I have recently caught the price matching and couponing bug that is all the rage right now! It seems to make perfect sense to try and save some money while we are a single income family. And what a great way to save time, going to one store and getting all the prices that are advertised all over the place. Little did I know that my nerves might not be cut out for such an extensive project.
So far, I have "price matched" twice. My first experience was pretty good; I made a list, I took Zack to the store and I organized my cart according to flyer. The only real trouble came at the cash. Being a fairly non-confrontational person, I found it stressful to justify each purchase but the cashier was patient and we got through it. And the savings were undeniable - almost $40! How could I go wrong?!
Today's experience was a little different. To combat the large load I anticipated, I brought my sister to help entertain Zack and so I could use 2 carts. The same amount of prep and planning went into the trip and this time I thought I'd throw coupons into the mix. I found the shopping a little chaotic. Since I write my list by flyer it takes me to all different departments and I find myself back-tracking more then I would like. But I digress, this was all in the name of savings so I persevered. Zack started to meltdown but still I powered on. My trouble started at the cash. I should've known as soon as I put my first flyer down this cashier was not going to work with me.
I know price matching can not be as enjoyable for the cashier as it is for the consumer but seriously? This is something the store as arranged to do so I think cashiers should try harder to get on board! I was careful to choose items that were the same brand and size as advertised in the flyer but this cashier picked apart my entire order. She wouldn't let me get one of my frozen juices for the sale price because the ad had a picture of fruit punch but said "frozen punch" and I had one fruit punch and one citrus punch - still punch! I was trying to purchase paper towels that were one sale, an 8 pack for about $4 but the store only had (same brand) 6 packs. I was willing to take LESS (the 6's) for the same price but they said they couldn't match because it wasn't the exact same - darn it! And any produce I had was vetoed because the pictures showed certain brand names even though the description just said "US produce" - ugh, so frustrating! It's a good thing I didn't attempt any meat that had complicated "per pound" pricing!
I left the store a little discouraged. This was supposed to be so easy but I felt like I had done something wrong (maybe because the people waiting in line behind me were cursing about how long I was taking). The cashiers I have encountered have not made me feel good about trying to save my family money - they've made me feel guilty for giving them extra work and self-conscience of my flyers and lists. I'm beginning to wonder if I wouldn't save myself some stress by simply traveling around from store to store for the deals. I have the time in theory to do this even though it would mean dragging my son all over town and lugging him in and out of the car. Is the physical work worth the stress reduction? I think this calls for an experiment, results to follow!
Friday, 27 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Looooooong Weekend!
I am happy to say that we made the most of this past long weekend! We are notorious lazy people in my house, in pj's all day, watching lots of TV and basically just getting nothing done. When we get the chance to sit still, we really live it up!
As usual, hubby was working Friday/Saturday but me and Zack helped his Auntie Tee get ready for her prom! This included picking her up from her nail appointment, driving her to get her hair done, taking her for lunch and then back to her house to get dressed before pictures - basically we were her chauffeurs but we really enjoyed seeing her get ready to have a fun night! We even went to the limo pick up to get pictures of her, her date and Zackie before they departed. We wanted to enjoy all the sunshine before the "rain" people kept talking about finally came. At home I prepared for "price-matching" shopping on Saturday morning. If you've never heard of this or never done it, I highly reccommend it!
Zack and I set out with our flyers on Saturday morning and saved almost $40 on groceries! Our first mission successful - details to follow another time. Imagine my surprise when hubby showed up home from work by 12:30! We made good use of the beautiful afternoon by getting our backyard organized - finally my new patio furniture is going to get the recognition it deserves! In our race against the inpending "rain" we got the table up, the sand and water table built and the gazebo started. The rain never showed but the backyard was starting to come together.
Sunday morning, my brother came by to help hubby move the hideous shed beside our house to a less conspicuous postion. They did this early to avoid the "rain". Several drops fell but they managed to get the shed in place without too much of a problem. After Zack's nap (who are we kidding...I napped too), we headed out to watch the horseraces and fireworks! My little guy loves animals like nobody's business, launghing at all the horses everytime they walked by. That alone would've been enough to make it a great day but it didn't hurt that we won almost $20 as well!
Today's plan included indoor activities to prepare for the inevitable "rain" that was still expected. Off we went to the bowling alley with a group of friends and their kids. Although not an avid bowler, I had a lovely morning being an "alley-cat". Once the kids were losing their cool, we all decided to risk the "rain" and enjoy lunch on a patio. We almost made it safely out of the weekend when one of our compadres remarked on a definite lack of "rain" this weekend. Wouldn't you know it, it started to rain right then! We mad-dashed inside and had our lunch under the cover of a roof. Since we gave up our patio spot, the rain quickly stopped and now the day is almost done without any of the "thunder storms" and "rain showers" that were promised this weekend.
We were so happy to have a lot of quality time together this weekend and to be so fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather! It was great seeing Zack have fun where ever we took him and so nice for us to be able to take him along on all our adventures!
As usual, hubby was working Friday/Saturday but me and Zack helped his Auntie Tee get ready for her prom! This included picking her up from her nail appointment, driving her to get her hair done, taking her for lunch and then back to her house to get dressed before pictures - basically we were her chauffeurs but we really enjoyed seeing her get ready to have a fun night! We even went to the limo pick up to get pictures of her, her date and Zackie before they departed. We wanted to enjoy all the sunshine before the "rain" people kept talking about finally came. At home I prepared for "price-matching" shopping on Saturday morning. If you've never heard of this or never done it, I highly reccommend it!
Zack and I set out with our flyers on Saturday morning and saved almost $40 on groceries! Our first mission successful - details to follow another time. Imagine my surprise when hubby showed up home from work by 12:30! We made good use of the beautiful afternoon by getting our backyard organized - finally my new patio furniture is going to get the recognition it deserves! In our race against the inpending "rain" we got the table up, the sand and water table built and the gazebo started. The rain never showed but the backyard was starting to come together.
Sunday morning, my brother came by to help hubby move the hideous shed beside our house to a less conspicuous postion. They did this early to avoid the "rain". Several drops fell but they managed to get the shed in place without too much of a problem. After Zack's nap (who are we kidding...I napped too), we headed out to watch the horseraces and fireworks! My little guy loves animals like nobody's business, launghing at all the horses everytime they walked by. That alone would've been enough to make it a great day but it didn't hurt that we won almost $20 as well!
Today's plan included indoor activities to prepare for the inevitable "rain" that was still expected. Off we went to the bowling alley with a group of friends and their kids. Although not an avid bowler, I had a lovely morning being an "alley-cat". Once the kids were losing their cool, we all decided to risk the "rain" and enjoy lunch on a patio. We almost made it safely out of the weekend when one of our compadres remarked on a definite lack of "rain" this weekend. Wouldn't you know it, it started to rain right then! We mad-dashed inside and had our lunch under the cover of a roof. Since we gave up our patio spot, the rain quickly stopped and now the day is almost done without any of the "thunder storms" and "rain showers" that were promised this weekend.
We were so happy to have a lot of quality time together this weekend and to be so fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather! It was great seeing Zack have fun where ever we took him and so nice for us to be able to take him along on all our adventures!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Happy Mothers Day
The differences between last years Mothers day and this years:-
Last year - spent a sleepless night at my parents house to be closer to the hospital so we could have an early morning visit.
This year - slept blissfully and even managed to sleep in a little because hubby got up early with Zack.
Last year - had a Mothers day breakfast sans child and felt very self-conscience as well as anxious to finish so I could get to the hospital to see my baby.
This year - skipped breakfast in favour of a leisurely shower and opted for a Mothers day lunch at home to avoid dealing with a cranky baby at a restaurant.
Last year - no gifts or cards because both hubby and I were too busy and stressed to think about it.
This year - adorable hand-painted flower pot and cards from Zack & my puppy. Also, the best gift of all, a smiling child!
Last year - depressing dinner with my in-laws, during which I felt too sad to eat.
This year - a lovely visit from my parents for gift exchange and a mere phone call to the in-laws resulting in a stress-free day!
All in all a successful day with many contrasts to last year. I think I'd like to consider this my first mothers day because not only was it a wonderful day but I definitely felt like a mom this year!
Last year - spent a sleepless night at my parents house to be closer to the hospital so we could have an early morning visit.
This year - slept blissfully and even managed to sleep in a little because hubby got up early with Zack.
Last year - had a Mothers day breakfast sans child and felt very self-conscience as well as anxious to finish so I could get to the hospital to see my baby.
This year - skipped breakfast in favour of a leisurely shower and opted for a Mothers day lunch at home to avoid dealing with a cranky baby at a restaurant.
Last year - no gifts or cards because both hubby and I were too busy and stressed to think about it.
This year - adorable hand-painted flower pot and cards from Zack & my puppy. Also, the best gift of all, a smiling child!
Last year - depressing dinner with my in-laws, during which I felt too sad to eat.
This year - a lovely visit from my parents for gift exchange and a mere phone call to the in-laws resulting in a stress-free day!
All in all a successful day with many contrasts to last year. I think I'd like to consider this my first mothers day because not only was it a wonderful day but I definitely felt like a mom this year!
Friday, 6 May 2011
The Things I've learned in One Year
I'm a little behind on this post because my baby-man turned 1 last Friday (!!!) but I have been suffering from Bronchitis for the past week so it's taken me this long to feel up to thinking hard enough to write. Please bare with me as I try to remember all the things I've learned in the past year.
1. Every phase/rough patch passes. In the first days of Zack's life, I found it hard to believe that things wouldn't always revolve around feedings and diaper changes. All those sleepless nights seemed to stretch on into my future and the very thought made me physically exhausted. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that nothing lasts forever. Not only will I use that fact to get through difficult phases he goes through but also as a reminder to cherish his childhood. Each age and stage goes so quickly - take lots of pictures, write lots in the baby book/journal and enjoy every day (even the cranky ones!).
2. You can (and will) survive on little to no sleep. Time after time I've woken up feeling tired or sick and not sure if I could push through the day. With my baby in my life I've no option but to suffer through some days very tired because there are no sick days in mommyhood! And guess what? I survived and lived to do it all again the next day. This isn't to say I don't enjoy extra sleep when I can get it but I'm confident in the fact that life will go on whether I've had 8 hours or 3.
3. A smile can change everything. This one seems pretty obvious but until I saw Zack smile for the first time I'd never felt my whole body give in to such a simple concept. The love between us is so simple and pure that his smile, laugh and general good mood is extremely contagious to me! It is such a natural high to have someone effect me in this way!
4. I am my child's biggest advocate. There was much medical confusion in the early days of Zack's life as my husband and I struggled to understand all the jargon that was thrown at us. Ultimately it took a few weeks for me to realize that the doctor's weren't running the show - this was MY baby and I had a say in his care. I began making requests, asking for more information and stating what I thought needed to be happening. I've never really been responsible for another life before and this has been one of my biggest challenges. As hard as I find it to speak up at times, I will not hesitate to tell someone what my son needs. If my father-in-law is trying to make him play when I can see he is obviously tired, it's not bitchy to make it clear that it's time for a nap - Zack needs me to stand up for him.
5. I am still a good mother even if I do stupid things. When Zack was about 4 months old he hit his head pretty hard causing a bruise and I wanted to crawl into a whole and die. Since then, we've had plenty of mishaps, falls and even bad decisions on my part but ultimately I always have his best interest at heart (even when I left him suck on french fries) and therefore I am a wonderful mother.
I'm sure there are more and even deeper lessons I've learned over the year but these ones are the ones that stand out. I knew being a Mom would be different then anything I'd ever taken on but I didn't expect it to change me as much as it has. As I continue to shape Zack's personality, he is doing the same to mine.
1. Every phase/rough patch passes. In the first days of Zack's life, I found it hard to believe that things wouldn't always revolve around feedings and diaper changes. All those sleepless nights seemed to stretch on into my future and the very thought made me physically exhausted. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that nothing lasts forever. Not only will I use that fact to get through difficult phases he goes through but also as a reminder to cherish his childhood. Each age and stage goes so quickly - take lots of pictures, write lots in the baby book/journal and enjoy every day (even the cranky ones!).
2. You can (and will) survive on little to no sleep. Time after time I've woken up feeling tired or sick and not sure if I could push through the day. With my baby in my life I've no option but to suffer through some days very tired because there are no sick days in mommyhood! And guess what? I survived and lived to do it all again the next day. This isn't to say I don't enjoy extra sleep when I can get it but I'm confident in the fact that life will go on whether I've had 8 hours or 3.
3. A smile can change everything. This one seems pretty obvious but until I saw Zack smile for the first time I'd never felt my whole body give in to such a simple concept. The love between us is so simple and pure that his smile, laugh and general good mood is extremely contagious to me! It is such a natural high to have someone effect me in this way!
4. I am my child's biggest advocate. There was much medical confusion in the early days of Zack's life as my husband and I struggled to understand all the jargon that was thrown at us. Ultimately it took a few weeks for me to realize that the doctor's weren't running the show - this was MY baby and I had a say in his care. I began making requests, asking for more information and stating what I thought needed to be happening. I've never really been responsible for another life before and this has been one of my biggest challenges. As hard as I find it to speak up at times, I will not hesitate to tell someone what my son needs. If my father-in-law is trying to make him play when I can see he is obviously tired, it's not bitchy to make it clear that it's time for a nap - Zack needs me to stand up for him.
5. I am still a good mother even if I do stupid things. When Zack was about 4 months old he hit his head pretty hard causing a bruise and I wanted to crawl into a whole and die. Since then, we've had plenty of mishaps, falls and even bad decisions on my part but ultimately I always have his best interest at heart (even when I left him suck on french fries) and therefore I am a wonderful mother.
I'm sure there are more and even deeper lessons I've learned over the year but these ones are the ones that stand out. I knew being a Mom would be different then anything I'd ever taken on but I didn't expect it to change me as much as it has. As I continue to shape Zack's personality, he is doing the same to mine.
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