All the changes

I was thinking today about ALL the changes I have made since last year.

This time last year (Easter weekend) I remember going to the store that Friday night after my daughter went to sleep. I packed my buggy full of about $30 dollars worth of junk!! Now-I would NEVER do that. I have buying her Easter stuff for a few weeks and almost ALL of it cost me NOTHING! I stacked my coupons with Walgreens deals on candy, saved some of my RR's to buy the easter basket, and found the ultimate easter present for her at a consignment event!

This time last year we were heading to Walmart once, maybe twice a week, and never left without spending at LEAST $50 bucks and those were the trips where we actually only needed 1 or 2 things...but kept piling it in! NOW I am on a strict budget and am actually sticking to it. But at the same time of spending WAY less money, we actually have more items on hand! What a change!

I now am very concerned with time spent on things... I want to get in the store and out while not missing the bargains. I am planning ahead, preparing healthier meals(while spending less on them), getting my life organized and planning for the future.

I honestly don't know EXACTLY what put me in this position. I had some hard financial times (commission jobs are GREAT... commission jobs are HORRIBLE). My husband bought a business and we were just going through some strain. I was out of work for a few weeks... but none of that really happened around the time I started couponing. So it wasn't some major event like you see on TLC's Extreme Couponing(they all seem to have some sort of tragedy that led them to coupons) I guess it was more of a combination of things and the fact that I got tired of seeing our money dwindle away with NOTHING to show for it.

What about you? What brought you on this journey? Maybe you just read my blog b/c you know me (and thanks for that). :) Maybe you are reading this because you googled "Bargains" and found me. Whatever the reason--what is YOUR story? Are you changing your lifestyle or just trying to save a few bucks..?

I'm anxious to hear!