couponing 101

My oldest friend (as in known the longest, not as in her age) and I took an excellent couponing class in March last year. Before then, I clipped coupons and thought I was rocking it but I was really missing out until I learned the ins and outs at that class. I'm not as hardcore as some, but I get 5 newspapers delivered to my house on Sundays, I print out anything I think I'll use, and I love to find store coupons because my store of choice takes all competitor coupons. With sales and doubled coupons and store/competitor coupons all rolled into one shopping trip, I save more than I spend every time. Of course this is slightly time-consuming but I always feel that it is worth it. And I LOVE seeing the amount saved at the end of the month. And even though most of my girlfriends now live far away, even my beloved oldest friend, my sweet husband tries to act as excited as he knows those ladies would. I know he does it just for me, because my level of satisfaction and joy is quite nerdy. :)


So, in lieu of organization for my coupons, I feel less that impressive. I've tried a few different things but I think my current system is too inefficient and I would like some feedback. What works for you?

new year resolutions

I'm a bit smug about New Year's Resolutions. I don't think I've ever made one... and if I did, I was like ten and have no recollection. Anyway, maybe I'm being negative, but I think they are a bit silly. Why do people feel that the need to start anew at the beginning of a year and then get all flustered and give up about a month in? If I recognize I need a change in my life, I start whenever it comes to my attention. If I modify things and they don't work out, I don't get all discouraged and feel like a failure. I just think the whole thing is odd. I guess I mentioned this because I saw the local YMCA parking lot PACKED OUT  for the first two weeks of this year and noticed yesterday that it wasn't nearly as full. Here's the smug part, not only did I notice, but I laughed. I guess that's less smug, more mean, but you get the idea.

This week has been so expensive and quite irritating. We have saved a good deal of money to finally buy Gary a new car, and then Tuesday morning, woke up to broken heating & air unit. Not only was it broken, it caught fire and caused some damage in our garage attic. We're really lucky, no blessed, that our home didn't go up in flames. That's the thing I am trying to stay focused on. Because it's the middle of winter and we have no heat. Well, that's no true, we have two space heaters and have made arrangements for the 3 of us accordingly. We aren't freezing and to be abundantly honest, we have had a great number of offers for housing through all the trouble. It is just frustrating for me to deal with our homeowners insurance because it isn't worth it for this particular problem. So, bye-bye to a new car and hello to a new heating & air unit. Yes, we'll have enough left over for a down payment on a vehicle, but we were hoping to squeeze by without a car payment.

An update about the therapist: so far, he seems to be exactly what I was hoping for. Of course, I've only been once, but our first conversation was mostly an overview of his techniques and what I'm hoping to achieve. And that conversation was already fruitful. The only downside is that he doesn't deal with insurance, so I'm paying out of pocket. It's ok, we have worked it into our budget, but I wish I was using some of the insurance we're paying for. :/ Oh well, this is a sacrifice I'm willing to make!

~Cass

therapy

I believe I said a few months ago that I was in therapy for my long-lasting and never-say-die depression. I'm not kidding here folks, it just won't go away! Anyway, the counselor I was seeing for a few months, literally did not let me talk. In the typical one hour session, I MAY have spoken for 5 minutes of the time. This is not therapy and I tried and tried to think of ways to improve this situation and various attempts failed. So, I stopped going. I tried to do everything on my own, and was completely unsuccessful. I have no interest in taking an anti-depressant. I'm not being judgmental, but for me, who wants to conceive another baby like yesterday, it doesn't make sense. Additionally, I feel like I need to do things the old fashioned way and just talk them out and work on myself. I said all of that to say this: Today I'm meeting a new counselor. I sucked it up and made another call (after a ridiculous amount of research about various individuals). And as a nice little cherry on top, the poor man probably thinks I'm more nuts than anyone else he's ever worked with, because I sent him a LONG introduction e-mail, in hopes that I wouldn't chicken out or glaze things over and that I would actually get somewhere this time around. Because I have to say, these days I have one awesome, hopeful, encouraging, productive day, followed by one hopeless, miserable, worthless day. And having about half good/ half horrible days is not in my job description... I'm a mommy and my daughter is happy all the time. I have to catch up! 

snow in Chattanooga?!

Hello friends. I know it has been a while, but I always come back. :)

Sunday night brought our lovely home 8 inches of snow, which meant no work for Gary Monday or Tuesday. And Wednesday, he finally borrowed his parents SUV and parked it at the bottom of our hill, so he could make it to work the rest of the week. We live on a ridiculous hill that has been a solid sheet of ice and there have been no comings and goings around here all week. Can you say cabin fever?! I think it is quite beautiful, but I'm a social person, and sitting in my home with a toddler as my only conversationalist, has made me rather whiny also. It isn't just me... Lucy has reached an all new level of whine master. We need to see our friends!

In other news (or additional news), the starting of my classes has been postponed until Tuesday. I know if makes me a geek, but I'm sad about this fact. My classes are online anyway, and I would very much like to have something to do while I'm home-bound. I guess it's a good thing though, because UPS can't make it up the hill to deliver my books anyway. :)

A few things I did accomplish over the month+ I've been off:

1. Gathered an insane amount of things to donate
2. Went through Lucy's belongings and packed some away for another babe and put the others aside for resale
3. Read more books for pleasure
4. Gathered books, DVDs for McKay's
5. Made new menus

And lots of other boring things....

Much love and many blessings,
Cassie