Caving In . . .

Well I finally did it. I went straight to Wal-Mart with no coupons and bought THREE items at full price.

Gasp.

It was just one of those days. My mind was lost in thought about many things, and I needed contact solution, as well as garbage bags. I've actually been running very low on contact solution for a few weeks. However, because I've been in coupon mode, I've waited to buy new solution until I could get it much cheaper. I mean, after you buy things at half price, it just feels wrong to pay full price. Am I right? However, I'd used and reused so many ounces of contact solution that my contacts were begging me to bite the bullet and buy a new bottle.

Honestly, I would have held out longer if our trash bags hadn't run out. I didn't realize how much trash I threw away until I found myself searching for the makeshift garbage bag everytime I went to the empty trash can.

This was a prime example to me of how us Penny Pinchers can easily get our panties in a wad. Couponing and saving money is about meeting the needs of your family. If you are trying to catch every possible deal out there, or refusing to buy a $4.38  item  that you need simply because you can't get it on sale, you're missing the point. I promise that your husband and children do NOT need a woman who is stressed out (or worse-nasty smelling-buy that deoderant!). They need a woman who is calm and collected. And in my case, tonight I needed to be that woman who bought the $2.28 hair gel (finally) just because I wanted it. I've been out of hair gel for over a month. My husband likes it when I take care of myself. So you know what? Buying the hair gel that wasn't on my list was a good buy. Take that Crazy Coupon Cook.

I'll be back tomorrow with a few meals you can make using some of the deals available this week. Wednesday I'll do the Hy-Vee match up. Thursday I'll look for contact solution coupons so I don't repeat my night tonight. Good night.

I'm a Peanut Butter Snob

It's true. I'm pretty frugal (read cheap) when it comes to the food we eat. But when it comes to peanut butter, well, I'm a snob.

One day, a long time ago (the 80's is now a long time ago), my Mom came home with 2 different brands of peanut butter. Our family had been die hard Skippy fans for years. However, I guess Mom decided that it was time to venture out and try some new flavors. After all, she didn't want us to grow up to be Those Kind of People, the kind who get squemish at the thought of trying a (gasp) new type of french fry!

So she pulled all 4 kids into the brown and yellow striped wallpapered kitchen, individually, so that the taste test could be authentic and void of any older brother bullying. I remember when it was my turn I felt really excited that I got to be a part of such an important decision in the family. Peanut butter! I was helping decide the fate of which peanut butter brand would be slabbed onto my lunch sandwich everyday! For a 7 year old, it's a big deal.

My Mom told me to stand still and close my eyes. She carefully turned around and faced the yellow Formica countertop. There were 2 opened jars of peanut butter. One read Skippy; the other Jif. She dipped a spoon in one jar then proceeded to tell me to "Open your mouth." I stood with my hands behind my back, and relished the joyous peanut butter taste in mouth. It wasn't every day my Mom let me eat peanut butter straight from the jar!

Next, she took out another spoon and had me taste the 2nd peanut butter. After scrapping every last glop from my mouth, I told her which one tasted better and she sent me on her way. After each sibling had a turn in the Peanut Butter Taste Test Laboratory, Mom revealed the results. Jif won in a landslide victory of 4-0! Ever since that day, I've been a devout Jif fan. There is just something perfect about this peanut butter.

And lucky for me, Hy-Vee is having a sale this week: 2 Jif peanut butter jars for $4! Sure, it's more than the Aldi brand peanut butter, but if you are a snob like me, it's worth it!