Old Yeller

Our house will be seven years old in January. Time sure has flown-- it seems like only yesterday that we were nervously building our first home over the infamous Hurricane(s) Charley-Ivan-Frances-Jeanne Summer of 2004. Mercifully, our home made it through to completion, albeit four months late, and since then we have enjoyed improving, upgrading, decorating, and repairing it as needed.

Our house, days before we took ownership, in January 2005.

Photographic proof that my garage was once empty.

'Round back.

Over the years, the chalkiest, cheapest, most watered down paint known to man that the builder used began to fade, so we recently decided to have it repainted. This is one task that neither Charles nor I had the time, talent, or --quite frankly-- the desire to tackle ourselves, so we opted for professional help.

One guy, one week, three ladders, eight gallons of paint, a quart of red mahogany stain, a dozen or so one-by-fours, two new pieces of door lock/handle hardware and one peep hole later-- we're looking at a newly face-lifted house!

Before: Besides the faded paint (pictured above, with a sample of the new paint in the middle-- Behr's Pale Sunshine) our casa was also suffering from peeling shutters, a boring white door, broken/grungy door hardware, as well as a peeling and crumbling porch ceiling

After: Exterior walls/trim/shutters/front door painted, new dead bolt and door handle, patio ceiling replaced (not shown here)

Front door went from this ...

... using this (Behr's Blue Fir) ...

... and this (peep hole in an aged bronze finish) ...

... and this (aged bronze door handle and keypad lock) ...

... to this!

In order to cover up a damaged front porch ceiling, our handyman (who painted the house) suggested, rather than simply painting over the existing ceiling, taking the opportunity to add a stained plank ceiling to the front porch for a decorative touch. I give him all the credit for this idea, as well as the gorgeous execution. Sure, I picked the stain, but that's like hitting the broad side of a barn.

WOOD + STAIN + AIR NAILER =

I pretty much love the way it looks from every angle!

I added my rustic chair and toolbox planter back to the porch, so it's looking normal again, and better than ever!

Happy with the result, just need to work on the patio floor-- slate tile, perhaps?

By the way, the shutters are Behr's Gooseberry.

There are some additional tweaks coming soon, including: spraying the light fixture and the doorbell plate to match the door handle, getting new house numbers (cute ones!), and replacing a broken flag pole. Christmas lights have actually already gone up, so my usual wreath-and-doormat combo will be making an appearance after Turkey Day.

This week we're having the interior painted, so please say a quick prayer for my patience and a smooth no-breaking-of-any-beloved-decorative-treasures transition from Martha Stewart's "Dogwood Blossom" walls to a more sophisticated (or so I like to think) "Dolphin Fin" grey (also Behr).

Stay tuned for those photos. In the meantime, here's the hot mess that is the beginning of this lovely interior painting project...

Anyone else working on any major or minor home improvement projects... even in your imagination? I know I can't WAIT to start hanging pictures, making new curtains, and DIYing some decor!

Not-So-Extreme Couponing

For anyone who doesn't have 40+ hours a week and a massive amount of storage space in their home to devote to the craze of "Extreme Couponing", my method of "Moderate Couponing" may work better for you. This isn't the only way to save money at the grocery store, nor is it the "correct" way, it's just my common sense approach to getting organized and saving money without sacrificing precious time and effort.

I purchased all of these items at a 40-65% savings using a combination of
sale prices, in-store coupons, and manufacturer's coupons!
My Manageable and Moderate Couponing Strategy:
Personally, I focus on ONE grocery store (which happens to be Publix). I like shopping there because it's always clean and they have good customer service, their store brands are usually acceptable quality, and it's near my house in a safe and well lit shopping center. I buy all of my groceries, household products, and some pet food/cosmetics/personal care items there. I tend to stay away from weekly visits to places like Target and Walmart, as I find I spend more money in there than I do when I just stick to the grocery store (even though Publix's sundries are typically slightly more expensive-- when you're sale shopping and couponing, it doesn't matter as much).

I do not run around town to three different grocery stores, pharmacies, and specialty stores just because there are a few good deals at each one. I don't have that kind of time. Besides, time is money, too! (So is gas, if you're adding up the true cost of groceries.)

Anyway, I make two shopping lists. One for staples that don't usually have coupons like produce, meat, and milk. For my fruits and vegetables, I make one weekly stop at a local farmer's market. You will often pay similar prices to what you'd find in the grocery store, but what you will get is higher quality produce for the same money, in my experience. Buying in-season, local produce is the best way to get the most for your money. (Bonus farmer's market tips: Bring cash --small bills-- and your own shopping bags or cart.)

Stocked up on frozen favorites using store sale prices, plus manufacturer's
coupons that were inside the box or peeled off the packaging.
My other shopping list consists of items I am stocking up on until the next time they go on sale (typically every three months or so). I don't buy things I don't already use simply because they're a great deal. Clutter is never a great deal. I stick to brands I like for the most part (ex. Viva paper towels, Pepperidge Farm bread, Windex, Dove deodorant), unless it's something I'm not particular about (ex. laundry detergent, canned veggies, shampoo). If the store brand is cheaper and works/tastes as good as the "real thing", by all means, snap it up and count the difference in price between that and the brand name as savings!

I make my shopping lists online-- Publix has an AWESOME grocery list feature where you can browse their weekly circular online, click the items you want to add to your list, then review the list and note your quantities of each item and check a box to indicate you have a coupon for that item (so you don't forget it). You can even sort the list by the item's location in the store, which makes shopping trips quicker. You can also add a note to the bottom ("get cash back for farmer's market" or "don't forget to use the coffee raincheck") and print it out. For a "list maker" like myself, this. is. heaven.

Stocking up on pet-related items to donate to the local humane society this Christmas-- how could you use couponing to maximize a charitable donation
to your child's school, a church program, or food bank?
Weekly, I check the Sunday paper for coupon inserts and cut out ALL of the manufacturer's coupons that I think I might possibly use. Don't spend too much time thinking. Just flip and clip! Then, you can add it to a coupon organizer (yes, you must get one). This is a dorky but essential part of the program. I found mine for $4 at Publix, spent a few minutes to label each tab (pictured below), and it's saved me tons of time shuffling through loose coupons. Flip, clip, and file-- shouldn't take more than 20 minutes on a Sunday morning. (I just subscribed to a weekly coupon insert delivery service, free of charge, in order to get multiples of the same manufacturer's coupon. I am anxious to see how that works out!)

For more coupons, check out your store's website and monthly circular-- Publix has several coupon options online and in-store (there's usually a spinner by the front door). A lot of stores also have additional pet or baby clubs or store savings cards. One thing stores in Florida don't (or rarely) do is 'double coupons.' Bummer. I have peeked around online for "printable coupons" and print a few out here and there, if the deal is really good. This can suck up a lot of your time and result in a lot of spam, so watch out.

Once I have made my "staples" grocery list (usually centers around a loose weekly meal plan), scanned the store circular online and printed out my "stock up" list, I flip through my coupon organizer and add any applicable coupons to my sale items on the "stock up" list. If you can combine a sale price/BOGO deal with a manufacturer's coupon AND a store coupon-- that's about the best deal going!

Yes, I have couponed my favorite WINE! In-store special at CVS using their store rewards card, plus an additional 10% off when you bought six bottles. I took my $6.99 a bottle wine down to under $3 a bottle! I love saving on my splurges...
My final tips-- I shop when I am not going to be rushed and I keep an eye on whether things ring up at the correct sale price (I'm surprised at how often they don't scan correctly). Get familiar with your store's coupon policy and find out if they accept coupons from local competitors. That should get you started-- it doesn't take long to get the hang of it! Before you know it, you'll be saving 30-50% or more on your grocery bill!

As a "moderate couponer", I have never needed more than one shopping cart in a single trip, spent ten hours at the store, frozen up a register, or paid $11.52 for $1,000+ worth of groceries. I have also never dumpster-dived for coupons, so that's worth at least... whatever the price of dignity is these days. What I have done is figured out a system that works for me, to maximize my grocery savings without going to extremes.