coupon:

http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/r/regf2?aid=528207786&a=0&n=68&cm_mmc=CH-_-20101219RDMLIP-_-10009605-_-mainPrintCoupon&cm_lm=

Recycle Bank

http://www.recyclebank.com/live_green

Go there for another 10 points! Look on the right hand side of the screen for a box. It'll as "how many gallons of water can you save by skipping the pre-wash" click your choice of 4,8, or 12 and you'll win 10 points!! I did have to refresh my screen to get it to the right box, so you may have to as well.

Daily check up

Did you check your regular sites to see what kind of points/rewards you will get today? Here are a list of a few that I checked already today.

Swagbucks.com : Daily poll, trusted surveys, NOSO (no obligation special offers)
mypoints.com : Daily spin and win
Bath and Body works : http://bathandbodyworks.promo.eprize.com/perfectgift/
Disney Movie rewards : http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas

I will make sure to post if I think of any more.

Recycle Bank

I just got an e-mail asking me to participate in a 50 point survey. The e-mail said it would take me 10 minutes but it took me just 4! Well worth the 50 points I got. The points will show up in my account in about 2 weeks.

Swagbucks

Swag bucks is another site I go to daily to get points (or shall I say swagbucks).

Earn 1 point for the Daily Poll:
http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=co-daily-poll&utm_source=EmailDirect.com&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Week+Of+Wins+Campaign

Earn 1 point for going to the trusted survey page (please note that you do not have to do any surveys, just click on the page daily):
http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=px-survey

Click through the special offers to earn 1 point (again, you don't have to do any of them. just hit skip til you get a point!): http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-special-offers

Search swagbucks instead of google or yahoo! (you can win multiple times a day with this and the points vary):
http://search.swagbucks.com/

Install the toolbar and get 1 point each day just for having it up there:
http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-plugins

Sometimes there are codes in your e-mail, facebook, twitter, blogs, and more.

My points instant win game

I thought I would tell you about another site that I love called My Points. They will send you e-mails and all you do is open them up, click on the link and most of them will give you 5 points. I have been a member since September 12th and i already have 1,525 points. That is just a few points away from many $10 gift cards! If you go to the site right below, you can sign up and get these special offers too. Other ways to earn from My Points include: playing games, surveys, shopping, the Daily Spin and Win and more. The link below is for the instant win game called Daily Spin and Win.

https://www.mypoints.com/emp/u/promos/dailyspin.vm

Also, don't forget Bath and body works instant win game:

http://bathandbodyworks.promo.eprize.com/perfectgift/

Free redbox movie at Meijers

I don't remember or know how I did it. But a while back I signed up to get text messages from Meijers. I get $ off text but also redbox free movie rental text! Use coupon code mejer45 to get one night free movie rental from a Meijers redbox. Expires tonight at midnight so make sure you get there today!

CVS magic coupon machine

There have been reports of people getting a $30 off xtreme fit gaming mat. Reg. price is $49.99 - the $30 is just $19.99 but there are also reports of it being on sale for $29.99! So I went to CVS and scanned my card. Although I didn't get the $30 off, here are the coupons that I did get:

1st scan gave me these:
$5 extra care bucks to be spent on just about anything! exp. 1/13
$5 off Merry Brite light set purchase of $20 of more exp. 12/21
$10 off Holiday Porch Trees, starting at $29.99 exp 12/21
$1 off 2 hersheys, m&m, or dove 7.9-12.6 oz bags exp 12/15
$1 off russell stover candy 8.25-12 oz exp 12/15
$2 off advil pain relief items exp 12/15

2nd Scan gave me these:
$1 off folgers instant coffee exp 12/21
$1 off starbucks 12 oz coffee exp 12/21
$1 off kraft dinners exp 12/21

*I am sure to find a reason to spend my free $5 extra care bucks!
*Get a good deal on M&Ms Candy Happy Holidays Mix 9.9-12.6 oz by combining in-store coupon with, a coupon from the Red Plum 11/14 news paper coupons, and the $1 off 2 from the magic coupon machine
*Looks like advil has a 4 pk for just 99 cents! Free advil!
*Starbucks has their cold coffees for under $2 normally so 1/2 price
*Kraft easy cup normally $1.29 so just 29 cents after coupon


If you are able to get a good deal or get any different coupons from the magic coupon machine, post here so I can see what you got :)

Gazelle Intense Saving!

So with everything that's been going on with the baby, we needed to make sure we had enough money for our honey moon to Hawaii, a car, and the baby coming home!! We started to save and decided we were going gazelle intense on this one! We saved just about any spare penny we could. In just a few months, we scrapped together $2,010. Obviously that is nothing compared to what we need but it sure is an awesome start. I am one for "hiding" my money. I don't really hide it, I kinda just store it someplace I don't often go. So I opened up a bank account at PNC bank. It has a savings program and interest is 1.1% I think. Although this isn't a great deal of interest, I knew that it was something that we could put in and take out at any point in time. It isn't something that is stuck someplace for the next 6 months before we can take it out with out penalty. And it is also a new place for me to "hide" money. : ) Little did I know that just 2 days later I would be on Strict Bed Rest! Finances will be tight for sure for the next while but I will be doing everything I can to sell stuff, do surveys on-line, sign up for freebies on-line, and coupon like I never have before! We have also got out $1,000 emergency fund in place. And we have a little extra money in our bill binder because we haven't been using as much water, gas, heat, or electricity as before. Praying daily that god will provide a way for us. That way may not be a paved road, and it might feel all up hill, but he will provide!

Coke Rewards

Coke Rewards special today is a Free 12 pack coke product!! At just 30 points (reg. 240 points) this is an awesome deal! Check it out here:

http://www.mycokerewards.com/rewards/free-12pack-sparkling-coupon-wednesdays-deal/12925?

I got mine. Go get yours now :)

Ultra sound today!

Well, I figure I should mention a little bit more about the baby today. I found out I was pregnant right before my High School 5 year reunion. I wanted to take a test to be sure before I had a few drinks with everyone. Found out I was pregnant, so obviously I didn't drink that night. I didn't have insurance so I did have to go downtown to apply for Medicaid. As we all know, that can take just about forever. I got the acceptance letter the day before I went on vacation to Tennessee so I wasn't able to make an appointment til after I got back. After that, I went in for my first appointment. The weighed me and gave me prenatal meds. The scheduled me an ultrasound to see how far along I was a week later. At that ultrasound I found out I was just 6 weeks along. I had an appointment Oct. 28th and had some blood work drawn. That came back abnormal and I was asked to take a second round. That also came back abnormal and I had to go to a specialist the next week. I had an hour long ultra sound where the found out the baby had Gastroschisis, a defect where the skin on the right side of the babies belly never fully formed. So the intestines, bowel, and anything else that is sposta be on the inside of the belly just floating around in the amniotic fluid. I had a shorter ultrasound 2 weeks ago where they said everything was kinda the same. This week I had another long ultrasound. While they measure everything, they are paying special attention to the heart, which a lot of times also has a defect when a baby has gastroschisis. They are also looking at the kidneys, they have extra fluid in them. This is called Renal Pelvis Dilation. Extra fluid in the kidneys is also a sign of Down Syndrome. They are asking that I not be concerned about that. It isn't something they think is going wrong as of now. I will have an amniocentesis in a few weeks to check out the chromosomes of the baby. They will know more then. So today, the long ultrasound found that there was still extra fluid in the kidneys. The heart looked GREAT! They also looked at my amniotic fluid and found that it was really low. It is based on a scale of 0-20. 15-20 is normal. The baby is at a 7!! At 5 or 6 they will admit me to the hospital. Right now the Dr.'s orders are a strict bed rest. I am only aloud to get up off the couch/computer chair/bed to pee. They are hoping the baby will produce more fluid. I have another appointment next Monday and we will discuss the results and what to do next then. For now, I am going to try and rest and relax and get this baby healthy.

Send Cookies To Soldiers

http://www.facebook.com/kenmore#!/kenmore?v=app_155844884458429

If you "like" the facebook page above, you can send cookies to a soldier for the holidays. You are just a few clicks away from sending them! You even get to pick a personalized message to send to them :) What a great Free way to give back this holiday season.

Shout Color Catcher freebie

http://www.shoutitout.com/coupon/06-10-shoutsample/

Go here for a free sample of shout color catcher! Gotta love those freebies :)

Huggies Rewards

https://enjoytheriderewards.com/default.aspx?c=us&bhcp=1
Has an awesome rewards program. Get points from Huggies products to earn points. You can also watch 30 second videos, take part in a poll, and I will post codes from time to time as well. This program is really awesome even if you don't have Little ones. This would be a free and simple way to donate diapers, wipes, or toys just by putting in codes on-line.
Here is a list of current codes:
BFMJCPNQCJBNPGB (5 Points)
BFNMBKDSPXRCPGB (5 Points)
SLHPGDSPRWCDPGB (5 Points)
BHSGSWKLGQRQPGB (5 Points)
BJKNGQJRMBQRPGB (5 Points)
BJKFTDXKFHCDPGB (5 Points)
BJQRFNCNMCNPPGB (5 Points)
BJQTWZMFQJWFPGB (5 Points)
BJGGPDCLDDPMPGB (5 Points)
BJQXHDKRRKGMPGB (5 Points)
BJRGHJHZNFSJPGB (5 Points)
BJRJLBZZLFBDPGB (5 Points)
BJXFQ-NXHSW-TFPGB (1 Point)
There is a video for 2 points
And a poll up for 1 Point


Most times they have sign up bonus points as well. But even with out the sign up points, these codes should get you 64 points. That is already 20% of the way to a free pack of diapers. And what did you do? Not a whole lot! Take advantage of this program! It rocks :)

Disney Movie Rewards

Did you remember to head to ABC Family to get your Disney Movie Rewards? 5 more points when you click on the Deck The Halls Box near the bottom.

http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas

Bath And Body Works Instant Win Game

Go to:

http://bathandbodyworks.promo.eprize.com/perfectgift/

Sign up and see if your an instant winner. 25 winners per day. You can play once per day through Christmas Eve. Even if you don't win today, you get a $10 off any purchase of $30 or more coupon. It's a win win right there!

Recycle bank

Here's a pretty sweet deal. Remember Recycle Bank that I told you about earlier?

http://jessicasjabbers.blogspot.com/2010/12/recycle-bank.html

I hope you signed up! Because this Monday-Friday they are having discounts on their rewards. Today it's only 5 POINTS for a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Coke 2 Liter Coupon! It's normally 60 points so this is a super awesome deal. Go here for a direct link to the BOGO coupon:

https://www.recyclebank.com/login?service=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.recyclebank.com%2Fmy_rewards%2Fcategory%2F89%3F&cm_mmc=Insiders-_-Rewards-_-Hip%202%20Save-_-5+Days+of+Hot+Deals

After I checked out with my "purchase" it said my coupon will be here in 7-10 Business days. Maybe this will be a Christmas surprise :)

Yoplait Freebie!

Head on over to:

http://www.yoplait.com/default.aspx

and click on Get Your Free Cup to get a free cup of yogurt!

Well, Jimmy got a bonus yesterday from work. Some where around $1,500 but he won't tell me exactly because he wants to get me a Christmas present from it first. We are also going to be getting a winter beater of a car with it. God always provides! It seems as though when ever Jimmy and I get a little panicked about money, some how he gets a bonus, we get money back from over paying insurance, or we simply don't have to pay a bill that month because we overpaid last month.  On the down side of things, I have been having quite a few contractions over the last few days. I called the Dr. and he wants me to drink a quart of water above the 2 gallons of water that he wants me to drink each day when I am having contractions like this. He also said rest every two hours while I am at work (yeah right, who's boss is going to be ok with that?) and if my contractions continue, I may have to cut back on my hours at work.

87% Savings! Walgreens Diaper Senerio

I got 12 tissue paper, 6 snickers nutcracker singles, and 6 packs of diapers.

Here's How:

1st Transaction:
Buy 6 Hallmark white tissue paper (20 ct) @  $0.99 each
Total = $5.94
Use the 3/$1 in Ad coupon (will deduct $3.94)
Pay the $2 + tax
Get back $5 in Jingle cash!


2nd Transaction:
Buy 6 Hallmark white tissue paper (20 ct) @  $0.99 each
Total = $5.94
Use the 3/$1 in Ad coupon (will deduct $3.94)
Pay the $2 + tax
Get back $5 in Jingle cash!

3rd Transaction:
Buy 6 packs of Walgreens brand diapers @ 8.99 each
Total = 53.94
They are on a BOGO sale (will deduct $26.97)
Total = 26.97
I was able to print off 2 $1/1 coupons (will deduct $2)

http://faithfulprovisions.com/coupons/redplum-coupons/ 

Total = 24.97
Use 2 $5 Jingle cash from above (will deduct $10)
Total 14.97
Get back $10 in Jingle cash


4th Transaction:
Buy 6 Snickers Nutcracker Singles 3/$1
Total = $2
Use the $2/3 coupon found in the 12/5 RP
Total = 6 FREE Snickers Nutcracker Singles

Total OOP = $18.97 + tax and I still have $10 Jingle cash!

So you will have $67.82 in products and it will have cost you $8.97 That is an 87% savings!!

Disney Movie Rewards

www.disneymovierewards.com

Go to the site above to sign up for Disney Movie Rewards! Head to http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas and look for the Deck The Halls box click this to receive extra reward points every day this month. If you have children who love Disney movies, this rewards program is a must. Every time you buy a Disney DVD or watch a Disney movie in theaters, you earn some points. I have been a member since June and I have 375 points! Including the 100 points I earned today for a short survey! Redeem the points for toys, DVD's and much more.

Recycle bank

recyclebank.com

Go to the site above to sign up for recycle bank. Right now you can take a quiz and get 25 points. Although I don't feel like there are a ton of opportunities with this web site, there are still rewards. That being said, I don't think there can be much wrong with this site :)  I have been a member of this site since July and I have gotten 195 points! It takes just 100 points for a few freebies at McDonalds and 150 points for a BOGO entree at RubyTuesday. 2,500 points for a $10 gift card. That's a whole lot of points but I can't complain when I am getting something for free and doing just about nothing for it.

A little more about me.

I have son who is 4. I am engaged to a great man named Jimmy and we are expecting a bundle of Joy near the beginning of March. It's a Boy!! We are getting Married June 18th, 2011. As I have mentioned in my Dave Ramsey post, we own two houses. We rent one out right now which has proven to be a bigger challenge than we had planned on. And we live in the other. We also have about $20,000 in student loans from Jimmys college. So as you can see, we are in some debt and need to get out of it. AND FAST!! Jimmy and I both work full time so that is where our income comes from. But we need to figure out ways to cut back costs of our daily living. We use coupons combined with sales for most of our food, house hold cleaning products, and personal products. We also take shorter showers, turn our heat down and even my 4 year old knows to turn off lights when he leaves the room! I think we have a great start. About 4 months ago, the transmission on my car went out. Thankfully we had a few extra cars to work with. We have a motorcycle, a jeep, a sedan, and 2 sports cars total. Well the sedan was out. So we used the jeep and the motorcycle. Then it got to cold to use the motorcycle so we switched to the Jeep and the sports car. Then the sports car went out too! The other sports car is in pieces!! That was out. So we went to the back up plan. "MOM!! Can we borrow your extra car??" Here we are today, borrowing my moms car. Not a great plan either. We got the news the other day that my sedan is going to be between $1,500 and $3,300 to fix. New plan... buy another car. Jimmy is handy with cars but the cars we have need a lot of help. Debt free... here we come!!

Stouffers Dinner Club

http://www.stouffers.com/User/Registration.aspx?Site=DC

Go to the site above to sign up for Stouffers Dinner Club. I just did two short surveys under the earn points heading and got 10 points! Get rewards from cell phone covers to coupons for free Stouffers food. I just started this a week and a half ago and I already have 220 points. Just 280 more and I get my choice of three different free Stouffers food coupons!

Dave Ramsey

I have been doing the Dave Ramsey budgeting plan for roughly 11 months and Love it so far. We are a little relaxed sometimes compared to his teachings but I find that if I am uptight about money, it makes me want to spend more!! A coke from McDonalds here or there is ok as long as we budget it into our blow budget. We have our $1,000 emergency fund in place and are working to become debt free!! We have 2 student loans to pay off, equaling about $20,000. And we own 2 homes. Other than that, we have paid off 7 credit cards in the last year or so! So that is good motivation to continue. I am also hoping for this blog to be an accountability tool. Even if no one in the world reads this, then I will know what I have set forth to do and I will have written it down for the world to see :)  And I certainly can't go back on my written word!

FREEBIE at Toys R Us ----- U-Build Battleship!

Toys R Us has a sweet deal on the U-Build Battleship game right now. On clearance at my store for just $7.49!! Do this deal to score this for FREE!!

Buy U-Build Battleship for $7.49
Go to  http://www.hasbro.com/games/en_US/shop/special-offers.cfm to get a  $5 off coupon!
Pay just $2.49
Submit for the $3 Mail in rebate found in store on the tear pad
Final cost FREE + 51 cents

Hi mom!!

Ok, when you first become *famous* (and I kinda feel that way now) I firmly believe you should always say hi to your mom. She is the one made me who I am today and helps me with most anything I need help with. So in keeping with the *being famous* theme I have to say THANKS MOM as well. :)