Extreme Couponing

It was my first major coupon expedition. I had been training for months. I had scoured bargain shopping websites and coupon databases. I took full advantage of my three computers when it came time to print coupons.

I don't know if my total balance would land me a spot on TV. But I had a huge mound of stuff in my cart, and there was a fair amount of sweat tripping down my neck, so... I think I'd qualify.

Two trips. 

Four separate transactions. 

Coupons used: 135

Items purchased: 220

Total value of coupons: $108.71

Total bonus coupons (Fry's made every coupon worth $1): $47.86

Spent: $199.14

Total sale/coupon savings: $463.05

And...here's what I bought. We have toilet paper coming out our ears. Mostly stuff I buy anyway, plus a few new things I thought it would be fun to try, since they were really cheap, or free.

Brawny paper towels, 6-pack : 6
Angel Soft toilet paper, 4-pack: 6 (I hate this brand, but these were free)
Scott toilet paper, 16-pack: 3
Cottonelle toilet paper, 12-pack: 2
Kleenex boxes: 9
Pixy Stix Valentines, 32-pack: 2
Hefty Gallon Freezer bags: 2
Haribo gummy bears: 3 (free)
Orville Redinbacher popcorn, 3-pack: 2
Quacker snack size rice cakes: 4
Huggy baby wipes: 1
Powerade: 4 (free)
V8 Fusion juice: 4
Sunkist 2 liter: 1 (free)
Palmolive dish soap: 4
Softsoap refill: 2
Softsoap pump: 2
Gerber Graduates ravioli:6
Boost kids chocolate milk, 6-pack: 1
Betty Crocker Mac & Cheese:14
Digiorno pizza:12
Red Baron pizza:12
Ronzoni veggie pasta: 8
Dole fruit cups, 6-pack: 4
Barilla pasta: 7
Starkist tuna creations:4
Wolf chili sauce: 2
Ragu sauce: 1
Franks Red Hot: 2
French's mustard:2
Kens Salad dressing: 2
Vlasic pickles: 2
Herdez salsa: 4
Del Monte canned veggies: 4
Minute Rice, brown: 5
Hanode brown rice: 3
Rotel: 4
Ortega green chiles: 4
Fiber One Protein cereal: 2
Cheerios: 2
Kellog's Krave cereal: 3
Apple Jacks: 4
Duncan Hines frosting flavor packet: 1 (free)
Dole frozen instant smoothies: 6
Oscar Meyer Ham: 6
Sargento cheese:4
Frigo string cheese: 2
Yoplait Greek 100: 2
Yoplait yogurt cups: 24

Extra gum: 4 (free)

Birthday boy

I still can't believe Mason is six. In so many ways he still acts like he's four. He is a little hyperactive, gets so easily distracted (no, really, it's ridiculous), and still has trouble playing nicely with his little brother without "accidentally" hurting him.

But when it comes to learning new things, he is amazing. His kindergarten curriculum has been crazy-advanced. He started the year not being able to even recognize all the letters of the alphabet. Now he's reading the scriptures with us, needing minimal help. And he's very good at math as well. I volunteered to help in his class the Friday before his birthday. He wanted to take strawberry cupcakes with blue frosting to share. After I finished grading tests, I snuck a video during a math lesson. Double-digit math problems in his head.

We had a small family birthday party on his birthday (which also happened to be Superbowl Sunday...and I had "coincidentally" decorated with blue and green birthday decor). He chose his favorite food for lunch: bean burritos. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Then it was time for presents.

It's so difficult to describe this boy of mine. I love him so much that it hurts, and I think he is easily the most adorable six-year-old alive. But when he is in "crazy-mode" it takes every ounce of my patience not to lose it. I am just praying that all that energy will find a channel someday. Because when it does...look out world.

Mason's Birthday Interview:

What is your favorite color? blue

What is your favorite toy? Mario Brothers K'nex

What is your favorite TV show? Mario Brothers

What is your favorite movie? Scooby Doo

What is your favorite thing to wear? "this" (light blue OP polo shirt)

What is your favorite animal? lion

What is your favorite song? "Everything is Awesome" (LEGO Movie soundtrack)

What is your favorite book? Thomas the Train

Who is your best friend? "There's this girl that gave me Cheez-its today, so her."

What is your favorite drink? root beer

What is your favorite food? tacquitos and bean burritos

What is your favorite breakfast? Quaker LIFE Cinnamon

What is your favorite game? Mario Brothers

What is your favorite thing to do? play with my Legos

Where is your favorite place to go? Lego Store at Disneyland

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

What makes you laugh? myself

What do you do really well? my homework

What are you afraid of? crane-flies

What do you love to learn about? nothing

What do you want to be when you grow up? a worker (construction worker)

If you had one wish, what would it be? Super Mario Brothers on the Wii U