Expiration Dates

I was clipping coupons, doing my normal thing, and then realized that most of the coupons expire at the end of December and our sweet Nolan is due early December.

Let me break this down for you...
Nolan will be here SOONER than my discount on detergent expires.

OH MY GOSH!!!

Our normal grocery run will no longer be normal.
We will be buying Honey Bunches of Oats and deodorant with an infant in the cart.
Is anybody else freaking out?

The nursery is almost done. His clothes are all put away.
We've got the gear and the bathroom stuff and the safety stuff.
We are prepared.

...or so I thought.

I just had this moment of panic
where I realized that I've never been grocery shopping with a kid, never-mind my kid!
What if he cries in the store?
What if he needs to nurse?
What if he needs a diaper change?
What if I need to potty??

What if I forgot my purse in the car??!!!
Do I leave him in the cart at the check-out counter and ask the person in line behind me to watch him, NOT steal him?
Do I take him out of the cart, to the car to get my purse and then back in to pay?
Do we just give up and go home without groceries?

Do I go to the store in the middle of the day to avoid crowds?
Or do I go at night to ask the crowd to reach that jar of apple sauce for me?


What if he doesn't like to grocery shop?
What if people want to touch him and breath all over him?
What if they don't?


Really?!
He will be here sooner than my coupons expire???

Didn't we just make this kid?
Didn't we just get married and buy this house?
Didn't we just get engaged?
...didn't we JUST meet in elementary school???

Oh my gosh - Nolan is going to attend school sooner than we think.
He will go to school, meet his future wife,
ruin his clothes on the playground and get all A's.
And then he will be in junior high, hitting puberty.
And then high school, and girls, and love and lessons and sports.
Then college and marriage and a family of his own.

All the while,
I will be measuring the next chapter in life by the expiration dates on my coupons.

10 weeks.
Nolan will be here in 10 weeks.
Sooner than my coupons expire.

Shopping Secrets

We were both raised in sales-rack homes by mommas who sniffed out the bargains and still managed to keep our wardrobes in style. It's only natural that we follow their lead and do our own investigative shopping.

It's so easy to become overwhelmed by the cutest little outfits and the must-have style of the moment but truth be told, baby is going to outgrow that top before you can get home and stuff him/her into it. Of course, you can't leave your little one naked but why spend top dollar when we have the secret to stylish clothing at a stylish price?!

First thing is first...

New or expecting parent, meet Sales Rack. Sales Rack, meet parent.
If the two of you are strangers, it is time to become the best of buds.

DO NOT look at or touch anything that is full-price.
Before entering a store, put on your thrifty blinders and prepare to shuffle through sales racks.
The headache is worth it when you can afford your car payment.

Second...

Coupons.
Don't wait for them to arrive in your Sunday newspaper. While checking out at stores, ask for coupons. There are also plenty of websites that make coupons available and easy to print. We will provide links to these sites once we feel that we've compiled a trustworthy list but in the meantime, play on Google....you will be pleasantly surprised by the coupons you are able to snag online.

Third...

Here are a few special store secrets to give you a jump-start on saving:

Old Navy marks down their items mid-week. Most do so on Wednesdays but check with your local retailer and then make it a date - once a month, or more often if needed, swing by Old Navy. If you wait until the weekend, you will miss the deals and have elbow room only, as all other parents are out shopping...with screaming toddlers, no less.

Old Navy and Gap both have a mark-down method.
First markdown seems like a killer deal and for $3.99 per shirt, you are going to be inspired to buy clothing for the whole neighborhood of children. Guess what - it gets better. You might thinks that $3.99 for a little guy's polo is a solid deal, but that is just the FIRST or TWO markdowns. The second markdown ALWAYS ends with a 7 so if you find a kicking pair of kiddo's shoes for $5.97, snag them! Remember, when the clearance or sale price ends in any number other than 7, cool your jets and wait it out...good things will come!

Lastly...

No cash? No purchase!!
We are celebrating the new-found freedom of being debt-free. It wasn't easy but trust us when we tell you, it is sooooo worth it! 5 bucks here and there add up on your card...FAST! Before leaving home to hit the sales, decide on your budget and when you think you've named a fair amount, CUT IT DOWN then take the plastic out of your wallet so that you're not tempted to charge. Take cash and cash only. You will thank us later.

There you have it - a few shopping secrets.
We will continue to expand on money saving tips.
Until then, bank it!