$2009 in 2009 Challenge

I'm glad you found my deals blog! Basically, I get a ton of stuff for free or close to it using coupons, rebates, and other similar promotions. I like to call getting insanely good deals "wheelin' and dealin'" because it encompasses the hustle, skills, and determination that these deals require. It takes a while to master and is definitely a time-suck, but for me the rewards are worth it. The thrill of getting a great deal is my kind of entertainment.

Also, I wheel my shopping cart and deal my coupons to the cashier.

About me:

• I am (almost) 27 years old.
• I married Ryan in 2008. I can usually persuade him to help me wheel and deal, but I'm the brains of the operation (dealwise, at least).
• We own a home in southern New Jersey. 13.5 years left on the mortgage...
• We have four cats. I am always on the lookout for cat food or litter deals.
• I grow my own vegetables during the summer.
  
• I am in graduate school for a PhD in ecology, and get free tuition and paid a decent stipend as long as I also work as a teaching assistant. I have about 3 years left in my program, but I'm in no hurry to finish in this job market.
• Ryan is an engineer. He is very smart, works very hard, and gets paid accordingly (cha-ching!).
• We are not planning to have children, but if we did, they'd be exceedingly smart, and ridiculously nearsighted.

I can be found W&D at these stores (in descending order of frequency):

1. CVS (drugstore)
2. Shoprite (grocery)
   
3. Walgreens (drugstore)
4. Pathmark (grocery)
5. Acme (grocery)
6. Superfresh (grocery)
7. Rite Aid (drugstore)
8. Kmart
9. Target

I can be found looking for deals online at Slickdeals and Hot Coupon World (username at both: kittensmittens)

I have been at this wheelin' and dealin' game since fall 2007. I'm not sure exactly how much I've saved so far, but it's definitely been in the thousands of dollars. And that's saved versus my old shopping habits, where I followed the old rules of buying generic and buying in bulk. I like setting challenging goals for myself, though, which is why I started...

~~~~~THE $2009 in 2009 HOUSEHOLD BUDGET!!!~~~~~

The rules are as follows:

1. I began the year with $2009 available in cash, as well as $70 on a Walgreens gift card and roughly $70 CVS in ECB's. Those are the only monetary tools at my disposal for the whole year!
2. The budget encompasses all food, expendable household items, and personal care products for both me and Ryan. The only exceptions are cat food/litter and prescription copays. "Expendable" household items would be something like paper towels, whereas I would not include a more enduring purchase such as, for example, cloth towels.
3. How will I do it while maintaining a varied and healthy menu? Wheelin' and dealin'!
4. Food that was already in my stockpile before January 1, 2009 is fair game to eat; I don't need to account for how much it cost. But on this note, I didn't purposely buy a ton of stuff just to get around the $2009 limit. I just stocked up on good deals as usual. Similarly, there should be some food left in the stockpile on December 31, 2009. Such is the neverending "Circle of Deals."
5. Fruits and veggies from the garden are also "free." I will not be accounting for the cost of seeds, fertilizer, etc, since it is a hobby I really enjoy. In NJ we have cold winters, though, so there's only fresh produce May-November or so.
6. Any money spent will be deducted from my running total, including the tiniest purchases, going out to eat, etc.
7. I can also add money to my available total by turning profits on rebates or selling goods at the biannual town flea market as I've done once before (or on rare occasion, having the cashier actually hand us money. This has only happened once, since I try to stay under the radar. It was actually Ryan by himself because our math was off. He got paid $0.17 or something.)
8. I have a little money in a Paypal account (like $35 at the moment) that's solely from referral earnings at a GPT site, Squishycash. That's my coupon fund for acquiring hard-to-get coupons or rebate forms online. It's free money, but only because I exerted no effort to get it (my referrals did all the work). If you would like to become one of my referrals, click here :) Eventually you'll have referrals of your own and be able to rest on your laurels, too! Just don't use your real phone number for the offers, or you'll never hear the end of the telemarketers!
9. I deduct the cost of stamps for mail-in rebates and coupon trades.
   
10. I should probably also deduct the cost of my Sunday paper subscription from the budget, too.
11. I will try to take and post pictures of my hauls, or at least the impressive ones.
12. It will be awesome.

There ya go. I will post a few deal pictures next time and get caught up on what I've spent so far.